The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 28:3a, “But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks

and laid them on the fire…”

What in this verse seems unusual to you? It has long intrigued

me. For 14 days, 276 people, who were on board the ship had

battled the sea and gone without food. Finally, the ship broke

up, foundering on the rocks of a small island called Malta. It was

raining and it was cold, and the native population received the

ship’s passengers with kindness and built a fire for them. How

many of the passengers helped, we do not know. We only

know that Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, “gathered a bundle

of sticks and laid them on the fire.” There is nothing in the

passage to suggest that the centurion ordered him to do so, it

was just something that needed to be done, and he did it.

Great men often do common things. Only those who perceive

of themselves as “great,” refuse to dirty their hands in menial

tasks. Paul was an emissary of the King of Kings, yet he stooped

to the task of gathering sticks for a fire. Do we balk at menial

tasks? We shouldn’t. Do we think of ourselves as better than

the Apostle Paul? We aren’t. Let others praise us, if they so

choose; but let us remain humble and attend to the tasks at hand.

We love you all deeply and pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas