We hope you will rejoin us at this time.  Have a WONDERFUL Christmas season.

An Arm Around My Shoulder

This time of year is a time for happiness, family, favorite foods, and the joy of giving and receiving – for some. But for others, it’s a dreaded time of loneliness and isolation.

You will remember JACKIE ROBINSON as the first black man to play major league baseball . . .

In his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson faced venom nearly everywhere he traveled. Pitchers threw fastballs at his head. Runners spiked him on the bases, brutal messages were written on cards and spoken from the opposing dugouts.

Even the home crowds in Brooklyn saw him as an object of reproach.

During one game in Boston, the taunts and racial slurs seemed to reach a peak. To make matters worse, Robinson committed an error and stood at second base humiliated while the fans hurled insults at him.

Another dodger, a southern white man by the name of Pee Wee Reese, called timeout. He walked from his position at shortstop toward Robinson at second base, and with the crowds looking on, he put his arm around Robinson’s shoulder. The fans grew quiet.

Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career — Mike Benson

If you are one of the fortunate ones to be blessed to be surrounded by family and friends during this holiday, be thankful and enjoy. But also realize that God placed us in a larger family. Let’s all make special effort to open our hearts, homes and material blessings to demonstrate that we truly are God’s family.

Ken Stegall