Memorial Day

(from my favorite strip - "Mallard Fillmore")

3 needles

Well, the day went downhill REAL fast.  I arrived at Dialysis and found out I had one of my favorite attendants, a young Filipino woman who recently became a US citizen.  She is very sweet and always sharp and on her toes treatment-wise.  Unfortunately she didn't move fast enough for another attendant who decided to jump in and help her by sticking my arm and hooking up my "plumbing".

Now dialysis is simple enough.  They put a needle catheter in my arm and tap my bloodstream to take blood out and send through the filter.  Then they put a second needle "upstream" where the blood goes back into my system.  Simple as long as it's done correctly.

If the arterial needle (the line out or the suction line) isn't correctly positioned the machine alarms because the pressure it monitors isn't correct.  For that, I don't feel a thing.  However, if the venous needle (the line in or pressure line) isn't correctly in the blood vessel you get what's called an "infiltration".  An infiltration occurs when the opening of the needle is not in the center of the vein and the returning blood is pumped into muscle tissue.  The results include the creation of a "knot", bruising, terrific burning sensation followed by a not so dull ache.  The burn is the first indicator and I quickly let them know there's a problem.  This is followed by by attempts to re-position the needle location but most often, such as today, they abandon that needle and add a third needle to do the job.

So, today I have the unique arm in the clinic; the one with 3 needles in it.  An ice pack has helped the swelling but the ache lingers on, and on, and on.

Trust or Statistics?

In the final chapter of 2 Samuel an all too familiar refrain is heard; "once again God was angry with Israel".  Perhaps in an attempt to assess the true "spirituality" of the nation, the Lord tests King David.  "Number the people" He whispers.  

David falls for it and issues the order.  Gen'l Joab argues "why would you do this" knowing that when God brought the nation out of Egypt He told Moses "DO NOT NUMBER THE PEOPLE".  David insists, Joab follows orders and reports, and THEN David has a bout of conscience because (vs 10) "he had counted the people, replacing trust with statistics."  David asks forgiveness and the Lord sends him an answer through Gad, the prophet.

3 years of famine, 3 months of war or 3 days of plague, choose.  David makes the "right" choice, plague, knowing that God is a merciful God.  Famine would have had its greatest effect on those least prepared.  War would have given the world an opportunity to ridicule God as "protector" of the nation.  (vs 14) I'd rather be punished by God, whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands."  

The epidemic lasted from "morning until suppertime" when God said "ENOUGH!!"  The Angel of God had reached the threshing floor* of Araunah the Jebusite.  The Lord has David buy the threshing floor and build an altar there.  When burnt offerings and peace offerings are offered there "God was moved... and the disaster ended."

May I always recognize the mercy of God and submit myself to Him and be faithful in trusting Him and not "statistics".

*traditionally the site where Abraham had built the altar to offer his son, Isaac, to fulfill God's request.

  

The "Mother's Day" sermon you never heard

As I prepare the message for Father's Day soon coming my daily reading reminds me of the Mother's Day message you're not likely to ever hear.

In 2 Samuel 21, as recently reviewed, King David had to make amends to the Gibeonites to get back into God's good graces.  The solution required the lives of 7 of King Saul's descendants.  Enter "Rizpah".

Rizpah was the mother of 2 of those whose lives God required to settle the debt.  Understandably, she was distraught but her reaction was unique.  The Message version relates this story:  ¹⁰ "Rizpah daughter of Aiah took rough burlap and spread it out for herself on a rock from the beginning of the harvest until the heavy rains started. She kept the birds away from the bodies by day and the wild animals by night."  

Maternity spans a myriad of aspects but I find this to be particularly telling.  She couldn't countermand the order of the King.  She couldn't keep her sons from being killed.  What she could do was attempt to prevent the further desecration of their bodies and ultimately her diligence was rewarded.  ^11-14 David was told what she had done, this Rizpah daughter of Aiah and concubine of Saul. He then went and got the remains of Saul and Jonathan his son from the leaders at Jabesh Gilead (who had rescued them from the town square at Beth Shan where the Philistines had hung them after striking them down at Gilboa). He gathered up their remains and brought them together with the dead bodies of the seven who had just been hanged. The bodies were taken back to the land of Benjamin and given a decent burial in the tomb of Kish, Saul's father.

