Delays

Yesterday I flew home after being on the road for eight days.
I was scheduled to be home in Dubuque by 3:30 pm.
Woke up at 3:30 am to be on a scheduled 5:38 departure - Check!
Plane left at 5:38 am and we landed at first stop 15 minutes early - Check!
Connecting plane scheduled to leave at 9:55 - Check!
9:30 rolls around and the Gate Agent announces said flight canceled due to weather - Oh no!
Run as fast as I can to the United Service Center to reschedule - Check!
Customer Service Agent "Luz" (which means light!) secures my seat on a 1:34 departure - Check!
The fifth person behind me does not get on the next scheduled flight because next flight is now full...

I am on the 1:34 flight, in my seat, seat belt secured ready to get home.
Before they close the door, Gate Agent Randy comes on the plane and says, "We're oversold and we are overweight. Someone needs to get off the plane before we can take off."
With various incentives offered, a young lady wearing an Iowa Hawkeye sweatshirt gathers her belongings and exits the plane. The plane does not take off.

Some kind of oxygen sensor is not working properly. Maintenance needs to take a look.
Meanwhile pilot says over the intercom - "Bad weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Snow on the runway with heavy gusts of winds. We might be able to land. We might not. If we cannot land we will be rerouted to Des Moines. Thank you for flying United Express"

Twenty minues later, wheels up and just about two hours later we land on a snowy runway in Cedar Rapids. Since I've been gone, 6-8 inches of snow have fallen on the airport parking lot. I find my car only because the license plate was uncovered by snow. Twenty minutes later after removing all the snow off the car in 21 degree weather. I am on my way.

Should be a quick 90 minute drive at most. Highway going home is covered in snow, ice, black ice and being buffeted by heavy crosswinds and it's also dark. My max speed going home is 40 mph. My shoulders and fingers are tight and tense as I hold on to the wheel as hard as I can. At 8:14 I pull up in the driveway. Home at last and then PANDEMONIUM!

It's good to be home...

My iWitness...

Delays...

Anything delaying you from getting to your destination on time? Anything keeping you from moving forward? Anything slowing you down?

Sometimes delays are forced by circumstances outside of our control. Like the weather that delayed me there are storms in life that come our way that slow us down or blow us off course.

Sometimes our hustling and getting "after it" can move us forward in a speedily fashion. Had I taken my time getting to the customer service center, I would not have made the next flight and would have been delayed even further. No time to sit around and have a little pity party.

Sometimes we are all ready to go but we are grounded because we are "overweight". Something needs to go. Something needs to get off our plane in order for us to soar.

Sometimes, even when we are on the right track it is slow, slow, tense going, with crosswinds threatening to knock us off track.

Sometimes, excuse me... not sometimes but always when we reach home there will be PANDEMONIUM!!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12. 1-2)

I'll see you out on the highway of life.
It's good to be traveling together.

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

Face to Face

I have been away from home for the past seven days.
I have been on the phone a lot lately...
Texting...
Calling...
Emailing...
Facebooking...
I picture in my mind Joshua's short frame jumping up and down, Faith's sky blue eyes, and Julie's brilliant smile, but it's not the same as "face to face."

I'm coming home today. The face to face encounter is going to be extra sweet!

On this trip I have seen some people that I haven't seen in months, weeks and even years. It's been great to see them "face to face." There's something about facial expressions that speak volumes that an email and/or a text will never pick up on.
Ever notice how a friend's left eyebrow arches at that certain angle when she totally disbelieves what you are saying?
Ever been paralyzed by the totally "blank" stare that your boss gives you that screams, "Seriously?" Ever been moved to tears due to another's tears that brim and then trickle down their cheek?
How about the contortion of a friend's face as they bust out laughing? Is there any thing better!
How about that special friend whose penetrating hazel green eyes look right into your very soul and in an instant you know that you are safe and secure in their gaze?

There's something about the face to face encounter that can't be beat.

