My wife and I had the opportunity to attend, and myself, officiate, the wedding of some family friends in Austin, Texas. We traveled home and timed our arrival with the big pre-Thanksgiving snow storm of 2010. It was costly.
The final leg of our flight was from San Jose, California to Seattle. There was some question as to whether we would even take off due to rough weather in Seattle and an overworked flight crew on this 737. However, take off we did and while on approach the storm became much more visible. The runway, however, was not...at least not to us. Thank the Lord for instrument landings.
Once on the ground, and after the resolution of some baggage issues, we were ready to figure out the next step; getting home to our town of Bonney Lake, some 30 minutes south of the airport. Remember that number, 30 minutes. That will become crucial in just a moment.
We decided it was best not to ask our son to venture out in the weather. All that we were hearing was that the roads in and around the Puget Sound were snow packed and icy and that there were cars off roads in all directions. So, we figured the best bet would be to find a hotel close to the airport and spend the night. We began working on that project at 11:30 p.m. All of the travelers who landed before us, and they were legion, had the same thought. I got the same response from every person at every reservation desk: "I'm sorry, sir, we're completely sold out for tonight." And, they went on to share, so are all of the Seatac area hotels.
Knowing that we were only 30 minutes from home, I then reasoned that renting a vehicle would be about the same cost as a hotel room for the night, and at least gets us to our own bed. So off to the rental counter I went and some $200 later, Elizabeth and I were in a warm and cozy Jeep Laredo exiting the airport. Remember now, 30 minutes from home.
After 11 years in Colorado, I pretty much have the icy and snow packed road driving down. But not everyone in the Puget Sound region has had the same experience I have. That became obvious as we viewed the continual post apocalyptic like scene at various intersections: cars off the sides of the road, not even pointing in the right direction and, in some cases, not even out of the lanes. However, they did have this in common; they were all abandoned. It was the perfect blend of winter wonderland and ghost town. I was motivated, however. I just wanted to get home. I paid dearly for this jeep to get me there. I just want my own bed. So, we pushed on.
Things hit a major snag, however, as we were leaving highway 167 for highway 410. By now we can virtually see our neighborhood as it sits on a hill. But, as we pulled onto the on ramp and realized the traffic was completely stopped, seeing it would be all that we were afforded for some 2 more hours. Icy conditions, a stuck truck, two cars off the road, and a busy yet still kind Washington State Patrol officer was now our life for the next 2 plus hours. We talked, we listened to callers talk of their experiences on the local call in shows, we even texted our son who was doing the same thing going in the opposite direction on I-5. We weren't moving. We just wanted to get home. We could see it, but we could not have it. Not yet.
Finally, close to 3 am, we were escorted backwards off the on ramp so that we could rejoin the freeway and find another way home; this one would remain closed. Somewhere close to 3:30 a.m. we walked in our front door. Hadn't we begun the day by leaving Austin airport at 1:00 or so? Didn't we leave the rental car facility at 11:30 p.m. YESTERDAY? Ah...the high cost of getting home; both in time and in dollars. But it was so good to get there.
As we draw near to the Christmas season, I'm reminded of the command for Mary and Joseph to "go home" so they could register for the coming taxation that Caesar Augustus was ordering. The high cost of going home for them involved spending the night in a barn since the local inn was full. Their baby was laid in a feeding trough since they were not indoors where it would have been presumably more comfortable. That same baby, born in that barn, laid in the trough, would die on a cross a horrible death before he finally went home to the Father. Now that's the high cost of going home! Mine pales in light of His. My goal was self; my bed, my home, my family. His goal was also my life, and yours.
Now, that's the high cost of going home!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Who Would Have Thought!
The proverbial comparison for anything that is impending which you dread seems to be the root canal. Once again, the poor dentist is the brunt of every ones least desired anticipation in life. You've heard it said, and have perhaps uttered it yourself: "I could do such and such, or I could have a root canal!" which is nothing more than saying "This is the LAST thing I want to go through."
Well, the ultimate in contrasts and comparisons came flooding into my life on Tuesday. A little history first.
