Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Linda and BobGod knew what he was doing when he led Nate and I to our Michigan cottage. Unbeknownst to us, the couple right next door would rescue us again and again. Bob and Linda have taken it upon themselves to help widows and others who need… well… anything.

Bob is a jack of all trades and cheerfully tackles problems with gusto. He often partners with his friend Gunnar, and the two of them make work look much like play. I’ll never forget the day they came to help when our power went out, the only house in the neighborhood to go dark. After trying all the usual tricks with our old fuse box, they discovered the power line from the house to the street had been slowly strangled by tree bark. Thanks to their creative thinking, I had power that same hour.

Installing the dishwasherA few years ago Bob and Gunnar brought my kitchen into the 21st century by installing a dishwasher. After five weeks of dishes-by-hand virtually around the clock while our family was together that year, I determined that before the relatives returned, I’d have a dishwasher.

As the two men worked, I learned that installing a dishwasher requires creative plumbing and electrical skills, as well as a rib cage strong enough to lean on the sharp edge of an under-sink cabinet for a long, long time.

 

Gunnar and BobOccasionally I heard them say, “Oh oh,” or “What about this?” as they worked half-in and half-out of the cabinet. But when I asked if there was a problem, they laughed and said, “It’ll all be fine.” And it was.

The first time Bob and Gunnar fixed something for us years ago, I remember saying, “Thanks for the help. I’m sure you’d rather do other things  with your afternoon.”

Bob’s interesting retort was, “This is what we like to do.” Because they’ve solved problems for me again and again, I know it’s true.

These men are retired, but not really. They’ve just shifted their work focus. Both love the Lord wholeheartedly and spend a great deal of time volunteering at the church and on outreach projects near and far.

Bob and GunnarThey’ve been first responders to disaster scenes all over the world during their “retirement,” doing whatever needed doing when they got there.

I see these two as the hands and feet of Jesus, putting the interests of “neighbors” ahead of their own. Lucky for me, they often choose to make it a beautiful day for the widow right next door.

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself’.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

In His Words, Conclusion

Nate's letter to NelsonThe last two blogs have quoted from a letter written by Nate to Nelson in which he summarized his life, including successes and failures. The letter must have been difficult to write, as he was entrusting his grown son with confidential information he hadn’t previously shared with anyone.

My guess is that Nate was doing what all parents hope to do: passing along the valuable lessons he’d learned in the School of Hard Knocks. The letter still ministers to me, because he was willing to share such intimate detail about his failures and their consequences. We all know failure can be life’s footpath to success, but it isn’t easy to expose your heart to this depth of honesty.

Below is the conclusion to his 5 page letter as he tries to answer the question of what the Lord wants from him as a Christian man:

What does Jesus want me to devote my energies to?

Hating those who wronged me? Or seeking His guidance and working for Him and my family? As Christian men, we know the answer. In our “struggle against sin,” we take encouragement that the Lord disciplines those He loves. 

Now, when I practice law, I think of the heavenly reason why I do it. That is my “race.” Not my choice, but my “race.” There are missteps and down days, but the purpose is sure.  

Paul struggled with sin as all Christian men do. (Romans 7:7-25). Christ rescues us from sin. Service to others is paramount (1 Corinthians 16:15-18). We live as children of light (Ephesians 4:17-32) 

I share the details of my life with you so you can see the human difficulty of trying to live a Christ-centered life – we cannot do it alone. We must rely on Him every day. If we don’t, we all stray. We read His word and pray, or we lose to the world. 

Love, Papa

The pain of Nate’s struggle is evident in his words. Thankfully, he recognized the removal of his “fortunes” as God’s discipline after he had become too enamored with money. He also realized the Lord was disciplining him out of a heart of love.

I well remember the angst of those days of business failure and despair. Reading Nate’s letter, especially as he reveals his change of heart, brings encouragement to me today. It’s heartening to realize that through all the upheaval, Nate felt loved by God.

Maybe his words will lift another who is currently fighting a money battle, wondering where the Lord’s rescue might be. Although God did rescue Nate (on this earth), it had nothing to do with restoring the money he’d lost but everything to do with changing his heart.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.” (Psalm 91:14)

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Up to Down to Up

A while ago several of my kids and I got a kick out of watching the comedian Jerry Seinfeld on DVD. One of his bits has stuck with me, a clever commentary on children and their parents:

When you’re little, your life is up. The future is up. Everything you want is up.

“Wait up! Hold up! Shut up! Mom, I’ll clean up! Just let me stay…up!”

 Parents, of course, are just the opposite. Everything is down.

“Calm down. Slow down. Come down here. Sit down. Put that… down!”

In another week, all 9 of my grandchildren will be at my house. I’ve been working to baby-proof the rooms, removing breakables and swallowable objects as I go. No matter how I try, though, their parents will find all sorts of interesting things in those youthful mouths.

Toddlers and pre-schoolers are experts at reaching the things we adults think have been put… up. Not even the kitchen counters are safe once they figure out the stools. And so we do what level-headed adults do: we put stuff up higher.

Car keys, cell phones, ipods, DVDs, candles, phone chargers and other valuables will end up heaped in places we can barely reach. To us it’ll be a slight inconvenience. To the children it’ll be frustration. Their days will be spent looking… up, and scheming to bring stuff… down.

The problem comes in having cross purposes. Our little people judge themselves capable of handling adult-only items, while we know their touch brings death to valuables. Interestingly, when we provide substitutes, (toy phones or blank keys), they quickly learn the ploy and toss them aside.

Little children are to us what we are to God. When we look to him, it’s always “up.” He’s higher than we are in all categories, and his decisions to keep certain things out of our reach are for our good. Just as kids can’t understand why they can’t have our breakables, we get frustrated when God doesn’t give us what we want, too.

Children whine and reach endlessly for whatever is too high for them, but I ought never to whine at God. His “up’s” should be allowed to stay there without me complaining about it. When I’m wanting what he doesn’t want me to have, I’m missing what has already come… down… and is available to me: Jesus himself. 

Someday, after a new heaven and earth come… down, even  frustrated toddlers will finally be able to reach everything that used to be… up.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming… down… from the Father of the heavenly lights.” (James 1:17)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. I’m thankful for a family-filled holiday weekend and for feeling good after 2 weeks away from chemo.
  2. Please pray I’ll have an improved attitude about going back to chemo. Once I’m feeling good, it’s very hard to head back into it.