Yesterday morning as I was checking toddlers in at church, my boss gave me orders to page the grandma of one of our little boys because he had a rash on his skin and there was no explanation given as to what it actually was. Under normal circumstances, pagers are issued to the adults dropping the children off. But occasionally they aren’t handed out which as luck would have it…was one of those times.
Knowing this little guy’s grandma, I offered to go into the worship service to look for her, not thinking about this particular service being the largest in attendance over the weekend.
I walked through the doors during worship and began panning through the hundreds of heads that were standing. As I panned, more and more people poured through the doors to find seats which added more difficulty to what I was trying to do. After failing to locate her from the back I made my way over to one side, walking up and down the isles looking like a confused, lost soul. No luck on the left so I moved to the right. Up and down the isles, scanning hundreds of faces. Nothing.
A few of the ushers asked if they could help me look for someone, which would have been great had they actually known who the woman was!
I’m starting to get a headache…
I took a position at the back of the sanctuary once more as the congregation sat down for a moment. Back to front, side to side. Still nothing.
I walked back to the nursery to check in and give an update on my pathetic findings. I was informed to keep searching, as there was a room full of little ones and a single boy with an unidentified rash.
Back to square one…
This time, I started on the right. Walking up one isle and down the next, I was beginning to wish that I was carrying some sort of sign that indicated who I was looking for. More and more people could tell that I was struggling, or entirely crazy and would stop me to offer their help.
Now I was beginning to wish that our video screens had some sort of “ticker” scrolling across the bottom like on ESPN.
I went back to the nursery yet again, frustrated with myself. I felt as though I had been looking through a “Where’s Waldo?” book for the past half hour. I asked if there would be a way to have someone make an announcement before the sermon, or at least take this little boy into the sanctuary with me this time to attract attention. Permission granted! I scooped him up, knowing that somehow this time would be a success!
On the way in, I tried to make a game of it with him. “I need you to help me find your grandma, ok?” He smiled in excitement. As soon as we stepped inside, the lights went completely out. Seriously? After a few moments, they came back on and knowing the pastor would begin preaching very soon we hit the isles again. By this time the congregation had to think this was hysterical. Two sections down, and all of a sudden his little arm pointed straight out as he touched grandpa.
I’ll embarrass myself right now by saying that I eyed this woman several times. The only difference between this woman and the woman I was looking for was newly added highlights. I even questioned my co-workers. “Did any of you notice her hair today? Did she get highlights?” And the response given was no. So I dismissed the possibility. As the ever-so-annoying saying goes, “my bad.”
The whole congregation should have erupted with clapping and a standing ovation. After all, it was…well deserved. I’m joking. I was just ecstatic that this needle in a haystack adventure was resolved…
As relieved as I was, I became aware of how often I put myself through similar situations. Rather than taking the easiest way out, I stubbornly seem to think I can take care of everything myself. Rather than seeking first the wisdom from the One who knows me better than myself, I create my own navigation system through my life. Had I taken this little guy with me on the first trip I would have saved myself frustration, caused a little less distraction, and been available to do other things in that amount of time.
Sometimes I feel as though much of my life is wasted in trying to figure things out. Trying to locate Waldo in a sea of faces, feeling my way through the darkness, and feeding into my stubbornness.
Yesterday, my saving grace was a two year old boy. Every day, my saving grace is a Loving Father. I need to remember that…
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Bellevue, Iowa
This past week, my heart has definitely been back "home."
I grew up in small town Iowa, with several neighboring small towns where everyone literally knew everyone.
Last Sunday, July 4th, my Facebook updates were flooded with links spreading the news of a parade tragedy in a nearby town called Bellevue. Apparently a pair of horses that were pulling a family in a buggy/carriage were spooked and took off from the parade route onto the sidewalk lined with families and small children. 24 were reported injured at the time.
I spent most of that day in shock and prayer for that community.
A few days later, a friend of mine who is in law enforcement and grew up in Bellevue, posted a link to the actual dispatch call from this tragedy. I sat in bed Tuesday night listening to the familiar voice of the dispatcher and the officers that were frantically trying to work at getting EMS where they needed to be. It brought tears to my eyes. My friend added on his link, "Ever get a chance...thank a dispatcher. Nice job Bellevue and Bob Lane and crew at Maquoketa Law Center."
