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Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, October 09, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Until We See You Again
Father, our hearts cry out to you right now. Broken hearts are grieving the loss of our mother, our grand mother, our sister our friend our wife. We cry out with King David from so long ago, “Be merciful to me for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, Oh Lord, how long? Turn and deliver me; save me with your unfailing love.” Father, speak words of comfort to us in this hour. In Jesus name amen.
I am the longest surviving son in law of mom and I count it a privilege to stand before you to speak some words about my mother in law. So I thank all of you for the opportunity.
JoAnn was a born again believer in the saving grace of Christ. Through the ministry of many and in times of great need, she found the foundation that would hold her up for the rest of her life. Even through her last moments here with us. She passed on into the arms of Jesus with all of us standing around her. It was a precious time that I will never forget. Watching dad kiss her for the last time was a powerful moment that underscores the love shared between them for over 58 years.
Most every Christian I know has a favorite bible verse. A verse they can return to at any moment that reminds them that their is a greater power, a greater purpose, a greater principle than anything that confronts them at any time.
JoAnn’s favorite verse was Proverbs 3:5 & 6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
As I read and re-read those verses I thought about trust and how JoAnn trusted the Lord for so many things with all her heart. How she trusted that the best things would come to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Joanne trusted that the Lord would take her home in His time and trusted that his final peace would be her healing.
Trust and Obey for there’s no other way... the song goes. We’ve heard a lot of things about trust in our lives and to be sure, I trust that you take that to heart. But the next part of the passage is the tough part, isn’t it? And maybe that’s the part that caught JoAnn more than we might know.
...lean not on your own understanding;... That’s not easy. As each of us has struggled to understand the whys of a dear loved one’s passing, we each formulate reasons upon reasons; possibilities upon possibilities and ways upon ways it could have turned out differently. We want to understand and we hate the idea that we don’t. But Isaiah 55:8 tells us that God’s “...thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways (His) ways,”
Those are hard words to understand and even harder to hear. Because from our perspective our ways are right.
...in all your ways acknowledge him... Ways, what ways? This way? That way? Which way? Another verse pops into mind. Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life...
There’s the way. In all your ways... Jesus. Jesus in every thought, every decision, every moment. A continuous stream of connectedness that enters into every movement of our lives. But you say, “Martin, I can’t do that! I can’t pray over the decision to have a Latte or a plain cup of coffee!” Oh but you can! You see, God’s ability to provide you with everything you need for every decision you make is limitless!! The only limitation is your willingness to accept it!
He will make your paths straight! Sam and Deb drove all night to get here from North Carolina. Sam told me he didn’t know that a little four cylinder would go 100 mph! I would dare guess it would go even faster that that if the road was wide, straight and flat!
JoAnn’s second born, Ellen, my wife is a district manager for a petroleum company. She oversees a dozen or more convenience store gas stations. On one of our trips between Lake Odessa and Jackson, Ellen and I calculated that she has driven about 34,000 miles in her car since last Thanksgiving. That’s an average of over 800 miles a week!
The reason she drives so many miles is due to changing her district from one that was fairly close to one that is nearly as far away as possible from our home. Plus the district is a much larger district square miles wise. When the change was given, neither Ellen nor I were too happy about it. To us, especially to me, the change did not make a lot of sense. I struggled to understand it. It seems to me that a manager is hired to oversee people more than anything else. That means talking to, teaching, disciplining, hiring and interacting with people. Business people call it “face time.” This change of district would require a lot of “wheel time.” Higher travel expense. More wear and tear vehicle miles and a lot less face time. She had worked very hard to build an efficient and profitable district for her employer. She had developed relationships with store employees that were important to both her and them. I personally was concerned with the number of additional miles she would drive every day. The possibility of a road accident increases with each mile driven. No, we did not understand.
But God’s way are not our ways. Lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
So with prayer and thankfulness for a good work for Ellen to do, thinking that she’d have a ministry with a new group of people, we put this difficult to understand decision into the hands of Jesus and went about our life.
As a result of the district change, for the past year, on almost every Wednesday afternoon, Ellen has met with her mother and dad for lunch. She had no way of knowing the outcome that finds us all here. She only knew that because of the change in her district an opportunity arose. An opportunity that presented itself in spite of our “better” knowledge. His ways are not our ways. I acknowledge that now. His wisdom surpasses mine and yours.
Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
You see his ways are not a list of do this’ and don’t do thats. It’s not about behaving like this or like that. So many Christians get that wrong. I wish it were that easy. But it’s not. Scripture says we’ve all fallen short of the glory of God. Your behavior is not; can not be the determining part of your relationship to God. JoAnn understood that. It’s not about doing the right thing. It’s about relying upon the right person. If you attempt to be “good enough” to be in the presence of God you will experience epic failure! You cannot be good enough. To think so throws away the sacrifice of Christ.
No, it is about understanding that no matter your behavior, as good or as bad as it may be, you are broken and cannot scratch the surface of understanding the ways of God. To worry about the circumstances in life is a form of atheism. You simply cannot understand the ways of God.
JoAnn did not understand the ways of God any more than you or I. But she did understand that she was broken. At the end she gave in to God’s understanding, God’s plan, God’s call, God’s hope. Her brokenness is now healed! She was willing to trade her corruptible body for an incorruptible spirit that celebrates a knowledge she could never know here. She is dancing with angels and waiting for the glorious time of meeting all of us who, though broken, believe. We will celebrate with her then and do so even now knowing that His ways are perfect. His way is strong. His way brings us home. That his way heals us too. And at the time of our perfect healing we will see our mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and wife again.
Yes JoAnn, mom, we celebrate with you today. We thank you for your life and the way it enhanced ours. We all are better because we know of your faith. We hang on here as each of us is called to do. Though we ache, grieve, cry and will do so at times for the rest of our lives, we anxiously wait to see you again.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
That's a Mountain I'm Not Willing To Climb
Yahweh-Yireh. On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. The plainly obvious lesson in Abraham’s dedicated proof that he loved the Lord beyond everything else is easy to grasp. He’s on some elevated point in the region of Moriah with a son bound by cords or ropes laying on a pile of wood. He wields a knife, holding it high above his head seemingly willing to plunge it into the chest of his only son from his marriage to Rachel, his true love. As sacrifices go, this one trumps them all. Human sacrifice seems a grisly path to atonement to most of us, let alone the idea that we’d kill one of our own children. Most of the people I know wouldn’t go to the grocery store to buy a carton of cottage cheese at the request of the voice of God. Leave the mountain climbing to to someone with a bit more faith and a keen God ear, I’ll stick to simple things like asking for a help with the water bill or a head-cold. Kill one of my children to show my faithful dedication? That’s a mountain I’m not willing to climb.
