American Historical Sites I've Visited (Part I)

In 1977, one year after the Bicentennial Celebration, our high school band and choir visited the Washington D.C. and Philadelphia area. It was a fascinating trip for a young person to experience and four of the five sites I'm going to reference in this blog series were part of that trip. I'm forever grateful for the sacrifices and foresight of our teachers to allow us to visit this part of the country.  

Okay, the first site I'm going to list is the Liberty Bell Center, home of the Liberty Bell. I recall the line to view the bell was quite long, and as we were visiting in March, the weather was cool but easily tolerable. At that time you could actually touch the bell which I remember doing as I exited the viewing line. However, to my shame, my most vivid memory is my buddy Jon trying to figure out a way to stick his chewing gum inside the bell. I am happy to report he was not successful in this attempt. Anyway, after an attack on the bell in 2001, the bell was moved out of reach of visitors and a no touching ban was instituted going forward.

Obedience | The Hard Facts

Am I the only one that does this?

For the past few weeks, I feel like God is wanting me to explore the book of Jeremiah, in particular, chapters 35 through 45. Jeremiah was one of the old testatment prophets who by all accounts, did not live an easy life. (He also wrote the book of Lamentations, a good read on a stormy, lonely, Saturday evening . . . ) He was constantly instructed by God to inform the people of Israel what God thought of their decisions and news flash, it was rarely positive. 

The chapters I have been reading chronicle the disobedience that at times almost seem comical. When God tells them to stay where they are, they leave. When He instructs them to leave, they stay. When He reminds them that He alone is their protector and provider, they nod and them go right back to making their own choices, never obeying God, their Creator!

Here are a few examples of the people of Israel's views of God, as described in these ten chapters:

Psalm 121

 

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Grief

Grief.

Five letters that create a word that only hints at the transformative impact of loss. Loss of a friend, loss of a parent, but perhaps one of the most painful losses of all, the loss of a mate, whom God Himself has prepared for you and whose loss is, to quote C.S. Lewis, "The crushing blow, the loss, which is Satan's corruption of that great gift of loving and being loved." 

I believe in the following truth, that God ordains all our steps, and nothing escapes his attention or providence. Which, of course, means that what God brought together, He, as the Creator and Sustainer of all that is in the universe, is the only One that can allow that dissolution. That divide, can come about due to death, or perhaps the worst of all, the culmination of a thousand silent (and not so silent) cuts by all involved.