Most people wouldn't know this, because it isn't typical in this day and age for Emergency Response/Dispatching to be done in one location, for several communities. Maquoketa PD was practically a second home for me when I was in my early 20s. I was working in the small town, and dated one of the men in blue for several years. He was also from the town of Bellevue. The dispatcher in Maquoketa is responsible for communication between at least five small towns, as well as the county. He is the link between the PD, FD and EMS. And he typically works his shifts solo. That's a lot of weight to carry in the midst of a tragedy...The dispatcher whose voice I heard this week, was the very same dispatcher 17 years ago.
Throughout the week I searched on the internet for news stories reporting on the accident. KCRG TV did a great job at keeping people informed and covering the community well.
As I thought about Bellevue, I thought about what a great community it is and has always been. Its population consists mainly of a handful of families, and that's exactly what the town is. One big family. Nestled along the Mississippi River, it is one of the most beautiful places in the state of Iowa. I always enjoyed visiting whether it be for a walk along the river, or lunch with my grandma. If I could bottle up this small town and place it anywhere, I would want to scatter it everywhere!
Later on in the week, I noticed a Facebook page set up specifically for this unfortunate event. It listed all of those who were injured which included a few names that I actually knew.
Below is a link to one of the news reports. As I watched it I was truly touched as I recalled what small town life is truly about...
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Bellevue-Mayor-Medical-Response-was-Amazing-97901619.html
"The human touch outweighs anything else in Bellevue." What a statement. What a motto we all should live by. Can you stop for a minute and imagine what our world would be like if we spent every day of our lives living by this simple truth?
What an honor, that I can say I'm from a small town. You hear some people complain that small towns mean that everyone knows everyone's business, and yet at the end of the day, small towns pull together like no one else does. And that is what truly matters in the end.
I grew up in small town Iowa, with several neighboring small towns where everyone literally knew everyone.
Last Sunday, July 4th, my Facebook updates were flooded with links spreading the news of a parade tragedy in a nearby town called Bellevue. Apparently a pair of horses that were pulling a family in a buggy/carriage were spooked and took off from the parade route onto the sidewalk lined with families and small children. 24 were reported injured at the time.
I spent most of that day in shock and prayer for that community.
A few days later, a friend of mine who is in law enforcement and grew up in Bellevue, posted a link to the actual dispatch call from this tragedy. I sat in bed Tuesday night listening to the familiar voice of the dispatcher and the officers that were frantically trying to work at getting EMS where they needed to be. It brought tears to my eyes. My friend added on his link, "Ever get a chance...thank a dispatcher. Nice job Bellevue and Bob Lane and crew at Maquoketa Law Center."
Most people wouldn't know this, because it isn't typical in this day and age for Emergency Response/Dispatching to be done in one location, for several communities. Maquoketa PD was practically a second home for me when I was in my early 20s. I was working in the small town, and dated one of the men in blue for several years. He was also from the town of Bellevue. The dispatcher in Maquoketa is responsible for communication between at least five small towns, as well as the county. He is the link between the PD, FD and EMS. And he typically works his shifts solo. That's a lot of weight to carry in the midst of a tragedy...The dispatcher whose voice I heard this week, was the very same dispatcher 17 years ago.
Throughout the week I searched on the internet for news stories reporting on the accident. KCRG TV did a great job at keeping people informed and covering the community well.
As I thought about Bellevue, I thought about what a great community it is and has always been. Its population consists mainly of a handful of families, and that's exactly what the town is. One big family. Nestled along the Mississippi River, it is one of the most beautiful places in the state of Iowa. I always enjoyed visiting whether it be for a walk along the river, or lunch with my grandma. If I could bottle up this small town and place it anywhere, I would want to scatter it everywhere!
Later on in the week, I noticed a Facebook page set up specifically for this unfortunate event. It listed all of those who were injured which included a few names that I actually knew.
Below is a link to one of the news reports. As I watched it I was truly touched as I recalled what small town life is truly about...
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Bellevue-Mayor-Medical-Response-was-Amazing-97901619.html
"The human touch outweighs anything else in Bellevue." What a statement. What a motto we all should live by. Can you stop for a minute and imagine what our world would be like if we spent every day of our lives living by this simple truth?
What an honor, that I can say I'm from a small town. You hear some people complain that small towns mean that everyone knows everyone's business, and yet at the end of the day, small towns pull together like no one else does. And that is what truly matters in the end.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Peaceful Chaos
Yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to visit with my friend and her beautiful family of eight.
