Container Tuesday

I don't know how many times I loaded that container last night! Today we are supposed to transfer everything from the semi trailer to the container that will be shipped to Honduras. I dreamed about it all last night. I spent a significant amount of time yesterday getting ready.

Luke, back from Guatemala for a few days before heading to Nashville, helped me build a platform that will bridge the semi trailer and the container. We got the forklift from the store and used it lift the bridge into the trailer. We moved the heavy metal stairs around to make it possible to put the bridge in place. We will use the forklift to lift the heavy and awkward eye exam chair. And we got two more things yesterday that will require the forklift.

A doctor called yesterday and said he would like to donate 2 exam tables. Four of us went and got them. They are pretty heavy, so the forklift is going to be a big help with them. The container is going to be pretty full. I was skeptical early on, wondering if we would have enough to justify the cost. I said all along that it really was a "faith thing" for me. God has proved faithful in spite of my little faith.

The last few days have been kinda crazy. Friday I attended a Social Media Bootcamp in Indy with Doug Pagitt. Doug is one of the leaders of the Emerging Church movement. I found him very interesting and helpful. I learned some things that will help me. Saturday was the big bike ride. Friday and Saturday night we had social engagements.

Sunday we had a breakfast at church, Bible class, worship, a graduation open house, and a graduation dinner. In the midst of all that I performed a wedding ceremony. It was a pretty busy day. Of course Sunday is the only day of the week I work, so I am not complaining. I will have six days to rest up.

Riding Bikes at Crane

Yesterday was Crane Cyclefest. It was a great day, very enjoyable for the most part. I am training for RAIN, and yesterday was a great training ride. I rode the 50 mile course.

Several of us met at the registration area and waited through a rather long opening ceremony. Once that was over we, along with 400+ other riders, made our way to and through the Crane gate. This part of the ride was slow and a little tricky. I had to clip in and out with my shoes a few times. There is always a danger of falling over. I sure didn't want to do that and take a bunch of people down.

At the gate we had to slow down and go through a few at a time. The guards had to record our bib number to make sure we were weren't two wheel terrorists. The guy with the machine gun made us see they were serious. Once through the gate the fun began. I immediately got separated from my friends who are faster than me AND better climbers. The first hill was grueling, and I was slow. Plus I had overinflated my front tire. I had to stop 2-3 times to adjust the pressure. I finally caught everyone at the first rest stop at the 20 mile mark.

We started out again, and it was another huge hill. Again I got separated. Rand H. came back to get me, but I told him/them to go ahead. I was fine. I really was. I rode most of the 50 miles by myself. There were other bikers around, and an occasional conversation took place. I just enjoyed the scenery. I blew through the 29 mile rest stop. I felt fine.

At about 40 miles I climbed this long, cruel hill. IT. TOOK. FOREVER. As I was beginning the descent in areobar position, someone came up the hill and said a biker was down at the bottom of the hill. I made my way down the hill at about 30 mph, watching for the biker down. As I came around a curve I saw all my friends standing there. Oh no! I looked on the ground and it was Rand H sprawled out in the middle of the road.

He had hit the curve at about 40 mph and the force pushed him off the road. He tried to get back on and, as he did, he hit the payment very hard with his shoulder and helmet. He was in the road for about 30 minutes while we waited on the ambulance. They took him to an ER and did all kinds of tests. Amazingly he is OK! He is a tough one.

I finished the ride at the 50 mile mark (really about 53 miles). A few of the guys went on to do the 65 mile course. I thought about it, but I was so tired and the thought of having to climb all those hills again made the decision pretty quick and easy.

Dan D and I rode back together and then enjoyed a wonderful meal while a band, dressed as clowns, performed. They were good and very entertaining. I felt really good about completing 50 very hilly and hard miles. I had never ridden that far. I will now move on to the Metric Century - 62 miles and then keep progressing toward my first 100 mile ride in the next month or so. RAIN is about 160 miles, so I need to spend a lot of time on the seat.

Yesterday was encouraging and fun. Early on I thought I would not make it, but I settled in and just worked through it all. It was a confidence builder.

