Just imagine

Just Imagine

A typhoon just leveled the Philippines. It is reported to be the worst natural disaster (typhoon) in history.

 In 2005 Katrina pretty much destroyed New Orleans and its surrounding area.  People were evacuated to places of safety because we knew for days the path it would take. Elder people in nursing homes were bussed out to other facilities far, far away; families traveled to their son’s, daughter’s or parent’s homes in other states or just to distant motels. Lives were saved because they heeded the warnings; lives were lost because they refused to believe it could be that bad or perhaps had no place to go. Katrina earned the reputation of being one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the United States history. That means there were four other deadly hurricanes. The recent typhoon in the Philippines supposedly trumped them all.

I just read where the thousand or so residents of Tulang Diyot Island in a Cebu town (never heard of this place before in my life) survived typhoon Yolanda because they vacated their homes which were completely demolished during the typhoon. They did this on the strong orders of Mayor Alfredo Arquillano. Now they are being advised not to return to their island. They will have to relocate where they can still be farmers and fishermen or learn new skills, but hey, they are still alive because they were well informed and reacted.

There have been other stories of hurricanes, tsunamis and floods in recorded history. People were saved because rescuers arrived in boats, and helicopters to search for survivors. People were salvaged from roof tops of buildings several stories high or pulled off of floating debris used as life preservers.

Now let’s go back a few years. No, go back further. You still haven’t gone back far enough. Keep going. Go back before people wrote things down, before there were periodicals, journalists etc. Go back to a simpler time when the population was smaller. There are millions of people on the earth right now, go back to a time when there were fewer societies. Picture it, no inhabitants in Europe, South American, North America, Australia, China, and Russia (or whatever it’s called now.) Keep going. Are you there yet?

Go back to the cradle of life. Yes, there was a cradle, the earth didn’t just populate overnight. Right now every so many years the populace doubles, triples etc. and the inhabitants spread out looking for more room, more personal space but right now we’re going backwards to almost the very beginning.  I think we’re there now; that only corner of the earth where life exists or existed.

 Now that we’re there do you feel rain? The earth is starting to get wet.  The grass is bending. Little rivulets are branching out and forming ponds. The rain, now a downpour, keeps on coming accompanied by thunder and lightning.  Days are blending into weeks. The water is washing down the mountain sides and flowing into primitive homes. There is nowhere to get away from the deluge, no distant relatives to move in with, no tree tall enough or no mountain high enough for protection.  No boats to sail out on, no helicopters to come airlift people from high rises. People are treading water now screaming till their lungs are filled with fluid. Other people are hanging onto drifting wood till they’re too weak to hold on anymore. The monsoon keeps coming. Wait, okay, it’s stopped now. But that doesn’t help anyone, no relief is in sight. There is no place that is dry.  The immense flood just sits on terrain too soaked to absorb any more moisture. No one’s feet can touch the ground. Fish are nibbling on them.  There is no Coast Guard; yet.  Everyone and everything is dying from aspirated water, fatigue and hypothermia.

Everyone perished except a few people on a boat, I’m sorry, Ark.  They had heeded the warning. They survived what was really the worst natural disaster in human history. As the story was later recorded there were no other survivors.

What, you don’t believe there was a flood that covered the earth and killed everyone?  I know the recent floods don’t compare to the Genesis account because people were rescued. But just imagine a land, culture, society that didn’t have the technology we enjoy today.  Parts of the Philippines were pretty much wiped out; visualize how many more lives would have been lost without the rest of the world’s assistance. In Genesis there was no one else to help. No one.  And if massively fatal floods can happen today on our densely populated globe why not thousands of years ago when we were a young race just crawling out of the cradle? Just imagine…..

Now just imagine if the biblical predictions for a future cataclysmic disaster are possible. God promised he wouldn’t use a flood again to destroy mankind but fire is still an option. One person heeded God’s warning in that long ago time and saved his family; will the earth’s present populace pay attention to the warning signs? We are cable of totally annihilating the planet with horrific force. Do you really think thousands of years ago the bible writers could foresee nuclear weapons without divine insight? Or we could meet the end by nature’s use of meteorites or comets, hey, presumably it happened before. But don’t get discouraged I can almost imagine I hear angels’ wings as they hover above ready to airlift us to safety or lower us to…just imagine.

 

Gen. 7: 13-24

Gen 8:8-17

Math 25:31-46

1 Peter 3:10

1 Peter 3:20

 

 

 

Gen. 7: 13-24

1 Peter 3:20

GOD KNOWS

God knows


I was young, nineteen, with two kids going to school full time, me, not them. My only income was from my dad's G.I bill (which allowed him to send two dependents to school, providing me with $211 a month), $100 child support check and whatever schools grant money I had left over after purchasing books and paying tuition.

