"He Knows"

           Sliding through a barbed wire fence was not a challenge or even given a second thought to boys who, at this point in time, had spent many hours working and exploring every square foot of the farm that was our home.  There was something else on our minds as we made our way through the knee-high pasture grass disturbing the big yellow grasshoppers of summer.  Leaving the tall grasses behind we now kicked and threw dirt clods as we crossed a furrowed field, where crops were often planted by our father.  As we walked we discussed all the important things in life that brothers of the wise ages of nine, eight, and seven could talk about, but as we did we kept our eyes looking toward our intended destination.  Across this field, where a small creek intersected the dirt road that ran beside our farm, was a place of treasure.  We visited it often bringing home treasures others had discarded.  Why people drove down this back road and dumped these treasures into our creek we were not sure but we were richer for it.  Upon arrival, we started kicking and excavating looking for those items others had carelessly tossed, surely without knowing their true value.  It didn’t take long for an item of immense value offering hours of untold pleasure was spotted.  There before us was a red flyer wagon.  Why would anyone part with a treasure like this?  Sure, the paint was less than pristine and the handle and front axle assembly had rusted off but didn’t every young boy know that you could hold the front up with your hands behind your back and pull it like a horse pulls a wagon or you could be a tractor pulling a load across the farm.  Even with all these great possibilities, there was something that made this a treasure of even greater magnitude.  This would be our third wagon.  You see we already had two such wagons, of the same condition, at home and now there would be one for each brother.  As we made our way back across the fields with our prize we stopped and there was a moment of realization that life could not get any better than this.  So, we each made a promise that we would never grow up so that those good times would always continue.  Needless to say, those promises went unkept, time and growth continued until now those boys are men with children and grandchildren of their own far remove from those grassy, treasure filled, fields in Oklahoma.  Quite often in life things do not turn out as we plan.  The unplanned things that cross our path in life range from the irritating minor things to things that are devastating and bring us to our knees.  It is not if we will be knocked to our knees in this life, it is a matter of when and how often.  We read about a young boy in Genesis 37 that seemed to have everything going his way.  Out of all his brothers, it was not a secret, he was his wealthy father’s favorite.  Even his clothing spoke of this favor.  I’m not sure what Joseph was thinking as he did his father’s biding and made his way across the country side to check on his brothers but I’m sure he wasn’t thinking that in a very short time he would be in the bottom of a pit listening to his brothers discuss whether he would live or die.  For many years to come Joseph’s life consisted of a series of pits.  I do not know if Joseph always understood way these pits were in his life but I do know that in his age he could see their purpose.  Many years remove he expressed it to his brothers like this, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Gen. 50: 20) My private prayers have often contained the words, “Lord I do not understand” and often with the passing of time I see his purpose.  I am not saying that we will understand the reason for all things in this life no more than I understood all things when I was a child but this I know, my father in heaven knows what I have need of and ask that I focus on him and not the pit that I may be in. Matt. 6:25-34, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.  You may not be able to see the way out of the pit but God in heaven watches over his children.  He knows how deep your pit is and he also knows the way out. 

My youngest brother and my sister with one of our found treasures tied behind a bike.

"Life’s Ladder"

     For several years I had the privilege to help with medical and mission work in Lima, Peru. One particular year, after arrival and settling in, I was placed in a position to work with several older Peruvian gentlemen who were assisting us in the local work. Having the formal introductions made they looked at me, stroked their faces in an indication of my large moustache and said, “Don Vito”. Well the only reference that my mind went to was Marlon Brando’s role as Don Vito Corleone in the Godfather. So, with this in mind, I did my best Godfather imitation, gesturing with my hands as if receiving their humble allegiance to my position of authority and power. Each day as I met this group of men they would say in unison, “Don Vito, Don Vito” and each day I would go through the act of accepting their greeting as if I were a person of position. They and I would laugh together after each day’s greeting. After about four such morning a translator was standing close by after the exchange of the morning greeting and I took the opportunity to ask, “Why do they greet me each morning as Don Vito?” I knew already that it surely was a sign of respect of some form to Peruvians that I myself was not clear on, so I was hoping the local interpreter could enlighten me on its meaning. “Well,” he started, “in your county it would the equivalent of Chef Boyardee. Don Vito sells a lot of Italian food in Peru.” Sometimes humility is served with marinara sauce. Each of us likes to think of ourselves as a person of worth and even position but often we let the level become somewhat inflated. Humility does not always come easy. I want to think of myself as a person of worth but I also don’t want to convey a sense of superiority. I read a statement that helped me put it into the proper perspective. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. It often seems we live in a world where we are always concerned about our position on the world’s social ladder. What step on the ladder is the most important? Is it the first, last, or those in-between? If it had but one step and we were all on it, it wouldn’t be much of a ladder, would it? Those whom the world sees as less are just as important as the steps at the top. It is a blessing to know that Paul, in 1 Tim. 2:4 says of God, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” The salvation that God offers is not reserved for the rich, the wealthy, those that occupy the upper steps of the ladder. It is offered to all, no matter what step you feel you occupy. The humility that we need to express is often the one most are not willing to give. To humbly know that salvation is not within my power, that it is only found in Christ Jesus. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:6): In this life, we are often confused about our self-worth yet God knew your worth, with all your triumphs and your many short comings, and was willing to sacrifice his son for you. I know of no more humbling thought than this.

