No, Not One!

You're Never Done...

My Final Exam

          Think you're ready?  Have you already accomplished all this and more?  You donate.  You teach.  You serve.  You're already two steps ahead of me.  Great!  I am truly happy for you.  Keep inspiring others.  I'm only a few seps behind you...

          I thought I had written my final chapter of this book. There I was, standing in the shower, letting the hottest water I could handle cascade down my aching back. My body still felt broken from the accident, and all I craved was some restful sleep. The next day held an important meeting with the neurosurgeon, and a little part of me was still hoping I wouldn’t need to go through another surgery.

          I experienced a surge of relief upon finishing my rough draft. A smile spread across my face when I considered my progress. It was remarkable to reflect on my journey and realize that, despite facing spiritual challenges from all directions, I completed my three-month project in just over three weeks.

          Pride quietly makes its way into our lives at surprising times. I hadn’t achieved anything significant at that point. God reminded me that this was just the start. I had a book to complete and publish, a website to build, my Corningware Checklist to work on, and an online thrift store to oversee. The library would need regular updates, in addition to certificates, worksheets, and other programs that I intended to put in the Library. I hadn’t entirely thought it through.

          I was just one elderly woman with a limited skillset. Luckily, I had God on my side. This would be a full-time project. Could I really dedicate myself to something like that knowing how my pain and inflammation levels already influenced my entire life.

          I was just getting used to the condo and navigating the surrounding area. Now my body had been compromised by another accident; I often felt overwhelmed with pain due to my fibromyalgia, essential tremors, and restrictive lung disease. I was already dealing with so much!

          I closed my eyes and tried to let it all go. The more I stretched in the hot water, the more cracking and crackling I felt in my body. It felt like I was drifting into a dream…

          In that moment, I noticed all the people, especially the children. They seemed so vulnerable, like innocent sheep being led astray.

          They appeared dirty and weary, their bodies weakened and faces blank. Moving in a line, they walked into the pit one after the other. It was a startling sight, and a deep sadness filled my heart, bringing tears to my eyes. Couldn’t they see what happened to the person before them? Why didn’t they stop the path they were on and turn and run away?

          Someone had to come to their rescue. I called out for help, but only silence came out. No words escaped my lips, not a single sound, just a deafening silence. It felt like I was watching time move in slow motion.

          That was when I heard the deafening chime of a clock. It rang and shook the ground with a mighty vibration. I turned around as I fell to the ground and saw the huge clock in the sky like the moon. As the clock struck midnight, its chimes echoed through the stillness, marking a moment unlike any other.

          The time of reckoning was here for all who had damaged God’s creation and not repented. Those haunting tones of judgment rang out like a solemn proclamation across the land. It felt as if the signs foretold in the Bible were unfolding before my very eyes.

          I couldn’t take it. Every second felt like an eternity. It was maddening. Then, I noticed a man bending down by the edge of the pit, reaching in. He was pulling people out one at a time, then reaching back in for another. As the individuals emerged, they walked away healed, leaving him to continue his work alone. Each time another emerged from the pit, I heard a delicate bell, faint yet lovely. They combined to make the most beautiful song I had ever heard.

          Each time someone was lifted out of that pit, the beautiful bell chimed, signaling another life being saved for Jesus. It was a reminder for me that people could still be rescued until they took their last breath. There was still hope for them to find Jesus. So, why wasn’t everyone joining in to help pull the broken and the lost out of their pit of sin? Where were the Christian men and women of courage?

          The countdown had begun! Time was of the essence! We needed to spring into action and mobilize quickly. Everyone’s help would be essential. I reached out to those around me, pouring my heart out, crying, “Help! Please help me! They need our help. We can pull them out. They can’t get out on their own.”

          I hurried to the pit as quickly as I could. I was merely a frail old lady. What could I really accomplish? It became overwhelming, and suddenly I found myself on my knees before the pit, crying out to the Lord. I poured out my heart in a prayer of repentance, pleading for forgiveness for not taking my Christianity more seriously and doing more to save others. I had wasted so much time.

          In that moment, I understood that every individual carried God’s breath within them. Whenever someone took their last breath without seeking forgiveness through Jesus, it caused God immense sorrow. Every person belonged to God. People were literally dying every second of every minute and God felt a sharp pain every time someone passed and was separated from Him for eternity. We were going about our lives, failing to proclaim the gospel as required in the Great Commission and it is causing God immense pain and sorrow.

          I cried uncontrollably crying out in my heart; they are all your cherished people, Lord, and You love them deeply. So, I can’t express my love for You without also embracing them wholeheartedly. Your people are my people; every individual I meet on my journey now holds a special place in my heart. Each one is a wonderful opportunity for me to show my love for Jesus. No matter who or where they are.

          I realized I needed to try to do something. I couldn’t just stand by and watch any longer. I bent down to the ground, reached in, and unexpectedly grabbed armfuls of people as if they were rag dolls. As I set them down, I was shocked to recognize people from my old neighborhood, Girl Scouts, high school, past jobs, and even previous loves. 

