IT all started with a simple, little G.I. Joe fishing rod. Of all the
kiddie fishing rods hanging on the rack at Wal-Mart, that was the
one that caught the attention of my two-year-old son, Matthew.
The camouflage paint virtually mesmerized him. He had never seen G.I.
Joe, but somehow, he could instantly relate to the “man stuff ” associ-
ated with him. Matt thought it was the coolest thing he’d ever seen. I
was thinking about how we would lose it when we laid it down in the
grass. (There I go with the “positive” thinking again!)
He snatched it from the shelf, tucked it tightly under one arm,
secured it even more tightly with the other hand and marched the rest
of the way through the store. He was so proud. I promptly offended
him, however, by offering to carry it for him. What was I thinking?
He was so excited to go fishing that he carried his rod around the
house all day and even took it in the car with him everywhere we went.
When Kim, my wife, was doing errands, Matt was in the backseat fishing.
Every so often, he would “hook a fish,” fight it while commentating at
the top of his lungs, and then lose it. The loss would be followed by a
big “Aaawww.”
Soon thereafter, I gathered the kids and we went to a nearby seawall
to catch perch. It was not a “real fishing trip” by tough-guy standards,
but to them it was an adventure with Dad, and that was better than a
“real fishing trip” any day. Cool, huh?!
As we sat on the seawall, I was book-ended with kids. Matt was on
my left and Jack, my eldest son, was on my right. Matt hooked a good
sized perch and went ballistic with joy as he fought it. The look on
his face was priceless as he watched the water, waiting for the fish to
appear. He reeled as fast as he could, and when the fish finally broke the
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surface, mighty squeals were unleashed. “Fishy! Fishy!” I don’t believe
any fishing show has ever caught anything like that on camera. I had to
remind him to quit pointing at the fish and reel it all of the way up so I
could reach it.
The fish were hitting quickly, and I was baiting hooks as fast as
humanly possible. In an effort to reduce my workload, I decided to
teach Jack how to bait his own hook. Bad idea! He was scared to death
of hooking himself and his hesitancy made his worst fear come true. I
think a hooked child fights harder than any fish.
When it was all said and done, Jack learned to bait a hook with a
shrimp instead of his finger and even caught a really big perch. Matt
landed seven perch, three of which he caught all by himself. He was so
proud!
Its memories like these that we will always cherish. I was thinking
about it later, and a quote I had read popped into mind. It was from
a little kid. Someone had asked him how he knew God was real and
he replied, “It’s like catching a fish. You can’t see it, but you can feel it
pulling.” Doesn’t that just say it all?
Matt had experienced some of the greatest fulfillment life can throw
our way. The look on his face, the movement of his body, the squeals
of excitement and laughter all exhibited his joy. I think God is that way
with us. He is fishing, so to speak. He is fishing for you and me. He loves
fishing. In fact, most of his apostles were fishermen. However, instead
of using a rod and reel to bring us in, He uses the life of His Son.
If people will humble themselves enough to thoroughly investigate
the life of Christ, chances are they will get hooked. At that point, I think
God just may have the same look of joy on his face that Matt did when
he caught his first fish. And when we “come to the surface,” I think He
gets so excited to see us that even He forgets to reel.
Think about it. If he is that serious about “fishing” for us, don’t
you think He gets truly excited when He “catches” one of us? And you
know what? With Him, there are no size limits and He never throws
anyone back.
Love a lot and laugh a lot. It’s the best thanks you can give Him.
52
Plane Crash
NAVY Pilots generally fit into one of two categories: intense
and arrogant or light-hearted and humble. My friend, Dan,
fits into the latter group. He’s funny, cheerful, and an excel-
lent pilot to boot.
As many pilots do, Dan got the itch to buy his own airplane and
chose a single engine model called a Long EZ. It is a unique-looking
craft with the propeller on the rear, no tail, and rudders on the tips of
the wings. The horizontal stabilizer, which is normally located on the
tail, is attached to the nose. Despite its unusual looks, it is very fuel-
efficient, fast, and aerobatic. The cockpit is even set up in the same
configuration as an F-16 fighter jet. What else could a pilot want?
Shortly after he bought it, Dan ventured out to practice nighttime
touch-and-go’s. A touch-and-go is an exercise where the pilot takes off
and lands many times in a row without ever stopping on the ground. It
is an excellent way to build skill and flight hours.
Everything was going well until Dan made his final takeoff. During
climb out, one of the rudder cables wrapped around its control mecha-
nism, locking the rudder in the full left position. This caused the airplane
to roll sharply to the left and begin a rapid descent. His low airspeed
and altitude afforded only a few precious seconds to try and rectify the
situation.
