CHASING RAINBOWS

It was the summer between 5^th and 6^th grade, a time when life was mostly innocent.  My days were spent doing typical boy stuff; mostly riding my BMX bike everywhere and anywhere.

One particular morning, it was raining when I woke up; not my favorite way to start the day while on summer vacation. Since it was raining, I took my time getting ready. I casually ate my bowl of cereal while staring out the window and thought the rain was never going to end. After finishing my Cheerios, I decided to go biking.  What did I have to lose? I was 11 and who’d really care if I got wet? So, I jumped on my bike and off I went.

Not long after setting out, the rain let up and the sky started to clear. 

Photo credit: Steve Erb

Soon, a beautifully bright rainbow appeared in the distance.

It was huge and spanned the horizon; the brilliant colors were mesmerizing. It seemed as though the rainbow was calling to me, so I decided to see where the rainbow ended. I pedaled as fast as I could because, even though I was only 11 and didn’t know much, I did know that rainbows never lasted very long. My legs were pumping and my heart was pounding as I darted down the street, taking short cuts through alleys, crossing railroad tracks, and blazing through a field, all the time keeping the rainbow in sight. While nearing the edge of the field, the rainbow disappeared as quickly as it appeared. I stood there disappointed while trying to catch my breath. On the ride back home, I told myself, “Next time, I’ll catch it!”

Looking back, I now realize that rainbows aren’t meant for us to catch or grab, but rather a gift for us to enjoy and appreciate when they do appear.

Genesis 9:16 “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

THOSE LITTLE BUGGERS

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I went camping with friends. If you were anywhere near the upper Midwest at that time, you know it was very hot and humid, which doesn’t make for the best camping conditions, but we had planned this trip a while back and were excited to go.

We camped at Wild River State Park. The campsites were spacious and heavily wooded with large

trees that created a lush overhead canopy that shaded our tent, yet allowed for the strong breeze to weave its way through the timber.

One of the trees that helped shade out the sun

On a late morning hike, we encountered a large tree that strong winds had blown down.  It was broken right at the base of the trunk, which looked rotten, but on further investigation it was evident that a colony of insects had eaten away at the tree. I was amazed at how insects could tunnel their way through the hardwood. Our friend suggested the base of this tree was possibly damaged when it was young, which then allowed for the pests to move in. It must have taken many years, if not decades, for something that small to weaken that large of a tree and cause so much damage.

A close look at the base of the broken tree
Photo Credit: Shakyphotography.com

 Are the small things in life eating away at you?

James 3:4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.”

THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE GET WASHED AWAY

Well, it’s been one month since my last blog and in my opinion, that’s about three weeks too long. I let the hustle and bustle of life distract me from something that keeps me grounded.

One of the distractions was our oldest son's graduation from college. Don’t get me wrong, that was a very important moment in his and my life; I’m very proud of his accomplishment! However, in addition to his graduation were all the things that go along with it, like driving several hours to where he attended school, loading up all his belongings to bring home, and then unloading them.  It can wear a person out!

Another distraction was having a medical procedure done that took me off my feet for several days; one that is still slowing me down a bit. Once again, it was a good thing to do, however there were several little things that came along with it.

Last week, my wife and I were talking with some friends. The topic was where are you currently at with Jesus? My answer was, “I feel disconnected from Him.” It makes total sense since I didn’t bring Jesus with me through all those things. I also know it is primarily because I hadn’t spent a lot of time outdoors during those "distractions," and outdoors is where I connect with Jesus.

 

This is a good place for cleansing the soul, plus there's a lot of trout!

I spent many hours outdoors this past weekend with my good friend, Scott, fly fishing. We caught 40 plus trout and released them all (Scott caught most of them). The next day I started the morning at a local park sitting on a bench praying and meditating amongst large oaks and tall pines. Leaving there I felt lighter because I took Jesus with me.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go

AN UNEXPECTED REWARD

It was 4:30 a.m. on a mid-April morning and my headlamp illuminated a narrow tunnel through the darkness as I was following the trail to my turkey hunting spot.  There was a periodic sparkle from drops of dew clinging to grass and branches and eventually the point came to veer off the main trail and head deeper into the woods.

The first portion of these particular woods are thick with brush and hard to walk through, eventually opening up to an area of large pine trees where the walking is much easier. The ground is covered in long pine needles, which make a slightly crunchy sound when walked upon. After several steps beneath the pine trees, several large birds flushed from their roost overhead. My heart sank; they were turkeys…turkeys that normally roost on the opposite ridge. After taking a few deep breaths, I decided to keep walking cautiously to my pre-determined spot.

After arriving at my spot, I hunkered down on the ground against the base of a pine tree. After making sure the leafy camouflage clothing completely covered me, I shut off my headlamp. The sun started to rise about 30 minutes later and the black sky gave way to a midnight blue that kept getting lighter as the sun rose.

As the woods came to life with light and song birds, a thunderous turkey gobble cut through the air…then another, and then several more. My heart started to pound. Thankfully, the turkeys were still nearby, unfortunately they were out of my sight. However, a jake (which is a one year old male) and a couple hens flew down from their roost near me and held my attention for about 20 minutes, but they eventually left the area as well. The rest of the day remained quiet.

