Craftsmen

I know last week was Father's Day. And I didn't forget. I didn't post about it because last week's post was something really on my heart that I didn't want to delay in sharing. Today's post was intended to be my Father's Day post of sorts. It's late because I actually did forget to finish writing it but such is life, here it is.

As I write this I'm staring at wooden wall hanging of a wolf that my great uncle made. He, like many in my family was a craftsmen. I have an extremely high regard for those creative people who take the time to hone their God-given abilities, training their hands and their eyes and cultivating their craft to bring something beautiful about. My dad is a craftsmen, as was his dad and they've passed that on to my brother and one of my cousins. Craftsmen are a rare breed. They take pride in their work, as they should, and they create things that the rest of us can admire.

My dad, like me, is a big fan of C.S. Lewis. Recently he forwarded one of C.S. Lewis' letters about craftsmanship to me. Actually it's a letter from C.S. Lewis to his dad. Let me share an excerpt with you. 

"One feels the people behind them more: the nameless craftsmen in this or that gargoyle which is different from every other."

I love this line so much. Craftsmen are one amazing example of God's creativity. Just as God shapes and loving creates each one of us to be unique and beautiful, craftsmen work tirelessly to manipulate their medium until they get the right angle and the exact edge. They refine their craft and don't stop working until their satisfied with the outcome. Sometimes they're the only ones who notice the subtle differences that make the project beautiful, the little things that make one gargoyle different from the others.

It's a labor of love for these unique people. I've watched my dad work on countless projects. He'll spend hours pouring over the designs, tweaking this here or changing that there. Sometimes he gets frustrated and scraps the whole thing then starts over. Eventually he goes to work, selecting the right wood and making sure he has the right tools. He designs each piece, taking the time to get them right before he assembles them. 

These projects can take huge amounts of time but when he's done he's left with something to be proud of. Recently I realized that his dedication to his craft is a lot like his parenting method. He took the time to teach us each lessons. He spent time with us, shaping us and molding us. Disciplining us when necessary and loving us always. Those countless hours and lessons shaped us into the adults we are today and, like in his wood work, I'm happy to say we've all become people he is proud of.

As God blesses craftsmen with their skills and shapes people into unique creations He gives parents a special responsibility to train up and raise their children. It's not an easy task. And like with working a craft it's a labor of love but done well the finished project will be the best thing you've ever done.

Thanks Dad for being a craftsmen with more then just wood and teaching us all the important things about life and loving the Lord. Happy Father's Day (again). I love you!

The Remnant

There's this amazing story in 1 Kings 18 that shows God's incredible power. It's the story of Elijah defeating the prophets of Baal. But that's not the story we're talking about today. Today we're talking about what happened next. After Elijah's great defeat he fled in fear. It's kind of funny and so very human. But it's still not the story we're talking about.

The story we are talking about is what happened next. After Elijah fled, the Lord gave Him shelter in a cave. The passage is 1 Kings 19:9-18. Most of the time when people study this passage they're talking about how God wasn't in the wind or the earthquake or the fire, God was in the quiet. There's another part of this passage though and it's about why Elijah was in the cave in the first place.

See, Elijah was depressed. Yes, he'd had a great defeat but there were 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah that ate at the queen's table alone. And who stood up to those 850 false prophets? Elijah. Just Elijah. Yes, of course he had God on His side but it was one man against all those others. After the defeat he had this time of depression and when God took him to the cave God asked him, "Why are you here Elijah?" And his response in verse 10 is something we too often overlook.

"I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away."

Elijah felt so alone. He believed that he was the only prophet of the Lord left. Then when God comes to Elijah in the quiet He asks the same question again. "What are you doing here Elijah?" And again he answers similarly in verse 14.

But the Lord sends him back out with instructions and then this encouragement in verse 18. "Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."

And that's the part I love so much. Right now people are struggling. Many have barely left their house in months. Many are angry. Many are scared and are searching for truth. They're are people who feel alone and this is such an amazing reminder that we are not.