My iWitness...

In the book of Exodus there is a great account of Moses spending time with God. I love this verse...

"Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." (Exodus 33. 11)

Do  you ever wish God would come and sit down with you in your family room and visit with you "face to face?"  Me too...

Wouldn't life be so much easier if God would just show up at work, in the passenger seat, the driver's seat or the recliner and simply visit with us "face to face" and let us know what He wants and tell us where to go and what decisions to make?

If God would sit down with you right now, "face to face" what would you say? What questions would you ask? Would you really want to know all the answers?

With each sunrise and each sunset I am heading "Home."

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." (1 Corinthian 13. 12)

All of us might  have to wait just a little bit longer, but the day will come when we no longer know in part, but know in full! One day we shall know fully as we have been fully known.

So... for today I will rest in  the full assurance that I only know in part.
But the day is coming...
The face to face encounter is going to be extra sweet!

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

Love Letters

I was visiting with a couple recently and the conversation between them turned to "letters". They're both in their mid-fifties and they've been married and madly in love with each other for more than 30 years. They were college sweethearts. They have three incredible, beautiful, God loving children and a few adorable grandchildren as well.

The husband said, "My dad has written me three letters in my whole life. And you know what? To this day, I still have all three letters." He went on to talk about the "love letters" he has written and is writing to his own children. Love letters are worth reading and rereading and holding on to.

All of a sudden his eyes became real wide and he started to laugh and with his index finger he pointed to his bride and said, "Do you remember the first card I ever gave you?" Her reply was quick, "The one with the guy peeing in the snow?" With great satisfaction he said, "Yes! That's the one!" He continued, "Do you still have it?" The twinkle in her eyes, the wide smile on her face and the affirming nod of her head said it all, "Absolutely!"

My iWitness...

I'm always amused when people denounce and claim that the Bible is historically inaccurate, not scientifically based, grammatically faulty and overall just a myth.

I think they have totally missed the point.

The Bible is the hand written love letter of God.

It's a love letter of how God has chosen to interact with humanity, hand written by His Holy Spirit through the hands and pens of humans.

The whole message of God's love letter simply says, "I Love You!"

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3. 16)

Julie and I had been dating for about two months or so. I was consulting and traveling full time and one day I walked into my hotel room in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and there on the desk was a vase full of roses. Julie had sent them to me all the way from Houston, Texas.

I called her immediately on the phone and thanked her and then uttered these three words that I had never said to her before this moment, "I love you."

Once those three words escape your heart through your mouth there is only one appropriate four word response. Julie was quick with the most appropriate response... "I love you too."

God offers to us these three great words, "I Love You!"

There is only one appropriate response...

What will we be, what will we say, what will we do today that says, "I love you too."

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

The Table

There we were...
Fourteen of us friends gathered together for dinner and fellowship.
I hadn't seen each of them for a long time.
I was asked to give the blesssing.
Twenty-eight hands held each other in a make shift circle.
I was ten words into the blessing and my voice choked up, my shoulders started to shake and tears began to cascade down my cheek. The two hands that held my hands squeezed mine in a gesture of support and love.
My voice eventually returned to normal and I offered a few more words and then said, "Amen."
We each wiped our own tears, grabbed a plate and filled it with some of the best homemade food I have eaten.
And then,
There we were...
Gathered around the table, eating, laughing, telling stories, asking questions, catching up, offering support, encouraging each other and did I mention the laughing? Oh yeah, we laughed often!
Look around that table and you saw a cadre of people who have weathered some pretty tough storms.
Cancer, divorce, job transitions, impending retirements, injuries, depression, family issues, unemployment, grief. A motley crew we were and a motley crew we are...
Soon dessert was served and before you knew it 150 minutes had passed and it was time to leave the table and go home.
There we were...
Each of us giving and receiving hugs and then maybe a few extras for good measure. I wondered if this particular group would gather around the same table for a meal ever again. We all said we would see each other again. We really meant it. But will we? Maybe we won't. Then again, hopefully we will!

