Laying Tracks

The beach house my wife and I rent is unique in several ways. For one thing, it sits right on the sand, so the ocean is only 70’ away on the west side. About 70’ away on the east side, are a set of Metro Link train tracks. Therefore, we are smack dab in the middle of two extremely noisy activities that would keep most people awake at night. However, a month after we moved in it didn’t matter. The noise of the ocean may be loud, but it’s calming and wonderful. The noise of the trains going by, however, is totally obnoxious. But after a while your brain checks out and you just stop hearing it. That is until last Thursday night.

Let me clarify, it wasn’t a train going by that woke us up at 1:00am. It was the sound of loud banging and clanging. I went outside to see what was going on and spotted temporary spotlights set up on the tracks and several men working feverishly underneath them. I couldn’t tell what they were doing and I sure as heck couldn’t sleep either. The loud banging, clanging and beep, beep, beep of a machine moving on the tracks made sleeping impossible.

The next morning, in the bright sunlight, I could see they were replacing sections of the tracks. There was a man in an orange vest operating a huge machine that beeped as it moved back and forth along the tracks. The machine appeared to be “smashing” something into the ground, but I couldn’t tell for sure what it was. Behind him was another man in an orange vest swinging a 10lb sledge hammer, driving stakes into the ground. It reminded me of a picture in a book, way back in my junior high history class, that depicted men laying railroad tracks in the early 1800’s. In fact, if you take the machine out of the scene, it was exactly the same picture… a strong burly man with Popeye sized forearms swinging a 4’ long 10lb sledgehammer over and over again. The difference was that there was also another man, sitting in a comfy chair inside a glass enclosed air-conditioned compartment, smoking a cigarette while he slowly pushed buttons. When he stepped out of the machine I could see he was overweight and out of shape in sharp contrast to his partner.

And that got me thinking… As much as things change, in a lot of ways, they also stay the same. Today we might have a lot more machines that can do fantastic things, but we are still human beings made from flesh and blood. And if we don’t get off our butts and away from our computers, I-phones and TV sets, and start doing more physical activity, someday machines might just smash us!

Then...

Now...

If it weren’t for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart,
some of us wouldn’t get any exercise at all.~ Joey Adams

Allowance (By Debby Thrailkill)

Recently, I was listening to a radio talk show and the topic of children receiving allowance came up. This got me thinking back to the days when I received an allowance from my parents. I recalled receiving this money for good behavior, completing my chores, and doing my school work. I started receiving an allowance at age 10 and it was small ($5-$10) but it was quite a treat. I remember hopping on my bike and rolling downhill to the shopping center about a mile away, buying a triple scoop ice cream at the Savon counter for 75 cents, and then cruising the center for anything else that caught my eye, like tiny frogs and turtles from the pet store, a stick of perfume for my mom from the drug store, or maybe a McDonalds Big Mac. Having purchasing power was exciting but having earned the money was an even better feeling of accomplishment, which bolstered my self-confidence. I was proud and happy, and I always eager to share my allowance with others.

The talk show host spoke about how the allowance system gives parents a tool to teach their children about responsibility, hard work, and saving money, while instilling self-worth. It enables parents to teach their children to follow rules, contribute to the family, and receive rewards. I would wash and dry dishes, vacuum around the house, rake leaves and help with yardwork on the weekends. Of course, all of this should be expected in a family, but motivation to please and succeed were important to me as well, so I am thankful for the valuable lessons I learned.

As I matured in my life and faith, and with help from my husband and wonderful friends, it became important to me to please God and succeed in receiving His allowance. So, what does God offer, and what does He expect of me in return? I've learned that He wants me to be faithful to Him, to follow His commandments and rules, and communicate with Him through prayer. I know He wants me to help others and always contribute in a positive way and I am confident that the reward He offers us is far greater than any reward we could ever imagine.

I like to talk to God, so I pray, most of the time silently, but sometimes out loud. I praise His Name and His will be done. I thank Him for my family and friends, for the food on my table, and for those who risk their lives to provide freedom for us all. I ask forgiveness of my sins, and for the courage, strength and smarts not to keep sinning! And I pledge myself to Him. In return, He offers me eternal life with Him in Heaven and I fall to my knees knowing I am not worthy. But I am constantly trying and that’s what counts. I guess what I have learned is that an allowance is much more than a payoff, it is an opportunity for accomplishment upon faithful and loyal service… and that motivates me more than anything else!

