The Crown Victoria Incident

My An Arkie's Faith column from the July 27, 2022, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

The morning was hot as the radiant heat of summer permeated my shop. The temperature was already in the nineties, and sweat ran down my face. The unusual heat wave with unending 100-degree days was wearing me out. As I wiped the sweat out of my eyes, the phone rang for what seemed like the hundredth time today. "Richie's," I said, and the voice on the other end of the line asked about a windshield and back glass for their car. 

I took down the information and scheduled a time to put the glass in their Ford Crown Victoria. When the customer brought the car in, I started by cleaning out the broken glass and preparing to install the back window. I placed the new back window on a stand, ready to prep it for installation. As I looked at the glass, it didn't look correct. Sure enough, when we held the new glass up to the opening in the car, it wasn't nearly tall enough. "What is going on," I wondered.

When I checked out the part number of the new glass, I discovered that I had ordered the wrong year model. I tried to order the correct glass from my supplier and found that they didn't have one at the Little Rock warehouse. I wasn't surprised, as I often must order glass from out of state. But as I checked each warehouse I could order from, I found that no one had the glass. I searched online and could not find a new back glass for the Crown Victoria anywhere. 

I started searching for a used back glass. I found a wrecking yard in Fort Smith that showed one online, but when I called them, they said they didn't have one. Next, I called a company in Moffat, Oklahoma. They had one, but the owner said he was having trouble finding any help, and there was no one to remove the glass from the car. The closest place I could locate the glass I needed was in North Little Rock. The only problem was that I would have to drive there to pick it up.

I cleared my schedule for Friday morning and left my house before 5 to be at the wrecking yard when they opened at 8. They had promised me they would have the glass out. But after driving three hours, I arrived and found that they had not removed the glass the day before. I had to wait almost an hour. 

I was frustrated as I drove back to Mena. I had jobs scheduled, and now I would be an hour late getting back to work. But my frustration level went through the roof when I made it back to the shop and found that they had given me the wrong glass. What was I going to do now? I had spent seven hours and driven 300 miles using fifty dollars' worth of gas. And now I had to make another call to the customer and tell them that I wasn't sure when I would be able to complete the job.

Almost a week later, I finally got the correct glass and delivered the Grand Victoria to the customer. When you are in business, there will always be days when things go wrong. There will be days that cost you money instead of making money. In the past, I had become very agitated when stuff like that happened. But I discovered that being upset didn't change anything except that it made me unhappy. Frequently I let my circumstances determine my attitude. But I now realize I can choose my attitude towards circumstances instead of allowing circumstances to control my attitude.

We often think that our situation controls our emotional responses. When we experience adverse circumstances, we believe we have no choice but to react to them. We become upset and unhappy. Any other response seems impossible. But we can choose not to get upset by circumstances that usually would have aggravated us. To succeed, we must remember that we have a choice and be deliberate about our reactions.

As I matured, I realized that I never change my circumstances by getting upset. I only make myself unhappy and often spread that unhappiness to the people around me. Being happy is a choice. We choose every day whether or not to let our day's worries, problems, and circumstances get us down. If we decide that we will be happy no matter the circumstances, we will enjoy life more.

In Philippians 4:11 (NIV), Paul said, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." The fundamental thought here is that Paul learned, and we can also learn that being content does not mean that you have no hopes or desires; it means being willing to let God teach you no matter what your circumstances are at the moment. Happiness and contentment do not come from things. 

