Pastor Mark Hopper

By Pastor Mark Hopper
I am a big fan of summer.  I like the long evenings and the warm sun.  I like working in the yard and with just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.   I am not as big a fan of winter.  I don’t enjoy wearing long sleeve shirts and warm coats. I would prefer to not need to wear a sweater or sweatshirt every time I go out the door.  My wife would say that I am not always aware of what I am wearing.  When she sees me wearing an old shirt or a worn-out sweater, she will encourage me to not wear it outside the house.
But what do you do when there is no one around to help you know what colors go together or what shirt goes with a particular pair of pants?  I think most men need help in this area.  That is why men need a wife to help them with these sensitive matters.  Not long ago, I got dressed for work and put on a warm sweater and went out the door.  When I went to a scheduled meeting, someone tapped on my shoulder and said that there was something on the back of my sweater.
When I looked to see what he was referring to, I didn’t notice a thing.  Maybe it was just some fuzz or lint.  I went through the entire day and did not know that there was something wrong.  When I got home that night, I discovered that I had put the sweater on backwards!  The thing on the back of my sweater was a design of a small sail boat.  It is the logo for the Nautica sportswear company!  It belongs in the front!
I was very embarrassed.  I had been wearing my sweater backwards all day long.  I wonder how many people noticed this but did not say anything?  I wonder how many people did not notice or didn’t care? There is a verse in the Bible that says, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.  If one of them falls, the other will lift him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).  Maybe we could paraphrase the verse to say, “If one wears his sweater backwards, the other can help point out his mistake and help correct the problem”.
Let me encourage you to be open to the suggestions or correction of a trusted friend or family member.  They may see something in your life that you are unaware of.  They may be able to help you “get your sweater on” right and help you avoid embarrassing yourself!
Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd.  Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.  For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visit http://www.efreedb.org