The Window Opening Mysteriously

          

           The cool, damp fall morning found me motoring into town. My once-a-week trip from the farm into town had an exhaustive list of errands to do. As I sang along with “Fear Not Tomorrow,” suddenly I felt air coming from the back-left window behind me almost simultaneously with hitting one of the many chug holes. I began to fear today! Without taking my eyes off the road, I moved my left hand to close the back-left window. Instantly, no more unwanted air blew onto me. I had hardly gone a quarter of a mile, hit a smaller bump, and sensed the same window was down. Instinctively, I reached to raise the window but unsuccessfully. Thoughts began emitting from my mind like fireworks exploding on fourth of July. Some of the thoughts blasting around me - The last time you had window problems was in the summer. It’s cold today. You went straight to the dealership. It was a pricey repair. Today you have responsibilities you NEED to fulfill. This is probably the end for your old car. You haven’t researched for car buying. Plus you have those two bags of trash. Lord, this wasn’t how I wanted today to go. FINALLY, Please stop me. Give me wisdom.

The Mysterious Open Window

By this time, I had pulled my car to a stop in a safe place. Hopping out, I opened the back door with the mysterious window. I breathed a prayer of relief upon instantly realizing the trash bag was the culprit rolling down the back window. As I re-positioned the trash bag to avoid a chilly ride the rest of the way into town, I said, “Thank you, Lord.”

Getting back into the car, I pulled onto the road. My mind rolled back to the years we cared for Dad. Many days found us in territory new to us. Moving from being a seasoned educator teaching third graders for over 30 years to an on-the-job crash course in caring for a stroke recovery patient. Even greater trepidation surrounded my transition from teaching little third graders to caring for large animals.. Novice provided the most accurate description when I assumed full responsibility for day-to-day cattle care. Suddenly being faced with “calling the shots” led to periods of anxiety and fear.

Mother kept many television programs on to build us up spiritually during those years. Reading, a hobby I loved, took second place to Dad’s care. I didn’t stop reading. I just read considerably less. During our care for Dad, I learned an acrostic from Zig Zigler, a motivational speaker. It impacted me so much that I posted a it on the refrigerator in large print.

  False

         Evidence

           Appearing
      Real

Acrostic attributed to Zig  Ziglar

Over the last several years, numerous times I recalled this powerful acrostic. The mysterious opening of the car window illustrated clearly the explanation given by the acrostic. The false evidence was the unexplained rolling down of the window. There was no person or animal in the back seat of my car. The only real evidence was the chilly breeze invading the car through an open car window. The only real explanation for me as I drove appeared to be a malfunction, but it proved to be false.

My little incident of the bag of trash opening the car window proved humorous to retell, but how many times do we allow our initial fear to dominate and propel us into ungodly or wrong thinking? Our perceived fear catapults us into worry, bypassing prayer that would affirm our trust in the Almighty God. Instead of reacting with faith in His control, we resort to weakening fear.
Ironically, I felt I had the opened window mystery solved when I pressed the window control on my car door. As if to remind me of how little control I have, the inanimate bag of trash opened the window again and kept me from shutting the cool air out of the car, no matter how diligently I tried to close it.

I thought I had control when I hit this!

Regardless of how knowledgeable, astute, and solution-savvy 21st century people may consider themselves, how humbling for me to realize a lowly sack destined for a landfill outsmarted me momentarily. 

Frequently, I find false evidence appearing real in my life. You may, too. As we include the Lord in our responses to the unexpected, may these verses encourage us this week when cold air blows suddenly into our lives.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, 
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:11

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

Psalm 56:3

Not a Cat Rescue Facility or a Bad Kitty Rehab

Dad had a knack for making almost anything humorous. Angie, my sister, and I speak how frequently Dad’s amusing quips pop into our minds each day. The following post recalls Dad's funny explanation from so many years ago. It has been so applicable this year.

                In early spring one crisp morning I emerged from the house to feed the cats. We have plenty of farm cats – the rodent extermination team. What a shock to see an unfamiliar cat with our cats! Then that black and white cat began spitting, hissing, and striking at any cat that came within her reach that morning. Upon hearing that, I spouted out, in my firm teacher voice, to the stray ebony and ivory feline, “We don’t talk like that here.” 

The Look of The Masked Instruder when she
arrived at the farm.

                As I poured cat food into their food containers, I thought back to one of Angie’s cherished cats, Duchess. Dad jokingly called her “The Old Lady Cat” because the savvy, strong, sassy cat survived much longer than most of our cats.  

The white female cat wouldn’t put up with any foolishness from people, cats or dogs. Dad loved to relate observing Duchess chase a dog under the yard fence. Unfortunately, the dog got stuck exiting the yard. As the stray dog feverishly worked to free itself, Duchess attacked the south side of the dog wedged on her side of the fence. Dad chuckled as he indicated that dog never returned.

Angie came from the womb loving cats of any age, color, or breed. Whenever as a little one, Duchess would hiss and caterwaul at another cat, Dad would say “Angie, she’s using awful bad language.”

