Too Old for the Olympics

The Winter Olympics are here again, full of stories of amazing feats of physical prowess and for the most part, they are feats performed by quite young people.  Female figure skaters are in their mid teens and most of the other sports are performed best by athletes in their mid to upper twenties.

In the midst of this, I read a story about Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who became the oldest athlete ever to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, when he won a gold medal in the "10 km sprint" (biathlon) this year at Sochi.  Maybe this should have made me feel better, since I am still younger than he is, by several months, but it made me realize (once again) that I am now very unlikely to win a medal at the Winter Olympics.  I am just too old (among other reasons).

Yet, it made me realize as well what a blessing it is that God doesn't give up on us when we turn thirty.  The reality is, that in the kingdom of God, there is no age at which we stop being useful.

I am reminded of Moses.  At the age of eighty, he was herding sheep for his father-in-law in the desert.  It was a dead end job, if ever there was one -- until he saw a bush in flames and heard a call to shepherd the Israelites out of Egypt.

So, while I am giving up on the idea of winning a gold medal in the skeleton at the Pyeongchang Oympics in 2018, I am not giving up on the idea of being useful to God.  For, in God's kingdom, age really is just a number and forty is just a beginning.

The Secret Ingredient

"What is your favorite kind of bread, Anna?"  I asked my daughter.

"Oh," she said.  "Any kind of bread -- that you make."

Anna is a bread eater.  The verse may say that man doth not live by bread alone, but Anna would be glad to try, but only if it is home made.

I'm not totally certain what it is that gives a home made loaf its extra flavor.  Maybe it is the lack of preservatives.  Maybe that it is made in small batches -- artisanal, you could say.  Perhaps it is just that it is fresher than anything you would find in a store.

I do know that part of it is that I have practiced quite a bit.  The first couple of loaves of bread that I made were terrible.  They didn't rise more than a quarter inch and after they were baked, they were hard enough to function as weapons.

I suppose it is a lesson in perseverance more than anything else, that Anna actually likes the bread that I bake.  There have been plenty of loaves that had to be thrown out, they were that bad.

In the end, though, the biggest thing all my bread has over Aunt Millie's or Bunny is that it is baked with love.

Change

We just had a software upgrade at the office.  At least, that's what the medical record software company said it was.  It was hard for me to call it an upgrade when they took away several functions and made a number of other things more difficult to do.

Of course, the key to an upgrade is that everything looks different.  Even if things work the same, it is important for the programmers to change some fonts, or the locations of certain buttons with each upgrade to keep me on my toes.

I wonder what the purpose behind these things is.  To fix things that weren't broken?  Or maybe, to show us that the programmers have really been working hard.

I know that there are many people who like changes -- for the sake of change.  It is one of the reasons that my bathroom is now a tan color and not blue.

I am not one of those people.  God is definitely not Someone who changes just to change.  His goals have remained the same since Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden.  While the redemption of humans is a large goal, He desires no less.

Day in, day out, He works to bring His ends to pass.  And the will succeed.  For, there is no failure with the Almighty, nor any system's crash that can upset His plans.

The Original Diet Drink

We had finger foods at our church last Sunday.  Elaine and I were helping with the food and for drinks, that evening, we had Sweet Tea, Tang, Hot Chocolate and Water.  As I poured drinks for folks going through the line, I realized that something like ninety percent of the people took something other than water.

Of course, you could argue that the main ingredient in all of the drinks mentioned is water.  You would be correct.  Still, it struck me how hard people work to get their water to taste like something other than water.

Maybe there is something wrong with me, but I like the taste of water -- I prefer it to any other drink.  When I am thirsty, there is no other drink that will assuage my thirst like H2O.

I am reminded of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, in John chapter 4.  Jesus offered her water -- living water and once she figured out what He meant and tasted it, she shared it with her community.

The simple water that Jesus offered this unnamed woman two millennia ago, is still available today.  Yet, I am afraid that too many people feel the need to doctor the water of life -- to make it more palatable or culturally relevant.

In the end, we must do nothing to change the gospel, or its simple truths.  For, while Gatorade and Tang may taste better to many people, Jesus came to bring us living water that will quench the deepest thirsts within us.

Complacency

I watched the squirrel dart out from the edge of the woods and rush head long for the road.  I just had time to touch the brakes on our mini van as the little creature darted just in front of our wheels, headed for the trees on the other side of the road.

It reminded me of a joke.  "Why did the squirrel cross the road?"