When I visited my daughter Ariel in Israel years ago she took me to Beth Shan.  At the time I failed to recall the significance of the location.  More importantly though, had it been marked, I think I would have preferred to see the barley field where this mother took her last stand for her children.

Famine

2 Samuel 21:1  "There was a famine in David's time. It went on year after year after year—three years. David went to God seeking the reason."

I must say that if it were me and I was experiencing a famine I don't know that I would think to ask God why.  However, in the Jewish culture they believed, and correctly so, that God gave and withheld the rains.  So after three years God had David's attention and when asked gave David the answer.  In short, Joshua and the Children of Israel had made an treaty with the Gibeonites (see the post "Tip of the Iceberg") but when Saul was King he had ignored it and wreaked havoc on the Gibeonites.  While the treaty was NOT in God's plan it WAS in His Name and as such, to dishonor the agreement was to dishonor God.  God explains it to David, the chief representative of the nation and David sets thing right with the Gibeonites.  (vs 14) "They did everything the king ordered to be done. That cleared things up: from then on God responded to Israel's prayers for the land."

Now, I've had my share of famines.  Some I paid attention to and others, probably not.  But now I ask myself if my famines are because somehow I dishonored God.  Have I misrepresented Him with my body and reaped the famine of my health?  Have I misrepresented Him in my finances and have reaped financial setbacks?  Have I forsaken the God appointed position of head of family and reaped broken relationships?

Do I think God is just waiting to "get me" for my misdeeds?  No, I don't believe that at all but I do believe that If I am God's representative and do a poor job of it He is entitled to withhold His blessing.  Why would He bless me if I fail to honor Him.

Is your land well watered and growing or is it time to ask God why?

Revenge

What did I ever do to him?  And who on earth gave him a passport?  Oh, I'm speaking of Montezuma.

I'm in the second day, or should say night, of the battle of Montezuma's revenge.  Only one other time in  my life have I had the experience this badly and that was when I was in Guatemala and had indeed made the mistake of having some local water, actually ice cubes.  When you're someplace like that you can be somewhat expectant of problems and beware.  But in your own home you don't guard and even if you did what would look out for?

I know it's getting old for me and I'm sure for my wife as well which is why I'm up at 4 AM writing this instead of lying in bed and jumping up regularly to run to the bathroom.  I'm at that place where I'm empty so I want something but wonder what is "safe"?  I keep some Gatorade in the fridge for Dialysis related dehydration so I'm using that right now to stave off the dehydration that comes from flushing all your fluids through your body.

Ordinarily this is where I say something about "keeping you posted" on my progress but I won't do that to you.  Instead I'll just keep fighting the battle valiantly and see if the Gator is the answer.

The miracle of grandparenthood

My family is all way ahead of me on this but... I became a grandfather again on Friday.  Always a wonderful, joy-filled occasion but especially sweet this time because we didn't know the sex of the baby in advance and after three granddaughters he was our first boy.  Meet Carson Benjamin Rainey -

Mom and dad are doing fine and the boy is just outstanding.  My granddaughters are close in age and despite being cousins have essentially grown up as sisters who live in different houses.  In this case we already knew that Sarah is going to have a boy in July so after 3 girls we will have two boys together.

Before God and everybody let me say how proud and happy I am of Ben Jr and Corie who are wonderful parents and to thank the Lord for giving us all the desires of our hearts.

When God does my "light work"

Of all the interaction between God and the Patriarchs, and ultimately the children of Israel, about the promised land one fact remains; The Israelites were going "home" although none of them had ever been there before.

While I was in college my younger brother was killed in an automobile accident and soon after my folks decided to sell the old home and move away from the memories. Certainly understandable. However at Christmas break I drove "home" to a house where I had never been. I really can't describe the feeling of picking my way through the neighborhood until I saw the house number and knew I had arrived. In my case I was going to a welcoming reunion where I had no fears or concerns, just the adjustment that goes with a new location.

