Dirty Hands

An Arkie's Faith column from the January 23, 2019, issue of The Mena Star.

When people meet me, one of the first things that they notice are my hands. My hands are usually stained and look dirty. My job is installing windshields. Most windshields today are bonded to the vehicle with urethane designed specifically for auto glass installation. I use a high viscosity black urethane. Urethane is thick and sticky and bonds to almost anything. If it comes in contact with your hands or your clothes, it is difficult to remove, and it will stain.

When I was fairly new to the business, I was talking to a long time technician and asked him if he had any secrets for removing urethane from his hands. He said, “Point your hand north, then south. Then wait a week, and I promise the stain will be gone. This is the only method that works. I'll recommend it to anyone.” In other words, only time will wear it off. Over the years I have had many people recommend products to me that they were sure would remove the stains from my hands. None of them work.

One day a customer was watching while I was installing his windshield. The urethane that I was using seemed irresistible. He just had to touch it. He got some of the urethane on his hand. He didn't want me to know he had touched it. I noticed he was quietly rubbing on his hand with a shop towel. If you try to wipe urethane off, all it does is smear and make a bigger mess. When I noticed his problem, I offered him some solvent that helps clean the urethane up. He said, “No thanks, I don’t need any.”

As I worked, I noticed him continuing to try to clean up. By this time he had gotten the urethane on both of his hands and had also gotten it on his coat. Urethane doesn't come out of clothes. Finally, after observing his attempts to clean himself up and seeing how big a mess he was making, I just got a shop towel and soaked it in solvent and gave it to him. By trying to clean it up himself, he had made a monumental mess. Have you ever made a big mess of your life by trying to clean things up yourself? I know I have.

As silly as it seems, there are many Christians who have the same attitude as the man in this story. Their hands are dirty and stained with sin, and yet when offered God’s saving grace they say, “no thanks, I don’t need any.” They try and try to clean themselves up. Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 (NKJV), “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Even though the consequences of having hands stained with sin are so clearly stated, some Christians feel that they can clean themselves up by their works. Isaiah 64:6 (NLT) tells us that “when we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.” Why would we try to clean ourselves up when Jesus has promised to forgive us and clean us up? Why would we ever think that we would have the ability to make ourselves clean?

King David when he was confronted with his sin by the prophet Nathan admitted that his hands were dirty. In 2 Samuel 12:13 (NLT) the Bible tells us, “Then David confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.’”

After this experience, David wrote the 51st Psalm. In it, he repeatedly talked about God’s cleansing. Verse 2 (NKJV), “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” Verse 7 (NIV) “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Verse 10 (NKJV) “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” David knew that he couldn’t clean himself up. He knew that only God could wash him and cleanse him. Only God could create a new heart in him.

When the Bible talks about our heart, it isn’t referring to the muscle that pumps blood through our body. It is referring to someone’s inner, center self which is the most basic part of who they are. And that’s why the heart is important. It’s the truest part of ourselves, which is why the Bible uses language like “from the heart” and “take it to heart” and “with all your heart.” In Matthew 22:37 (NKJV) Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

Your heart is the essence of who you are, and David knew that his heart was dirty. He knew that he couldn’t clean it up himself. His plea to God was, “Create in me a clean heart.” He knew that to be able to “love the Lord your God with all your heart,” he would need a new, clean heart.

Gentle Reader, 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We can trust God to clean us up. Our job is to admit that we have dirty hands and that we can’t clean them ourselves. Jesus has offered to forgive us of our sin, no matter what it is, and He has promised to clean us up. Let’s take him at his word. We don’t have to have dirty hearts or dirty hands.

A Gift for a King

An Arkie's Faith column from the January 16, 2019, issue of The Mena Star.

The young girl eagerly tore the wrapping paper as she anticipated what was inside such a large box. She had noticed this present the moment she walked into Grandma’s living room and saw that one present under the tree was larger than all the rest. When she looked at the present, it had her name on it! She was so excited that she could hardly wait for Christmas morning.

When the paper was finally off the large box, and she was able to open it with the help of Daddy’s knife, her eyes lit up as she saw a barn and stable for her Spirit Riding Free horses. The box included a barn, fences, a wheelbarrow, stables with working lights, grooming tools, treats, and a real water pump with a hose. Grandma was happy that she seemed to like the gift. When we give gifts, we hope that the recipients will like them. We spend a lot of money and time finding the right gifts for people that are important in our life. Did you give any great gifts this year?

