?? About Us
??
One
may wonder what background or experience one needs to write coherently
about their Lord. My wife helped me
define my qualifications:
To still be a child at heart. I love to play,
tease, and just enjoy being with children. Being able to come down to a child’s
level and look through their eyes. Jesus told us we must have a child like
faith and trust to be able to find our Lord, to be able to accept Him, to
submit our will to the Lord.
To
be like that old familiar phrase, “dumber than dirt”. Jesus did not chose the
elite Scripture scholars of the day, He fought with their humanistic legal
ideas. Jesus chose as His disciples unlikely men with limited religious
backgrounds. Some were fishermen, a few were zealots fighting Roman occupation,
and others worked at menial vocations, with an unpopular tax collector thrown
in. Many were uneducated, although one had some education and was made
treasurer. His name was Judas. There was another well-educated man Jesus called
to be His apostle. His name was Paul and he was persecuting Christians until
Christ opened Paul’s eyes to the truth. Jesus chose unlikely men so all would
know that it was not man’s intelligence or ability that brought them to the
Lord, but the Holy Spirit opening their minds to the truth of Jesus Christ. No
one has ever said I was the sharpest tack in the box. It is only through the
Holy Spirit that have I met my Savior, that words have been put on my tongue to
tell others about my Lord.
To
have an agricultural background. Many of Christ’s parables were about farming
practices of that day. The basic emotions this occupation gives are not that
much different today. One’s frustration of watching a favorite animal die while
they are working with all of their might to save it. The joy of saving that
animal which shouldn’t have made it through the night, but somehow lived, and
then watching it grow into a fine animal. Watching sadly as crops that had the
perfect stand and were ripe for harvest are ruined by weather or pests. Amazed,
as a crop you didn’t even believe would be worth harvesting unexpectedly
receives a life giving spring shower that produces the best crop you ever had.
In farming and ranching the odds seem stacked against you. For it often feels
like there are many more losses than joys one encounters. But despite this one
develops a loving orneriness that brings a true farmer, a devoted rancher out
at all hours, in inclement weather, with great risk, regardless of profit or
loss. A loving orneriness that often has us doing things without the knowledge
of even why we are even doing them. Except it is the right thing to do, the
work must be done, harboring the deep seeded hope that with the Lord’s help
there is one more miracle left. Then one must apply this emotion, this concept
to the Lord’s work.
To
be one of the wealthiest men in the world. Not in earthly riches,
but because of a gift that is far more valuable. I have sinned much and deserve
God’s wrath for my disobedience. But out of love Jesus Christ died on a cross
as atonement for all people’s sins. I am a heir through my Savior’s grace to
the unfathomable treasures of Heaven. No one could ever be any richer, nor
acquire more wealth, but all can share in this priceless gift.
To
be a failure. One of the hardest lessons to learn is not to be part of this
world. We try to make our earthly dreams into reality, our successes. Our human
nature believes that if we do not attain our goals in some degree we are a
failure. Then there are the lucky few who reach their worldly goals, but find
nothing there but emptiness. Sometimes it takes failure or emptiness to bring
us to Jesus. To shatter our human concept of expecting God to answer our
prayers right now, the way we want them answered. To dissolve the concept that
we deserve earthly blessings and notoriety for the great Christian life we
live. For God’s way is not man’s way. We must accept our Master’s plan for us,
bringing all our problems to Him, while patiently awaiting His answer. This
answer may not always be to our liking. But our Savior will always provide us
with the faith to carry on, will give us the ability to accomplish what He
would have us do. This could be anything from being a humble leader of Christ’s
flock, to a babe still in their mother’s womb praising their Lord.
One
of the hardest things in life to do is suppress one’s ego. When we take the
focus off of self, allowing the love of Jesus to shine through our lives.
Christian love doesn’t exist in our hearts because of anything we have done,
because of our intelligence, nor because of our wealth or influence. This love
is given as a free gift to all who believe in their Savior. It is the passion
in one’s heart not the eloquence of one’s words that show our Savior’s love. I
try in my own meager way to tell all the many blessings my God has given me,
the many blessings which our Lord wants to give all who will follow their
Master.