The Scarerow

Many years ago I found myself transplanted to Delaware, pregnant (with Caelen) and attending a membership class in a PCA church. Pastor Auffarth (now with the Lord) officiated. He was a broad bald headed man who had played football in college and had a running bet with the congregation that no woman could produce a child more than the 18 pounds he had weighed at birth .... I believe one woman finally had twins and he called that not quite fair.
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In his office was an artists sketch of himself entitled, The General. But since the church was located on Possum Park Road the postman knew him as The Big Possum.

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So there we were in our new situation transferring from the OPC to the PCA running through the familiar church doctrines before joining the church, and I asked Pastor Auffarth a question that had weighed on my mind all that week. I had remembered a situation where I had been annoyed and offended by another woman and all though I had long since forgiven her the memory had brought fresh irritation to me. This made me wonder if I had forgiven her in the first place since apparently I had not forgotten.

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I still remember his answer. He leaned forward over his large desk and said, "You cannot keep the crows from flying over your head but you can keep them from nesting in your hair." .... no that's not scripture but memories are involuntary things. They fly through our thoughts but we do not need to allow them to stay and trouble us. I like to think of setting up a mental scarecrow that will not allow negative thoughts to stay in my mind. Of course this may take more than an act of will. When my mind is besieged with unwelcome thoughts I pray for the Holy Spirit and his peace ... the mind of Christ and the heart of the Father. If I am aligned with the Holy Trinity my way is secure and my thoughts well ordered.

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Dorothy's Scarecrow wanted a brain ..... with the mind comes much pain and trouble. But with the Lord there is peace.