WHEN I WAS THIRTEEN
When I was in the seventh grade I had a crush on an eighth grade girl. She was very pretty and was a majorette in a marching band. In my mind I can still see a picture of her posing with her majorette uniform and baton. I never talked to her. She didn’t know me. It was a silent, secret romance known only to me, as was the relationship with most all of my childhood girl friends, (and there were a few), yet I was the only one who ever knew.
When school was out for the summer I was thinking about her one day. So, I decided to pull up my courage and call her by telephone. I was home alone. I looked her last name up in the directory, “McKim.” I nervously dialed the number. A girl answered. I stammered out, “Does a Miss Jackie McKim live here?”
“This is she,” was her reply. Wow! First call, first one, the very one who was my heart’s throb was on the line. I noticed how proper her English grammar was. My palms were sweaty. I stammered out my rehearsed line,
“I… I… I just wanted to say… that I love you.” Then I quickly hung up the phone (Those were the days long before caller I.D. was even thought of). I sat there in nervous silence. I was afraid by what I had done. I was afraid the phone was going to ring and someone was going to say, “What did you do a stupid thing like that for?”
But there was no ring; the telephone remained silent. I finally got up and went about the day, vowing never to do a dumb thing like that again.
LESSON: After 54 years I still remember this incident clearly. Why? I remember her name, what she looked like, what I said, and the way I felt. I think it must be because it was such a traumatic experience, and a departure from my usual secretive personality. It has made me think, trauma is not such a bad thing when it makes such an imprint on our memory. Perhaps there are bad things we wish we could forget, but if all our traumatic experiences were forgotten, we would, no doubt, keep making many of the same mistakes.
This incident is humorous now, but at the time I would have never dared to tell a soul about what I had done. I saw this girl once more about a year later. It was during a visit of our eighth grade class to the high school we would attend the next school term. I still did not talk to her, nor try to get her attention in any way. It was enough just to look and remain silent. She was still very pretty. I never saw her again, for we moved away to Oregon before the next school term began. Pretty girls always made me crawl back into my shell. Fortunately, I grew out of my shyness long enough to tell Lois I loved her and not hang up, or or I would not have the family I have today.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
THE TRIALS OF DELAY
THE TRIALS OF DELAY
“You cannot get on this flight.”
“What?” I asked, consternation all over my face. This can’t be happening, I thought. Surely if I talked with this agent this could all be resolved. She just doesn’t understand the situation here. Lois already had the seat assignments in her hand.
“You do not have enough pages in your passport. You need two full visa pages or you cannot go.” There were more pages in the book, but they were not “visa” pages. So, to emphasize the finality of the situation the agent took the seat assignment cards back from Lois and tore them in two right in front of us.
Wow! What do we do now? There was nothing left to do, but schedule an appointment with the US consulate back in Seattle, and then fly back to Washington State. We did so, wondering what it all meant. It took another four days until we were heading back to Atlanta for the second attempt to leave the country for Tanzania. This time we were not turned away, but continued on our journey without any unnecessary delays.
After the conference we left Dar Es Salaam on the 12th of August, arriving in Johannesburg with just enough time to catch the flight to Atlanta, except we were not on the list. The harried agent behind the desk was having problems. He would not talk to us and declared the flight was already closed. We would have to go to the airline desk and list for the next day. We have friends in Johannesburg; it was not a big problem, only a one day delay. Okay.
Next day, we were on the list, but were told we would probably be bumped off in Dakar, Senegal. I had anticipated that, so I had gotten the telephone number of a missionary in Dakar. I was not too worried at this juncture. It may be interesting to spend a night in Dakar and see another country first hand. Perhaps I would be able to speak at the Bible College (It never happened. I don’t think the school term was even in session).
Sure enough, though we did get on the airplane, when we arrived at Dakar they took us off again. So began the saga of trying to get back on the airplane every night for one whole week. It was always too full, except for one night (the 3rd night). That night the baggage handlers decided to have a strike. There was some loud shouting, a lot of standing around, baggage was piling up around the check-in place. Finally, the baggage handlers walked out of the building. A few airline employees were left holding the bags. One of them came to us and said, “We are not taking on any extra passengers tonight. Just go home.” We left.
Now, there was hesitancy inside me. (I think, the Holy Spirit). But I had already called the missionary and asked him to come back and pick us up. The battle took place in my mind. We reluctantly took our bags outside and waited for the ride back to the mission station. It was 2:00 AM. My spirit remained grieved through the night. I listened to my mind and to others, but missed the message of the Holy Spirit. After we left the airport our names were called to get on the flight, but we could not hear for we had already left the area. God did not give us another chance for several days. How important it is to recognize the voice of the Spirit and simply obey. I believe that is why the Bible tells us to sanctify our mind, so that it cooperates with the Spirit, rather than reasons against Him.
