A Vaccine For the Ages

 Now that a vaccine is available, it seems like the holy grail, the cure all that will make it possible to keep our grandchildren, host friends for dinner, visit restaurants, attend church, go to the movies and travel.  I have vague memories of those days and long for them once again.

 All over the world, nations and peoples are lining up to be vaccinated.  We are grateful to the medical and scientific community that has broken all records to develop an effective vaccine that will deliver us, and to the front line workers who have cared for Covid casualties.

 Not everyone wants a vaccine. Not everyone trusts them. It seems like the best bet to me, but it is confusing.  I called my primary ca re physician’s office to see if they had access to the vaccine. They said I would have to call a specialist. I called a specialist who had treated me a year ago. They said I needed to call my primary care physician.  So far, I have signed up on two lists that promise to call when they have a vaccine available. But, for now, I will remain cautious, distanced from friends and family and wait.

,This is my first pandemic. This has never happened in my lifetime. But then, I am only 74.  My grandparents went through the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918, but they never talked about it.  I guess the atrocities of World War I overshadowed it. But then, they never talked about that either.

 On the other hand, I have been living through a far more deadly pandemic all of my life, a pandemic that has afflicted every generation since the dawn of humanity.  It is far more insidious and deadly than Covid-19.  It is the pandemic that afflicts us all.

 Everyone recognizes the symptoms of this universal deadly disease: lying, theft, lust, selfishness, greed, anger, prejudice, deception, envy, jealousy, violence.  The Bible puts it this way, “Sin entered the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).   Here lies the root of our suffering in the world.  Just as James says, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?  Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have so you commit murder.  You are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel” (James 4:1-2). 

 Fortunately God has provided a “vaccine,” a cure that not only deals with the consequences of sin, but destroys the power of sin.  “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures. … Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is your victory? O death where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15). 

 ^“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting ^[g]the members of your body to sin as ^[h]instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you”  (Romans 6:12-14).

Raising Children

 

Nothing is as challenging as being a parent.  Children have no on-off button.  They cannot be put in the closet like clothes, turned off and parked like cars or placed in a kennel for the night like pets.  They are on a constant quest: poking, prodding, pushing, pulling and climbing. 

 When our children were little, we weren’t allowed to strap them down in the back seat. (It was a long time ago). As soon as they got in the car, they looked for buttons to push and knobs to twist.  When I turned on the key the blinkers blinked, windshield wipers wiped and the radio blared, vibrating the windows. The same was true for our bedroom and kitchen.

 They grew up to be responsible adults.  But the path wasn’t easy.  Every passage brought new challenges: the first day of school, a move from familiar neighborhoods to a new city, puberty, a driver’s license, dating, computer games, technology.  Parenting requires a constant learning curve that never stops, even after children are grown and on their own.  Relationships constantly change and adjust. As a parent, you are always entering new and unfamiliar territory.

 I found across the years that there is no “fix it” book for parenting, no “cure-all,” “read this,” or “do this” simple solution.  Every child is different, and every parenting situation has its unique challenges.  But there are some essential tools that make the difference: patience, consistency, authenticity, trust, love, faith, and a listening ear.  Most of us don’t come naturally equipped with these essential tools.  Most of us have to learn them and acquire them while we are on the job. And all of us have room for improvement.

 Years ago, I visited in the home of a young mother who was caring for several pre-school children. I was amazed at her patience and attention with the children and complimented her on it.  She responded by telling me that this had not always been the case.  Before she trusted Christ, she said, she had no patience with children, but after she gave her heart to Jesus, He gave her a gift of patience, not only for her own children, but for others.

 The Bible says that John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the world by turning the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to righteousness. (Luke 1:16-17).  Every generation must struggle against the natural desires of the flesh: envy, jealousy, resentment, anger and self indulgence. These attitudes destroy the family.

 When we put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ, He gives us a new heart.  He produces in us the fruits of the Spirit that equip us to be parents:  “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.”  All of these, the Bible says, are the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23).

 When our hearts are right with God so that we are producing these fruits, we will be good parents.  Then we will be able to fulfill the Scripture’s instruction, “Do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the teaching and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4).

A New Year - Finally!

 No year in my lifetime has been welcomed more than 2021.  Multiple vaccines have been approved with the promise that we will be able to put the Covid-19 threat behind us by mid-summer.  Businesses are making plans to gear up for the recovery.  Jobs are expected to return.  By fall we should be able to pack our stadiums and cheer on our favorite sports teams.  Once again, we can travel. Family vacations, reunions and gatherings for Thanksgiving and Christmas should return to normal by year’s end.

 A year ago, in this column, I wrote, “2020 rings with the hope of perfect vision and a perfect year.  But we already know it will have its challenges.  ....  2020 will not be easy. It certainly will not be perfect.”

 To say that “2020 would not be easy and that it certainly would not be perfect” proved to be a vast understatement. None of us could have predicted the pandemic that would shock and stun the world. This has been an unusually difficult year. While some have prospered, many have lost their jobs, struggled with isolation and separation from family and friends. Restaurants, the travel industry, and live entertainment have especially been hit hard.  More than 340,000 have died of Covid-19 related causes.

