Soaring versus Flap-Flap-Glide

To me, one of the most fascinating birds is an albatross. I love to see them gliding through the air, effortlessly soaring on the ocean breezes. As long as there is the slightest air movement, the albatross can stay suspended, never having to take a wing beat. I dream of being in the earth made new, and being able to move through the air like that.

Have you ever wondered how a bird as large as the albatross can stay in the air so long, so gracefully, without having to flap its wings all the time? It is all a function of the wing shape. You see, the lift ratio of a wing is directly related to the wing length divided by wing width (distance from leading to trailing edges). The greater the ratio, the better the lift is. That explains the shape of the wing found on glider airplanes (also known as sailplanes). It also explains why chickens can’t soar.

There are two species of vulture found in North America. The Turkey Vulture can be seen in the lower forty-eight states of the US, and in some southern portions of Canada. The less common species, the Black Vulture, is found across the southern US, and in a few areas of the southwest. Up close, it is fairly easy to differentiate between the two species. The head colors are different, and light-colored patterns on the wings are different.

In flight, the tail of the Black Vulture generally appears much shorter, partially due to the fact that the Black Vulture’s wing is relatively broader than that of the Turkey Vulture. And therein lies the secret to separating the two species when they are both high in the sky. Because of its slightly shorter but broader wing, the Black Vulture has less lift than the Turkey Vulture. As a consequence, while the Turkey Vulture can soar almost effortlessly, the Black Vulture will often present a flap-flap-glide flight pattern that can be recognized from far away.

In ways, the lift ratio of these birds’ wings can be compared to our “faith ratio.” One who is full of faith is able to glide, even soar, in almost all situations. Those with less faith are perhaps more likely to be found “flapping” spiritually, trying with their own efforts to achieve “full flight.”

There is a passage in the scriptures where a father comes to Christ on his son’s behalf. In essence he says, “If you will, you can help him.” Christ’s response is, “Do you have faith in my ability?” To which the father replied, “I believe, please help my unbelief.”

What the father is really asking for is for Christ to stretch his wing of faith. He recognizes that his flapping, his own efforts and weak faith, will not help his child. He wants a faith that will allow him to soar, and for his child to live.

How much I want to be like that father – to have a faith that allows me to soar, and takes me away from the flap-flap-glide lifestyle. Won’t you join me in asking the Lord to stretch our wings of faith?

Have a great day!

Dr. G

Huggers

After rehearsing for about an hour and a half each Friday night, the men of our chorus get together to share and pray. During each concert, we invite members of the audience to write out prayer requests or praises on a card we distribute to everyone. We pray over these at each rehearsal. But we also share with each other our own concerns and praises.

This past June, one of our baritones mentioned how happy and excited he was with his new twin grandsons. He said he really enjoyed holding them, especially when they are awake. He said there is something about being able to interact with them, even at their young age. Many of the guys could affirm that feeling. And I thought back to when my own children were young. How my wife and I waited with anticipation for them to wake from their naps and for them to come to us for hugs and assurances of love.

When our granddaughter was born, my wife started it all over again (I admit I did too). When Boo is down for a nap, we sit there just waiting with a desire, willing her awake. Then she comes running from her room crying, Grandma! Grandpa! And there are hugs and kisses for everyone.

I’ve often tried to envision how our Creator felt just after he’d breathed that breathe of life into Adam. I think He, too, leaned back to wait with joyous anticipation, waiting for those eyelids to flutter open the very first time. I can see Him hugging His new child, and telling him how much He loved him.

I can also imagine Him, each morning, waiting for us to awaken. Can you see Him there beside your bed, waiting for you to greet Him?

But there are some of His creatures who are spiritually asleep. Even though they are alive, they’re not aware of His great desire to hold, comfort, assure and love each one. Every day, I can see Him sitting there, praying that they’ll awaken spiritually, and reach out for the One who loves them supremely. Somehow, those who are awake need to gently waken the others so they, too, can join in the joy.

A number of years ago, you could often see cars with bumper stickers that asked, “Have you hugged a tree today?” And I would not detract for one moment from the great responsibility of proper stewardship of God’s creation.

