A Day in the Life of: Dave Dravecky

I try to intersperse my mini-bios with people from the past and people from the present. Although Dave Dravecky's moment of fame was in the past, he still lives, so I'm counting him as from the present. Older baseball fans might even remember him. I came to admire Mr. Dravecky after reading his book, Comeback. I've never been a big sports fan. I enjoy some sports such as volleyball, Frisbee, basketball, and I'm beginning to like soccor. But I'm not a serious player and I'm not a fan-atic; you know, one of those people who idolize the sports figures. I just like to play, hope I do a good job, and have fun. If I'm watching a game, I like to watch, have fun, and not-too-seriously hope that the Mariners or the Sea Hawks win; or whatever team my friends are on. (Not that I've ever watched the Sea Hawks play. Wait. I did. I watched the final play of a supposedly famous game last year on TV. (No clue why it was famous.) It was very exciting. They hunched over in the middle of the field, some sort of a whistle thing blew. The commentator said something about their being enough time for one more play. The players dispersed and huddled up around their coach guy things, and then they went and hunched over in the middle of the field again, and then there was a little running (no sign of the football) and then the game was over ! whoo-hoo! Sea Hawks win!) Of the major games, baseball is my favorite because at the very least I understand a bit of how it's played. But, I've never played myself; only watched others. So, that ought to explain why I don't necessarily admire Dave Dravecky as a great baseball player, (although he was a good one) but rather as a person who is living, and has lived a rich Christian life. I admire his obedience to God, his courage and strength to overcome more than his screaming pitches and fast balls. (Actually, Dravecky was a control pitcher. He really didn't throw fast balls. He was better-known for throwing the ball exactly where he wanted it.) Dave Dravecky's dream was to make it to the big leagues. In spite of that, almost everyone thought that he was only good enough for the minor leagues. They told him he wouldn't make it. It only inspired him to try harder. The Padres called him up from the minor leagues in 1982. Actually, let me back up a little. Two major things happened while Dave was in the minor leagues. First, the Pirates offered to send Dave to play in Colombia. (the country, not the district.) He went with his wife Janice and experienced exactly the opposite of what he was expecting. He expected tropical beaches and exotic Latin sights, instead, they experienced misery in the shape of sickness, (due to bad food and water), guys with automatic guns on all the corners, and extreme poverty. For both his wife and himself, the experience changed their perspectives in two different ways. For his wife, who had been brought up to believe that God was just a kind old grandfather figure who watched over the world, the trip destroyed that image. She couldn't understand that 'a good God would allow bad things like poverty to happen.' She drew away from God temporarily. In the end, it turned out that she needed that image destroyed in order to make way for the correct image. For Dave, a Catholic who believed himself to be saved, the trip made him begin to rethink things. It made him realize, or at least become open to, the possibility that he needed God. He began to draw closer to God. The second thing that happened while Dave was in the minor leagues was that he, and his wife, became saved. A year or so after the trip to Columbia, (Dave actually took two trips, the second without his wife. So we're talking shortly after Dave came back from his equally bad second trip) the Pirates sent Dave to Texas. There, Dave's roommate was a devout Christian. After watching his roommate 'like a hawk,' Dave decided that he wanted to make a commitment for Christ. His wife came to Texas a few weeks later. They made the commitment together a few months later. In light of later events, both realized that their salvation was the important thing, not the limelights. Dave was traded by the Padres to the Giants, where he spent the rest of his baseball career. Dave was a good pitcher and he loved the game. What I like about his story, is how God reached thousands of people through him in an unlikely, unprecedented way. Dave noticed the lump in his pitching arm late in 1987. He thought nothing of it. It wasn't for another year that it made its presence really known. Laid up with a sore arm for a few days, he happened to mention the lump to his fitness rehab manager guy. The man recommended that it get looked at by a doctor, so that's what Dave did. In 1988, Dave heard the word 'tumor' for the first time. It was found to be malignant, but not a particularly life-threatening type right then. In the end, the doctors took out fifty percent of Dave's deltoid muscle. (Whatever that is.) In essence, they took away 95 percent of the muscle's ability to function. Dave was told several things. First, he would never be able to pitch again, he might not even be able to throw anything again. Second, he was told he probably would not be able to lift his arm over his head for a very long time or take his wallet out of his back pocket. Third, because of the way the surgery was done, the bone would be very brittle and likely to break for a while. (Because it was a relatively new procedure, the doctors were unsure as to how long the bone would be brittle. Their estimate turned out to be wrong.) Dave was able to both lift his arm over his head and remove his wallet in a matter of weeks. Doctors told his wife, 'short of a miracle, Dave will never pitch again.' The day Dave was able to remove his wallet from his pocket Dave was also able to demonstrate his pitching motion. I like this quote from the book that Dave told his doctor: "If I never play again, Doc, I'll know that God has someplace else he wants me. But I'll tell you something else. I believe in a God who can do miracles. If you remove half my deltoid muscle, that doesn't mean I'll never pitch again. If you remove all of my muscle, it doesn't mean I'll never pitch again. If God wants me to pitch, I'll be out there." Dave was able to pitch again. Not only that, he was able to pitch in the major leagues. It was a game to be remembered in baseball history. It was a time when fans came, not to see a game, but to see the guy in it who was living proof that you can overcome tough things. As the day approached, new dimensions were added. A pledge challenge was begun for 6-year-old Alex Vlahos. Alex was a cancer patient who needed a bone marrow transplant. Dave had become friends with Alex. As the big game approached, fans pledged x amount of dollars per pitch. Alex was able to get his treatment. (The challenge was not begun by Dave, but Dave fully supported it.) Dave pitched one of his best games ever. And then another dimension was added. Because of his amazing, miraculous comeback, Dave had the incredible opportunity to share his faith to the millions on TV via the reporters. Dave said "that doesn't happen often." On his next game, yet another dimension happened. Through it, God reached more people. Dave's arm broke exactly like the doctors had warned might happen. When Dave made his comeback, he was able to tell reporters that God had made it possible. When Dave broke his arm, he was able to tell reporters that the big picture was not what had just happened, but rather that it had begun with his salvation in Texas. In Dave's words, he couldn't just tell these people that the God who had just worked a miracle, was now doing an un-miracle. It was merely a new step towards reaching more people with the message that the God who can do such miracles is the God who gave Dave his God-glorifying perspective on the perceived un-miracle. (whew, that was a long sentence. Go ahead, read it a couple more times!) Really, that's what I like about his book, Comeback. It shows the big picture. I like the word vicissitude. It means 'the ups and downs of life.' In reality, as Dave saw it, each up and each down are a small part of life that set the stage for the next part. Particularly, each down sets the stage for the even bigger up. It's a good perspective to have. Dave hoped to make a second comeback. However, his cancer returned shortly after the breakage. The rest of the muscle and part of the triceps were removed. While the particular cancer was not an immediate killer, it was a type which is the most likely to return no matter what. Dave now has a ministry of speaking; of telling his story to those around. His cancer returned several times and his arm, parts of his collarbone, and his shoulder blade were amputated as the cancer began to take on a more life-threatening aspect. Dave operates his ministry from Colorado and speaks about both his famous story, and the less famous story of what it has meant to to grow in the Lord through his story. He has also written several more books including: When you can't Comeback, and The Worth of a Man. Unfortunately, I have yet to read these. Comeback however, I definitely recommend. (This has been: A Day in the Life of: Dave Dravecky. Look in next time to read: Snippets of:__)