I have a budget that I manage for my employer. It’s a substantial budget. I need to use that money to benefit a large number of people. But the budget is not unlimited and it’s rarely enough to accomplish what “should” be done. I hear a lot of compelling arguments about how to use that money. Some of those arguments are better than others. Once in a while they’re convincing. Most of the time they’re shoot from the hip or knee jerk reactions that bear small considerations. So I wonder, what could God possibly say to me that would compel me to plunge a knife into the chest of Amanda, Sarah, Matthew, or Michael? Those words don’t exist. If they do, I don’t want to ever hear them.
Why a mountain? Why carry a bunch of wood up a mountain? That’s work, I’ll tell you. I’ve climbed small mountains in the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona. It’s not easy even without the bundle of wood. My guess is that Abraham carefully thought through each and every heavy step on the way to his son’s death. Is there a heavier burden that we could possibly carry than to know that with each passing foot print upon the sand of an uphill battle we’re gradually moving closer to the inevitable death of one of our children? That’s not a mountain I’m willing to climb. I’d rather lay low that mountain one spade shovel at a time than step one foot upon it’s face.
And yet, God’s provision wasn’t found at the bottom of Mt. Moriah. It was found somewhere further up upon it’s side. Somewhere in the crags and crevasses of dirt, stone, brush, rocks and sand Abraham’s blessed relief was given. God met Abraham at his ultimate knife-point of need. Relief and deliverance was administered only when Abraham reached his heavy sighed moment of complete dedicated-to-God despair. They joy must have been immeasurable. Certainly he couldn’t help dancing while he unbound his sacrificial lamb of a son. Would anyone even be able to decipher a word he spoke through the tear soaked laughter and giddy giggles of a man who found such a marvelous gift?
So, what of us? Where will we find such joy? In our back yard? On the smooth sidewalk in front of the house? Or rather, will we need to climb a mountain? More importantly, when we find ourselves at the foot of the hillside are we willing to raise our foot and take the first step.
Song idea. . .
Intro
Yahweh-Yireh
Yahweh-Yireh
Yahweh-Yireh
Chorus
On the mountain of the Lord it will be given
On the mountain of the Lord it will be seen
On the mountain of the Lord it will be given
On the mountain of the Lord it will be seen
Verse
Abraham left the city
at the Lord's command
He took his young son with him
A blessed but sacrificial lamb
Angels came to help him
At the sharpened point of need
To stop his bleakest hour
*Before his dream would bleed*
Bridge
Obedience comes with an awesome price
It's sometimes hard to pay
It holds no currency in whim
There's no credit in going halfway
When you need to climb the mountain
But you can't see what's ahead
Take the time to truly listen
And you'll never be mislead
Dreams are often given
with a future paved in *doubt *
The doubting mind won't see it
like the one that's bound in Him
I have a budget that I manage for my employer. It’s a substantial budget. I need to use that money to benefit a large number of people. But the budget is not unlimited and it’s rarely enough to accomplish what “should” be done. I hear a lot of compelling arguments about how to use that money. Some of those arguments are better than others. Once in a while they’re convincing. Most of the time they’re shoot from the hip or knee jerk reactions that bear small considerations. So I wonder, what could God possibly say to me that would compel me to plunge a knife into the chest of Amanda, Sarah, Matthew, or Michael? Those words don’t exist. If they do, I don’t want to ever hear them.
Why a mountain? Why carry a bunch of wood up a mountain? That’s work, I’ll tell you. I’ve climbed small mountains in the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona. It’s not easy even without the bundle of wood. My guess is that Abraham carefully thought through each and every heavy step on the way to his son’s death. Is there a heavier burden that we could possibly carry than to know that with each passing foot print upon the sand of an uphill battle we’re gradually moving closer to the inevitable death of one of our children? That’s not a mountain I’m willing to climb. I’d rather lay low that mountain one spade shovel at a time than step one foot upon it’s face.
And yet, God’s provision wasn’t found at the bottom of Mt. Moriah. It was found somewhere further up upon it’s side. Somewhere in the crags and crevasses of dirt, stone, brush, rocks and sand Abraham’s blessed relief was given. God met Abraham at his ultimate knife-point of need. Relief and deliverance was administered only when Abraham reached his heavy sighed moment of complete dedicated-to-God despair. They joy must have been immeasurable. Certainly he couldn’t help dancing while he unbound his sacrificial lamb of a son. Would anyone even be able to decipher a word he spoke through the tear soaked laughter and giddy giggles of a man who found such a marvelous gift?
So, what of us? Where will we find such joy? In our back yard? On the smooth sidewalk in front of the house? Or rather, will we need to climb a mountain? More importantly, when we find ourselves at the foot of the hillside are we willing to raise our foot and take the first step.
Song idea. . .
Intro
Yahweh-Yireh
Yahweh-Yireh
Yahweh-Yireh
Chorus
On the mountain of the Lord it will be given
On the mountain of the Lord it will be seen
On the mountain of the Lord it will be given
On the mountain of the Lord it will be seen
Verse
Abraham left the city
at the Lord's command
He took his young son with him
A blessed but sacrificial lamb
Angels came to help him
At the sharpened point of need
To stop his bleakest hour
*Before his dream would bleed*
Bridge
Obedience comes with an awesome price
It's sometimes hard to pay
It holds no currency in whim
There's no credit in going halfway
When you need to climb the mountain
But you can't see what's ahead
Take the time to truly listen
And you'll never be mislead
Dreams are often given
with a future paved in *doubt *
The doubting mind won't see it
like the one that's bound in Him
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Warm Fuzzy lists of Memories
I recently received a list of warm memories. You've gotten them too I'm sure. You know, those lists that bring back memories of days gone by and how we've lost the innocence of those times through an onslaught of laws and innovation that have stolen a bit of Americana.
I love these lists. There are a bunch of them that have been circulating in email circles for years. The elicit warm memories of days gone by. I like reading them and remembering. Over the past several years I've had the opportunity to attend several High School Commencement ceremonies. Almost always, someone gives a speech regarding the memories that that graduating class holds dear. I'm always amused at how the earliest memories they have are so new! But they talk about them in the same tones as me when I talk about growing up in the 50s.