But I would propose that there is an even more important question than whether or not we’ve hugged a tree today. That question is, “Have you hugged your Creator, the God of the universe, today?”

Go ahead, do it right now. Make His day!

Dr. G

Still Running?

Probably everyone is familiar with the Energizer rabbit – continuously beating his drum as he marches across the screen. Still going, still running. He’s well enough known that he even shows up in parodies. I have a necktie that features the cartoon cat Garfield, wearing rabbit ears, beating a drum and feeding his face. The caption? “Still eating.”

After their incident with the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve ran when they heard God coming. True, they didn’t run far, but they wanted to separate themselves from what they’d done. As soon as God showed up, the finger-pointing began, and the blame began to fly.

There were quite a few kids in the neighborhood where I grew up, but most of them my age lived over on the next block. We’d quite often get together to play baseball in the street. I remember one summer evening when I was about eleven. We’d been playing ball, when everyone else was called in for supper. For some forgotten reason, I hadn’t gone home for supper. Maybe we’d already eaten, or I hadn’t been called. At least I know my mother hadn’t come with the paddle like she did on a different occasion. Anyway, I ended up with the ball and my friend’s new bat out where we’d been playing. I don’t recall exactly how it happened, but I do know I broke the bat. What to do?

Unfortunately, there was a little too much Adam and Eve in me. But before I ran, I hid the evidence. My friend’s father had been cleaning the yard, trimming trees. There was a large pile of brush that he was planning on burning in the ditch. So I slid the broken bat into the bottom of the pile, and ran for home. Not something to be proud of, but it fits in the story.

Down through the Bible we can find reference to individuals who ran from difficult situations. God called Jonah, and he ran. Peter ran from the judgment hall after denying the Lord. Jezebel threatened Elijah, and he ran, clear to the cave at Mt. Horeb. He’d allowed circumstances to overwhelm him, and he ran. Do you remember God’s question? In a still small voice, “What are you doing here?”

Several years ago, there was an incident covered by the national news services. Seems a prospective bride disappeared just before her wedding, and showed up on the other side of the country, claiming to have been kidnapped. As it turned out, she’d become overwhelmed by her circumstances, and started concocting stories and events to separate herself from the situation. Running, running.

Have you looked closely at the story of the prodigal son? He was running. I’ve heard several speakers/authors more familiar with ancient customs than I who indicated that this son, when he asked for his share of the inheritance, was in essence saying he wished his father was dead. He got his wealth and took off, running away. True, he had friends to run with him, probably beating the drum for him as he ran. But as he ran, the money also ran. And when the money was gone, the friends were gone, and there was no one to beat the drum for him. So he ended up in the pigpen, about as low as he could go. And only then, without the beating of the drum, could he hear his father’s love calling him home.

How is it with you and me? Are we still running from something we’ve done, or perhaps just running from God? Are we boxed in by our circumstances? Do we feel as if we've run out of resources? If so, maybe it’s time to stop listening to the rabbit’s drumming. We need to get to the point where we can listen for the still small voice. Can you hear it, ever whispering? “Come home, my child. I still love you.” Isn't it time to run to our Father?

God Bless!

Dr. G

Been Scuffed Up Lately?

Most people at the school where I teach could tell you I wear cowboy boots almost every day. They are the most comfortable footwear I can find. I have an uncommon foot size, so it’s hard to find shoes that fit well. I really like my boots, and try to keep them looking nice, so I polish them after every three or four days of wear.

One morning it was time to polish my brown ones (I’ve got several pair). They always show marks and a little scuffing, especially the back of the heel from driving the car. I gave them a quick going over with polish and buffed them up. But when I looked them over, I discovered that the inside of one of the toes had not shined up the way the rest of the boot had. As I looked still closer, I realized the whole side of the toe had been hit from above by some sort of heavy weight, badly wrinkling the leather. The surface hadn’t been broken, but it was clearly marred. With a mixture of hope and anxiety, I decided to carefully rub in a lot of polish. Perhaps the oils in the polish would allow the leather to relax and return to its original position and shape. Thankfully, after about five minutes of work, the surface was back to looking almost like new.