My Thoughts on April Fool's Day

I can just hear you all gasping in the background. "Oh no! She's departed from her normal pattern! What shall we do!?" Let's just say that sometimes it's good to break out somewhere new. I enjoy reading and hearing about April Fool's Day pranks. Like the time Burger King advertised burgers with everything rotated 90 degrees to the left~for left-handed people. Or the time when the Prime Minister of New Zealand announced that cell-phones were banned. And we mustn't forget the time that the leaning tower of Pisa fell over. And my personal favorite-the one that happened to my mom-one of her friends crookedly taped her window with masking tape and left a note saying 'Sorry I broke your window. Will be back later to replace.' The window was not broken. In spite of enjoying all these however, there has always lingered doubt in the back of my mind. It has kept me from playing one myself. Here's my question: Does April Fool's Day promote good, or bad? I have been forced to admit that it is nothing good. All AFD jokes that I have ever heard of find their basis in deceit and lying. Playing pranks that are specifically intended to fool somebody into believing an un-truth makes the victim look like a fool. And, since most of the time, the pranks are just foolish anyway, it really makes the prankster look like a fool as well. The day is well-named. The really sad thing is that such a day is so widely spread that even prime-ministers and respectable companies and people condone and join in this promotion of deceit; even Christians. Someday, if I ever think of a prank that isn't any of these, you might find me playing it. But until then, don't expect it. In my opinion, it's just plain foolish. Here's a little history beginning with something that is just as sad as that other sad thing I mentioned. You see, the first recorded association with April 1st and foolishness is as early as 1392, in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Here's something that's not quite so sad. In fact, it's a little funny. The Royal Airforce, (U.K.) was founded on April 1st, 1918. And yes, the U.K. does celebrate April Fool's Day on that day.

