In the Storm

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Not the easiest of days in hard human life.

He couldn't even eat indoors due to the crowds. His family thought he was crazy & tried to kidnap him. He stated his real family was whoever would do God's will. The Pharisees, now dogging his every step, asserted he was controlled by the Devil. He countered with solid verbal punches in what was a theological prize fight. Later, teaching by the lake, the crowd pressed so that he had to teach seated in a boat on the water. Sun baked for hours. Exhausted. Evening arriving. He ordered the boat to set out for the other side of the lake. Finding the rudder-man's cushion he placed it as a pillow under his head & fell asleep upon the hard planks astern.

Not the easiest of days in a hard human life.

620 feet below sea level & surrounded by ravine-cut mountains the lake, or Sea of Galilee, was notorious for sudden squalls. Most in afternoons. Worse at night. Worse that night. A storm of seismic proportions blew in. Jesus, having lived not the easiest of days in a hard human life, slept still. Waves churning. Spray blowing. Rain falling. Boat sinking. Disciples shouting. His Disciples, some seasoned fishermen, were scared for their lives. They cried out, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" They had no where to turn but Jesus. They were right where God wanted them. Jesus was with them in the storm.

The Disciples wanted Jesus to do something for them.

Jesus wanted the Disciples to trust in him.

His presence was all they needed, yet they begged for his action.

We lose some of Jesus' force in translation. "Silence! Be muzzled!," he commands the wind & waves. Immediately the great storm became a megas or "great" calm.

When Jesus powerfully calmed the object of their fear his Disciples became fearful of him.

My greatest fear should not be of my situation. My greatest fear should be of Jesus' great power.

My greatest request should not be for his action. My greatest request should be assurance of Jesus' presence.

Next time I have not the easiest of days in my human life, I should remember:

storms will come;

God is with me;

He will not allow me anywhere He can not effect;

He will bring me through;

He wants me to call on Him;

His power changes everything.

(This post references Mark 3:20-4:41.)

 

Laying Tracks

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Saturday morning long run. 28 degrees. Near still winds. Snow gently tossing as it fell. Accentuating every branch it clung. Half-inch overnight blanket on the trail. Cleared the night before. Smooth as a freshly made bed. Quiet in the city. Few about at five. Squishy sound of snow. Rhythmic under foot. Breath puffing in time. The first to lay tracks. Joyful I run.

Southwest Lincoln Loop I call it. For Lincolnites that wanna know: Northeast from Col. Densmore Park off S. 14th up the Rock Island Trail to Hwy. 2 & 27th turning back Southeast along the Tierra Williamsburg Trail down to the SouthPointe Trail & back West along Pine Lake to 14th. For everyone: these "commuter trails" are 10 foot wide concrete; generally sooner & better cleared of snow than arterial streets; Rock Island is the former railroad of this "rails to trails" section; perfect for snowbound running.
Back to my story.
First seven mile loop: I lay the first tracks. Second loop: I was following my own tracks. Still the only tracks down. About a mile on I think, "Why don't I see if I can step in the same places as my first loop." (Insert your crazy too cold, too early, too whatever runner comment here.)
Sounds easy.
It's not.
Precision footsteps. Even when simply running. Are difficult.
Got dizzy trying to watch my feet.
Leaning forward just that extra bit to look down threw off my gait. Reaching a bit further with each step to land it like loop one.
Footing was unstable. When laying the first tracks on my first loop it was even. When trying to match & missing each a bit in loop two it was rough. I was stepping half in & half out of my own tracks.
And even though I'm running on a relatively straight trail with no others about I couldn't see where I was going. My head down watching feet. My eyes weren't ahead anticipating what was coming.
Gave it up in three minutes. More difficult than I'd imagined. Yet, l did learn a few things as the Spirit spoke through the miles ahead.
When following Jesus: keep your eyes on him. Don't worry over every specific step.
Don't try to make each life experience just like the one before. It is an impossibility. You just can't do it. The only way to produce a duplicate is via recording.
Live in the moment. Enjoy each new loop or each new day for what it offers different from the one before. My first loop was all me. Plus three deer & a few bunnies. It was dark expect for some ambient street lights. My second loop had a coon & birdsong & a few other runners by mile 10. The sun was coming up. My third loop had plenty of other runners to exchange passing words with & the sun had changed the look of everything.
Life your life.
Follow Jesus.
Lay your tracks.
(Just in case you wondered: The above photo is not me. First, my trail had more trees. Second, who is gonna take my picture sub-freezing at 5am? And I am, of course, more handsome.)

 

Traffic Pattern

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We have a voluntary traffic pattern around our elementary school for drop off & pick up. Voluntary. It is not the law. No flashing lights. No “ONE WAY” signs. No law enforcement officers for compliance. Just a caring Principal & a zealous Crossing Guard.

Voluntary. Recommended. Suggested.

Kindly worded letters from our Principal regularly request & remind us: Please follow the pattern. For the safety of the students. For the ease of other drivers. For other fill-in-the-blank good reason.

I’m a rules guy. I like order. I like convenience. I like safety. So, I do not like it when other parents come from the wrong direction. These salmon parents are always wild-eyed & driving too fast lest their spawn be late as well. Or when folks double park. "Grow up & wait your turn," I wanna wag my finger at them. "Now I know where your kid learned that!" Or when parents simply stay parked in the drop off area. "Are you feeding your kid breakfast in there? Come on!" Don't get me started on the repeat offenders. Those habitual parental scofflaws! (That sounds stouter than calling them "scoffpatterns.") Are these people more important than the rest of us? Do their needs supersede the rest of ours?

I have a few ideas for scoffpattern compliance, but I best stop ranting & move to my point.

Disobeying a voluntary traffic pattern is a small problem in this temporal life, but it can represents a big problem that can lead to eternal death.

Think with me: Am I without sin when it comes to obeying laws? How many times do I follow rules only when it is convenient? How often do I ignore the directions because I don’t agree? Do I obey all that I know of God’s Law?

God says of His Word, “be careful to obey… do not turn from it to the right or too the left.” Yet, how often to I treat His Word as voluntary? Just suggestions? Kind recommendations? But not authoritative? And surely not commanding me to obey something I feel otherwise about?

God has given us a traffic pattern for life as Christ Followers. He says, “Love me with everything you’ve got. Love your neighbor like yourself. Read, study, memorize & obey my Word. Use your giftedness for my Kingdom. Tithe at least ten percent. Give to those in need. Pray like breathing. Follow Jesus every step of life.”

Although we follow God’s Word voluntarily, it is the Law. Follow with me, Friends. If needed, you can change your pattern to obedience over convenience, service over selfishness, & drawing near to God over running our own way.