The Nails...
Every once in a while, you hear a story that makes you stop and think about priorities in life. I have a couple of friends who know each other that recently met for coffee at a local McDonald's. What
transpired between them is a slice of what I call “the Christian Walk”.
Greg has worked in a ministry setting practically his whole adult life. Working at a Christian camp
with children, teaching them about horses, blacksmithing, leather crafts, and quietly, by example and
by design, about his Lord, Jesus Christ. Mark has worked in a ministry environment most of his adult
life too. From property management, to fence contractor, to manufacturer, he has spent much of his
time actively telling others he encounters in business about his Lord, Jesus Christ, sometimes directly, often by example.
Greg has had a lot of health problems over the years. He's the only guy I know with frequent flier
miles on Flight for Life helicopters. He has spent weeks and even months at a time in hospitals
recovering from one problem or another for years. At his side during these episodes, (much against her will, as she hated hospitals ever since she spent time in a polio ward as a young child), was the love of his life, Mary Kay. That is until one day, the tables turned. It was Greg's turn to sit next to the hospital bed, powerless to fix what was wrong, even at times trying to bargain with God to take him instead of Mary Kay.
The last two years have been a dark time for Greg, as he has adjusted, somewhat, to life without his
wife of forty plus years, his best friend. Over the years they worked together in camping ministry,
teaching children and adults about the reality and the love of Jesus. At one point many years ago Greg was inspired by the story of the crucifixion to research the blacksmith's role in the process. He studied how the nails were formed, what they were made of, and the size and shape of nail necessary to hold a human body suspended off the ground. I've heard him talk of the tears that would come to his eyes as he read, picturing this dread knowledge being used against his Lord, for his sake. I've seen the tears well up as he recalls it.
Over the years Greg has made many of these nails, replicas of the one's that secured our salvation by
securing our sin, in the person of Jesus Christ, to the cross. He could never hold on to them for long.
Even though often asked, he would never sell them. Instead, he and Mary Kay would discuss various
people they'd met along their journey. Often a pastor's name would come to mind. Someone they
knew would use the nails as a ministry tool to illustrate Christ's love for us. They would prayerfully
consider who should receive each nail.
People often ask Greg to make them one when they see one and hear the story of redemption told in
its presence. Well meaning people who want to have it as a remembrance, or to display. He tells them
in his kind, soft-spoken manner that these are made so that others will hear and believe the gospel. He
gives them to people who share that vision. Most of them have gone to pastors, with the understanding that they are to be used as physical reminders of the sacrifice made on our behalf, in active ministry to those who need to know Christ. Some have gone to people who share Greg's love of Jesus and who spread His Word, regardless of their profession.
The other day Mark received a nail. It was a humbling moment for Mark. Mark isn't a pastor. He
considers himself a Christian, a disciple of Jesus who understands the call to spread the word and bring new disciples to the Master. Greg hasn't had Mary Kay to help him decide who gets the next nail. This time he had to pray it through himself. Mark showed Greg that he had made a good choice by taking the nail to the counter at McDonald's and showing the clerks there the nail, explaining its significance.
The next day, as Greg was driving to the camp where he and Mary Kay had worked side by side for so many years, he noticed he wasn't crying for her. Then he realized he had only ever been crying for
himself. But on this day, he wasn't. That nail, and the healing purchased through its use had once
again made someone just a little bit more complete.
What makes this story remarkable isn't the two men sharing a cup of coffee. It is the power of the Lord to whom they belong that brings them together, and makes them both whole.
A Growing Season...
transpired between them is a slice of what I call “the Christian Walk”.
Greg has worked in a ministry setting practically his whole adult life. Working at a Christian camp
with children, teaching them about horses, blacksmithing, leather crafts, and quietly, by example and
by design, about his Lord, Jesus Christ. Mark has worked in a ministry environment most of his adult
life too. From property management, to fence contractor, to manufacturer, he has spent much of his
time actively telling others he encounters in business about his Lord, Jesus Christ, sometimes directly, often by example.
Greg has had a lot of health problems over the years. He's the only guy I know with frequent flier
miles on Flight for Life helicopters. He has spent weeks and even months at a time in hospitals
recovering from one problem or another for years. At his side during these episodes, (much against her will, as she hated hospitals ever since she spent time in a polio ward as a young child), was the love of his life, Mary Kay. That is until one day, the tables turned. It was Greg's turn to sit next to the hospital bed, powerless to fix what was wrong, even at times trying to bargain with God to take him instead of Mary Kay.