Here we go Thursday

I've been reading and studying Ecclesiastes all week. Wow, it sure fits the weather and lots of other things going on! Solomon (or a Solomon-like character) wrestles with the (to use a deep theological term) stinkiness of life. There are a lot of inexplicable things that happen. "Meaningless, meaningless, all is meaningless!" Of course at the end he bows in submission to the will of God.

Some think that Ecclesiastes, along with Job, are "corrections" to proverbial wisdom. In Proverbs you get statements that say, If you do this, then this will happen. We all know from experience that life does not always work that way. There seem to be exceptions to everything. For example, not every child raised right stays on the right path (see Proverbs 22:6).

Job helps us understand inexplicable suffering - there is much more to life than we can see, and we can never understand it all. Ecclesiastes is along the same line, and it frustrates the "Teacher." He tries everything to makes sense of life, including wisdom. All of it is frustrating. There is more "out there" that is beyond human knowledge and experience.

In the end the conclusion is that you must fear God and do what he says. That is the only way to make sense of life. Faith is the key.

Luke Timothy Johnson, in The Creed, writes this:

Christians need to begin by insisting, first of all to themselves, then to each other, and finally to the world, that faith itself is a way of knowing reality. They need to insist that faith establishes contact with reality in a way different from, but no less real than, the very limited (though, in their fashion, extremely impressive) ways of knowing by which the wheels of the world’s empirical engine are kept spinning. Christians need as well to cultivate practices that reveal and reinforce perceptions of the world that include “things invisible” as much as “things visible.”

He echoes the writer of Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:3 — By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

Hebrews 11:6 — And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Life is full of frustrations and meaningless, mindless junk at times, but to makes sense of it, you have to have faith. There are times when you simply bow before the mystery of God and press on!

Wednesday a.m.

I will not complain about the weather. I will not complain about the weather. I will not complain about the weather. OK, at least not too much!

Last night I went to Bedford to ride my bike, hoping that a group decision would be made to cancel the ride and run instead. It was 49 degrees and very damp! We're having to ride from Bedford right now because Orange county still has major road closings due to continued flooding. The Lost River system drains very slowly. When I got there I found only a few riders, mostly the fastest guys. I knew I would get dropped and dropped hard, plus it was so cold! I took some abuse as I announced that I was going to run instead of ride.

I ran a little while and my niggling pain started up, and I was having this angel/devil debate on my shoulders. "You came here to ride! Why are you running - by yourself?" "Yeah but it was going to be hilly and I would have been dropped early, plus it's freezing!" This went on for a while. Then I realized I could still ride, at my pace, in town, waiting for them to come back. This is what I did, and I froze. We ended up in a heavy mist (commonly called light rain) At least I did not sail down the rock cut on 37 at 30+ mph. I rode about 11 miles and finished with the group.

After that Jim Sowders and I went to his house and got his trailer. He is sending an old eye exam chair to Honduras, along with a refractory, for future use in eye clinics. He hopes to go with me in the future. That chair was/is HEAVY! We could barely scoot it, but we managed to get it out of his office and loaded onto the trailer. Then we hauled it over to our church building. It will take several men to get it loaded on the container.

Today I need to have some quiet study time. Then I will go to Bloomington to see a couple of people. I am studying Ecclesiastes. It is a fascinating book that really wrestles with a cyncical view of life before emerging with/to a very profound conclusion. I'm working to get my mind around all that the writer is saying.

Tuesday a.m.

Good morning!

I'm trying to get back in the habit of blogging, so here we go...

The photo is from the Central Church of Christ in Tuscaloosa. I was struck by all the computer cables and other wires simply dangling. It was such a mess!

Yesterday was a busy day with varied activities. I spent a little time getting organized and then it was time to simply go do the day. There were lots of little things going on yesterday including a couple of meetings. The container we are shipping to Honduras dominated the day. I received a couple of phone calls and had a few people drop things off.

I went to one lady's house to pick up some things. I thought it was going to be a one-trip-to-the-truck-as-I-leave type pick up, but it turned out that I made about 10 trips. My cab was full to overflowing, and most of the bed was full as well! Wow! We are getting a lot of last minute things, which is good.

My biking really picked up last week. I got 71 miles in 3 days, which is a good start. While my biking went north, my running went south. I didn't say much about it, but I ran the Indy Mini in a quite bit of pain. Not sure what it was/is. I don't think it is anything serious at all, but I've taken some time off. That's all OK. I rode rides of 15, 36, and 20 last week. The 20 miler on Saturday was followed by a 5 mile run, where the pain came back.

