I have this magnetic device to help me make decisions. There is a ball bearing suspended from a hard wire attached to a frame attached to a base that has simple answers on it, like: Yes, No, Maybe, Ask your Mother, Definitely No, etc. There are magnets under each answer, so when the ball is set into motion it wobbles from one answer to another for quite a while before it finally settles on one specific answer. Its kind of like a Magic 8 Ball, and just as accurate.
I was playing that a bit last week with my 5-year kindergartner granddaughter, Ruby. She asked it a question and we set it in motion. The ball plays off one magnet after another, first this way, then that. It was at that point that Ruby reached up to stop the ball. I held her hand back and told her to wait. Her patience ran out and reached again. I had to hold her arms down to keep her from intercepting the delayed answer she longed for.
Isn’t that just like us Christians? We ask God for directions, and then we jump in and do what we want to do before God has a chance to confirm it. We’re just like Ruby, chomping at the bit to get in there and discover our own destiny instead of finding God’s destiny for us. Kids teach us great spiritual lessons if we’ll listen.
In his book The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni told the following story: “After a recent loss, a thirteen-year-old boy on my son’s soccer team said to me, ‘Well, I don’t feel like I lost.’ ‘Really?’ I asked him. ‘How do you figure?’
He proudly announced, ‘Well, I’m a forward, and we forwards did our part by scoring three goals. It’s really the defense that lost the game because they gave up too many goals. They’re the losers.’
I kindly pointed out to him how absurd his reasoning was, not only because there is only one score for the team, but because every player on the field plays defense, though perhaps on different parts of the field. Even a forward plays a role in preventing the other team from scoring by making it difficult for the opponent’s defense to organize an attack…The kid smiled and acknowledged the ridiculousness of his original remark.
The church only loses when we let it lose. Our attitude needs to be that we will not allow the Lord’s church be a loser. Everyone plays defense at times, and everyone plays offense at times. We win or we lose together, and I intend to win for the Lord’s glory.
I am researching for a family history book I’m writing for Anita’s side of the family. I had found a note from another researcher that said this Peter Ault fought in the War of 1812 in Capt. McElroy’s Rifle Company, but there was no source stated. I’ve been on a lot of wild goose chases based on other people’s faulty research, so I needed to verify this was true, and then research the Captain’s company in the war.
The term “Rifle Company” usually is used for active duty military. So, I searched the Roster records of all US Army units in the War of 1812, but could not find Peter Ault or Capt. McElroy. So I found a 1916 copy of a book online that was a roster of all militia units in Ohio. That required scrolling through page by page, and line by line, several hours of work. When I finally got to the end of the book I found him: Private Peter Ault serving under Captain James McElroy, from October 1812-January 1813. There were no big battles that occurred during that time period in central Ohio, so I think he never participated in any conflicts.
Sometimes, the heroes in life aren’t the ones that fight in the visible battles, but the ones who support those that are fighting. That’s the value of prayer. I so appreciate the men and women in our church who are prayer warriors behind the scenes. No one thinks of them as heroes, but I do. Wars can be lost because of lack of support. You don’t have to be a Medal of Honor winner, just be prepared to serve.
I just had an interesting experience that was a first in my life. We were concluding the memorial service for George Panos at the church this morning. We had a plan all worked out and in print. When I finished my message and final prayer I sat down and two US Navy men stood at the front. That was the signal for the Auburn American Legion to do the 21-gun salute and taps. That was our plan.
But just then an older gentleman stood and signaled he wanted to say something, so I nodded approval. He began to sing a song in Greek. I presume it was like a ‘God be with you ’til we meet again’ song. It was beautiful, appropriate, and a tribute to George, whose family immigrated to America from Greece when he was three. But it wasn’t part of our plan, so mid way through his song the 21-guns went off and taps were played. The Legion did not know what was happening inside the building.
I’ve always tried to make room in funerals or weddings for cultural differences, but this was a surprise. Sometimes we need to let God intercept our plan with His surprises. Maybe you are about to be interrupted. God’s plan might be better than your plan. Keep your cool and see what happens.
When it comes to my lawn, I’m pretty much of a perfectionist. I pay a professional company to spray and fertilize my grass each year, and I keep it mowed as much as I have time to care for 3 acres. So, I was dismayed last year when the professional sprayed the side of one of my shrubs, killing the facing side. I was not happy, but these were the professionals.
This year took the cake! I have burn spots here and there all around my lawn where chemicals were applied too heavily, and weeds all over the place. The guy sprayed two small tree transplants I had clearly staked off, seriously retarding their growth. Then they had the nerve to call and try to con me into paying for three treatments a year instead of two. We gave them a polite, “You’re fired!” message and terminated the contract. We contacted another local lawn contractor and negotiated the rate to under $100 what the previous professionals charged. When they came to spray last week there was no comparison. He gave it the care I would give if I only had the time to do it.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus wrote a letter to the Church in Ephesus and said, “Remember therefore from whence you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of his place, except you repent” (Revelation 2: 5). No one wants to hear Jesus Christ say, “You’re fired!” because we failed to do our job as Christians. Go back and do what you did when you first got right with God.
As we grow, we have to learn to put concepts together to come up with the truth. Bread is pretty bland unless we put peanut butter and jelly on it. Cereal is pretty dry unless we put milk and sugar on it. And rules are pretty boring unless we put meaning to the rules.
I spent some time with my 18-month old grandson, Gideon, yesterday. He is developing two-syllable words already. I heard him say, “outside”, “kitty”, and, my favorite, “Grandpa”. Most couldn’t understand what he was mumbling, but I knew what he was saying. His development is my delight. He’s putting two sounds together to make compound words. So cool.
Spiritual truth is like that. We must add grace to rules and compassion to redemption. Christ’s death purchases my salvation and we must die to ourselves to find life. Indeed, Christianity is a paradox. It can never be figured out with the logical mind. It can only be experienced by being transformed in our mind. The more you know the more you grow.
Samuel Hoar (1778-1856) was a distinguished attorney in the early 1800s. He was representing a defendant. When it was time to present his case, he told the jurors that the facts favoring his client were so evident that he would not insult their intelligence by arguing them. The jury retired to deliberate and returned in a few minutes with a verdict of guilty.
Samuel Hoar was astonished! “How,” he asked, “could you have reached such a verdict?” The foreman replied, “We all agreed that if anything could be said for a case, you would say it. But since you didn’t present any evidence, we decided to rule against you.” Silence lost the case.
Peter encouraged us to be always ready “to give a defense to everyone” who asks about our hope in Christ (1 Peter 3:15). Let’s be ready to speak up.