Great-Grandpa and the Bible

A few weeks ago I was visiting my parents when my mom found an old Bible. After a few minutes of searching through the well worn pages that were full of notes she discovered the name on the front cover. Lawrence. My great-grandpa.

I never got to meet him but I've heard about great-grandpa my whole life. Mom let me borrow his Bible so I could look through it. Getting to read the notes that he wrote in his Bible, notes about his faith and the lessons he learned, notes from classes he taught and sermons he gave. Notes about God's faithfulness and the hard times that the Lord carried him through, including the death of his third son.

It's an amazing treasure to read all these notes and learn from his legacy of faith so many years after he's gone home to heaven. And that's really what it is. A legacy. Great-Grandpa was a carpenter and although some would look at the houses he built and point to those as his legacy I would argue that his faith was his real legacy.

Of course sometimes it takes me a little while to try read what Grandpa wrote. He had a tendency to misspell things (Mom I come by it naturally!) and he wrote in all caps, funny thing is, my grandpa, Great-Grandpa's son, writes like that too. Plus all of the typed notes stuck in the Bible were written on a typewriter so there's random spaces in the wrong place and things couldn't be corrected if they were typed wrong. (I've never been so grateful for my backspace button!)

Anyways today I just want to give you a peek into the legacy of my great-grandpa and share a couple of stories about this amazing man and the legacy he's passed on, through his children and grandchildren and through this Bible he faithfully read and notated.

Great-Grandpa Lawrence always said that he wasn't a preacher. He insisted on it. But in his Bible I've found notes from classes he's taught, there's probably notes from sermons he gave too. Because here's the thing- this man who 'wasn't a preacher' preached at a church for over twenty years every Sunday because they couldn't afford to hire a pastor.
I don't know the details of how it all happened but I guess there was this little church around 25 miles from where Grandpa lived. They didn't have enough money so they asked Grandpa to 'fill in'. They gave him enough money to drive back and forth each Sunday. He worked his regular job Monday- Friday, was raising a whole houseful of little ones and drove all that way every week to preach at this church.
But don't mistake him for a pastor.
I'd have loved to see the look on his face when Jesus gave him his heavenly reward for that service and explained that he had indeed been a preacher.

One of my other all time favorite stories about Great-Grandpa is from the Great Depression. My great-grandparents had four little ones at this time I believe. They ended up on the welfare list, a list everyone wanted on because the government would give you some money in a time when there wasn't any. One day they welfare lady came to give them their money and Grandpa said to her something along the lines of, "Well, Helen and I have prayed about it and we've decided we want you to take us off this list. You can put someone else on it who needs it. God's going to take care of us."
Let me put this in perspective. They had four kids at home! It was the Great Depression! And someone was offering them money but they turned it down! Can you imagine? That's a lot of faith to trust that the Lord will provide not just for you, not for your spouse but also for your children. During a time when the whole country was out of work, out of food and couldn't even pay the most basic bills.

As a side note of the six kids that my great-grandparents had one died young, two sons became pastors and their two daughters married pastors. The other one has faithfully served the church and helped others for many, many years.

You set a great example Great-Grandpa. You definitely raised up your children in the way they should go and now that they're old they haven't departed from it.

Somehow it seems fitting that my last story wouldn't be one that was told to me but one that I found in Grandpa's Bible. Stuck in the pages of Exodus there's some notes from what looks to be a Sunday School class Grandpa was teaching. At least I'm assuming it was a Sunday School class but it may have been a sermon, I'm not sure.

The verse is Exodus 33:14 "And he said, 'My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.'" Somehow in the class that led them to talk about clinging to the past. Be it a past memory, or experience or tradition. The notes point out that history is to be taken seriously, we all feel the need to have roots and we can all be 'helped by precedents and patterns that are headed down to us from the yesterdays'. And after all those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

But then the notes go on to explain that although the answer is yes it's only to a point. 'To observe the past is wisdom. To be obsessed by it is folly.'

So there it is, my Great-Grandpa, the legacy he left that we can learn from, but not be obsessed by and the Bible that I'm getting to study from someone else's perspective. Thank you for your faith Grandpa, thank you for the example you left, thank you for showing me how to keep living for the Lord when things get difficult.

Narnia

Have you ever been asked if you could sit down and talk with someone (other then Jesus), dead or alive, who would it be? There's so many great answers but often I pick one man whose faith, testimony, and imagination have fascinated me for many years. C. S. Lewis.

A couple of years ago my parents gave me the Chronicles of Narnia on CD Since the only CD player I have is in my car it's taken me quite a long time to get through the books. As I listen to them though I find amazing gems of truth buried inside these stories.

One quote is from The Horse and His Boy. There's this beautiful scene near the end of the story where Aslan, the great lion who is a picture of Jesus, appears to the weary travelers that the story has been following. Aslan calls forward the horse, Bree, but the horse is too afraid to approach the lion. Trembling and afraid he refuses to go forward to the lion. Aslan's reply is simple but profound.

