March 12, 2006 · 5:47 pm

On rescuing people.

Yesterday it snowed most of the day.  They say that we could get more snow still, but today has been precipitationless pretty much.  Randall has been lamenting the snow and Lauralea has been shovelling far too much.  Since my son’s business usually does the snow clearing, I had a brilliant idea.  I would do Lauralea a favor and ask my son (the one that hung around at my house  yesterday, snowbound – not the one who owns the business) to take the bobcat for a little detour by the Friesen’s when he cleared the church lot.  He went by the church lot and found it has been cleared already – some generous person with large equipment? had gotten there first.  So he got ready to drive the bobcat by the Friesen house. 

On the way the bobcat caught on fire.  No idea what did it but it went up in smoke.  Firetrucks and all!  Toast.  Now dead.

Sorry Lauralea.  I tried. 

A snowblower is rising towards the top of my list of things I would like for Christmas.  A nice one with an electric start.  Not too heavy since in all likelihood it is me that will be pushing it.

 

We have had enough snow for now. 

 

Second rescue – we took my aunt out of the hospital for a trip to church.  This is the first time out since she broke her hip.  She is doing remarkably well in physical healing.  She was able to manage in her walker quite well although linoleum floors are easier than even short pile carpet.  Mentally she has lost some ground.  She is not as oriented to place and time as she was before going into hospital.  But she has no trouble remembering the people around her that love her so much.  She had a good time at church.  After, we took her for lunch and fed her non-hospital food.  I think we gave her a good work-out.  She went back to the hospital and was ready for a nap.

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March 9, 2006 · 8:16 pm

I had a dream

This may be either foolish or brave – sharing this.  I am still mulling over what it means, if anything.

I had a dream

No this is not the sort of dream of freedom and equality that Martin Luther King had.  Just a dream in the night that made me wake up and write it down.

 

I do not dream much.  I think I used to, but not any more.  So in a way I guess just having a dream that woke me up and one that disturbed me enough to remember, is pretty significant. 

 

Let me tell it to you as best I can remember it.

 

I was on a train.  All the seats were full so I was surrounded by people.  At the beginning there was something that was warning me of impending disaster.  It seems to me it was a woman but that is pretty fuzzy.  Somehow I had something in my hand that I if I reached down through the floor of the train and placed it on the track, it would prevent the disaster.  But I remember being unsure.  Would this work or would it actually cause the disaster?  And I was afraid to ask the woman what to do. I decided to do nothing. 

 

We approached a railway bridge or something like that.  I think it was a bridge since we ended up in a river.  As the car I was in went onto the bridge the cars behind ours started to derail.  As that happened, the bridge collapsed.  I remember thinking that I should have tried to prevent this; that I could not have made anything worse than this happen.  And then also thinking that if I make it out into the river that I could swim to the far shore and be OK. 

 

Somehow that is what happened.  We hurtled far enough across the river that I was able to head for the opposite shore.  I wasn’t hurt.  I held my breath and made it out of the submerged car.  But lots of people didn’t make it.  Somehow I knew that.  The only other person I knew was Grace, my daughter.  She also made it to the shore with me but then I lost her.  Funny, because she only seemed to come onto the scene right at the end – I don’t think I dreamed her being with me from the beginning.

 

Then I woke up.

 

It seems somehow as if there is more to this than just a dream.  I

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March 7, 2006 · 10:48 pm

Little people and God

I am trying to sort out stuff about teaching children about God.  In our church, which is small, we do not have an abundance of people to carry on children’s programs.  The ones doing this for the past few years are burnt out – maybe not all of them, not completely, but close enough.  Close enough that I, as the new head of the committee that deals with this area of church life, have to do something really soon.  What a way to break in a new committee! 

 

I just don’t have an easy solution popping into my head.  We need people in the church to take enough interest in the kids to volunteer.  We have older people and some younger parents but not many in the in-between group that are not already busy on Sundays.  Many of the older group express opinions on how there should be “Sunday School” for the kids but are not inclined or able to volunteer.  The younger parents often need the break from child care to do some learning themselves.

 

I sat and discussed this whole dilemma at length with God this morning.  And this is what I read from Luke 11:

And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for.  Keep on looking, and you will find.  Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.  For everyone who asks, receives.  Everyone who seeks, finds.  And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.

And Psalm 50 contained the verse:
Trust me in your times of trouble,
       and I will rescue you,
       and you will give me glory.

I still don’t know what to do.  But I guess I should trust that God has some sort of solution for us.  And I am not worn out from asking yet.

 

We don’t have that many young school age children but we have some.  And “some” are enough to be worthy of our time and energy so that we pass on the stories of our faith.  In passing on the stories of our faith perhaps we will also pass on our concern.  Maybe by spending some time with these kids we will learn to love them and that will get transmitted too. 

 

I don’t know.  I think one of the most important things we do as a community of faith is to tell our children the stories and as they watch us live, show them how to work the teachings out in real life.  But there are things for which I feel grossly inadequate.  I feel that I have not done a bang up job teaching my own children about the faith although I think I have raised children with a strong sense of compassion and generosity.  I bring this baggage with me into my dealings with this.  And guilt for not doing a better job of course.  

