What is really important?

8/6/10 Friday
Hard to believe it’s Friday already. Ron has gone, flew out yesterday. His flight was changed and then over an hour late so we had a chance to talk at the airport to some depth. I was surprised when Ron asked my advice and opinion on several issues. I’m not used to that these days. There was a time that many came to me for advice, years ago prior to the fall into madness and the wreck, but I presumed those days were long gone. I suppose this is another sign of the amazing restoration God is performing on our lives. But with it all I am very careful, fearful that pride should once again creep into my life and with it the inevitable and painful consequences. I explained to Ron how much I appreciate the pain I feel daily in my body, for it is a constant reminder. It reminds me of the consequences of sin, of how I fell away from and turned my back on God. And it reminds of the inescapable and ever true principle, that a man reaps what he sows.

Fear can be good, as long as you fear the right thing. Jesus said to fear not the one who can throw you in jail and even have you tortured, but to fear rather the one who can destroy your body and soul in hell. A well known proverb says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Some want to water the concept of fear down by keying in on the definition of fear as being “Awe and respect”. But when Jesus said to fear not the one who can put you in jail I don’t think Awe and respect quite covers it. It boils down to understanding and not just respecting but having a healthy fear of the consequences of your decisions and actions. If I’m speeding and suddenly see the flashing lights of a police car right behind me and hear the siren I’m not in awe, I’m afraid, my heart drops knowing for certain that there is a price to be paid. A speeding ticket generally comes with a price I can afford but other things come with much higher price tags, and thus a greater fear. With a greater fear comes a greater inhibition regarding the actions that could result in more dire consequences.
Reminders, I keep these pictures of my wreck on the wall, to remember where I've been and to remind myself of how blessed I am to be alive. I don't use the word "Lucky" regarding this. It wasn't luck, it was the mercy of God that brought me back to life. I wasn't just a little dead, they called the coroner out to the scene where I was officially declared dead. The life flight had already been canceled, told there was no sense wasting the time and money cause I was gone.

So I remind myself, regularly, that I will stand before the living God, the creator of the universe and the One who restored my life, who granted a second chance for me, and will be judged just as all humanity will. What I know, now, is that in this world all that has real value is what we do for God. Jesus said to lay up treasures in heaven, where moths and rust can not corrupt, instead of laying up treasures here on earth.

My old friend, and mentor, another part of the amazing restoration of my life.

I expressed to Ron both Cherie and my desire to help his ministry, to do anything we can that will assist them and perhaps take a little of the load off. Both Ron and his wife, Paula, spend their days working hard to help those who are in the most need. They choose to live frugally, on an extremely tight budget, in order to have more to give. While here Ron was getting constant phone calls from all around the world and I listened as he put together things for others. The ministry, Cubit Foundation, purchases and distributes something like 350,000 liters of water a year for the garbage city people. Ron got a call and they found a place, or the place found them, I’m not sure, where they could purchase the water at half the price they had been paying. This allows them to double what they do or perhaps increase the Bags of Hope food distributions to the widows, whom in Muslim countries are considered cursed of Allah and thus get no help or support whatsoever. In fact if a woman’s husband dies, is killed, or simply decides to divorce her, all of her possessions are taken away. They are given to the oldest male in the family or if there is none the state takes it and the widow is left to fend for herself, living under staircases or bridges, wherever she can find. Oh, and this includes all of her children too. Don’t tell me Islam is the religion of peace, it is evil to the core.

It’s another hot day and the farm has been neglected for a week so time to get to work. I’ll leave you with a question, What is really important? Not just what is important to you on a personal level but in the great scheme of things, in matters of life, what is really important? Is it the things you have, all your possessions? Is it your reputation, what people think and the facade you put up? Or is it the truth of what you really think, that which you hide from the world and the real motive behind your actions? God judges the heart. It's not what you do but why you do it that is important.