My iWitness...

One of my favorite stories in the Bible concerns a man named Mephibosheth.  His dad was Jonathan and his grandfather was the King. The king's name was Saul. Saul was killed in battle. His son Jonathan killed in the same battle.

David became king. David was heartbroken as his best friend in the world was Jonathan.
When David became king the rest of Jonathan's family ran for the hills because it was customary in those days (and still today) for the new king to kill off the former king's family. The new king had to make sure there were no former heirs to the throne that could possibly threaten his reign.

Mephibosheth's nurse upon hearing the news of Saul's death picked Mephiboseth up and ran for the hills. Along the way she tripped and fell on Mephibosheth and broke his leg and foot. He would be lame for the rest of his life.

Some years later King David had Mephibosheth, the lone heir, tracked down and brought to his home. This cannot be a good thing. And yet, David says, "Mephibosheth, you have a place at my table forever and always. Come! Dine with us." And Mephibosheth did...

"So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons." (2 Samuel 9. 11)

A lame man was invited to eat at the King's table.
There's always room at the King's table. Even for someone who has lame feet.
Because you see...
The tablecloth of grace is long!
Long enough to cover the feet of those of us who are lame...

I don't know how lame you are.
I do know how lame I am...

Oh, did you hear that?
I hear the dinner bell ringing!

Come just as you are!
Eat! Laugh!
You've been invited to sit at the King's table!
The long tablecloth of grace has been set.
The children of the King are starting to gather.
I'm hearing lots of laughter...
I'll see you there...

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

State Patrol Officer

Five hours on the road yesterday allowed me to experience a host of different weather patterns. The drive started out with bright sunshine and clear blue skies. Then I hit a huge fog bank where visibility was down to less than a quarter mile. Rain drops soon dotted my windshield. The sun quickly prevailed and I had clear sailing until the hail started. Fifteen miles from my destination the blue Rest Area sign greeted me and I pulled over to make use of the facilities. Ten yards into the exit my eyes were drawn to the rear view mirror to see the beautiful array of flashing blue lights. The Aviator Ray Ban sunglasses kept me from seeing the whites of the State Patrolman's eyes. His lips did not form a smile. They were stoicly in a long straight line from left to right.

My heart sank as I grabbed for my wallet and pulled out my Iowa driver's license. "Maybe being out of state will help my cause", my mind contemplated. The officer approached my passenger window and asked me how I was doing today. Really? You're asking me how I am doing after you have just pulled me over? "Well officer thank you for asking! Let me tell you about my day...I've seen sunshine and I've seen rain..."

I opted for the honest approach. "Well officer, I am about to find out how I am doing." We had a nice chat about how fast I was going and how the effects of "cruise control" can actually make you go faster when cresting over a hill (which is where his radar gun had clocked me going 7 miles an hour over the 55 mph speed limit). He went on to offer, "You're fine sir. Just be careful out there and be more aware of your speed."

With that he started to move away from the vehicle. I uttered something about thank you for serving our community and sorry for your trouble...

This is about the 15th time I have been pulled over in my life without getting a ticket. Three minutes later I was underway driving at a speed of 5 mph below the speed limit for the rest of my journey.
I kept thinking to myself, "When are you going to learn to simply drive the speed limit?!"

My iWitness...

How fast are you driving through life these days?
How's the view? Rain? Sleet? Hail? Snow? Sunshine?
When was the last time you pulled over to rest?
When was the last time someone had to pull you over to get your attention?

I have a feeling had I not turned into the Rest Area the State Patrolman would have pulled me over just a little bit further down the road.

Is there someone in your world, in your life that has that unique ability to pull you over and say, "Hey, slow down. Be a little more aware of what's going on. Take some time to rest and gather yourself. What you're doing right now is not best for you and others. Please take some corrective action."

That "someone" is many times God's word for me.

