Life Is Short

The last few days have reminded me of the wisp of time we embrace. And
how much time we have outside of this place.

Last week I drove my bike to be repaired. The tire was down to white
cords. It was the longest 20 miles I have driven. It is one thing to be
naive and ignorant about a problem that can cause you your life, but
another to be cognizant of an issue and feel like you only have that
way. Yes-I could have hired a tow truck, but this was not the year for
extraneous expenses. And so with hands on the bars (Not my usual
style.) I headed up the highway for the repair. The repair man told me
the tire was in very "sorry" shape and that the hot smell I had
detected about the bike was the tire rubber coming off. An hour later
and i was good to go. How precious is life!

I think God is trying to impress upon us the seriousness of this time.
Event the other night I had a dream about the fall of the stock market.
As I was in the dream I said "why did you keep putting money there?"
and the answer was that it was going to happen any way! God is making
every effort to preserve His people and simply wants them to come to
Him. Why? Because He is God is one good reason. But, I would rather be
dependent on the God who knows all than me who knows very little.
Another dream had certain people wandering around naked, absolutely
knowing of it. Is this a day of the risings of prophets like Isaiah?
Is this the next season we are entering in? How long will God allow
what we see? I think not long.

The other day I was invited to meet a man. I will not lie to you, I set
my sights low for this meeting. I know his family and they are wackier
than all get out. So, I set my time accordingly. 30 minutes-no more-no
less. An hour and half later we were still in conversation. Why?
Because as I looked into His eyes, I saw something I rarely see.
Actually, I can say I only saw it once before. I was looking into the
eyes of Jesus. I told a friend it was an unusual phenomenon. As he
spoke I was confronted with the fact that he was the most humble person
I think I have ever met. Even as he described his thoughts about a
church who has back burnered (He considered this double mindedness.)
their Christianity his voice never wavered. His eyes were pools of
love. I never felt accusation or anger. If it had not been for knowing
his family, I would have thought I encountered an angel. It made me
understand fresh changes that were to come my way. Why is this man one
of many coming to Springfield as of late? He has traveled the country
for Jesus. We shall see.

For two days I have spent time some friends as we desired to meet the
bridegroom king. This was a two day meet with the King. No phones, etc.
We ate dinner on Friday and began to worship. The music was awesome and
the presence of the Lord was good. I watched one of the candle flames
dancing on the wall. It began to take on a life of it's own. There were
many candles in this setting but only one danced as this flame did. I t
reminded me first of Africa and the flames of a fire and the dance
about it and then God brought me to the 24/7 worship of David and his
tabernacle. This single flame pulsed in it's dance. It almost seemed
reflective of the notes played by the keyboard. This is the life God
wants us to have, I thought. One that moves in response to Him. As
scarves and a bridal veil moved through the room, I saw God awaiting
His responsive bride.

Yesterday we gathered for breakfast and after worship. As we sang and
danced, I felt changes coming. When my friend shared the what is normal
in a Godly marriage it was revelatory. We saw the presence of the King
once again. I thought again of the flame dancing above the candle. How
soon Lord? How soon?

We came home yesterday and we talked a little but mostly we wanted to
go for a bike ride and talk. The air was beautiful and the skies blue.
We finally geared up and headed out the drive. As we got to the top of
the drive, the sun hit me at an angle and brilliance I did not
remember. I hesitated and realized I could not enter onto the road
because I had hit the edge of the road where the edge of the road falls
off. We began to fall. Tina was able to bail off but as 900 pounds(Plus
gas and people!) of bike rolled I was caught under it. My right leg had
my toes pushed into the ground and the bike fell pinning me from on top
of my Achille's tendon. I was trapped. because of the downhill spin I
had jammed my hands into the ground. Pain was in both my legs and my
hands and I had visions of a car coming over the horizon or the gas
starting on fire.( I have already been trapped in one blazing vehicle
in my life and suffer a life long drop in my right shoulder as I forced
my body through and opening police said i could not have got out of.
Contortionists have nothing on me when a vehicle is on fire!) Finally
as I was trying to find out if Tina was ok and she if I, she began to
move and ask me what to do. Somehow between angels and Tina she was
able to move the bike enough for me to be able to get my leg out from
underneath. Five minutes later we had the bike up and out and ready to
roll. Today I am feeling the effects of it all, but over all we had an
enjoyable ride.

But it has brought me to a place of the seriousness of our lives here
on earth and the call and the futures each one of us has. We were
fortunate. But had it not been so, what would we have said to the Lord?
Had a car or truck come and hit us would we be dancing on streets of
gold or bemoaning the fact that we left so much unfinished? As people
prayed yesterday for us and they mentioned the trauma we had
experienced and how the Lord wanted to bring restoration in our
marriage and our lives with Him, I had t go out and get sense of the
frailty of our lives.

Tina and I have been planning the next 25 years of our lives. We are
looking at the pieces and the people we need about us. As I draw it out
as i see it now I realize some things will change but many will not. We
have been in the fires of the Lord the last year or so. The Lord has
made a trust request of us. Tina recently had one of the most detailed
dreams I have ever heard. She has realized the awesomeness of what God
gave her. Recent days of planning and dialog have left both of us with
anxieties we had not felt before.

We know God brought us to a land that experienced revival in the past
and gave us people who want prayer and worship. (Even Tuesday night we
will gather as a friend of mine leads worship here in Springfield.) We
have hopefully learned from our mistakes but like getting back on the
bike we must fulfill not just the calls but the mandate of God in our
lives.

Life is too precious to squander away. A calling and a future to
precious to waste away just because others have chosen that path. Our
lives as Christians are called to be different.

Blessings,
Lee