A Leg Up

    To get things off on the right foot, I must explain about my right foot. My right foot went wrong a year ago when occasional soreness turned into rolling, popping and pain. Despite an unhelpful orthopedic visit, physical therapy and laser treatments, my ankle's stability was on its last legs. I had to wear high top winter boots to walk outside. Year round! As happens in later years, I wound up taking a break from one malfunction to treat another, so tolerated my tottering ankle until I could have my stiff, painful left shoulder replaced. Since that surgery and recovery went really well, and I was unwilling to suffer through another summer in winter boots, I scheduled an appointment about my ankle, this time with a podiatrist. Though I was not expecting another miraculous recovery, I had decided if surgery was needed, I was willing to break a leg. 

    The operation was six days ago. As with my shoulder, after the nerve block wore off, the pain was not as severe as expected. That is the upside. The downside is that my right leg cannot bear weight for six weeks. I had planned to use crutches after surgery as I did after my knee replacements, though that would have been hard on my shoulders, however in the dozen years between those operations and now, my sense of balance is on the skids and my body's ability to hop up and down steps has legged it out of my here. So my happy homecoming after surgery involved butt scooting my way into the house. There was a time when Reed could have just carried me across the threshold, but back then I could just have hopped to it. 

    Now I have traded my right leg for a knee scooter. Adjusting to getting around this way has looked like an awkward mating dance, but I have found the secret of not accidentally putting weight on my off duty leg is to put my leg up on the scooter before I grab the handles. Actually, God gave me a leg up on this un-bear-able time through last year's bathroom remodel that turned it into a walk-in shower with a built-in bench, without which I would be both unclean and unhappy. And in more recent sovereign circumstances, before my shoulder replacement, it would have been too painful to pull myself up by the scooter handles. Unsurprisingly, God sovereignly sutured these separate circumstances together so I could have the best possible outcome. But now it is time to shake a leg and finish this blog. Maybe my experience will help someone else without a leg to stand on, get a heads up on getting a leg up on knee scooters. 

 (If you noticed an excessive amount of idioms in this blog, it's because I just couldn't help pulling your leg.)

 

    

     

 

Second Chances

    The rich young ruler, whose encounter with Jesus is recorded in the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) has become some pastors' poster child for blowing one's opportunity to be saved. But why assume he had no second chance? Mark 10:21 begins, "Jesus looked at him and loved him . . ."  Does the love of Jesus displayed and described in so many places in the New Testament fit with the one chance wonder sermons often preached about this man? In researching/googling this, I learned that church tradition identifies the rich young ruler as John Mark, the author of the gospel of Mark. But since we don't know that for sure, and we do know how awkward it is to keep repeating rich young ruler, let's just call him Rich Young and assume he did not walk away from Christ sad forever. That fits better with  other parts of the Bible in which the Lord offers many, often unused and always undeserved, opportunities for repentance.     The Lord gave:

 

• The people of Noah's time 120 years to believe and be saved, despite knowing none of them would. 
• Numerous prophets preaching repentance to the Israelites before, after and during captivity.  
• Even horrid Herod Antipas 1- 2 years to repent by listening to John the Baptist.  
• Saul the dying testimonies of every Christian he had martyred, beginning with the angelic face of Stephen, as an opportunity to repent. And when none of those experiences got through to him, Saul got a smack down from his Savior and an offer he could not refuse.
• Fickle Felix a two year opportunity to trust Jesus through Paul's teaching. 
• Ditto for Festus. 
• The Roman guards chained to Paul, literally his captive audience, one-on-one invitations to believe in Christ, and many did.
• Me, who fought the Holy Spirit's conviction for an entire year, hundreds of chances, until at last I gave up my struggle, gave in to Jesus, and gained everything in return.  

    God gave Gentiles like the Roman rulers and ordinary people like me, multiple invitations to believe in Jesus. Though "Rich Young" may have missed his opportunity to be listed among Jesus' disciples the day he walked away, I am confident He gave Rich a second chance at salvation. Even Pontius Pilate who squandered his chance to do the right thing concerning Christ's crucifixion, was given a few years after that in which, though it seems unlikely, he could have repented. So if we must have a poster boy for walking away sad irrevocably, eternally, it is Judas.