Moments later, traveling 120 miles per hour, the plane crashed
through the tops of the mesquite trees. A large branch broke off, leaving
a sharpened point that punched right through the side of the cockpit
like a sword. It passed half an inch above Dan’s thigh and stopped
just before it skewered him. The airplane hit the ground hard and cart
wheeled several times, ripping the nose of the plane off and exposing
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Dan’s feet. It then flipped end over end several times before crushing
the glass canopy as it settled upside-down onto the hard clay soil.
Dan tried in vain to free himself from the wreckage. All he could
do was hang upside-down in his harness as fuel gushed out and pooled
around the cockpit. Things deteriorated quickly, and he felt sure a fire
would soon erupt and burn him to death. To make matters worse, the
radio in the airplane had been destroyed and no one was aware of the
crash.
Completely out of options, Dan was forced to calm himself and
think. He began to pray…and pray and pray and pray. As he prayed, he
remembered that he had a cell phone in his pocket, a fact that gave him
hope and a chance of getting out alive.
Having a phone was one thing, but getting it out of his pocket was
quite another. His entire body weight had it compressed between his leg
and the seatbelt. Dan violently battled his confines and, after a lengthy
fight, was finally able to free it. Wedging it between the ground and his
ear, he successfully called for help.
An hour and a half later, the rescue teams located the wreckage and
pulled him from underneath. He was unscathed except for some sore-
ness and an adrenalin crash that almost knocked him out.
Later, when he analyzed the events, he realized how much God’s
protective hand had been involved. He came up with five major
instances where God intervened: The branch that pierced the cockpit
stopped short before stabbing him, his feet did not get torn off or
injured even though they were dangling free during the crash, the wires
on his headset were sliced in half by glass from the broken canopy but
his face and head were not touched, a fire never ignited, and he had a
cell phone with signal. Some people credit Dan’s well-being to luck, but
he gives all of the credit to God.
In many ways, Dan’s crash mirrors the paths of our lives. One
moment we are cruising along without a care in the world, and the next
moment we are crashing out-of-control wondering what is going on
and how it will end. Sometimes the impetus for the crash is of our own
doing, and other times, we are just unfortunate victims of circumstance.
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Shooting CowS
Although we try our best to steer clear of these low points, they are an
inescapable part of life’s undulation. We must remember that just as
we can’t stay on the top of life forever, we will not stay permanently
confined to the bottom either. One of the keys to life is enjoying the
good times, making the best of the bad times, and seeing God acting
through it all.
I’m sure that, during the crash, Dan didn’t see God protecting him.
In fact, it probably looked as if God wasn’t present at all. In a matter of
seconds, Dan was taken from the height of contentment to the point of
hopelessness – the point where all he could do was give up or pray. He
chose to pray, and God honored his decision with the simple memory
of a cell phone. That memory triggered a domino effect of events that
led to his being rescued. In retrospect, God’s involvement can be seen
in every part of the crash, and His name is proclaimed in the telling of
the story.
Bad things happen sometimes, and we can’t avoid them. Instead,
we must grit our teeth and endure them. You can be certain, however,
that God is deeply involved in whatever is taking place. He may not
take the actions we think are best but, instead, does what He deems
most important and truly needed. He works behind the scenes, doing
things we may never know about until we get to heaven – things like
protecting us from further detriment and lessening the current blows
of adversity. Rest assured that with faith in Him, the circumstances will
ultimately work out for our good and His glory – and giving Him glory
is the meaning of life – even when it hurts and we don’t understand why.
God is good. He is trustworthy. He is there in the light and the dark.
Look back on events and see Him. He’s there; it’s just that sometimes
you have to look very carefully. Over time, you may get to the point
where you recognize His works in the midst of misery. At that point,
peace and assurance replace panic and despair. It’s worth the effort. You
can do it!
Love a lot and laugh a lot. It’s the best thanks you can give Him.
55
Change, Change, Change
I don’t know about you, but I get so fed up with all of the yammering
during the political season that I just want to explode. I promise
you I won’t add to the noise by making this a political rant favoring
one side over another. Oh, I want to very badly, but I won’t.
Have you ever noticed that one of the only slogans used in poli-
tics is, “Change!” Whoa boy, doesn’t that just make your heart skip a
beat. When I hear it, I sarcastically think to myself, “Wow, something
new! That person is running on a platform of change. What a concept!
They’ve got my vote!” Can’t anyone come up with something new and
different? Anyone?
Anything?
The political process, in my opinion, can be summed up very
succinctly. Every election season wily politicians manage to convince
people that their version of “change” is exactly what is needed to
heal the country. Their plans seem almost magical. Yet, by the end of
their term, their plans have met with failure and all of the candidates
– including the incumbents – are running on a platform of change.