Fountain of Thoughts: Legal vs. Biblical Rights and Wrongs Part 2

I said in Part 1 that I'd be talking about Degrees of Sin. However, as I set out to write the post, I discovered that I had a whole post's worth of background to give before I could even begin on the subject. You see, I had quite a long thought process that led up to the topic of degrees of sin. So, bear with me here.
Part 2, like part 1, was triggered by a book I read. It was The Life of Lieut.-General Stonewall Jackson. I had read biographies of Stonewall and other Southern heroes of the Civil War before, but this book challenged me because the author was so blatantly...Southern. Published just a year or two after the end of the Civil War and written by Professor R.L. Dabney, the book challenged my long-held belief that the North was in the right. It sparked long discussions with some ardent pro-Southern southern friends and eventually it led me towards the topic of degrees of sin. I'd always been pro-North, because most of the books I'd read were pro-North, (though not all), and after all, who likes a loser? Before reading this biography, I'd never really thought about the rights and wrongs of the Civil War. Afterwards, I realized for the first time that even though the War occurred hundreds of years ago, many of the issues behind it are still valid today. Here's the question I asked after reading the book: Was it right, Biblically, for the South to secede? Now, that doesn't seem to apply today, but I'm getting there.
The issue is that of authority, and some of the applicable Bible verses are Romans 13, Acts 4:19, and Acts 5:29. Romans 13 covers the basic principle. 'Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever resists the power, resists the ordinance of God...' The Scriptures in Acts deal with the second part of the principle. In Acts, Peter and John tell the rulers, or higher powers, that they must obey God rather than man. Here, it is clear that when the higher powers tell us either to do something that Scripture says is wrong, or not to do something that Scripture says to do, then, and only then, is it right to resist the powers.
It took me a long time to understand this. In fact, I didn't understand it until I heard some slight acquaintances discussing the fairly recent DADT policy. (Don't Ask Don't Tell) These people, Christians, ended up concluding that (a paraphrase here) 'aside from Scripture; taking Scripture out of the question, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the government supporting the issue and repealing the policy. They, quote, "could see no reason why it was wrong."
As I listened to the conversation, I couldn't help but screaming silently, 'no, NO, NO!' As Christians, (and there was only one person involved in the conversation who appeared to take this view out of five or six people) we cannot, and must not, take Scripture out of the picture when dealing with any issue. You can have all the legal rights in the world to do something, but if God says not to do it, then we cannot do it. Now, not being an historian, I won't bore you with the rights and wrongs of the Civil War that I thought about; it's the principle that we're dealing with here. Suffice it to say that the above bolded sentence helped me to understand the rights and wrongs of the Civil War much better.
Let's look at a few examples. Hopefully, you'll be able to begin to see how it led me to degrees of sin.
Legally, the issue dealt with in the DADT policy is OK. But the Bible says it's not. Therefore, we cannot endorse it.
Again, socially, if somebody tells a 'little white lie' we excuse it as OK. It wasn't a big lie or anything. But in reality, God does not discriminate between lies. A lie is a lie, and a lie is a sin. Therefore, we cannot even excuse a 'little white lie' because there is no such thing as a such a lie.
And what about getting mad. That too, we excuse as 'being good for clearing the system.' But the Bible says, 'whoever is angry with his brother without a cause is in danger of the judgement' in the same way that someone who kills is in danger of the judgment. (Matthew 5: 21-25)
These are specific, but mostly common, scenarios. I don't think any of them would merit the rising up of an entire people group/country against the government. We can oppose bad policies by speaking out and offering a positive alternative, but do bad policies mean we should overthrow the entire federal government? I would say 'no.'
So, what if the government is terrible, corrupt, and wicked? There appear to be two additional Biblical examples here besides the ones already mentioned. (Romans 13, Acts 4: 19, Acts 5:29) The first are those numerous Scriptures which speak about how it is the Lord who abases the proud and exalts the humble. In other words, it is usually not our prerogative to overthrow the government because of it's wickedness.
On the other hand however, we have the entire book of Judges. Over and over, God punished the people of Israel by putting them under the authority of other, wicked, nations. The same goes for the Babylonian Captivity. (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Jeremiah, Daniel, etc.) In each case, God was punishing the Israelites for the Israelites wickedness, not the wickedness of the other nations. In the book of Judges, we also see the Israelites repenting many times of their sin. When this happened, God raised up judges in Israel who usually gathered together an army and overthrew the ruling government.
In the case of the Babylonian Captivity, we see that God did not have the Israelites overthrow the government. Instead, God delivered them by the aid of the government. In Ezra and Nehemiah, the Babylonian kings decreed that some of the Israelites could return to Jerusalem. In Esther, the king of Babylon decreed that the Israelites could slaughter their oppressors (led by Haman). In these instances, God 'turned the heart of the king where ever He desired' (Paraphrase, Proverbs 21:1) God used the ruling government to deliver the people from captivity. In the Babylonian Captivity, the Israelites' deliverance was a fulfillment of God's promise. God promised that they would only be in captivity for seventy years.
In the Egyptian Captivity, the Israelites merely spoiled the Egyptians and then left the country. The Egyptians were oppressive, but the Israelites did not just take over. Instead, they fled.
Now, as I see it, these are the options we have when the government is wicked, corrupt, and oppressive.
1st, we can leave the country. It may not be possible, but if it is, then we can. That's why America has so many refugees from Russia for instance.
2nd, we can stay, speak out, non-violently act against bad policies, and pray hard. God can and does change minds. A corrupt government could easily turn around if He wants it to and if we pray. We could also go undercover, like the Russians who stayed and the Chinese Christians. Mind you, going undercover doesn't mean we should stop sharing the Gospel.
As for the examples in Judges. In this case, I believe this was God's especial manner in delivering His people. I would take a lot of convincing before I believed we have the Biblical basis for gathering together an army and overthrowing the government.
So, those are my thoughts on the subject of authority. Part 3, hopefully, will go into more depth on degrees of sin. Let's pray for our country!
(This has been: Fountain of Thoughts. Look in next time to read, A Day in the Life of:__)
Disclaimer: Rest assured, these opinions and conclusions have been formed and arrived at after considerable discussion with my pastor and father. I am not intending to teach doctrine! These are only my thoughts and beliefs on the subject after my personal encounter with the book on Stonewall Jackson.