Funny though, the lists always mention "somebody" stealing away all of the values suggested within the list. That's a revisionist's view of history in my opinion. I think that people weren't so "warm and fuzzy" about life DURING the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Back then I suppose they waxed nostalgic about the 90s, 00s, 10s and 20s. They probably woe d about how everything was going to hell in a hand basket back then too.
Here's a recent list I've received several times over the past 5 or so years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the
1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O. K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own
good and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's a great list of warm memories.
The last 50 years of inventions and improvements are the result of these people's creativity and innovation. Yes, that's true. And here is a partial list...
...cable Television with 99 channels
...video games.
...motorized vehicles to replace pedal pusher cars.
...gummy worms
...jolt cola - "all the sugar and twice the caffeine"
...about 1000% increase in cartoons
...a junk-food hamburg joint on every other corner
...a society where separation of church and state is more about protecting the state from churches than it is about protecting churches from the state.
...the birth control pill - which fostered the idea that sex is mostly about personal enjoyment and nothing about having babies, which then fostered the idea that abortion is simply another personal choice.
...a society of litigious individuals unable to take responsibility for anything who so often sued everyone with any money that we necessarily need seat belts, warning labels on anything we consume, childproof lids, lead-free paint and bicycle helmets.
...unbelievably real violence depicted with uncanny accuracy on every television show and movie we see every day; all in an effort to so sensationalize the mediums that we're seemingly unable to resist watching. Which, of course, serves to pad the pockets of the Hollywood moguls producing them. But that's their purpose anyway, right?
...the "numbing down" of violence by the aforementioned productions to such a degree that BB guns are now a "viable weapon" instead of a pretend toy.
...a need for approval by everyone for everything to the extent that we all believe that we should, by right, never have to be disappointed. And we believe this so completely that we almost literally force everyone to succeed even if the success is completely "manufactured." Even though no one "loses" with such trumped up benchmarks, nobody really wins either because true success by achievement has become an "evil" thing that supposedly separates people, rather than something to be looked upon with admiration.
Yes, we enjoyed all of those listed things. But we are culpable for their demise at the same time. We raised the succeeding generations. We set the benchmarks. We allowed the changes to happen. We appointed or elected the morons who sit on the bench and allow companies to be successfully sued on the behalf of idiots who maim, burn, shoot and slice themselves with the products those companies produce, making those same idiots millionaires in the process. We allow criminals, child molesters, to get away with murder and gross indecencies again and again under the guise of building their self-esteem at the expense of their victims. We create laws that allow drunks the privilege of driving again and again, while drunk again and again. After all, that drunk is somebody's dad and what would happen to those kid's self-esteem if dad had to spend time in jail because he broke the law?
Yes, I would love to go back to a simpler time too. It's certainly fun to reminisce. Unfortunately, my freedom still ends where someone else's nose begins. That means I don't get to choose the things on the list that I want us all to “go back to.” But I can foster an environment in my home where right is right and wrong is wrong. I can tell my children that sin still exists. I can tell them that although there is gray, there is black and white too. Just because something isn't illegal does not mean it's not wrong and that just because something is legal does not mean it's necessarily right.
My granddaughter watches TV; movies and cartoons and kid's programs. She also paints with watercolors and felt tipped markers. She makes snow angels and "helps" hang Christmas lights. She runs a hundred miles an hour and needs to be reminded to slow down in the house. She eats candy and lots of it. She also needs to eat her vegetables first. She likes to cuddle with grandma and wrestle with dad. She sings and dances to any music playing. She's learning to count; in both English and Spanish by watching a cartoon program. She rides her bike and struggles with the pedals. She gives her baby sister hugs and kisses, but sometimes wishes mom would put her back in her belly. She's only two and a half, but she prays before meals and before bed. She goes to church with her mom and dad and sings the worship songs until she goes to the nursery. She knows how to spit - "outside only grandpa" - and giggles when she does it.
It's fun to reminisce. But our lives really aren't much different now than “back then” if we don't let them be. We are as responsible for the changes around us as anyone else. Change is inevitable and it's no different for us than for our forefathers before our grandparents.
Want to really go back?
Give up your...
...microwave oven
...glass top range and self-cleaning oven.
...double well stainless steel sink
...satellite and cable TV
...remote controls
...DVDs, VCRs and Tivos. (Of course if you really want to watch a program, you'll need to be sitting in front of the TV when the TV people say so.)
...video tape rentals. (What's wrong with going to the theater anyway?)
...heck! Give up the TV altogether! (Now, there is a real solution that would probably work to restore the days of yore. But even though I know that, I don't DO it. I simply won't choose to give up some of the TV I watch!)
...fuel injected, computer controlled automobile engines. (Yeah, I really miss sticking my head underneath the hood of a car and prying open a frozen choke on a 20 degree winter day.)
...instant, push button connections via cell phones to your spouse and kids.
...efficient gas furnaces and water heaters. (Think the cost is too much? Try shoveling coal... I seem to remember a house we lived in where coal was still used. Somehow that missed the list.)
...music CDs (why use these? What was wrong with scratchy, fragile vinyl records anyway? Remember the warm fuzzy of running down to the store to buy a new stylus? (that's a record player needle for you youngsters – ask your dad what a record player is.)).
...Oh! and most of all, give up all these Emails!
The list gives us pause to remember a sepia toned time of nostalgia. But it misses the point entirely with two things.
Take an honest look at this statement:
>You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up
>as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own
>good and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how
>brave their parents were.
Now that's one telling statement. It shows the heart of the problem in two areas; our concept of government and our thoughts about bravery. First, I thought this was a government of the people. At least that's what I was taught. Aren't lawyers subject to the laws of our country? So, they are, in the end analysis, subject to what we, the people, allow them to do via our voice in a representative government. "They" didn't regulate us for our own good. "We" did. Or more correctly we let them do it for us while we sat warm and toasty in our easy chairs, remote control in hand, and entertained ourselves with the tripe emanating from the tube.
Second, as far as bravery goes, I don't get it! We fought wars on foreign soil to promote what we are unwilling to defend at home. That's not bravery, that's complacency. Brave fathers turn off the TV/VCR/Satellite/Mp3 player/CD/Radio or whatever and take their children out to teach them about life. Brave fathers know how to say no with a velvet fist. Brave fathers spend time with their children exploring their interests and build quality young men and women in the process. Brave fathers become "guides on the side," encouraging their children to achieve in the areas where they are blessed.
Brave mothers demand a few family meals a week. Brave mothers turn off the television while the meal is on the table. Brave mothers lead by example, doing the work instead of demanding the work be done by someone else. Brave mothers bake a pie and take it to "that" family in "that" house and attempt to befriend them. Young men and women see such things and learn from it. Most people watch "that" family from inside their home and tell each other what "they" did now. Young men and women see such things and learn from them.