One of my Seminary professors would always say, "Sometimes scripture corrects our thinking..." I always liked that.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man and woman of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3. 16-17)

Thank you for journeying through life with me.
Thank you for pulling over and resting for a moment with me today.
Now, let's get back out there and be aware of God's word and God's grace so that we may be complete and equipped for the day and the journey ahead!

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

Differences

I had lunch yesterday and I made the following observations.

My lunch date was a female and I am a male.
She's short and I am tall.
She has reddish looking hair. I have brownish looking hair.
She works for a Democrat (newly elected US Congressman). I work for a Republican.
She wears glasses. I don't.
She is not married. I am married.
She has no kids. I have four.
She lives on the West Coast. I live in the Mid-West.
She is a die hard Democrat. I'm a die hard Republican.
Theologically she leans to the left while I lean to the right.
She's right handed. I write with my left hand.
She's an ordained Methodist Minister. I am an ordained Presbyterian Pastor.
Her gentle loving grace filled Mom died last year. My loving, caring mom is still alive.
She paid for lunch. I didn't.
She drives a Lexus. I drive a Nissan.
She's an employee of the US Government. I am an employee of a private institution.
She has a Droid phone. I have an iPhone.
Her nails are painted. Mine aren't.

My iWitness...

With all the differences... Faith and I have been the best of friends for the last 13 years.

She baptized my daughter Faith back in 2005 and we have supported and celebrated the ups and the downs of each other's lives and will continue to do so until the day we die. Around our house she is known as "Big Faith" so as not to confuse her with our "little Faith."

I thought of this verse yesterday during lunch...

"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)

Being "in Christ Jesus" unifies, draws and trumps us closer together than do the differences that seemingly divide us.

May the differences dissipate and may the love of Christ hold us together forever and ever...

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

And the two shall become one

I met Dick and Nancy on August 14, 2004.
Six years later to the day, Dick died.
As of today Nancy has been without Dick two years five months and eleven days.

I was blessed yesterday to spend the whole day with Nancy and her two sisters Carol and Bev. The combined age of these three sisters surpasses the age of the United States of America. The wisdom, the experiences, the knowledge, the grace and the faith of these three women are simply amazing.

Nancy sat across the card table from me, looking as elegant as ever. Glittery flip flps adorned her petite feet. Oh, where those feet have traveled and the stories her toes could tell. The "Sisters" had convinced me to be the necessary fourth in a game of Bridge. Nancy was my partner. We giggled and laughed. The sisters did most of the laughing at my lack of knowledge of the game. Bev talked about me being "vulnerable"and started talking about a "700 Rubber". Caught up in the moment of confusion I blurted out, "What's a rubber?" They all looked at each other and started to giggle! So did I!! Oh my...

Nancy and I took a walk. We laughed. We marveled at the landscape of the desert backdrop against the rugged mountains. We hugged and we talked about Dick. She thinks about him everyday. She misses his tall strong handsome frame reaching down to hold her and make her feel secure. Her eyes moisten as we recount Dick's never ending love for Nancy and their special Wednesday night dates and a host of other special memories.

While visiting Dubuque, Nancy showed me the exact spot where the future "love of her life" showed up on the side lawn and called to her asking for that first date. She took to me by the "Shot Tower" where in Nancy's words, she and Dick would "park." And for more than half a century they were a couple from that point on...only until death did they part.

It's strange but true, when I think of Nancy, I think of Dick. When I think of Dick, I think of Nancy.

My iWitness...

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one." (Genesis 2. 24)

Nancy longs for the day to be reunited with Dick. Of course she does... How could she not?

The day will come when we are united with the groom of heaven, Jesus Christ. The scriptures tell us that we are the bride and He is the bridegroom. One day it will be death that will forever unite us in each others physical presence. And that unification will last forever and ever and ever!

We long for the day to be one with God in the heavenly kingdom... How could we not?
One day, one day... the two shall become one...

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