“Vacation – 2007”
July 29, 2007
My vacation this year seemed a little incomplete to me. Julie, Ben and Monica, and consequently all the grandkids elected to stay home for various reasons. That left me feeling a little alone – but the good news was that my mom and all of my brothers and sisters were there. We had a family portrait taken with mom and her siblings and then of all the kin that could be there. There were about fifty of us. It was a neat time.
My vacation started out great. The first morning I woke up at the Sure Game Wilderness Resort, near Wirt, in Northern Minnesota. You need to understand that this resort is a very special place for me. When I was growing up, from my earliest memories of living in Wirt, we lived in tar paper shacks with no running water and usually no electricity. The nearest paved road was over 10 miles away. Nearly every day, in the summer time, we would walk or trot by the Sure Game on the way to Noma Lake to go swimming. Parked in the drive were new shinny cars driven by wealthy people from southern Minnesota or Iowa or some far away place. Inside the cabins they actually had running water and electricity. We had our stinky outhouse and slop buckets and water basins and had to carry water in a cream can. It left a boy feeling second class, inferior and, in my case, angry. And I wasn’t the only one. Many of the people up north have sort of a grudge against wealthy folks. Sometimes it taints a person’s attitude and makes them bitter and angry. It’s a sad thing to be jealous and envious.
I don’t feel that way anymore. My Father has unimaginable wealth. He owns all the gold and silver in the world, the bible says. (Haggai 2:8) And not only that – but I am an heir! (Romans 8:16-17) Some day all that He has will be mine. One of the wonderful things receiving Jesus as my Savior did was to take away my second class status. I became a part of Royalty. I want to tell you, if you are a Christian, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You can walk in the presence of kings and presidents and not feel inferior. Soon after I became a Christian, God gave me this promise:
“He raises’ up the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.” Psalms 113:7-8 (KJV)
When I came to the Lord, I felt like the world had cast me out on the manure pile of life. I felt like a loser, tossed aside in the dirt. God said to me that He would set me up as a prince, a prince of my people. One day, as a delegate to the state convention in Nevada, elected as such by my peers, and as the chairman of the Mineral County Republican Central Committee, I realized that God had literally made that prophecy and Scripture come to pass. But there’s more. God has plans for us. He says,
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jer 29:11 (Living)
There is more to come! There is more blessings to come in this life and also for eternity. God’s Word says,
“…no mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord.” 1 Cor 2:9 (Living)
But the Spirit and God’s word gives us a little glimpse. It says:
“And I, John, saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. It was a glorious sight, beautiful as a bride at her wedding. I heard a loud shout from the throne saying, "Look, the home of God is now among men, and he will live with them and they will be his people; yes, God himself will be among them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever." Rev 21:2-4 (Living)
I know where I came from and I know where I am going. And thanks to Jesus, it will be incredible. And you are invited, too. A number of times during my vacation someone would say, “This is what heaven must be like!” They were talking about the beauty of the area and the feeling of love and sense of belonging. But you know what? Heaven is going to be so much more than the greatest experience you have ever had. There is going to be more joy, more love, more peace, more pleasure, more fulfillment, more of anything that is good, than you have ever experienced or imagined here on earth. Jesus is preparing a place for you right now. He said,
“There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with me where I am. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly.” John 14:2 (Living)
I don’t know what it is that Jesus is planning, but if He created this world in 6 days, I imagine heaven is going to be fantastic.
The first morning I was home, I was sitting around the table with my sister, Steph, who I had not seen for fifteen years – and isn’t it amazing how when you finally get together that it seems time goes out the window. It was like we had never been apart. I think when we reach the end of our days, life will be like that. It will have gone by so fast. Those choices we made from the perspective of “now” and “grab all the stuff now, while the getting is good” – will be deeply regretted. We need to make all our choices from eternity’s perspective. What will we think of this choice when we are at the end of our life? Only those things done with virtue and values and with character will be cherished.
But there we were, Steph, Wendy, Mom, Olivia, Raquel, Marta, and a few more, gathered around the table. Somehow or another we began to talk about spiritual things and how God has worked in our lives. The topic changed to demonic activity and each of us related some personal experiences and how God delivered us, usually though the power of the name of Jesus, or the Sword of the Lord – the bible. And as we shared and glorified God, I felt led to pray. So we did. We prayed for deliverance for many of our family and loved ones. God came down on us in a wonderful way. Mom started crying with joy. And the presence and power of God was tremendous.
