Making Things Right

Recently a friend posted a video of her toddler daughter in her early stages of walking.  As she and her family were waiting to order and eat, Sarah was walking around with her pink stuffed bear.  On one of her adventurous strolls, she picked up a large rubber cone that was shaped like a banana that was in the process of being peeled.  The banana was labeled with the inscription, “Caution!  Wet Floor.”  As Sarah tried to walk, carrying the large banana by the stem on top, as well as her bear, she lost her grip and the banana toppled over.  Instead of leaving it there and walking off, she made several attempts to pick up the cone, while still holding on to her bear.  Eventually, Sarah gently put her bear down so she could use both hands to pick up the cone.  After a few more attempts, there was much pleasure when the banana peel cone was sitting upright again.

Watching Sarah brought to mind that there are times when I, too, knock things over, make errors, need to do things in a different way, or branch out and try something completely new.  Even when the solution is there, I sometimes still tend to want to hold onto what is comfortable while trying to take care of business.  Progress is made when I release what I’m clutching and have both hands, my heart, and mind free to concentrate on and accomplish the task at hand.  When God gives an opportunity for a situation, I need to make sure I’m all in and not letting anything hold me back from accomplishing what He desires. 
 
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
     and lean not on your own understanding:
in all your ways submit to him,
     and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Hebrews 12:1-2a

 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. 2 John 1:6

Whatever it Takes

This week, Walter Carr, a college student, was to begin his new job at Bellhops Moving in Alabama.  Experiencing car trouble the night before, he did not want to jeopardize his chances for the job, so after four hours of sleep, Carr awakened at midnight and set out to walk the 20 miles from Homewood to Pelham, where he was to be part of the team to help a family move.  Around 4:00 a.m., after walking about 12 miles, Walter sat down on the side of the road to rest his hurting legs.  Officer Mark Knighten spotted Carr and was soon joined by two other officers.  After hearing his story, the three officers took Walter Carr to eat breakfast.  During their conversation, he told the policemen that he had to make it to his first day of work.  “I didn’t want to defeat myself.”

After breakfast, Officer Duffey drove Carr to the home of Chris and Jenny Lamey where he was scheduled to meet up with the Bellhops crew.  After arriving at 6:30 a.m. and hearing Walter’s story from the officer, Jenny offered for Walter to go upstairs to rest until the rest of the crew were to arrive at 8:00 a.m.  Seeing that the Lameys were already in the process of packing, Carr insisted on getting a head start in helping them.

When the rest of the moving crew arrived, the Lameys and Walter went out to greet them.  The head of the crew, Shawn, introduced himself to Walter, shook his hand, and thanked him for showing up to help with the job.  Jenny then insisted that Carr tell the men what it took for him to be there that morning.  When he replied that he walked, she insisted that he elaborate more on his story.  Needless to say, the team was impressed with his efforts and work ethic.  Walter would indeed be an asset to the Bellhops Moving Company.

In the meantime, Jenny Lamey took the time to contact the Bellhops Moving CEO, Luke Marklin, and told him how impressed she was with Walter and what he had done.  Jenny also set up a GoFundMe page to help raise the $2,000 Walter needed to repair his car.

A few days later, Marklin called Carr and set up an appointment to meet him in person and take him to lunch.  While Marklin was driving from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Walter was walking 30 minutes to meet him at the designated location.  Unbeknownst to Carr, the Pelham Police, his co-workers, and the Lamey family were at a nearby hotel waiting to surprise and celebrate with him.  After lunch, when they arrived at the hotel, CEO Marklin handed over the keys to the SUV Ford Escape he had been driving to Carr stating, “Walter truly raised the bar.”  There were many cheers from his new friends and co-workers.  Jenny Lamey said, “He’s the poster child for no excuses.  He’s just got this deep faith, he wasn’t alone.”

There are so many things to appreciate and be challenged by in this story. 

* Walter Carr’s work ethic, his no excuses attitude, and his willingness to do whatever it takes to accomplish the task at hand  

* Policemen who see a young man in need, check out his situation, take him to breakfast, and offer a ride to the job site

* A family that appreciates the extra effort given by someone they are paying to help them move so much so that they contact the CEO of the company to express gratitude and appreciation

* A CEO who builds his company on trustworthy and faithful workers and recognizes and acknowledge their efforts

* Co-workers who admire and appreciate a hard worker

* People who rejoice with those who rejoice

This week, whether it’s persevering in a task, seeing someone with a need and doing something about it, listening to hear and respond to what someone is saying, taking time to thank and acknowledge someone’s effort, letting others know of someone’s great work, welcoming and including people you are working with, or rejoicing with those who rejoice, may I, too, be willing to do and be my best.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed.

