A Project with Dad

My son has been begging us for something for over a year. He has been longing to have a bike ramp! Since store-bought ramps are pricey, David told him several months ago that perhaps the two of them could build one together. The idea of buying a ramp was exciting to Matt, but the idea of making one with Dad was over-the-top AWESOME! From that moment forward, we heard almost daily reminders from Matt about the project. "Daddy, when can we start building the ramp?" Well, yesterday, David borrowed a friend's truck and headed to Lowes. For the next 3 hours or so, David and Matt worked in the garage together. There is just something about a child's desire to work along side their Daddy. David could have built the ramp without Matt's help, but giving Matt the opportunity to share in the project gives Matt not only a sense of accomplishment, but a stronger bond with his Daddy.

God doesn't need our help when it comes to the fulfillment of His plans. But isn't it wonderful that He wants us to work with Him on His most wonderful project -- the redemption of the world!? I wonder why we are often unenthusiastic about working along side our heavenly Daddy? We should be like Matt, asking when and how we can help, anxious and excited not just about the final product, but for the chance to learn from the Master and gain a closer bond with Him!

Putting Things By

Autumn is the time of year that folks "put things by," a phrase which is old-fashioned, but much needed these days! As a child, I have vivid memories of helping my Grandma and Grandaddy wash and scald Mason jars so that they could be filled with stewed tomatoes and set aside for use throughout the following year. Of all the things he cans, my Grandaddy is probably most famous for his chow-chow. If you are not familiar with this Southern delicacy, chow-chow is a pickled relish that you put on other things to eat, primarily pinto beans! It is a combination of chopped cabbage, green tomatoes, cauliflower, onions and green & red peppers, cooked with pickling spices and vinegar and then canned. A steaming bowl of fresh-cooked pinto beans with chow-chow on top and a big hunk of buttermilk corn bread were a common and much-anticipated meal around my house growing up.

My Grandaddy is now 91, and a week ago I sat him down at his kitchen table and told him that I simply must have his chow-chow recipe! To me, the idea of this tradition being lost one day was unthinkable! Of course, like many folks who are working from age-old traditional recipes, Grandaddy doesn't work from a written recipe, just years of experience and eye-balling amounts and ingredients. But after a while, I managed to write out the gist of this family secret, and rushed home to begin preparations for attempting my first batch! Sunday night, I chopped and chopped vegetables and soaked them in salty water overnight. On Monday morning, I began the cooking process and canned my very first chow-chow! David and I tried some on the four-bean soup I had made the day prior, and while I can't say that it's as good as Grandaddy's, it was very good for my first attempt, and I think Grandaddy will be pleased! Most of all, I was excited that a tradition was being preserved (no pun intended). It was also a reminder of how quickly our heritage can be lost. One generation is all it takes for us to forget about our past. How urgently important it is, not just to preserve our family's story, but to instruct our children in the ways of the Lord, lest the next generation forget.

Putting Things By:

Today, the smell of vinegar-soaked vegetables waifed through the house hitting anyone who entered with the unmistakable smell of Autumn. I carefully followed Grandaddy's instructions, constantly testing, tasting and worrying whether or not I was doing it correctly. After all, this was not just chow-chow, it was a family tradition! This was my childhood memories being packed into pint-sized glass albums! Completed, I stood back and admired the colorful product -- green, gold and red. Each pop of the lid upon opening a new jar releases a flood of images and feelings. As the tangy-sweet smell escapes I recall suppers of pinto beans and corn bread around my childhood table; standing tip-toed in my Grandma's kitchen struggling to reach the jars I was helping to wash, my tiny hands perfect for the job, she said, because they could reach all the way inside; the smell of stewed tomatoes; the sweet taste of purple grapes picked from the vine; the feel of October beans in my hands as my brother and I shelled and admired their pink stripes and speckles; the warmth of the wood stove in their den, and the feeling of perfect contentment . These were Autumn activities which repeated themselves every year at my Grandparent's house. Grandaddy's mother taught him the importance of "putting things by," and his basement shelves are proof that he heeded her words of wisdom, row after row of canned tomatoes, pears, jellies, and of course, chow-chow lined up like colorful, glass soldiers awaiting their orders! The days of really needing to can vegetables, make jams, store apples, onions and potatoes, and chop firewood for winter are gone, but I tell my kids, as they watch me pour the hot relish into another jar, stories of my childhood, of their Grandparents and Great Grandparents, traditions we have kept, and most importantly, faith that must be passed down. Indeed, the importance of "putting things by!"

McCain Brings Down the House!

John McCain delivered a side-splitting roast last night at the Alfred E. Smith memorial dinner in Washington. Where were these writers when it was time to prepare him for the debates?!!!!

Deliverance!

I got up very early this morning before the sun, and before the kids! Clutching my hot coffee mug, I settled onto the sofa to catch the morning news, our dog Jack curled up at my feet. I flipped through a few channels, and the movie "The African Queen" was on (Bogart and Hepburn, 1951). This is one of my favorite films, and I can never resist watching it, though I've seen it dozens of times.