One Christmas when my son was a young boy, we nearly ruined his Christmas with one of his gifts. One of his jobs was sweeping the kitchen floor. That Christmas we bought a stick vacuum cleaner and thought it would be funny to give to him as a gift. The vacuum, wrapped in beautiful paper, was the largest gift under the tree. When my son saw that the largest gift had his name on it, he was very excited. His imagination went wild. What could that present be? His whole Christmas revolved around the largest gift under the tree and speculating on what it could be. When Christmas morning arrived, all he could think about was that gift. When he opened it, he was so disappointed that the rest of his Christmas presents couldn't make up for the vacuum cleaner fiasco.

Did you have a difficult time choosing gifts for your friends or family this Christmas? Sometimes it can be hard to find just the right gift. Finding great gifts isn't just a twenty-first century Christmas problem. In the eighth century, a monk named Alcuin was wondering what to get King Charlemagne for Christmas.

Around 780, Charlemagne asked Alcuin to join his court in Francia. One year at Christmas, Alcuin wrote a letter to the king. The monk was afraid that his wealthier rivals would overshadow him at court. They had the money to buy the king expensive presents. Alcuin wrote: “I have long wondered what I might think a worthy gift to do honor to your imperial power and add to the riches of your treasury.” He went on to say that he was presenting to the king, “a gift of the Scriptures which are written with the pen of heavenly grace.”

When Alcuin wrote to Charlemagne to tell him of his Christmas gift, he said that a student of his, Nathanael, would deliver the gift. Alcuin sent Nathanael to Charlemagne’s court with the instruction, “Give my Lord my letter and my gift of the scriptures on Christmas Day with the greeting of peace.”

A beautifully decorated tenth-century copy of Alcuin’s letters records the story of this Christmas gift. The manuscript is a part of Lambeth Palace Library. Imagine how hard it was for a poor monk to come up with a suitable gift for the king. He knew from reading the scriptures that “a gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.” Proverbs 18:16 (NIV)

It is fun to give gifts but deciding on the proper gift for someone can be difficult. I have never needed to give a gift to a king, but I often struggle with coming up with good gift ideas for my wife. Receiving gifts can be fun. It’s especially nice when the person giving the gift knows you well enough to know what you need and the things that you like. A good gift fits your personality.

When Jesus was giving the sermon on the mount, he said, “if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:11 (NLT) Even though we sometimes struggle with knowing what gifts to give others, God always knows the best gifts to give us. He knows what we need and can use, and he wraps up his gifts with love. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NKJV) Now that is an awesome gift!

Gentle Reader, at times we as humans use our gift giving to try and gain favor with someone. But God is not trying to buy our favor or our love. He gives to us freely because he loves us, knows us, and knows our needs. He knows that we all need the gift of grace. We all need forgiveness. We all need to have the penalty paid for our sins. We need the gift of God; eternal life through Jesus. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (NKJV) Don’t be too proud to accept the gift. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” Ephesians 2:8 (NLT) “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)

Icy Promises

An Arkie's Faith column from the January 2, 2019, issue of The Mena Star.

The cold Kansas winter wind blew as the young boy walked down the icy country road. The gravel road was coated in sleet and ice. “Be careful, Bobby,” Daddy said, “you don’t want to slip and fall like I just did.” “Yes, Daddy,” Bobby answered. They had already been walking for more than a mile, and still had several more to go. Bobby had never seen a road that was so slick. The day before, there had been several inches of sleet, followed by heavy freezing rain. The ice coated everything making it impossible to travel the country roads by car.

Earlier that morning, Daddy had said, “Bobby, why don’t you come with me to take care of the neighbor’s cattle.” Daddy had promised the neighbor that he would feed the cattle while the neighbor had to be out of town for a few days. He hadn’t gone to feed the cattle the day before because of the ice storm, and he knew that the cows would be hungry. “We can’t take the Model A, it’s frozen solid, and the roads are too slick,” Daddy said, “we will have to walk.” “But the neighbor's house is five miles from here,” Bobby said. “Yes,” Daddy answered, “but I promised that I would take care of the cattle so if the only way that we can get there is by walking, then we will have to walk.”