                Morning after morning, I thought of Dad’s humorous explanation for Angie’s disgruntled matriarchal cat. As I tried to correct the stray cat I had dubbed “The Masked Intruder” I smiled to myself as I looked straight into her eyes and said, “We don’t use bad language here. Be nice.”

                I never wanted the Masked Intruder to remain with us. I was already in danger of being dubbed “The Crazy Cat Lady” since we had several farm felines. We had no secret wish to operate a cat rescue or an unruly cat rehab. But as with several dogs from previous years, she insisted on adopting us.

Over the last decade or so of his life, Dad had four dogs adopt him. Dad liked the dogs but knew the closeness to the road would never work out well for a dog. He tried to dissuade each dog from staying on the farm, actively seeking the rightful owner. Yet when he failed, he refined the training of a couple of them. Alas, two disappeared and the other two became fatalities on the deadly road.

It seemed the Masked Intruder was determined to remain. Even though she was cautioned about her exchanges with our farm cats, she adopted Mother and me. She assumed the attitude, “You need me. I belong here. Can’t you see I go everywhere with you?”

                More than any cat in my memory that has resided on the farm, The Masked Intruder desired to be where her “people” were. Mother postulated she arrived here from a one-cat family. My 94-year-old mother speculated the unwanted cat might have gone indoors at her previous home since the black and white feline seemed familiar with a door.

                As I experienced the Masked Intruder’s presence so many times when working outdoors, thought about my characterization of her adopting us. Phrases from the Bible using the word “adopt” or a form of it popped into my mind. These included – received the adoption as sons, received the Spirit of adoption, and predestined us to adoption as sons.

The Masked Intruder after several months
on our farm

                With the trepidation of appearing irreverent, I realized, in an unusual way, the Masked Intruder reminded me of God. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:4 Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy without blame before Him in love. Clearly, the Masked Intruder chose us. I initially rejected her presence here on the farm. I spurned her insistence to interject herself into every activity I did in the yard. In the same manner, all of us chose to go our own path, disregarding God’s. Yet He pursued and chose us.   

              Meditating on this reality baffled my mind as I wrote several years ago. Jesus the Good Shepherd hunted for the lost sheep. The sheep in no way sought the shepherd. (https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-manx-kitten-english-poet-and-hound-of.html) None of us are searching for Him. We are wandering our own way.

                Just as the Masked Intruder adopted us, so we have been adopted by Jesus Christ. As we proceed on to verse 5 in chapter 1 of Paul’s letter to the believers at Ephesus, we read Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. The all-powerful Creator initiated the adoption of those receiving the redemption through His blood. We had no power to inaugurate this relationship, but thankfully He did.

                At this point the comparison breaks down. Unlike the Masked Intruder who sought to adopt us for what she would receive – food, God is seeking for us for what He can provide for us. He wants what is best for us – not necessarily what we want, unless our desires are in sync with His will.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,

but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons,

by who we cry, “Abba (term of absolute trust and love for a father)  Father!” Roman 8:15

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; John 1:12

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! I John 3:1

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; And My Father will love him, And We will come to him and make Our home with him.

Lord, may I embrace that I have not received enslavement to fear. Instead I have experienced Your adoption because I received Jesus by believing (relying, trusting) in His name. Thank you for the immeasurable love You have lavished on me and the unfathomable right to be Your child. I love You. Please empower me each day to love you back by my obedience. May I seek to be aware of Your promised, perpetual presence with me.

Last-Minute Update: Unfortunately, this friendly fellow pictured below arrived this week, two days before Mother's 94th birthday. (She did not welcome this tom cat as an early birthday gift.) Note the scratch mark to the right of his left eye. The Masked  Intruder did not welcome him either. She has let him know repeatedly he had better not interfere with her life here on the farm! Her behavior had improved. However, this week she has reverted back to striking first with her claws and following that with "bad language." For some of us, old habits are hard to break.

The friendly tom cat begging to come
in Mother's "new" front storm door.

Parched Plot in the Driveway

A Tiny Area of Ground

                A small piece of dry, cracked ground caught my eye this past summer as I walked past it. The pronounced cracks widened as our part of the state suffered through months with little moisture. Finally, in late July, I snapped a photo of the noticeable deep crevices in that tiny parcel of ground.

 

                 As that vision of the parched plot lingered in my mind, I found myself drawn to God’s Word. I located an interesting passage in the songbook in the Bible. The specific psalm penned by David stated in Psalm 68:6:

God sets the lonely in families, He leads out the prisoners with singing;

but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

                How interesting that God acted on behalf of the lonely and provided deliverance for those imprisoned, but a rebellious person was relegated to land like the little patch I had been walking past each day. As a loving parent toward a hard-headed prodigal, God revealed how His relentless love reached unwavering toward the rebellious heart in Isaiah 65:2:

I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,

Who walk in a way that is not good,

According to their own thoughts.

