The Lord’s Body Shop

March 23, 2021 / Robert Hasley /

My family and I recently attended the annual Hasley reunion at DeGray Lake, just outside of Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Having learned that the road in front of the old Hasley farm in Gum Springs (a suburb of Arkadelphia) had been named Hasley Road, I took the family to see “our” road. I found the road but not a road sign or any evidence of the old Hasley farm. We did come across an old, broken-down shed with a sign that read “Hasley’s Body Shop.” My three sons, Stephen, John, and Will, saw this as an opportunity to pose for a photo with muscles flexed (since none of us have a clue about car repairs) in front of “Hasley’s Body Shop.”

Over time, so much changes. It seems like yesterday that I was gathering eggs, playing touch football or riding horses with my cousins in the pasture next to the Hasley farmhouse. Now, only the broken-down “Hasley’s Body Shop” sign remains. While life itself changes, the need to remember and connect with family does not. Making the connection helps me remember who I am and whose I am. The result of re-grounding is renewed direction and strength (muscles) to be all I was raised to be. My hope is that my family and I will visit “Hasley’s Body Shop” at least once each year.

The Lord has a body shop too; it is called the Sanctuary or worship center. And we are invited to visit every week. We go there to work on our spiritual muscles. We go to the “Lord’s Body Shop” to reconnect with God and our faith family. When we leave, we have a better understanding of whose we are and who we are. In worship, we are repaired by the Lord so that we can face the challenges each day brings with clearer direction and renewed strength. Our worship prepares us to be all that God created us to be. So, remember to visit the “Lord’s Body Shop” soon.

Robert Hasley

As founding pastor of St. Andrew United Methodist Church, Robert Hasley’s faith and worldview have been shaped by key Christian relationships, including his wife, Sharon, his immediate family, the Highland Park and St. Andrew families of faith, and many good friends, all of whom who have dedicated themselves to “doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).

This post is excerpted from Everything is Gonna Be All Right, by Robert Hasley. These short, uplifting devotional messages of comfort and encouragement are just the antidote for days of stress and worry. Pastor Robert Hasley tells homespun stories and anecdotes of a life lived in faith through good times and bad. His grandmother would always say, “everything’s gonna be all right.” A compilation of Rev. Hasley’s life experiences and devotional messages, Everything is Going to Be All Right is not tied to specific days of the week or year and may be read in any order for inspiration and support.

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