Making a Girl Cry

I got a rare privilege today. I got to make a girl cry. I should add (quickly) that they were tears of joy - for a gift.

For those of you reading this who know Kayla Payne, can skip ahead a bit. Those that don't – a quick intro. Kayla is the daughter of Leonard and Carla, my friends and next door neighbors. She is heading off to Harding University later today (as of this post). Kayla was the first baby I ever held, and now she is off to college. I guess that means I'm getting old.

Anyway, I wrote a children's story about something that happened to us (Kayla and me) when she was only about 6 months old. The Reader's Digest version is that when she was really little, she was in the nursery at church crying. I happened to be heading back there and tried to comfort her. When I did, she dove into my arms and grabbed a hold of my tie. For the next hour, she held that tie no matter what. She eventually let me put her on the floor of the nursery. While she would play with a toy with one hand, she held my tie with the other. It was the first time I worked in the nursery. She clung to that tie until her mom came back and picked her up. So, I wrote this up as a kids story and gave it to her today – along with the actual tie she held on to 18 some odd years ago.

When she opened the box, and saw this old tie in there, she looked a bit puzzled. When she saw the "book" under it, she made her mom read it. Carla was crying by the first sentence (not a big surprise for those who know her). By the end, Kayla could only hide her face up to her eyes in her t-shirt and sob. I think this may have been the first time in her life she was actually and honestly speechless. The whole thing meant a lot to her.

The book is called "The Security Tie." I should add a "thanks" to Sandy Treat who did all the illustrations for the book. The basic theme is that God sends you help when you need it, but sometimes in unexpected ways. Also, sometimes YOU are the security tie, with God using you for his purpose. I retold the story of me and Kayla in order to encourage her that even when she is scared, discouraged, or homesick that God won't leave her alone. The actual tie, I hope she will put someplace to remind her of this when things aren't going so good.

So, while I did make a girl cry, it was a good cry.

Horn Guy

You might have seen this by now, but for those of you who haven't this made me laugh.

Click here to see what I'm talking about.

I don't even have anything profound to say. It just livened up my day. I hope it does the same for you. Check it out and see if it does yours as well.

P.S. Thanks to Stephanie for sending this to me originally.

Family Gathering in Gatlinburg

I'm back in the saddle again. It's been a while since I posted, so I've got even more to catch up on than before. I still haven't watched a single episode of Friends or Seinfeld, but I've been so busy, I haven't blogged either.

Over the 4^th, Vicki's mom and dad celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary. So, the whole immediate family gathered together – Vicki's brother, his wife and two sons, Vicki's sister, her husband and 4 kids, and Vicki and I with Riley and Mckenna – all in Gatlinburg Tennessee for 4 days of "well mannered fun and frivolity." (bonus points for the person who can identify that movie quote). We had a great time together. The "cabin" we stayed in was huge and had an awesome view of the Smokey Mountains. We cooked and ate all our meals at the house, took a hike into Smokey Mountain National Forest to a waterfall up a ways, but mostly just hung around and enjoyed each other's company.

Leaving was bitter sweet. Vicki's dad commented how 50 years had produced what was all gathered around. But, with Curt heading off to college and Steven following shortly after, it is likely the last time we will all be together in one place at the same time. It's so hard, as lives get busy and families move, to all get together.

I was watching a special on the 1980 Olympic Hockey team that beat the Russians. It was an incredible story. But one of the interesting things was that since that time, all 20 of the guys have not been together since. They've had reunions, but there has always been a few guys missing for one reason or another.

I don't think we realize just how special and precious those times are when family is gathered all together in one place. I know we took full advantage of it over the 4^th, by not scheduling a bunch of "activities" to keep us busy. Instead, we ate together – which is always a good thing. I grilled two nights and cooked one. Everyone brought food and drinks – and man did we have plenty. Our only "planned" activity was the hike. We all wore the same Old Navy shirts – which the boys fussed about – but it was cool. People on the trail all knew we were together and some even commented or asked about us.