With $311 monthly I paid rent, utilities included,(don't envision something fancy for $120 monthly, though the roaches I shared the accommodations with  thought they were in roach heaven), bought groceries, with the temporary help of food stamps,(they embarrassed me so I eventually weaned myself from them), gas for my $10 car,(bet you can't find one like that anymore, simply because that one caught on fire on my way to school one day.),nice fairly elaborate Christmas and birthday splashes for my kids, (guilt relief for them having to struggle through school with me), with enough left over for a small savings account. This was in the late '70's. I doubt this could be achieved today. Car insurance was not required back then so that was a tremendous savings. I also had wonderful parents who did free babysitting, picked my food up at the commissary on base for an added savings, and they threw in unsolicited butt kicking whenever I got discouraged and threatened to quit school.

You can see how every cent counted in my household. One afternoon a few days after I received my child support check I puttered out to the bank in my lovely car (sarcasm, did you catch it?), to discover I was check-less. I went back home and turned over ever leaf as I looked for that important piece of bank paper valued at a meager $100.00.

I opened every school book, emptied every dresser drawer, dumped the trash on the floor, (the roaches appreciated that, it was like take-out for them), scrounged through the toy chests, and then stuck my hand in every shirt, skirt and pants pocket that hung in my closet or was stuffed in my hamper. I was devastated. No check. I was on the verge of some heavy crying.

That night I went to bible study and asked for prayers. Suggestions galore rolled off every tongue, (but no love offerings in the way of hard cash). I got free advice and many suggestions on where to continue my search, none of which panned out when I got home. Finally the obvious reaction came from the group. "Don't worry, God knows where it is." Nice sentiment from people who didn't need $100 as badly as I did. God definitely didn't need it, so why wouldn't he share his knowledge with me!!! He owned the cattle on a thousand hills, at least give me something for my money: a brisket, roast, a hundred pounds of hamburger meat.

Weeks went by and I gave up the hunt. The check was hopelessly lost. I would make do, after all God had taught me he would meet my needs even if he did hide my money. I pillaged from my savings and continued living on a shoestring, which is pretty tasty with sufficient Italian sauces and spices. Good for roughage.

One sleepless night after studying for one of my finals I picked up some light reading and fluffed my pillows. I stretched, yawned, leaned back, and opened my book. Something fluttered to the bed covers. Thinking it was just scratch paper I crunched it up and tossed it into the wastebasket across the room....then on after thought I flew after it.  Guess what it was; yep, my check. All wrinkled but still cashable. The light reading? My bible. It had been a light for my path for many years and now it was still shining forth with help and wisdom and releasing its bounty. I'd been reading this book regularly over the past few weeks yet God choose his perfect time for the check to dislodge from whatever pages it was stuck between. I now remembered why I placed it there when I had received it, to keep it secure till I made it to the bank. My prayer group was correct. God did know where the errant check was.  He revealed it to me only after reminding me he was my sufficiency. I informed him I learned my lesson and he didn't need to repeat the question on the final exam.

what a manicure taught me

 

 

 

 

I got up one morning recently and did my nails. I chose a nice silver glitter color called “Bling Bling”. It’s not only rare that I use colors other than “natural” colors for my fingers it was the first time. In the past I’ve reserved silvers for my toes only, just to prove I, too, can be a rebel. I don’t know why, but reds and neutrals just seen more normal on the fingers.  Fingers aren’t supposed to be blue or black, as a nurse I always want to tell someone with those colors to take a deep breath in case they are de-oxygenating; I’m not sure that’s actually a word you’d find in Webster’s dictionary.  And when I see green nail polish I assume someone’s been gardening and forgot to wear gloves and then failed to wash their hands.

Anyway, I digress. After I applied my polish, which was in the form of nail strips versus liquid I preceded to my bible study. I read a few verses and came to my thumbs where they were holding my bible open. I stopped reading to admire the glitter and the perfect job I had done applying the strips.  The nail strips were a fantastic invention, no messy polish out of place, impeccable contours at the base of my nails and they were promised to last much longer than their fluid counterpart. Man, my nails looked fabulous. I had to hold my hands up in front of my face to admire them from all angles. I had done such a pretty job, it made me feel like somebody and I could do them at home by myself, no help from anyone. Regular nail polish I went to a manicurist for, because I’m a clumsy painter.

After a few minutes I resumed my bible study only to once again get distracted by my gorgeous fingers. Ultimately I abandoned my efforts at reading and worship; I just couldn’t concentrate because of the “Bling Bling.”

Some days later I was back with my bible, not for the first time but again, and my fingers diverted my attention one more time, only in this instance it was to notice the paint had chipped and the “Bling Bling” was cracking. I held my hands up again to scrutinize, this time unfavorably. My nails looked awful; it was time for a redo. I felt shabby, and not meticulous. To have nice manicured nails one must keep at it consistently and I didn’t have the patience for daily nail grooming.

Oh, oh. Something just struck me. Was it lightning? The words I was reading were the same words I’d read before years ago. Nothing had changed, not one tittle or jolt. God’s word was consistent. It still had the same “Bling Bling” from the day I started studying it, from the day I had come to God and Jesus; when I had come to him as a cracked and chipped individual in need of his presence and saving power. He had saved me then and made me somebody: his child, a saint and an heiress.  I couldn’t do that by myself, I had needed his help, his death, his blood, and it was permanent salvation. No need to redo it daily. But I realized this relationship we had had to be fed daily.  I had to meet with God routinely and I had to do it without the distractions that the world throws at us in the shape of manicures and impermanent glitter. I may just need to wear gloves from now on during bible study, either that or cut off my fingers.

