God's Helping Hands

The sound of a car stopping and four doors slamming would not normally set my heart racing and my stomach churning, but nothing was normal about this day. It began by attending my cousin-in-law's funeral in Louisville. He was a hemophiliac who had contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion. His death was tragic, but after years of illness, not unexpected. What occurred on the way back from the funeral, however, was unexpected. We were several miles from the nearest town, traveling on Interstate 65 when my dad's car overheated and died. We coasted off the interstate and onto the wide shoulder.

             
The heat index that day was well over a hundred degrees, and my mom was in bad health. What was I to do? We needed help. We needed a good Samaritan. Unfortunately, prior to cell phones, stranded motorists were at the mercy of other motorists. All I could do was pray, wave, and hope someone would stop. After several minutes of cars zipping past me with my arms waving back and forth, a pickup truck slowed and pulled off the interstate. One man in a truck became our knight in shining armor. 

We may not live in the days of kings, castles, and knights; but there are still days when damsels are in distress and families are in need. It can happen at any time, at any place, to anyone. While we may not know when, we do know that sooner or later it will happen.  And for us, we soon discovered it could happen twice in one day.

             
Stranded along I-65 on that hot summer day, I saw both the good and bad. I saw hands intent on hurting and hands that helped out greatly. When it comes to helping hands, skin color, nationality, and religious preference are non-factors; what matters is the help they give. 

The man and his truck provided the first set of helping hands that day. To the world his truck was just an old rusty farm truck, but to us, it was beautiful. It was our chariot of hope.  Unfortunately, it couldn't seat us all, so I volunteered to go into town and call a friend for help. I was gone just long enough to find a phone and for my mom to find her panic button. She'd seen too many movies of weirdos and perverts cruising the roads in search of their next victim. All mothers are protective of their children, but not all have problems with paranoia. She was certain I would never return.

           
It didn't dawn on me that my ride with this stranger would trigger a series of events that would require more than his assistance; it would require many hands, including one very special pair of hands--life saving hands. 

The event wouldn't make the nightly news, but it would be news worthy. The main character wouldn't be offered a contract or asked to appear on a radio talk show, but he would become the hero of one family who will be forever in his debt. 

With the series of events about to unfold, I made my phone call and then returned to my family. My arrival brought an end to my mother's nightmares of my dead mutilated body being dumped into some ditch along I-65. Although her fears were now seen to be unfounded, the effects of her emotional tsunami would soon wash up with almost deadly results.

    
The gentleman with the truck kindly offered to take my parents to a nearby restaurant and out of the heat. In order to convince my mother to go, I reassured her that I'd be okay. I pointed to all the traffic whizzing by and how they provided security, for no one would pose a threat to me with all the potential witnesses traveling past me. Finally, after promising no more rides with strangers, she agreed to go. I waved as they pulled onto the interstate and then contemplated what to do next. I knew I had at least a two hour wait until our friend would be arriving.

With the hot sun bearing down on me, I found a large rock to sit on. The rock was secluded among some high weeds beside the interstate. There was no breeze, just high humidity.  Besides an occasional swipe with my handkerchief to remove the sweat from  my face, I sat motionless with a book in my hands.  As usual, I became fixated on its words.  The sound of the vehicles whizzing by faded into silence as the story and people of the book came alive to me. But just like being awakened from a sound sleep and a pleasurable dream, I was brought back to reality when the sound of a car stopping penetrated my consciousness. 

The next sound sent chills up my spine, the sound of four car doors slamming. At that moment, the reassurance I had given my mom wasn't reassuring me. With my heart racing, I slowly stood to my feet. Fear gripped me and uncertainty consumed me as I saw four men heading toward my dad's car. One was carrying what looked like a lug wrench. My mind began racing. It was obvious they were not from the Triple A Auto Club. I've seen the end results of a car left along the interstate. Anything and everything of value is usually taken with no concern for the amount of damage inflicted. The four men were focused on helping themselves to whatever they could take. They carried with them uncaring hands. Theirs were hurting hands. Theirs were opportunistic hands. 

Would they view me as a threat to their potential bounty, a threat that needed to be removed? What I had told my mom, I truly believed. I quickly moved out of the weeds into full view of them and the passing motorists, which I viewed as my safety net. Despite being outnumbered 4-1, I felt I had more on my side than they did on theirs. I believe there's enough good in people of all races and nationalities traveling our highways and living among us that, in time of need, they will come to our aid. Not only do I believe this, I feel certain those who would harm us also believe it, at least, I hope they do. As for these four guys, I could not believe they would try anything in full view of the motorists, and I was right. When they saw me rise from the weeds and step out into full view. They didn't hesitate, they quickly turned, and rushed back to their car and sped off.  