Brave coaches tell little Joey that he won't make the team this year. Brave coaches tell Joey's mom that he's willing to spend some time with Joey to help him learn how to make the team the next time even though there is no guarantee. Brave parents know that not every child is talented in every area. Brave parents notice their children's gifts and find ways to build upon them. Many parents want their child to be shielded from any disappointment. But that's not the real world and fostering that "entitlement" attitude in children is just plain wrong. Sooner or later we all have to deal with shattered dreams and terrible losses. Dealing with the loss of a position on the little league team is a great way to get started. Especially so if a brave dad would come along side of that kid, discover his gift or talent and begin building on it. Losses help make success all the sweeter.
Brave people stand up for what's right and condemn what's wrong. Pure and simple. Some things are just wrong. Most people watch what happens around them and shrug their shoulders. Brave people get on the telephone or go to the meeting and begin finding out how to make a difference.
Am I a gloomy gus? I don't think so. I think that the good old days still exist. We just don't see them. We don't choose them. We don't fight for them. I like the list. I really do. I remember all of those things with fondness. I hope that my children and grandchildren remember the days we're living in now and create their own list of fond remembrances about them. Likewise, I'm sure my great, great, grandfather's grandfather would look at the life my grandfather lived and shrug his shoulders with wonder too.
The lawyers and governors of our country can't steal our valued lifestyle unless we let them and that is not their intent. They've got Email too. Let them know. Let the congressmen, senators, governors, presidents, military officials, business owners, pastors and priests know what you believe is important about life in America. It's easy to do. If you truly believe they are in control and stealing the American lifestyle out of our hands, tell them about it. Who cares if they think you're old fashioned or "out of it." They already do anyway. You can tell by their actions and legislation and sometimes by the personal choices they make.
I'll tell you what, here's your challenge for the week: Turn of the television. Really. See if you can do it. turn it off and do something else. Want a suggestion?
How about making a difference in the lives of the children you wish had it as good as you did. How about starting a knitting club, a chess club, a writing club, a wood working/gardening/jogging/computer/video/radio/shortwave/cooking/bird watching/painting/modeling/whatever-else-you-can-think-of club. Call the local school and ask to have a statement put in the bulletin announcing that you're starting it. Get involved with some kids. Teach them about the stuff on the list. Get them involved with something other than TV/Entertainment choices. Tell them about how great life was back in the day you grew up. Teach them about life as you know it now. All you have to do is tell them the stories. They'll listen. They love to hear stories. You can make a difference that can bring back the values of days gone by.
Or you can watch TV.
I love these lists. There are a bunch of them that have been circulating in email circles for years. The elicit warm memories of days gone by. I like reading them and remembering. Over the past several years I've had the opportunity to attend several High School Commencement ceremonies. Almost always, someone gives a speech regarding the memories that that graduating class holds dear. I'm always amused at how the earliest memories they have are so new! But they talk about them in the same tones as me when I talk about growing up in the 50s.
Funny though, the lists always mention "somebody" stealing away all of the values suggested within the list. That's a revisionist's view of history in my opinion. I think that people weren't so "warm and fuzzy" about life DURING the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Back then I suppose they waxed nostalgic about the 90s, 00s, 10s and 20s. They probably woe d about how everything was going to hell in a hand basket back then too.
Here's a recent list I've received several times over the past 5 or so years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the
1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O. K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own
good and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!
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That's a great list of warm memories.
The last 50 years of inventions and improvements are the result of these people's creativity and innovation. Yes, that's true. And here is a partial list...
...cable Television with 99 channels
...video games.
...motorized vehicles to replace pedal pusher cars.
...gummy worms
...jolt cola - "all the sugar and twice the caffeine"
...about 1000% increase in cartoons
...a junk-food hamburg joint on every other corner
...a society where separation of church and state is more about protecting the state from churches than it is about protecting churches from the state.
...the birth control pill - which fostered the idea that sex is mostly about personal enjoyment and nothing about having babies, which then fostered the idea that abortion is simply another personal choice.
...a society of litigious individuals unable to take responsibility for anything who so often sued everyone with any money that we necessarily need seat belts, warning labels on anything we consume, childproof lids, lead-free paint and bicycle helmets.
...unbelievably real violence depicted with uncanny accuracy on every television show and movie we see every day; all in an effort to so sensationalize the mediums that we're seemingly unable to resist watching. Which, of course, serves to pad the pockets of the Hollywood moguls producing them. But that's their purpose anyway, right?
...the "numbing down" of violence by the aforementioned productions to such a degree that BB guns are now a "viable weapon" instead of a pretend toy.
...a need for approval by everyone for everything to the extent that we all believe that we should, by right, never have to be disappointed. And we believe this so completely that we almost literally force everyone to succeed even if the success is completely "manufactured." Even though no one "loses" with such trumped up benchmarks, nobody really wins either because true success by achievement has become an "evil" thing that supposedly separates people, rather than something to be looked upon with admiration.
Yes, we enjoyed all of those listed things. But we are culpable for their demise at the same time. We raised the succeeding generations. We set the benchmarks. We allowed the changes to happen. We appointed or elected the morons who sit on the bench and allow companies to be successfully sued on the behalf of idiots who maim, burn, shoot and slice themselves with the products those companies produce, making those same idiots millionaires in the process. We allow criminals, child molesters, to get away with murder and gross indecencies again and again under the guise of building their self-esteem at the expense of their victims. We create laws that allow drunks the privilege of driving again and again, while drunk again and again. After all, that drunk is somebody's dad and what would happen to those kid's self-esteem if dad had to spend time in jail because he broke the law?
Yes, I would love to go back to a simpler time too. It's certainly fun to reminisce. Unfortunately, my freedom still ends where someone else's nose begins. That means I don't get to choose the things on the list that I want us all to “go back to.” But I can foster an environment in my home where right is right and wrong is wrong. I can tell my children that sin still exists. I can tell them that although there is gray, there is black and white too. Just because something isn't illegal does not mean it's not wrong and that just because something is legal does not mean it's necessarily right.
