God will be the saddle

I drew myself into a corner. I do that sometimes. I draw on my iPod usually with something that happened that day in mind, and then the next day, I blog about it. But yesterday I drew a horse. Just because I like horses. With our hectic schedule this summer, and now school year, we haven't been around horses as much as I like. But I doubt I will be seeing horses this weekend. Asherel goes with a friend to a Beatle Tribute band today, and then the rest of the long weekend we will be at a Dog Agility Trial.

I had horses on my mind, however. I have been editing my second book, which is a compilation of stories of my encounters with angels, and with God. The Bible tells us we are often entertaining angels unawares. I have had at least two occasions where I recognized them as angels...though not until they were gone. In some circles, I have now been marginalized into the nut case category. So be it. As long as I have gone that far, I may as well tell you that I think God has sent animals with a specific role to teach me something, or to deliver God's message. I am not sure that animals can be angels... but many animals have been messengers and guardians in my life.

Anyway, many of the stories in my soon to be released book involve animals, and one that I just finished editing involved a horse. He was a very special horse, and he taught me a great deal about the nature of selfless love. I won't tell the story here because then no one will buy the book.
As I have been editing however, a distinct pattern to my life is emerging. I almost never tackled something I was qualified to do. That pattern persists to this day. Most of my cherished moments in life involve tackling something I have no skill, inclination, training, or gifting to accomplish.

I am working my way through the book of Exodus, and have been struck (again) by the lack of training of most of the great leaders for God. Right now, in my reading, Moses has just begged God to relieve him of the duty of speaking to Pharaoh to try to convince him to "let my people go." Moses is a stutterer, and in his eyes, and probably most people's eyes, the last person God should use as His spokesman. But God won't let him off the hook. In the end, Moses becomes an eloquent defender of his people, before God, delivering one of the most beautiful speeches of selfless leadership ever spoken, when his perpetually sinful people trample God's commands, and God threatens to wipe them out. Moses concludes his speech with this sacrificial plea: "But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written."

Ultimately, what God has called us to do, He will empower us to accomplish. And when we are stumbling, He sends angels...and sometimes horses, along the way to carry us. And we don't necessarily need to know how to ride. He holds us in place. God will be the saddle.

Exodus 4:10-12
 ¹⁰ Moses said to the LORD, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
 ¹¹ The LORD said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? ¹² Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

Exodus 32

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.³¹ So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. ³² But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”

When the Music Starts

There is a magnificent pipe organ that fills an entire wall of the megachurch in Charlotte. Most of the time, that huge organ is silent. We have visited that church often, and only once did I hear the pipe organ. The richness of the tones that rolled out of the stunning pipes would have shattered the 3-story floor to ceiling glass if the sound people were not more adept. The organist we heard was a professional who tours with a brass group and he was spectacular. There are at least 5 keyboards on the oversized organ, and the organist was playing all of them while the pipes bellowed. When one speaks in such a manner, one can afford to be silent for most of the time.

We had a spate of good news this week. My second oldest son, who just got married, also just found out that he was admitted to Law Review. This is a tremendous honor and highly competitive. He had spent the month before his wedding taking his first year law school finals, starting his first law internship, his first full time work week, and writing a twenty page rigorous paper to vie for acceptance to Law Review. I don't know how he survived that month. But not only did he survive, somehow he thrived. And snagged me the world's best daughter in law in the process.

And then yesterday we found out that our oldest son just sold his start up business KSplice to Oracle. In the computing world, Oracle is huge....and this rocketed my son way out of starving entrepreneur status. I knew he had Bill Gates potential....but now he is on the way to Bill Gates status.

My boys are quiet. All my kids are, especially my oldest. I process thoughts by speaking, or writing. Not my children. I rarely hear from the oldest, though he usually manages to pass on the critical information when we need to hear it. I thought about their verbal reticence. When one has magnificent talent, one can afford to be quiet for long stretches....like the pipe organ. But when the music does start, oh my, how it fills the air!

Ecclesiastes 5:6-8

⁶ Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.