Once we accept the truth that trouble is inevitable, it's not such a shock when trials do come. They may catch us off-guard, but when we know they are a part of life, they lose much of their power to make us unhappy. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) gives us more insight into how we can be content and happy. "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Gentle Reader, would you characterize yourself as content? Or do you feel you could be content if only one or two things were changed? How many of us have convinced ourselves that we would be satisfied if only we had a bit more money, a little less stress, or a better relationship? But Jesus says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled]," John 14:27 (AMPC). When difficult circumstances come our way, we should say, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1 NKJV)

Marienkirche

My An Arkie's Faith column from the July 20, 2022, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

The Lufthansa airplane landed on the wide strip of tarmac, wheels touching down with a slight bounce. Almost twenty-four hours ago, Daddy and I had climbed into his little Prius and headed for the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Now we were finally on the ground in Berlin, Germany. After getting our luggage, we made our way to the train station inside the airport. My heart sank as I tried to figure out the train system. I knew I needed to go to Alexanderplatz station, but I couldn't find it listed on any signs. 

The train station had two platforms with trains going in different directions. I tried reading the signs with the help of the translation app on my phone, but I couldn't figure out which train to get on. There was an automated kiosk to buy tickets, but even with the English option, it wasn't clear to me. There was no one there to help, so I decided to leave the train station and return to the airport to find someone who could help. I found three airport employees on a break and asked if anyone spoke English. One man did, and he told me which train to get to Alexanderplatz.

We boarded the train, and around forty minutes later, we pulled into the Alexanderplatz station. Exiting the train station, we saw our hotel, Park Place Inn, dominating the skyscape. As the tallest building in Berlin, it towers over all the other buildings in the area. After checking in, we made our way to our room on the 27th floor. We had been traveling for over twenty-four hours and were exhausted. I left Daddy in the room to rest, but even though I was tired, I felt an adrenaline rush from being in a European city for the first time. I was eager to explore.

I walked out the front of the hotel into Alexanderplatz. In German, Platz refers to a public square. The square was named for the Russian Tsar Alexander I when he visited in 1805. There a swell of humanity spread out in front of me. The people flowed like rivers, never stopping for obstacles but swirling around them. I was hungry, so the first thing I did was look for something to eat. I saw a small shop and went inside. In a display case, I saw a sign that said, Rhubarb Streusel. I stepped up to the counter and pointed at the streusel. After making my first purchase with my newly acquired euros, I sat on a bench and ate my streusel, savoring every bite.

As I walked around the square taking in the sights, sounds, and smells, I saw an old church that seemed out of place in this area of modern shops. I stopped to take photos of the beautiful building and noticed someone enter through a side door. I was curious to see inside the church, so I gingerly opened the door. There was a small sign beside the door. Using my translate app, I learned that the sign said, "welcome, please be quiet and respectful." I walked through the tiny vestibule into the church and was astonished by the beauty. 

A brochure I had picked up on my way inside told me that construction of Marienkirche began around 1270 and was completed early in the 14th century. It is one of Berlin's few remaining buildings that date to the Middle Ages. Quietly slipping into a pew, I thought of all the worshippers who have prayed to God here and the plagues, wars, fires, and political strife they had endured. Lighting a candle, I prayed for peace.

I walked around the church, feeling like I was in a museum. On the walls of the church hang many works of art. My brochure told me that some of the works are original to the church, but many were salvaged from other churches throughout the city that sustained damage during the Second World War. The pipe organ built in the 1720s dominates the rear of the church. It is decorated with bas-reliefs of John the Baptist and personifications of Faith, Hope, and Love 

As I sat in this beautiful old church on my first day in Europe, I thought about all the history this church had witnessed in the last 750 years. I imagined God's word read from the ornate alabaster pulpit. "Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth." Psalm 96:9 (NKJV)

A story I had read a few weeks ago came to my mind. A traveler back in the Middle Ages saw a group of workers. They were chipping away at a pile of rocks. He asked one man what he was doing, and the man said, "I am breaking up rocks." He then asked a second man what his work was, and the man replied, "I am building a cathedral." Both men were doing the same job, but one saw his job as just some rock chipping. The other saw the bigger picture and felt he was a part of something important. 

Everything we do in life is not always fun or exciting. Sometimes our job is tedious, but it needs to be done. You might have one of those "dirty jobs" Mike Rowe talks about. Maybe you have a job that people don't think is important, but God needs someone in that role.

