Fear Not 9-5-2002
The other night we just had settled in for our night's sleep. I was at that point when I was on the threshold of unconsciousness -- men do that a lot quicker than women -- when we both awoke with a start. It sounded as if a long necklace had fallen onto the floor, followed by another loud, unidentified sound. We sat up, looked at each other and asked, "What was that?" Neither one of us knew the source of the sound. I tried to go through the catalogue of sounds in my mind to see if I could remember anything that sounded like what I just heard. I could start eliminating sounds -- it wasn't a window breaking, door opening, car stopping or a gunshot. It wasn't caused by a pet -- our only pet being a turtle in a fishbowl downstairs. It was, however, not very friendly and probably deserved investigation.
So now, who is going to get up, turn on the lights and look into the unknown? Yes, the thought crossed my mind, but I went. I opened the bedroom door, turned on the light and announced to my wife in a loud voice, "I don't see anything." (That was just in case it was caused by a someone instead of a something.) I ventured further through the house, checking the doors, windows and any other possible entry point. I opened the linen closet and saw that a towel had fallen on the floor. Picking up the towel, I announced to Bunny that the towel must have hit something on its trip to the floor and that is what we heard. I pronounced the house safe and fell asleep.
The next morning Bunny told me she had found out the source of the sound. Her purse had fallen from the table and the noise was the sound of the purse hitting the floor and the change rolling across the floor. She wanted to know how I could have missed such a big object on the floor. "I just looked at the windows and doors; I really didn't look down," was my quick reply. We had a laugh over how we had felt the night before and promised not to put her purse on the edge of the table when the dishwasher is running. The dishwasher sets up minute vibrations that cause purses to fall -- or maybe we had an earthquake.
Bunny was thankful that it happened when I was home and I was thankful it happened when she was home. We felt more secure knowing each other was there. But what about the times when we are home alone? There have been sounds in the night that were unexplained. I am not quite as quick to investigate when I am alone.
I need to remember the obvious -- God is there. He is with me – personally and real. I can face danger, face fears and even investigate strange noises in the night unafraid. Bunny often says, "What's the worst thing that can happen?" To live is gain, to die is gain. I thank God for His presence and protection.
As we remember the time of sorrow and fear from last 9/11, we thank God for His protection, provision and presence.
So now, who is going to get up, turn on the lights and look into the unknown? Yes, the thought crossed my mind, but I went. I opened the bedroom door, turned on the light and announced to my wife in a loud voice, "I don't see anything." (That was just in case it was caused by a someone instead of a something.) I ventured further through the house, checking the doors, windows and any other possible entry point. I opened the linen closet and saw that a towel had fallen on the floor. Picking up the towel, I announced to Bunny that the towel must have hit something on its trip to the floor and that is what we heard. I pronounced the house safe and fell asleep.
The next morning Bunny told me she had found out the source of the sound. Her purse had fallen from the table and the noise was the sound of the purse hitting the floor and the change rolling across the floor. She wanted to know how I could have missed such a big object on the floor. "I just looked at the windows and doors; I really didn't look down," was my quick reply. We had a laugh over how we had felt the night before and promised not to put her purse on the edge of the table when the dishwasher is running. The dishwasher sets up minute vibrations that cause purses to fall -- or maybe we had an earthquake.
Bunny was thankful that it happened when I was home and I was thankful it happened when she was home. We felt more secure knowing each other was there. But what about the times when we are home alone? There have been sounds in the night that were unexplained. I am not quite as quick to investigate when I am alone.
I need to remember the obvious -- God is there. He is with me – personally and real. I can face danger, face fears and even investigate strange noises in the night unafraid. Bunny often says, "What's the worst thing that can happen?" To live is gain, to die is gain. I thank God for His presence and protection.
As we remember the time of sorrow and fear from last 9/11, we thank God for His protection, provision and presence.
God With Us 9-12-2002
My wife Bunny shared with me her experience with one of her students. She teaches a combined “young five’s” and kindergarten class of 25 children. Since this is only the second week for classes, it is sometimes very hectic in her room. She introduces her students to the letters of the alphabet one letter per week with multiple activities. The children will hear a story about the week’s “letter friend,” color a picture of the “letter friend” and have a cooking lesson that revolves around the letter. This past week she introduced her class to Mr. B. Mr. B loves buttons and is covered in buttons – lots of buttons. The picture of Mr. B showed him complete with his many buttons.
Mr. B’s picture is one of the most challenging pictures to color. Much patience and skill is involved to make sure that each button is colored a different color so that it will appear separated from the others. Tiny fingers unused to coloring sometimes have difficulties with Mr. B. This class is no different.
Bunny was observing the children color and offering suggestions when needed. For example, she suggested to one child that black is a nice color, but he might want to try different colors instead of using black for the entire picture. She would also sit down next to some of the children and help them color.
She sat with one of her young five girls who was struggling and started coloring part of the picture for her.
The young child watched Bunny for awhile and commented, “You color nice, teacher.”
Bunny replied, “Why thank you. You color nice, too.”