"Do not dare, not to dare."

In the moment when I heard this line it hit me. This is what God says to us about approaching His throne. We have no right to approach the throne of Christ. We are not worthy but we're still told to come. By refusing to go to the throne we're throwing the gift of God's love and Christ's sacrifice back in His face. That's not how I want to react! I want to dare to approach Christ with trembling and fear but also with thankfulness and gratitude that I'm even allowed to be on the very outskirts much less wrapped in the arms of my loving Heavenly Father.



In the Voyage of the Dawn Treader when the crew of the ship is sailing through a cave of that makes all of their worst fears come to life Lucy (who is my favorite character from any of the books) is terrified and she calls out to Aslan. A bird suddenly comes from out of nowhere and lands on the mast of the ship in that moment the bird says something amazing to Lucy.

"Courage, dear heart."

Courage. When you're in the midst of the most terrifying moment of your life take courage. Not because you yourself have the courage to get through what's going on but because you know that God is still in control. He's got this. He's got you and He will get you through whatever is happening. Have courage.

Dear heart. This is the other reason I like this quote so much. The bird, which I think might be Aslan in a different form but don't quote me on that, calls Lucy this wonderful term of endearment. Dear heart. Lucy is dear to Aslan as we are so very dear to the Lord. We begin to understand how dear we are to Him when we give our hearts to Him. Dear heart, because we are dear. That's something I often need a reminder of when I'm in the midst of a situation that requires me to have courage. I am dear to the Lord and He has not abandoned me.




A couple of times in two different books a variation of this quote appears. The time I'm thinking of is in the final book of the series, The Last Battle.
Just as the king and his faithful companions are about to ride into battle Tirian says something along the lines of this amazing quote.

"Let us go forth and take the adventure that Aslan has sent us."

Now from the title you can probably tell, they're about to head into a battle. A crazy, intense battle and they don't know if they'll live through it but they still go. Why? Because they know that Aslan has put them in this place, at this time, for this reason. They trust him so much they will ride into battle.

How often do we look at a situation and go... "Umm... I'm not so sure about this God... maybe I heard you wrong." What we should be saying is okay- this is where you put me so this is where I'm going to stay, or go, or do, whatever adventure it is you've given me.




So there it is advice from C.S. Lewis to encourage you in your faith given to you through the mouths of his characters. I hope it touches your heart like it did mine.

It Builds Character!

All my life I heard the words, "It builds character!" Every time I complained about something I didn't want to do or something that was difficult, that was my dad's response. "It builds character!"

So when I didn't know how to make coffee and I complained I didn't want to learn, "It builds character!"
When my siblings were mean to me and I went to Dad crying, he dealt with the problem and told me that... it builds character!
Dealing with my extended family... builds character.
Having to keep going back to school when third grade was soooo hard!!!! It builds character.
Sharing a room and having to clean it... it builds character.
Learning to do my own laundry... builds character.

Doing the dishes, making your bed, going to bed on time, finishing your homework, helping Mom set the table, learning to make dinner, taking the garbage out and picking up after yourself... it builds character.

At some point I started asking when I was going to have enough character! I mean goodness, gracious, at some point this character thing has to pay off right?

These days as an adult I go to work even when I'm tired, I go to bed- not because someone told me to but because I know I have to get up when the alarm goes off. I get up when the alarm goes off because I know there are things that need done. I can make my own coffee, make my own dinner and even do the dishes. I do my own laundry and sometimes I even fold it.
I keep my mouth shut so that I can avoid putting my foot in it (most of the time). I've learned to get along with people even when they're difficult. I don't give up on people every time they irritate me. I stick it out even when things get hard.
My bills get paid on time. I can check my own oil and tire pressure on my car. And I don't miss appointments.
I know how to say I'm sorry and admit when I've made a mistake, I've learned to ask for forgiveness, and I remember to tell people they're important to me. I say 'I love you', give hugs and I've learned to celebrate the little things.
I pray and read my Bible, my faith isn't just something I say but a relationship that affects my whole life.

I probably have a long way to go, I know there's a lot more things that I'll face that will build more character but all in all Dad I'd say I've come a long way. So there you go- all those times you've told me that it would build character, well you were right. It has.

Thanks Dad, for helping build my character. Happy Father's Day.

The Secrets of the Job

You know how every job has it's secrets. Those things they don't really want to tell you until after you start and they convince you that it's a great place to work with great people, the money is good and you're really invested. Then you learn everything else. Those dirty little secrets that you had started to suspect over the probation time but hadn't been sure of yet.

Okay so I'm being dramatic and most jobs don't have that. But as some of you know I've recently gone through a job change (as far as I know my new job isn't hiding any of these dirty little secrets but... I am still in training) and during this time I've also been taking up some side jobs, house sitting, cleaning, that kind of thing.

Just for fun I took incidents from different jobs I've done and threw them together for this blog. These are the stories that you wait a good five years or so to tell because it's just embarrassing but underneath that it's also pretty funny.