In Luke 16:10 (GNT), Jesus says, "Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones." God cares about minor details of our lives because He knows they become essential details when we handle them correctly. Our small decisions, mindsets, habits, and prayers add up to make a positive life.

Gentle Reader, sometimes what we do might seem equivalent to chipping away at a pile of rocks. But God has asked us to faithfully represent Jesus in everything we do, even the mundane. We are not just his representatives when we work on big projects. In Colossians 3:14-17 (NLT), Paul wrote, "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Whatever you do, you are building a cathedral.

Knight George

My An Arkie's Faith column from the July 13, 2022, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

It was a spring day in 1521, and Martin was on his way home from the city of Worms. He had been on trial before a council of religious and political leaders for his religious beliefs. In January, the church excommunicated Martin because his writing and teaching contradicted the church leaders.

A new emperor, Charles V, had ascended the throne of The Holy Roman Empire, and the church pressed him to punish Martin. Frederick the Wise, who was instrumental in Charles gaining the throne, asked him not to sentence Martin before granting him a hearing. The emperor was between a rock and a hard place. The church wanted an imperial edict sentencing Martin to death. But, according to Jean-Henri Merle d'Aubigné’s book, The History of the Reformation, Frederick the Wise "declared firmly that 'neither his imperial majesty nor any other person had shown that Luther's writings had been refuted;' therefore he requested 'that Dr. Luther should be furnished with a safe-conduct, so that he might appear before a tribunal of learned, pious, and impartial judges.'"

In his trial before the tribunal, the prosecutor asked Martin to renounce his writings. Martin answered that he would need a day to consider the matter and give a complete answer. The next day Martin reappeared before the tribunal. He reported that before giving his answer, he had prayed for long hours. He stated that his conscience was captive to God's Word and that relying on anything other than the Bible as an ultimate source of authority was impossible. 

Martin  was given one last chance to recant and was told, "If you do not retract, the emperor and the states of the empire will consult what course to adopt against an incorrigible heretic." Martin said, "unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture or by the clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the word of God, I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me. Amen." - Jean-Henri Merle d'Aubigné

As a result of Martin's trial, The Emperor issued a decree that allowed anyone to kill Martin without any repercussions from the authorities. Because of a prior agreement to get Martin to appear before the tribunal, he had a guarantee from The Emperor of safe passage home. But Martin's friends didn't believe the agreement would be honored given the trial's outcome. They hatched a daring plan to keep Martin safe. It would take cunning and secrecy to carry it out.

While Martin was on his way home from Worms to Wittenberg on May 4, 1521, he was captured by four armed bandits. Frederick the Wise had arranged for Martin to be seized on his way by a company of masked horsemen. He gave the men careful instructions to keep Martin safe but to tell no one where they were taking him, not even Frederick. The ruse allowed Frederick to escape charges of harboring a heretic and outlaw.

Martin was tossed to the bottom of the wagon and covered with a blanket. The bandits drove him through the dense forest to Wartburg Castle, an isolated mountain fortress perched 1200 feet above the city of Eisenach. There he lived incognito, replacing his usual monk's habit with a black robe with a high collar. He let his hair and beard grow out to complete his disguise. He carried a sword and used the name Junker Jörg, "Knight George." Only one man in the Castle knew who he was because Martin needed his identity to be kept secret from other knights who lived there. 

Martin's seizure and concealment were so involved in mystery that even Frederick himself did not know where Martin was for a long time. His ignorance was by design. If Frederick knew nothing of Martin's whereabouts, he could reveal nothing. He satisfied himself knowing that Martin was safe and was content with this knowledge.