We are not alone in this time of uncertainty. God always has remnant of believers that stay faithful to Him. Always. And in recent times it feels like many of those remnant have fallen away but still the faithful will remain. We are being refined by fire friends. So search your hearts and stay faithful to the Lord.

Teaching Faith

A while back my Grandpa called me to tell me he had seen something interesting in his Bible reading that I might want to write about. It's the same story that he's preached countless sermons on and one that I can see affected his and Grandma's lives and their daughter's lives. It's found in 2 Kings 4:1-7

There's a widow of a prophet, one that may have worked with or for Elisha but don't quote me on that. Either way the widow says that her husband revered the Lord. The widow comes to him and says that her husband is dead and that they have no money to pay their debts. Because of this the creditor is coming and he's going to take her two boys and sell them into slavery. She's obviously devastated and desperate. 

The simple answer would have been to just give her some money. Maybe Elisha didn't have money to give her. His first question is "How can I help you?" My first thought would probably be to say I don't know you're the prophet you figure it out! Either that or throw a good old fashioned (pun intended) Biblical fundraiser but God had other ideas how to take care of His servants. 

Elisha next asked her what she had in her house and she replied there was nothing except for "a small jar of olive oil". It's funny but the way I read it is almost as an after thought. 'I've got nothing! Well I do have a little bit of oil but come on Elisha! What's that going to do?' Maybe she wasn't quite as skeptical as me though because here's what happened next.

Elisha told her to go around and ask all the neighbors for empty jars, not just a few so I'm guessing she was supposed to ask for as many as she could find. Then he told her "go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each one is filled, put it to one side." Now I have no idea what she was thinking but she followed the instructions. 

The Bible tells us that she and her sons collected the jars and the oil continued flowing until all the jars had been filled! Afterwards Elisha told her to sell the oil, pay off the debts and there would be enough left over for her and her sons to live off of.

There's several good points in this story, all revolving around faith, but the one that Grandpa pointed out that I can see in his life and his kid's lives? Teaching faith. See when Elisha gave the widow instructions for the miracle that was about to take place he told her to take her sons with her and shut the door. Why? I mean sure, maybe they were the ones who moved the jars but she could've left the jars where they were and moved over to fill each one on her own just as easily. No, the reason, although not spelled out in the Bible for us, I believe is to illustrate the importance of teaching children faith. 

The Bible gives us lots of instructions about teaching children faith and this is one more. Those boys witnessing that miracle, that's something that would be very hard to ever forget. From God's provision to their mother's belief to the oil not stopping it would've left it's mark. 

In the same way I know that my grandparents lived by faith and they taught their five girls to do the same. All five of them have also lived lives of faith and worked to teach their children to do that also. This is why it's so important to let your children see your struggles and your answered prayers. It's teaching them faith.

Stop Talking and Listen

Years ago I was at my grandparents house and my uncle was working on some wiring for them. They needed someone to go into the crawl space to string some wire. I'm slightly claustrophobic and I don't like the dark but armed with a flashlight and the promise that they would keep talking to me I headed down underneath the house. At first everything was fine but then suddenly I couldn't hear anyone anymore. Immediately panic set in. 

I remember I started yelling. "Guys? Can you hear me? Guys!" I was screaming, asking if they could hear me, asking if they were still there. I was terrified. I don't know how long it went on for but it felt like forever until I heard my uncle's voice again, assuring me they were there and that I was okay. 

That's what calmed me down again. Knowing I wasn't alone. That I hadn't been abandoned. That even though I was scared I would be okay because someone I knew and trusted was there to help make sure I got out of that scary situation.

After I got back out of the crawl space I asked my aunt and uncle what had happened. Why had they stopped talking all of the sudden? Where had they gone? Do you know what he told me? My uncle said something along the lines of, "Sweetheart, we were there the whole time. We were talking to you but you were screaming so loud you couldn't hear us."

