Smokejumper

“These trials test your faith for purity and strength." ~1 Peter 1:7

Bobby had the guts and bluster of men twice his age.  Barely 17, he joined a gruff, reticent breed of firefighters called Smokejumpers.

Smokejumpers spend their careers going to the wrong place at the wrong time.  They slam into rugged wilderness; then fight massive wildfires with little more than hand tools.  Known for their stamina and agility, they quickly learn how to clutch tangled strands of adrenaline and drudgery without losing their grip on life-and-death decisions.

On August 5^th, 1949, the hottest day ever recorded in Montana’s mountains, 15 cocky jumpers walked into the sky and floated daringly into a fire they regarded as routine.

They landed at Mann Gulch about 800 yards from the blaze.  As the team began fighting the blaze, unexpected high winds caused it to suddenly “blowup,” cutting off their escape route and forcing them to sprint uphill.

It was never a fair race.  Despite a 100-yard head start, the slope was so steep the men had to crawl as the firestorm chased them at the speed of a tornado.

Terrified, young Bobby abandoned his heavy gear and scrambled for his life.  The firestorm not only blotted his vision with sheets of flame and torrents of smoke, but its savagery approached with a roar like that of a train barreling out of a tunnel.  In the confusion, the team failed to heed their Captain’s plea to enter a makeshift safe zone, and continued frantically up the hillside.

With fire pounding their backs, Bobby and his roommate squeezed through a crevice as the inferno swept over the mountain and around them.  They waited, trying to breathe what little oxygen remained on the fiery ridge.

He prayed.

Suddenly a calming peace surrounding Bobby; warmth radiated through him.  He later recalled God telling him to be still and wait.

Eventually they outflanked the fire to the top of the mountain and stumbled luckily into a rockslide on the other side.  Through the silence, they heard weak cries below as member of their team struggled for life.

In all, 12 veteran smokejumpers died that day – only the two rookies and their Captain survived.  A watch belonging to one of the dead was later recovered, its hands frozen at 5:56, just 16 minutes after the “blowup.”

After identifying his fallen comrades, young Bobby would jump again.  He’d use his experiences as a motivational speaker to encourage others facing life-threatening situations.

“May we all be as brave as those young men and women as we face our own trials by fire.” (Tom May)  Trials and troubles are a necessary part of the Christian life.  They reveal our character and the genuineness of our faith.  Pressure shows us where our weak spots are.  Be joyful; live with eternity in mind.

Lord Jesus, when all is darkest and we feel weak and helpless, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength.  Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, Amen

A Lesson in Modesty

“Sound judgment and good sense will protect you." ~ Proverbs 2:11

Dad’s Perspective :  If you have a teenage daughter, or work with teenage girls, then you know just how hard it is to reach them during those defiant, boundary-pushing years.  Fed up with my daughter’s wardrobe choices, I took the offensive.

Before heading out for family-night, I took scissors to an old pair of jeans.  My "cut-offs" left little to the imagination.

After enduring hours of painful embarrassment, we decided to cap the night off with dessert at a local ice cream joint.  Kristin pleaded for us to drive-through.  I declined – she refused and waited in the car.

I’m not sure if my lesson on modesty sunk in, but I’m glad I took a risk and parented "outside the box."  I love her and care enough to make a fool out of myself.

Daughter’s Perspective:  Some kids lose their cell phones if they're naughty, some get their allowance cut, some just get yelled at.  My Dad was far more creative.  Imagine your beefy, middle-aged dad playing mini-golf dressed like a geek, exposing legs meant to be covered.

How could he do that to me?  Tonight’s memory will be seared into my brain forever.  “People will be reminding me of this as I eat mush in the nursing home.”  #traumatizedandhumiliated

God’s Perspective:  Children, diamonds are mined from deep in the earth, covered and protected.  You’ll find pearls at the bottom of the ocean, encased in beautiful shells.  You’ll find gold shielded by layers of rock, and tough to retrieve.

Your body is sacred and unique - far more precious than gold, diamonds and pearls!

Your dress sets the tone for how others see you and your faith.  Short shorts and low-cut tops draw unnecessary attention.  Being modest in your appearance allows others to see your inner faith rather than your outer appearance.