 

10 Things We Won't Hear Jesus Say

1. What are you doing here in heaven?
2. You lived years past the time I chose for you to die because of your healthy lifestyle. (An unbelievable amount of Christians believe this) 
3. I had no idea that would happen.
4. A person I chose for salvation before the foundation of the world went to hell because you didn't witness to them! (Making someone's eternal damnation dependent on one frail believer's one time obedience)
5. Oh, by the way, that is the one sin my death did not pay for. 
6. I chose you because I foresaw that you would choose me? (Who would be sovereign in that case?) 
7. If you don't accept the mission I have called you to, I'll just choose someone else. (Ask Moses, Jonah, and Paul how that turned out)
8. I came back to earth because everything was out of control.
9. If you stop loving me, I will stop loving you.
10. If I had known you would commit that sin, I never would have saved you. 

     If the above statements were on a true/false test, most Christians would ace it. Shucked down to the cob they are obviously false. Still, many believers live as though some of these are at least partially true. We doomscroll the internet to find hidden things to worry about, and despair as if God is not aware of man's secret agendas and conspiracies. Both the world and the medical establishment assure us that we can control our own health and lifespan, but there is a big difference between stewardship of our bodies that helps us feel better, and controlling our time of death. When Jesus said in Luke 12:25, "Who of you by worrying (taking thought KJV) can add a single hour to your life?" He was not looking for a show of hands. It was a rhetorical question. We are not that powerful.

     Many Christians stagger through life carrying the load of blood-guiltiness, believing God will hold them accountable if they don't witness to someone and that person goes to hell. Scary! This is based on Ezek. 33:6 where God makes Ezekiel his watchman to warn his people to turn from their wicked ways or Ezekiel would be held accountable for their blood. There are many reasons (primarily context, access to the Bible, and many other scriptures) that show their grim interpretation is wrong. Although it is important to obey God when he prompts us to share Christ, the conviction and faith necessary for salvation are things only God can supply. And the idea that God could elect someone for salvation but we can prevent that from happening, is hubris to a heretical degree. We are not that powerful.

   And though it seems fair to us that when we turn our back on the Lord, He turns His back on us, that only reveals our limited understanding of God. His love, forgiveness, faithfulness, and mercy are too vast to measure on a human "fairness" scale. Shucked down the the cob, all these errors have one thing in common--low view of God, high view of man. We are loved far more and understand far less than we can comprehend. But I know this, when I get to heaven I do not want to hear Jesus say, "Nice to see you, I'm Jesus, I don't think you know me very well."

 

 

Wanna Bet?

     I have often wondered why there is no "thou shalt not" in the Bible about gambling, which most Christians consider a sin. A long standing sin. Assuming Eve lived about as long as Adam, 900 years, and was fertile from the time she was created, even knocking off a few centuries for menopause, she must have given birth to hundreds of children. I am sure that as the novelty wore off for Adam, and the older kids grew to maturity, there must have been some betting going on about whether Ma Eve was having a boy or a girl. Even if this scenario never happened, gambling has been around a long time. Not the casino, slot machine type of gambling, more like throwing dice or racing farm animals. 

    However, not only does the Bible not prohibit gambling, the examples of it in the form of casting lots show it as a means of accomplishing God's purpose, even through unbelievers. In Jonah, for example, casting lots was how the sailors knew the disobedient prophet was the cause of the terrible storm. Even the Roman soldiers casting lots for Jesus' clothes during his crucifixion, crass as that was, were fulfilling prophecy. The Israelites found Achan responsible for their defeat in battle by casting lots. The allotment of land to the 12 tribes was decided by casting lots. The breastplate of Israel's high priest contained stones called the Urim and Thummim that served as a  means of determining God's will. As Phillipe said to the Lord in the movie Ladyhawke, "How can I learn any moral lessons when you keep confusing me this way?"