Recently I started thinking about that in relation to prayer. So often we pray and ask God for this or that but then we don't stop to listen for His answer. We ask and ask and ask but we're so busy talking we don't listen. We're panicking about what we don't have, what He hasn't given us or why He hasn't provided that we don't stop and just listen for what He is saying. What He has given us or how He has already started to provide. 

It doesn't mean we always get the answer we want. Sometimes the answer is no. Or not right now. Sometimes He says wait. Other times it's a yes but we're so distracted we don't even hear it. It makes we wonder how many answered prayers I've missed over the years. How many times do I ask for something and then forget about it, I get so distracted I don't even remember to say thank you. Now I know that there are a lot of times that God answers prayers we haven't asked. How many more of those have I missed?

Most importantly, no matter what the answer is, I don't have the reminder that I am not alone. He always listens to my prayers and He always there for me. He's always the One that I can trust who will never abandon me. The more time I take to listen the more I am reminded of those facts and everything in life is better when I keep that in mind.

There's no way to know how many times I've missed an answer to pray. There is a way to change it in the future though. It's time that I stopped talking so much and spent some time listening instead. I'll be more likely to hear the answers to prayer, I'll be more grateful when I do and I'll be reminded that I'm not alone and He hasn't abandoned me. That's a whole lot of good things that just come from me being quiet and listening.

Creation's Wonders and Artisan's Beauty

If you've been following this blog for any amount of time you probably know by now that I'm a big C.S. Lewis fan. What you may not know is that my dad is a fan too. (Mom's a fan also FYI so I definitely come by it naturally.) Dad gets emails from a great organization called "Letters of C.S. Lewis" that send out excerpts of letters C.S. Lewis had written. A while back Dad forwarded me one of the letters, letting me know that there was a good blog post in there.

He was right, as usual, actually I found two blog posts in the letter excerpt but one thing at a time. Today's post involves the subject that Dad pointed out. C.S. Lewis wrote to his father about how Salisbury looked in the moonlight. He talks about the shadows and the light and how it's highlights the wonderful simplicity of the structure that makes it so different from Wells. I think it's those very differences that cause him to say that Salisbury repelled him at first.

He goes on to say "Doesn't Kipling talk of the Taj-Mahal as 'a sigh made marble'? One the same metaphor might say that Wells is an age made into stone and Salisbury is a petrified moment. But what a moment! The more one looks the more it satisfies."

The thing that Dad pointed out and that struck my interest also is the beauty of what the artist creates. Monuments, cities, paintings, statues, all these incredible things that are created and are absolutely beautiful. We talk about them, dream about them, we build entire museums to display them.

And yet all of these beautiful things pale in comparison of creation. Think about it. What else do we build in order to display beautiful things that fascinate us? Zoos. Aquariums. We have entire careers made of photographing and displaying pictures of people and landscapes. Not to mention the fact that when we look at some of these things that we call art the flip side of what we see is the depravity of some of man’s creation. Then we look at the creation of earth, the plants, the stars, the order and splendor and vastness of the universe and the things that man has created while still beautiful, pale in comparison to the vastness and splendor of our God and Creator. We will never be as fascinated with things like architecture as we are with creation because as amazing and beautiful as man made things are they will never compare to the wonder of creation.

So next time you're walking through a city look around, notice the beauty and thank God for the imagination and skill he gave to those who built it. But also take the time to notice the beauty of creation, everything from the people you're walking by to the clouds in the sky to the brilliance of the rivers, lakes, mountains, oceans or deserts that you come across.

He is to be worshiped in all of this not just creativity he has blessed people with and the beauty of what He has created but the unfathomable variety that he has created.  Everything from an earthworm to a human to an entire universe which Psalms tell us he suspends in the sky and holds it in place by his own hand. 

Memorial Day 2020

This Memorial Day my dad offered to write something for this blog. As a retired Navy serviceman he seemed like a good person to speak on the subject. Below are his words. Thanks Dad and I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day.