There are four brick-lined steps leading from our kitchen area down into the garage. When leaving for school that day, I didn’t bother turning the garage light on. I know how many steps there are, and I can see the outline of objects if the outside light is on. Wouldn’t you know it, but, as I carefully went down the steps, I clipped the corner of the heel of the same boot on the brick and scuffed it up again. So that night, I had to work on the boot again.

My life is a lot like my boots. I keep scuffing it up, and the Great Bootmaker has to come in and work on me. It seems that as soon as He gets me all cleaned up, I turn around and something else happens. I really look forward to that day when He can put me on display in a place where scuffing will no longer take place. I long so much to be a trophy of His restorative power, and an example to the angels and the rest of the universe. I know He has promised to, someday, make me like new, something I can never do for my cowboy boots. I just need to remember to continue turning myself over to Him for His loving attention. Then everything will be all right.

Dr. G

Keep Watching!

There is a picture on the wall of our family room. It shows two children, a girl of about seven and a boy of about six, standing at the edge of a marsh. By the looks of the trees in the background, it must be mid-springtime. The children are peering intently at something, as the girl points. I can remember it even yet, in my mind’s eye, twenty some years later, although I can’t recall what it was that had their total attention. Probably a big bullfrog. In any case, there they were, standing stock still, hardly daring to move or breathe, watching, watching....

That same boy has been visiting us this past week. He and his girlfriend took a drive up into the high country of extreme western North Carolina yesterday afternoon. It was late when they left home, and already threatening to rain on the lawn I’d just mowed. As time passed the rain came, as did the lightning and thunder. Of course, my wife and I couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive about the “kids” (mid-twenties) out driving and hiking on Huckleberry Bald (the name correctly implies the absence of trees at the top) in this kind of weather. But you have to let them go.

Around nine o’clock, the two of us began to exchange glances, sharing little questions of concern. Around ten-thirty, we started taking turns standing at the window or the front door, straining to see headlights coming up the street. I tried to call his cell phone a little before midnight, but there was no response. Watching. Watching. Finally, about 12:15, our son called. They were only about 25 minutes from home. But even then, we kept watching.

I came across a book the other day that I enjoyed reading (It’s not large, and I read it in less than two days). It is by Jon Paulien, and is entitled What the Bible Says About The End Time. While there was a lot to think about as I read, the part that really caught my attention dealt with “watching.” It’s an idea that comes across my mind frequently as I see that picture on the wall. The book’s context of “watching” is Matthew 24, where the disciples have asked Christ when He would return, and what the signs of His return would be. Paulien suggests that the entire crux of Christ’s response is “Keep Watch!” As he says on page 87, “The purpose of Jesus’ sermon of Matthew 24 is not to satisfy our curiosity about the end, but to remind us that we need to “keep watch.”

In fact, in verse 42, where He says “keep watch”, He begins with “Therefore…” A preacher I enjoy listening to will always stop when he comes to that word, and say, “When you come to the word “therefore”, ask yourself, what is that “therefore”, there for? And if we go back and look, we find that a number of times in the Chapter 24 prior to verse 42 Christ has said, in effect, “It isn’t yet”, and “You won’t know the time.” Therefore, keep watch.

As Paulien illustrates, the rest of the chapter consists of four parables in which Christ demonstrates what he means by keeping watch. The first parable is of the unfaithful steward. The lesson of the parable, according to Paulien, is that “Keeping watch means that if we believe Jesus is coming back, it will be reflected in how we treat people.”

The second parable is that of the ten virgins with their lamps. They all heard the invitation, but only five did what was necessary in preparation for a possible delay. Paulien summarizes keeping watch here by saying, “Keeping watch means developing the kind of relationship with Jesus that is sustained even though hopes for His return are not realized as soon as some expect. ‘Watchers’ will not grow weary in well-doing.”