My granddaughter watches TV; movies and cartoons and kid's programs. She also paints with watercolors and felt tipped markers. She makes snow angels and "helps" hang Christmas lights. She runs a hundred miles an hour and needs to be reminded to slow down in the house. She eats candy and lots of it. She also needs to eat her vegetables first. She likes to cuddle with grandma and wrestle with dad. She sings and dances to any music playing. She's learning to count; in both English and Spanish by watching a cartoon program. She rides her bike and struggles with the pedals. She gives her baby sister hugs and kisses, but sometimes wishes mom would put her back in her belly. She's only two and a half, but she prays before meals and before bed. She goes to church with her mom and dad and sings the worship songs until she goes to the nursery. She knows how to spit - "outside only grandpa" - and giggles when she does it.
It's fun to reminisce. But our lives really aren't much different now than “back then” if we don't let them be. We are as responsible for the changes around us as anyone else. Change is inevitable and it's no different for us than for our forefathers before our grandparents.
Want to really go back?
Give up your...
...microwave oven
...glass top range and self-cleaning oven.
...double well stainless steel sink
...satellite and cable TV
...remote controls
...DVDs, VCRs and Tivos. (Of course if you really want to watch a program, you'll need to be sitting in front of the TV when the TV people say so.)
...video tape rentals. (What's wrong with going to the theater anyway?)
...heck! Give up the TV altogether! (Now, there is a real solution that would probably work to restore the days of yore. But even though I know that, I don't DO it. I simply won't choose to give up some of the TV I watch!)
...fuel injected, computer controlled automobile engines. (Yeah, I really miss sticking my head underneath the hood of a car and prying open a frozen choke on a 20 degree winter day.)
...instant, push button connections via cell phones to your spouse and kids.
...efficient gas furnaces and water heaters. (Think the cost is too much? Try shoveling coal... I seem to remember a house we lived in where coal was still used. Somehow that missed the list.)
...music CDs (why use these? What was wrong with scratchy, fragile vinyl records anyway? Remember the warm fuzzy of running down to the store to buy a new stylus? (that's a record player needle for you youngsters – ask your dad what a record player is.)).
...Oh! and most of all, give up all these Emails!
The list gives us pause to remember a sepia toned time of nostalgia. But it misses the point entirely with two things.
Take an honest look at this statement:
>You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up
>as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own
>good and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how
>brave their parents were.
Now that's one telling statement. It shows the heart of the problem in two areas; our concept of government and our thoughts about bravery. First, I thought this was a government of the people. At least that's what I was taught. Aren't lawyers subject to the laws of our country? So, they are, in the end analysis, subject to what we, the people, allow them to do via our voice in a representative government. "They" didn't regulate us for our own good. "We" did. Or more correctly we let them do it for us while we sat warm and toasty in our easy chairs, remote control in hand, and entertained ourselves with the tripe emanating from the tube.
Second, as far as bravery goes, I don't get it! We fought wars on foreign soil to promote what we are unwilling to defend at home. That's not bravery, that's complacency. Brave fathers turn off the TV/VCR/Satellite/Mp3 player/CD/Radio or whatever and take their children out to teach them about life. Brave fathers know how to say no with a velvet fist. Brave fathers spend time with their children exploring their interests and build quality young men and women in the process. Brave fathers become "guides on the side," encouraging their children to achieve in the areas where they are blessed.
Brave mothers demand a few family meals a week. Brave mothers turn off the television while the meal is on the table. Brave mothers lead by example, doing the work instead of demanding the work be done by someone else. Brave mothers bake a pie and take it to "that" family in "that" house and attempt to befriend them. Young men and women see such things and learn from it. Most people watch "that" family from inside their home and tell each other what "they" did now. Young men and women see such things and learn from them.
Brave coaches tell little Joey that he won't make the team this year. Brave coaches tell Joey's mom that he's willing to spend some time with Joey to help him learn how to make the team the next time even though there is no guarantee. Brave parents know that not every child is talented in every area. Brave parents notice their children's gifts and find ways to build upon them. Many parents want their child to be shielded from any disappointment. But that's not the real world and fostering that "entitlement" attitude in children is just plain wrong. Sooner or later we all have to deal with shattered dreams and terrible losses. Dealing with the loss of a position on the little league team is a great way to get started. Especially so if a brave dad would come along side of that kid, discover his gift or talent and begin building on it. Losses help make success all the sweeter.
Brave people stand up for what's right and condemn what's wrong. Pure and simple. Some things are just wrong. Most people watch what happens around them and shrug their shoulders. Brave people get on the telephone or go to the meeting and begin finding out how to make a difference.
Am I a gloomy gus? I don't think so. I think that the good old days still exist. We just don't see them. We don't choose them. We don't fight for them. I like the list. I really do. I remember all of those things with fondness. I hope that my children and grandchildren remember the days we're living in now and create their own list of fond remembrances about them. Likewise, I'm sure my great, great, grandfather's grandfather would look at the life my grandfather lived and shrug his shoulders with wonder too.
The lawyers and governors of our country can't steal our valued lifestyle unless we let them and that is not their intent. They've got Email too. Let them know. Let the congressmen, senators, governors, presidents, military officials, business owners, pastors and priests know what you believe is important about life in America. It's easy to do. If you truly believe they are in control and stealing the American lifestyle out of our hands, tell them about it. Who cares if they think you're old fashioned or "out of it." They already do anyway. You can tell by their actions and legislation and sometimes by the personal choices they make.
I'll tell you what, here's your challenge for the week: Turn of the television. Really. See if you can do it. turn it off and do something else. Want a suggestion?
How about making a difference in the lives of the children you wish had it as good as you did. How about starting a knitting club, a chess club, a writing club, a wood working/gardening/jogging/computer/video/radio/shortwave/cooking/bird watching/painting/modeling/whatever-else-you-can-think-of club. Call the local school and ask to have a statement put in the bulletin announcing that you're starting it. Get involved with some kids. Teach them about the stuff on the list. Get them involved with something other than TV/Entertainment choices. Tell them about how great life was back in the day you grew up. Teach them about life as you know it now. All you have to do is tell them the stories. They'll listen. They love to hear stories. You can make a difference that can bring back the values of days gone by.
Or you can watch TV.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Connect, Listen and Do. Become Something.
November 14, 2005
The dove is a peaceful bird. It is a gentle bird that scratches the ground looking for seed for its food. Unlike a raven, which would have fed on the dead carcasses of animals killed by the flood, the dove needed to find dry ground near seed bearing plants in order to eat. It also needed some material with which to begin building a new life outside of the ark. Noah chose wisely. The dove-test was perfect. Noah would test the waters, so to speak, with these birds to find God’s will. When the dove came back with an olive branch in its beak, Noah knew that the time to leave the ark had come. Now he only needed God’s confirmation of what he probably already knew. He tested one more time, sending the dove out into the new wilderness. This time the dove did not return. Now Noah knew for sure. God told Noah to come out from the ark along with all of the creatures inside. So Noah becomes Adam part 2 and human kind begins to build life on earth once more.