I don't really have an answer.  Why do squirrels do anything squirrels do?  To me, the trees on the other side of the road looked just about the same as the trees on the side of the road where the squirrel started.  Whatever else I could say about him, I do know one thing:  he was not a complacent squirrel.

It seems as though complacency is something that keeps us from moving on.  It is the feeling that life is good enough here, things aren't great, but they are OK.

That is probably OK in many areas of life, but it not acceptable when it comes to my walk with God.  Yet, it is all too easy to feel good about where I am and not strive for more closeness to Him.

To others, this effort might look as silly as a squirrel scampering across the road, but to me, it is a far more dangerous thing to be satisfied with where I am.

Seeing the Light

It is winter time, here in Indiana, or so I have been told.  "The coldest winter in fifteen years!"  I think for many people, the coldness is the hardest thing to deal with in winter.  It certainly has been cold, but you can always put on another layer of clothes to deal with the frigid temperatures.

The hardest thing for me to deal with, this time of year, is the darkness.  So often, I leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark.  Even when I go out in the middle of the day, I can only see slate gray skies above me.

Yet, even in the midst of the darkest season of the year, there are still moments of light.  There are times -- usually at sunset or, sunrise -- when the sun manages to peak his face beneath the furrowed brows of the clouds to play peak-a-boo with Hoosiers (and probably Buckeyes too).

As someone who enjoys photography, I watch for these moments, for they make all the difference.  Without that light, the scenes are drab and gray -- almost colorless.

In this world, there is much darkness and I have no idea how much darker it can get.  It is easy to feel pessimistic, doubting that in a world full of such evil, that anything good can triumph.  But I know without a doubt that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

I will choose to pursue the Light, even in a world full of darkness.  For, as long as I can see Jesus and experience His light, the darkness will never overwhelm me.

Baby Moses

I love the story of the birth of Moses.  In some ways, it follows a theme in the Old Testament of special leaders, with special beginnings.  Children like Isaac, Jacob, and Samson were foretold and special from the beginning.

Moses was born into a family which already had two children at a time when the ruler in Egypt had commanded the death of all newborn Hebrew boys.  Despite the danger, Moses' mother, Jochabed,  decided to hide him away.

There is no record that Moses' mother received some special message from God about her child.  The Bible just says (depending on the translation) that she perceived him to be fine, proper, or beautiful.  But what mother doesn't think that her child is attractive or, at least a little cute?  So, why did Jochabed risk her life by hiding Moses?

The answer is found in Hebrews 11.  It says there that Jochabed saw potential in Moses (who can say what she saw in a three month old) and she was not afraid of the king's edict.

This second statement is key.  There are so many times that I see something good and right to do -- that I have a vision for something worthwhile -- and then don't do it because of fear.

It is all well and good to have vision -- vision for myself, for my children, and for God's kingdom.  But that is not enough.  Unless I can cast out fear, it will all come to naught.

Potty Time

Elliot has been spending an awful lot of time, lately, sitting on the potty.  A lot of time.  During that time, he has been read a lot of stories, played some with an I pad, and struggled with boredom.

If you were to ask him, Elliot would tell you that all this is wasted time from his standpoint.  We are focused on giving him a skill he doesn't really care if he ever learns.

I suppose life is about learning unnecessary skills.  From potty training, to reading, to algebra, children are expected to learn things that they don't really care about -- at least at the time that they learn them.

Perhaps some of it is that children don't see the importance of the thing they are working on.  Probably more so, the problem is that they aren't really interested in learning at all.

It strikes me that I often have similar feelings when God is teaching me.  Whether it is patience, or endurance, or love, the lessons don't come easily and part way through, I want to cry out:  "I know this well enough.  Let's move on to something else."

Yet, it says about Jesus "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered." (Hebrews 5:8)  How much more will His servant suffer to learn to be like Him.

Seasons

I like seasons.  I know that at this time of year,  there are plenty of people wishing that there were giant hair driers positioned over the Midwest, blowing snow clouds north.  Every day, patients of mine inform me "I was ready for spring six weeks ago!"

It just seems right that there should be times of warm and times of cold.  Without cold, there could be no snow, and without snow, there would be no sledding or skiing.

Probably the thing that I like best about winter is how it changes the way everything looks.  There is a different kind of beauty in every season, but I think that I like winter about the best.  Seeing the white blanket of snow over everything turns a gray season into a sparkly wonderland.  As ice forms on local lakes, I take my camera and stalk the loveliness that I see.

