Friday, March 29, 2013

I let a sparrow die and I am so sorry

This happened more than 25 years ago, but it bothers me to this day.

We lived in a wooded area and kept a dry stack of split wood in the garage for our fireplace.
This inevitably attracted wood mice during the winter and I sometimes placed glue traps near the wood stack.
There were a few seeds on each trap, the mice would come by to investigate, get stuck and be easily disposed of. It didn't bother me that much to be rid of rodents, although a couple of friends did suggest that glue traps were not the most humane method available.  Still, it was expedient and effective.

Then one day in spring I was working on the driveway and heard something rustling in the garage. It took me a second to trace the sound over to the wood stack. "Ugh, a mouse," I thought.

But it wasn't a mouse. It was a tiny, brown flecked sparrow. It had somehow smelled the seeds and gotten stuck on the trap. Its toothpick leg was bent across the glue and it was fluttering in a circle, trying desparately to get away.

I was sick and horrified. Unlike the occasional dead mouse I usually found, this poor creature was alive and looking at me. I tried to work through the mechanics of extricating its leg, but that was going to do more damage, and the poor thing was frantic. I walked away at one point just to collect my thoughts - maybe I should jump in the car and drive to an animal shelter. But then I would be admonished for my glue trap - bad enough we were using them for mice. By the time I got back to the bird it was dead.
I am so sorry that I had anything to do with that.  That was one of the cruelest, saddest events I ever contributed to in my life. I've asked God to forgive me. I believe He has.  I still regret it.

25 years ago.
If I had participated in one sparrow death like that per minute - every minute of every hour - of every day - of every year - for the last 25 years...that would have been 13 million deaths. What a horrifying thought that would be.

There have been over 50 million abortions in the USA since a determined group of people chose to push through Roe v. Wade - and countless others have actively contributed to advocating and expanding the practice. People who fund the ACLU or work at and fund Planned Parenthood, or elect enabling politicians.    50 million lives as helpless as a sparrow on a glue trap.    God will forgive any of the people involved who are sorry and seek his forgiveness.  But what a heartbreaking grief to overcome.

Abby Johnson did just that - overcame her role as a professional abortion enabler at Planned Parenthood.  Linking to her website here - and encouraging anyone else who needs to reconcile with God on a past mistake. He loves you and will forgive you.  Tell others and help stop the madness.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God."  Luke 12:7

What do you believe?




Grab Your Own Oxygen First

Have you ever actually listened to an airline's pre-flight safety talk?

In the event that we lose cabin pressure, the yellow oxygen masks will drop from the overhead.
Airline quiz:   Who is it that they instruct you to help first with oxygen?
Is it the child seated next to you?  Or the worried looking person across the aisle?

It's you.  "Place your own mask first, before assisting those around you."
It makes sense. You might pass out while starting to help someone else. And if everybody did that, there would be no one left to help!
The child and the anxious person across the aisle might figure it out on they're own, or they might not.
Be sure of yourself - so THAT you can help those around you.

I think of the airline oxygen sometimes when people pose the distracting spiritual conundrums...
"How will that remote culture's people ever be able to find about your Jesus?"
"How can you expect people to accept God when he lets these terrible things happen?"
"Why would anyone want to follow a God who did all those terrible things in the old testament?

Place your own mask first, before assisting those around you.

I've learned to ask, "but what do you think about Jesus?  Why do you think terrible things happen? Do you think its the same God in the old testament and new testament? "  Before we talk about what other people think, let's resolve what questions you have - that will give us the best perspective. And then maybe you can breathe easier.

This "what you believe" question is a good starting point for more productive, honest conversation. If the person asking these questions is sincere about seeking answers, they may then be able to explain them to the child in their care. Or the anxious neighbor next door. It's too easy for skeptics to throw out casual challenges about why "other" people should or should not believe. Its save them the trouble of having to make their own spiritual decisions.

What about God and all those other people out there who are struggling to find Him?

What do you believe?

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Right Path - Wrong Direction

There's a highway near my home town.
It runs about 75 miles in an east-west line between Madison and Milwaukee.
Madison is the home of our magnificent state capitol building. Milwaukee overlooks Lake Michigan.

Imagine if I were to meet a visitor to our area somewhere in the miles between.
She asks me if she is on the road for Madison.
"Well, we both are on the very same road," I confirm.
"Well, I think I'll continue on my way then," she answers, and hops back onto her bicycle.

However, she is heading in the direction of Milwaukee. She is, in fact, on the road for Madison, only she will be getting farther and farther away from it with every push of the pedals.
I call out to tell her, but my friend says, "what are you doing?"
"I'm going to tell her she's headed in the wrong direction," I say, "what do you think I'm doing?"
"Don't be so arrogant," my friend rebukes me. "she seems like a very thoughtful, confident person. Who's to say she won't get to Madison her way, same as us?"  And he hops back on his bicycle toward Madison.
I think about how I would feel if it was me and I eventually rolled up to the beach in Milwaukee. What would I think about the people who could have steered me in the right direction? At the very least, I could have ignored their advice. But what if I really wanted to find Madison -- and what if I no longer had the energy, confidence, or courage left to change my direction?

I hop on my bike and go after her - I'm going to tell her what I know. Then she can make her own decision.

"Peter proceeded to speak and said.....they put him to death by hanging him on a cross...he commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name."  Acts 10:34-43

If your path is leading you away from Jesus, turn around. I don't think you're heading in the right direction.

What do you believe?