The Opening

When I was a student, I worked security at an establishment in Lubbock, Texas. On the grounds, at the end of this narrow road through some brush there was this retreat facility. It was a place where those with physical challenges could come and spend a week during the summer. The time of year that I was working there, this facility wasn’t used a lot; but I still had to go back and check it each night I worked.

I would drive back, get out of the vehicle and walk around the grounds. This part of the job was pretty mindless and easy. It was kinda peaceful some nights with a gentle breeze blowing under a starlit sky. I remember one night under a beautiful full moon, I was relaxing as I drove back and started walking around the building. . .until I found what wasn’t supposed to be. A door was open. This door was not supposed to be open, and it was a little unnerving.

I suppose a little less unnerving than visiting a cemetery and finding an opening. Imagine as you drive up to put some flowers by the headstone and you notice that there is hole in the ground where the body was placed. Or maybe the door was open inside the columbarium where the ashes were placed of the loved one you were leaving flowers for. Neither of these situations would bring me much peace.

It is not supposed to be this way. Who would have gone through the trouble to dig a hole in the ground or worked to get the door open where the ashes were placed? And the bigger question that would go through the mind is: Why? Why would anyone do this? This is not how things are supposed to go.

These thoughts went through those who visited the tomb nearly 2,000 years ago. Where have they taken the body? Why would someone do this? This is not how things are supposed to go. And if you take it back a step farther, He was supposed to be alive, not crucified!

But this was how it was supposed to go. The tomb was supposed to be empty. The Messiah was supposed to die. Though it wasn’t called this until centuries later, Easter was supposed to change everything. Our sins were not pushed off as with a forbearance that came though animal sacrifices. They were permanently wiped away through the blood of the Messiah. The worship of God was not centered on an individual temple, but through individuals who had become a temple of God. Death was no longer a bondage, but freedom, just as it was supposed to be.

And that night in Texas when I found the door open? Pretty uneventful. Someone must have been out there during the day and just forgot to close it. Nothing changed that night. Very unlike the morning the stone was rolled away from the entrance to the tomb and changed everything!

Grateful for the opening,

Randy

A Week's Difference

I remember fifteen years ago this August, we were getting ready to take our son to college. It was a Monday morning. We would be leaving on Wednesday to get him all settled in his dorm room. It was a big deal for mom and her firstborn. . .well somewhat for dad also. I remember the phone ringing early that morning and it was Holly’s mother telling her that Holly’s dad had a heart attack and was in a medically induced coma. Our plans suddenly changed, but getting our son to the college and not letting this negatively affect the excitement of a new chapter in his life was still important to us. So, with hearts that wanted to be in two places at once, we quickly came up with a plan.

We still left on Wednesday to drop David off at college. Fortunately, where he was attending was about halfway to Texas where Holly’s dad was. I remember getting David settled and then driving the ten hours on down to the hospital. We got there after visiting hours, but we were let in through the emergency entrance and up to the ICU. We didn’t get to see him that night, but we did visit with Holly’s mom. The next day during the limited ICU visiting hours we were able to see him. Twice a day for the next few days we would wait to see him. Doctors brought him out of the coma and we got to talk with him and spend some time together. After a few days of this, he seemed to be stable and since we had left our then 16 year old Hannah back home with a friend, we figured it was time to go back to Illinois.

A week later he was dead.

About six years ago I had a large bump of sorts on the inside of my left forearm. When it wasn’t going away, I decided to stop by the clinic to see if I should be concerned about it. They sent me off to a specialist. I remember, before seeing the doctor, the nurse saying, “Oh”, when she saw it. It wasn’t a tone that gives you comfort. The doctor arrived and decided to biopsy it right then, which is never a good thing. We were told it was a very rare form of cancer with tentacles that can wrap themselves around the muscles and tendons of the arm. Before they did anything they needed to send the sample off just to make sure.

He then proceeded to tell me how things would most likely go forward. At the very least there would be some damage to the muscles as they cleared the cancer cells out. In a worst case scenario, there could be amputation. Needless to say, I was hoping for the better of the two outcomes. We would know in a week and then the surgery would be scheduled.

I remember Hannah visiting during this week and me practicing with one arm. I would go get gas and just use one arm, wondering if that may be all that I was going to have going forward. Getting dressed, eating, so many things we take for granted. Then I remember exactly where I was sitting when I got the news a week later: it wasn’t a rare form of cancer, but a rarer form of growth that mimics cancer and should go away on its own over time.

A week later there was relief.

Jesus entered Jerusalem, on what we call Palm Sunday. A week later He had risen from the grave, death could not hold Him. In that week He had taught in the temple, had that last meal with His followers, was crucified and then rose from the dead. As you go thought this week leading up to Easter think about what that last week was like. Think about this week: who you can invite to join us, if not for Easter some other time. What a difference a week can make. Sometimes, it can even be a matter of life or death.

A lot can happen in one week,

Randy

CST

Daylight savings time has received a lot of attention these past couple of weeks; from the setting of the many clocks ahead to people being tired after losing that hour of sleep. About this time of year our politicians again bring up the question of do we keep it, scrap it, or go to permanent savings time-- which is just kind of weird if you think of it. It’s not "savings time" then, but a change in the concept of the time zones. As I said, in the spring and then again in the fall, time gets a lot of attention.

The time zones were somewhat tricky when we lived in Champaign, Illinois. We were about thirty minutes from the Indiana/Illinois state line. Not a big deal--we cross state lines all the time. When we go down to watch our Tennessee grandkids next month, we will cross a few state lines including that “state to the south.” Now the Illinois/Indiana line was a little more significant because it was also a time zone line, from eastern time in Indiana to central in Illinois.

I remember bringing a van full of teens back across that line one day. They all had their phones out to see when and whose phone would be the first to change time as we crossed into the new time zone! They had fun. There was one problem we had and it was with trips to the Indianapolis airport. You see, Indiana did not change to daylight savings time then, so you had to remember what time of year it was and figure out what time it was there. Was my flight leaving an hour earlier than my local time or the same? Similarly, when picking someone up at the airport, you didn’t want them sitting there for an hour. So, we had to think, EST, EDT, CST or CDT, and figure out what time it was.

Well, what I have learned over the years didn’t help when traveling to the airport, but did help with traveling through life. The letters that are always at the forefront of my time are CST. Now you may think that stands for Central Standard Time, and it can; but, for followers of Christ it is Christian Savings Time. As Christians, we have been saved and it’s time to tell others!

As we go forward this spring enjoy the extra hour of daylight in the evening. Also enjoy the life that you have in Christ because of His sacrifice. Then take the time to share that salvation with others.

On the right time,

Randy