There was the time that I was house sitting and the owners told me I could park in the garage. Great! I've never parked in a garage before. Literally never. So I'm excited by this prospect. So my first full day at the house I get the garage opener and put it in my car, when I get back that day I open up the garage and proceed to pull in. Unforutnately I'm paying too much attention to where the dogs are running around my car and not as much attention to where other things are.
Don't panic, I didn't hit the dogs. I did however pull forward a bit, trying to get far enough in I'm out of the way of the garage door so I can close it when I hear a crunch. Immediately I throw the car in the park and jump out of the seat. Sure enough I caught the dog's bowl under my tire and cracked it pretty badly.
That was a fun note to write to the owner's. Hey um... I kind of, sort of, 100% ran over the dog's bowl. I can pay for it if you want.

Then there was the time when some friends were staying with me at this place I was watching. My friend got there and I offered to help her unload the car. So we headed out the front door and out of habit I pulled it shut behind me and... the door was locked. My keys were inside, along with my cell phone. Thankfully she still had her keys with her so we drove to our church, just a couple minutes away, and used the directory to call the son of the people we were house sitting for. He had a spare key and worked from home so he was was able to come let us in. Thank goodness!

How about the time I was cooking chicken on a gas stove and using a plastic spatula. I got distracted and leaned it against the frying pan while I dealt with something. Now remember- gas stove means open flame. Open flame and plastic spatula means I came back to a melted spatula. Another fun note to write. Aye, aye, aye!

At a job I was using this industrial stapler to put together boxes. It's operated by foot pedal and stands on three legs. As I was putting together these boxes it shifted and I didn't realize it. I folded a box and set it up to staple when I pressed the pedal down with my right foot it came down hard on my left foot. When I was stapling the stapler had shifted so it was over my foot and I hadn't paid attention. That one left a nice bruise the next day.

One time I babysat three kids who were a bit of terrors. I was trying to make dinner and the stove wouldn't work. In the meantime the kids flooded the fish tank, opened up a window, climbed outside then when I went to get them they ran away and came back in the front door. I was trying to control that when the little girl went and locked herself in her parents room where she wasn't supposed to be. I don't remember what else happened that night but in the end I didn't babysit for them again.

Every job has it's idiosyncrasies. From weird T.V. set ups that are super confusing to run, to internet that doesn't run properly. Gates that open but then close again automatically so you when you hit the button it opens again and you don't realize it to very beautiful but loud clocks that you finally stop so you can sleep then reset before you leave. Smoke detectors that go off with the steam from the shower and accidents that happen.
It's life, no way around it. The best thing you can do is laugh, shrug your shoulders, notify whoever is in charge and move on. It's frustrating at the time but later you'll have a great story to tell,or a post for your blog! Hopefully one that gives everyone a smile and a laugh.

Memorials

Stonehenge War Memorial- Klickitat County, Washington State

A while back while on a trip with my brother and Dad we stopped at the Stonehenge War Memorial in Klickitat County, Washington State. Across the way from the Stonehenge replica is this memorial, shown in the picture. It lists those from Klickitat county who have laid down their lives in different wars. It's a sobering place to visit but also one that I felt honored to stand in front of. Standing there I was able to pray for the families of these brave warriors, and thank God for their sacrifice.

As an American there are few things that I hold more precious then our men and women in uniform who willingly go into danger to protect us and the freedom that we cherish. Memorial Day was last Monday and even though this post is a few days after I just want to take a moment to say thank you. To all laid down their lives in defense of our nation, thank you. To all who have had a loved one lay down their life in defense of our nation, thank you.

Switching gears a bit I want to talk about what memorials are. Why do we have them? What's the point? One of my favorite places in the Bible that talks about memorials is in Joshua 4. For now let's just look at verses 1-9.

"When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 'Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.'

So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, 'Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, "What do these stones mean?" tell them that the flow of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.'

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day."

So why set up this memorial? What was the point? Well it's said right there, 'In the future, when your children ask you, "What do these stones mean?" tell them that..."
These stones weren't just a random pile of rocks. They were a remembrance, a memorial, of what God had done for the people of Israel. To remind them of how He had brought them out of Egypt, out of slavery and into the promised land. So that even after those who witnessed these miracles firsthand passed away their children and their children's children, would remember what God had done.

I am not an authority on memorials. And there's so many directions that I could go with this post but today I want to keep it simple and leave you with just a few thoughts.

First, honor those who have gone before you. Soldiers who have given up their lives for you, families who have said goodbye to loved ones so you can enjoy your freedom. Ordinary heroes who have struggled so you can enjoy the privileges that we have today.

Second, what has God done in your own life that you want to remember? What things has He brought you through that you want to share with others, that you can point to and say 'Let me tell you about this time that God brought me through this situation'. What memorial can you set up to remind you, and remind others of God's promises and faithfulness in your own life and the lives of others.