The third parable is of the use of the talent(s) one is given. What's the summary? “Keeping watch means to use the abilities God has given to one to the fullest while awaiting the end.”

Finally, the fourth parable is of the sheep and the goats: those who served the Lord without knowing it and those who, unawares, failed to serve the Lord. Paulien summarizes watching in this case thusly:”Jesus said, 'Those who are keeping watch for the end will be found treating others as though they were I. They will learn to see Me in every person they meet.'”

So, keeping watch doesn’t consist of standing stock still, staring at something, afraid to breathe or move, like two children of years ago. Keeping watch doesn’t consist of reading in the papers about all the commotion in the world, wringing our hands with worry, and looking out the door or window for a light shining in the east, as my wife and I did last night. As Paulien concludes the few pages dealing with the subject, “According to Jesus, the essence of keeping watch for His coming is how we treat our brothers and sisters. The purpose of the Bible’s teaching about the end is not to satisfy our curiosity about the future but to teach us how to live as we await the end.”

Happy watching!

Dr. G

Getting by on Stony Ground

Our son and his girlfriend have been visiting us for a few days from out of state. Yesterday we went to an attraction called Rock City up on Lookout Mountain, just south of Chattanooga, TN. Lookout Mountain, as the southeastern edge of the Cumberland Plateau is the southernmost mountain of the Appalachians, and has many rather abrupt cliffs and outcroppings. Rock City consists of a number of labyrinth-like eroded passages and channels right at the edge of the abutment.

As we were walking the paths, we came around the corner and I saw a small tree, perhaps three feet high and three feet wide, growing out of a very narrow crack in the almost vertical side of the rock. I took a picture because I thought it looked interesting. As I continued down the path, I began to think of Christ’s parable of the sower and the different types of ground the seed could fall on. Of course, Christ’s application was the response of various people to the sowing of the gospel. But I could see an application of the literal story as Christ told it. Here was an example of a seed that had, indeed, fallen on stony ground.

In the long run, what are the chances for this tree? The fissure, as you can see, is quite small, not large enough to trap much debris for the formation of soil. From where will the nutrients for growth come? It is true that, given time, the roots of the tree might widen the crack slightly, but at what point will the mass of the tree overcome the ability of the roots to withstand the pull of gravity? If the crack were on a more level rock, the tree might stand a chance. But on a vertical face? No, I don’t think that, ultimately, this tree will be a successful member of the forest.

Do you suppose there are people whose situations in life could be compared to this tree? Their lot is one where they’ve ended up on stony ground, even vertical stony ground? I am sure we rub shoulders day by day with folks whose lots in life have real hardship. It may involve disease, poverty, personal relationships, or… You name it. Hard lives come in many flavors. Where will they get the nutrients that can lead to meaningful lives, to find satisfaction, to grow to the maturity promised in the seed? That may be where you and I come in.

When I look upon the children I work with at my school, I see a few that I know have very difficult times at home, for a variety of reasons. For the seven hours I have access to them during the day, how much of their lives’ “nutritional” needs can I provide? Do I serve as the soil they need so they might cling to the face of their “rock”, and, perhaps, even break free of the confines of it and succeed? Or am I more like that rock – cold, unmoving, and unnourishing? Are my neighbors, friends and family doing well, or is there someone close to me, maybe only temporarily, stuck in stony ground? Can I find ways to bring some nourishment to the soul, some soil, into their moment of perilous circumstances?

Look at the picture of the tree. Do you see, can you see, a face on that twig, rather than just leaves? What can you do about it?

Have a great day.

Dr. G

Getting things clean

Ps 51:7 "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

Ezek 36:26-27 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them."

A good friend came over to our place earlier this week, and I helped him wash the house. He used the brush and soap, and I applied the water. It went a little faster than I expected, and the seven-year-old house looks almost new again. But the one things that amazed us was the number of times we'd have to go back over certain spots to finally get them clean. I mean, when we stood back as I sprayed, the wall looked nice. Then, when we stepped closer, we found spots that were missed, and spots that required a little more effort. There were a few places we worked on (shaded edges of the deck railing and the north side of the house) four and five times before we were satisfied.