With my heart rate returning to normal, I went back to my rocky seat and continued reading and waiting. Within an hour another car stopped, but on the other side of the interstate. A lone stranger came walking across the lanes of traffic. Although one man didn't pose the threat of four, for precautionary measures, my adrenal gland kicked into action. I was ready for fight or flight.

    
As he approached, he asked if my name was Eddie. I had never seen this man before. How did he know me? When I answered in the affirmative, he said he was from Canada. The words "from Canada" blew me away. How could someone from Canada know my name? How could he know I was stranded at this spot?

I was confused. I was in verbal shock. He then quickly stated his purpose. He had been eating at the restaurant where my parents were when Mom became seriously ill. He said that while the ambulance workers were preparing my mom for transport, he asked my dad if there was anything he could do.  Dad asked him to come and let me know what was happening and to inform me they'd be at the hospital.

His offer to drive me to the hospital created a conflict. I wanted to be with my parents, but I'd seen the danger of leaving the car unattended. I also had no way of contacting our friend who was coming for the car. I said to the good Samaritan, "I don't know what to do." He replied, "I need to drive on down to find a turnaround spot, so when I come back by I'll stop and check with you. This will give you time to think." As he pulled away, I examined the facts. All I could do for Dad was provide moral support, and Mom would be in the care of the doctors and nurses.  My presence, however, could and had already provided physical protection for my dad's car. There was also one more factor. I had faith in some heavenly hands. The book I was reading while sitting on that rock was the Bible. The passage I was reading was Psalm 46. It begins with these words, ^"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. ² Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, ³ though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah"

Faith in God can enable us to have peace in trying times, but only if the God you have faith in is sovereign. This passage, among many others, stresses the sovereignty of God: God is in total control of everything, despite what my surroundings and circumstances may tell me. When circumstances shout that God is either not good or not in control, I can deliberately choose to trust in God's power and sovereignty. When I do, I experience the peace of God. 

What we see at any one particular moment is never the whole picture. My understanding of God caused a wave of faith to rise up within me, washing away my fears. My decision was now an easy one. I would stay and watch over Dad's car until our friend showed up.

When the Canadian returned, I told him my decision and thanked him for his help. I then returned to my rock among the weeds and resumed my waiting and reading. Within an hour or so, my friend showed up. We loaded the car onto his truck and headed to the hospital. The timing was perfect. As we pulled up under the porch-like entrance to the hospital, my dad and mom emerged. She had just been released.

It was only after talking to my parents that I learned the whole story. The man from Canada thought my mom had experienced an asthma attack, but she had actually choked on a piece of meat. (People with an already narrowing of the esophagus find that during  a time of high emotions, this restrictive tendency becomes more prominent.)  Nothing could be more emotional than imagining your son being murdered by a stranger along I-65.

If not for the quick action of a cook at that restaurant, my mom would have died. He came to her rescue, quickly using the Heimlich maneuver on her. By the time he had dislodged the meat in her windpipe, her color had turned purple and she had virtually lost consciousness.

Our hands can be helping hands or hurting hands. The opportunities are all around us. We can impact families. We can impact society. We can impact the world. But we can only do it if we determine in our hearts to make our hands helping hands for all people. We must rise above petty judgmentalism. We must soar above party politics. We must break away from herd mentalities. We must look beyond the skin tone,  character flaws, and bad choices people make, and see only their needs and their humanness. 

           
When the cook came out of the kitchen, he didn't see a white, black, red, or yellow woman; he saw a needy woman. He saw a dying woman. When the EMTs arrived, they didn't see color; they saw a medical emergency. They saw a woman in need.

           
For our family on that day, the most important set of helping hands was those of a poorly paid, seemingly insignificant cook at a restaurant in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. His hands did more than save a woman's life. He saved my mom's life. He saved my dad's wife. He saved my aunt's sister. He saved my nephews' and niece's grandma.

