Cody's Corner: We should not just embrace during Homecoming, but all the time

by Cody Biby

Homecoming is such a fun time of the year. Excitement is in the air as young and old get to cheer on the football team. It is also a great time for nostalgia, as we see friends we rarely get to see and think about all the great memories of when we participated in the Homecomings of years gone by. The week is usually full of different “theme” days at school, and there are fun events going on around town. Honestly, I think theme days should be a “thing” for adults.

Maybe I should talk to the other pastors in town about a month where we all wear the same thing to our churches and compare pictures to share some joy. Some of the days might include: Noah’s Ark Day (dress like your favorite animal), David and Goliath Day (we get to throw things at the tallest person in church), Jonah Day (throw your preacher in a pool), Tower of Babel Day (nobody can speak the same language) or Adam and Eve Day (find the snake hidden in the sanctuary and throw it out. Clothing is optional).

Maybe some of those days would not work, but I will see what the other pastors say first. I think we are onto something here. The last thing I love about Homecoming is the unifying aspect of it. Everyone is excited, proud of the school and proud of the town. No matter the outcome, it is still an event everyone enjoys. Nowadays, that kind of spirit is extremely lacking – not just in Blackwell, but everywhere.

We are greatly in need of joy, unity, motivation, hope and countless other emotions that not only make a town great, but also help us to be great as individuals. Is that not what a town is made of? Hopelessness, despair, fear, hate, division and uncertainty seem to have taken over so much of our country and our town. Unfortunately, it has even seeped into the hearts of those who believe in Jesus. Have we forgotten whose Spirit lives inside of us? Is it not the Lion of the Tribe of Judah?

Did He or did He not feed the 5,000, calm the raging storm, walk on water, heal the broken-hearted, lay down his life and rise from the dead? Is He or is He not coming back again one day to set all things right? He is, and He has not stopped being a great miracle worker or soul saver. He is the living water, bread of life, light of the world and a personal shepherd that calls for you and cares for you this very moment.

Things are never as bad as they seem when we focus on the Savior of the world. If you do not believe in Jesus, you do not know what I am talking about. But that does not mean you must stay that way. In Romans 10:9-10, we read: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

If you made that decision recently or just now, please come to me or any of the pastors and churches shown below on this page. We want to celebrate with you and welcome you into the family of God.

You also need to start attending one of these churches so you can grow and mature, and then start using the gifts God has given to you through the Holy Spirit for His Kingdom and His glory. Now that we have fixed the ultimate individual problem, I want to go back to how to get the Homecoming spirit back in this town. I would love to see people being joyful and spreading their joy wherever they are in this town – in their jobs, homes and churches.

Wouldn’t it be great to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem? Instead of being another person just going with the flow, being grumpy or discontent, always thinking life is better somewhere else, we should be sharing the living hope that comes from Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you Christian! If the grass looks greener somewhere else in your life, get to watering your own grass. I think the same principles apply to our town.

Maybe we miss the days of old, but thinking about that too much only leads to discouragement. So, what should we do? We must live like there is something worth living for and let our faith, hope and love start a wildfire of change. Instead of darkness and hopelessness conquering every corner of Blackwell, we will start to see love, service, generosity, patience, compassion, truth, kindness and hope take back the ground block-by-block.

I believe God can do it. I believe that, if you follow Him in faith, you will see things you would not believe were possible, even if I told you they would happen before they did.

Our God works like that. I hope we can carry the Homecoming spirit forward, and I appreciate the efforts of others in town who are bringing us together. Christians, we need to follow Jesus. We need to get off our phones, out of our comfort zones, into our Bibles and get to work for the Kingdom.

We are living in the last days, and we never know when our time here on Earth will be up. What we do while we are here matters, and we will have to give an account one day.

May we all shine the light and combat the darkness everywhere. May we do this not only in times like Homecoming, but in the more challenging times as well