                The phrase “stretched out My hands” reminded me of seeing a strong-willed toddler insisting on his way, defying the patient parent who cajoled the child to accept the obvious “good way.” Only when the stubborn child changed his way of thinking, agreeing with the parent, was the relationship restored.

Photo of the dry, tiny plot taken on
August 24, 2018

                The person who changed the thought pattern toward God had a prayer on penitent lips stemming from a repentant heart. David wrote eloquently of a heart thirsty for God to quench the parched soul in Psalm 63:1.

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

                Without fail, God responded to the humble heart by pouring His lavish mercy and grace as He promised in Isaiah 44:3:

For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground;

I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessings will be on your offspring;

This Photo was taken on September 6th

                The last book of the Bible, Revelation of Jesus Christ, John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote in his conclusion,

…let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17

Just as the late summer rains watered the cracked, dry area in the driveway, the Lord Jesus empowered our lives to move from unproductive to growing, verdant, and flourishing when we received His “water of life” to resurrect us who were “dead in our sins.”

The transformation of the cracked, dry
ground was hastened by an over 2-inch
rain in early September. 

                Finally, I chose a photographic progression to show that even though our salvation, just like birth, is a one-time experience, our sanctification is a process even as physical growth is a process. Recently, our Sunday School guide, Explore the Bible Personal Study Guide Fall 2018 defined sanctification as, "A process of spiritual growth as one yields to the the power of Holy Spirit on a daily basis." These two verses written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Philippi conveyed His powerful, daily work within our lives.

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

The Grasshopper - the Antithesis of Edmund Gates, Jr.

Three years ago today, my father was buried. He loved this passage from Proverbs 6:6-8. It reads like this - 

Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, 

Provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

                This week I have had multiple sightings of grasshoppers. Three years ago this week, my father died. Ironically, the grasshopper reminds me of Dad, especially, this season of the year.

A grasshopper enjoying the last few warm days
on the farm here in the Bend.

                Dad, the proverbial storyteller, often related family stories, but delighted in retelling fables and lesson-teaching stories from his early education at Woodland School located in the west part of the Big Bend. One of his favorite fables by Aesop, a slave living in the Greek empire over 2500 years ago, featured the grasshopper.

                Dad reveled in dramatically contrasting the industrious ant and the pleasure-seeking grasshopper during the latter portion of summer. His voice reflected the steady, determined ant as the tiny creature admonished the grasshopper to prepare for the impending harsh winter months. Then Dad raised the timbre and pitch of his voice, as in a sing-song manner, he vocalized “Hoppity, Skippity, High and Low, Summer’s the Time for fun!” (I haven’t been able to document this song in a retelling of “The Ant and the Grasshopper” but did find it in an 1899 periodical – The Perry Magazine. Perhaps Dad, his father, or one of the Woodland teachers sang this old summertime song as the fable was retold.)

                 Dad related how the grasshopper laughed at the little ant toiling away at storing food for winter. The ant kept to its task, refusing to be deterred from preparing for the future. Over and over Dad sang his little version of the “Hoppity, Skippity…” song. Finally, he told with theatrically-enhanced fervor how the bitter winter wind whipped through the little animal community. In a hoarse, weak voice, the grasshopper called out as he knocked feebly at the little ant’s dwelling. In Dad’s personal repeating of the age-old fable, the ant did not open the door for fear the cold would permeate his humble home. He had diligently stored provisions for his family. Dad’s final scene found the almost frozen grasshopper wandering in the bone-chilling cold of winter!

                Anyone that knew my father would not categorize him as a callous man unwilling to share with the those in need. Dad sought to instruct Angie, my sister, and me the importance of hard work, planning for future “rainy days” and working diligently in the optimum time frame. Dad illustrated this in his own life. Throughout most of my life, he worked at least two jobs simultaneously - pounding nails and raising cattle.

Dad inspecting damage after an early morning storm
 in June of 2008 just two weeks shy of his 90th
birthday. Not one complaint came from Dad even
 though several loads of tree limbs had to be hauled 
off following that storm. 

                Mother, in league with Dad, taught strongly Genesis 2:15 in proper chronological order. She insisted we girls understood Adam’s assignment given by the Lord God to tend the Garden of Eden occurred prior to the first sin of Eve and Adam. The account of this is found in Genesis 3. Mother and Dad maintained throughout our upbringing – WORK IS NOT BAD.

                Just this week, I reiterated my scriptural mandate for financial success in a conversation with Mother. The words of Agur as recorded in Proverbs 30:7-9 (The Message) continue to be a driving force in how Mother and I conduct our lives.

And then he prayed, “God, I’m asking for two things before I die; don’t refuse me –

Banish lies from my lips and liars from my presence.

Give me enough food to live on, neither too much or too little.

If I’m too full, I might get independent saying, ‘God? Who needs Him?’

If I am poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God.”

          Those of us who knew and loved my father, Edmund Gates, Jr., can carry on his legacy – not as workaholics or pleasure seekers, not as greedy, miserly hoarders or moochers, but as people who find contentment and fulfillment in honorable, diligent work and the honest gain and the personal satisfaction it provides.