Tidbits of: Michigan

Five pieces of random Michiganian information, three major Michiganite events, and one story of Michigan's people. It is my hope that these will leave us fairly knowledgeable about the character of the Michiganders, their accomplishments, and general history. And yes, they do call themselves by all those names. Enjoy!

Random Info. #1: William Boeing Sr. was from Michigan. Boeing was originally spelled without the 'E' so that it would originally have sounded like 'boing!' William Sr. was a wealthy mining engineer who made his money off of taconite iron ore deposits. His son, William Boeing Jr., is that famous Washingtonian who pioneered in the aviation industry.

Random Info. #2: The Michigan State Mammal is the Painted Turtle. The painted turtle, so called because of it's beautiful, multi-colored, and usually striped skin and shell, is the only turtle that can be located from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The pictured turtle is one of the two western species.

Random Info. #3: The University of Michigan is the University in Michigan. It was founded in 1817 in Detroit. It was moved later to it's current location in Ann Arbor.

Random Info. #4: While rarely mentioned in historical accounts of the Civil War, Michigan actually contributed thousands of men and tens of thousands of supplies, mostly to the North.

Random Info. #5: From Michigan came one, and only one, President of the United States. To make up for the lack of numbers, he was at least fairly well-known since he came immediately after the infamous Richard Nixon. Gerald Ford was the 38th U.S. President. He was not a descendant of the famous Henry Ford. In fact, Gerald was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr. He legally changed his name in 1935.

Major Michiganian Event #1: The Metz Fire. I'll be talking more about this in another post. In 1908, the small town of Metz, located almost at the tip of the lower peninsula, burned to the ground in a series of major wildfires. Incidentally, it occurred on the same date as the great Chicago fire; October 8th.

