How to Turn a Car

In their hearts humans plan their course,

    but the Lord establishes their steps.  Proverbs 16:9 NIV

            My high school class just celebrated their 40^th reunion. Although I was not able to attend, the pictures and faces from the Facebook pages brought back a flood of memories. Some even made me smile on the outside.

            It was early May of 1978, and the rigors of dress rehearsals for the spring musical “Mame” were beginning to take their toll. This was the time for pranks and practical jokes. Most were in fun; some were just plain classics. There was the time that a few of the gentlemen sneaked into the ladies changing room while they were on stage and switched around everyone’s clothes. The ladies retaliated by sewing all of our jean legs shut, the innocent included. And a good time was had by all. (Notice that names have been omitted because no one was really innocent.)

            One of the better pranks was when some of the gentlemen put another student’s VW Bug directly midpoint between two trees. There was just enough room for it to fit with a foot or so between each bumper. (To be honest, I cannot take credit for this one. I must have been detained elsewhere.) It was surprisingly easy to put it there. VW Bugs are comparatively light, so five or six strapping young men could easily carry it into position. As I remember, it took the driver over an hour of back and forth maneuvering to get it free.

One thing I have noticed about cars is that they are much easier to guide when they are moving. Try turning a car sitting still! Depending on the vehicle, and your age, it might take the whole neighborhood to do it. It can be done, but it is a lot of work! On the other hand, if you start the engine and put it in gear, it is a simple matter of turning the steering wheel.

            It reminds me of how many Christians go through their life.  They need a job. They want to find the perfect soulmate. They want out of their rut. The list goes on. They want God to show them the way so they know what to do, yet they basically just sit there, both physically and figuratively.

There are times where God just picks you up and turns you around. Yet in my experience, it is when I am out doing something that God does the guiding. He may even have me do a U-turn, but it is always much easier when I am busy doing what I know to do at that moment. Need guidance from God? Pray. Then go help someone. Love people. Be his hands and feet. You might be pleasantly surprised where you end up! Remember that verse you learned as a child?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

It is still works, even after all these years…

The Purpose of Life

The purpose of life is to discover your gift.

The work of life is to develop it.

The meaning of life is to give your gift away.

  “Finding Your Strength in Difficult Times: A Book of Meditations” by David Viscott 1993

            What is the meaning of life? People have pondered, puzzled and prayed in search of the answer. Some think they must climb a mountain to find a “wise man” with the answer. Others just wander aimlessly, clueless of the truth. The truly wise are content in its fulfillment.

            When I ran across the above quote some time ago, it helped me to understand. There is more to your purpose that just a simple answer. Yet, I like how Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 sums it up.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (KJV)

But how does one fulfill his or her duty/purpose? First, you must discover your gift(s). I intimate gifts, because I think that most people have more than one. As a Left Hand Man (see August 2012 if you are still confused) my main gift is helping wherever, whenever at whatever I can. I can do only a few things excellently, but I can do many things well. My oldest son remarked recently, “Ask my dad. He can fix almost anything”. An overstatement to be sure, but 30 years of being on a Christian school teacher’s salary with 5 children has a way of bringing out the MacGyver in a guy.

I do try to continually learn and find out how things work. Some of this is self-driven; some has been thrust upon me. Nevertheless, it is all part of my Left Hand personality. Instead of being frustrated by being the “plug in” guy, I have embraced it and tried to nurture it. Now it has even become more of a game; what new thing are we going to learn today?

The secret is continually learning.  Read, study, take things apart, ask questions. I also  recommend that you keep a notebook of charts, diagrams, ideas, and solutions. Realistically, the brain can one hold so much. To me, there is no worse feeling than to know you have done something before, but now cannot remember how you did it. Write it down!

           What gives heart to all of your talent is helping those who cannot help you back. I have been given so much valuable information along the way, most of it given freely. The older I get, the more material things begin to lose their allure. Now don’t get me wrong. Would I like a new fishing boat? Yes! Yes I would. Do I need a new fishing boat? Probably not. In fact I get along pretty well without it. (Being able to fix things can come in very handy.) Besides, then I would need a truck for transport, and also a place to store it. Then there is the upkeep. Eventually it can get out of hand. Somehow, I find it more fun to help people rather than charge them. If they insist on paying something, I don’t mind, but it is not my main goal. In these almost 58 years, God has never failed to meet my needs. I try to remember that as a human, I owe an unpayable debt. I have found that if you live your life as debtor to Christ, giving away your talent is not hard at all. There is always someone giving back. Certainly, you should work hard at your job and take care of your family. But do not forget to share your talents with those around you. The sowing and reaping principle is impossible to hide from. You will never out give God.

Who's He?

Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber. Genesis 10:24 NIV

Arphaxad. The sum total of what we know about him from the Bible is found in a few verses in Genesis. Although he is also mentioned in a couple of the Apocryphal books, there is still very little information about him. We do know he was a son of Shem, Noah’s eldest son.

In Genesis 11:12-13, we find that he was 35 when his only listed son, Shelah was born.   later had other “sons and daughters”, and died at the ripe old age of 403. Quite humbling to have your life’s work summed up in only a few sentences, and that only to name your progeny.

So who was he? What did he accomplish? Was he a good father, a good husband? We may never really know.

What we do know is that he was there. He married and raised a family. One can only assume that he worked, built, traded, upgraded, learned, cried, laughed, loved, and lost. He lived 403 years; he surely must have seen and felt every emotion possible to man.

Yet for all his time lived, we know very little. So why is that important? Even though the Scriptures do not detail any of his mortal accomplishments, there is one thing that stands out. He existed, and made sure his children carried on the lineage. Without Arphaxad, there would be no Shelah, consequently, no Abraham, David, or Joseph the stepfather of Jesus Christ. He may not have been important enough to be mentioned as a great leader or hero, but he was vital to the continuance of the kingly line.

So what does that mean for us? It means it is OK that we are not famous. It means it doesn’t matter that only a few hundred people may ever know we exist. The fact that we do exist, and that we can influence our family, friends, and those around us to life meaningful lives and live up to their true potential, matters. We may not be the noteworthy individual of our generation, but one of our descendants may be. Live for those around us. Live for future generations.  Live for eternity!