Whenever I pull into their driveway I chuckle because I see the cars and feel like I’m intruding on some sort of get-together but then remind myself that all of the cars belong to their crew!
As we pulled into the drive, the dad was heading out for a run, their oldest was standing outside as their family friend was working on her car’s air conditioning, and my friend, with a houseful of little ones awaited us inside.
We walked in and Nick was greeted as if he was some sort of “fresh meat” ready to be devoured. This is typical whenever we visit and I love watching them attack Nick because the one thing he doesn’t have in his life is a sibling to tug at his leg, jump on his back, or wrestle around with. As long as my friend is ok with Nick playfully reacting to her boys, I am perfectly fine with merely letting the boys be boys.
We sat in her family room and conversed as plastic toys flew to and fro, boys jumped from sofa to sofa, latched onto Nick’s leg as he drug them across the floor. It literally was a combat zone filled with giggles and laughter. While mom tried to calm them down to no avail, I sat there and couldn’t help but laugh myself. Are you kidding? I thought. This is GREAT!
What makes it so great is the fact that while these boys are running wild, the evidence of love abounding under that roof grips my soul. Family pictures line the walls. Christian books sit on the end tables. And rather than four boys yelling at mom because “so and so hit me over the head with such and such” there is laughter. Something I would consider “peaceful chaos.” It’s what makes her house a home…Life under the roof of my friend’s house is an example of how homes should be.
As I sat there bursting with laughter on the inside I glanced across the room to see a frazzled, yet submissive look from my beautiful friend. And while she may have many moments of which she just wants to take a walk alone, I know…without and ounce of doubt, that she wouldn’t trade her life for the world. One of the many things I admire about her.
Another thing that I admire her greatly for, is her love for Jesus. Seldom does she speak of any one thing and not bring up the name of Jesus, mentioning His mercy and grace, His sovereignty, His love, His teachings. She has an amazing passion. And while we share the love of Jesus, we also share our struggles with humanness. Our frustrations, our anger, our questions.
Amidst the noise and dodging toys, if there were moments I had to sit and read her lips for lack of audibly being able to hear her, I was comforted merely by seeing the look of passion on her face. Her eyes truly are the window to her soul and I’m pretty sure that everyone who knows her feels the same.
When her husband arrived home from his run, they rounded up the rest of the boys to take them into town to go for a swim and leave us girls alone, for some “girl time.”
As the front door closed, the house was quiet and still. And I have to wonder what I would do if I didn’t have the sound of laughter and love in my life. How empty it would make me feel.
We spent the remainder of our time together expressing our concerns of others. We spoke of the heartaches and hurts of this earthly life. We cried. We prayed. And I walked away feeling so blessed to have moments like that. Thanking God for knowing who to send in my life and at just the right time. And encouraged by words spoken and seeing love displayed through the art of “peaceful chaos.”
Whenever I pull into their driveway I chuckle because I see the cars and feel like I’m intruding on some sort of get-together but then remind myself that all of the cars belong to their crew!
As we pulled into the drive, the dad was heading out for a run, their oldest was standing outside as their family friend was working on her car’s air conditioning, and my friend, with a houseful of little ones awaited us inside.
We walked in and Nick was greeted as if he was some sort of “fresh meat” ready to be devoured. This is typical whenever we visit and I love watching them attack Nick because the one thing he doesn’t have in his life is a sibling to tug at his leg, jump on his back, or wrestle around with. As long as my friend is ok with Nick playfully reacting to her boys, I am perfectly fine with merely letting the boys be boys.
We sat in her family room and conversed as plastic toys flew to and fro, boys jumped from sofa to sofa, latched onto Nick’s leg as he drug them across the floor. It literally was a combat zone filled with giggles and laughter. While mom tried to calm them down to no avail, I sat there and couldn’t help but laugh myself. Are you kidding? I thought. This is GREAT!
What makes it so great is the fact that while these boys are running wild, the evidence of love abounding under that roof grips my soul. Family pictures line the walls. Christian books sit on the end tables. And rather than four boys yelling at mom because “so and so hit me over the head with such and such” there is laughter. Something I would consider “peaceful chaos.” It’s what makes her house a home…Life under the roof of my friend’s house is an example of how homes should be.