The two sat for a moment longer coloring the paper when the girl looked up into Bunny’s face and observed, “It’s really nice when you help kids when the work is hard.”
I am impressed with the insight of this young artist.
Is that not what our heavenly Father does for us? “It’s really nice when You help kids when the work is hard.” What a beautiful thank you prayer to God that is. This past week has been hard. Decisions, doubts and despairs cropped up. Frustration, failure and fear raised their heads. Anger, anxiety and anguish filled the heart. The work was hard.
I love the picture of God pulling up a little chair to sit beside me, take my cares, worries and anxiety and smile at me. I can almost hear Him whisper, “Let Me help you.”
I love the picture of you pulling up a chair to sit beside a loved one, friend, or co-worker to “help when the work is hard.”
I appreciate all you do for the Lord, all you do for your family, and all you do for me and mine.
Mr. B’s picture is one of the most challenging pictures to color. Much patience and skill is involved to make sure that each button is colored a different color so that it will appear separated from the others. Tiny fingers unused to coloring sometimes have difficulties with Mr. B. This class is no different.
Bunny was observing the children color and offering suggestions when needed. For example, she suggested to one child that black is a nice color, but he might want to try different colors instead of using black for the entire picture. She would also sit down next to some of the children and help them color.
She sat with one of her young five girls who was struggling and started coloring part of the picture for her.
The young child watched Bunny for awhile and commented, “You color nice, teacher.”
Bunny replied, “Why thank you. You color nice, too.”
The two sat for a moment longer coloring the paper when the girl looked up into Bunny’s face and observed, “It’s really nice when you help kids when the work is hard.”
I am impressed with the insight of this young artist.
Is that not what our heavenly Father does for us? “It’s really nice when You help kids when the work is hard.” What a beautiful thank you prayer to God that is. This past week has been hard. Decisions, doubts and despairs cropped up. Frustration, failure and fear raised their heads. Anger, anxiety and anguish filled the heart. The work was hard.
I love the picture of God pulling up a little chair to sit beside me, take my cares, worries and anxiety and smile at me. I can almost hear Him whisper, “Let Me help you.”
I love the picture of you pulling up a chair to sit beside a loved one, friend, or co-worker to “help when the work is hard.”
I appreciate all you do for the Lord, all you do for your family, and all you do for me and mine.
The Apostle 9-19-2002
Last night Bunny had to attend a PTL (Parent-Teacher League) meeting at school so I was on my own for the evening. I fed the fish in the pond, started the dishwasher and took a look at the laundry -- yep, still there. I sat down to watch a movie. I watched “The Apostle” with Robert Duvall. I have watched this movie before and enjoy E.F.’s style of preaching -- he sounds like a country auctioneer. Bunny came home and asked, “What are you watching?” (You can put in your own voice inflection.) The movie climaxes with the Apostle E. F. preaching his final sermon to the congregation of the “The Road to Heaven Holiness Temple.” One of the lines in his sermon is, “The Gospel is free, but it’s not cheap.”
All of a sudden I was back in eighth grade, Saturday morning, listening to Pastor Lehmann tell his confirmation class kids (me included) that the Gospel was free, but came at a price. Pastor’s words flooded back over me. I can remember him telling us about how God sent His only Son, Jesus, to stand in our place. Jesus took our punishment. We deserved nothing but death and damnation -- he was good at telling eighth graders about death and damnation -- but Jesus took our place. That made an impression on this eighth grade boy. That Saturday morning (I was part of the public school class so I had to go Saturday morning from 8:00 to noon) I had been sorry. I had disappointed my mom and dad; I was feeling the weight of my sins. I felt that no one could love me. I didn’t love me. Pastor then told us about Jesus and how He paid for my sins. I felt better.
Since that time the words of the confession have had special meaning for me -- “I a poor, miserable sinner…” Yes, I was, I am and I have been pronounced sinless through the blood of Jesus -- the Gospel is free, but not cheap.
I think that proclaiming the Gospel is not cheap, either. I know firsthand how it takes courage to stand up for the Gospel, to proclaim Jesus to people who may not want to hear about Him. I know that standing up for the Gospel can lead to losing friends or straining family relations. I know that the Gospel is the only comfort that some people have. I know that Jesus is there for me -- personally. That is a great comfort when others abandon. I appreciate Martin Luther’s words in “A Mighty Fortress” -- “take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, though these all be gone, our victory has been won.”
All of a sudden I was back in eighth grade, Saturday morning, listening to Pastor Lehmann tell his confirmation class kids (me included) that the Gospel was free, but came at a price. Pastor’s words flooded back over me. I can remember him telling us about how God sent His only Son, Jesus, to stand in our place. Jesus took our punishment. We deserved nothing but death and damnation -- he was good at telling eighth graders about death and damnation -- but Jesus took our place. That made an impression on this eighth grade boy. That Saturday morning (I was part of the public school class so I had to go Saturday morning from 8:00 to noon) I had been sorry. I had disappointed my mom and dad; I was feeling the weight of my sins. I felt that no one could love me. I didn’t love me. Pastor then told us about Jesus and how He paid for my sins. I felt better.
