Going downhill... fast

The name of the sender on a private message to me on my Facebook page made me want to open the message right away. I wish I had waited. Had I waited I would have been in a more private location. Crying at my desk with the door to my office wide open is not always the most preferable place to "lose it."

The message had that basic message of, "I thought you would want to know..."

Yes, I wanted to know.

The message had that basic message at the end of, "I am sure he would love to hear from you..."

Yes, I want him to hear from me. And yes, I want to hear about him from him.

So I did.

His lovely wife answered the phone.
We were both so delighted to hear one another's voice.
I shared that I had heard some very distressing news about her husband of 60 plus years.
Her voice quivered and she said, "Would you like to talk with him? He is right here."

She put the phone down and I heard her say, "Honey... it's David Dendy."
His thick Missouri accent filled my ear piece as his voice was much weaker than the last time I heard it.

In typical fashion he immediately directed the conversation into wanting to hear all about me and my family and my new position in Dubuque.

I obliged.

And then came that moment of silence.

It didn't last long...

I said, "I hear some very distressing news about you."

"Yes David. It's true. I am going downhill fast and I can't stop it. The doctors say I have about two weeks to live if I don't do any treatment and about five months if I do treatment."

We both started to cry... I mean I really started to cry. I tried to speak but my face being all contorted the way it gets when I cry and my voice going up an octave or two when I try to talk, I didn't get very far in saying how sorry I was.

My dear friend interrupted me, "David... David... I am going to be fine. You don't worry about me. I am going to be just fine."

We talked for a few more moments and then he said to me what he said to me every Sunday at the front door of the First Presbyterian Church in Klamath Falls, Oregon, "Tell Julie we said hello!"

I will... and with crocodile tears rolling down my face... I did... I told Julie you said, "Hello."

My iWitness...

I remember the first time I rode my bicycle downhill fast.
My first bike was bought at the "Grants" department store in Atlanta, Georgia. I was in first grade.
It was green with a banana seat with "U" shaped handlebars. The extra dynamic feature was that it had a speedometer strategically placed on the handlebars so I could see how fast I was going.

There was a big hill near our home. The street ended in a "T". I remember going down the hill and the needle on the speedometer surpassing "20 MPH".

I remember panicking, thinking, "I am going downhill fast... what if I can't stop?" Of course I put on the brake and came to a stop at the bottom of the hill... safe and sound.

From the Christian perspective, here is the good news..

There might come a time in our life where we discover that we are going downhill... fast... and we cannot stop... all the brakes of medicine and cures will not stop us.

Guess who's waiting at the bottom of the hill?

Jesus... arms open wide... ready to catch us and welcome us into the new heaven, the new kingdom where the scriptures that we have read for years becomes the new reality...

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21. 4)

To my friend who is going downhill fast and can't stop...
"I will miss you! Thank you for all of your love and support that you gave to me and my family! And thank you for always telling me to tell Julie you said, "Hello."
I have one favor my dear friend...
With the biggest smile you have every smiled, "Tell Jesus we said, "Hello!"

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

Living the Dream...

I was invited to play golf yesterday with a group of nine men yesterday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I knew one of the men, had met two of the others on one previous occasion and the other six were complete strangers until the moment I shook their hands.

This group invited me in and for about 6 hours we all laughed, shared funny and serious stories, complimented and lamented one another on our golf shots and overall had a fantastic day. The gentleman hosting all of us treated us to lunch afterward. These men have all known each other for years. I mean... "YEARS." Most of them were retired and have been friends with each other for 30-40 years.

Here's what struck me the most about the day...
Five of the men were African-American.
Five of the men (including me) were Caucasian.

I kept thinking throughout the day, What is and what has been the big deal about "race"?
What amazed me even more was that these men were friends with one another during the turbulent 60's of the civil rights movement where interracial friendships were probably not all that common, encouraged or even tolerated.

In the shadow of the 50th Anniversary of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech... these men are "Living the Dream."

I got to live the dream yesterday too.
Praise be to God!

My iWitness...

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red, brown, yellow, black and white
They are precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world


If someone asks me the question, "How are you doing today?"
My response will be...

"Living the dream!"

I hope you will join me in "living the dream" today and tomorrow and the next...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3. 28)

Hello! My Name Is...

I had the privilege of introducing myself to someone yesterday. What rolled off my tongue is what has rolled off my tongue for the last 35 plus years...

Hello! My Name Is David Dendy...

My iWitness...

This has been my protocol for over 35 years.
I have introduced myself to tens of thousands of people in this very manner...
There have been a few stark variations over the years...

1. Hi, my name is David Dendy...
2. Hey, my name is David Dendy...
3. Hey, I'm David Dendy...
4. I am David Dendy...
5. I'm David Dendy...
6. By the way... my name is David Dendy

You get the picture.

Do you know where this little insecure idiosyncrasy comes from?
Of course you don't!
I am about to tell you.