As I was touring Wartburg Castle, the tour guide pointed out a painting on the wall. There a man in a black robe seemed to look my way. His hair was dark, with curls on his forehead. A trim mustache accentuated a full bushy beard. As I studied the painting of Junker Jörg, "Knight George," the tour guide told the thrilling story of Martin's contentious appearance before the Diet of Worms and the sentence that amounted to a death sentence. Anyone could kill Martin without any repercussions from the authorities. He told the story of the kidnapping on the highway. We learned that this man, known as Knight George, translated the entire New Testament of The Bible into German while he was in hiding. 

Knight George, aka Martin Luther, was a champion of the Bible. He believed that every Christian should read the Bible for himself and was able, with God's help to understand the truths it contained. He wrote, "We must make a great difference between God's Word and the word of man. A man's word is a little sound, that flies into the air, and soon vanishes; but the Word of God is greater than heaven and earth, yea, greater that death and hell, for it forms part of the power of God, and endures everlastingly." He often quoted the words of Jesus found in Matthew 11:25 (AMP). "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God's will and purpose]."

Gentle Reader, I want to leave you with these words penned by Knight George. "We cannot attain to the understanding of Scripture either by study or by the intellect. Your first duty is to begin by prayer. Entreat the Lord to grant you, of His great mercy, the true understanding of His Word. There is no other interpreter of the Word of God than the Author of this Word, as He Himself has said, "They will all be taught by God" John 6:45 (NCV). Hope for nothing from your own labors, from your own understanding: trust solely in God, and in the influence of His Spirit. Believe this on the word of a man who has experience."

Grandma's View-Master

My An Arkie's Faith column from the July 6, 2022, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

There are many things that I remember about visiting my grandparents. There was the old antique farmhouse cupboard where they kept the flour in a large bin. I wanted my drink in the plastic insulated glasses with the photos on them. On the breakfast table, there was always a box of Apple Jacks. We never had sugary cereals at home, so eating Apple Jacks at Grandma's house was a treat.

One of my favorite things at Grandma's house was looking at her View-Master. We had to ask to play with the View-Master, and my stern grandfather always reminded us that it was not a toy. "You be careful with that," he would say. And when we finished, even if we had carefully put each reel in its sleeve, he would bellow, "make sure you have put everything away properly!" But when we got out the View-Master and the many reels with it, it always transported me to other places in the world. I had to share it with my sister, but I wasn't very good at it. I wanted to see what was next, and I didn't want to wait for her to have a turn. 

My sister and I would look at beautiful nature scenes we couldn't imagine seeing in real life. I remember the View-Master reels of Butchart Gardens in Victoria. There were reels from Cyprus Gardens in Florida and Sun Valley in Idaho. But the reels I repeatedly returned to were of the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. I was intrigued by the Bible scenes and fascinated by the fact that they were from far away Germany.

Earlier this year, my Daddy asked me if I would take an overseas trip with him. We booked a tour with Tabgha Tours that focused on the history of Martin Luther and WWII. When I looked at the itinerary, I saw that we would see the famous Pergamon Museum in Berlin, visit Martin Luther's home and the church where he nailed his 95 theses to the door in Wittenberg, and spend the weekend at the monastery where Luther became a monk and priest. Then we would visit the Nazi rally grounds where Hitler spoke in Nuremberg and the Dachau Concentration Camp outside Munich.

It was the next item on the itinerary that grabbed my attention. “Depart for Oberammergau. World-renowned, this quaint Bavarian town is the site of the extravagant Oberammergau Passion Play – performed only once every ten years. Take part in this once-in-a-lifetime experience." My mind drifted back to a little boy looking at amazing 3-D photos of the passion play on his grandparents' View-Master. With disbelief, I realized the little boy looking at the View-Master reel of the Passion Play in Oberammergau would be attending almost sixty years later.

While in Oberammergau, I learned about the origins of the Passion Play. In 1633, the plague was raging in Europe, including in the town of Oberammergau. The local people vowed: If the dying stops, every ten years, we will stage the "play of the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ." No one died of the plague from that day on. Since then, the people of Oberammergau have been performing the Passion of Jesus Christ every ten years. For 200 years, the play was staged in the cemetery near the church. In the 19th century, when more and more people started coming from all over the world to see the play, it was moved to the current location. This year there will be 103 performances with over 5,000 people at each performance.

