Rivets

Most all of you know that I wear braces on both of my legs. They are necessary for me to walk since I have so much nerve damage from a neurological condition I have called CES. In the 13 or so years that I’ve needed them I have often had on and off repairs to be made on them; I’m on my fourth or fifth set (I think) now since they like any thing suffer from wear and tear. The most common, at least in the past year or two, repair is to the rivets that hold the straps in place: I keep having “blow outs” since I had to go to a new prosthetics maker. Since this problem has been more frequent the last 12-18 months I have found that if I replace the rivets myself with Chicago screws I have almost now repeat failures. And I don’t have to go into the office for the repair, which can take days for an appointment.

These “system malfunctions” used to really bother me: no, they would upset and aggravate the daylights out of me. Sunday evening shortly before church time I had my latest rivet pop. It took longer than usual to replace because I had my three year old “assistant” keeping a close eye on my work. After it was done I realized that I hadn’t gotten one bit irritated, aggravated or upset over the ordeal, although I wasn’t happy I missed church.

Last night I was thinking about this, wondering why my change in attitude towards this usually irritating situation. And it dawned on me why: my perspective over the years and months about it has changed. If I have to use and repair these old braces for another 10 minutes or 50 years it’s just a temporary thing. I know that I’m headed Home some day and when I get there I’ll not need these things any more. Braces, canes, and all that goes with them will be done with. And I’ll be able to perfectly praise and worship my God then. Until that day I’ll just have to be patient, fixing and making do with an imperfect body, in a fallen world, looking forward with my eyes on Christ Jesus to that Heavenly Home.

Washing Dishes

I was speaking with a friend the other day when she mentioned that she likes to wash dishes. She said that it gave her sort of a sense of satisfaction seeing what she had accomplished with her hands. Now, I’ll tell you right up front: I don’t enjoy in any shape or form washing dishes. But I do understand what she means. When I make things out of leather, I get a great sense of accomplishment out of the entire process, seeing a raw piece of leather worked into a, some times, beautiful and useful item is very gratifying. As is the restoration work I some times do to furniture, even though that is more mess and less creative, I love to see the beauty and functionality brought back through the work of my hands.

I imagine that there must be some thing similar that goes on in Heaven with every soul that is saved: even the angels rejoice, I believe the Bible says. And as the Holy Spirit works in us to transform and grow us I have to think that the Master Potter is pleased to see His hands at work in us, too.

My leather and furniture have no choice to submit to what I decide to do to or make them into though. Each person has the option of accepting Jesus or rejecting Him, following the Spirit or quenching Him. What will youyou do today?

Vain Predictions

I found this piece on Disciple Magazine’s website and wanted to share it.

Vain Predictions
- Author: Rick Steele
“Living in the South can be humorous in the wintertime. Though I was born and raised in Ohio, I have resided the last thirteen years in Tennessee and Georgia. Each winter, it tickles me to watch our local weather forecasters make feeble attempts at predicting winter weather.

Truth be known, we don’t have much winter weather in the Deep South, and when there is even the slightest chance of frozen precipitation, preparations for the weather event border on paranoia.

Case in point, this past winter in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, our local meteorologists predicted a treacherous weekend, forecasting six inches of snow, followed by potentially dangerous accumulations of ice. Schools cancelled classes twelve hours before the bad weather was supposed to arrive. Grocery stores gleefully sold every loaf of bread and every drop of milk as frenzied customers filled their carts with enough groceries to last a solid month. Everyone in the community was prepared–all in anticipation for a two-day weather event, nonetheless!

Funny thing is, the dreaded snow and ice never came! Instead, the temperature never dropped below freezing, and the weekend supposed to be buried under the “white stuff” was deluged with rain. All rain. Lots of rain. Still, the sheepish explanations and excuses from the weather forecasters provided good comic-relief for an otherwise dreary weekend.

Though my tongue-in-cheek description of wintertime, Southern style, may seem a bit sarcastic, I only use the story for an illustration. You see, we should not be surprised that with all our sophisticated gadgetry and Doppler Radar we still cannot give accurate weather forecasts. Nor can we even remotely understand the intricacies of God’s universe. Jesus said, we don’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going, so how can we really claim to know what God is able to do or not do? (See John 3:8.)

This applies to those who tell us that life does not begin at conception, and that man evolved from an amoeba. With all of mankind’s technology and so-called learning, we’re not so smart after all, are we?”

Re-Ground

I have this old knife that I use occasionally. It was originally, I believe, either a cobbler’s or harness maker’s knife. It is old but still in good condition and it’s blade is made of quality steel. What ever it was originally used for, the shape and angle of the blade are not suited well for what I use it for. So, I decided that if the blade were re-ground into the proper shape I could use it more effectively and more often.

I started with a very course stone, worked to a less course one, to a medium and finally a fine stone. After all this the blade was reshaped into a much more suitable one for the work I wanted to do with it. However, it still wasn’t quite to where I thought it needed to be for optimal use so I then polished the new edge carefully on two different strops with two different compounds. Finally, after much time and effort, the old knife was now converted from its original “job” into a tool that fit it’s new “job”.

The Bible teaches us a lot about how we are converted and
made into a new creature. This initial conversion, our spiritual rebirth, is the most important one we experience. But it shouldn’t be the only conversion experience in our life. As we go along the path in this life God will often re-grind us into a new tool, suited to a new “job”. Some times this process is one we embrace, others one we fight. No matter if we initially embrace or reject this “conversion” we know that God knows best where and how to use us, individually and corporately. Depending on where we are and what our “job” has been, some times we will only need fo be polished some. But other times people, and even organizations, are re-tooled so completely, into a brand new tool, that it needs be that we are re-ground from scratch, starting with a very course stone, all the way down to the final polish.