          I questioned how they ended up in the pit reserved for those people who didn’t believe in Jesus. At that moment I heard the words that would haunt me as long as I had breath, “Jesus? Who’s that?” and it felt like a cold rag was put over my face, and I just woke up with chills. That was the defining moment of my life. 

          My life had taken an unexpected turn. Every person I met from that point forward felt like a cherished responsibility, and that brought a deep sense of purpose to my life. My journey to spread the gospel and help make disciples was no longer something I was expected to do; it became my calling that I would embrace with joy. This mission is meant for all of us, not just for the pastor. It’s amazing how dramatically my perspective has changed since then!

          Matthew 28:18-20 says, “The Great Commission: And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” (emphasis mine)

          I experienced a renewed sense of duty to share the light inside me with everyone I encountered, even if just for a brief moment.

          But what about my Jewish friends? They knew about my Christian faith, and I acknowledged their Jewish beliefs. We respected each other’s faiths, passionately sharing our devotion to our respective beliefs. I had no desire to offend them. How could I engage with them without pushing them away? This would require some research.

          Not only did I not share Jesus with any of those people, but my relationship with Jesus was so compromised that others couldn’t see His light shining through me well enough to inquire. I felt I had truly failed. Miserably.

          Tears streamed down my face as I let out a whimper of frustration. I felt as if I couldn’t stop crying, my emotions pouring out in waves of tears.

          That’s when I began to think, “What about my childhood best friend, Peggy Ann?” We were inseparable, and I often ponder what happened to her. We attended Sunday School together for years, but she moved away. I can’t help but wonder if she is walking with Jesus now. I genuinely wish we had stayed in touch.

          Stevie passed away during our junior year in a car accident. He had such a sweet nature. He was the first boy to compliment me in seventh grade. I often wondered, ”Did he know Jesus? Is he with Him in Heaven?” I sincerely hope so. It troubled me not knowing the answers to these questions.

          I’ve run into Richie at Shoprite several times over the years. He always wears a gold cross, which made me wonder if he was saved. He was my first crush all the way back in second grade. Has it been fifty years since then? Where has the time gone?

         Would I ever see these people again? By then, I was utterly overwhelmed with emotion, tears flowing nonstop. My back was burning from the shower’s heat; I felt like I deserved it. What if these amazing people whom I call my friends didn’t know Jesus?

          The weight I felt was like experiencing the car accident all over again. All I could think of was, No, no, no, no, no, no, no, this is not happening! I tried to close my eyes and pray and will it away. But I couldn’t. It was too late for that. I would have to deal with the consequences.

          I’ve often heard people say that if we don’t learn from our experiences, we might just end up repeating them. So, how can we lead our lives in a more meaningful way? Personally, I think James 4 offers a wonderfully clear perspective. Google AI’s overview gives a clear interpretation of James 4, which I found highly insightful. This is truly something we should all strive to achieve.

          As it turns out, this wasn’t really about my Corningware Cornflower collection. It was about you, all of you. Even when I was drafting my technical manual five years ago, I recognized my goal was to connect with people. That’s why I picked the name www.corningwarecornflowerconnection.com.

          This book has truly blossomed since then. Whenever you add Jesus, you genuinely add heart. I do hope you discover His love for you on every page. I also hope my words resonate just as I intend. Just to clarify, I’m not trying to boss anyone around. I simply want to share my “if I only knew then what I know now” with others. I sincerely hope this will help spare others some pain.

          I’m excited to help others discover the topics they need quickly and easily, empowering them to step into all God has called them to be.

          Feel free to send a comment or suggestion for a topic you need help with to me under the Ask Miss Bess section. I am only one little old lady, but I am devoted to No Not One!, and I will work as fast as I can to get you there too.

          I’ll be praying for you. Please pray for me as well. This next section is long, but well worth the read.

          James 4:1-17 says, “Submit Yourselves to God: What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

          “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’

          “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

          “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

“Boasting About Tomorrow

          “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”

Google AI Overview says, “James 4 in the Bible encourages Christians to live a life of faith and humility, and to reject the world's wisdom. Key ideas:

• Worldly wisdom is evil: James says that the world's wisdom leads to conflict, disorder, and evil. 
• Trust in God: James encourages Christians to trust God to provide, judge, and lift them up. 
• Repentance: James calls Christians to repent from their sins and receive God's grace. 
• Humility: James  encourages Christians to recognize their imperfections and to refrain from judging others. 
• Submission: James encourages Christians to submit to God and to resist the devil. 
• Prayer: James encourages Christians to ask God for what they want, instead of resorting to ungodly means. 

James 4 also encourages Christians to: 

• Acknowledge God's authority
• Approach life with an understanding of its uncertainty
• Seek a closer relationship with God
• Be mindful of their actions during trials
• Treat those less fortunate with kindness
• Be mindful of how they speak and relate to others
• Be mindful of how money plays a role in their lives”

     Consider this my personal invitation for you to Come Alive 2025 – You Were Made for More! Complete the 100-day challenge to improve physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. Sharing these moments together makes them even more special. The saying “the more the merrier” definitely applies. You won’t want to miss it. 

     Come on this journey with Jesus and me.