The production involves over 2,000 performers, musicians, and stage technicians, all residents of Oberammergau. This is a large percentage of the village's 5500 residents. There are only 124 speaking roles, but up to 1,000 people appear on the stage at one time. There are 64 vocalists and 55 instrumentalists. To be a performer in the Passion Play, you must either have been born in Oberammergau, married to a local for ten or more years or lived there personally for 20 years. There are no exceptions to these rules. 

Even though the play was in German, and I only knew a few words, the story still came through. As I watched, the words found in Isaiah 53:11,12 (NCV) came to mind. "After his soul suffers many things, he will see life and be satisfied. My good servant will make many people right with God; he will carry away their sins. For this reason I will make him a great man among people, and he will share in all things with those who are strong. He willingly gave his life and was treated like a criminal. But he carried away the sins of many people and asked forgiveness for those who sinned."

Have you ever wondered why we refer to a play about the final week in the life of Jesus as a passion play? You may have never thought about it, but I have a curious mind and needed to know. I looked the word passion up in the dictionary and found the following meanings. "1. Extreme compelling emotion. 2. Object of any strong desire or fondness. 3. Any one of the emotions: hate, grief, love, fear, joy. 4. The suffering of Jesus." 

I studied the origin of the word passion and found that in approximately 1175, this word was adopted from Old French to Old English and meant the sufferings of Christ on the Cross. The word passion picked up romantic connotations in the late Middle English period. During the 16th century, the word passion described a fit or outburst of anger or rage. By the mid-17th century, passion had expanded its meaning again by describing anything pursued with extreme enthusiasm. 

Gentle Reader, as Christians, our passion, our object of intense desire, should be Jesus. I have met many Christians who are passionate about their beliefs. But they focus on just a few hot-button topics. I find it sad that I seldom meet someone passionate about Jesus and what He has done for us. And it is even rarer to find a Christian who is passionate about the sinners that Jesus came to seek and save. My question for you today is, do you have a passion for Jesus? Are you passionate about the world, not willing that any should perish?

Finding Jake

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 29, 2022, issue of The Polk County Pulse. 

The weather outside was hot and muggy as I packed for my summer vacation. Bright and early the next morning, Daddy and I were driving to Dallas to catch a flight to Berlin, Germany. Earlier this year, Daddy had asked me if I would go on an overseas tour with him. He showed me a tour company brochure and told me to pick any tour I wanted. I chose a history tour of Germany. After months of waiting, it was finally time to go. When my suitcase was packed and I was sure that I had everything I needed, I was able to relax. 

Before I left, the plants and flowers needed to be watered. When I went outside to water, the dogs went with me; my two dogs, Maggie and Tucker along with my granddaughters’ dog, Jake. Jake is a large, hairy, white dog with a black head and lots of black spots. His size and bark are intimidating, but he is a lovable, goofy, gentle dog who considers himself a house pet and spends as little time as possible outside. If he thinks there is the smallest chance of a raindrop, he refuses to go out.

Jake was staying with us while his family vacationed in Colorado. In just a few hours they would be here to pick him up. As I started to water the plants, I could hear the rumbling of thunder in the distance. I said, “Jake isn’t going to like this.” Jake is extremely traumatized by storms and will find a place to hide when he hears thunder. A few raindrops began to fall, and I put my dogs in the house. But Jake wasn’t there. I walked around to the backyard looking for him, but he wasn’t there. I expected to find him at the back door wanting in the house. “Jake, here Jake, come on Jake,” I called. But he didn’t come. “Where can he be,” I wondered.