Change, which is essentially what conversion means, is some thing many of us are not comfortable with, even loath. But our Creator knows best how to use us all in order to serve His purposes. We just need to trust Him and be malleable; the result will be amazing if we will.

Small Wonders

Small Wonders
- Author: Author Unknown, from Disciple Magazine
A group of geography students studied the “Seven Wonders of the World.” At the end of the lecture, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the present-day seven wonders of the world. Although there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes: 1) the Great Pyaramids of Egypt, 2) the Taj Mahal, 3) the Grand Canyon, 4) the Panama Canal, 5) the Empire State Building, 6) St. Peter’s Basilica, and 7) the Great Wall of China.

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn’t turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.

The quiet girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many possibilities.”

The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.”

The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: 1) to touch, 2) to taste, 3) to see, 4) to hear. . . “

She hesitated another moment, and then continued, “. . . 5) to hope, 6) to laugh, 7) and to love.”

The room became so silent it was deafening! You see, it is far too easy for us to look at the exploits of man and refer to them as “wonders,” while we overlook all the amazing things God has done, regarding such blessings as merely “ordinary.” Life itself is wondrous, amazing, and miraculous! Why don’t we notice this and declare it to be so with each breath and within every moment we live here on the earth? To do so is to truly LIVE! May you be aware each day of those things which are truly wondrous! Count your blessings, and shout for joy!

Thunder and Lightening

As I write this it is storming outside. The night sky is ablaze with streaks of lightening and the whole earth, from my perspective, rumbles from claps of thunder. Large raindrops fall from the sky, water all of the thirsty creation around me. It is actually pretty amazing and awe inspiring to watch, feel, and listen to the storm passing through.

There are those that would claim this amazing spectacle to be just part of nature; some even proclaim it to mother nature or, sillier yet in my opinion, mother earth, just doing her “thing”. These same people would say that the amazingly complex, artistically designed planet we live on, that provides sustenance to all living things is an unexplainable accident. Denying a Creator, they reason that nothing made everything. With all the evidence of creation being perfectly composed by The Creator, I could never have enough faith to believe in such a ridiculous theory.

Romans 1:18-20

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Flowers in the Sidewalk

The following was written by a list member. It was sent to me yesterday and with their permission I share it with you today.

“I was thinking of something from my childhood, about a time when me and my father had these cuttings from some petunias. We wanted to root them and make new plants. Well we went out and spent money on items that would make these cuttings grow into full strong flowers. We tried every thing we could think of but at the end of the week they withered and died so we gave up.

Later that week we were going to the library. As we walked along I looked on the ground and saw that cuttings from a hanging plant had fallen and with no special treatment had grown in a small crack in the sidewalk.

Well to me the flower is our faith and it does not matter what fancy things you buy or special care you give it, if you don’t have God behind and in all the things you do it will eventually wither and die. But with God your faith will grow and flourish even in the most difficult places.”

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Clover

The other day I noticed that an old problem had crept it’s way back into our landscape: clover. This past fall, and so far this year, I’ve not applied any weed control products. Almost “magically” that little white nuisance flower has now taken over nearly my whole front yard again. It was so bad a few years ago I told Billie if we could find a way to market the stuff we would be rich.

Anyway, as I got in the shower this morning this clover problem popped back in my mind. (Keep reading; I’m probably going in a different direction that you expect.)

Our faith is or can be a lot like that clover. It can and should grow in us, increasing in its density. And like that stuff in my yard, it can should spread out from us to others by the Holy Spirit’s use of our lives.

Make it a point to share a little of your clover -Jesus Christ- this week. The more you share Him the farther your faith will spread, both in you and around you.

Psalm 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

A Lesson Learned

This evening we came home from visiting some relatives to an odd experience: It was the first time Morkie wasn’t there, at the top of the stairs, waiting to greet me. It was a sad and kind of somber thing realizing that he never would be at the top of those stairs, waiting for me to rub his head, again.

In a way only God can do, He has made this sad event much more meaningful to me. Mork went so fast and unexpectedly that is has really brought the thought of one’s mortality to the front of my thoughts. Any person I know could go like that; be here one evening and then be gone the next afternoon. The biggest difference? I know Morkie isn’t in Hell but some of the dearest people in my life would be if they went tonight.

I praise God for easing my sorrows. And I thank and praise Him that I see a greater lesson in this sad event: I must be vigilant in seeking to save that which is lost.

I ask you to remember me in your prayers that I will always keep this lesson fresh and in the front of my mind. That I will proclaim the Gospel Truth whenever He gives me opportunity to.

What Do I See?

Image by jcolman via Flickr

It is rainy and overcast today. This kind of weather makes my bones ache and my mobility even more limited than normal. It would be easy to see today as gray, gross and a waste to me. And in the past that has often been exactly my perception of these types of days. Today I see it differently though.

The Creator of all things is giving His creation the water it needs for life and to thrive. The rainfall will bring greener trees and grass, healthier plants, fruits and vegetables, and provide for animals and men water to drink.

The sight of the rain coming down is pure beauty. Watching the flow of water on the street and from the rooftops is beautiful to behold. To say nothing of seeing it fall from the sky itself.

The sound of the rain falling is music to my ears. The tapping sound the drops make as it hits on the roof and pours down the gutter is like a symphony.  The rhythm soothing and calming to my very soul.

What I see today is a loving God making provision for His creation.  I see the ultimate Artist showing His amazing work.  And I hear the Master Composer playing another of His wonderful masterpieces.