 

I wonder if anyone else has worked through the same sort of problem in a small church (attendance about 80 to 100).  I would like to pick their brains!

 

Maybe God will have to do something special here.  Maybe we need people not so much gifted as teachers but just willing and passionate about passing on their faith, willing to be creative and loving.  Willing to sit down with the little people. 

 

Hmmm – maybe that is me.  Just maybe. 

 

 

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March 5, 2006 · 2:22 pm

Obedience

O Most Holy God

How can I honour you

With less than perfect

Obedience?

 

I wish to be obedient.

 

Perhaps I have come

A fair way

Since beginning with you

But the million small demands of life

Don’t look sacred.

I tire of little humdrum tasks

You give me.

 

Obedience eludes me.

 

This slow work by you

Will re-create.
Give me the grace to live

 Till every heart beat, breath is yours.

Teach me your ways.

You’ve promised me a yoke that

Suits me well.

 

Obedience will become me.

 

O Most Holy God

Christ, Teacher, Renovator

Of hearts, perfect mine

For your glory.

 

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March 3, 2006 · 8:54 pm

Flying

A few days ago, Randall was flying.  I know he will admit to certain tensions associated with flying, because he has said so.  So, his admission to kissing the ground of the Calgary airport upon landing isn’t too surprising. 

 

I wonder why we become apprehensive – OK, downright scared – of specific modes of travel.  I know of several people who have been killed or turned into quadriplegics while riding their bicycles – struck by passing vehicles.  I know of many people who have died in traffic accidents.  I have had people close to me die in motorbike accidents.  People die in boating accidents.    I personally don’t know anyone who has been injured in an airplane crash.  

 

Maybe it is the fact that while flying, another person is in control of the plane and we are rendered dependant on their abilities to do that well.  If something happens, we are unable by our own actions to get to safety. 

 

I guess that flying has never made me that frightened so maybe it is not fair of me to tell my story of learning to fly without great fear.  Maybe I should tell instead of my fears of small boats.  But that is another story.

 

In the Congo, one has to fly.  I guess there are ways to get there and to travel around the country without flying but life would be a whole lot more complicated without air travel in Africa. 

 

Leo and I flew south to Pimu, a little mission station in British Baptist territory.  Leo went down to teach the nurses about Leprosy and TB.  I went to do dental work.  Following our week there, we parted company.  Leo went on his way to another hospital to teach again.  I was to head home, back to the kids and my regular work.  The pilot came down, picked Leo up and flew him farther south then came back for me and the visitor travelling with us from American Leprosy Mission to return us to Karawa. 

 

We took off from Pimu into a sky full of storm clouds.  MAF has some of the best pilots and we learned that they were so trustworthy that we generally relaxed as they flew.  If there is danger, they don’t take chances.  But we took off into this bad weather.  I think there may have been some pressure to get the visitor back to Karawa to catch his plane back to the US.  The pilot began to weave his way through the clouds to the north.  But the storms kept moving in around us.  Tropical storms can be extremely violent.  The winds that accompany them come suddenly and tear at whatever is in their way.  So it was that day. 

 

I have never felt as if the wings could be torn off the plane by the sheering force of the wind either before or after that day.  You can imagine some of the things going around inside my head as we were buffeted by the storms, hitting air pockets that plunged the plane suddenly downwards.  If this plane went down, who would break the news to the kids?  Who would go and get Leo?  Would they ever find the plane in the thick forest below?

 

I realized that I had no choice but to trust.  If God wanted me around to be the one that cared for my children, he would care for me and get me home.  God was in charge and I was completely at his mercy.

 

I know I prayed that afternoon.  What began as prayer prayed in fear of what might happen ended in a prayer, at least semi-confident, of placing my trust in a God who loved me and my family; a God that was totally trustworthy; a God that was in control of the plane, as well as the weather and what happened to us in it. 

 

I have flown many times since.  Every time, I am reminded of that day, that small plane, that storm and of getting home safely.  God is good.  I might as well relax and enjoy the flight. 

 

And I don’t have to go around kissing dirty airport floors!

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March 2, 2006 · 6:49 am

Winter Pleasures

Winter is not over yet – not by the looks of it.  We just got at least the 15cm of snow that was promised by the weatherman.  Since it came over the past 24 hours, and seems to still be coming down, the snow crews have not been able to keep up with it.  The picture above was taken last year after an early spring storm.  we have at least twice as much snow as in this picture.  I wish I could download some pictures of today but my USB connection for the camera has been borrowed. 

When I was at the women’s retreat on the weekend, I had time to think and write a bit.  I also went on a long walk and that always gets me thinking creatively.  So I did some poetry and thought about how our humanness is a wonderful gift allowing us to experience the world through all of our senses – our eyes, our ears, our taste buds,and the nerves picking up information from our skin.

 Winter Pleasures

God,

Does your great majesty

Keep you from

The cold softness

Of tongue caught snowflakes?

The tingle of frost reddened cheeks?

The dazzle

A million crystal diamonds

Brings to the eyes?

The light shush

As wind calls

Through branches of spruce?

