There was this couple who I want to call Old Man Winter and Old Lady Winter for the sake of protecting the innocent. 

While my family was pastoring in Arlington, Texas, there was this couple Mr. and Mrs. Winter. They were an older couple, but had only been married about a month when we met them.

They started out as the kids’ Sunday School teacher and they were both great at it. They’d bring the kids donuts and tell amazing Bible stories, and then come up with some awesome craft for us to do. However, they both had a “bossy” side.

I didn’t really noticed until I got old enough to be in youth ministry, but they would try to control things, claiming to be the “spiritual parents” of our church, even though, there were people older than them.  They constantly barrage the youth pastors and stir up other church members when the youth ministry would do something “out of the box” like use anime art or have video game nights. 

I was saddened as I watched these two people who I cared for turn folks against other people that I cared for.  Things finally came to a head when Mr. Winter told my dad that if he were in charge, the church would be triple the size it was. My dad actually laughed in his face. They left the church after that. 

I would like to say, I was proud of my dad for that. About a year later, a guy in our church was getting married and the reception was to be in the church’s fellowship hall. We had placed a guitar (for the groom) and a keyboard (for the best man to play alongside) in there. 

Well, guess who showed up: Old Man Winter and Old Lady Winter. Mrs. Winter walked past the fellowship hall and took one look at that keyboard and decided it didn’t match the decor. She and Mr. Winter put it in some closet. Needless to say, the groom was stunned that the keyboard was gone at the reception so he did not play his song. We didn’t find out until weeks later who it was and we never heard from Mr.  and Mrs. Winter again since they were embarrassed they had ruined the wedding reception. 

Maybe a you’re reading this and thinking, “I know a couple like that in my church! They try to control everything and they always think they are right! I just wish they’d go away!” Let me tell you something, be patient in the arms of Jesus. Just keep praying that Jesus will put His hand in that situation. The Bible says in Galatians 6:7, “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap“

Just like Old Man and Old Lady Winter, they keep sowing and sowing control that was not theirs to take, they reaped embarrassment at ruining a wedding reception to a dear friend of theirs.  Do not be like them and repay bad behavior with bad behavior because if you sow that, it will come back on you. Sowing goes both ways. They’ll either ask God’s forgiveness, or they will reap what they sow.  

You just keep being patient and keep asking Jesus to bless and to have His Way in that situation.