 

Proverbs 3:13-20

Proverbs 16:16

Malachi 3:6

1 cor. 1:2

Gal 4:5

1 Peter 1:3-9

the american revolution

In a letter John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, on July 3^rd 1776:

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost to maintain this Declaration and support and defend these States. Yet through all the gloom I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is worth more than all means: that posterity will triumph in that day's transaction, even though we {may regret} it, which I trust in God we shall not. ”

Let’s remember our independence came at a great cost and that we are free  to celebrate it enthusiastically and without guilt by permission and fore thought of the founding fathers, or  at least one, John Adams. Let’s remember while we’re celebrating with pomp and parade, to include solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. After all, God is, or was?, no, is the Father of humanity on both sides of the pond known as the Atlantic ocean and he lost, or received, children from England and the thirteen colonies and their Allies during the American Revolution. He is not a God that shows partiality. I wonder how he felt when both sides prayed for victory over the enemy as the enemy on both sides were His children. God puts a great price on human lives; in the Old Testament the law required a life for a life. Abel’s blood was the first to cry out to God from the grave. Those years of bloodshed, and all other years before and after, must be horrific to our Loving Father, as he watches sons and daughters die at each other’s hands, each trying to prove a point, to win an argument, to illicit his favor, praying for him to take sides, to back them up with victory.

Well we definitely follow John Adams’ wish to celebrate with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, but I’m sad to say I feel it’s questionable about the inclusion of solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. Let’s not forget the cemeteries, on both sides of the Atlantic, filled with the dead who didn’t get a chance to memorialize our freedom or their widows, orphans, and parents left childless.

It was too long ago for us to feel their grief, 237 years ago. None of us have the honor of reminiscing with survivors of that war, hearing about 13 year old boys running off with muskets, and never coming back , fathers of large households taken on to glory or left so maimed they were, at that time, considered useless, women sacrificing and dying beside their menfolk. The stories of individual everyday families were passed down to a few generations and then forgotten, after all they didn’t have Blogs or Facebook to record their agony, but, regrettably, we have had no shortage of wars to woefully arouse empathy with the long forgotten misery of the American Revolution survivors, so we can partially emphasize with the ordinary colonist’s pain, though in God’s perspective ordinary doesn’t exit, thank you God.

So let’s remember as we celebrate to solemnly include God in our thoughts, this July 4^th, and pray for the Lords return and the eternal peace that will bring to end all blood shed from one end of this global continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

I wonder, when we do get to heaven will we have an annual day of remembrance, a day celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival? Naw, I suspect every day will be July 4^th!

Bring on the barbeque and fireworks, but first, second and last, let us pray.

 

 

the dragonflies

 

 

 

 

Right before my dad's funeral at the Dallas/Fort Worth National Cemetery a few years ago a friend of mine saw a dragon fly land on her windshield and stare her down. She excitedly told me it was a sign from dad as my dad liked dragonflies. I don’t always give credence to omens so I didn’t over think her observation. Well, over two years later, I was walking my dogs over a bridge at park near my house and saw a dragon fly skim over the water below. I thought about the phenomenon at the funeral and said, "Hmm." Then the dragon fly came back, and I said, "Thank you God for reminding me of my dad." Then I thought, it could have just been a coincidence so I prayed, feeling foolish to be testing God, "God, if that dragon fly was a message from my dad let me see it again."

 I waited and waited, (about two minutes, but they were long minutes!) No dragon fly. I was supremely disappointed since I had really expected to spot some more but I decided if I waited too long eventually a dragon fly would show up and that wouldn't prove anything except that I had tremendous perseverance, because of course if I waited 4 hours I probably would see another one. After about three exceptionally long and torturous minutes I gave up and turned around to finish my walk with my eager-to-be-on-their-way doggies who were earnestly straining on their leashes because there was more ground just waiting to be sniffed and so little time to do it .

 On the other side of the bridge two feisty low flying dragon flies immediately caught my eye, whizzed by, crisscrossed each other, did somersaults and vanished under the bridge. If I hadn’t resumed my stroll when I did I would have missed them entirely. Timing is everything after all.

I looked heaven ward and humbly exclaimed, “Dear God, one would have been enough.” Thinking now he was just showing off!

 The name of the park is VETERAN'S PARK. And of course you should know that today is Father's day.

I’m not suggesting it’s wise to test God, but he does like to answer prayers and requests, sometimes in a playful and unexpected manner. It certainly was awesome of him to let me experience his presence, quietly and gently, on a bridge early in the morning while I walked my dogs at a park built to honor Veterans on a day when most of the country was paying tribute to all their dad’s; those alive and those in the company of God, our supreme Father.

 

 

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