In Exodus 23 God tells Moses about going home to a place he had never been. He recognizes that there are other peoples there who may not be happy at the prospect of millions of neighbors who think they own the land. To prepare the way God says (vs 27) "I'll send my Terror" ahead of you... all you'll see of your enemies are the backs of their necks. Then in verse 28, as if the Terror of God wasn't enough, He says "I'll send Despair" ahead of you... I'm turning everyone living in that land over to you, go ahead and drive them out.

If I'm following the Lord's instruction and going somewhere I've never been, and have the least concern, how encouraging is it that He sent His Terror and His Despair ahead of me to soften up any resistance. What a "my dad's bigger than your dad" scenario that allows. I'm so glad for the privilege to be His child.

God's Anointed

Although I had read it many times over the years this year the question finally broke through to me and it is this; Why was David so protective of "God's anointed"?

In 1 Samuel chapters 24-26 David is being pursued by Saul who is trying to do him in but every time Saul is vulnerable, David will NOT raise a hand to the King because he is God's anointed. He makes the declaration 6 times in the three chapters. "How could I possibly raise my hand to God's anointed?"

How is it that a shepherd boy is so attuned to God and His plan that he becomes dogmatic about the position of the King? Is it because he recognizes that God has relinquished His leadership to a human King and therefore that King stands in stead for God? Or is it simply "treating others as he would like to be treated"? Whatever the case David lived and breathed respect for the leader that God had installed.

In today's world we often fail to regard the fact that kingdoms and leaders are ordained by God. Do we show the respect that David showed Saul? David was satisfied to let God deal with those He had established. Perhaps I should be too.

Now you are free

“Now you’re free….” The nurse said. I always look forward to hearing those words but in this instance it was all wrong. Instead of being at the end of my dialysis treatment it was at the beginning.

I had a big day coming up. Dialysis, lunch with some of the family, final preparations for a weekend trip, work through the evening, then drive an hour and a half to my event hoping to be there before 10:00pm. SO, at 6:15am, the idea of being free did not compute.

Her full statement was “now you’re free, to begin your activities without my interference.” Those activities include using my laptop to accomplish various work-related activities. Being human I can admit to doing some personal activities as well. I read my email, surf several news sites and read a couple of daily columns I like. But this is another place where life is interesting.

Because my dialysis access is in my right arm, and of course I’m right handed, whatever I try and do I have to do left handed. As soon as I sit down they take over my right arm to disinfect, insert the needle catheters, hook up the necessary tubing and set the pressures on the pump. On my left arm they attach the automatic blood pressure cuff. After that, I’m welcome to do whatever I wish. So, with my left arm, I set the laptop up on the arm of the recliner and achieve just the right balance, open it, log on work to my heart’s content with the single tool I have, the forefinger of my left hand. (If you thing 2 finger typing is slow, try one, wrong, finger.)

Some who read this will think, “what a bummer”. But given the alternatives I’m saying what a winner! I’m not in a nursing home or hospital, not dead, and when I’m not hooked up to a machine my life is pretty normal. I can chase and play with my granddaughters, work in the yard and around the house, hide from my wife, go camping with the boys program I’ve been part of for years. I CAN be normal, or at least as normal as I’m capable of.

My daily bible reading has me in Samuel reading about the exploits of David. David’s big entrance is of course his battle with Goliath. In providing his “credentials” to King Saul he says “I killed the lion, I killed the bear, this heathen is no big deal.” And everyone says YEAH!! The other way of reading it is; “I’m only a boy living out in the wilderness alone watching over sheep. The days and nights are long and lonely. I don’t want to disappoint my dad and the responsibility is huge. And there are lions and bears, oh my. I’ve even had to defend myself and my flock. Being a shepherd is rough but I’m stuck with it because of the being the youngest.” No, instead, he focuses on his circumstances as opportunities to grow, to accomplish, and to get closer to God.

Yes I’m free, but it has nothing to do with the mechanical cleansing of my blood. It has only to do with the shed blood of Jesus that pays for my sins and guarantees me the privilege of being part of the family of God. Since I got cleansed that way the worst that can happen is that I’ll leave this world and my family behind until we’re all gathered around His throne in Glory.