The dove is a peaceful bird. It is a gentle bird that scratches the ground looking for seed for its food. Unlike a raven, which would have fed on the dead carcasses of animals killed by the flood, the dove needed to find dry ground near seed bearing plants in order to eat. It also needed some material with which to begin building a new life outside of the ark. Noah chose wisely. The dove-test was perfect. Noah would test the waters, so to speak, with these birds to find God’s will. When the dove came back with an olive branch in its beak, Noah knew that the time to leave the ark had come. Now he only needed God’s confirmation of what he probably already knew. He tested one more time, sending the dove out into the new wilderness. This time the dove did not return. Now Noah knew for sure. God told Noah to come out from the ark along with all of the creatures inside. So Noah becomes Adam part 2 and human kind begins to build life on earth once more.
We often speak and think about being in the “center” of God’s will for our lives. We often sit in dissatisfaction waiting for an answer to appear out of the great ether. We stumble, heartbroken and worried, wondering why God doesn’t show us a clear answer to the question, “What am I here for and what should I be doing.” That question is important to be sure, but it is not the fundamental question we should be asking. Rather, we should be asking ourselves, “Since I am here for God, what should I be becoming?” God is not here to serve us; we are here to serve God. We often become so occupied with thoughts about our plight and concerned with ourselves that we forget that we are here to focus on God and His glory. We stumble in the darkness bumping into the beams of our myopic little arks wondering why God doesn’t turn on the light. All the time the light has been hanging in the middle of the room beaming it’s blinding brightness to the farthest reaches of existence while we cover our eyes with dark glasses made from solid sheets of self-centeredness.
If we would, even for a moment, stop and listen to God we might get the answer we desperately seek. For some reason we’d rather crawl around in ignorance beneath a shelf full of knowledge rather than stand up and grab a volume of the exhaustive encyclopedia of wisdom and knowledge God. Then, when we feel like we aren’t getting all of the blessings promised to us through word of mouth stories and half-forgotten sermons, we wring our hands in worry that God won’t bless us. We even suggest the idea that we won’t believe these “promises” until God proves them to us! Such thoughts are misguided, self-centered misapplication of the reality of God. Yet God is faithful to stand and wait for our spirit to stop listening to the world and begin listening to him.
Noah spent time with God from the time before the flood. God called his walk righteous. A righteous walk comes from the application of three things. First Noah must have spent a great deal of time in conversation with God. Every day and probably all through the day Noah and God would have talked. This concept is easy to understand. Each of us has the capability to hold conversations with many people all through the day. We talk while we are at work, at school, during leisure time, during meals and everything else we do. Why would talking to God be any different?
Second, Noah listened to God. We listen most to other people. Each day we are given hundreds, maybe even thousands of thoughts and ideas from others. We use them as we see fit. Some of these thoughts are virtually worthless in regard to making weighty decisions about life. But some are significant and in using them, we become better, more capable people. Listening to God is not different in function. His answers are always beneficial. Our problem is that we have rarely been taught how to listen. We call our conversations with God prayer. But our prayers mostly consist of a want-list. We typically explain to God our situation and how it affects us. Then we ask him to fix it. We ask him to fix it our way. We ask him to fix it in our time. The possibility that we might be wrong in our method or that God might have an opinion about how and when to “fix it” doesn’t often enter into the answer-equation. We often complain about unanswered prayer when we don’t see results to our petition before the last echo of “amen” can no longer be heard in the room. We would do much better in our quest, if we’d stop chattering for a few minutes each day and instead, sat quietly and listened.
Third, Noah used the wisdom he was given and got busy doing something. Noah did not wait for a sign; he tested the conditions of the situation with what he knew. Once the ark landed Noah began a testing process. That testing process took some time. He sent out a raven. Noah knew that the raven had a good chance of survival in this new, hostile world. Ravens eat dead things. There would be plenty of dead things. Plus the raven had a definite, proven mode of transportation. A raven could come and go, seeking out life in the new world in many directions. It would not easily tire. It could survive in the hostile world outside or return to the safety of the ark if necessary. I wouldn’t have done any good at all to send out a rhinoceros or rabbit. A large, scavenging bird was a perfect choice.
Once the raven test gave a positive result, Noah sought out additional information by refining the first test. This time he sent out a dove. The dove test was used three times. Each time the answer the test results gave Noah was slightly different and carried a different meaning. The first dove test gave Noah the answer, “not yet.” Noah knew conditions outside the ark were close to being ready from the results of the raven test. But the refined, dove test did not confirm his raven test conclusion. The test was performed again. This time the results were slightly different, but the conclusion was not yet confirmed. The third test gave Noah the confirmation. When the dove did not return, Noah knew that life outside the ark was possible for he and his wife and his sons and his son’s wives.
Noah used the wisdom gained from continual conversations with God. Noah used answered heard from listening to God. Noah tested conditions looking for confirmation from God. Noah lived his life in the center of God’s will. His righteous lifestyle set him apart from everyone else and garnered God’s favor. His struggle was not easy and ours won’t be easy either. He lived in horrible conditions during his salvation from the flood. We may not have a cushy ride either. His family endured tremendous hardship while Noah lived God’s plan for his life. So might ours.
The story of Noah’s ark is not “warm and fuzzy.” Sunday school Noah and the bathtub ark do our children and us a huge disservice. They take away the horror of Noah and his family’s salvation from the deluge. Noah must have had incredible heartache and nights of tossing and turning. He must have questioned “God’s will” in his life many times during the ordeal. Yet, his daily continual connection with God gave him hope. His learned habit of listening gave him safety. His dedication gave him power over the forces of the world around him.
Our choices aren’t much different. We too can tap into the vast knowledge, wisdom and hope of God. Our choice to converse with God on a continual basis is given to use every day. Our choice to listen to God is ever present. Our choice to get up and test the conditions is at our disposal any time we want to stand up and make it happen. God is still faithful and just. He is still all knowing and wise. He is still capable of miracles. He still desires us to turn to him. He is a God of power and strength. He is a powerful God, made of love. That love gives us the choice to turn to him or to turn away. We make the choice of what we will be. His will for our lives is there for the asking. What we become is up to us.