Major Michganian Event #2: The Erie Canal. Completed in 1825, the canal connected Lake Erie with the Hudson River. It was a breakthrough for industry in Michigan since the Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The Canal was the first in America to have locks.

Major Michiganian Event #3: The Model T. The invention of the Model T, also in October 1908, changed history because of it's innovative production methods and travel abilities. Previously, it could take as much as a whole day to travel forty miles. Henry Ford, the inventor, is thought to have said this about his invention:

"We can paint it any color as long as it's black."
Which leads me to the story about the people of Michigan. Actually, it's placed in Canada, but it's about how two men met Edsel Ford from Michigan. It's an example of the character of Michigan's people.

Michgan Story #1: The Sky Blue Model T. In 1942, Charles Foster and Harold Hetherington were given a car; a Model T. The two men were in Canada learning how to fly airplanes for the Royal Airforce. They were given their car in Bowden, Alberta. After two weeks of fixing it up so that it would work and after painting it a brilliant sky blue, they continued to Calgary where the flying school was located. Unfortunately, because of World War II, gasoline was rationed. To make the 80 mile journey, they purloined airplane fuel for their car. Airplane fuel worked, but left a tell-tale stream of smoke. A little way outside of Calgary, the two met a stranded man standing next to his broken down, non-Ford car. The man asked to be driven into Calgary. On the way he commented on their car. 'I rented my car. You fellows have good sense to be driving a Ford, but you're not doing it any good with that airplane fuel.'

The man asked to be dropped off at an expensive hotel. There, Charles and Harold learned that the hitchhiker's name was Edsel Ford, President of the Ford Motor Company Inc. After Ford left town a few days later, Charles and Harold discovered the truth of the statement, 'One good turn deserves another.' Not only did Edsel Ford pay for their hotel bill, but he sent a Ford Company Plane to the flight school. On board were two mechanics. The mechanics fixed up the pilots' car --which had been damaged by the airplane fuel-- until it purred like a happy cat. The mechanic liked the color of their car. 'One day,' he said, 'everyone can order a car in the color they want. You guy's are just a little ahead of the crowd.'

Charles Foster eventually got up the courage to ask the mechanic a question. 'Why in the world wasn't the President of Ford Motors driving a Ford?'

The mechanic laughed. 'Mr. Ford,' he replied, 'is an intelligent man. Can you imagine the stories that would have spread if he had been found stranded next to a broken down Ford?'

Charles and Harold later learned that Edsel Ford became ill shortly after his unexpected gift. Ford never recovered.

So, now you know. An act of gratitude can change the lives of those around you. Charles and Harold never forgot Edsel Ford or his gift. They later gave the Model T to their friend, Dave MacMillan. Dave was the man who had supplied them with their airplane fuel for the car. He used the car to take his bride on a honeymoon.

I discovered many other stories of the character of the Michiganites. Each story portrayed kindness, determination, resilence, and love for fellow man. It is, or was, the culture, and we ought to take note.

Stories of My Life: Peace and Pieces

Life, or so I've been told, is like a puzzle. Each event that happens is a different puzzle piece. As you experience each thing, it can be like turning over an up-side down piece, or maybe even putting a piece together with another one. At any rate, it's exciting. Unless, of course, you put a piece on that you only think belongs in that spot. Lately, I've had pretty much all of the above. In fact, I've had to remove a puzzle piece out of my picture. It was a little painful. I figure it must have been like those puzzle pieces that are a really close fit and yet not quite the right one. However, by removing it, God has blessed me with an inner peace that is beyond words. (If you can find out what's wrong with the italicized sentence before I tell you, Congratulations! You get a brownie point!)

Proverbs 18:24 says: 'A man that hath friends must show himself friendly; and there is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.' (KJV) And that last half of the verse leads me to the big puzzle piece I was talking about. I am so grateful for how close God sticks with me even when I'm totally off track. And I've definitely been off track.

Have you ever put together a puzzle, found a piece that 'goes together' and kept on trying the piece over and over and over insisting that 'it's got to be the right one' and all along, it's not? The scenario described my life.

You see, when I graduated early, I had all sorts of goals and plans and expectations. I was going to do this, go there, learn that. And really some things were good things to have as goals. You know, 'get involved in a ministry,' 'spend more time in the Word.' I was sure that I could easily pursue my various goals without a problem. And yet, as time passed, absolutely nothing happened, even when I tried. Certain 'leads' for both getting a job and participating in a ministry petered out before they even got started. (These leads are indirectly referred to in Stories of My Life: My Advice. A previous post from this January). I could sort of understand that getting a job might be harder than I had anticipated, but, to my mind, working for a Christian ministry was a worthy goal. I didn't understand why God seemed to be stopping me at every single turn, even the 'good' things.