Back in the days of rotary dial phones when caller ID was but a cartoon reality on "The Jetsons", I had a "puppy dog" type crush on a girl. I couldn't have been more than 14 years of age. After deliberating with myself for over an hour in getting up the courageous nerve to call her, I finally, yet reluctantly, placed my right index finger in the rotary dial and performed a series of short staccato clockwise movements that in effect "dialed" her number. I had rehearsed my opening line to perfection.

When the phone was finally answered, I heard her very familiar voice on the other end of the line. With bold insecure confidence I said, "Hi insert girl's name here! This is David." (That was my opening line!)

The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening...
The pregnant pause was interminable...
Beads of sweat spontaneously popped up all over my forehead...
My mind was racing...

And then she spoke these unforgettable words...

"David who?"

Only seven words had been spoken and the conversation was already over.

You see... the reason I say, "Hi, My name is David Dendy" is that there is a huge part of me that truly believes that you will forget who I am if I don't tell you my whole name.

I have been forgotten in the past and it is a terrible feeling.
I don't want to be forgotten again.

That's why it is so important for me to call people by their name.
I figure since I love nothing more than hearing my name called, I will return the favor to those around me...

Here is the good news!
God knows our name and call us by name!

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine." (Isaiah 43. 1)

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David! (Dendy)

Judge on 9/11

It was Tuesday morning.

He was at home.
The phone rang.
He was needed.
He quickly got dressed and donned his collar.
The last thing he put on as he ran out the door was his Fireman's helmet.
His name is Father Mychal Judge and he was the New York Fire Department's Chaplain on September 11, 2001.
As Father Mychal ran toward the Twin Towers others were running from it.
In the shadow of the smoldering Twin Towers, he came across a slain fireman who had been hit by a falling body.
As any proper Catholic Priest would do, Father Mychal offered "last rites" to this brave man.
Offering the proper respect due to this child of God lying in the street, Father Mychal bent down on one knee and removed his helmet.
Within moments, perhaps even seconds Father Mychal Judge was struck on the head by falling debris and instantly killed.

Father Mychal Judge is listed as "Victim 0001" of the World Trade Center terrorist attack.
He was not the first to die, but he was the first to be removed from the scene as depicted below...

My iWitness...

I want to be like Father Mychal Judge.
I want to be known and remembered as someone who always ran toward the problem.
I do not want to be known and remembered as someone who runs away from the problem.

I marvel at Jesus in this respect.
Jesus ran toward Jerusalem.
He knew what awaited him there.
He ran into the temple and turned over the tables in order to restore his Father's house.
A few days later would find Jesus at another table.
The table of the Last Supper.
He could have run away.
He could have removed himself.

But because of you...
Because of you Jesus ran toward the Garden...
Because of you Jesus ran toward the Cross...
Because of you Jesus ran out of the tomb...
Because of you Jesus now runs to you...

Let's run today...
Let's run toward Jesus...
Let's run toward those around us that are hurting...
Let's run toward the problem... Let's not run away...

On this 9/11...
I want to be like Father Mychal Judge on 9/11
I would rather die running to the problem than running away from it...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5. 4)

ps - My prayers for my dear friend Pam and her family as they remember her beloved uncle who was killed on 9/11/01 in the Twin Tower attack.

Also, my word of thanks to my good friend Ernie who stood with me on that terrible day and watched the events unfold before our very eyes at Grace Community Church in Cleveland, Ohio. Ernie... we are forever linked on this anniversary. Thank you for continuing to stand with me...

God in the Box part 2

Yesterday we took a look at two thought provoking questions...
What does God look like?

What does God mean to you?

We didn't look at any answers yesterday... just looked at the questions.

My iWitness...

Today, I would like to offer my answer to these two questions. I am feeling the pressure to come up with some incredibly profound answer that will blow the mind of each reader and have everyone walking away from this blog post shaking their head in complete and utter spiritual amazement!! Don't get your hopes up...

What does God look like?

Being the good "Trinitarian" that I am, I always think of God as three distinct, unique persons.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - Three in One.

When I think of God the Father, I just see the color white. It's not a blinding brilliant white but rather a soft, warm inviting white. I see no face but I do see large, strong yet gentle hands being extended from under robed arms. Furthermore, I see knees bent at a ninety degree angle under His massive white robe as God sits on some type of throne. I see no feet but I do see myself sitting, kneeling at the feet of God.

When I think of God the Son I have a definite picture in mind of what Jesus looks like. I am positive that my mind's eye has been influenced by movies, paintings and other visual mediums. Jesus is dark skinned, long thick brown wavy hair resting on a tall, strong and lean frame. I always picture Jesus wearing a tanned colored robe. Sometimes I wonder what Jesus would look like wearing jeans. Jesus has a brilliant smile and a contagious laugh. But, it is His eyes that captivate and mesmerize my every vision. Dazzling brown with deep black pupils surrounded by soft features, it is the eyes of Jesus that draw me in more than any other physical aspect. His eyes always reflect what I need... Encouraging, supportive, loving, corrective, forgiving, humorous, accepting, life giving and full of grace. When I look into the eyes of Jesus, the rest of the world disappears.

