Life's Ultimate Rest Area

 On August 7, 1979 I finally reached that long-awaited age of 16 and that meant one thing—driver’s license!  Yep, all my friends had been driving for months and now it was my turn to join the ranks.  My parents, though, didn’t seem to be as enthusiastic as I was about the prospect of me climbing behind the wheel of a car.  Go figure!  

  

Despite my assurance that I could now run errands for them, take my brother and sister to wherever they needed to go, and that I would no longer need them to shuttle me everywhere, they simply didn’t seem to be thrilled that I would be driving.  Something about increased insurance premiums, and not being able to relax until I was home, etc. were apparently a few of the reasons for their not-so-enthusiastic acceptance of this important right-of-passage.  

  

Once I received that little piece of plastic giving me the legal right to operate a vehicle, it soon became obvious that I would need some help if I wanted to go beyond the city limit signs.  That help would have to come from my dad, whose sense of direction still puts any GPS to shame!  

  

In order to have a car of my own, I had to get a job.  I worked on the weekends and during the summers to pay for it.  My job was in one of the local hospitals about 30 minutes from our home.  I remember asking my dad to give me directions which he did.  He gave the best directions, telling me how to avoid traffic and which areas would be the easiest to navigate but also those which could prove troublesome.  As long as I followed his directions, I never had any difficulty going to work or getting home safely.  

  

In 2 Chronicles 26:3-5 we are introduced to King Uzziah, who, at the ripe age of 16, wasn’t worried about driving; his concern was in governing a people.  If ever there were a time to ask for directions this would be it.  And that is exactly what Uzziah did.  In this passage we read, “Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done.  He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.”  

  

There are three important statements about Uzziah in this brief passage that provide great insight for us.  First, we are told that Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  This is a very telling statement for someone who is only 16 years old.  He didn’t know everything, in fact, he knew nothing about what it meant to be a king.  But he knew that as long as he obeyed the Lord, and did what was right according to him, his reign would be successful.  

  

Second, he sought the Lord.  Before making policy, before entering into agreements, before entering armed conflict, and before making any decision, Uzziah asked God for directions.  He trusted and knew that God would make sure he avoided traffic and difficulty areas and would see that he and his people remained safe and sound.  

  

Third, Uzziah was successful, not because of what he did and not because of what he knew, but because he consulted God in everything.  This is the great secret of walking with God.  We are to seek him daily, even hourly, because the road ahead is filled with all types of dangers we cannot see.  When was the last time you asked God for directions?  Before you start today’s journey, don’t you think you should?  

A Spirutal Flying Buttress

I remember the first time I saw it. I had read about it, teachers and professors had lectured on it, and I had seen pictures of it in books and in movies. However, nothing compared to visiting and seeing the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris firsthand. Nothing I had seen, heard, or read compared to this magnificent structure. In that instant it became, and still is, my favorite place to visit in Paris. Everything else, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, etc., pales in comparison to this jewel.

During my junior year in college, I lived in southern France and had occasion to visit Paris on three different occasions. As you can guess, I visited Notre Dame every single time and it’s the first stop I make when I visit Paris. On four different occasions it has been my privilege to introduce students to Notre Dame and each time I saw the same reaction in their faces that I had on my first visit to the cathedral.

While the interior is impressive with its rose windows and high vaulted ceilings, the bell towers are one of its most alluring features. Although I am afraid of heights, at the ripe old age of twenty, I climbed the towers to get a breathtaking view of Paris. While climbing to the top of the towers, I kept looking for Victor Hugo’s hunchback, Quasimodo. There is just something about reading that novel that causes you to expect to see him in all the nooks and crannies that dot the cathedral. Needless to say, I never saw Quasimodo, but I have a feeling he is lurking somewhere in those bell towers!

It was on a solo visit to Notre Dame, however, that I discovered its most endearing feature. Just past the south tower is an entrance that leads to a park located behind the cathedral. This walk provides an impressive view of one of the most iconic parts of Notre Dame, the flying buttresses. The enormity of the structure and the immense weight of its roof put intense pressure on its walls.

The builders of gothic cathedrals, of which Notre Dame is a prime specimen, devised an ingenious way to stabilize the cathedral’s walls. They built a series of flying buttresses that pushed against the exterior of the cathedral, directing the immense forces pushing on the walls into the ground, thus securing the entire structure.

The best view of the flying buttresses is in the park located directly behind Notre Dame. The park is a haven for locals and tourists alike. There is a bench that sits dead center of the cathedral and that is where I sit every time I am there. It is a marvelous sight and one I never tire of.