 We still have a long way to go. The earliest vaccines are just now being administered, but we are hopeful. We have not given up.  People remain resilient, perseverant, ready to pitch in and help those who need assistance the most. Restaurants, struggling under the restrictions of the pandemic have provided meals to front line workers.

 Doctors, nurses and medical staff have served sacrificially putting themselves at risk to care for Covid-19 patients. Like so many others, our daughter-in-law is a nurse and a breast cancer survivor.  She suffered severe symptoms after contracting COVID-19 from her patients.  Once recovered, she has returned to continue her care. Our son-in-law has volunteered as a bone-marrow donor for someone struggling with leukemia.  We are proud of our kids and the millions of others who continue to put the interest of others before their own during these trying times.

 Jesus was clear that every generation would have such trials.  He warned of wars and rumors of wars, plagues, famines and natural disasters.  Jesus said, “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:25-28).

 God has promised, “I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope;” (Jeremiah 29:11). 

Covid Christmas

 Last week my wife baked cookies, brownies and snacks for our neighbors. We both donned our masks and walked down the street distributing bags of Christmas goodies to our friends, a token of our love and appreciation for them during this Covid year of 2020. 

 One of our neighbor families is Vietnamese. They have a bright and cheerful nine-year-old daughter, Anna who loves to play with our grandchildren. When we took our Christmas goodies to her house, Anna greeted us at the door. Her mother doesn’t speak English.  The following day, Anna rang our doorbell with a gift bag of her own.  Inside she placed a Hershey’s bar, two fun-size Snickers and M&Ms.  We suspect it was her leftover Halloween candy. She was thrilled to give it, and we were touched beyond measure.

 Little acts of kindness help us all get through.  For many this Christmas is especially painful. While we feel some relief with the first vaccines, we recognize that more than 300,000 families lost loved ones to Covid-19 this year.

 Many years ago, I officiated a funeral on Christmas Eve for one of our best friends who was barely twenty-nine. The Holidays are not always joyous.  But the meaning of the day when God sent His Son to save us from our sins is all the more meaningful.

 We all know the stories that led up to the birth: Joseph and Mary on their long journey to Bethlehem, turned away from every inn until they found a stall where the child was born;  the hovering star that led the Magi from the east bearing their prophetic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The shepherds shocked from their sleep on the hillside by the angels of heaven proclaiming a Savior.  But we pay little attention to what happened “the day after.”

 Like most of us, Mary and Joseph had little time to enjoy the Christmas events that surrounded them.  They were immediately faced with Herod’s efforts to hunt down their Son.  The soldiers fell upon Bethlehem with a vengeance, slaughtering every male child two years old and younger. (Matthew 2:16).  Warned in a dream, Joseph fled with his little family to Egypt where they spent eight years hiding as refugees from Herod’s wrath. 

 Thousands today are living in exile, refugees from war.  In some places believers are spending these days in prison for their faith. Some are facing death because they have embraced Jesus as Son of God and Savior.  Many others have heavy hearts from the loss of loved ones. 

 The full story of Jesus’ birth embraces both the heights of joy and the depths of sorrow.  Whether we are filled with celebration and happiness or thrown into heartache and despair, God is sufficient.  He has been there. He knows our joy and our sorrow, and He has given His Son that we might know Him. 

The Christmas Journey

 Normally, Christmas is a family event.  Brothers, sisters, parents and children go to great expense to see each other.  They drive hundreds of miles, fly across the continent or around the world to celebrate the holidays together. But, for many families, like ours, not this year. We have postponed our family gathering until later, when the vaccine has taken effect and it is safer.

 Nevertheless, our tree is decorated with ornaments created by little hands that grew into manhood and womanhood.  Decorations, unboxed from Christmases past, remind us of those we love as we look to a brighter future.

 That first Christmas was a family event with its own difficulties.   When we rehearse the Christmas story, we conjure up images of Joseph trudging along the Jordan valley leading a donkey with Mary balanced on its back, almost full-term in her pregnancy.  A look of admiration and love must have played upon Joseph’s face, mixed with worry.

 Faith, above all, propelled them in their journey in circumstances not of their choosing.  They were on the road at this most inconvenient and vulnerable time because Caesar required it. They were making the arduous journey to Bethlehem so Joseph could enroll for the Roman tax.  Even young couples about to deliver a baby were not excused.

 They did not know the future.  They believed God was in it, but they had no way of knowing where they would sleep, or how they would make their way after the child was born.  Like all fathers, Joseph was concerned about how he would care for his wife and child.  Mary’s thoughts were about the baby that kicked within her. 

 Joseph’s fears would have been multiplied if he had known, while trudging along the stony path, that there would be no place for them to stay, that the child would be born in a common stable. A trough for the animas would serve for a crib. As far as we know, they were alone. But his faith in God sustained him. His hope for the future lifted his face.