For, Ecclesiastes is right.  In chapter 3, it says "He has made everything beautiful in its time."  And while some crave the beauty of spring or, the loveliness of autumn, I will enjoy the beauty of whatever season I am in -- even if I have to wear gloves to do so.

Cliches

Cliches are awfully common.  I guess that is why they are cliches.  I hear many of them in my line of work.

"How are you doing?" I will ask a miserable individual, sneezing into an overused handkerchief.

"Oh, Doc," will come the reply.  "I'm just not feeling up to par."

Now, I understand that it is just an expression, but whoever coined it was either an awesome golfer or, they didn't understand the game of golf very well.  You see, in golf, a lower score is better and most golfers struggle to get down to par.  If you are significantly under-par, you are in a very good place indeed.

Another expression that gets trotted out frequently is that a situation is "coming to a head."  Maybe I'm the only one, but whenever someone uses this expression, I immediately get a mental picture of a large abscess ready to blow.  Not a pretty image and certainly not one that I want to bring out, except for very special occasions.

The problem with cliches, is that they have been repeated so often that they have lost most of their meaning.  People repeat them without ever thinking of what they signify.

It seems to me that it is awfully easy for my prayers to God to follow this same pattern.  If I say the same things to God every morning, or before each meal, it is easy for me to mouth the words without really thinking Who I am talking to and what I am saying to Him.

I want my prayers to be more than that -- I want them to come from my heart and have real meaning.  While I wouldn't want to beat a dead horse, I do think it is time to let cliches -- and thoughtless prayers -- bite the dust for good.

Jellies

Elaine made a lot of jelly last summer.  There were batches of peach jam, strawberry jam, black raspberry jelly, and peach-blueberry jam.  Oh, and I forgot grape jelly.

I guess I eat a fair amount of jelly.  I usually have two slices of toast for breakfast and somehow, a generous portion of the jam du jour seems to find its way onto my crunchy bread.

If you asked me what my favorite jam was, I would probably say "peach."  But I am awfully glad that Elaine made more varieties than just peach.  Even the best tasting foods can old, if there is nothing available for a change.

It is variety that makes life interesting.  My daughter believes that she could eat Macaroni and Cheese and Hot Dogs every day and never get tired of them, but I know that is not true.

It is far better to accept the variety that God has woven into our lives than to resist it.  I may like peach jam a lot, but it is awfully nice to have a little grape jelly now and then too.

Immunity

I have a cold, right now.  To be technical, I have an upper respiratory infection, probably caused by some type of virus.  It could be a Corona Virus or a Rhino Virus, but the end result is the same.  It's a cold.

When I am sick, I often hear comments like:  "So doctors get sick too?"  and "Physician heal thyself."  And that's fine, if not particularly original.

In fact, I am glad that I am not sick more often.  I take care of sick folks all day long -- many of them children who lack any sense of decorum when they sneeze and cough.  Despite this, I am only sick a couple of time a year.

I attribute this to good hand washing and an amazing immune system.  Now, it isn't amazing because it is mine.  It is amazing because a wonderful Creator designed it and placed it within me.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made, even when I am sick.  I know that the only thing that will heal me from my cold was given to me by the One who cares for me and watches over me.  For, there is nothing like a healthy immune system to deal with viruses in your life.

Resolutions

2014 is here and with the new year, comes a time that many people make resolutions.  It is time to take off thirty (or forty, or fifty) pounds.  Time to start exercising (again).  Time to start cooking more wholesome meals.  Basically time to fix the things that weren't right about 2013.

I was talking to one of my patients about weight loss and she told me "You know last year, I watched my diet until June and I lost thirty-five pounds, but then the second half of the year I gained back all but five of it!"

"That must be pretty discouraging," I said.

"Yes," she told me.  "But you know what?  It lets me know that I can really do it!  And this year is the year that I eat right and the weight will come off and stay off!"

I am not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions.  I find that they are abandoned awfully quickly and anyway, why wait for a New Year to start doing what you know you should do now?

That said, I love my patient's attitude.  For, the most important thing to learn from the failures of the past is that we are strong enough to rise again.  Even a partial success can be used to build a better tomorrow.

And with that in mind, I pray that this year would be a better year.  Not from a weight loss standpoint, but from a "drawing closer to God" standpoint.  For, He is the One from whom I draw my strength to fulfill anything else I resolve to do.