Since that time the words of the confession have had special meaning for me -- “I a poor, miserable sinner…” Yes, I was, I am and I have been pronounced sinless through the blood of Jesus -- the Gospel is free, but not cheap.
I think that proclaiming the Gospel is not cheap, either. I know firsthand how it takes courage to stand up for the Gospel, to proclaim Jesus to people who may not want to hear about Him. I know that standing up for the Gospel can lead to losing friends or straining family relations. I know that the Gospel is the only comfort that some people have. I know that Jesus is there for me -- personally. That is a great comfort when others abandon. I appreciate Martin Luther’s words in “A Mighty Fortress” -- “take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, though these all be gone, our victory has been won.”
Encouragement 9-26-2002
I worked summers for Johns-Manville Corp. to make money for college. One summer my job was to operate the coupling lathe. This job consisted of taking a piece of blank stock, inserting it into the lathe, running the lathe, taking out the machined coupling and then starting over on the next piece. I was paid on the basis of the number of good couplings I produced per hour. The more good ones I machined, the larger my bonus check. I had to check the depth of the grooves the machine cut into the coupling. If the groove was cut too deep or too shallow, the rubber ring gasket wouldn’t seat properly and the coupling wouldn’t work to connect the pieces of transit pipe.
This job was hot, tiresome and boring. The grooves in the coupling had to be within a tolerance of 3/100ths of an inch. The knives used to cut the grooves would dull. This caused the groove to be out of tolerance and I had to reject the coupling. I learned that if I checked every 25th coupling, I could speed the process and make bonus. One thing I liked about this job – other than it paid my college expenses for a year – was the immediate feedback I received. I knew within seconds if I did a good job or a bad job.
When I became a teacher, I no longer received immediate feedback on how I was doing. Oh, I knew if a particular concept was understood when the students passed a test and I knew if I was motivating the students by how enthusiastically they responded, but I missed that immediate, definitive feedback. I was encouraged when I made a good coupling. It felt good to pull the stock out of the lathe, check it with the micrometer and tell myself, “You are so good!”
I needed to be encouraged. I needed someone to tell me, “Good job,” or “Nice try,” or “Keep up the effort.” Once in awhile I would receive a thank you note from a former student. Sometimes a fellow teacher would compliment me on a lesson or on a bulletin board design I created, and I was encouraged. I could live on a thank you note for a year!
St. Paul knew the value of encouraging one another. In his first letter to the church of the Thessalonians, he writes, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (I Thessalonians 5:11)
This past week Bunny received an e-mail from Bob, our second son. He wrote just a few short paragraphs, but they are packed with encouragement, He related to Bunny how she had influenced him growing up. He thanked her for the many lessons she taught him. He encouraged her. That note will be saved, re-read and treasured. Every parent can understand how touching it is to have a grown child thank you for how you raised him. That is encouraging.
I thank you for all you do for the Lord. You labor tirelessly without recognition. You see the needs of others and help in any way that you are able. You are on the front lines. It is often a lonesome place. You question if what you do makes a difference. It does. Many people see your work, are touched by what you do and appreciate you.
I say with St. Paul as he writes to the church at Rome. “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.”
This job was hot, tiresome and boring. The grooves in the coupling had to be within a tolerance of 3/100ths of an inch. The knives used to cut the grooves would dull. This caused the groove to be out of tolerance and I had to reject the coupling. I learned that if I checked every 25th coupling, I could speed the process and make bonus. One thing I liked about this job – other than it paid my college expenses for a year – was the immediate feedback I received. I knew within seconds if I did a good job or a bad job.
When I became a teacher, I no longer received immediate feedback on how I was doing. Oh, I knew if a particular concept was understood when the students passed a test and I knew if I was motivating the students by how enthusiastically they responded, but I missed that immediate, definitive feedback. I was encouraged when I made a good coupling. It felt good to pull the stock out of the lathe, check it with the micrometer and tell myself, “You are so good!”
I needed to be encouraged. I needed someone to tell me, “Good job,” or “Nice try,” or “Keep up the effort.” Once in awhile I would receive a thank you note from a former student. Sometimes a fellow teacher would compliment me on a lesson or on a bulletin board design I created, and I was encouraged. I could live on a thank you note for a year!
St. Paul knew the value of encouraging one another. In his first letter to the church of the Thessalonians, he writes, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (I Thessalonians 5:11)
This past week Bunny received an e-mail from Bob, our second son. He wrote just a few short paragraphs, but they are packed with encouragement, He related to Bunny how she had influenced him growing up. He thanked her for the many lessons she taught him. He encouraged her. That note will be saved, re-read and treasured. Every parent can understand how touching it is to have a grown child thank you for how you raised him. That is encouraging.
I thank you for all you do for the Lord. You labor tirelessly without recognition. You see the needs of others and help in any way that you are able. You are on the front lines. It is often a lonesome place. You question if what you do makes a difference. It does. Many people see your work, are touched by what you do and appreciate you.
I say with St. Paul as he writes to the church at Rome. “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.”