Memories And Friends

I have a Facebook page! Yes at my age, I've become a Facebookaholic. It has been a very useful tool for finding dear friends (notice I didn't say old) from high school and beyond. One side affect has been nostalgia. Yes, it causes me to think about those people and how they influenced my life.

Today, however, I am thinking of a friend I wish I could re-connect with on Facebook. I didn't meet David until I was an adult and married with our first child on the way. But after meeting, we quickly became friends. Dave was, let me see, spirited. Today we would say he might have ADD or someother hyper- active disorder, but I like to think of him being spirited. Once, I looked out the window and saw Dave running over the hill toward my house with a pan in his hands. He ran up to the side of the house put what was in the pan into a bowl for my dog and then turned and ran back to his house. Sometime later I asked why he just didn't get in the car to bring it over? His answer was, "I was cleaning the kitchen and had put the scraps in the pot and needed to clean it too so I just picked it and ran outside and kept running until I got to your house then back home". Thank goodness I only lived about a quarter of a mile from him.

Dave and I went to Emergency Technician school together. We both became EMT's and worked for the local ambulance service, me full time and Dave would fill in as needed. One night Dave was supposed to work but got someone else to fill in for him. He chose instead to go to a high school football game about an hour from home. He picked up a young friend and off they went. Later that evening we got a call that there had been a bad accident just outside of the town where we lived. Our ambulance was stationed in another town that was centrally located in the county. We arrived about 15 minutes after the call to find my friend Dave as one of the fatalities of the collision. Somehow I found enough presence of mind to do what I had to for those that were injured. But Dave and what happened was still there. A few days later we laid my dear friend to rest.

I am happy to tell you that the story doesn't end quite yet. You see, Dave was not only spirited with his physical activity, but his spiritual activity as well. Dave was a real Christian. He didn't care who you were or what you did for a living, if he was around you very long you were going to hear about Jesus. But wait, that is not all. His actions were his words as well. As we stood in the funeral home and talking about Dave as people do about the one that has passed, stories kept coming out that no one knew except those that benefited from his actions. An elderly couple came by and told that Dave had breakfast with them most mornings at the Ritz cafe. A city worker came by, Dave worked for the city, and told that they would give Dave the dirtiest and stinkiest jobs they had and he did them with a smile on his face. It was his way to show his co-workers he valued them.

Dave died a little over 32 years ago, but my memory of him is still fresh. His death, like his life, was an image of God's love for all of us.

The Giant Killer Says....

I posted this back in February 08. Given the current condition of our country and in individual lives. It was the most read post last year, so I thought a re-post would be in order.


I was flipping channels the other afternoon and came across the movie, "Facing The Giants". This is about the 3rd time I have seen it but I learn something new just about every time. At first I thought that too much of the feel good gospel was coming through. You know, if you believe then God will give it to you.

After watching again and again, I really don't think that was the intention of the writers. I really believe that they were more in line with Psalm 42. Now, this didn't come to me until Sunday as I listened to our pastor's sermon on this chapter, especially verse-5. I know, I know I should have been on his every word and I was for the most part. But he got me to thinking and the movie came to my mind.

I think most of us have times in life when life is just the pits. Everything seems to come down on us all at once. You know, if it can go wrong it will. Well, that was the coaches situation in the movie. There was an awful smell in his home that he couldn't find the source. His car was always breaking down and at the worst possible moment. He and his wife can't have the children they want so badly. Then he over hears parents talking to the headmaster wanting to replace him. At the meeting he hears his assistant coach, considered a best friend, being offered the position. His life for all practical purposes was in the pits. It all is crushing around him. He is searching for God's answer.

King David, "The Giant Killer", wasn't immune to the pitfalls of life. He wrote, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirst for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long where is your God?" David is oppressed, I assume by Satan and his minions. He is feeling a separation from God. His depression has caused him to not eat or drink. Those around him are asking him where is your God? Have you ever found yourself in a like situation? I know I have. So did the coach in this movie. He couldn't eat or sleep. There is only one thing he knew to do in this situation, go to the only place that would offer comfort and answers.

After a time of study and prayer, the coach comes up with a plan based in scripture. He first lays it out for his wife then for the team. He has one ground rule that sticks out for me; "If we loose we will praise him and if we win we will praise him." He approached the rest of the season in faith. He didn't know if God would give the much needed winning season, but he had come to the point of putting it all in God's hands. The coach asked of his wife, "If God never gives us children will you still love him?" I believe the point here is in the end, how much do we trust God to do what is best for us. It may mean that he plans on giving us our desire in a different way than we expect.

God doesn't promise us that he will shield us from trouble. He does promise to get us through to the other side. We look for a pillar in our lives. That point where we know God pulled us through another bad time. We reflect on that and are reminded of God's love for us. His faithfulness to be the foundation that cements us in his arms and then to move through this time of despair. David came to this conclusion 3 different times vs 5 & 11 in chapter 42 and in vs. 5 in chapter 43. He responded to his despair by asking himself a question; "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Then his spirit responds; "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my savior and my God."

The psalmist and the coach had both decided that no matter what happened, they were going to honor God in what they do. How will you respond to the current trial in your life?

Scripture quoted from NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Press

© From the Rocking Chair: All rights reserved