The big 65 mile ride is Saturday at hilly Crane. I am considering scaling back to the 50 mile route. To do the 65 course you simply tack a 15 mile loop on at the end, which means I can make the decision at the 50 mile mark.

OK, better get focused on this day: study of Ecclesiastes, Honduras stuff, counseling, 26 mile bike ride at 5, followed by a Honduras pick up of heavier stuff. Let's do this day!

Tuscaloosa, AL May 2011

Tuscaloosa, AL May 2011

Photos for those who don't do Facebook!

Tuscaloosa, AL May 2011

On April 27th parts of Tuscaloosa were totally destroyed by a massive tornado. It only took a few minutes to maim, kill, and destroy much of what was in its path. Dozens of people were killed, many were injured, and I think some are still missing.

A few days after the tornado came through, I received an email from the Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team. They go wherever disaster goes to help in various ways. I always wanted to work with them, and I felt like this was the right time. Tuscaloosa is only 8 hours away.

I put out an email to my church family and got some response, and then I decided to make this a community effort. I invited, via Facebook, anyone who wanted to go to come along. It was risky, but it worked out really well.

We ended up with 12 men:

Randy Andrews
B.A. Barlow
Darrel Burkett
Allen Burris
Brad Clark
Troy Guthrie
Greg McBride
Bob Miracle
Ryan Roberts
Zach Seaton
Ken Sullivan
Alex Thoms

Bob, Darrel and Zach left at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 8th, and the rest of us left at 3 in a church van without AC. (It got hot, especially on the return trip! It was 94 in AL.) Seven hours and 45 minutes later, after two brief stops, we arrived at the University Church of Christ. There we had a large class room where we inflated air mattresses and unrolled sleeping bags. The DRT supplied us with meals and a shower trailer.

The next morning we headed down to the Central Church of Christ. Immediately we were struck by the devastation everywhere, as we had the benefit of the morning’s light. We had arrived in the dark and only could see bits and pieces.

The Central Church was a mess. It will have to be bulldozed. We were one of the first volunteer crews to arrive, so we began doing whatever we could do as organization was unfolding. We started by unloading supplies and sweeping the parking lot. Then the opportunities to go out and help specific people started happening.

Before long all of us were out helping people remove trees and debris from their properties. It wasn’t glamorous or heroic work by any means. We didn’t rescue anyone trapped in rubble, but we did was what was needed. There was a lot of chainsaw work, which I love, a lot of limb dragging and brush piling. It was hot, and it was difficult. But it was rewarding.

A lot of times we did not meet the owners of the properties. They were not there; their houses were inhabitable in the present state. We did get to talk to people however. Some were in stores. Some were neighbors. All had a story to tell. Most spoke passionately about and with faith. They brushed up against death and survived. Some were assaulted by death and by the power and grace of God overcame it.

I was struck by the humility and the resiliency of the people. They have a perspective that one can only have by living through such a nightmare.

So what sounds like a joke...

Four Church of Christ guys, including a preacher, along with preachers from a Methodist church, a Pentecostal church, a Christian church, along with 3 Baptists, and a house church guy, go down to Alabama...

turns out to be a blessing in so many ways. We laughed together, prayed together, worked together. Together we accomplished a lot, but in the grand scheme of the all the destruction, it seemed like a proverbial drop in the bucket.

BUT, it wasn’t! This story came to my mind:

As the old man walked down a Spanish beach at dawn, he saw ahead of him what he thought to be a dancer. The young man was running across the sand, rhythmically bending down to pick up a stranded starfish and throw it far into the sea.

The old man gazed in wonder as the young soul again and again threw the small starfish from the sand into the water. The old man approached him and asked why he spent so much energy doing what seemed a waste of time. The young man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.

"But there are thousands of miles of beach, and miles and miles of starfish. How can your effort make any difference?" The young man looked down at the small starfish in his hand, and as he threw it to safety in the sea, said, "It makes a difference to this one!"

I love the prayer of St. Francis and had not thought of it in the context of disaster – until last week.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

To seek photos go to my Facebook photo album.