Living with the Giants

Living with the Giants. Warren Wiersbe wrote a book by that name. The book is filled with short biographies of spiritual giants of the Christian faith. It is an interesting read. Men who have had an impact on the world around them by their preaching. But it causes to think about my life and the giants in it.

On this trip to America I have been blessed to spend time with some of my personal giants. These are men who have mentored or taught or encouraged me in my walk with Jesus. It seems that most of my early mentors live in Denver now so my first days back were incredible as I got to get together with them and be refreshed.

Now I'm in Leadville and God again has me among giants. Guys that I personally answer to. Next week Bev and I will be going to Albuquerque. More giants! I have been so blessed to have all these men, some pastors and some not, who have taken their time and encouraged me to press on toward the goal to which God has called me.

I share all this realizing that at the same time my giants are helping me, I should and must be doing the same for others. We all should. While we may not feel like giants of the faith we can have that kind of impact on friends, family, believers and the world. The hall of fame of faith in Hebrews 11 is filled with regular people who became giants to the nation of Israel just by being obedient to God. You may never know in whose eyes you may be a giant but people are watching us. Following our example, needing our advice, our guidance and our love. It is a gigantic task God asks of small average people. But if we live lives bigger than ourselves (our imperfections, our pettyness, our jealousies, our self doubts and all those other things we wish weren't there) which show the enormous power and size of God whom we serve and follow, our Father will be glorified.

If we live with the giants let us live like giants. Ever notice that a true giant is humble not proud, serves without demanding to be served. Honors without seeking honors. When the young man David faced what others thought to be a giant, Goliath who was proud and self reliant, he showed the others that to be a true giant you just have to trust God for His glory.

The seeds of the Ponderosa pine, the largest variety of pine tree, don't open until a fire burns the forest and the old growth is gone. From the ashes new Ponderosa pines grow to become giants of the forest. A new generation of giants. Those former giants that Wiersbe wrote about need to be replaced. Will you be a new giant for those around you and for the next generation?

Shopping till they give

Bev and I went shopping with some dear friends in Denver yesterday. I am still trying to figure it out. Bev and I are hunters. We go kill the item, bag it then move on. Our friends on the other hand are shooooooppers. They study, analyse then reap. They were amazing!

I needed to get some new running shoes so we went to a department store that has a good selection and after looking at shoes and not making sense of which shoe had which advantages and which were for serious runners and which were not, I asked my friend Tom* for some help.

Tom is one of those people who knows someone everywhere. Turns out that he knows the manager of the shoe department. So Manager Don* takes me on a step by step run down on running shoes. After trying on several pairs and taking them on extended test runs through the store I finally select a pair. I had been test running for the previous hour and it was nice to finally sit down and make a choice. The shoes were good and the price was great(33% off) but then Tom's wife Louise* speaks up.

She is one of the sweetest people I know but when it comes to deal making she takes no prisoners. She told me to have the store hold the shoes until Wednesday. "Why?" I naively asked. "Because Wednesdays I get 30% off whatever I buy!" she replies. Sounds good to me so we have the store hold them. We then go to the checkout line for Tom to pay for a pair of pants but he doesn't pay anything because Louise has coupons. She somehow gets the trousers for free.

Next day they come back over with the shoes and it turns out she had coupons that got them for free as well. She then said that she thought I should get a second pair of shoes since I can't get them in Uganda and the first pair will likely wear out before we come home again. Sounds good to me so back we went. This time she has a combination of coupons that are so powerful that the store actually pays her $4.00 to take the shoes. I believe they also offered her a cash register and two sales associates if she left before the consumer price index fell any further.

I still don't know how she did it but apparently I have a lot to learn about shooooooopping!

* Names have been changed to protect the thrifty...

Back in the USA

Furlough. For most missionaries it is a dreaded word. It means being back home where you don't fit anymore. It means speaking all the time about what God has you doing rather than doing what God has you do. It means trying to find time to see everyone you hold dear but never get to see or talk to except for a short window of time every couple of years. It means leaving the family you have built in your new country and trying to reconnect with your true family back home. Then doing the reverse when you go back. It is also a time to reconnect with your best friend, Jesus, who too often gets lost in the shuffle of the mission work.

One of the major frustrations of furlough is not being on the field when major events happen. The bombings in Kampala on Sunday make me want to get on a plane and race back to be sure everyone is safe. But I can't do that. This furlough God is busy reminding me that all things are in His hand not mine. Even me!

Bev is doing well with it all. She has such a quiet, solid faith. She takes it all in and holds tight to the Lord. Nothing seems to shake her.

Me, I'm just trying to hear what God is saying to my heart in regards to the future. I hope I have the time and take the time to listen. As long as a furlough seems to last it is also over in a short time. I hope God lets us make the most of it.

It Only Takes a Moment

Yesterday we had Ryan's "Goodbye, Party". Kelli had planned the whole thing and put together a fabulous video on Ryan's ministry and life here in Jinja over the last nine years. She did an incredible amount of work over the past week and all day yesterday but then when the party ended every sign of her labor and the effort put into the celebration was gone in 15 minutes. It only takes a moment. But the love she has shown will be felt for a lifetime.

Yesterday Bev and Priscilla went to Kampala early in the morning to get some needed things. In Mabira forest was a huge accident involving six lorries. At least one body was dead on the road. In DR Congo a petrol tanker overturned and killed at least 230 people, burning down an entire village. It only takes a moment. The end can come so suddenly. Did the people who died in the accidents know they were loved by their family and friends? If not, they should have. It only takes a moment.

Ryan's nine years of ministry here in Jinja has changed the lives of countless youth and now it is finishing. For eight years and 278 days he has labored with the team here in Jinja to share the love of Jesus with the entire community. I watched him grow from a nervous unsure young man, in way over his head, to a mature ministry leader who handles today's problems with the grace that only God gives. Yesterday we ordained Ryan T. McCabe as a pastor, a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It only took a moment. But I hope he serves a lifetime.

I hope he knows how much joy he has given me and the lessons he has taught me about loving people and serving people and following Jesus. The ordination was difficult for me since it marks a major change in the ministry of Calvary Chapel Jinja. How long does it take for nine years to elapse? It only takes a moment.

How long will it take for me to post this blog? It only takes a mo