As I sat there bursting with laughter on the inside I glanced across the room to see a frazzled, yet submissive look from my beautiful friend. And while she may have many moments of which she just wants to take a walk alone, I know…without and ounce of doubt, that she wouldn’t trade her life for the world. One of the many things I admire about her.
Another thing that I admire her greatly for, is her love for Jesus. Seldom does she speak of any one thing and not bring up the name of Jesus, mentioning His mercy and grace, His sovereignty, His love, His teachings. She has an amazing passion. And while we share the love of Jesus, we also share our struggles with humanness. Our frustrations, our anger, our questions.
Amidst the noise and dodging toys, if there were moments I had to sit and read her lips for lack of audibly being able to hear her, I was comforted merely by seeing the look of passion on her face. Her eyes truly are the window to her soul and I’m pretty sure that everyone who knows her feels the same.
When her husband arrived home from his run, they rounded up the rest of the boys to take them into town to go for a swim and leave us girls alone, for some “girl time.”
As the front door closed, the house was quiet and still. And I have to wonder what I would do if I didn’t have the sound of laughter and love in my life. How empty it would make me feel.
We spent the remainder of our time together expressing our concerns of others. We spoke of the heartaches and hurts of this earthly life. We cried. We prayed. And I walked away feeling so blessed to have moments like that. Thanking God for knowing who to send in my life and at just the right time. And encouraged by words spoken and seeing love displayed through the art of “peaceful chaos.”
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Built up Pressures
As I was getting in my car on Monday to head home from work, I opened my trunk to put a few things inside and glanced at the two cases of Diet Coke that were there. Knowing that this was an accident waiting to happen, I opted to leave them there rather than taking them out and putting them inside. Monday’s high temp was 109 degrees.
As I merged onto the interstate to head home I hit a bump on the road. With the ac blowing on high and the stereo blasting I immediately heard a “ping” sound coming from my trunk. A few seconds went by and there was another ping. This went on for the next couple of miles. I was expecting to arrive home and find a sticky soda explosion caked all over my trunk.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the end result and the only damage was a handful of expanded, very deformed cans of Diet Coke.
As I thought about this scenario, I began to see the similarities there were between us…and a case of overheated, carbonated beverages. The heat caused a tremendous amount of pressure that was bottled up in each 12oz can of soda. This was caused as a result of not storing it in a room temperature environment. If it was 109 degrees outside, I can’t even begin to imagine what the temperature was in the trunk of a black car with absolutely no ventilation.
As a Christian, when we step outside our environments, we risk having to feel the effects of pressure. And if we’re not careful, we subject ourselves to those pressures building enough to cause an “explosion.” Unfortunately, for as long as we walk this earth we are out of our environment, because this world is not our home…
This week I have been reading from the book of 1 Kings and studying Elijah. The New Testament refers to Elijah as being a man who was “just like us” (James 5:17) When I think of Elijah, I think of a man who was obedient, who was anointed by God, and was used to stop the rain from falling for 3-1/2 years. But as I read 1 Kings, my eyes were opened to see Elijah in a way I had never fully understood before, which led me into some deeper study of this man who was just like us…
I found a fairly extensive study online by J Hampton Keathley III. In one of his lessons he spoke about Elijah’s bout with depression.
Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours. Just like the rest of us, he experienced the problem of depression-that mental and emotional condition marked by feelings of discouragement, worthlessness, dejection, guilt, apprehension, and failure...
…But alas, we all have feet of clay. Keeping our focus on the Lord and our minds relating to God in the midst of a fallen and evil world that says, “happiness, security, significance, i.e., your needs, are found in the details of life,” is not easy. We are bombarded with a general attitude that is illustrated in slogans like “life is short, so play hard. You only go around once, so get all the gusto you can.” Even when we are not affected by that kind of thinking-and Elijah was not-it is still difficult to maintain our spiritual equilibrium or orientation to God. It is easy to get lost in the fog, the dense clouds that sometimes envelop us. We try to fly by the seat of our pants rather than by our biblical instrument panel. As a result, we get lost or we crash and burn emotionally.
When Elijah started to feel the pressure he, in essence stepped outside of his environment.
Being disappointed, Elijah got his eyes off the Lord, became fearful, and ran for his life down to Beersheba and then beyond into the desert. He was alone…He was tired, exhausted, and in the wilderness by himself without food and water. Of course, he was not alone because the Lord was there, but he felt totally alone, helpless, fearful, hurt, a failure, and he wasn’t thinking with the viewpoint of the Word.