My wife and I looked through the house. Maybe he came back in the house. We looked in every room and in every closet and hiding place, but he was nowhere to be found. By this time the thunder was louder and there were streaks of lightning in the distance. I knew that Jake had a history of becoming frantic during storms and running from them. We knew that he wasn’t in the house and he wasn’t in our yard. I walked up and down the street calling for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

I started driving up and down the streets in our area. As I slowly drove past each house and looked in the yards, I wondered what people thought. I kept looking, slowly expanding the radius around our house, but there was no Jake. While I was driving the car and looking, my wife went to neighbors houses and was looking under decks and anyplace she imagined Jake could hide. When our neighbors learned that Jake was missing, they helped us look for him. Some were on foot and some were driving. The whole neighborhood was looking for Jake but with no success.

After searching for an hour, we took a few minutes to post on Facebook and ask for anyone who might have seen Jake to call us. There was one comment from someone who thought they might have seen him on Bethesda Road. I had searched that area several times, and I knew that the neighbors had looked there, but I drove back to look again. By now we had been searching for two hours and we began to give up hope. Where could Jake be? There continued to be occasional thunder and lightning, a now it was raining. A friend who lives a couple of mile from us saw our Facebook post and let me know that he was going to search the area between his house and Bethesda Road. We appreciated all the help that friends and neighbors were giving us, but it seemed we were no closer to finding Jake.

As night fell, we knew that it was pointless to continue the search. I continued to drive up and down each street between Hwy 71 and south Bethesda Road, but I didn’t see Jake. About the time I returned to the house with a heavy heart and a feeling of hopelessness, my friend who had been helping me search called and told me he had called the search on account of darkness. He held out hope by telling the story of a dog of his that was also afraid of thunderstorms. In a similar circumstance, his dog ran away during a storm and he couldn’t find her. When night fell and he had to give up the search, he turned on every light on his property. When the storm subsided, his dog found her way home. “Don’t give up hope,” he said.

That night when my granddaughters arrived, Jake was still missing. They and their Daddy searched for Jake, calling his name. But we had to call off the search and go to bed. When we got up in the morning, Jake still wasn’t home. We discussed options such as making fliers and notifying the police. There were sad faces and heavy hearts as we discussed what our options were. My wife was preparing breakfast when she let out a squeal as exclaimed, “it’s Jake!” There he was limping across the back yard. The back two thirds of his body was wet and dirty, and the pads of his feet were raw. When he walked into the house, Jake was immediately smothered with hugs of affection. The mood in the house changed in an instant.

Are you looking for the lost? Are you celebrating and rejoicing when they are found? In Luke 19:10 (NRSV) Jesus says that He “came to seek out and to save the lost.” And the same Jesus who came to seek out and save, tells us in John 20:21 (NIV), “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” The focus of too many Christians is pointing out the sin in others. Daniel Darling states, "we must not allow our protest against values with which we disagree to overshadow our responsibility to show Christ's love for the world. It may very well be the person who offends us the most whom God is in the process of saving. And our gracious response might be the bridge that the Spirit uses to usher him from death to life.”

Gentle Reader, do you have compassion on those who are lost? Many people who claim to love God don’t have genuine love for other people. But 1 John 4:8 (NKJV) tells us, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” I challenge you today to see the lost the way that Jesus sees them and to rejoice with Him whenever one of his lost sheep comes home!

Love at First Sight

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 22, 2022, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a lonely boy. In that same land, there lived a girl with beautiful golden hair. One day as the lonely boy walked into history class, he looked across the room and saw the girl with beautiful golden hair. His heart jumped, and he knew this was love at first sight. He knew he had to get up the courage to talk to this vision of loveliness with the beautiful golden curls.

The lonely boy was too shy to talk to girls, so it was almost a year before the girl with the beautiful golden hair had any idea that the lonely boy was interested. The good Lord knew that the lonely boy needed all the help he could get, so the Lord made it so that the lonely boy and the girl with the beautiful golden hair crossed paths in several ways that year.