It was near the end of the film, which takes place in the jungles of Africa during WWII. Charlie (a slovenly, gin-swilling captain of a tramp steamer) and Rose (the straight-laced spinster sister of a prim British missionary) make an unlikely duo who team up after the Germans destroy the Mission village. In what begins as merely an attempt to flee to the safety of civilization, they decide instead to strike back, and begin a treacherous journey down the Ulanga River in order to reach a large lake at its mouth. Therein lies the Louisa, a German boat which patrols the lake and all activity around it, preventing Allied troops from securing the region. Charlie and Rose devise an elaborate plan to sink the Louisa, but first they must make it down the Ulanga, which has never been navigated.

They brave being shot at, swarms of African insects, multiple boat troubles, and treacherous rapids which nearly dash them to pieces. At what should be the culmination of their efforts and heroism, at the base of the river they become stuck in an unnavigable tangle of reeds and high grasses. Unable to see above the reeds, they cannot tell where they are and assume that they are doomed to perish in the swampy, leech-infested bog. No longer able to push or pull their boat in any direction, they eventually collapse from fatigue and despair, and await a slow death.

What they cannot see, however, is that they are only 100 yards from the open water of their destination. Nor can they see or know of the rain storm that is beginning miles upriver in the mountains. As they sleep, the rainwater working its way downstream begins to flood the river and slowly makes its way to the marshes where their little boat sits embedded in mud. As the water slowly rises, the boat is eventually freed and begins to float again, and drifts naturally towards the open water. The sleeping occupants awaken to what appears to be a dream -- they are moving! They lift their weary heads and see their deliverance!

Sometimes it feels like we are stuck in that quagmire. We strive and trudge our way towards the finish line in our war-beaten little boats, experiencing great trials and yet little victories along the way, and just when we feel like all of our efforts for the cause of Christ should finally bear victorious fruit, our circumstances suddenly change and overwhelm us, and we can see no way out. Over time, despair, exhaustion, and hopelessness set in and we are tempted to simply give up because we have stopped moving forward -- so we think. But we must remember that God is always working and has already secured our deliverance! We will lift our head and behold the miracles He is doing on our behalf that were unseen by our limited vision, but absolutely planned by Him for our benefit and His glory! Full understanding and sight may not come in this life, but until then, we must not collapse under the weight of what we cannot see or understand. We must let Christ be our eyes, focusing on Him, and letting Him take care of the boat! And unlike The African Queen where Charlie shouts, "We did it!" when victory finally comes at the end, we will instead shout, "HE did it!" which is really the whole point, isn't it?

Bow Before Him

I took the kids apple picking last week, and was reminded why Autumn is my favorite season. The day was perfect -- crisp blue sky, warm but with just a little nip in the air. Seeing limbs bowing under the weight of their fruit is a picture of what my life should be -- bowing before Christ as I present to Him the fruit HE is producing!!! When our lives produce true spiritual fruit, we cannot help but bow and worship!

The Orb of Confusion!

My kids love the cartoon SpongeBob Squarepants! For those of you not familiar with this highly-sophisticated animated series, the show centers on its protagonist, SpongeBob, a sea sponge, his friends, and his job at the local burger joint -- the Crusty Crab. Like any good cartoon, the forces of good and evil are portrayed, and the series also boasts its own superheros, Mermaid Man and his trusty sidekick, Barnacle Boy, who are periodically called into action to fend off their arch nemesis, ManRay (who is eventually captured and imprisoned in frozen tartar sauce!). Like I said, it's highly sophisticated.

In one episode, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy go on vacation and leave their secret cave and all its hi-tech weapons (including the Boat-mobile) in the care of SpongeBob and his best friend, Patrick (a cognitively-challenged starfish). While surveying the cave, they discover ManRay, suspended in the frozen tartar sauce, and accidentally thaw him, whence he recommences his effort to take over the world -- WHAA-HA-HA-HA-HA (diabolical laughter)! On his way out, ManRay steals all of the superheros' secret weapons, leaving SpongeBob and Patrick defenseless --EXCEPT for one weapon he overlooked! The Orb of Confusion!

This grapefruit-sized orb, when switched on, renders anyone within a certain radius very confused, thus making them much easier to capture! SpongeBob and Patrick, of course, end up using the device on themselves accidentally, turning them into tongue-lolling, drool-producing, eye-rolling, stupefied morons incapable of doing anything but standing in place while uttering the classic "Duuuuuhhh!" -- essentially, not too different from their normal operating mode.

So, what on earth does this have to do with ANYTHING?! Well, I've been watching the election coverage and the financial crisis coverage for a while now, and have determined one thing. The Orb of Confusion seems to have found its way into Washington and is rendering our government useless! A resounding "Duuuuhhhh!" seems to be emanating from the halls of our Capital, and the mouths of the majority of our news media! Fortunately for us, we have a SuperHero who's always on the scene and who's plan cannot be thwarted even by Orb-stricken government officials, confused talking heads, or even our arch nemeses around the world! So, as I watch in disbelief the Orb in action, I can take heart that our SuperHero, God Himself, is on the job!