I set up in a different spot for my evening hunt. After sitting completely still for a couple hours, a hen started yelping nearby. She was slowly working her way towards me and  once she got into sight, I could see a large fully strutting tom (adult male) was with her. He was beautiful - his tail feathers fanned out, his head glowing white from excitement, and the rest of his feathers were puffed out. They started to veer around me. The tom was 43 yards away and gave me only one opportunity. I squeezed the trigger…BANG! The many small branches between the tom and I folded over and he flew away unscathed. That concluded the first day’s hunt;  my heart sank for the second time that day.

The next morning I entered the woods in the usual fashion and found a different tree to hunker down next to. The storm from the night before made the woods very quiet for several hours that morning. Suddenly, I could hear something coming through the brush in front of me; it was a whitetail deer. The deer knew something wasn’t right because it kept stomping its hooves and snorting at me. After several minutes, the deer laid down, right there, about 20 feet from me. I started the hunt hoping to get a turkey and  although a deer bedding down almost right next to me wasn’t the reward I was expecting, it sure was worth it!

Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

PALM TREES AND PALM SUNDAY

Recently, I took a trip to south Texas to visit my parents; they retired and moved there about 12 years ago. One reason was because the climate was better suited for my mom’s health (they used to live in the Midwest). Growing up in the Midwest myself, it was hard to imagine a better place to live, but my parents really enjoy it there and live in a really nice retirement community.

Now, back to the trip - it was 35 degrees in the Midwest when I boarded the plane that was loaded with college-aged spring breakers. The young man sitting next to me was more interested in “snap chatting” than having a conversion. No worries, I thought to myself, I’ll just read my bible and enjoy the flight. After a couple of hours, the plane started its decent. As the warmth of the southern sun glared through my window, my jean covered legs and long sleeved covered arms got pretty hot. I was slightly envious of the snap chatting college kid with his shorts and t-shirt, but only slightly. The plane landed, I grabbed my bag, met my dad, and shed a few layers of cloths as we jumped in his car.

My parents tolerated my desire for tourist traps

As we drove back to my parents place, the palm trees fascinated me. Palm trees were everywhere, as were retired people, and spring breakers. It was nice to hug my mom. We spent the weekend doing some sightseeing and a lot of talking.

Of course, the palm trees kept catching my eye. The unique thing about palm trees is they have one very tall main trunk with no branches, and at the top is a brilliant green plume of long narrow leaves. Two Sundays ago was Palm Sunday. Our Pastor's sermon started out by explaining how Palm Sunday got its name (I was thankful because I never knew). In Greco-Roman times, palm branches signified victory,  so when all of Jesus’ followers waved palm branches and laid them on the path ahead of him into Jerusalem, it showed their celebration of His victory.  Little did I know, I was witnessing different forms of victory in south Texas that weekend - for the palm trees, all the growth was at the top; for the retirees, they were at the pinnacle point of their lives, and for the spring breakers, they felt at the top of their game. 

A victorious end to the day.

Matthew 21:8-9 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

SPRING INTO NEW BEGININGS

It was a beautiful spring day in the Midwest, so my wife and I took the dog for a walk. The sun was shining, it was 55 degrees, and the sky was a brilliant light blue. As we walked, the wild life was very active -  rabbits bounding around, squirrels scampering to and fro, and Canadian geese above were heading north in their customary V formation. The nice weather brought a lot of other people outside as well; people pushing their children in strollers, whiles others walked their dogs like us, all with smiles on their faces.

While we walked and enjoyed the fresh air, we could see the remnants of winter. The snow was gone, exposing the heavy layer of sand that covered the streets. Grassy areas were now brown and dormant, the trees were bare and their wet, shriveled up leaves scattered across the ground, all pointing to the end of one season and the beginning of the next.

  

Soon the springs rains will come and wash away all signs of winter. Grass will be nourished and start to turn green, and buds will begin to form on trees. Any grit from the previous season will be washed away to make room for new beginnings.

Isaiah 43: 18-19 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and steam in the wasteland.

THE BROKEN CAN HEAL

Growing up with three brothers in a neighborhood of mostly boys, things usually got pretty physical. Being young boys we had no reservations about taunting and teasing each other; it was usually in good fun though. Every so often when we were all gathered together, usually standing around in a circle poking fun at one another, someone would get shoved into the middle of the circle. While in the middle of the circle, the other boys would push back and forth. The one in middle would try to fight their way out of the circle, but the others would just push harder. The bigger boys would typically fight their way out of the circle, while the smaller boys couldn’t make their way out. The longer someone was stuck in the circle the higher the tension would get.  Sometimes the tension would get to be too much and the boy stuck in the middle would feel like cracking and get mad. If that happened, the other boys would increase the tension and push the limits. I was usually one of the boys that would crack and get mad.  Once that happened, the fun was over and the other boys would pick me up and let me out of the circle. It took about five seconds to get over it and get back in the game. Little did we know how this exercise would teach us to endure life’s pressures

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See the new growth on this damaged tree

Recently, there were very high winds in our area for several days. The continued tension left many trees with broken and cracked branches. Trees don’t stop growing because one part is damaged; sometimes new branches come back even stronger.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.