Friday, November 11, 2005
A Bump of a Different Kind
November 11, 2005
The morning of “the day” came as the sun rose as it always did. A look out the window revealed that the boat was very close to land. The water had receded to a level where it had become an object held back by the land which now defined the world. The morning chores of tending to the animals went along as usual. The anticipation of coming to rest on solid ground may have even waned a bit. Still, the belief that it would happen was still real although a little fuzzy.
The bottom of the ark inched ever so slowly, closer and closer, minute by minute toward it's resting spot beneath it. Yet, the boat dwellers inside didn't see much, if anything, change. Their life would go on, requiring them to accomplish their daily tasks. Life for them would go on normally. There was no expectation that today was “the day.” But it was.
The ark hit solid ground and it shuddered when it did. The boat dwellers felt the shock of the ark's bottom striking ground and immediately knew what it meant. The time had come for life to change in a substantially material way. In only a matter of days, the ark would no longer be a boat. Rather, it would be a land-bound animal hotel; the largest barn ever to exist. It was the seventeenth day of the seventh month.
Questions about life, what was going to happen and how would they live, would have been raised. You can imagine the conversations. “Let's go get our chores done quickly. We'll have an early supper and talk about what we should do now.” How much longer would they stay inside the ark? When could they release some of the animals? Should they stay on the ark and simply live their making it their permanent home? Many questions and few answers for now. They would need to wait a while longer to understand how this all would play out. The murky, muddy, soggy world outside would not sustain life. They knew that. But how much time would pass before the earth was ready to sustain life again? That was the question.
They waited, watching the water now quickly receding below them, drain away in rivers and streams. Each day another little stream would dry up; a small pond would become visible and a lake would recede into a meadow area, but devoid of life. The rocky outcropping they landed on would hold them solid as another nearly three months would pass. On the first day of the tenth month most of the mountains around them could clearly be seen. On the fortieth day after the ark grounded, Noah performed his first test.
There must have been many conversations about how to know when it was time to leave the ark. Why not just open the door and walk down the gang plank? They certainly could use the ark as a home base. They could walk around on the mountain side, watch the progress of the recession of water, begin to make some plans about where to live. What would be the harm in that? But Noah was more in tune with God than to take on these decisions himself. He'd seen others who took control of their lives assuming that God was there only to help them with their agenda. They had no real answers to their questions then and the life that they struggled through didn't even exist now. No. Noah would not make the decision about when to leave the ark himself. He would rely on his righteous, daily walks and conversations with God to reveal the true answers. God was not there to serve him. He was there to serve God. He knew that with keeping that attitude his life would be abundant. He knew that even if he and his sons along with his wife and theirs needed to start life on the earth again, he could only accomplish the task if God was directing it. So he would wait upon the Lord.
He could, however, seek answers in the physical world as well as the spiritual. So on one morning he took a raven, a hardy, strong bird with spiritual significance and released it to the air. The raven has long been known in many cultures to be a bird of death and creation able to scavenge for food and live in the most hostile environments. It prefers dead food as opposed to live food. It may be that Noah used the bird because of it's scavenger attributes. Or maybe because of it's reputation of being a creature that can bridge between the spiritual and physical worlds. In any case he released the Raven to the wild where it flew back and forth until the water had dried up. Noah was using the Raven to test the conditions in the world outside the ark. He would not make a plan to leave the ark until God told him to do so. The raven was part of the process of seeking God's direction. The raven test would begin the process to determine if living in the new world was even possible. The raven could survive almost anyplace and if he could survive outside the ark, maybe other beings could too.
The raven flew back and forth, back and forth from the ark to who knows where and back. Noah had a good idea that God's new world was beginning to be ready. He needed another test. A test without as good a chance for survival. A test that would indicate that a more frail being might be able to survive. He chose a dove for this test. Dove's are more “earthly” creatures than ravens. They seem to have progressively adopted urban areas as their natural habitat and breeding ground. We see them in our world strutting along the ground looking for seeds and nest building materials. Noah knew that the dove would begin the process of building a life as soon as vegetation was growing. Once vegetation was know to be growing, life for humans outside the ark could begin. He released a dove, with the knowledge that if it returned, the world was not ready.
The dove fluttered away and Noah waited. The scripture tells us that Noah was a righteous man and so we can be fairly confident that his prayer went out to God as the Dove went out to the world outside.
... more later
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
A Bump On the Horizon - part 3
Imagine the excitement shared on board as progressively, day by day, the boat slowly floated lower and lower. The boat wasn't anchored, according to scripture, so it would have revolved slowly toward the starboard or port side as the wind pushed it this way and that. The view out of the window framed a constantly changing picture of the new world. Sometimes the view would be encouraging. Other times the view would not be so pleasant. Sometimes the view reminded them of the beauty of God's creation. Other times the view would be a murky, muddy reminder of what had been their world for so many years. The reminders of the former world were all around them; broken pieces of lives never to lived again.
There was hope though. As the new world slowly gained focus, the group on board anticipated the next big event. They all must were wondering what it would feel and sound like when the ark finally, for the first time in over a year, hit the earth with a thud. Who was to say it would land on level ground? Would it be on rock? Mud? Bow end up or leaning toward the starboard side? They would have to wait until it happened to know for sure. The anticipation made a change however, and their lives were better for it. Because they knew that when that thud finally resounded through the decks of the craft they were one step closer to the reality of a brand new world.
In the mean time, the mountain lion and the yak, the platypus and all the rest needed water and food. Even through the wonderful anticipation that they would eventually hit land, their daily life routines didn't change much. The tasks of daily living still demanded attention. They know that one day that routine will change. But right now, with hope set upon a new life in a new world, they tended to the routine that must have become very tedious by now. The needs of all the life around them had not changed. They needed to perform the duties to which they'd been assigned months ago even while they looked forward to the day when they'd leave the drudgery and tedium behind and walk down the ramp to dry ground for the first time.
... to be continued
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
A Bump on the Horizon - part 2
Every day someone would peer out that little window and note how much of the bump was visible that day. Each morning, as soon as the sun was high enough to provide light to see by, a comparison would be made to the day before. The blind faith required to rise each morning to do the daily task of caring for these thousands of animals became more and more hopeful as each day progressed. That little bump, maybe 75 miles away was the embodiment of hope for each of those people. That hope made life easier, maybe even bearable for a couple of them.
Morning after morning someone must have kept track, testing the progress of that bump. After several days that bump would have be recognizable as the peak of the tallest mountain on the horizon. No longer would the discussion work its way around wondering what the bump was. Now it could be seen. Land. A glimmer of promise that this incredibly hard ordeal might be over. The eight hapless boat dwellers would indeed be able to leave the confines of the ark and establish a land born home again.