The last two years have been a dark time for Greg, as he has adjusted, somewhat, to life without his
wife of forty plus years, his best friend. Over the years they worked together in camping ministry,
teaching children and adults about the reality and the love of Jesus. At one point many years ago Greg was inspired by the story of the crucifixion to research the blacksmith's role in the process. He studied how the nails were formed, what they were made of, and the size and shape of nail necessary to hold a human body suspended off the ground. I've heard him talk of the tears that would come to his eyes as he read, picturing this dread knowledge being used against his Lord, for his sake. I've seen the tears well up as he recalls it.
Over the years Greg has made many of these nails, replicas of the one's that secured our salvation by
securing our sin, in the person of Jesus Christ, to the cross. He could never hold on to them for long.
Even though often asked, he would never sell them. Instead, he and Mary Kay would discuss various
people they'd met along their journey. Often a pastor's name would come to mind. Someone they
knew would use the nails as a ministry tool to illustrate Christ's love for us. They would prayerfully
consider who should receive each nail.
People often ask Greg to make them one when they see one and hear the story of redemption told in
its presence. Well meaning people who want to have it as a remembrance, or to display. He tells them
in his kind, soft-spoken manner that these are made so that others will hear and believe the gospel. He
gives them to people who share that vision. Most of them have gone to pastors, with the understanding that they are to be used as physical reminders of the sacrifice made on our behalf, in active ministry to those who need to know Christ. Some have gone to people who share Greg's love of Jesus and who spread His Word, regardless of their profession.
The other day Mark received a nail. It was a humbling moment for Mark. Mark isn't a pastor. He
considers himself a Christian, a disciple of Jesus who understands the call to spread the word and bring new disciples to the Master. Greg hasn't had Mary Kay to help him decide who gets the next nail. This time he had to pray it through himself. Mark showed Greg that he had made a good choice by taking the nail to the counter at McDonald's and showing the clerks there the nail, explaining its significance.
The next day, as Greg was driving to the camp where he and Mary Kay had worked side by side for so many years, he noticed he wasn't crying for her. Then he realized he had only ever been crying for
himself. But on this day, he wasn't. That nail, and the healing purchased through its use had once
again made someone just a little bit more complete.
What makes this story remarkable isn't the two men sharing a cup of coffee. It is the power of the Lord to whom they belong that brings them together, and makes them both whole.
A Growing Season...
The most common barrier to change is fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, and even fear of success can hold us back. Fear of success attacks us by telling us about all the things that we love that we will leave behind if we succeed. I love watching the Packers at my Dad's house on Sunday afternoons. If I am truly successful in my goals, will I still have time to do that? Or maybe instead I’ll have to take him to Lambeau Field to see the games in person.
We need to identify the fear, understand the motivation behind the fear, and overcome the fear if we are to succeed. I learned from a wise man that all people fear change. I believe that. However miserable we allow our lives to become, there is a comfort in knowing what is and thinking we know what will be. Change involves an element of the unknown that breeds fear. My friends point was that until our fear of remaining the same outweighs our fear of change, we will remain where we are. I would expand on that to say that until our desire to be different than we are today outweighs all the reasons to stay the same, we will never change.
In the natural world the most obvious evidence of life is growth. Once something ceases to grow it begins to die. We know a tree is dying when its branches stop growing leaves. Our lives are like that as well. Once we stop growing and changing, we begin to die, to recede, to diminish. If growth is evidence of life, are you living, or just existing?
It's been a while since I posted on this page. I haven't really known what to do with it. I'm thinking that for now I will use it to communicate more personal messages. Things you might find on a personal blog, so that readers can get an idea of who I am apart from fencing.
I spent last week at camp. I volunteered as program director for a week of summer camp for 286 inner city kids from the greater Milwaukee-Chicago corridor, including Rockford IL and Madison WI. These kids come on scholarship each summer for a week of Bible-centered summer camp, and I have had the privilege of working with them for sixteen years. I am fortunate to work with an organization that sees value in what I do there and allowed me the time off to be a part of the ministry last week at camp.
As you may imagine, a lot can happen during the 120 hours of camp. The stories are too numerous to share all of them, but I may share a few, as appropriate, in the future. Overall, I walked away from camp with a deep and profound sense of how all things are designed to work together according to a plan, and the closer I walk with the Author of that plan, the fewer cares and worries bother me. Those cares are still there, but they are not mine to shoulder alone.
I'm sharing this to encourage you to give something of yourself back to your community. It is energizing and more rewarding, (even if not as restful!) as any vacation you can think of. And you don't have to wait in line at the airport to do it.
Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm..where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being
disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!
When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you!
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