Would it surprise you to learn that the concept of the flying buttress existed way before architects discovered its use in building?  It is true, and we need look no further than Paul’s letter to the Galatians to find it. In Galatians 6:2 Paul writes, “Cary each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Do you see the concept of the flying buttress in Paul’s letter? He states categorically that we are to help each other, to uphold each other, to encourage each other, and to lighten one another’s load. Jesus told his disciples in John 13:35 that everyone would know they were his disciples if they had love for each other. What better way is there to demonstrate love for another person than to help shoulder his/her burdens?

Paul reminds us further that we have opportunity to do this and that we must avail ourselves of the opportunity to help all people, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ (Galatians 6:9-10). Every day we meet people at work, in the grocery store, at the park, on the sidewalk, etc. who are hurting. In fact, everyone is carrying some sort of burden. Some carry the burden of illness, some of depression, some of hopelessness, some of loss, and some have no name for their burdens. Paul reminds us in this passage that we are to come alongside them and to provide support, to be a spiritual flying buttress.

Notre Dame remains standing almost one thousand years after is foundations were laid. Through storm, through rain, through hail, through the French Revolution, and through fire, it remains. The flying buttresses continue to support and uphold that tremendous structure. It is not a great leap for us to understand that if a piece of stone can support a building, how much more can we help others to stand when we help them bear their burdens. Are you being a spiritual flying buttress to those around you today?

 

Just One of Those Days

 

J

ames 1:2-4 reads, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  This definitely was not the verse of scripture I wanted to be reminded of one particular Monday.  I was having one of those days where nothing, and I mean nothing, went according to plan.  Oh, I had a plan, but it was absolutely worthless.  Please allow me to recap the day for you.  It’s good therapy!

The whole ball of wax actually started the evening before when I decided to download a quick and easy little program for my computer.  The download went well.  I encountered no glitches, bumps, or electronic hiccups.  The installation process was also smooth and in just a few minutes the program was living happily on my hard drive, ready to obey my every command. 

I restarted the computer, selected the newly installed program, and asked it to perform a quick scan of my computer to see if everything was all right.  That’s when it all started.  The little program located some files that to its mind posed a threat to my system. It asked if I wanted to repair or delete the programs.  I first elected to repair the files but when that wasn’t possible, I deleted them.  That was my mistake!  I deleted several files from my operating system and the computer wouldn’t work.

I tried at least three attempts to coax the computer back to life but it just wouldn’t budge. Instead, it just sat there with a beautiful sunset on the screen, refusing to go any further.  All my programs were there; I just couldn’t get to them.  Several calls to a good friend in Pennsylvania, confirmed what I already knew.  The computer was busted and would have to be rebuilt; not exactly what I wanted to hear.

During the day, my situation got better (that’s a little joke, not too funny).  On my way to the airport, everybody in the free world decided to drive below the speed limit and box me into one lane of traffic.  I couldn’t get around the car ahead of me and the cars to my right and to my left wouldn’t budge.  I thought it was some kind of conspiracy with the whole world, including the animals, decidedly against me. I wondered if Noah ever had a day like this.

A good friend called to see how I was doing.  What a loaded question that was!  I told him I didn’t feel very Christian and proceeded to share my terrible day. I called my mom and she got the full onslaught as well.  I was miserable and I determined that everyone I knew would just be miserable as well.  Ever been there?  None of this solved my computer problem, but grinding that axe seemed to make me feel better; I mean I actually enjoyed it. If what James said in the opening verse above applied to me, I had to be the happiest man alive!

It was only after I had spent the day frustrated, angry, confused, bitter, hostile, and just a little cranky, that I realized what a wasted day this had been. Replaying my thoughts and conversations from the day indicated every sentence or thought began with the word “I” or had the word “me” in it at least three or four times.  I looked at myself as the victim.  Nothing went my way, everything was against me, I didn’t understand why I was going through this, you get the picture don’t you?

James certainly hit me right between the eyes when I calmed down and remembered this little admonition.  James says that we will face trials of many kinds.  He never says they are fun but he does say they have their purpose and that purpose is the perfecting of our faith, the increasing of our patience.

I wasn’t very faithful or patient on that particular Monday; I was anything but.  And that is why I missed the blessing of verse 4, “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  Because of my attitude, I was lacking in several areas, not the least of which was my relationship with God.  But God’s design is to grow me to maturity so I want lack anything.  That Monday reminded me just how much growing up I still have left to do.

The next time you have one of those days, and it may be today, be thankful for it.  I know this is not something you want to hear, especially if today’s your day, but God is with us in the small trials as well as in the big ones and I think that when we have just one of those days he is reminding us of just how difficult it is to live the Christian life without him!