Tue, Aug 18th - 10:26AM

Long-Distance

  When I was growing up, making or receiving a long-distance phone call was considered a special event.  They were costly, and not made lightly, as they are today.  Now, I think nothing of calling anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, and even international calls are affordable, but back in the 50’s, long-distance was a big deal, and represented a significant sacrifice for the caller. 

  Consequently, as a young adult with my own family, my father’s periodic long-distance calls to me always hit me a little crosswise.  And after getting past the “Hello”, I would usually ask why he had called, figuring something untoward had happened. 

  My dad the lifelong salesman, had an incredible capacity for not getting right to the point.  As he bantered through the trivials, my angst at not knowing why he had called would overcome me.  Many times, my wife used to accuse me of being insensitive because I would insist he tell me why he had called, before I proceeded into the conversation any further.  And finally years after his passing, I understand, and I understand his standard answer to my question:  “I just called to hear your voice.”

  At the time, I just couldn’t grasp this reason for making a long-distance call!  Just calling to hear my voice didn’t even equate with me then, but now I completely understand.  I hope God tells my dad that now, finally, I get it.  That would be a great comfort to me.  And believe me, right now, I would give anything just to hear my dad’s voice.  I really do understand.

  I also understand that my dad probably never knew what an impact he had had on my life.  I’m sure he never knew, as I never knew at the time, how accurately he represented God to me.  He always said he was a “Manufacturer’s rep”, but in truth, he was the “Creator’s rep” to me – and neither of us recognized it. 

  And so, in a way, my father’s life work was: me.  And as I face God in prayer, I realize what a craftsman my dad was.  Currently the topic of Prayer has been foremost on my mind, and I’ve been doing a lot more of it.   

  God first put me in situations where I felt the need to pray, then I progressed to  wanting to pray, and now I’m just beginning to enter times when I actually enjoy spending time with Him – ‘Just to hear His voice’.  I also realize that God just wants to hear my voice, and sometimes I’m reminded of my dad again when God calls.       

  Some days my calls to God do seem like long-distance, and some days they seem thankfully, more local.  Every now and then I have to remind myself to let Him talk while I listen.  I would like to get to the point where we both take equal turns talking and listening – just like best friends.  Truthfully though, I’m the only one of us that needs to learn how to listen, and the choice is mine to make.

  So I guess prayer is just like making a long-distance phone call; God and I call each other just to hear our voices.  As I love to hear His voice, He also loves to hear mine.

  I should probably call more often….

John

Wed, Aug 12th - 7:07PM

Three Hots and a Cot

 Many years ago, 1968 to be exact, I enlisted in the Army.  I say “enlisted”, because I erroneously thought that by avoiding the draft, I would have more “career choices”.      

  Of course, in 1968, with Vietnam in full swing and gaining momentum, I learned my first basic lesson in Practical Government 101 – namely, their promise to put me in the Artillery was broken immediately because they needed Infantry; while my promise to them cost me almost two years of my life.  I guess some things never change.

  But my second lesson came when I settled in to the Army life and learned it was indeed a tight-knit family.  Actually, this factor made the lifestyle nearly bearable because no matter where I was in the world, and no matter the circumstances, I was in fact “owned” by the U.S. Army, and they would stand responsible for me and my well being.   

  At first, the thought of being owned by anyone or anything rankled, but after I came to grips with the notion, it became an incredible source of security, because the U.S. Army was my family, and they take care of their own.  As long as I had my I.D. card in possession and a current copy of my orders, I was a family member in good standing, and I possessed the knowledge that anyone else in uniform, anywhere else in the world, was related to me, and in 1968 there were a lot of family members!  Generally speaking, the family concept was covered by the phrase, ‘three hots and a cot’, meaning of course three meals and someplace to sleep.  

  We used to call the career personnel “Lifers”, because they sacrificed their independence to have the lifelong family status, and the security it provided.  I understand it better now, and some days I wish I had stayed in the service.  In many ways, life is tougher on the “outside”. 

  Although I eventually got my independence back, it was hard being owned by myself.  No more could I expect to drop into any United States military facility, anywhere in the world, and be given food and someplace to sleep; no more could I expect free medical, dental and vision care – I even had to buy my own clothing! 

  But wait!  Several years after re-entering civilian life I gave ownership of my life away again – to Jesus Christ.   Most of my subsequent problems came about because at the time, and for many years afterwards, I didn’t understand I was “owned” by Him, and failing to understand the enormity of that idea, I defaulted to thinking I owned Him!  I honestly thought I had “found Jesus”, when of course, He was never lost.  In truth, He found me; I was lost.

  And comparatively recently, to my embarrassment, I realized afresh that He still owns me, and not the other way around.  He “bought” and “paid” for my life, and because He is my owner, I am in grave error feeling as if Jesus Christ is part of “my” life – in reality, I should be part of His. 

  I suppose you could dismiss what I’m saying – you probably think you haven’t made the same basic mistake, but I think it’s more common than not.  But here’s the good news – it’s easily fixed! 

  We believers are all in one cosmic family now, and Jesus Christ, and the honor of His Name, stands for us – anywhere in the universe.  We are the spiritual “lifers”, and Jesus is calling each of us to become part of His life.  As long as we have that straightened out in our hearts, He’s in charge of the ‘three hots and a cot’.  But if we strive to maintain our independence, life is tough. 

  And it’s tougher for Christians who have it backwards.

John

Wed, Aug 5th - 10:45AM

Size Matters

  God is simply too big.

  Humans tend to dissect topics, and God Himself, into bite-sized pieces.  We tend to accept things we first understand with our intellects, and in order to do that, we usually reduce the complexity, and size, of large things. 

  It’s difficult for me to clean out my intellectual closet of bite-sized theology, but it has become increasingly necessary for me to do so, in order to accommodate God.  For my entire life, I’ve always made Him too small – to my impoverishment.  God was never cheated by my underestimation – I was. 

  I was talking with a Christian brother on the phone this morning, and he gave me a quote that changed his life for the better:

  “All you know is all you know; but all you know is not all there is.”

  It’s really sad that many of us have always believed in a small God.  Certainly, all I think I know about Him is not, nor ever will be, all there is to know about Him.  And I’m also firmly convinced that as surely as God cannot deny His own nature, He is the Creator, and as He is infinite, He’s still creating – somewhere, somehow.  Even in eternity I know I will never arrive at the “end” of God – He will forever be too big. 

  But isn't that what we really need God to be?  As we discussed on the phone this morning – if God were our size, how would He be big enough to help us?  Don’t we find security in His incredible attributes? 

  Once I sacrifice my need to totally understand (control) Him, before I believe, His incredible attributes create a security for me that nothing else can.  And I know that His infinite wisdom and holiness make Him the Father I’ve always needed.  All children need to know that their dad is the best, ever – and my Father truly is the best, ever – and forever!  Now that’s security!

  Jesus told us the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth (John 14:17), but even in eternity, where we will undoubtedly understand much more about God with our renewed minds – He never said we will be led into all of the Truth – He’s simply too big, and I say, “Praise God that He is!” 

  And praise God that we will never be God!  It should be enough to be loved by Him.    

  Yes, in this case, size matters!

John