    By gambling I do not mean bringing a box of diapers to a baby shower for a chance to win a door prize or paying a quarter for a bingo card that may win you a candy bar, there is no risk at stake or motive of greed. Gambling is a sin when a parent uses the money meant to support their family to place bets, when they steal to get the money, and when it is motivated by greed or covetousness. Gambling is an addiction when the endorphins released overpower the negative consequences to the point they cannot stop. But my main problem with gambling is theological--since God is sovereign, there is no chance, random or luck, so gambling is a waste of time and money. And I don't play cards, which the Bible does not condemn either, simply because I can't keep track of what everyone else has played and that is an important part. So I choose to cast my lot with the one who holds all the cards, the King of kings. And to those who think they know why God chooses to use random, gambling-like means to accomplish His plan, I say, Wanna bet?

Unspoiled

    Every time we come to Kimberley, BC we wonder if the tourists have discovered/spoiled it yet, like so many of the small towns we used to visit here decades ago. When we first went to nearby Radium Hot Springs in the late 1980's, it was like a Canadian version of Hot Springs, Montana. An aging spa facility frequented by the aching aging. Families were also welcome because it was assumed parents were smart enough to tell when their children were getting overheated without needing a published age restriction. The last time we went to Radium, now full of crowds, condos and infrastructure, we had to wait a long time just for a chance to turn right onto the highway. We didn't even attempt to go to the hot springs.

    In Kimberley there are a lot of new condos near the Trickle Creek Lodge where we like to stay, but since we are not there during ski season many of them are unoccupied. And most of the neighborhoods from the town's mining heyday, would only fit a miniature McMansion. So for now Kimberley with its Bavarian themed platzl and its yodeling cuckoo clock mascot, Happy Hans, seems unspoiled. In fact, there are some retro values that I wish we could import back to Montana. People in restaurants here expect to visit with the group they came with instead of scroll their phones. Even patrons who come in alone, look around for someone to talk to. I presume when Canadians want to be alone with their phone, they just stay home. And in the noisy bar/barbecue place where we ate last night, I didn't hear anyone swearing. Similar groups of Americans in that settings can use the F word more liberally than salt, not because they are angry, just because they are decency and vocabulary deficient. 

    We have also seen groups of children playing outside. Admittedly, they might have been trapped inside until recently, snow remains tucked into various areas around town, but it is refreshing to see teenagers who still know how to hang out without video games. Not that I have any illusions that we are in a Canadian version of Brigadoon, Marysville, just down the road from Kimberley has some run down areas like Evergreen has in Kalispell. But because parents aren't hovering around their children and the enclosed bank ATM is available 24 hours, not locked so it won't become a homeless hotel, I assume crime and homelessness are not major factors here. 

    We came here for a break, a little respite before the ankle surgery that will leave me both with and without wheels for several weeks. With wheels as in the knee scooter I will use during the 6 weeks I will be non-weight bearing, and without wheels as in the 8-10 weeks I will be non-driving. I am hoping to do a lot of writing while recovering, unless I turn out to be non-word bearing too. God has given us a restful, wonderful weekend so, though Kimberley remains unspoiled, I do not.

Season of the Lost Boys

    A dear friend who was my kids' writing/English teacher, is downsizing decades of student papers. At the coffee shop where we usually meet, she recently gave me a couple papers Britten and Will wrote while in her class. I don't know where they got their strange sense of humor😉 Since she seldom gets to town anymore, this time she mailed a letter, it was my own, a letter I wrote her in 2008 that she said blesses her when she reads it. And the look back on the "lost boys" season of my life blesses me. 

 

Dear Cinda, 

 

    I am in Springfield, IL with my husband, who is working here temporarily. One of my goals is to do some writing projects I have been putting off. One of those projects is this letter to you. I appreciate so much that you continue to ask about and pray for, Tracy. I wanted you to know how God is using him even in this time of doubt.

   Tracy has always had an empathetic heart for people, and a gentleness that makes them feel safe with him. As Trace drifted into the tattooed, pierced, smoking crowd, we began to meet, through Tracy, many of these "lost boys". I knew they were out there, teens whose parents kicked them out or gave up on them out of laziness or indifference. I had wanted to do something for these kids who huddled together like puppies in a box trying to stay warm. Through Tracy, I was able to.