There is a lot more to the story. The short of it is we flew all the way back to Johannesburg, thinking we would have a better chance of getting to the states by taking a different airline through Paris. That did not happen either. There were other delays. Finally we boarded on Monday, Aug. 25th, a flight that took us all the way back to Atlanta. There was an hour and a half stop in Dakar. I was stressed, waiting for the door to shut, which would indicate that no one would be taken off the flight. I was reminded that, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin,” and felt like I was just sinning all over the place with my lack of faith. But God showed us mercy in our weakness and we arrived back at our home the evening of Aug 26, exactly one month from the start of the most eventful mission trip I have had so far. And Lois was a part of it all.
“You cannot get on this flight.”
“What?” I asked, consternation all over my face. This can’t be happening, I thought. Surely if I talked with this agent this could all be resolved. She just doesn’t understand the situation here. Lois already had the seat assignments in her hand.
“You do not have enough pages in your passport. You need two full visa pages or you cannot go.” There were more pages in the book, but they were not “visa” pages. So, to emphasize the finality of the situation the agent took the seat assignment cards back from Lois and tore them in two right in front of us.
Wow! What do we do now? There was nothing left to do, but schedule an appointment with the US consulate back in Seattle, and then fly back to Washington State. We did so, wondering what it all meant. It took another four days until we were heading back to Atlanta for the second attempt to leave the country for Tanzania. This time we were not turned away, but continued on our journey without any unnecessary delays.
After the conference we left Dar Es Salaam on the 12th of August, arriving in Johannesburg with just enough time to catch the flight to Atlanta, except we were not on the list. The harried agent behind the desk was having problems. He would not talk to us and declared the flight was already closed. We would have to go to the airline desk and list for the next day. We have friends in Johannesburg; it was not a big problem, only a one day delay. Okay.
Next day, we were on the list, but were told we would probably be bumped off in Dakar, Senegal. I had anticipated that, so I had gotten the telephone number of a missionary in Dakar. I was not too worried at this juncture. It may be interesting to spend a night in Dakar and see another country first hand. Perhaps I would be able to speak at the Bible College (It never happened. I don’t think the school term was even in session).
Sure enough, though we did get on the airplane, when we arrived at Dakar they took us off again. So began the saga of trying to get back on the airplane every night for one whole week. It was always too full, except for one night (the 3rd night). That night the baggage handlers decided to have a strike. There was some loud shouting, a lot of standing around, baggage was piling up around the check-in place. Finally, the baggage handlers walked out of the building. A few airline employees were left holding the bags. One of them came to us and said, “We are not taking on any extra passengers tonight. Just go home.” We left.
Now, there was hesitancy inside me. (I think, the Holy Spirit). But I had already called the missionary and asked him to come back and pick us up. The battle took place in my mind. We reluctantly took our bags outside and waited for the ride back to the mission station. It was 2:00 AM. My spirit remained grieved through the night. I listened to my mind and to others, but missed the message of the Holy Spirit. After we left the airport our names were called to get on the flight, but we could not hear for we had already left the area. God did not give us another chance for several days. How important it is to recognize the voice of the Spirit and simply obey. I believe that is why the Bible tells us to sanctify our mind, so that it cooperates with the Spirit, rather than reasons against Him.
There is a lot more to the story. The short of it is we flew all the way back to Johannesburg, thinking we would have a better chance of getting to the states by taking a different airline through Paris. That did not happen either. There were other delays. Finally we boarded on Monday, Aug. 25th, a flight that took us all the way back to Atlanta. There was an hour and a half stop in Dakar. I was stressed, waiting for the door to shut, which would indicate that no one would be taken off the flight. I was reminded that, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin,” and felt like I was just sinning all over the place with my lack of faith. But God showed us mercy in our weakness and we arrived back at our home the evening of Aug 26, exactly one month from the start of the most eventful mission trip I have had so far. And Lois was a part of it all.
WHEN YOU WERE HURTING
I was there when you were hurting and I wept with you, but I knew your time of healing would come, and that your relationship with Me would be stronger than if you had not been hurt at all; so I allowed your suffering. Someday you will see as I have seen.
You will then understand and weep no more, but rejoice in My love for you.
You will then understand and weep no more, but rejoice in My love for you.