What’s up with that? It’s like they are running against themselves while
dodging responsibility by blaming other people and events.
I am definitely not beating up on our political system. It’s the best
in the world, period. I’m just frustrated with the monotonous cycle and
endless chant for change. It’s a prime example of “the more something
changes, the more it stays the same.” If there is one thing in politics that
you can be sure won’t change, it’s the fact that things will keep changing.
I mean, let’s be honest. We will never come up with a plan the entire
country agrees upon. It’s just not going to happen – especially when you
factor in pride, greed, selfishness, power, and corruption.
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There are some things, however, that never change. They are the
really important elements of life: the need for love and acceptance, the
fact that the truth will set you free, that it is always better to give than
to receive, that the more love you give, the more love you will receive,
that it is better to listen than talk, that money doesn’t buy happiness,
that we should put others first, that pleasing God should come before
everything else, that God loves us just the way we are and more.
You know, the fact that God doesn’t change is very encouraging. He
never makes mistakes, is incorruptible and will never turn His back on
us. He is our fortress, a solid foundation in an ever-changing world. He
is someone we know will always be there for us, will relieve our stress
and someone we can turn to in times of need. He loves us and always
will. That is very reassuring, especially during the political season.
Don’t let the world get you down. God is in charge – always has
been and always will be. If that’s true, and I believe it is, we really don’t
have to worry about anything because He’s going to take care of it.
Love a lot and laugh a lot. It’s the best thanks you can give Him.
58
Cerebral Palsy and
Fishing – What a Combo!
THE moment was finally upon us. She had been waiting a long
time, and the suspense was driving her crazy. Larry and I lifted
Patty’s wheelchair into the boat, strapped it down, and secured
her life vest. She was so excited I thought she would explode. Her smile
was wider than the sunrise.
Patty has cerebral palsy, which affords her a severely limited range
of movement. To make matters worse, she fell down a few years ago
and permanently injured her back. The doctors cannot correct her back
injury or even ease her discomfort. Her pain level is so high that they
gave her a morphine pump to carry with her at all times. She uses it
as little as possible, because she doesn’t like the way it makes her feel.
Despite all of this, Patty is full of life and has a fantastic attitude.
Patty had never been fishing or even on a boat until this day and
she was bursting at the seams to get started. I hit the gas and worried
that the quick start may scare her. Expecting the worst, I looked over
and, to my surprise, she was beaming with pleasure. She literally couldn’t
contain herself. She grinned and laughed the entire time.
We tried several fishing spots, and the only fish we were able to find
were tiny little perch. Most fishermen scoff at perch, but she thought
they were the best fish in the bay. Every time she’d get a bite, she’d start
the motorized reel and quickly bring it in. The pictures are priceless!
After several hours, she asked me if we could go. I thought she
meant go home–she meant go fast. I hammered the throttle and soon
we were going full speed. When I checked on her, I noticed tears coming
from her eyes. Were they caused by the wind or were they tears of joy?
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I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. She liked going fast and we kept going
fast until she said to stop. It was a long time.
When I think back on that day, I feel blessed, really blessed. She
taught me so much. If I were severely handicapped and hooked up to a
morphine pump, I would probably feel sorry for myself and complain
constantly. Do you know what?! I have never seen Patty without a smile
on her face. If you ask her how she does it, she will tell you that it is
God. She gives Him credit for everything. Wow! She cannot speak very
well, but she doesn’t have to. Her life tells it all. I loved giving the gifts
of boating and fishing to Patty. It warmed my heart to watch her enjoy
them so much. I think God is the same way with us. He constantly gives
us gifts and loves to watch us enjoy them. Patty sees the gifts of God
everywhere and says “thank you” by thoroughly enjoying them. We can
do that, too. Slow down, open your eyes and heart…and enjoy.
Love a lot and laugh a lot. It’s the best thanks you can give Him.
60
Beating Lance Armstrong
IT was the toughest climb I’d ever attempted. To say it was straight
up was an understatement, and 140 miles into the race…well, that
was just cruel (darn race organizers). I was pushing my pedals with
every ounce of energy I could muster. My thighs were burning and my
lungs felt like they were going to explode. The summit was still lingering
over a mile away when I decided to look back and see if the chasing pack
of riders was in trouble or about to swallow me. To my utter amaze-
ment, they were strung out down the mountain. Even Lance Armstrong
was grimacing in pain and losing ground. I was actually beating Lance
Armstrong on a climb! I couldn’t believe it. My most impossible dream
was coming true. Then the unthinkable happened….I woke up. Even
in the midst of slumber, life can be cruel. It was only a dream, but I’ll
relish the memory forever.