The history teacher selected five students to work together each week, producing learning packets for history class. The girl with the beautiful golden hair and the lonely boy were in the group meeting in the library each week to create the history learning packets. They both worked at the furniture factory. The lonely boy worked on the dresser jig, and the girl with the beautiful golden hair made drawers. The lonely boy would spend his break time with the drawer makers, but the girl with the beautiful golden hair still didn't catch on.

It came time for their high school graduation, and the lonely boy still had never gotten up the nerve to ask the girl with the beautiful golden hair out on a date. Finally, the lonely boy mustered up every ounce of courage he could find and asked the girl with the beautiful golden hair if she would march with him at the graduation. The girl with the beautiful golden hair told him that she would like to, but she had already told another boy that she would march with him. If the lonely boy talked to the other boy and it was okay with him, she would march with the lonely boy. Once again, the lonely boy summoned up every bit of courage he had and spoke to the other boy, who was very gracious and bowed out. The lonely boy was on cloud nine. The girl with the beautiful golden hair would be walking down the aisle beside him when they graduated.

This fairytale had a delightful ending. After a year of a long-distance relationship, with five hundred miles separating them, the lonely boy and the girl with the beautiful golden hair were finally in the same place at the same time. Then the lonely boy knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the girl with beautiful golden hair. On a wonderful June day, they were married in a fairytale wedding.

Most fairy tales are not true, but I can assure you this one is true. I was that lonely boy. If you ask me if I believe in love at first sight, I will tell you I do. I also know that God believes in love at first sight.

The Bible tells us that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (NKJV). And 1 John 4:19 (NCV) says, "We love because God first loved us."

God created you as an object of his love. David understood this when he wrote, "You made my whole being. You formed me in my mother's body." Psalms 139:13 (ICB) He made you so that He could love you and so you could love him. God's love for you is the reason you are alive.

God has loved you longer than you can even imagine. It wasn't love at first sight; it was love before you were even born. Ephesians 1:4 (NLV) says that "even before the world was made, God chose us for Himself because of His love." God tells us, "Before I formed you in your mother's body I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart to serve me." Jeremiah 1:5 (NIRV)

Just like a marriage relationship has its good and bad days, so does our relationship with God. Some days our hearts are full of love for God. Some days we are rebellious and angry with Him.

The story of Job is fascinating and complex. When he lost everything and everyone he loved, Job's anger is understandable. "I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer me; I stand before you, but you barely take notice." Job 30:20 (NCB) I don't believe that harboring blame and anger toward God is a good thing in itself. But our emotions don't scare God, and we must be honest about them. Despite his anger, Job rushes to God  – not away. He has a dialogue with God. 

The good news is that God loves you on your bad days as much as he loves you on your good days. He loves you when you are angry with him. He loves you when you can feel his love and when you aren't sure that He even exists. "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." Psalms 103:8 (NIV)

There is nothing you can do that will make God stop loving you. In Romans 8:38,39 (NCV), Paul wrote, "I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Gentle Reader, are you lonely and looking for love? God has already chosen you. He loved you before you were even born. If you love Him back, He has promised you a happily ever after. In John 14:2,3 (VOICE), Jesus tells us, "My Father's home is designed to accommodate all of you. If there were not room for everyone, I would have told you that. I am going to make arrangements for your arrival. I will be there to greet you personally and welcome you home, where we will be together." Don’t be lonely. Jesus wants you to be with him.

Celebrate Love

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 15, 2022, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

This week marks our forty-seventh wedding anniversary. Because our anniversary falls in the middle of a hectic week, we celebrated our anniversary a few days early by going to Hot Springs. We have visited in the past, and I am intrigued by the history of Hot Springs. After a wonderful lunch at our favorite restaurant, La Hacienda, we toured the historic bathhouse row in Hot Springs National Park.