"Stroke Avoided"

      The car in front of me and I hurried into the right-hand lane to make the turn. I knew it was going to be close because the light had already turned yellow. I prepared to slip through just in the nick of time and what does the guy in front of me do, he stops on yellow, who does that? Irritation level went up just a tad because I was trying to get across town and I didn’t have time to spare. It was not long and the cross traffic had cleared but the light was still red. Now that the traffic was clear I knew the driver in front of me was going to follow the rule, right on red after stop, because we had stopped and I mean completely stopped, in fact it seemed like an unreasonably long stop. The thought flashed through my mind that the office of traffic control needed to come recalibrate this light. You could have cooked a pot roast in that amount of time. But the driver in front of me continued to sit there. Irritation level went up a little more. At this point I was glad that my location was close to the hospital in case of a mild stroke. It was apparent to me that the driver in front of me had fallen asleep or possibly suffered stroke himself, like the one I felt coming on, and I had no other option but to use a little sound encouragement to bring him back to reality. As my hand moved to the horn I surveyed the intersection and traffic flow one last time before deploying a subtle blast of the horn. As my eyes made a left to right sweep, there in front of me was a well lettered, ample sized, traffic sign that said, “No right on red”. Oh, my bad, stroke avoided. Matt. 7: 3-5 and Luke 6: 41-42 had this type of situation and more in mind when those listening were told to remove the beam from their eye before trying to remove the mote from another’s eye. It’s not that I cannot recognize or help remove the mote from my brother’s eye. It’s just that I need to do it with clear vision. Clear vision comes from a knowledge of God’s word.  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8: 31-32). It’s the word of God that helps us to be free of the motes and beams that cloud our sight. John writes in Revelation of the Church in Laodicea, they believed they were rich and had need of nothing. The Holy Spirit revealed that they were lacking in many things and one of their shortcomings, that he mentions in verse 17 of chapter 3, was that they were blind. Christ asked a man in Mark 10: 51 “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” and he responded, “Lord, that I might receive my sight.” Many in this world are spiritually blind but it is a self-imposed blindness that they need not suffer from. May we always seek clear vision.

"Thistles"

     Thistles are like dandelions, in that they need help to disperse their seeds such as the wind or another object striking their stems to send the seeds flying in all directions.  Without wind or the shaking of the thistle, the seeds would simple fall to the ground near the parent plant and would not spread. I remember that my Grandfather would give my brothers and me each a hoe and have us chop thistles out of the fields for they served no purpose other than to irritate those that came in contact with their spine covered stems and leaves.  Hatred, strife, envy, these are the thistles of mankind.  I never heard my Grandfather proclaim that he didn’t have enough thistles in his field.  We live in a time where people, social media, and the press go about kicking thistles letting the seeds that they profess to dislike scatter to other regions of the field where they will land and will bring forth more thistles.  There are other seeds worthy of sowing.  Have you ever heard someone say that we have too much love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control in the fields of the world?  Can you have to much of these things?  Scripture simple states, “Against such there is no law.”  Before we speak, act, or post let us examine the seeds that we are spreading.  We have got to quit kicking the thistles the thorns do harm to us and seeds take root elsewhere doing harm to all they come in contact with.  