Some family reunions are a hassle – including some relatives you wish weren't in your family tree. But this was not like that at all. We all get along, despite very different personalities, and love and respect each other. It made for a great few days.

I wonder if what we had together is what heaven will be like – one big family reunion with all the people we love. I don't know, but I suspect at least some of that will be true. I have no idea how it will work, but I'm looking forward to seeing it in action (another bonus quote) – "but not yet."

Hunting?

Well, it has been several days since my last post. Sorry. I had intended the blogging to replace late night TV watching (which is not productive). Alas, the last several days have been so busy there has been no TV or blogging. Today, I was so buried in my office in the basement I didn't know it was raining outside. Tunnel vision or focus – I'll let you decide. Anyway, I have lots of stuff to pass along, which I'll break up over a couple of days.

We had our monthly Golf Ministry outing on Saturday, which was rain shortened. I was playing with Leonard Payne and OD Murrell, two of my favorite people in the whole world, and we were having a great time. On our hole six, clouds started building and looking pretty scary. When the rain started (hard) we picked up and headed for a big group of trees to get under cover. We were too far from the clubhouse to get there. OD got his cart right up next to ours so we had some protection. We ended up sitting there cutting up and laughing.

While we were there, Leonard started talking about going hunting in weather like what we were in. He told about seeing deer walking right by him, also trying to get out of the rain. We (naturally) asked if he got one. No, he didn't, because he didn't take a shot – nor did he ever take a shot. See, he wasn't really "hunting" per say (I know Mike R will find this sacrilege). Instead, he made his own arrows, turning the shafts, attaching the tips, burning the feathers, and attaching them to the shafts. I don't know if he bought or made his bow, but building the arrows was his hobby. So, after making his own arrows (and possibly bow), buying all the gear, driving out to the woods, sitting in a tree stand, tracking the deer, and everything else that comes with hunting, he never had any intention of actually shooting anything.

Now, I'm not a hunter, but this seemed to be really stupid. In golfer terms, this would be like making your own clubs, hand sowing your own golf balls (the old featheries), booking a tee time, driving to a nice course, paying the greens fee, and just driving or walking the course, but not actually hitting any shots. What sense would that make? OD and I just got a huge laugh out of this. Leonard tried to explain, but the more he tried, the funnier it all seemed.

What occurred to me later, however, is how often church is like what Leonard did with hunting. We show up, participate, maybe even come to Bible Class and learn something new, and do all the "church" things. But then, when we go out into the world, we don't "shoot" at anything. We see what is going on in the world (tracking) and we are armed (truth), but for some reason, we feel like the "arrows" we have are too precious to risk losing on a missed shot. That's not hunting.

Jesus made us "fishers of men" – which could just as easily be changed to "hunters of men." What would he think if we got all ready to go fishing, bought the gear, cleaned the nets, got into the boat, rowed out into the water, then never dropped the net or cast a line? How sad is it that I have done that very thing for too many years.

I guess I just need to realize I've got plenty of arrows – and shoot!

Freedom and Restraint

I have a very good friend who is not a believer, but is what I would call a seeker. He comes from a Catholic background, which has soured him on religion in general and left him to go searching in other areas for spirituality. We have had some fascinating discussions, which have challenged me to analyze my faith and beliefs. He asked if I could articulate why I believe what I do, but I had to start at the very beginning. Why do I believe in God? Why do I believe Christianity is the "right" religion? Why do I believe the Bible is right?

From these questions, I had to review my vision and concepts of Jesus, which in turn led me to teach a class on his life last quarter. What an enriching experience for me that turned out to be.

I came away with a new sense of awe and wonder at the God I claim to serve, and a renewed appreciation for what Jesus' life was really about. I think the biggest lesson for me, and maybe the thing that shocked me the most, is the amount of restraint God shows. He has given his creation true freedom. Even while on earth, in the form of Jesus, he didn't do nearly as much as he "could" have. Rather, the things he did do were reserved for a handful of people in order to show the essence of God, in human activities.