Cycling really has become a big part of my life, and over time I’ve
noticed some similarities between cycling, life and God. “What does
God have to do with riding a bike?” you ask. Well, first of all, He’s really
fast and has great equipment. At this moment, there are three teams
trying to sign Him to a long term contract. (Just kidding - I’m so weird).
If people’s lives were turned into a bike ride, it would probably end
up becoming a race. Everyone would be measuring themselves against
the people around them and pushing the hardest gear possible. They
would be killing themselves in the process, but hey, if we are not worn
to a frazzle, we are not going hard enough, right?! Most people would
never even consider moving to a smaller gear to make the pedaling
easier. If they did, they might lose ground, and we can’t have that. Over
time the lack of gear changes would become habit and some people
might even forget how to change gears.
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We, as humans, tend to get stuck in one gear and try to make that
gear work for all situations. But just like riding a bike, the results of this
strategy are frustration, anger, fatigue, and, ultimately, lost ground.
The world constantly tells us, even pushes us, to be faster, to attain
more, to be more efficient, more effective, blah, blah, blah… When
computers were invented, it was actually said that everyone would
be afforded more free time. The thinking was that the efficiency of
computers would help us get our work done more quickly and the
time left over could be spent with family and friends. Wrong! The
time left over is crammed with more work and higher expectations of
achievement.
While speed and efficiency have their places in life, so do rest, relax-
ation, and reflection. God designed us with multiple speeds or “gears,”
to use the cycling analogy. There are times for fast and furious pedaling
and times to get off the darn bike and rest. It seems, however, that we
get so caught up in the crazy, hectic side of life that we never rest. When
we don’t rest, we end up unhappy and inefficient.
Take some time and sit quietly. It will feel strange at first, and if you
are like me, you will feel like you are wasting time, but you are not. In
fact, you are making the best possible use of your time. Jesus himself
valued rest and prayer over ceaseless activity.
When you rest and pray regularly, an interesting thing happens:
energy levels are rejuvenated, efficiency increases, and everything just
seems to fall into place. Well, maybe not everything, but it sure is a lot
better than if prayer and rest are left out. Scientific studies have shown
that stress levels in the brain come way down when a person prays.
Of course they do. Praying is the time when we are in contact with
God, and being in contact with God is the purpose for which we are
made. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, which is the opposite of stress, and
when you spend enough time with Him, some of that peace just rubs
off on you.
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Don’t get stuck in one gear your whole life. Learn to use the other
gears, especially rest and prayer. When you do, you’ll be ready to handle
the pressures of life when they come.
Love a lot and laugh a lot. It’s the best thanks you can give Him.
63
And Then…
WHEN teenagers go to a Young Life summer camp, they
are full of excitement and wonder. They step off the bus
and are blown away by the facilities and work crew that is
cheering, screaming and giving them high-fives as they exit. Young Life
camps are five-star resorts for teens. The theory behind the lush accom-
modations is this: if kids have everything they need and want, they will
not be distracted by a desire for anything else and, therefore, will be able
to pay attention to the talks and the Gospel.
All I can say is that it works. I have been to camp with kids many
times and have had the privilege of seeing lives transformed right before
my eyes.
One of the most basic and profound things I witnessed happened
one evening during cabin time. Cabin time is when all of the teens in
a cabin get together with their leaders and talk about life, God, and
whatever else is on their minds. During that particular cabin time, the
kids were joking about what they were going to be when they grow up.
My co-counselor seized the moment and steered the conversation from
things of materialism to things of eternity. Their conversation follows.
“What are you going to do when you graduate?” the counselor
asked.
“Go to college,” the teen answered.
“And then what?” the counselor pursued.
“Find a girlfriend, maybe someone I’ll marry,” the kid quipped.
(Much laughter and banter from the other kids.)
“Then what?” the counselor repeated.
“I don’t know. I guess get a degree in something,” the kid answered.
“Then what?” asked the counselor.
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“Graduate! And then I’ll be through with school forever. Yes!” the
kid replied. More banter.
“Then what?”
“Get a job where I’ll make a million bucks.” (More banter)
“Awesome! Then what?”
“I don’t know. I guess have kids.”
“Then what?”
“Dude! I don’t know. Raise the kids I guess,” said the kid, getting a
little perturbed.
“Then what?”
“Become an old man.”
“Then what?”
“Die!” replied the kid, exasperated and ready to end the conversation.
“Then what?”
Kid…………….silence and deep thought.
If I could take you through the same cycle, you would end up in the
same place as that kid. So I ask you, “Then what?” Take time and really
contemplate it.
Some people will say they don’t believe anything will happen after
they die. They b