One Final Perspective:  Dads - your approval is extremely significant in your daughter’s life, so be careful in how you relate to them.  Both words and tone matter greatly.  Even though she may act like she resents your intrusion at times, she really does care about what you think of her.

Let her know that she’s beautiful – that she is unique in your eyes and God’s.  Point out the positive, “I really like the color of that shirt – It brings out your eyes.  A little affirmation before launching into: “It’s too tight/short/see-through ...” will help her be more open to your opinion.

And don’t forget to talk to your sons too.   Teach them not to objectify women based on how they’re dressed; how what a girl wears doesn’t determine who she is as a person.  Remind them that dressing a certain way doesn’t give them a free pass in how they treat women.

Lord, help me weave a pattern of modesty into the lives of my children; habits that will become so much a part of their moral fiber that they’ll freely and fully enjoy being the adult You designed them to be.  Amen

The Knothole Section

“It pleases God when children honor their parents." ~ Colossians 3:20

When empty, the old stadium was just steel and concrete.  But on game day, the place came alive.  Thousands of fans filled wooden seats that disappeared into the shadows at the very top.  An impeccably manicured field, outlined in lime, defined the battle lines.

Back then they may not have had luxury suites or multi-story LED scoreboards.  Nor did they have swimming pools or amusement rides or white-tablecloth restaurants and brew pubs.  But they did have a distinctive charm and character.

“Knot-Holers” got their name from those days when kids who couldn’t afford the price of admission would look through knotholes in the fence until someone caught them and chased them off.

Over time, management decided it was in baseball’s best interest to provide cheap seats inside the stadiums rather than let them go unused.  After all, kids who watched their heroes from the Knot-Hole Section helped shape the game’s future.

Seats were ground level; the view was less than ideal.  Officials separated the Knot-Hole section from the regular full-priced seats by chain link barriers.  Unless the game was sold out, admission for kids was four bits ($0.50).  But seats for adults in the Knot-Hole section were normal admission price.

Some dads used the Knot-Hole ‘bullpen’ as an inexpensive 3-hour babysitter while they watched the game from far better vantage points.  Not Bud however.

On home games, Bud would drive his two boys across town to Memorial Stadium.  He’d ask for two children's and one adult ticket to the Knot-Hole Section.

The person in the ticket booth would look curiously at him and say, "There’s plenty of good seats in the stadium."  Bud would respond, "I want to sit in the Knot-Hole section."  The person would say, "But you’ll have to pay full price and it gets kinda rowdy in there."  Bud would reply kindly, "I know," buy the tickets, and go sit between his boys.

Bud was more interested in time with his sons than he was the action between the two teams on the field.  As much as he loved baseball, he loved being with them more.

There were many godly qualities about Bud that others admired.  But none were more God-like than his love for and interest in his children.

As much Bud loved his kids and wanted to be intimately involved in their lives, our heavenly Father loves us more.  I thank God I have both of them in my life.  Above all else as we approach a day where we honor our fathers, I honor mine for leading me to Christ.  Not just by word, but by example.  And I pray that someday my children will look back and say the same about me.

Father, thank You for my parents; keep them well in body and spirit.  Bless them generously for their loving care for me.  Grant that, through Your grace, I may     always support and comfort them.  After our life earthly together, we long to experience the joy of praising You forever.  Amen

Unlikely Forgiveness

"Forgive one another and so that you will be healed." ~ James 5:16

They took just 28 minutes - less time than it took the prosecutor to deliver his closing argument, to notify the Judge that they’d reached a verdict.  Six women and six men delivered their decision after just two days of testimony that included a single defense witness.

The jury forewoman stood clearing her throat nervously.  She spoke in a somber tone, not a criticism of the accused who shriveled like a burnt match on the courtroom chair.

“We the jury,” she began, “find the defendant Chante Jawan Mallard, GUILTY in the charge of murder and GUILTY of tampering with evidence.

After entering the verdict in the court’s records, the Judge excused the jury with his compliments and suggested a recess to consider a suitable sentence.  The local prosecutor wanted a life sentence, the maximum possible due to the horrific and callous nature of the crime.  The defense argued for leniency, albeit lacking much enthusiasm due to the circumstances.