The texts quoted above came to my mind as we kept going back to clean a little more. The Lord promises to cleanse our hearts (give us new motives and desires), and to give us the strength to walk in His ways. After all, our desire is to become like Jesus. But like my friend and me washing the house, it seems the Lord has to come back to certain spots and work on them a little more. I would suggest that there are at least two reasons this occurs.

First of all, we are creatures of habit. Unless we claim His power moment by moment in our new walk, the old habits will raise their ugly heads, and we'll need to go the Lord in repentance, ask for forgiveness, and, hopefully, learn to stay closer to the Lord so that, with time, the old nature has less and less opportunity to break free in our lives.

Secondly, I believe the process of becoming like Christ is an ongoing one. That is, we start out as babes in the truth. Like the children I work with at school learn content areas gradually, we must learn what it is Christ would have us to do, and what it means to take on His character. For example, a basic tenet of being Christian is to no long desire to steal. With time, our understanding of "loving thy neighbor as yourself" expands the meaning of stealing. Thus, the Lord comes in and works on the heart a little more. And the same will be true for the other basics of Christian behavior - we'll get a better understanding of things like what it means to not take the Lord's name in vain, or to covet, or to have no other gods before Him. Like Christ was and is, we will become.

There are several passages by one of my favorite authors I would like to share along this line:

"The less we see to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite purity and loveliness of our Saviour. A view of our sinfulness drives us to Him who can pardon and when the soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches out after Christ, He will reveal Himself in power. The more our sense of need drives us to Him and to the word of God, the more exalted views we shall have of His character, and the more fully we shall reflect His image." E. G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 65

"The nearer we come to Jesus, and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves. There will be a continual reaching out of the soul after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the heart before Him. At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen." E. G. White, Acts of the Apostles, p. 561.

Yes, the Lord may need to come back and wash certain areas of our lives over and over, even when we're making progress on the Christian walk. The key, though, is that we're making progress. And that day will come (He promises it!) when, like my house that looks brand new, we'll fully reflect His image. What a wonderful Savior!

Dr. G

The Terror by Night

Psalm 91:5 "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day."

Have you ever gone to bed with true terror in your heart? Not unease, not trepidation, but true terror? A night where you're both afraid to go to sleep, and, at the same time, wanting to get to sleep to get the night over with? I remember one such night.

I have an older brother who, like me, went to college, got a BS in Zoology, an MA in Biology and a PhD in Biology. We grew up on the beaches and in the woods of western Washington state. When we weren't turning rocks over while looking for specimens at the beach, we were tramping through the woods identifying plants, birds, insects. We were the nerds of the pre-computer era.

About two hours from our house stood majestic Mount Rainier. In July of my 15th year, our family had gone up to the visitor's center on the eastern flank of Mt. Rainier for a day's outing. After lunch, we went for a short hike on one of the trails. The panorama from any of the trails there is fantastic, but the one we took that day was the best. It was also a portion of the Wonderland Trail, a circuitous route of about 100 miles that encircles the mountain. My brother looked at me, and I at him. We immediately presented our folks with the proposal that they allow the two of us to hike the trail the following month. This being the age when fiteen- and sixteen-year-olds were still responsible, and, it being safe for such things back then, they agreed. So it was I spent my 15th birthday out on the mountain.

The Wonderland Trail had (and may still have) three-sided lean-to's every 10-12 miles where hikers could spend the night. These were typically up on ridges at the edges of meadows and had beautiful views in all directions. On our third night out, we stopped at the lean-to at Sunset Park. Unfortunately, the lean-to was occupied - several fishermen had been there several days and occupied the bench-like bunk at the back. Two girls about 18 who were doing the trail by horseback had the dirt floor at the opening. As a result, my brother and I got to sleep out in the open with the two horses.

