Now Where?

The Lord instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh; he fled for Tarshish instead. The Lord sent Elijah to King Ahab; he went, but fled into the wilderness after the victory at Mount Carmel. The Lord told Philip to go down to the road leading to Gaza, from whence, after witnessing to the Ethiopian, the deacon known as “The Evangelist” was flown without discussion to the town of Azotus. Why are you where you are? Why am I where I am? Have you ever really pondered the issue?

For many years I’ve had a strong sense of the Lord’s active leading in the direction of my life. My wife and I have seen so many doors open unexpectedly. Houses and property have suddenly become available to us just at the right time. Several times it was as if jobs came searching for us. Friendships have developed that have been continuing blessings. I am convinced that the Lord brought me to my current school almost eleven years ago for a purpose.

This afternoon I was called to the principal’s office, and was startled to discover the District’s Human Resources person there. I was told gently that I was being transferred to another school. As in the accounts of Jonah, Elijah and Philip, it wasn’t put to me in the form of, “Would you be interested in going?” It was just like “I need you at Nineveh,” or “I want you to work before King Ahab,” or “I’m putting you in Azotus.” It was a plain “We need you at a different school.” So I’m going.

Only a few hours later now I’ve already been asked several times by friends, “Are you OK?” I’ll admit the news was a shock, especially coming more than six weeks into the school year. There will be sadness at saying goodbye to many friends. It may not be what I’d prefer right at the moment. But like I told both my wife and a friend who called only moments after I had first said it, I may work for the School System, but I serve the Lord. Apparently another door has opened. I will go assuming that the Lord has greater need of me there than where I was this morning.

Fortunately, it’s close enough that I won’t have to run through the wilderness for a day, or go by whale, or even take the “whirl-wind” express.

Dr. G

Repairing the Damage

This past weekend was Labor Day weekend. Right after school on Friday my wife and I headed north out of Georgia to Silver Spring, Maryland, where we spent a few days with family. We were welcomed, and cheered hearts with our visit. When we left, where we had stayed was at least as clean as when we arrived.

Shortly before we headed home, about a 10-hour drive, another visitor arrived in Louisiana. However, Gustav was not invited, and certainly was an unwelcome visitor. He did not cheer the hearts of those he visited. In addition, when he left, there was debris and destruction all around. What a contrast.

On our way home today, we passed a number of convoys of large cherry-picker trucks from a variety of electrical contractors, mostly out of Pennsylvania, but also some
from New York (I even saw two trucks from Indiana!). They were all south-bound on I-81, and onto I-40 as far as Knoxville. When I first spotted them, I guessed they were headed to Louisiana to help clean up after Gustav. I became very sure when, just north of Bristol, Tennessee, we caught up with a large truck from one of the six companies I’d identified pulling a trailer marked “Disaster Emergency Response Command Center.”

Next to rescuing and helping victims in direct danger, re-establishing a region’s infrastructure is most important. Clearing roads and restoring power are the most important first steps. So it only made sense to see a large contingent of trucks and workers headed south.

In ways, sin causes a similar need in our lives. Sin disrupts our connection with the power we need to withstand further attacks by Satan. Like Gustav in Louisiana, sin in our lives creates damage, some immediately noticeable, some only to be noticed later on. Some damage can be repaired; sometimes, even though lives are healed, permanent scars are left. The folks without power in Louisiana are incapable of restoring their own power. Likewise, we are unable to clean up the mess of sin in our own lives. We are in need of the Heavenly Electrician to restore the sin-preventing power in our lives, and to clean up the mess left by sin. And we don’t have to wait for Him to arrive by truck from New York or Pennsylvania. He can be there as soon as we call.

And remember, if you see the hurricane of sin coming, don’t wait to evacuate the area.

Dr. G