My Trip to Mayberry…Several months ago, I took a group to Andy Griffith’s hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina, which is very similar to the fictitious TV town of Mayberry. A lot of the places, the barber shop, the diner, Wally’s service station, street names, etc on the TV show came from Andy Griffith’s childhood there. We went to the Andy Griffith Museum that has displays from his professional acting career and other interesting local historical information. I got my hair cut at Floyd’s City Barbershop and we went to the Snappy Lunch diner, Oppie’s Candy and Ice Cream Shop. We also ate at Barney’s Cafe, visited nearby Pilot Mountain and went to Wally’s Service Station, where we went to a tour of the town in an old patrol car similar to the one driven by Andy and Barney on the T.V. Show. 

I think there is a desire and yearning in all of us for simplicity and a more balanced lifestyle. One of the reasons for the continued success of The Andy Griffith Show on TV is that it portrays these life lessons and values in every episode with plenty of humor. We can’t always live in a place like Mayberry but we can learn to live by the same SIMPLE VALUES in our busy and hectic world. Here are some suggestions I have found to be helpful:

S.I.M.P.L.E… 

S chedule wisely. Schedule with your Priorities in mind, not just pressures.

I nvest your time and energy in the relationships that matter most: God, your family, etc…

M aintain good daily habits.

P eople are more important than things.

L ive each day to the fullest, make the most of it.

E ncourage others along the way. 

Have a great day, and remember to tell Aunt Bea and Goober hello and watch out for Ernest T. Bass…

Where should we turn in times of tragedy? Billy Graham said this at the memorial service for the Oklahoma City Bombing Tragedy in 1995 and it is still very timely today… “No matter how hard we try, words cannot express the honor and shock and the revulsion we all feel over what took place here. That blast was like a violent explosion ripping through the heart of America. But how do we understand something like this? How can things like this happen? Why does God allow this to take place? First, it is a mystery. I have been ask on hundreds of occasions why God allows tragedy and suffering. I have to confess that I can never fully answer this question to satisfy even myself. I have to accept by faith, that God is a God of love and mercy and compassion even in the midst of suffering. But the Bible tells us that the Satan is real, and that ‘he was a murderer from the beginning’ (John 8:44). And it also tell us that evil is real and that the human heart is capable of almost limitless evil when it is cut off from God and His moral law. The forces of hate and violence must not be allowed to gain their victory, not just in our society, but in our hearts. Nor must we respond to hate with more hate. Times like this will do one of two things: They will either make us hard and bitter and angry at God, or they will make us tender and open, and help us reach out in trust and faith.

I pray that you will not let this bitterness poison your soul, but that you would turn in faith and to trust God, even if we cannot understand. It is far better to face something like this with God’s strength than to face it alone and without Him. My prayer for you today is that you will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around you, and will know in your heart that He will never forsake you as you trust Him.” 

We live in an imperfect world, but we have a perfect God who sees our pain and can bring us through disappointments and difficulties like no one else can. Check out these encouraging words that reflect this powerful truth: 

– “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

– “God meets us where we are, not where we pretend we are, and not where we wish to be. Say this: This is where I am. I am going to accept. I hate it, but God is somehow at work. I don’t feel it, but I’m going to live it by faith.” – Dr. Larry Crabb 

– “The Lord said, I will personally go with you, and give you victory, peace, and rest…everything will be fine with you.” – Exodus 33:14 (TLB)

– “ God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

Only God can turn Tragedy into Victory, Hurt into Healing Grace, Despair into Peace if…we will turn to Him.