"Persistence of Time"

    There is a Greek Orthodox cathedral in Kiev, Ukraine that is thought to be one of the oldest cathedrals in all of Europe.  As I entered through the massive oak doors I could not help be moved by the enormity of the structure.  Stones that had been laid in place well over a thousand years ago.  There were paintings of knights receiving a blessing before going into battle and one of the baptism of Christ, oddly enough he was standing in a barrel not the Jordan, and many more that adorned the walls and ascended to a height that made them impossible to see from the ground floor.  On the main floor, there were coffins of the priest that had served there over the centuries.  But the one thing that caught my attention that I remember more clearly then the paintings, coffins, or gold covered icons was the floor.  The granite floor, there from the door that I had entered to a small door in the front was a path.  A well-worn path.  It was easily noticeable.  How many steps must be taken on a granite floor to wear a path into the stone?  Century upon century each step taking away an immeasurable amount of the stone itself.  Each person not knowing how the accumulated wear would be seen in ages to come.  You, this day have an opportunity to make a difference.  We often think that the immeasurable amount that we do will accomplish little, yet it is the persistence that smooths the stone not the power that it is delivered with.  Recently my granddaughter, that is less than one year old, laid her head on my shoulder and patted me on the back.  Those of you that have received such a pat know the feeling that I had.  She did so because she has a mother and father that patted her on the back.  They come from parents that patted them on the back and their parents patted them.  Generations ago someone did not pat a little baby on the back for my benefit but I receive the reward of it.  I do not know what you will do this day that will extend through time but something will.  Say a kind word, give a pat on the back, greet someone with a smile.  The effect may be felt in ages to come.

"Listen"

     While visiting the home of some friends my six-year-old granddaughter saw a nicely manicured small setting area in the backyard.  After getting my attention I looked in the direction that she indicated.  “Pops,” she said, “I would love to have a garden like this.  In the mornings, I would come out here in my house robe, drink my coffee, and just listen to the birds sing.”  I couldn’t but be amused at the thought of her wanting to get away from the hectic pace of life that a six-year-old must go through.  It seems that all of us, even a six-year-old, often seek to find a moment of quiet in our busy and noisy lives.  There is the quiet you experience in the house just before anyone else wakes up.  The quiet of a walk with just your thoughts.  I always loved the quiet of the classroom, when the last student has gone, the door closes and the teaching day was done.  What is there about that moment of quiet? Could it be that it is in the quiet that we are able to think and hear more clearly?  The prophet Elijah had such a moment, And he (God) said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice (1Kings 19:11, 12).  Our days and nights are full of strong winds, earthquakes, and fires.  They come in many forms, a list of things that I must get done today, work that is piled up on the desk, meetings that must be attended, meals to cook, clothes to wash, children to bath, and a hundred-other urgent task.  Don’t forget as you deal with the trials of the day to listen for that still small voice. It is found all around you if you take the time to listen.  It’s in the beauty of a sunrise as it paints the sky with vivid colors, that moment just before you open the car door to another work day, the quiet as your baby falls to sleep in your arms, or just as you lay down your head for a well-deserved nights rest. For one six year old it would be setting in the garden, in her house robe, drinking coffee, and listening to the birds sing.  In those moments of quiet, take the time to read and meditate upon Gods word.  Listen to what he has to say.

"Common Courtesy'

Hello, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo, こんにちは, Здравствуйте,

     In the travels that I have had the opportunity to make, I have always felt it important to at least know a few words in the language of the country that I am going to. The words that I feel that are the most important are, hello, good-bye, please, and thank you. These words indicate what some would call common courtesy. Yet, I feel we are now living in a time where we could remove the word “common” from that phrase. It seems that courtesy is becoming more and more uncommon. As a young man my mother was good friends with an elderly woman who for many years had taught in what we would refer to today as a charm school for young ladies. The type of school where young girls of the day were taught the proper etiquette of being a lady. The proper dances, table manners, how to conduct one’s self in public, you know how to be a courteous and proper. I remember her telling me once, “A proper young lady should never be seen chewing gum outside of her boudoir.” Being polite I did not argue but just shook my head in agreement.  Mostly because I had no idea what a boudoir was and I knew I had never seen a girl’s boudoir. Times have changed and those wild women chew gum just about anywhere now days. Though where a young lady chews her gum does not bother me, the exception being when she chews like a cow chewing cud, what does bother me is that courtesy seems to be going the way of the kerosene lamp. Those that are familiar with it use it very little and then only in the case of an emergency, while others seem to have no idea what you are talking about. A thank you, and a please, go a long way down the road to making life more pleasant to all involved. The holding of a door for someone and a thank you when it is held for you, not a look of you were entitled, is an act of kindness that is seen less and less.  When they are practiced, they will make you feel better about yourself and those that notice will feel better about you too. I recently meet two young men minutes apart. One looked at me smiled and said, “Good morning.” The other passed without a word unloaded his shopping cart into his car trunk and drove off leaving the cart setting in the middle of the lot in the way of everyone else. Without ever knowing either young man I believe I know something about each. Let’s put “common” back in courtesy. It will cost you nothing, but you and others will be richer for it.

  A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: Prov. 15:4

Thank you, gracias, Je vous remercie, Danke, Asante, ありがとうございました, Дякую