2 Timothy 2:15

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 5:3

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Romans 12:15

Rescued

Along with people from all over the world, I have followed with great interest the rescue of the 12 boys, ages 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old soccer coach who were trapped in Tham Luan Nang Non Cave in northern Thailand for more than two weeks.  After the Wild Boars soccer “football” team was reported missing, volunteers and experts, from several countries, came to offer their assistance and advice.  From the beginning of the news that the boys were missing, little hope was given that all could be rescued alive.  After almost two weeks, two British divers found the missing boys and coach 2½ miles deep into the cave.  They were soon able to supply the team with food, water, and supplies.  In addition, a medic and 3 Navy SEALs stayed with the group until all were rescued.  There were 19 divers involved as well of numerous doctors, drivers, emergency personnel, and other volunteers.  Sergeant Major Saman Kunan, a Thai ex-SEAL, died when he ran out of oxygen after delivering oxygen tanks to the trapped athletes.  The other divers committed to continuing the rescue so that Kunan’s life was not given in vain.

There were several challenges and additional dangers for the boys and coach due to the monsoon like rains and the cave continuing to flood in different areas.  The soccer team was forced to retreat deeper into the cave to higher and dryer ground.  Some areas were now flooded floor to ceiling for quite a distance, thus the need for oxygen tanks for a safe exit.  Because more rain and flooding were predicted, the time table for a successful recovery was closing in on the rescuers.  The cave offered other challenges as well.  Some places were 3’ wide and 2’ tall which were too narrow for SCUBA tanks and the full climbing gear to be worn. In places where the water had receded, the rocks were covered with mud and were very slippery.  Also, the current was very strong in places; and there were some stretches where the divers and boys would need to be under water for 30 minutes to escape.

During the rescue, each boy wore diving gear and was tethered to two divers.  Since none of the boys could swim, their lives were dependent on the experts.  A rope had been placed at the start of the cave and continued on to the location of the team.  The divers constantly had one hand on the rope to guide the way to safety.  After a long, intense three days, the rescue was achieved.  Acting Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn oversaw the rescue operation and reported, “The situation went beyond just being a rescue mission and became a symbol of unity among mankind.  Everyone worked together without discrimination of race or religion, as the ultimate goal was to save the youth football team.”

Even though the Tham Luan Nang Non cave is a popular one to explore, Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha will now enforce more safety measures, add more lights in the cave, as well as have personnel monitor the entrance and exit to the cave.

Just as the boys and coach were dependent on others for their rescue, we too are in need of a Savior.  What we can’t do to save ourselves, Jesus was willing to give His life for so we could live, have fellowship with God, and live with Him for eternity.  Because of His great love for us, may we be willing to eagerly volunteer to be on His rescue team so others can be saved, too.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Galatians 1:3-5

Heeding Advice

July 4th we headed to Deer Park to spend time with family.  Our nephew has recently moved to a new house so Larry used Google Maps to find the best way to get there.  The directions said to take 610 N which was going in the opposite direction of where we needed to go.  With torrential rains falling, we continued down the road we were on without heeding the supposedly wrong advice.  What we didn’t realize was that with the amount of rain that had fallen there was a flash flood ahead and all traffic had now come to a halt with no place to go.  Google Maps knew what we were not aware of yet.  Traffic was slow and then for 45 minutes we sat at a complete standstill on the freeway, in bumper to bumper traffic, with nowhere to go.

We had seen some emergency vehicles along the way, but nothing recently.  Fortunately, we were in the far left lane next to the shoulder.  After almost an hour we saw a City of Houston vehicle, with flashing lights, going the opposite way down the freeway on the emergency lane.  After a few minutes, we saw some cars turning around and following the SUV.  Since we were in the far left lane, we decided that would work for us, too.  Larry proceeded to turn the car around as did Chad who was following us.  We went a few miles down the freeway and realized it was now closed off to traffic due to the flooded underpass.  There were several 18-wheelers who had backed up some which allowed us to cross over all four lanes and u-turn into an opening on the freeway that merged onto 610 N.

We would have been better off to heed the advice we had been given in the first place and not assume that we knew best for what was ahead.  At the same time, we were relieved and blessed to have a way out provided, if we were willing to take the risk.  When it was time to return home, Larry once again checked Google Maps and this time heeded its advice.

It’s important to choose sources that are reliable and trustworthy.  God has given us His Word, Jesus, and His Spirit to prompt, lead, and guide us in the right direction.  Now it’s time to listen, obey, and heed the advice.

The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.

Proverbs 12:15

Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Proverbs 13:10

Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

Proverbs 19:20

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:32