Tonight was beautiful but it starting to have that cool crispness in the air. You kind of know fall is near. I guess it was the similarity of the night but for some reason tonight while I prayed my mind went back 33 years ago this October. I was a police officer in TN but I had also surrendered to preach some months before. God had allowed me the privilege of preaching several times in country churches around West Tn but in Oct of that year the Lord placed on my heart something different. I had read about Brush Arbor meetings of the past and I decided that I wanted to have one out in the country where I grew up. My buddy, Jimmy McCullough,and my young wife helped me. We pulled up a flat-bed trailer into my grandmothers hay pasture. We build an arbor over it. We set up PA, chairs, sawdust in the aisles and a couple of 55 gallon barrels for fire because it was getting cool. We put up hand made posters at the local grocery store, and took fliers to farm homes, many of which were related to me. We had no idea if anyone would come but I had a burning desire to preach the gospel to my home community and I did not think they would come to my church, so I went to them. They came in cars and trucks and parked in the pasture. Some of the farmers never got out of their trucks but rolled down the windows and listened. Others stood by the fire the whole service. The first night 56 came and the second night 78 were there. I preached a message only a young, inexperience police officer/preacher could preach. It was called “Thaw out the freezer before you ruin the meat”. Some older ones may remember having to thaw out a freezer. Not sure how much was accomplished but the truth is this. I hope I have not lost that zeal and simple faith for the Lord. We get older and educated and sometimes we lose what is most important and that is the heart and faith of a child, who just steps out and does what the Lord wants. 2Timothy 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.