I don't hate dentists. I don't fear dentists. I dislike pain. Unfortunately, my history has been that pain and dentists, while not synonymous, are at least distant cousins. So, as I was munching away on a small Halloween sized Hershey bar on Friday and felt something chunky (which was odd since it was not a Hersey with almonds bar!) my immediate thought was one of doom. I will need to go to the dentist. I felt a cavernous hole in one tooth on my right side. I knew what was to come.
And so an appointment was made for 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Oddly enough, this was also the day our elders were meeting, at 6:30 p.m. to have the final vote on the church's 2011 budget. It appeared the perfect storm was aligning itself: a dentist appointment at 4 and a budget meeting at 6:30! The storm only intensified when in the dentist's chair I was told that I would need not only a crown for this broken bicuspid but also a root canal. My dentist (an amazing gentleman, by the way) assured me that I could have it all! I could receive at least a temporary crown, if not the real deal, a root canal, and still make the budget meeting at 6:30! He was right. By 6:15 I was driving back to church, a bit numb, but the recipient of a diadem on a tooth, a root canal, and was headed for the budget show down!
Fast forwarding to the conclusion, I am happy to relate that if given the choice; a budget meeting or a root canal, I'd still take them both on the same night! Why could I say that? Well partially due to the gift of Novocaine, but also because of prayer.
I spent time earlier in the afternoon walking through the room where the budget meeting was to be held. Being a pastor for some 27 years I am somewhat aware of what budget meetings have the potential of becoming; all out war over line items. But I also knew that it didn't have to become that! I knew, and found myself prompted to act on the knowledge, that God is so much bigger than that. So my prayer, in the room that afternoon, was "Lord, let us abandon our agendas in favor of yours. Let us glorify you even in how we discuss these sensitive things. May we bring glory to you in this whole process."
I'm glad to say now with the gift of retro-vision, that the meeting went fine and a budget was passed and we exited the room unified (and relatively early!) and ready to meet the challenges of a new year. Even in the midst of a slightly tingling face as the Novocaine wore off, I could smile at how God's Spirit works, even when we think it can't get any worse!
Well, the ultimate in contrasts and comparisons came flooding into my life on Tuesday. A little history first.
I don't hate dentists. I don't fear dentists. I dislike pain. Unfortunately, my history has been that pain and dentists, while not synonymous, are at least distant cousins. So, as I was munching away on a small Halloween sized Hershey bar on Friday and felt something chunky (which was odd since it was not a Hersey with almonds bar!) my immediate thought was one of doom. I will need to go to the dentist. I felt a cavernous hole in one tooth on my right side. I knew what was to come.
And so an appointment was made for 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Oddly enough, this was also the day our elders were meeting, at 6:30 p.m. to have the final vote on the church's 2011 budget. It appeared the perfect storm was aligning itself: a dentist appointment at 4 and a budget meeting at 6:30! The storm only intensified when in the dentist's chair I was told that I would need not only a crown for this broken bicuspid but also a root canal. My dentist (an amazing gentleman, by the way) assured me that I could have it all! I could receive at least a temporary crown, if not the real deal, a root canal, and still make the budget meeting at 6:30! He was right. By 6:15 I was driving back to church, a bit numb, but the recipient of a diadem on a tooth, a root canal, and was headed for the budget show down!
Fast forwarding to the conclusion, I am happy to relate that if given the choice; a budget meeting or a root canal, I'd still take them both on the same night! Why could I say that? Well partially due to the gift of Novocaine, but also because of prayer.
I spent time earlier in the afternoon walking through the room where the budget meeting was to be held. Being a pastor for some 27 years I am somewhat aware of what budget meetings have the potential of becoming; all out war over line items. But I also knew that it didn't have to become that! I knew, and found myself prompted to act on the knowledge, that God is so much bigger than that. So my prayer, in the room that afternoon, was "Lord, let us abandon our agendas in favor of yours. Let us glorify you even in how we discuss these sensitive things. May we bring glory to you in this whole process."
