Religion: A Pastor Ponders

The whistler

By Pastor William Jenkins

July 20, 2006

When Tex Evans first started out in the ministry he served a church in a small Texas town. One of his neighbors was a man named Mr. Gentry. Tex Evans noticed that Mr. Gentry worked in his yard a lot…and that he always whistled while he worked. He would work with his roses in the front yard, whistling away. Then he would move to the side yard and work with his tulips…still whistling. When he went to the back yard to work in the vegetable garden, he would whistle even louder. Tex thought this was a commendable practice, but a little strange.

One day at the country store in the middle of the little town, Tex mentioned something about the whistling Mr. Gentry. One of the old-timers asked, “Do you know why Mr. Gentry always whistles when he is outside in the yard?” Tex replied that he had no idea. The old-timer said quietly, “His wife is blind.” It was then that Tex understood why Mr. Gentry always whistled. His whistling was a message to Mrs. Gentry, “I’m out here, Dear…now I’m over here…now I’m in the back yard. If you need me, call and I will hear you. I’m not far away, I’m not going to leave you alone.”

In much the same way God is whistling to let you know He is not far away. In Isaiah 58:9 we have this promise: “Then shall you call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry out and He will say, ‘Here I am’.” Listen for God’s whistle today.

League City United Methodist Church is located at 1411 Main Street (FM 518), one block east of Interstate 45. For information, call the church offices at 281-332-1557 or visit the website at

HYPERLINK - http://www.lcumc.org