Memorial Day – This coming Monday is the day that we have chosen as a nation to honor those that have given their life in battle while defending the freedoms that we hold sacred in our United States of America.  For 244 years since the Declaration of Independence was ratified in the Continental Congress, these values have guided out Country.  The right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  The Declaration of Independence along with the Constitution of the United States of America have stood for a land that gives hope and light to the world.  In just six of the cemeteries in Europe there are over 35,000 American Servicemen that gave their lives to liberate Europe from the grip of dictators attempting control of the world.  

Those 35,000 American Patriots are just a tiny example of the Servicemen and Servicewomen that gave their live in one conflict, WWII. This sacrifice has been going on for 244 years.  And continues today.  Whether we agree with the way our country chooses to come to the aid of other countries or not, the American Serviceman has placed their life on the line since the inception of our Nation.  Let’s show our honor and respect for those that have died in battle.  

As a retired American Serviceman I think of the many members of my own family that have fought in every war and conflict in which America has participated.  When we take our oath of office we never know when we may be called upon to pay the ultimate price for the freedom that we are fighting for.  We freely give our time and in some cases our lives to bring that freedom.  

It occurs to me as well that we are following an example laid down 2000 years ago by the Savior of all humanity.  Jesus Christ willingly and freely gave his life to provide for salvation and freedom from death.  As we honor our fallen American Servicemen and Servicewomen let us also give thanks and gratitude for a savior that willingly died on the cross to offer the ultimate freedom to every individual in the world.

Please take time this Memorial Day to give thanks for the freedom bought with the blood of American Service men and women, and give some thought to our Savior Jesus Christ that will, if you ask give you freedom from death and an eternal life of joy and peace. 

John Kirk – US Navy Retired, and a Child of the Living God    

A Prayer for These Times

This week there's been a lot of talk of about whether or not the country should open back up. Some say that the Corona virus danger has past. Others say that by opening up again it'll come back. Still others say it's never left.

All week I've heard these opinions and I've noticed something. Most, if not all, of these statements seem to be driven by fear. Fear of not opening and the devastating effects it will have on the economy. Fear of opening and the devastation to our medical field and resources. And fear of people individual health and safety if this virus does still pose such a threat.

I have my own opinions on this but I'm not going to share those today. I'm not even going to discuss the merits of each argument. Instead I just want to pray. I hope you'll join me in praying that our leaders would not be driven by fear but would be given wisdom and discernment as they make decisions in the coming days, and that our citizens would use that same wisdom and discernment and they make decisions in which leaders to elect in the coming months.

Dear Lord,

Today I want to say thank you for your protection. As scary as this virus has been we know it could've been so much worse. Thank you for protecting us.

Thank you for the thousands of people who have stepped up to help combat this pandemic. Please bless them and their families for the sacrifices they have made and will continue to make until this crisis is over.

I ask Lord, that you would comfort those who have been adversely affected by this pandemic. So many who are sick, separated from their loved ones, lost their jobs or unable to find human connection during this quarantine. I pray for each and every person who has had a personal tragedy that may not have been caused by this virus but who hasn't been able to get the love and support they need because of the virus. Please comfort all those who are hurting and reassure of them of Your great love.

Lord, I just ask that you would give our leaders wisdom and discernment in what the truth is about how dangerous this is and about what is the right thing for our country. Please help them to weigh the risks and give them strength and courage to stand up against the naysayers as they move forward with the best plan for us, the people. I ask that you would be with all of us in the U.S. who have the right to vote. Please give us wisdom and help us to take into consideration all our leaders actions, both in this crisis and out of it, as we prayerfully consider who we should elect to lead us.

Lastly I just ask that you would help us not to be ruled by fear but to be led in Your Spirit. Please help us to take the lessons that we've learned from this crisis and move forward together, implementing them in our lives.

Thank you Lord,
Amen