Two words

Of God
-Those two words
make all the difference in the world.

Back in 1989, a new clothing label hit the market under the name No Fear. Before long, their moniker was plastered everywhere as the youngsters of the day seemed to latch on to its bold, implicit message. Those two words aptly expressed the attitude of a large segment of our society - a youthful generation coming of age.
Now, I'm not the trendy sort - never have been. I don't get my clothes from shopping malls. The Gap? I haven't darkened their doorway since the early '80s so I couldn't tell ya what hangs from the racks in places like those. Walmart - need I say more? Nevertheless, ambling along through life in my discounted denim & flannel duds, even I eventually noticed the t-shirts and bumper stickers.

They where everywhere - it got to be so you couldn't drive to the corner market without seeing at least one of those stickers displayed on the rear window of someone's car. I'll bet you've seen 'em too; usually accompanied by a little counterfeit Calvin character urinating on some object of the driver's scorn. Oh, and let's not forget the obligatory call letters of a local rock-n-roll FM-station.
Whether I'm sharing the road with the daily rush of commuting motorists or visiting the home of one of my clients, I make an effort to note the various clues people leave as to who they are - what they live for. It might be something brash and audacious such as a Darwin fish on the bumper of a car or perhaps something more subtle and endearing - maybe a copy of Pilgrim's Progress on someone's coffee table. I like to study people; to understand their view of the world; to discern the trends in my culture.
No Fear - really? No fear of what; of...anything? If that be your motto - your approach to life, upon what is your fearlessness based? Do you mean to say you have nothing to fear - that the consequences of your decisions and behavior are irrelevant? Is it a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and take some calculated risks. Do you have a noble objective in mind - or is it reckless abandon just for the thrill of it?

Those words and images people display on their fading garments or the rusting surfaces of their rides to work - I slow down to read 'em. Sitting in traffic, I often pray for the bearer of the more obnoxious of these social statements.
Take a good look at the guy in the photo above, he didn't do the math - and they never found his body. Two plus two equals four. No Fear plus Of God equals...well, you do the math! The ideas you live your life by - they have consequences. If you've assembled your own creed; cut & pasted with bits of disjointed ideas brought to market via bumper sticker slogans and pop music lyrics, you have every reason to fear - you're speeding toward your eventual demise! "But hey, what ride!" you say. This No Fear Of God generation is wholly given over to its own amusements. A people such as this - they stand for nothing therefore they will fall for anything. It's a natural progression; a consequence of the past few generations having been taught that they are merely the product of their environment - that they're accountable to their own desires rather than the Creator's. Truth be told, their bumper stickers should read, No discretion, or No Discernment, or No Clue...

¹ This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

⁵ Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

-2 Timothy 3: 1-5 (KJV)

To you, it may seem a paradox but if you wish to truly live your life with no fear, you must have fear - Fear Of God! I've known far too many youngsters who've abandoned the faith of their parents. Raised in Christian homes, taught from scripture and exposed to sound doctrine throughout their formative years, they cast it aside to follow the enticements of contemporary thought. Kids who know the truth, willfully reject it; filling the resulting void in their hearts with a set of values of their own making. In a vain search for something to add "meaning" to their lives, they ignore healthy fear as they go from thrill to thrill.
Of God - are you? Consider the words of Jesus Christ:

^{24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.}

^{25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.}

^{26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?}

^{-Matthew 16:24-26 (KJV)}

The Race

"Daddy, can we work on it today...Can we? You said 'soon'...Is it 'soon' now? Daddy? C'mon Daddy!"... It's early April and anyone who's ever been involved in scouting knows that the big race is fast approaching. Cub Scout packs everywhere are preparing for their annual pinewood derby. The count-down to our race is at T-minus-seven days and Benjamin & I have been busy. Bed-time rules have relaxed a bit for my second son as we've spent time together out in my work-shop this past week, working on our entry in this year's event. Ben's car joins a long lineage of wooden racers; crafted by father & son - working together, attempting a winning design. We've come up with a number of fun and whimsical cars in derbies past: Sleek dragsters, rocket-cars, a couple of American flags, even a choo-choo train. I once entered my own car in the open class a few years ago - it was a bed! You know - a mattress & headboard; it was a cute little scaled model, complete with a comforter, matching pillow case, and a little fella snoozin' under the covers. I named it, "fast asleep" - It lost.