THE ACCENT OF MAN
I was thinking of how some people speak with accents. God speaks “God,” but we speak His words with the accent of men. In Uganda I sometimes could not understand their English, and I would have to ask them to repeat what they said, maybe even spell it. I would have had no trouble understanding if I had grown up with them, but I came from another place. I wonder, if when we speak the words of God and they are not correctly understood by others, is it because we have not grown up with God and we speak with the accent of men? Too much time may be spent listening to men or to ourselves and not enough time spent with God.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
STAY ALERT; TAKE A STAND!
November 6
The election is over. Beware of complacency. We need to remain vigilant. Those who have an understanding of the times will continue to have a sense of urgency to prepare against the flood of ungodliness that will come against those who name the name of Christ.
The time to be shoring up your defenses is now. Our test will be as great or greater than the children of Israel had in the wilderness, which the Bible called the Day of Provocation (Hebrews 3:7-15). You will be partaker of Christ, only if you hold fast to Him to the end. Faith-filled endurance is now the key ingredient for these days. Our attitude will need to be, “This world is not my home; I’m just a passing through.”
The laws of our land will turn against true Christians. Legislation will be passed outlawing a list of hate crimes that will restrict what a preacher can preach. There will arise an outward church that conforms to this world’s agenda, but a supernatural church will go underground, just as it is already in many persecuted countries. Deliverance will not come from our government. Yet, the church will be purified by the battle.
What I am describing is certainly a foreboding picture, but it is the church’s finest hour to excel (and for individual believers). The potential will abound for more joy, victory, power and greater experience with a genuine relationship with God. We will see God move in great deliverance, as well as, in the giving of grace to endure the trials we face. Yet, those who have no deep spiritual root will succumb and fall away from God.
It is not a time for getting caught up in the world‘s system. If you would see Heaven, make the choice now to seek God earnestly for yourself and your family. I do not think the end is right now upon our heads, but I do think our time to procrastinate is gone. Where you are right now with God, or where you will now determine to be with Him, is most likely the place you will be when Jesus returns. Watch and pray. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Along with the persecution of Christians there will be minor judgments of God on our nation, Natural disasters will increase, such as, earthquakes, storms, droughts, flooding, etc. Attacks from terrorists will continue to come. Devastations will take place that will cause many to panic. Whatever can be shaken will be shaken.
It is time to hold on to what is solid and cannot be moved. Your house, hope, life, family, is only as secure as whatever you have built them upon. Christ is our only sure foundation. No weapon, plan, counsel or scheme of man or devil can succeed against God. Whatever the storms may bring, you will not be moved, if you are anchored in Him.
The election is over. Beware of complacency. We need to remain vigilant. Those who have an understanding of the times will continue to have a sense of urgency to prepare against the flood of ungodliness that will come against those who name the name of Christ.
The time to be shoring up your defenses is now. Our test will be as great or greater than the children of Israel had in the wilderness, which the Bible called the Day of Provocation (Hebrews 3:7-15). You will be partaker of Christ, only if you hold fast to Him to the end. Faith-filled endurance is now the key ingredient for these days. Our attitude will need to be, “This world is not my home; I’m just a passing through.”
The laws of our land will turn against true Christians. Legislation will be passed outlawing a list of hate crimes that will restrict what a preacher can preach. There will arise an outward church that conforms to this world’s agenda, but a supernatural church will go underground, just as it is already in many persecuted countries. Deliverance will not come from our government. Yet, the church will be purified by the battle.
What I am describing is certainly a foreboding picture, but it is the church’s finest hour to excel (and for individual believers). The potential will abound for more joy, victory, power and greater experience with a genuine relationship with God. We will see God move in great deliverance, as well as, in the giving of grace to endure the trials we face. Yet, those who have no deep spiritual root will succumb and fall away from God.
It is not a time for getting caught up in the world‘s system. If you would see Heaven, make the choice now to seek God earnestly for yourself and your family. I do not think the end is right now upon our heads, but I do think our time to procrastinate is gone. Where you are right now with God, or where you will now determine to be with Him, is most likely the place you will be when Jesus returns. Watch and pray. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Along with the persecution of Christians there will be minor judgments of God on our nation, Natural disasters will increase, such as, earthquakes, storms, droughts, flooding, etc. Attacks from terrorists will continue to come. Devastations will take place that will cause many to panic. Whatever can be shaken will be shaken.
It is time to hold on to what is solid and cannot be moved. Your house, hope, life, family, is only as secure as whatever you have built them upon. Christ is our only sure foundation. No weapon, plan, counsel or scheme of man or devil can succeed against God. Whatever the storms may bring, you will not be moved, if you are anchored in Him.
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