 

Perhaps these winter pleasures

Reserved for the likes of me

Were breathed into being

As hints of eternal glory.

 

 

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February 26, 2006 · 4:54 pm

The Women's Retreat

I’m back!!  Well, maybe you didn’t know I was away.  last week was so crazy busy that I hardly had time to catch up to myself before heading out to the lake on Friday for our annual women’s retreat.  Fortunately my Friday was fairly light so that I had time to go by the church and pick up some stuff from the prayer room for our prayer room at the camp lodge and I had time to run quickly to the big box W store and grab a cheap pair of ski pants.

Both of these errands were important to do as it turned out.

The prayer room is an important part of our retreat.  We have set up a prayer space every year for the past three years.  Each year I think a few more people use it.  This year I brought along The Divine Hours for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle and left it in the room for others to use.  And I invited anyone who wanted to to join me for Compline.  So we had a good time together in that space.

The ski pants were also important to have along.  Saturday during our free time in the afternoon, Dixie took some of us on a “short” walk down the trail by the beaver pond.  I think the walk is shorter in the summer.  Walking about 5 K’s in the snow is real exercise.  It was fun though and the day was beautiful.  My legs are still tired but I loved the walk.

This women’s retreat is always a significant spiritual event for me.  In fact I always have such high expectations for what I will get out of it that I tend to get frustrated with myself.  I guess even the recognition of that unrealistic expectation on my part is some progress.  And God was very gracious to me today.

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February 23, 2006 · 6:25 pm

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd
I have everything that I need.”  vs1(NLT)

 

These were the words of my morning reading.  I didn’t get much farther than this for awhile – the first few reads.  Something in these few words spoke to me strongly so that I couldn’t continue; spoke simply but loudly about trust.

 

“I have everything that I need.” 

 

Being a sheep, I don’t have to create my own pastures.  I don’t even have to find the pasture by myself.  The shepherd, The Good Shepherd, will lead me to places where I will find everything I need to sustain me and help me grow strong.  I simply need to follow.  Neither my work nor my efforts to find my own way will get me there. 

 

Jesus said something very similar when he used the metaphor of the field flowers.  The wild flowers are nourished and clothed in splendour by God their creator.  We can be sure that God will care for his human creations as well.

 

The 23rd Psalm for me stirs memories in me of death or the waiting time with someone who is close to death.  I guess this particular Psalm is used then because it is so comforting.  But I think it is really a Psalm for living. 

 

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

All the days of my life

And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”  vs 6

 

 

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February 23, 2006 · 7:13 am

Weekend Grandma

That was fun!

Kieran stayed with us from Friday to yesterday.  He is such a good little guy.  maybe his parents should give lessons on how to parent – or maybe they just lucked out.  I can’t remember his dad being so good as a two year old.

Saturday I took him grocery shopping with me.  I figured he is still too little to insist on me getting a lot of junk food.  We didn’t do too badly.  he has definate ideas on what kind of yogurt he wants.  The roar kind.  That took me a few minutes!  But then I saw the lion picture on the little mini yogurts and did the right thing.

His last night with us was the toughest.  He was coming down with a cold and kept waking up crying – every 30 minutes or less fro about 10:30 till 2 am.  Best way to keep the noise levels down was to lie down beside him and give him lots to drink.  The floor is hard!  In the morning work.  Sedation morning.  I do not desire to have any more children – ever. 

Grandchildren however will always be welcome to sleep over.  I can always make it through a night or two.  You, who are parents of young children having to be up at night, have my greatest respect.  I guess I did it too when my kids were young – and I was too.

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February 21, 2006 · 7:16 am

A Visitor

We have a young guy, Eric, staying with us for a couple of days.  He is travelling with the Wycliff drama team.  Last night we were getting to know him a bit.  Tonight at 7 they put on their presentation at Gateway Covenant, our church.  I’ve been to their dramas before and they are good.

Our girls were a bit sceptical about having a house guest that we did not know.  But Eric is young and “cool” enough, and only a year out of high school, that once they met him they were really OK with having him here.  I am not sure if they get all his language.  Oh they understand it in some ways when he uses phrases like “spreading the Gospel” when he describes what he has been doing.  But we do not normally talk like that in our ordinary conversation. A fair number of “christianese” expressions were used in his speaking about his aims in life.  I imagine in time that he will learn to express what his aims in life are without resorting to Christian phrases.

We were sharing with him some of our experiences as missionaries in the Congo.  He asked if our work was mainly concerned with physical healing or if we also did spiritual work.  Our reply, “How can you separate the two?  You cannot disembody the souls of people.”  This is a question asked fairly often of people involved in medical or other technical work in missions.  I think it shows a lack of understanding of God’s creation.  He created us as humans and breathed into us his spirit, and he said his creation was good.  So I don’t think we should try and dissect out the spiritual from the lives we live or the work we do and try to grow just that part of our lives – like growing something in a lab petrie dish outside of the body. 

I think he will learn; I hope so.  He will need to use everything about himself for God if he really wants to serve him.  And God has given him a heart for missions so I guess God will take care of his education.  Maybe we are part of it.

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