Our oldest son, Bradley decided to enter a choo-choo
a few years ago. It took first place for craftsmanship!

Over the years, we've taken some first-place trophies for craftsmanship and won a few races but it's been quite a long spell since anyone in our family took the overall first prize in a pinewood derby event - some thirty seven years, actually! I can still recall the thrill: It was the early 1970's, my dad & I rolled out a dark metallic blue little number (the same color as dad's Oldsmobile) and it easily won every single race. I remember the ride home that night in the back seat of dad's '69 Cutlass Supreme, holding my car in one hand and a big blue ribbon in the other. I also vividly recall the realization that none of it would've happened without my dad. Would you believe I still have that car? I do - what's left of it, anyhow.

Here's ol' blue from '72.
My kids have since pulled the wheels off.
Hey, that's no way to treat a champion!

Fast asleep!

THE RULES:
Width - 2 3/4"
Length - 7"
Width between wheels - 1 3/4"
Bottom clearance above track - 3/8"
Weight - Not more than 5 ounces

Each boy is given a kit with all the essential raw materials - A block of wood, four wheels, and four axles. The finished product must comply with the above specifications or it will be disqualified. The project begins with a sheet of paper - after the boy decides on a theme or type of car, he begins to draw his ideas. With a little direction from his dad, a feasible design is worked out and the outline is transferred to the block of wood. Sawing, shaping, sanding - the boy learns some basic woodworking skills while his dad leans over him; steadying his hand. Each year, the boy's own hand grows more capable as he learns to manipulate the various tools; transforming a formless block of wood into something resembling what he had hoped it would become.

Ben begins to work his design.

It's more than a fun distraction - a mere amusement, it is an opportunity for a dad to impart some important qualities onto his son. The easy thing to do would be to hand Ben his derby kit, show him the design parameters, and let him loose in the work-shop. The resulting car, if completed at all, would fail to qualify for the race - the dimensions and weight wouldn't meet specs, the wheels wouldn't be properly aligned, and the youngster wouldn't know how to make the adjustments necessary to be eligible.
It's not unlike the relationship I have with my Heavenly Father. There is a rule book - scripture; there are all the necessary raw materials with which to build my life - body, mind, & spirit; there are tools; parents, church, school, friends, etc. God didn't simply drop me into this world to fend for myself - He knows my frame, that I am weak and that I'll never qualify by my own attributes or skills. Therefore, He became flesh and dwelt among us. In Christ Jesus, I am qualified and as I press on with my race, the Holy Spirit guides me; steadying my hand as I wield the tools He's provided me!
Tomorrow is Easter - Resurrection Sunday and I can't help but remember the great price which was paid to qualify me for the race; for the kingdom of God! Thank You Jesus!

Ben brought home a couple of awards last year!

Today, we applied the first of several coats of paint. When finished with that, the wheels will be carefully attached and aligned for optimal performance. I'll let you know how we fare.

UPDATE:

Ben's car didn't win any races
but was given an award for
most unique.

Ben looks on as his car races toward the finish line!

Ben's car & trophy.

A prayer for strength

After sundown a few evenings ago, I went for a stroll; my heart longing to spend some quiet time with my Heavenly Father. A scripture I have known from my youth was playing again and again in my mind as I began to pray:

Psalm 5; 1-3 KJV

¹Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

²Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

³My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

"I'm but a speck upon this rotating orb I call home; this sphere suspended in its course so long ago. I look up and gaze upon the same stars which countless others have beheld throughout the ages - I look to you who are high above it all. Intrinsically immersed am I in the fabric of creation; this shattered world, and I am subject to its futility. Heavenly Father, can it be that you are mindful of me? You who created it all - from the tiniest particle to the vastness of the expanse of the heavens; can it be that I have your ear? The troubles which plague me, the fearful things which steal my rest, the aching in my heart, the host of voices that demand my attention... You know them all? Can it be?"