I became frustrated and took it out, sometimes internally and sometimes externally, on my family, myself, and God. I almost took my frustration out on one of my dear friends. Thankfully, I never got around to finishing and sending the letter.

I eventually ended up having an all-around complaint session with God one night. (Some of the issues that came up are very obscurely mentioned in Fountain of Thoughts: Bread Making. A previous post from last October). I still don't understand it, but that night, God chose to call a truce. I'm sure it wasn't me. All I did was complain and beg not-so-humbly for peace in my life over the issue of 'nothing is happening and it's supposed to be, so why aren't You allowing me to do anything?' I'm pretty sure I even quoted Scripture at God. So why in the world He granted a truce to me is more than I'll ever understand.

There should be an emphasis on 'truce' rather than peace. A truce, by definition, is a 'suspension of hostilities for a specified period of time by mutual agreement of both warring parties.' Peace on the other hand, has two pertinent definitions. 1: 'an agreement between warring parties to end and abstain from further antagonism.' And 2: 'untroubled, tranquil, and content.'

While for the first day or two I thought, wished, and hoped that I had been given peace, I knew deep down that it wasn't peace, but only truce. Sure enough, after a week or two, I blew up; again. Hostilities, at least on my side, were renewed with a vengeance.

Then, I randomly decided that I been reading too much fiction. I abruptly switched to reading non-fiction. I began with George Mueller, (A Day in the Life of: George Mueller. Posted in February.) From there I went on to Hudson Taylor, Borden of Yale, and With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray. Each of these books had a common thread in them. Faith, and the giving up of everything for God. I particularly noticed the second part of the thread.

If you'll look back at the beginning of this post, I wrote a sentence in italics. 'I've had to take a puzzle piece out of my picture.' Remember I said there was something wrong with the sentence? It should read, 'God had to take a puzzle piece out of His picture.' As I read those books, I began gradually to realize that my plans and goals were just that; my plans, my goals. I'd been trying to take things into my own hands; I'd been grabbing a puzzle piece out of God's hands and trying to fit it in where it didn't belong. The process of trying to put the piece in where it didn't belong effected not only myself, but also the puzzle pieces around me as my frustration grated on my family and my relationship with God.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I gave up my plans, all of them, even the 'good' ones. I finally realized that those 'good' goals were merely thrown in there in an attempt to be 'righteous.' God had blocked my efforts to become involved in ministry because my motives were not right.

What's the result? I can't get over it. Over the past couple of weeks, God has blessed me with His peace, not just a truce. I'm beginning to realize the truth of the verse that says 'it's a peace that passes all understanding.' I don't understand it. I now feel more 'tranquil, untroubled, and content' than I've ever felt in my entire life. It's...indescribable. Not only that, but just a day or two after, God, out of the blue, sent me a ministry to be involved in. It's not just a random ministry either, in fact, it's exactly the kind of thing I enjoy. I am now responsible for coordinating and gathering together 25 apple pies for the Annual Home School Day at the Capital in Olympia on March 15th. Wow! And I didn't even ask for it! God is so amazing! (If you're interested in making a pie, let me know).

I now have absolutely no clue as to what God wants me to do with the rest of my year and life. But in spite of that, every day I wake up and I can't help but saying, 'Thank you, God.' And, 'Wow, God, You're so...COOL!