Greg Biggs, 37, a self-employed bricklayer who took medication for mild schizophrenia lost his life in a bizarre and cruel way at the hands of an intoxicated Mallard who’d been drinking and smoking marijuana the night of the accident.  It gets worse.

The accident left Biggs lodged in the windshield of Mallard’s car.  Its impact broke Biggs' thigh bone, shin bones and arm on his right side, nearly amputated his left leg, and gouged his torso.

With Biggs embedded in her windshield, Mallard drove to her house, parked the car in the garage, and left the man to die slowly.  For several hours, Biggs lay bleeding but conscious in the broken windshield of a car that hit him.  He probably would have survived if the driver had called for help, a medical examiner testified at the trial.  She later testified to sitting in the car, crying and apologizing to the moaning casualty.

Biggs was dumped in a park the day after the incident.  Mallard was arrested four months later after a tip led authorities to her.

Mallard appeared drained as she returned to the courtroom anticipating a harsh sentence.  But first, she’d have to hear the angry words of a distraught son who asked for a word before sentencing.  Brandon Biggs, the victim’s son, addressed the court.

"To the Mallard family, I’m sorry for your loss as well," he said.  "To Chante, no matter how great the crime was or how great the sin was, God still forgives us.  I personally accept your apology and, in return, I hope that you will accept my forgiveness and the forgiveness of Jesus Christ."

Moments later, Mallard was escorted out of the courtroom in custody as her mother sobbed.  Under Texas law, she would serve no less than 25 years in prison.

Jesus, bless me with the power of forgiveness, give me the strength to let go of all ill-will, to forgive myself of my own failings and sins, knowing that you have already forgiven me.  Amen

Rejecting God

“He wants you to enjoy the happiness that He has." ~ John 15:11

Evan was raised in a Christian home, had wonderful parents, memorized hundreds of bible verses and actively participated in his church’s Youth Group.  But by the time he got to high school he’d grown bored with everything that had to do with God and religion.  He knew all the stories - Christ was born in human form and died for our sins.  Blah, blah, blah.

Facing punishment for missing curfew one night, he reacted by ‘officially’ shutting the door on God – defiantly stating that he didn’t believe ‘all that stuff.’  Words flew from his mouth that he never thought he'd even think, let alone say out loud.

Evan knew instantly from his parent’s look that he’d hit the mark.  In that instant their relationship shattered into glassy shards.  Nothing would ever be the same again.

College brought endless nights of partying, clubbing, boozing, girl chasing and drug abuse.  He was having the time of his life.

He even met special young lady and fell in love.  With that relationship came a tight-knit group of her caring friends.  He had it all – someone who loved him and a loyal network to boot.

Deep down however, Evan had become a greedy, self-absorbed SOB.  Neglect for his girlfriend led to a nightmarish, downward spiral.  She eventually left as did many of her friends.  Shattered and broken, he’d waged this battle against himself.  Life on his terms had NOT worked; by trying to create his own definition and meaning, he’d cut off the only Anchor who gave real meaning and definition to life itself.

So he cried out to God and, for the first time, he heard God answer and rescued Evan from the rubble of his self-destruction.  From that moment on he promised to praise God as his Lord and Savior.  Next he’d work on repairing the relationship he’d destroyed with his parents.

Parents, no matter how hard your teens may fight against God – the key to them possibly coming back to church one day is your unwavering love for them.  Parents who lovingly lead by example; are patient with their child’s growth as individuals; and are not ashamed to hold on to the one and only, absolute Truth – will always be seen in their children’s eyes as a strong, admirable example.

When teens fight you about Church, it usually has little to do with their beliefs about God.  More likely, your teen’s apparent rejection of their faith has to do with one of two things; 1) personal experience with suffering they can’t understand or 2) a breakdown of their relationship with you.

Eventually, they’ll realize the emptiness of worldly promises and discover that only Christ can deliver the peace and lasting joy they seek.

Holy Father, we pray that You work in the hearts of Young people all over the world.  Bring peace to all parents by encouraging them in their faith and by serving as profound examples of unconditional love.  Amen