When I think of God the Holy Spirit - I see the wind, which is to say, I see nothing. Like the wind I feel the Holy Spirit. I see the effects of the Holy Spirit, but I do not see any type of quantified object that I could begin to describe.

What does God mean to you?

This is indeed a tough, thought provoking question.

God means everything to me.
God is the foundation on which I stand.
God is the post on which I lean.
God is the power that fuels my pursuits, my personality and my passions.
God is my shelter, my savior and my satisfaction.
God is not far away and distant but rather very personal, protective and providential.
God is the comfort in which I lay myself down and peacefully rest and sleep.
God is the keeper of the promises so that I can walk forward in life with full assurance and confidence.
God is the warrior that stands beside me in the most conflicted situations and shouts at the top of His lungs... "Fear not David! For I am with you!!"
God is the strength upon which I crumple when I finally admit just how weak and insecure I really am.
God is the extended hand that I hold on to as hard as I can only to realize that it is the hand of God that forever holds on to me even when I let go.
God is the giver of all things and the only framework from which I can operate is one of gracious gratitude.
God is supremely powerful and yet is surprisingly gentle with my heart.
God is God and I am not... (one of these days I will finally grasp this...)
God is the Hound of Heaven who runs after me and pursues me relentlessly when I run away and try to hide. He finds me every time!!
God is the detailed planner with an incessant creative imagination whose plans, hopes and desires are "far more" than my wildest dreams could possibly imagine.
God is the One, the only one who understands and accepts every thing about me.
God is the One with whom I find great delight, joy and extreme laughter which in turn makes me "laugh often."
God is the One who offers me hope in the most hopeless of situations, love when I am most unlovable, acceptance when I am most unacceptable.
God is the Voice that proclaims, "You are forgiven!" over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over....
God is the hands that wrap around my face as His loving thumbs wipe away my every tear and whispers in my ear... "I understand..."
God is the elbow in my ribs as He says, "Hey David... check this out." And I do and I then stand there in utter amazement.
God is the great memory bank who reminds me who I am and whose I am when I forget.
God is the unconditional love that melts my heart each and every day.
God is my all in all.
God is the tape at the finish line that patiently waits to enfold me as I run the race of life, stumbling and crawling across the line exhausted and exhilarated!
God is One who waits on the 50 yard line of the stadium of heaven in the presence of the great cloud of witnesses and announces to the sold out crowd, "Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls, from Dubuque, Iowa, a child of the covenant, a son of the King - David Wilkes Dendy as I come running through the tunnel out on to the field and jump into the everlasting arms of Jesus to the deafening applause of heaven!

That's what God means to me...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"...because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. ¹³ For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10. 9-13)

God in the Box

This morning I saw a trailer for a documentary entitled, "God in the Box."
The movie basically documents what happens when you set up a big box on a sidewalk in a heavily congested area and put the words "God in the Box" on the side and then invite people to come on in and share their answers to two basic yet profound questions...

What does God look like?

What does God mean to you?

My iWitness...

Here is my social and faith based experiment for the day...

What does God look like to you?

What does God mean to you?

I would love to hear your answers...

I will offer mine tomorrow.

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8. 9)

Yet...

Every Sunday morning at church I wonder when God will speak to me during a worship service. I have no doubt that God is speaking all the time but there always seems to be a moment where something transpires during a worship service that really hits home for me on a very personal basis.

Sometimes it happens during the middle of the sermon.
Sometimes it happens during the middle of a song.
Sometimes it happens during the middle of a prayer.
Sometimes it happens during the middle of reading a bible verse.

Today it happened at the end of the Announcements!

My iWitness...

The Associate Pastor at our church was making the usual announcements about upcoming events, encouraging people to attend and the like.

At the end of the announcements he told of an email that he received from some missionary friends that he knew from his days in China. They were making their way back to the states and put all of their earthly and extra special belongings in a container and had it shipped over.

Unfortunately, the container flooded and they lost everything.

In the email they sent to the Associate Pastor they concluded it with this verse...

Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior. (Habakkuk 3. 17-18)

As I look around my new surroundings in the Midwest I have a few fig trees that are not budding.
Some of the vines in my workplace have no grapes.
I have failed my social crop of friends and family on numerous levels.
My spiritual life at times is like the barren cornfield that produces no food and believe me when I say that I have looked and looked into the pen and into the stalls of personal fulfillment and success and there is nothing there.

Yet...
Please hear this three letter word!

Yet... I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior!

And for goodness sake... let's not forget verse 19...

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights.

It looks like I have some heights to climb.
I guess I'm just waiting to get my deer shoes on...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!