If only I had a mere penny for the times that something similar has happened to me. The moments in which I feel as though I have lost all control, which realistically opens up the door for God to remind me that it’s not about me being in control anyway.
So here’s Elijah. Alone in the wilderness, sitting under a tree he prayed for God to take his life and then fell asleep. The Lord provided for him through food and water and Elijah continued on a forty day journey to the mountain of God.
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (10) He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (11) The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. (12) After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper…
…Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
As I merged onto the interstate to head home I hit a bump on the road. With the ac blowing on high and the stereo blasting I immediately heard a “ping” sound coming from my trunk. A few seconds went by and there was another ping. This went on for the next couple of miles. I was expecting to arrive home and find a sticky soda explosion caked all over my trunk.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the end result and the only damage was a handful of expanded, very deformed cans of Diet Coke.
As I thought about this scenario, I began to see the similarities there were between us…and a case of overheated, carbonated beverages. The heat caused a tremendous amount of pressure that was bottled up in each 12oz can of soda. This was caused as a result of not storing it in a room temperature environment. If it was 109 degrees outside, I can’t even begin to imagine what the temperature was in the trunk of a black car with absolutely no ventilation.
As a Christian, when we step outside our environments, we risk having to feel the effects of pressure. And if we’re not careful, we subject ourselves to those pressures building enough to cause an “explosion.” Unfortunately, for as long as we walk this earth we are out of our environment, because this world is not our home…
This week I have been reading from the book of 1 Kings and studying Elijah. The New Testament refers to Elijah as being a man who was “just like us” (James 5:17) When I think of Elijah, I think of a man who was obedient, who was anointed by God, and was used to stop the rain from falling for 3-1/2 years. But as I read 1 Kings, my eyes were opened to see Elijah in a way I had never fully understood before, which led me into some deeper study of this man who was just like us…
I found a fairly extensive study online by J Hampton Keathley III. In one of his lessons he spoke about Elijah’s bout with depression.
Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours. Just like the rest of us, he experienced the problem of depression-that mental and emotional condition marked by feelings of discouragement, worthlessness, dejection, guilt, apprehension, and failure...
…But alas, we all have feet of clay. Keeping our focus on the Lord and our minds relating to God in the midst of a fallen and evil world that says, “happiness, security, significance, i.e., your needs, are found in the details of life,” is not easy. We are bombarded with a general attitude that is illustrated in slogans like “life is short, so play hard. You only go around once, so get all the gusto you can.” Even when we are not affected by that kind of thinking-and Elijah was not-it is still difficult to maintain our spiritual equilibrium or orientation to God. It is easy to get lost in the fog, the dense clouds that sometimes envelop us. We try to fly by the seat of our pants rather than by our biblical instrument panel. As a result, we get lost or we crash and burn emotionally.
When Elijah started to feel the pressure he, in essence stepped outside of his environment.
Being disappointed, Elijah got his eyes off the Lord, became fearful, and ran for his life down to Beersheba and then beyond into the desert. He was alone…He was tired, exhausted, and in the wilderness by himself without food and water. Of course, he was not alone because the Lord was there, but he felt totally alone, helpless, fearful, hurt, a failure, and he wasn’t thinking with the viewpoint of the Word.
If only I had a mere penny for the times that something similar has happened to me. The moments in which I feel as though I have lost all control, which realistically opens up the door for God to remind me that it’s not about me being in control anyway.
So here’s Elijah. Alone in the wilderness, sitting under a tree he prayed for God to take his life and then fell asleep. The Lord provided for him through food and water and Elijah continued on a forty day journey to the mountain of God.
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (10) He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (11) The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. (12) After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper…
…Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
-1 Kings 19:9-12
God came to Elijah in a gentle voice. He came to remind him that He was still in charge. And to remind us that when pressures build up and we feel like running (which we will), we should focus on running to Jesus and rest in knowing that He will calm the storms, He will keep us safe, and He will provide. Always.
God came to Elijah in a gentle voice. He came to remind him that He was still in charge. And to remind us that when pressures build up and we feel like running (which we will), we should focus on running to Jesus and rest in knowing that He will calm the storms, He will keep us safe, and He will provide. Always.
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