Snippets of: Imboden, Arkansas

The city of Imboden, in Arkansas, was named after the family of Swiss settlers who founded the town. The city was established in the early 1830s. Benjamin Imboden was a man with a good reputation. The city was named after him for his outstanding work in transforming the area from canebrake and trees to habitable land, but no less for his sterling character as a supporter of the church and the law. His son, John Imboden, was a Confederate brigadier general during the Civil War.
The city has claims to several distinctions: Youngest mayor in the U.S. at that time, a polar bear in their cemetery, and a large fire resulting in the destruction of most of their businesses caused by thoughtless human beings.
The incident with the polar bear was a bit trivial, but wouldn't you be proud if you had a dead polar bear in your backyard. The polar bear came from a circus. It died while the circus was in Imboden. Fascinating, isn't it?
The large fire occurred in 1893. It was caused by a firecracker fight. Not knowing exactly what that was, I looked it up. Talk about the stupidity of humans! A firecracker fight means throwing lighted firecrackers at each other. It is very dangerous, and the goal is to throw it before it explodes in your hand and to avoid those thrown at you. It really isn't surprising that a fire started. What is interesting however, is the fact that the fire was on Christmas Eve. It's interesting, because for several years in a row, the city was plagued by fires on that same date.
In 1912, Joe Sullivan was elected Mayor of Imboden. He was only 21 years old. Not only that, but he was a paralytic who made his way around town in a goat-driven cart. He is quoted as saying, "For myself, I am going to use three essentials to success, Faith, Prayer, and Perseverance. They never fail you if you are in the right, and you are already a failure if you are in the wrong." The latter half of the second half of the quote, by the way, is not strictly true. Being wrong does not make you a failure.
5 pieces of random information: 1. Imboden's population is just under 700. 2. The Jones family is predominant in the city leadership, fire department, and water department. (In case that interests you. It did me. It's rather unusual to have a family-run town. Oh, and there is only one female in all those departments! Good for them from a Biblical standpoint!) 3. The city is also very proud of it's first and only brand-new fire engine. I assume this means that they have since purchased only used fire engines since they have retired the one they're so proud of. They were one of the last older cities in the U.S to establish a fire department. (1959) 4. Saloons were voted out in 1889. To the best of my knowledge, they have not been voted back in. 5. The town's first theater was a drive-in, outdoor theater. Children who didn't want to pay the dime admittance climbed on the roof of the building across the street and watched from there.
(This has been: Snippets of: Imboden, Arkansas. Look in next time to read: Stories of My Life:_)

A Day in the Life of: George Mueller

The biography of George Mueller was the first biography I ever liked, and the only for a very long time. He continues to be one of my favorite people. I find his life to inspiring, not because of his outstanding work with orphans, but because of his incredible faith in God.

George Mueller began as a ne'er-do-well. At the age of ten, he was discovered by his father, a tax collector, to be stealing small amounts of the government money which he, the father, often left in the house. After the just punishment received from his father, George promised himself it would never happen again. But instead of promising not to steal again, George was promising himself not to get caught again.

At age fourteen, George's mother died. When his father found him to say that his mother was dying, George was gambling and drinking with his friends. He did not return to the house until after he had finished his poker game. By then, it was too late.

When his father decided to send him to the best university in Prussia, (now Germany) George was excited, until he learned that he would have a tutor who would stick to him like glue. Without his father's permission or knowledge, George applied and was accepted to a lesser, pre-university school, much like our community colleges today. There, George lived what he called the 'high life' but we Christians would refer to it as the 'low life.' Afterwards, his father again offered to send him to the university, this time without the tutor. At Halle University, George studied divinity. George did not study this for any religious reasons but merely because at the time, being a Lutheran minister was very lucrative. For a while, George studied without gambling and drinking, but after meeting an old friend he returned to the bars, where he regaled his friends with 'hilarious' stories of his early sinful life.

Then, one day, George met another old friend, Beta. Beta had gone to the same pre-university and had had a reputation for being a religious geek. Now, Beta, for some reason or other, had decided that he was done with religion. George took him under his wing and led him farther astray from the straight and narrow road.

Later in the year however, Beta turned around again and refused to join George at the bar. Embarrassed, he explained that he was going to a Bible study. George suddenly saw himself telling his friends at the bar the latest hilarious story, of the time when he went to a Bible study. To Beta's dismay, George went along. There, he found himself drawn in in spite of himself. George was particularly impressed with the leader of the group who talked as if God was in the room and who actually got on his knees to pray. Several weeks, and many meetings later, George offered his life to God.

George gave up his wild way of life, and shortly afterwards felt God calling him to the mission field. The first thing he did was to tell his father that he no longer wanted to study at Halle University. The matter caused a long but temporary rift between the two. Nevertheless, George felt the release from his father's purse-strings to be a relief. That is, until he discovered that now he had no money and could not get himself money in his former sly and unethical manner. It was his first test of faith after the initial step of salvation. At his wits end, George decided to do something he felt was childish and that a grown man would never do; pray on his knees. Within an hour after his prayer, George had both a job and a place to stay. He was ever after a firm believer in the power of prayer. Throughout the rest of his life, George was sustained almost entirely by prayer. He believed and lived as though God would provide, and He did.