We are not islands unto ourselves. The importance of each life is woven throughout the fabric of those we call family, relatives, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.  What we do for one, we do for many. I give thanks for the many who gave aid on that hot summer day. We may not have money, power, or resources we can share with others, but we do have the one thing that matters most--love. We can love others by sharing ourselves, our time, our energy.  We can use our hands to lift the fallen, care for the dying, and help heal the sick.  I give thanks for the foreign hands from Canada, the elderly hands that provided transportation, the greasy hands of the cook who saved my mom's life, the trained hands of the EMTs who treated Mom and transported her to the hospital, the hospital staff's hands who treated her, and the hands of a friend who drove over one hundred miles to get us.   

No matter how long we live, it will be too short---too short to waste the opportunities that come our way. We can make a difference in our neighbors, our community, and our world. We can be instrumental in bridging the economic, racial, and religious chasms that divide us.

That day opened my eyes to the needs around us. I now try to stay alert to my environment. If we stay alert, it won't be long before the needs of others and our opportunities collide right in front of us. When it does, will you let God use your hands to make a difference in someone's life?

The Supreme Court Injured Me

Today I suffered an injury at the hands, well maybe not hands, of the Supreme Court of the United States. I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but intentionality is not the issue. My pain is the issue. My injury makes me a victim and the Supreme Court the perpetrator. 

It happened today while my family and I was visiting the Supreme Court. The building itself fits the idea of supreme. Its beauty is something to behold. Its size is massive. The white-marble it's constructed of makes it almost blinding in the bright sun. But what struck me the most about the Supreme Court is not the building it meets in, but the power it welds. The Supreme Court, more than any other branch of government, shapes and determines the future of our nation. It holds the power of life and death for the young and old, and for the nation as a whole.

Power acts as a two-edged sword. In the hands of the just, the wise, and the righteous, it does much good, provides much help, and brings about great blessings. But power knows no boundaries. In the hands of the unwise, or the unjust, it can produce suffering, pain, and death.

As we waited to enter the Supreme Court, it dawned on me that the most powerful weapon the world has ever employed against mankind, the hydrogen bomb, pales in comparison to the power of the U. S. Supreme Court. The bomb dropped on Hiroshima was responsible for the deaths of at least 150,000 people. The U.S. Supreme Court may not have access to weapons such as bombs and missiles, but its power to help or hurt is unprecedented. Throughout its history, it has made many decisions, both good and bad. It presently averages 80 decisions per year. The effects of its decisions may be narrow in scope or wide-ranging.  

The injury it inflicted on me was minor. I needed no medical treatment and suffered no psychological harm. No one laid a hand on me and no decision was handed down concerning me. The crime of the Supreme Court was that its bright, white marble steps combined with a bright sunny day created an almost blinding light to the eyes of those coming out of the somewhat muted internal light within the building. Consequently, I found myself closing one eye, holding my right hand so as to shade my eyes as best I could, while squinting my other eye to a large degree to filter out as much light as possible. Unfortunately, my actions distorted my vision, causing me to miss the last step and sending me sprawling face down at the base of the marble steps. 

With my dignity damaged more than my body (but don't tell my knees that), I quickly jumped up. Steps can cause injury when missed, and my skinned knees provide the proof of it. My skinned knees and sore hand, however, doesn't compare to the tragedy that occurs when a bad decision is handed down by the court.  

The code name of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima was "Little Boy." The decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22, 1973, affected millions of little boys and girls. On this date, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, affirmed the legality of a woman's right to have an abortion under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. 

The aftermath of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima pales in comparison to the horrific results of this decision. As of January 21, 2015, 42 years after the court's decision, there had been 57,762,169 abortions. 

How ironic that the 14th Amendment that "forbids states from denying any person 'life, liberty  or property, without due process of law,'" was used to okay taking away the right to life and liberty for millions of babies." 

The destructive force of the Roe vs. Wade decision was 385 times greater than that of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Today many denounce the bombing of Hiroshima calling it immoral, yet they fully support the killing of millions of babies every year. May God help them to see the contradictory positions they hold.

The Supreme Court justices are supposed to make decisions based on the U.S. Constitution, but history has repeatedly shown that for many justices, the Constitution must take a back seat to culture. When the nation's culture shifts to oppose the dictates of the Constitution, the justices find their interpretations being shaped by the culture more than the words of the U.S. Constitution. 

One cannot but wonder, is the political chaos that is presently occurring in our nation the spiritual result of over 40 years of genocide? Is this part of God's judgment on America? Only God knows.