I think I may have led my friend down the wrong path, with my logical, step by step arguments and proofs. You can't absolutely "prove" God. Nor can you absolutely prove Jesus as his son, or the infallibility of the Bible, or the existence of Heaven or Hell, or anything else spiritual in nature. At some point, everyone, including myself, has to weigh what is seen and felt, but that last step has to go on faith. What I am convinced of now, is that God planned it that way all along. He purposefully has made his existence not definitive so that we must search. He sent his son in a time and place that was not going to garner much attention at the time so that we would have to trust. He did not have Jesus write anything in his own hand so that we would have to sort through differing accounts looking for what was true. In the case of "religion," he did not give us step by step instructions so that we would have to decide what to do and how.

In all of these areas, I have the freedom to choose what to believe or not and how to live my life. There is no coercion and no absolute rewards. If I live a good life, I'm not guaranteed to avoid suffering. If I live a bad life, I am not guaranteed to receive suffering. Both those good and those evil have both good and bad things happen to them. The great lie of Satan is when good things happen to say they are because I am doing what I want and when bad things happen it is because God does not exist or does not love me. How hard would it be to be good if only good things happened to good people and only bad things happened to bad people?

I think the big difference is that God shows his restraint in the physical world, but does not hold back in the spiritual world. Satan does just the opposite. He already knows he can't win in the spiritual world, so he is not limiting himself, as much as he is allowed, in the physical world.

So why do I believe in Jesus? Because, of all religious leaders, he shows the greatest restraint and allows for the greatest freedom. Because of this, I offer him, of my own free will, my life.

The Opera Guy

I caught this on the news (of all places) last week and had to look it up. A guy by the name of Paul Potts was on the show Britain's Got Talent. If you haven't seen the video, click here to check it out. I just loved what happened.

He walks on stage during the auditions wearing a cheap suit and looking half frightened out of his mind. The judges (including Simon Cowell) are sitting there and ask him what he was going to do. "I'm going to sing opera" Paul said simply. You could see the judges rolling their eyes and you could almost hear them thinking "oh, no!"

Then the music starts, and out of this scared, average looking guy comes this incredibly beautiful sound. Within seconds the crowd is cheering like he's a rock star. Just a reminder – this is opera! By the time he is done, audience members are wiping tears from their eyes (and one of the judges is too) and Simon just looks stunned.

Of course, he passes on to the next round and even ends up winning the whole competition. The winning performance is here.

I really don't even know what to say, except that I was moved when I saw this video. I always find it moving when something extraordinary comes from someone so ordinary. It's why I like most sports movies. There's just something about rooting for the underdog, which is what most sports movies are about, that gets to me.

The Christian life is a lot like the Opera Guy. Just like the judges rolled their eyes at the Opera Guy, I've had people roll their eyes at me when I profess what I believe. Sometimes, I've shrunk from the challenge. It is scary to stand on that stage, alone, and saying you are going to do something that, on first glance, no one thinks you can or even should do. But, just like the Opera Guy, I know that God can make something beautiful happen – if I just walk on that stage and trust him to work through me.

Of Gifts and Gaffs

Fathers' Day is here and the family bought me a DVD of the movie Three (based on the book by Ted Dekker, which I highly recommend) and two Left Behind prequels from Tim LaHaye. These were good gifts. Sometimes, the gifts are not so good.

A couple of years ago, Riley bought me a huge belt buckle from a Santa's Workshop at school. This could not be less "me." A large belt buckle would just draw attention to an area of my anatomy that needs less attention, not more. I would be better off with sparkly shoelaces.

However, this belt buckle is on my desk in a place where I can see it every day. While not something I would wear, Riley bought it with his own money and without any help from anyone else. It reminds me how much he loves me.

It also reminds me of my relationship with God. I wonder just how many times I've given him a "belt buckle" as gift, and been as proud of my sacrifice as Riley was of his. I imagine, when I do, God does just what I did – smile, say thank you, and cherish what was given.

As Riley gets older, he has and will continue to give "better" gifts. But few, if any, will be as precious as that belt buckle on my desk.