As we prayed, I thought of mom’s influence. Wirt was a tough town in the old days. It started out named Rattlesnake Junction, not because there were rattlesnakes there, but because it was so tough. In one history book I read where a guy was let out of jail and thrown out of that town, and forcibly put on a train. When asked where he wanted to go, he said, “I don’t know. Send me to hell for all I care.” They sent him to Wirt.
I could tell you all kinds of stories about shootings and stabbings and killings. One of my great uncles was constable once and went into the tavern to restore a little order and was tossed out – minus his shirt. They tore it right off his back! It was a tough place. Mom grew up there. But when she was 22, God got ahold of her and changed, not only her life, but the life of many people and even the community, though her faith. She wasn’t a great witness or evangelist or public speaker, although she shared her faith to any who listened. She didn’t make a big show out of church or doing good works – although church and doing good was a big part of her life. What impacted people was her genuine love for the Lord and her commitment to Him. Her sincerity and genuineness and consistent lifestyle accomplished much more than many professional clergy could ever do. Wirt, when I was young, was dirt poor, ungodly, and seemed to be cursed of God. Now, primarily through the influence of this one life, Wirt is prosperous, God fearing, and blessed.
You don’t have to have great talent. You don’t need great education. You don’t need great wealth. You don’t need great charisma – if you have a great God and have a great commitment to Him. You are influencing people every day. You are touching people’s lives every day. What kind of mark are you leaving? There’s a poem I read when I was young that really impacted me. It goes like:
“Drop a Pebble in the Water”
Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples, Circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.
And there is no way of telling, where the end is going to be.
Drop a pebble in the water:, in a minute you forget,
But there’s little waves a-flowing, and there’s ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing, to a great big wave have grown;
You’ve disturbed a mighty river, just by dropping in a stone.
Drop an unkind word, or careless:, in a minute it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples, circling on and on and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading, from the center as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you’ve started them to flow.
Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute you forget;
But there’s little waves a-flowing, and there’s ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart, a mighty wave of tears you’ve stirred,
And disturbed a life was happy, ere you dropped that unkind word.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it is gone;
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples, circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort, on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn’t believe the volume, of the one kind word you gave.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you forget;
But there’s gladness still a-swelling, and there’s joy circling yet,
And you’ve rolled a wave of comfort, whose sweet music can be heard
Over miles and miles of water, just by dropping one kind word.
~By James W. Foley~
My mother’s life is like that. Her godliness is continuing on and on and on.
One of the high points of my trip was the privilege of baptizing my brother, Mark’s, oldest son, John and his fiancé, and Mark’s daughter, Molly. Last year I baptized Mark and his youngest son, Ethan Andrew. Mark and Ethan have done so well this last year. They both are on fire for the Lord. When I baptized the three this year, I instructed them as to what baptism meant and challenged them to discover their gifts and get into the battle for the Lord. After the baptism, Mark and I were talking to Molly about it and she just started crying – she was so touched by the Holy Spirit. As she wept on my shoulder, I felt such an honor to be a part of her spiritual walk. I feel so blessed to be asked to do such an important spiritual thing as baptism for someone. It’s a much greater honor than marrying for burying someone.
I wish I had time to share with you about the Karaoke singing and the shooting contest and riding four wheelers and the canoe trip up the Bigfork River, or share the poems I wrote. I have pictures, too. I will have to say that me winning the pistol combat shooting contest was an unexpected thrill. To out shoot those trappers and hunters and gun enthusiast, not to mention the Lt. Colonel, who was on the Army pistol team at one time, was pretty exciting. I have bragging rights for a long time because of that one.
I was so glad to hear that all went well here. I want to thank all who filled in for me. Randy and Steve did a great job. Bob and Charlene did a great job with bible studies. Tim and the music team did great. Some of you quietly cleaned and did yard work and the things that no one sees and maybe no one notices. But God does. He will bless each of you and your efforts. And now I am rested up and looking forward to doing great things this year with you. What is our purpose? “To bring Christ to the community.” May God help us do that this year.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for loving me. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your eternal family. I want to be a part of Your royal family. I commit the rest of my life to living for you. Help my life to have a great impact on those around me.
In Jesus’ Name,