What I do know is that my knees will heal, but the aborted babies will not. I pray for a spiritual revival in our nation that will bring about a renewed appreciation for life -- all life -- including the fragile lives of the unborn. I pray for the well being of the Supreme Court Justices and for righteous decisions in their deliberations. I pray for all the women who find themselves with unwanted pregnancies. I pray that they will make the right decision, a decision for life, not death. And I pray for the future of our nation.

It's Not All About You

"It's not all about you!" Those words caught my attention. They were simple, yet profound. Anti-modern, yet very true. Rejected by many, but needed by all. Like salmon swimming upstream, they go against the currents of today's individualistic philosophies. But they are essential to relationships -- all types of relationships. They are a must for child rearing, spouse caring, and political progress. Without them we will never get the most out of life. Without them our families will become dysfunctional. The government will become deadlocked. Our nation will become a never ending battleground for every self-centered group, flooding the courts with lawsuits, social media with propaganda, and the streets with protesters, all demanding their rights or promoting their causes, with one over-arching goal: the accommodation of any and all unrestrained, uninhibited, self-focused desires, wants, or wishes.

Some simple Google searches, a few hours of media streaming, or a page or two of statistics will bring several truths to light. It's already happening. Although not all, many families are dysfunctional, fractured, and falling apart. Our government is deadlocked to such a degree that voters don't care who they elect as president, as long as he or she will shake up the status quo. Special interest groups are constantly in the news and ever before us demanding their unreal rights, special privileges, and unreasonable accommodations.

Call me an alarmist. Brush me off as an extremist. Label me an old-fashioned, Biblical literalist, who's living in the dark ages, but please don't ignore my words or the current national and global events taking place, and especially, the storm clouds that are gathering on the horizon. Our nation is headed down a dead end. Our families are self-destructing. And time is running out. 

If we fail to embrace and employ these words and this principle, that it's not all about us, the storm will descend, the devastation will occur, and we will become like salmon that fail to swim against the current. No upstream journey equals no salmon spawning. No spawning equals no salmon. If we silence these words and dispose of this principle, our next generation will cease to exist, not as a people, but as a functioning society -- as a democratic nation.

We need to rediscover these words. We need to reinsert them into our vocabulary. We need to embrace them mentally and display them physically. For the sake of our children, they need to hear, we need to say, and all of us need to believe this vital principle: "It's not all about you." And it's not. It's not all about you, and it's not all about me, or anyone of us.

Bee communities, ant colonies, and wolf packs -- all understand the benefit of community and the dangers of individualism, but we highly evolved homo sapiens are giving evidence of devolution. The values we once treasured and the principles we once taught are now considered outdated and unacceptable.

We need to right the ship and return to the basic building blocks of a well ordered society. Why? Because it's not all about you or us. This also invoves the church. We need to teach our children about God and tell them about Jesus' love and sacrificial death, but that's not enough. If we fail to warn them about the sinfulness of self-idolization, and effectively communicate to them the truth of otherness, they will never become effective, positive, culture-change agents that our world needs and all followers of Christ are meant to be. We are called to be salt and light to a dark and sometimes bitter world.  "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.  You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:13-14 ESV).

Our younger generation will never fulfill God's desire for them if they don't embrace this truth. "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3-4 ESV).

Churches divide, families split, and nations fall because they don't believe, teach, and practice this truth: "It's not all about you." My generation understood this. We had family chores, a family car, a party phone line, and one TV shared by all. We didn't get trophies for sports participation, or passing grades for just trying. My siblings and I didn't demand our way by throwing an "I want that" temper tantrums or hold our breaths (my cousin, however, used the breath-holding maneuver very effectively), to get our way. If we did, we discovered the pain of uncontrolled emotions and unchecked desires.

Ted Cunningham

"It's not all about you." These society-nurturing, future-preserving words, all-important words, were spoken at the General Baptist Summit in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this week by Ted Cunningham from Branson, Missouri. He's a pastor who's written several books on marriage and child rearing. Ted emphasized the importance of husbands and wives having alone time, despite the demands of raising children who want all of our attention. He stressed the importance of dads and moms showing their children that life is not all about them. They need to see that mom has a special place in dad's eyes and dad has a special place in mom's eyes.

Children who learn this principle won't grow up to be adult adolescents, wanting much, but contributing little. Unfortunately, we already have a nation full of immature adults in the form of demanding employees, constantly complaining customers, and many unappreciative, but very incendiary citizens. We may be too late, but if we don't at least try, we doom ourselves. We must try to lead our families and friends to a state of other awareness. Be aware of the needs of others. Be concerned about the needs of others. Be willing to help strangers along the way. And most of all be willing to say that which the world fears and the church must say: "It's not all about you."