Just before we went to bed (after the sun goes down there's not a whole lot else to do out there), the fire lookout from a station up on the ridge above Sunset Park stopped by to make sure everyone had taken care of their food properly. You see, this sight was notorious for its bears. So it was prudent to hang one's backpack from a tree by a rope. The lookout told of a Boy Scout group that had been there the preceding weekend. A ten-year-old had snuck a chocolotate bar into the end of his sleeping bag for a midnight snack, but at 11:30 was awakened by a bear dragging him and sleeping bag across the the clearing. Fortunately the bear was scared off, and everyone learned a good lesson. At least that is the story we were told, and we paid attention. The rest of our trip went well, and we decided to do the loop again the following year.

The weather our second year was not as great as the first. Those of us who've grown up in the Northwest don't jokingly refer to the area as the Great Northwet for nothing. Rain started early our second morning out. We had about a 12 1/2 mile hike to Sunset Park that day, going down into two valleys where it was raining quite heavily, and going up over two ridges where we were up in the clouds themselves. We didn't see another person that day. But we did start seeing bear tracks in the trail as we climbed the final ridge. The preceding year we had enjoyed the highbush blueberries and the lowbush huckleberries - so thick they could feed lots of bears. And this year there seemed to be even more berries! Hmmmm....

When we reached the lean-to, it was shrouded in mist. Bear tracks were everywhere. We flipped coins to see who would walk to the spring for water. My brother lost. I busily got a fire going. The drizzle continued til it started getting dark. No one else had come to the camp. By now we had worked ourselves into a bit of a dither. We found some candle stubs and pie tins left by earlier campers. We fashioned reflectors for the candles out of the tins, put our flashlights out beside our sleeping bags, and got our spoons and mess kits to bang on when the bears came.

We tried to go to sleep, but we continually heard animals moving through the bushes behind and around the sides of the lean-to. Every time we heard them, we'd light the candles and bang the mess kits. We managed to keep the bears at bay for several hours. Finally we dozed off, only to have my brother wake up screaming in terror. All he knew was that something had touched his face. Looking around with our flashlights, we found the culprit up by his head - a small wood mouse.

We went back to sleep, trembling at the continued sound of animals passing close by. As dawn started to break, we were finally able to see into the meadow in front of us. No bears, but lots of sounds ...of 32 deer.

As I have grown older, I've learned to appreciate the text I wrote above. The Lord truly does care for those that love Him. If we put our trust in Him, we can go to sleep in the lions' den as Daniel did. We don't need to light candles, shine flashlights or bang on mess kits to keep Satan and his imps away. The Lord has promised, and is well able to keep that promise.

May you have days full of cheer and joy. Let those who don't know the Lord do the worrying!

Dr. G

On Being a Source of Mercy and Peace

One of my daily duties at the school where I teach is to greet the buses in the morning. I'm the first one the children see when they arrive for the day. I could not help but think of the many little ones that step off the bus at my feet when I came across the following passages not long ago. Let me share them with you:

Matt 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

"There are many to whom life is a painful struggle; they feel their deficiencies and are miserable and unbelieving; they think they have nothing for which to be grateful. Kind words, looks of sympathy, expressions of appreciation, would be to many a struggling and lonely one as the cup of cold water to a thirsty soul. A word of sympathy, an act of kindness, would lift burdens that rest heavily upon weary shoulders. And every word or deed of unselfish kindness is an expression of the love of Christ for lost humanity." E.G. White, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, p. 23.

As I see these little faces pouring forth from the buses, what do I know of the struggles each is going through? How many went to bed hungry the night before? How many do not have a father at home to hug them and play games with them? How many do not hear the loving voice of a mother? Which ones were beaten? How many are fearful when they leave for school, or are reluctant to return to their homes at the end of the day?

When they see me as they get off the bus, do they see an extension of that which troubles them, or do they see in me and my colleagues a safe haven, a cup of fresh water for their souls? We may not be able to speak of Christ (it is a public school), but we can be Christ to them for the few minutes we share with them each day. Each of us needs to watch for opportunities to give a smile or an encouraging word, for with this many children around, the chance to be a source of mercy and comfort will come bouncing up to us very soon.

God bless, and go forth looking to be a source of mercy and peace.

Dr.G