The day came when a second bump appeared and then a third and then a forth. The original bump became more and more recognizable as having peaks and valleys. They may have named them so they could keep track of each bump's progressive revelation. “Look at Paramount Peak this morning Japheth. Over on the west side, there's another little outcropping that looks a bit like a horses head.” “Yes. I can see it! I wish we had a way to move closer to it.” “I God's good time. In God's good time.”
Eventually, so many peaks were visible that the viewpoint of the world would fundamentally change. No longer would it seem to be a world of water. Enough land appeared that the paradigm viewpoint would shift from bumps rising out of the water, to water receding from the land. Now they would keep track of how far the water went down each day rather than how much higher did the peak rise. The change in focus was the shot in the arm they needed to really get excited about their future. Not only did their viewpoint about the earth change but so did their outlook on life. God's blessing came in a subtle but very significant way. The solid rock was still there and there was comfort in knowing that eventually they would place their feet upon it.
...to be continued.
Monday, November 07, 2005
A Bump On The Horizon
November 7, 2005
For forty days and nights the rain never stopped. I suppose for a few days the ark just sat there, where it was built in Noah’s back yard, while the 8 inhabitants inside adjusted their planned routines. Outside the arc the water would slowly rise. Noah’s neighbors, friends and acquaintances plus a couple of hundred others who had heard about this monstrous boat probably would have been begging and pleading to gain a spot on the craft. It may have never rained before. But it wouldn’t take very long for people to figure out what was happening around them. A few would raise their glasses and party on too. But once they noticed that they were standing ankle deep in water they would have begun to second guess their safety.
By the biblical account, there was only one way on and off this barge. That door had been shut by God. The people on the outside without a doubt had constructed rafts and garnered fishing boats to stay on top of the water. They floated around this huge box of Noah’s for a few days, in the rain, slowly floating higher, up the side walls of the ark. I’d guess they hoped that they could eventually get on top of the vessel. But as the water rose the ark itself would have begun to float. At that point in time, the people on the little crafts floating around the arc would have had little hope. Eventually these “hangers-on” succumbed to the storm and drowned, leaving a sum total of 8 persons on earth.
Noah and his crew must have grieved the loss of life. Friends and relatives. Brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles, all gone. Livestock and houses and stores and barns and gathering places, all gone. Forests and groves and parks and meadows, all gone. For the next year on that arc, when anyone gazed out of the one window on the arc there wouldn’t be anything to see but water and whatever was floating in it.
The ark bobbed around the seas for what must have seemed to be forever. Then the wind began to blow. Noah and his sons must have given each other a knowing glance, wondering if the wind would bring another storm. How could they take anymore? Why were they spared in the first place. Even through the fortunate circumstances they knew they were in, there must have been days when wondered both why were they spared why they shouldn’t have been. This wasn’t a case of holier-than-thou self-righteousness on their part. This was a time of extreme, heart-breaking and gut wrenching grief.
After a few months of the sea-sickening churning, rolling and bobbing of this floating box of a barn they would have wondered if it was worth it at all. Wouldn’t it have been better to have died instead? The biblical account doesn’t indicate that they knew how long this would last at all. Of course they had plenty to eat. After all they had every animal on earth below decks. As long as the grain held out, they’d have fresh eggs. The waiting must have been excruciating.
Then, one windy day, just barely visible through that one small window on the watery world around them, a bump appeared on the horizon. Whoever saw that first bump must have taken a heart quickening second look with a double blink of his eyes. I wonder if he waited a day or two before telling anyone just to be sure he was really seeing something or if he was imagining a hopeful end to this horrible nightmare. Or maybe he ran to the others to have eight pairs of eye come take a look now before it disappeared. “Grab a notebook! We’ve got to document this!”
... to be continued.
For forty days and nights the rain never stopped. I suppose for a few days the ark just sat there, where it was built in Noah’s back yard, while the 8 inhabitants inside adjusted their planned routines. Outside the arc the water would slowly rise. Noah’s neighbors, friends and acquaintances plus a couple of hundred others who had heard about this monstrous boat probably would have been begging and pleading to gain a spot on the craft. It may have never rained before. But it wouldn’t take very long for people to figure out what was happening around them. A few would raise their glasses and party on too. But once they noticed that they were standing ankle deep in water they would have begun to second guess their safety.
By the biblical account, there was only one way on and off this barge. That door had been shut by God. The people on the outside without a doubt had constructed rafts and garnered fishing boats to stay on top of the water. They floated around this huge box of Noah’s for a few days, in the rain, slowly floating higher, up the side walls of the ark. I’d guess they hoped that they could eventually get on top of the vessel. But as the water rose the ark itself would have begun to float. At that point in time, the people on the little crafts floating around the arc would have had little hope. Eventually these “hangers-on” succumbed to the storm and drowned, leaving a sum total of 8 persons on earth.
Noah and his crew must have grieved the loss of life. Friends and relatives. Brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles, all gone. Livestock and houses and stores and barns and gathering places, all gone. Forests and groves and parks and meadows, all gone. For the next year on that arc, when anyone gazed out of the one window on the arc there wouldn’t be anything to see but water and whatever was floating in it.
The ark bobbed around the seas for what must have seemed to be forever. Then the wind began to blow. Noah and his sons must have given each other a knowing glance, wondering if the wind would bring another storm. How could they take anymore? Why were they spared in the first place. Even through the fortunate circumstances they knew they were in, there must have been days when wondered both why were they spared why they shouldn’t have been. This wasn’t a case of holier-than-thou self-righteousness on their part. This was a time of extreme, heart-breaking and gut wrenching grief.
After a few months of the sea-sickening churning, rolling and bobbing of this floating box of a barn they would have wondered if it was worth it at all. Wouldn’t it have been better to have died instead? The biblical account doesn’t indicate that they knew how long this would last at all. Of course they had plenty to eat. After all they had every animal on earth below decks. As long as the grain held out, they’d have fresh eggs. The waiting must have been excruciating.
Then, one windy day, just barely visible through that one small window on the watery world around them, a bump appeared on the horizon. Whoever saw that first bump must have taken a heart quickening second look with a double blink of his eyes. I wonder if he waited a day or two before telling anyone just to be sure he was really seeing something or if he was imagining a hopeful end to this horrible nightmare. Or maybe he ran to the others to have eight pairs of eye come take a look now before it disappeared. “Grab a notebook! We’ve got to document this!”
... to be continued.
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