   Our first "spare son" was Andy K., who had lots of family in Kalispell, but none who wanted him. Tracy asked if Andy could live with us, we reluctantly agreed. Andy was the first of eight young men who have lived with us from 2-18 months, although not more than three "spares" have lived with us at one time. Living at our house comes with rules and parents, so the partiers generally aren't willing to stay even for the cheap rent and good food. My job is to feed them and make them hungry, to act as the mother they never had, and to give them an appetite for spiritual things. I have had more opportunities to share my testimony in the past two years than in the 20 years previous. It is a seed planting ministry, I don't know when the fruit will come, but I am so blessed to be a part of what God is doing. One of the young men is as much a son to me as any of the children God gave me. Through Lance, I learned a little of what the supernatural love of God is like. Another has become my son in the faith and is blossoming like a flower despite being in jail. He was Lance's cellmate.

   It is wonderful to know that, in spite of Tracy's disobedience (and mine), God can meet us, and use us, right where we are. I hope this is an encouragement to you. Thanks for your prayers,

 

                                                                                           Connie 

 

   Since the last of the lost boys left, I have heard from only one of them. He is doing well, making a good life for himself in spite of his very broken family. When the season of the spare sons ended, the Lord asked me if I could love them like He does, for years at a time, without getting anything in return. I told Him yes. Nearly 18 years later, I am still saying yes, content in the knowledge that not one of them are lost to God.

 

 

Shaping Up

   The running gags in the later decades of our marriage are that when people ask how long we have been married, Reed tells how many years, but adds, 50 with the chill factor. Mine is that I am giving him 50 years to shape up or I'm out of here. We are joking of course, when we married at age 20, we knew we were in for a life sentence. But actually, after 48 years of marriage, Reed has begun to shape up. I think part of the reason is because he is cutting back at work. I cannot really call what he is now doing retirement, if I tried to throw a retirement party for him, he would probably be too busy to come. Reed is working on airplanes as much as ever, just different airplanes, and in different hangars. The other change is, now that he is no longer a director of maintenance, in charge of both aircraft and hangar, he has begun to notice more things involved with our home/hangout. Fortunately, he is not one of those husbands I had been warned about who retire and decide to become the household manager and "improve" how his wife has been doing things for decades. It is more that since jet maintenance is no longer the continual subroutine playing in his brain, he has begun to notice other things. 

   Things like--the dishwasher needs unloaded. He was always willing to unload it when I asked or when he heard me doing it, but he never noticed it on his own. He has not only learned where most things go, but sometimes puts them in a more logical place than where I was putting them. Similarly, he always helped clear the table after dinner, but it was mostly a one trip effort. Then he would wander off to do something else regardless of how much was still on the table. Now he keeps at it until things are put away, even at holidays when, in the 40 to 60 minutes to it took me to get leftovers put away and clean up the kitchen, our guests had finished visiting and were ready to leave. I like feeding people, but getting to hear what is happening in other people's lives, feeds me. After everyone said goodbye and left our recent Easter dinner, Reed went into the kitchen to finish cutting the meat off the ham bone, load remaining items in the dishwasher, and hand wash the roaster and pans. This is usually my least favorite part and he could tell I was tired from all the food prep the previous day.

   Another way he is shaping up is the discovery, after 48 years of marriage, that Reed knows how to vacuum! He actually does a more thorough job than I do. When he was working, I was lucky if Reed made it home in time to set up chairs and tray tables for our twice monthly 7 p.m. small group. Now he tries to leave the airport at 4 so he will have time to vacuum before setting up. Who knows what hidden talents I may discover about my husband in the future?

   Our 50th anniversary will be in June 2027. Plans for it depend on what kind of shape my ankle is in since it is difficult to travel without walking. After our anniversary, Reed will have to revise his chill factor joke to 55 years, but I am not going to raise the 50 year deadline for him to shape up. Whenever and wherever we choose to get out of here for that milestone, we will do it together.