 Christmas is like that for us today. We are all on a journey.  Some are more difficult and precarious than others.  Our minds are filled with hopes, dreams, anxiety, worry and faith.  Some have been laid off and are searching for a job. Some are starting their careers, uncertain about what the future might hold. Some have suffered tragedy, pain and loss.  Some are battling illness.  Some are celebrating a new birth. 

 When God sent His Son, He blessed our human experience.  He entered into our journey. When He sent Jesus, he identified with our weaknesses, our fears, our hopes, our dreams and our faith.  He blessed us as families: mothers and fathers loving one another, finding our way, caring for children in challenging circumstances and believing that, somehow, God is in it all.   He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will accomplish His purposes on the earth.

Buddy's Christmas Gift

 If you have been reading these columns, you are familiar with my dog, Buddy.  Buddy came into our lives eleven years ago, a sick and skinny rescue dog picked up off the streets.  When we met him at Corgi Rescue, we could feel the bones in his hips, and he was suffering from “kennel cough.”  But fifteen minutes with Buddy won us over.  We left committed to adopt him.

 It took six weeks for him to get over his kennel cough, put on weight and get all his shots from the vet. I drove back to Corgi Rescue to pick him up and, in a matter of minutes, we were Buddy’s proud, and nervous owners.  He was nervous too.  It took a couple of weeks to adjust.  Eleven years later the vet says he is a “healthy geriatric.”  So am I.

 It was a mystery to me how a tri-color corgi as intelligent, well-mannered and affectionate as Buddy could become a stray on the streets. Then, one day, on one of our neighborhood walks, Buddy told me his story.  I wrote it down, “just as Buddy told it to me.”  It became a children’s book published on Amazon Kindle, Buddy the Floppy Ear Corgi.

 I printed out a copy for our next door neighbor whose daughter was in the third grade.  He read it to his daughter and she took it to school.  The teacher read it to her third grade class. “One boy cried,” she said. 

 Apparently Buddy had this problem when he was young, a floppy ear that proved to be an embarrassment.  All the other respectable corgis had ears that stood up straight and alert, except for Buddy. So, he ran away and became lost on the streets where Barney the Bloodhound befriended him and taught him how to survive. That is, until they were picked up by the dog police.

 Along the way, Buddy learned to love himself and others just the way God made them.  It is a good lesson for all of us to learn.  He also learned the importance of being rescued.  Sometimes we all need to be rescued by someone.  Sometimes we all need to rescue someone else, just like the Good Samaritan story in Luke 10.

 This year, Buddy wants to make his book available for free as a Christmas gift to all of our readers.  Just click on Buddy's picture to the right and download it as a free eBook anytime, December 9-13.  Feel free to forward this to friends so they can have one too! It will make Buddy happy. 

 Buddy is now thirteen years old a little slower and a little fatter.  Our walks are shorter, basically to the mailbox and back.  He never meets a stranger.  It’s something I think he learned from Barney.  His ear doesn’t flop anymore, but he still has a small scar on his nose, a reminder of his “lost days” on the streets in the city. 

 Buddy and I both hope you have a very Merry and safe Christmas.

Flying in Formation

 Recently I started the day outside on our deck under a clear pre-dawn sky. The stars were brilliant, Orion settling in the west.  A meteorite streaked across the sky just before the east began to fade into gray. No sooner had the crimson and gold dissolved into the soft pastels of morning than the geese began to fly.     

 I heard them honking in the distance and watched as a long line winged their way to the west, silhouetted against the dawn.  They continued to come, hundreds, perhaps thousands of Canada geese in small and large groups, sometimes stretching from one horizon to the other.  They flew in imperfect V formations, sometimes in long diagonal lines, one behind the other, wingtip to wingtip.  One squadron flew low overhead, so close I could hear the wind in their wings. I suppose they were flying to the fields near the foothills to feed.  

 The beauty of migrating geese is one of the things I love about Colorado.  Who taught them to fly in formation?  Scientists who study this phenomenon say the V formation reduces drag and adds lift for each goose.  By flying together in this way, they increase their range by 71%.  And, since the lead birds put forth the greatest effort, they rotate the lead position.

 They don’t do this because of any legislation or decree.  They are not obeying anyone’s order. They do it because it is their nature to do it. They fly this way because they have learned over many millennia that they need one another for survival.  Life is easier when they fly in formation. 

,Watching the geese at sunrise reminded me of the unique global challenges we all face, including the Covid pandemic, poverty and famine.  To survive and thrive we need to fly in formation. Not because our elected officials tell us to, but because we need each other.  During Covid, that means wearing a mask, washing our hands, remaining six feet apart.  During and after Covid, it means providing for the poor, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, opening doors of opportunity for the underprivileged.

 The Bible consistently teaches us the importance of “flying in formation.”  John the Baptist who introduced Jesus said, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same” (Luke 3:11).  

Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. … Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:35-40). 

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do nothing out of selfishness or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you looking to the interests of others” (P9hilippians 2:3-4).