The first permanent settlers came to the Hot Springs area in 1807. They were quick to realize the area's potential as a health resort. By the 1830s, there were log cabins and a store to meet visitors' needs. By the 1880s, bathhouses were lining the streets of Hot Springs. The health resort industry led to Hot Springs becoming known as the "American Spa."

From the Roaring 20's until the end of World War II ten major casinos and numerous smaller houses operated in Hot Springs. Hot Springs became a haven for notorious criminals and mobsters, including Owen "Owney" Madden, Charles "Lucky" Luciano, and Al Capone. Word spread that Hot Springs was the perfect hideout for criminals running from police investigations. Al Capone and his bodyguards would rent out entire floors of hotels.

Visiting Hot Springs today, it's hard to imagine the city as a hotbed for organized crime, such as gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging. But from the late-1800s through the mid-1900s, Hot Springs was a popular hangout for mobsters. The safe, secluded scenic location of Hot Springs made it the ideal hideout. Hot Springs offered Las Vegas-style amenities before there was a Las Vegas. 

One of the most notable Hot Springs features is Bathhouse Row, which consists of a series of eight historic, architecturally unique bathhouses lining Central Avenue. We toured Fordyce Bathhouse. It's the largest and most ornate of all the bathhouses. It was built in 1915 and now serves as the Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center.

The day was hot and sultry as we walked down bathhouse row and then made our way up to the wide brick-lined promenade that stretches across the hillside above the bathhouses. Walking the promenade and looking out over the bustling city was a peaceful contrast to the chaos and cacophony below us. It might have been romantic if not for the heat and humidity that tried to suffocate us. But even with the heat, it was a lovely day, and we enjoyed our time together. 

Love is more than just romance. Many of history's greatest writers, poets, intellects, and philosophers have pondered the nature of love. American science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein wrote, "Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." I like that description.

What is love? Humans have been trying to describe that elusive, nebulous feeling since the beginning of the written word. It's been the subject of many books, movies, and songs. Yet, love is difficult to define. That makes it a challenge when you're trying to wish your partner a happy anniversary without seeming shallow and mundane. 

Instead of trying to explain my deepest feelings, I often fall back on humor and pestering. If I am annoying enough, I won't have to express the things I don't know how to say. I love this quote from Rita Rudner, and I think it fits me all too well. "It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life."

There are many flowery descriptions of love in literature. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's famous words on love are some of my favorites. "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight, for the ends of being and ideal grace." 

The Bible also has many flowery descriptions of love. Song of Solomon 8:6,7 (VOICE) reads, "Love flares up like a blazing fire, a very ardent flame. No amount of water can quench love; a raging flood cannot drown it out."

Even though eloquent descriptions of love have their place, we all know that life in a relationship isn't always lofty prose and romantic ideals. One of my favorite, down-to-earth passages about love is found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIRV) "Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do. Suppose either of them falls down. Then the one can help the other one up. But suppose a person falls down and doesn't have anyone to help them up. Then feel sorry for that person! Or suppose two people lie down together. Then they'll keep warm. But how can one person keep warm alone? One person could be overpowered. But two people can stand up for themselves."

This describes the long-term, everyday love that makes a relationship last. And that is what marriage anniversaries are celebrating. A marriage milestone means something. It is not just another day that comes and goes without recognition. It is a milestone on the path of life. As I try to put my feelings about love into words, I always come up short. I have no problem expressing myself on most topics, but my innermost feelings of love want to stay hidden.

Since I can't find my own words to express my feelings, I will use these words from Nicholas Sparks' book, The Notebook. "I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough."

Gentle Reader, whether you are in a brand new relationship or celebrating a milestone anniversary, it is something to applaud. King Soloman wrote, "Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth." Proverbs 5:18 (NKJV) and Paul wrote, "on top of all this you must put on love, which ties everything together and makes it complete." Colossians 3:14 (NTE) "Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening. Love never fails; never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end." 1 Corinthians 13:7,8 (AMPC) Every day is perfect for celebrating love!