I'm glad to say now with the gift of retro-vision, that the meeting went fine and a budget was passed and we exited the room unified (and relatively early!) and ready to meet the challenges of a new year. Even in the midst of a slightly tingling face as the Novocaine wore off, I could smile at how God's Spirit works, even when we think it can't get any worse!
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Day After Tomorrow
There are certain days to which I really look forward. Some obscure, some predictable. For instance, under the heading "predictable" I'd list Christmas Eve. Ever since I was a kid I could not wait for that day. In a strange way, even sometimes more than Christmas Day itself. All of the anticipation and joy for what's to come seem to culminate and, in a strange way, hold an even greater sense of excitement than the next day itself!
Under the "obscure" section I have three that stand out. One is a generally "undetermined until the last minute" day, usually sometime in February. It's the day that pitchers and catchers report to their respective training camps signaling the beginning of spring training, which then leads to the start of the regular season of baseball. I know, obscure. But I can't wait.
Another obscure day is December 22nd or 23rd. It's the day on the calendar when the days begin to get longer. The shortest day of the year is generally December 21st (although that sometimes changes by a few hours in one direction or another) so the day following is when the days begin to legthen, if even by a minute or so. It begins to point to the coming of summer. I know, obscure.
The last of my obscure days generally happens every two years. It is the first Wednesday in the month of November. It's always that day because it is the day after the first Tuesday of the month, which is election day. So that means that every two years when we are in either a mid-term or Presidential cycle of elections, all of the ads on television and raido have to stop on Wednesday since the election is over. I know, obscure. But I REALLY can't wait.
I weary of the "he said, she said" kind of mentality that creeps into the election process. I grow tired of the constant berating of our ears as to why this candidate shouldn't be considered rather than why this one should.
Someone said something very wise to me coming out of church yesterday. I had commented on the passage in Revelation chapter five when it appears that the scroll God is holding, while sitting on the throne, contains what is yet to unfold in history (see Revelation 5: 6-14..or go to www.Wabashpres.com and listen to the sermon [cheap plug, I know!]). So in a very real way, God holds our history in his hands. This gentleman remarked that the politicians need to remember that. He bemoaned the fact that those that jockey for political position seem to think that somehow they hold our futures rather than God. He then went on to comment that there will come a day when they might be surprised. That there is coming a day when all of history comes to fruition and the one that holds it in his hand will not be representing any political party, but rather will be the one to whom each party will answer.
Nothing obscure about that day!
Under the "obscure" section I have three that stand out. One is a generally "undetermined until the last minute" day, usually sometime in February. It's the day that pitchers and catchers report to their respective training camps signaling the beginning of spring training, which then leads to the start of the regular season of baseball. I know, obscure. But I can't wait.
Another obscure day is December 22nd or 23rd. It's the day on the calendar when the days begin to get longer. The shortest day of the year is generally December 21st (although that sometimes changes by a few hours in one direction or another) so the day following is when the days begin to legthen, if even by a minute or so. It begins to point to the coming of summer. I know, obscure.
The last of my obscure days generally happens every two years. It is the first Wednesday in the month of November. It's always that day because it is the day after the first Tuesday of the month, which is election day. So that means that every two years when we are in either a mid-term or Presidential cycle of elections, all of the ads on television and raido have to stop on Wednesday since the election is over. I know, obscure. But I REALLY can't wait.
I weary of the "he said, she said" kind of mentality that creeps into the election process. I grow tired of the constant berating of our ears as to why this candidate shouldn't be considered rather than why this one should.
Someone said something very wise to me coming out of church yesterday. I had commented on the passage in Revelation chapter five when it appears that the scroll God is holding, while sitting on the throne, contains what is yet to unfold in history (see Revelation 5: 6-14..or go to www.Wabashpres.com and listen to the sermon [cheap plug, I know!]). So in a very real way, God holds our history in his hands. This gentleman remarked that the politicians need to remember that. He bemoaned the fact that those that jockey for political position seem to think that somehow they hold our futures rather than God. He then went on to comment that there will come a day when they might be surprised. That there is coming a day when all of history comes to fruition and the one that holds it in his hand will not be representing any political party, but rather will be the one to whom each party will answer.
Nothing obscure about that day!
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