In actuality, the truth of the matter is -- it's not at all about you or me. Mature Christians believe, and rightly so, that in the big picture, life is not in the least bit about you or me. It's all about Jesus. We make the most of life and get the most out of life when we come to understand that Jesus is what life is all about.

The Great Delusion

Nothing robs us of precious moments and vital time more than blatant lies, disguised deception, and fanciful falsehoods. In contrast, we get the most out of life when we view life clearly, live life rightly, and center our lives purposefully. The key to getting the most out of life is simple: discover what is most important in life and don't waste time getting to it. Hint: it's not about self, regardless of whatever self you identify with.

Unfortunately, everybody's gullible. We are easy pickings for the truth twisters and falsehood fabricators. With a few tweets or a Facebook posting, we are easily scared into a herd mentality stampede that tramples the rights of any dissenters and refuses to engage in meaningful and reasonable dialogue. In essence, we are in a new age -- the age of reason is no more.

Instead of logic and reason being used to influence decisions and opinions about social matters, many now use name calling and intimidation in the form of mob shaming. They plug up their ears and shout their opponents down. They show no respect for others, but demand respect from others.

In the midst of terrorists threatening on every front, cancer and Alzheimer's affecting nearly every family, and racism and violence plaguing our country, special interest groups have identified another enemy, an enemy to be attacked by all. This enemy consists of groups of bigots who threatens our loving nation with hate-filled messages, and unreasonable demands. Who are these unreasonable, hate-filled bigots? In a world where hate does exist and bigots do live, authentic Christians have now been labeled as such. What's their crime? What horrible message or unreasonable demands have they made? They believe in truth. They believe the Bible. They love God more than they love themselves. They seek holiness. They seek what's best for others. They determine right and wrong based on God's wisdom instead of man's sinful, self-absorbing, destructive desires. They see gender being determined by physiological makeup as determined by God and verified by science, instead of by a fluid and ever changing mental and emotional state of an individual.

Up until the last few years logic, reason, science, medical knowledge, and the Bible all viewed homosexuality and transgenderism in the same light. So what changed? Who reprogrammed the matrix? How did we wake up in the Twilight Zone?

Many find themselves bewildered by the rejection of obvious truths and the embracing of indisputable falsehoods. Thankfully, we don't need to remain bewildered. Although the Bible is often accused of being out of date and unrelated to the workings of current events, it amazingly, and adequately addresses and often explains the inexplicable. The following passage may help us to understand what's going on in the world:

"The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 ESV).

The lawless one is actively pushing his agenda. As his time draws to a close, his actions will increase. This is pointed out in a great book I'm presently reading, Prophecy, Pansexuality and Pandemonium by Li Ann Thio, who is a professor of law in Singapore and works in the fields of constitutional and administrative law, international law and human rights law in Asia. She holds a Master's and Doctorate in Law from Harvard Law School and Cambridge University, respectively. She had a life-changing experience with Jesus Christ as a first year undergraduate at Keble College, Oxford, after which she disavowed humanism and nihilism, and embraced authentic Christianity.

In her book, she addresses the insanity that is sweeping our country. She writes, "This spirit of lawlessness has a primary goal of erasing all the distinctions God has established between right and wrong, male and female, holy and profane" (p. 2).  She further adds on page 3 of her book, "The spirit of lawlessness is not some abstract thing or idea; it is motivated by the lawless one, and it has a spiritual dimension which is expressed concretely through both a legal and political agenda."

I've included a link to a story that reveals the lawless one at work. http://fxn.ws/29tTyzy?fb_ref=Default Don't let the lawless one deceive you. The transgender issue is much more than a matter of who gets to use which restroom. It's not about human rights or dignity. It's about who determines what sex we are, what is right or wrong, and who does have authority. The choices: a holy God or depraved mankind.

The lawless one can't be defeated by the weapons of this world. We can't convince those under his spell to believe the truth and reject falsehoods. Logic and reason don't work in his realm. This is why our dependence must be on God. The apostle Paul aptly put it, "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 ESV).

We must stand for what is right and godly. We must resist the lawless one. We must fight him in the courts, in PTA meetings, on social media, and at work. Most of all, we must fight him on our knees. God is the only One who can change minds, transform hearts, and bring deliverance to the captives. Let us resist the Great Delusion and help others to see it for what it is.