Luke 4:32 - They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority.
This past week, Danny had a business trip to Savannah and I was fortunate to be able to accompany him. As I had never visited this historic town before, I was especially elated to be going there and eager to see and know more about Georgia's birthplace. Several of my friends had assured me that the trolley tours were not to be missed, so I booked one for the morning Danny was presenting at the convention (he's not the history buff that I am) and hoped the experience would give me the overview of Savanna's past and present I desired.
Full of Starbucks and anticipation, I waited anxiously at City Market for the first trolley of the day. The gaudily-painted orange and green vehicle pulled up promptly at 9:00 and I boarded exuberantly, taking an empty seat at the front to be sure I could catch every word the tour guide imparted. While she was friendly and personable, I found, to my chagrin, I had to strain above the growl and roar of the engine to understand what she was saying. This was certainly not the info-venture I had envisioned, but I was determined to make the best of it and willed myself to focus even harder on her words. Imagine my relief when she pulled into the parking lot of the Savannah History Museum and indicated that we were to board another trolley for the bulk of our tour. I disembarked readily and scurried toward the new trolley with renewed hope. It was crammed with folks, but a pleasant woman offered me a seat next to her which I gratefully took and, even more gratefully, delighted in the clear, resonant voice of our tour guide.
"I'm Big Daddy," boomed his introduction, "and I'm going to show you the sights of Savannah."
And, did he ever! Big Daddy not only knew the history of Savannah like the back of his hand, but also delivered the facts and folklore with indefatigable humor.
"Eli Whitney's original cotton gin is displayed right here in the Savannah History Museum. Anyone know what Eli's last words were? 'Keep your cotton-pickin' hands off my gin!'"
"And here we have the Washington cannons, affectionately known as George and Martha. Any guesses as to which one has the loudest report?"
"We're coming up on the I.R.S. building. Please note the tall, modern sculpture standing in front of it. We call it 'the shaft'."
I could go on, but you get the picture. We laughed a lot and we learned a lot. By the time the wondrous tour concluded, there was no doubt in my mind that Big Daddy was THE authority on Savannah history and I was awed by how much he had taught me in so short a time.
The crowds were amazed by Jesus because he spoke with such authority. They were baffled as to its source, but we, as post-resurrection Christians, know the answer. Jesus' authority came from his Father in Heaven, his Abba, the one true and eternal "Big Daddy". Who's your "Big Daddy"?
This past week, Danny had a business trip to Savannah and I was fortunate to be able to accompany him. As I had never visited this historic town before, I was especially elated to be going there and eager to see and know more about Georgia's birthplace. Several of my friends had assured me that the trolley tours were not to be missed, so I booked one for the morning Danny was presenting at the convention (he's not the history buff that I am) and hoped the experience would give me the overview of Savanna's past and present I desired.
Full of Starbucks and anticipation, I waited anxiously at City Market for the first trolley of the day. The gaudily-painted orange and green vehicle pulled up promptly at 9:00 and I boarded exuberantly, taking an empty seat at the front to be sure I could catch every word the tour guide imparted. While she was friendly and personable, I found, to my chagrin, I had to strain above the growl and roar of the engine to understand what she was saying. This was certainly not the info-venture I had envisioned, but I was determined to make the best of it and willed myself to focus even harder on her words. Imagine my relief when she pulled into the parking lot of the Savannah History Museum and indicated that we were to board another trolley for the bulk of our tour. I disembarked readily and scurried toward the new trolley with renewed hope. It was crammed with folks, but a pleasant woman offered me a seat next to her which I gratefully took and, even more gratefully, delighted in the clear, resonant voice of our tour guide.
"I'm Big Daddy," boomed his introduction, "and I'm going to show you the sights of Savannah."
And, did he ever! Big Daddy not only knew the history of Savannah like the back of his hand, but also delivered the facts and folklore with indefatigable humor.
"Eli Whitney's original cotton gin is displayed right here in the Savannah History Museum. Anyone know what Eli's last words were? 'Keep your cotton-pickin' hands off my gin!'"
"And here we have the Washington cannons, affectionately known as George and Martha. Any guesses as to which one has the loudest report?"
"We're coming up on the I.R.S. building. Please note the tall, modern sculpture standing in front of it. We call it 'the shaft'."
I could go on, but you get the picture. We laughed a lot and we learned a lot. By the time the wondrous tour concluded, there was no doubt in my mind that Big Daddy was THE authority on Savannah history and I was awed by how much he had taught me in so short a time.
The crowds were amazed by Jesus because he spoke with such authority. They were baffled as to its source, but we, as post-resurrection Christians, know the answer. Jesus' authority came from his Father in Heaven, his Abba, the one true and eternal "Big Daddy". Who's your "Big Daddy"?
Love this, Martha! I always do the historical tours when I visit a new city and love hearing the history from an Authority. Would love to do a tour of the Holy Land! I think I would hear the voice of the "Big Daddy".
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