(I paused for some moments of quiet contemplation)

"Lord, I've measured myself a found that I am wholly inadequate to fulfill the calling on my life - to complete the race in which I'm running. Why is it that you've given me tasks which are greater than me? My heart has been so heavy and burdened lately. I think of my wife, my children and others in my life - I'm afraid that I've failed them! And yet, the years of instruction from your Word, the lessons learned since I was a boy; treasures deep within me - they all speak clearly; crying aloud so that I cannot ignore them. Therefore, my soul takes comfort in this: That it is not by my strength nor by my wisdom but by yours, Lord. And so I press on believing that your purposes will be accomplished in me and in my family and through us, your name will be glorified!"

Psalm 27:13

"I would have despaired

unless I had believed

that I would see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living."

My Journey Part-7

This is #7 of a nine-part series.
If you'd like to skip to a different chapter,
Just click on the My Journey series
under LABELS (Top of the page, on the right side of your screen).

Morning: Cold water splashed on my face; it trickles past the stubble on my cheeks. I breathe out a sigh as I stand in front of the mirror. "Who is that guy staring back at me? I don't recognize him anymore. He looks...Well, he looks tired; he looks...old." It's early spring and as the sun rises, silhouetting the still bare trees this chilly morning, I find myself wanting for answers that elude me. That face; that tired old face I see in the mirror...I'm afraid it is mine. Although I don't want to admit it, the past year has taken a toll. It's time for some changes - some very difficult changes.
I'm really not a morning person!

Have you ever remodeled a home; maybe a bathroom or perhaps something a bit more ambitious? Ideally, there's an order to such a project. You start with a vision; an image in your mind's eye. You try to imagine the finished product; to see yourself relaxing in the newly renovated space. From your vision flows everything else: You develop a set of plans; the plans are reviewed, revised and finalized; the plans are then submitted to the local inspection authority and a permit is issued. Finally, construction begins...with demolition. Demolition is the most unpleasant phase of the project; you're tearing down rather than building up. Demolition is dust and debris; it's noise and calamity - it most certainly does not feel like progress. Demolition may involve a wall or two while other times, the entire structure - maybe right down to the very foundation! Soon the smell of plaster dust and dry-rot gives way to the aroma of fresh-cut lumber as the renovation takes shape. And so it goes - ideally, that is.
Then, of course there are the non-ideal situations. In these, demolition isn't part of one's master plan, it's the result of some sort of catastrophe. A storm, flood or fire has damaged - maybe even destroyed the home. Under duress, a plan emerges from the rubble. You evaluate what's left; if it cannot be salvaged, it must be stripped away. What remains, remains. And from there, you plan to reconstruct or build elsewhere.

In the ideal situation, you're envisioning a project that will improve or add to what you already have. In the non-ideal, you're hoping to restore what has been lost.
I now find myself in the midst of a storm. The winds have not yet abated and the dust is still thick in the air but I'm beginning to see what has been lost. Walking through the debris field, I'm trying to regain some vision; to formulate a plan of action. I must consider the delicate balance between the daily needs of my family while considering how to restore stability to our household.
"What storm?" You ask. Okay, I'll forgo the analogies: The economic "storm" which has been raging over the state of Michigan for the past few years has severely weakened our family business. We've been steadily losing ground financially for some time. We've been in a fighting retreat for the past two quarters and have cut everything that can be cut without touching our salaries. However, the company can no longer afford to pay me what my large family requires. Either we quickly develop and implement a business plan; one which includes a reasonable expectation for growth or I must seek another line of work. Unfortunately, I don't see a reasonable expectation for growth and so I'm biding my time while trying to shore-up the company as best I can before my departure. I would leave large hole in the organization if I didn't do my best to stabilize things for my brother and Dad before moving on. Another reality has become painfully clear; we will likely lose our home in the next five to six months. It's enough to make a 45 year-old guy suddenly feel...well, old!
In the coming weeks I'll be writing more about this situation but know this: I have no doubt that God knows our needs and I'm confident that He's using these times to bring about His glory in my family, in me...in this forum. Nevertheless, I ask for your prayers as I seek discernment, wisdom, and courage to follow wherever God leads. In short, I need a plan - a set of blue-lines and some specification notes. After all, God is my architect!