In his next test of prayer, George discovered the important truth that God doesn't always provide in the way we expect. George was accepted into a London Missionary School, where he intended to study for going to China. (This was the circumstance God used to get him to England where he lived the rest of his life. He gave up China after three months). Unfortunately, Prussian law required all able men to join the military for two to five years. George knew that this delay was not in God's plan for him, so he prayed that somehow he would be made exempt. In answer, George became desperately sick. When he felt better over a month later, he went to the recruiter. When the doctor examined him however, George was exempted. While he felt fine at the moment, the doctor saw that his recent sickness would never truly go away. (It didn't. George was afflicted with recurrences for the rest of his life.)

In England, George met and married Mary Groves. He became pastor for a short time in a small church near London. At the time, pastors all over the world got their salary from a system called 'pew rent.' After a time, God led George to abolish this practice in the church. Thus, the entirety of George's salary was cut dramatically. At the same time, he was convicted by Scripture that he and his wife owned too many things. He and his wife sold all of their belongings. In spite of this, God always provided. Once, they sat down to the empty table and prayed over the absent food. As they finished their prayer, a neighbor brought over a whole ham.

Later, George went to minister in Bristol, England. There he pastored without a salary at Gideon Chapel and Pithay Chapel jointly with his close friend, Henry Craik. A cholera epidemic swept the city and George's attention was suddenly captured by what would be come his life's work. Thousands of orphans lived in Bristol and after the epidemic, thousands more joined those already there. He began to offer breakfast at his home for the orphans. Every day over sixty orphans plus adults ate breakfast for free. While they ate, George read from the Bible.

Nevertheless, George saw that while caring for 60 orphans was a start, it wasn't enough. In February, 1836, George opened a girl's orphanage for ages seven to twelve. At that time, there were only ten or twelve orphanages in all of England, and only one accepted all orphans including poor and/or deformed ones. Within five years, George had added three more orphanages to the first one. About that time however, he began receiving complaints from the neighbors. Four orphanages on the same residential street just would not work.

By prayer, he was led to purchase a property outside of the city. There he built a huge orphanage. George, who had never had an income since that day when God had told him to give it up, built it and the four subsequent even bigger orphanages debt-free. In the end, George and his wife were caring for over two thousand orphans. Over and over again, the money would run out. At times the children sat down to empty tables. Every time, George prayed, and food would arrive. One such time, a milk truck broke down just outside their property and the milkman asked them to lighten his load. At the same time, a local baker confessed that the previous night he couldn't sleep until he had baked three batches of bread for the orphans. George's prayers were answered every time; often from complete strangers or people across the world.

In 1870, Mary Mueller died. After a few years, George married Susannah Sanger in his mid-sixties. Together, they continued the legacy George and Mary had begun. The two went through 17 years of book-writing and tours. On each tour, the impact of George's faith spread. During these times, George lost both his daughter and his second wife. He returned to live in Bristol and continued to care for the orphans. His son-in-law became the real head of the orphanages however, and more and more of George's time was spent in prayer. Then, one day, George died. He was 93 years old. He was survived by his son-in-law and his granddaughter. He had run the orphanages for 63 years on prayer and faith. Not only that, but George, who rarely had more than a few hundred English pounds in his hand for more than a few days, was able, through prayer, to support other ministries. The one and a half million English pounds that had passed through his hands during his lifetime were never used on himself and never used for any other purpose than that for which they had been donated. At least a quarter of this money was used for supporting missionaries and distributing Bibles. The rest was used for other ministries and the orphanages. In one time of need, he supported the entirety of the China Inland Mission. In his lifetime he had cared for over ten thousand orphans, most of whom were spiritually impacted by him in a positive manner.

Through the power of prayer one man was able to minister to thousands upon thousands of people, young and old. The story of his life continues to impact people today. May we also learn to live so dependently on God, that, like George Mueller, nothing will phase us, because we know that God will provide for our every need.

**Books about George Mueller: George Mueller: the Guardian of Bristol's Orphans by Janet & Geoff Benge. Autobiographies of George Mueller: A Life of Trust, and A Million and a Half in Answer to prayer, by George Mueller.

(This has been A Day in the Life of: George Mueller. Look in next time to read: Snippets of:__)