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, 

and no mind can imagine the things 

that God has prepared for those who love Him.

~ 1 Corinthians 2:5

The Middle

Last week, in the early morning hours, I found myself driving down Antonio Parkway in Rancho Santa Margarita. Antonio Parkway is a major three-lane thoroughfare that is almost always crowded with cars. But on this particular morning, there wasn’t a single car in site. Not one car in front of me nor one car behind me. It was really weird and for just a moment I felt like I was on a different planet.

Then I realized something kind of cool. I have the whole road to myself! I can drive fast in the slow lane, or I can drive slow in the fast lane, or I could even make lane changes as often as I want without a care. Today must be my special day because I totally own this road! I know what you’re thinking, but it was early, and my mind was wandering, so yeah, I guess I do sound kind of crazy. But I’m not crazy because guess what I did. I drove at a safe speed right down the middle of the center lane. Man, am I boring or what!

So why did I choose the middle lane? I could have driven in the slow lane, but I like to move at a pretty quick pace, so slow people really bug me. So maybe I should have chosen the fast lane? But the fast lane is full of people who are in way too much of a hurry and they’re usually distracted as well. So, I definitely don’t want to be part of that crowd either. But as soon as those thoughts crossed my mind, I realized I was doing something I shouldn’t be doing… and I’m not talking about my driving.

I’m talking about being judgmental. I don’t mean to do it, and you probably don’t mean to do it either, but if I’m being honest, I bet I do it ten times a day. Most of the time It’s just a bunch of unconscious thoughts flopping around in my head that dissipate as fast as they arrive. Yet, I know those thoughts are still wrong. I know I should always do my best to be open minded and accepting because people deserve the benefit of the doubt. Not long ago, I remember I was “the old guy driving super slow” in the slow lane because I bought my Mom some flowers and I was having a hard time holding on to the vase without spilling the water. A month before that I was “the crazy guy speeding down the fast lane” after getting a phone call from paramedics who were transporting my wife to Mission Hospital. Maybe it would help me to be less judgmental if I simply remember that there is only one planet that matters, and that we’re all on that same planet, made by the same Creator, for the same reason… and let Him take care of judgment!

It is only the long and patient road that leads to anywhere.

~ Muriel Strode

No Small Thing

Easter is a special time, a chance to be with family, share a meal, and hopefully spend some one on one time with the people you love. But if you’re a Christian, it’s also the most important holiday of the year where we should probably take time to reflect on the sacrifices made on our behalf.

It’s obvious that the sacrifice Jesus made to suffer and die for us was absolutely amazing. I will forever consider Jesus to be the kindest and yet bravest example of a loving being there has ever been. But I think it’s important to remember that God also made a huge sacrifice. He not only gave up His only son to be beaten, scourged, pierced and spit on, He actually allowed him to die. He did it out of love but what a huge sacrifice that was. I have four children, and I know there is no way I would be able to let any of my children suffer like that, no matter what the cause. But God did it out of love and Jesus taught us what true sacrifice is all about. But as I thought about that concept, and all that Jesus did while he was on earth, I realized that sacrifice can come in many different forms.

Over Easter Weekend, my wife and I rented a house in Lake Arrowhead and invited some of our family members. Unfortunately, my wife came down with a severe cold the day before we left (on top of her ongoing pulmonary issues) so she was really feeling weak and sick. But there she was anyway, cooking, cleaning, and showing everyone a good time. As impressive as that was, there was one small thing that she did that really highlighted her self-sacrificing nature. Despite being super sick, she made time to wash and style her Mom’s hair, which made her Mom super happy. I should probably mention that my wife’s Mom is suffering from a severe illness herself and has been for over a year, so she hasn’t had a lot to smile about. Anyway, it touched my heart to see my wife, as sick as she was, making the time and expending the love and energy to make someone else feel special. It may sound like a small thing, but it’s not. Every time we take some of our own time and energy to help someone else, even in the smallest way, we mimic Jesus… and that’s no small thing!

The world is made better not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, 

but also by the millions of tiny pushes of each and every faithful person.

~ Helen Keller