Along the country road on the way to the neighbors’ house, there were several long steep grades. Daddy and Bobby struggled to make it up the slippery slopes, and Daddy fell multiple times. “How long will it take us to get there,” Bobby asked. “However long it takes,” Daddy answered, “I promised that I would take care of the cattle and I must keep my word no matter how bad the conditions are or how long it takes.” Bobby put his hands in his pockets to warm them up as they continued walking down the icy road.

After walking for three and a half miles, Daddy and Bobby came to the state highway. As they were walking down the highway, a truck came by spreading sand on the road. The driver stopped and asked where they were going. Daddy told him that they were heading to the neighbor’s house about a mile and a half on down the highway. “Hop in and get warmed up,” the driver said, “ride with me while I’m sanding the road and I will take you there.” Bobby was happy to crawl up into the cab of the truck and sit between the driver and Daddy.

When they reached the neighbor’s house, the truck stopped, and Daddy and Bobby crawled down out of the truck. “Thank you so much,” Daddy told the driver as they waved goodbye. Bobby gave grain to the cattle and Daddy pitched hay. The cows were very happy to see them and get something to eat. When they had finished feeding the cows, Daddy chopped a hole in the ice so the cattle could get a drink. When they had finished, Daddy said, “we had better get started back home. We have a long way to go, and we want to get home before dark.”

Shortly after they started walking down the highway, someone gave them a ride to the country road that led to their house. They still had three and a half miles to walk. As they made their way down the icy road, Daddy slipped and fell several more times. When they could finally see the home place, it was almost dark. They had walked miles and miles of treacherously slick roads to feed some cows. “Why did we have to go feed the cows when the roads were so icy?” Bobby wondered.  “A man’s word is important,” Daddy answered. “If you make someone a promise, you should do everything in your power to keep it.” When they opened the door to their house and felt the warmth of the wood stove, Bobby was happy to be home. He hoped that Daddy wouldn’t be too sore from all the times that he slipped and fell on the icy road.

The Daddy that felt that his promise to a neighbor was so important that he was willing to walk ten miles on slick, icy roads on a cold winter’s day was my Grandpa and Bobby was my Daddy. Daddy learned by example from an early age that a man’s word is his bond, and that the promises we make are important. As much as I would like to be able to say that because of the example of my Grandpa and my Daddy, I have always kept my promises; that isn’t the case. I have made promises that I didn’t keep. But God expects us to keep our promises. “If a man makes a promise to the Lord or says he will do something special, he must keep his promise. He must do what he said.” Numbers 30:2 (NCV)

Gentle Reader, I have had many promises made to me that were broken. I’m sure that you have too. And just like you, I have broken promises that I have made. But unlike the promises we make to each other, God keeps every promise he makes to us. God does not go back on His word. “God is not a human being, and he will not lie. He is not a human, and he does not change his mind. What he says he will do, he does. What he promises, he makes come true.” Numbers 23:19 (NCV) When you read your Bible, look for the promises God makes to you. A favorite promise of mine is found in Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” It is a promise you can count on!

Rusty Treasures

An Arkie's Faith column from the December 19, 2018, issue of The Mena Star.

The coarse grinder disc cut its way through layers of old body filler, creating a thick layer of dust on the floor. When the grinder disc made its way through all of the old filler down to the metal of the fender, large pockets of rust appeared. The bottom edge of the fender had rusted through leaving a large hole several inches in diameter.

There isn't a word in the old car hobby that is more dreaded than the word "rust.” It's the automotive equivalent to cancer. Rust is bad news. I knew that my little Rambler American had some rust bubbling through to the surface before I began to repaint it, but I was surprised by how extensive the rust was.

After driving the little Rambler almost three years, I decided to give it a fresh coat of paint. There were rust bubbles on the front fenders and the rocker panels. I knew that I would need to do some rust repair. What I didn’t realize was that sometime in the past there had been extensive rust repair on the little car that hid the extent of the problem. By the time that I had completed the repairs, I had to fabricate patch panels and even build a portion of the rocker panel from scratch.

Every old car enthusiast wants to find a car that is rust free, but it is rare to find a decades-old vehicle without signs of rust. Today’s cars are not nearly as rust prone as older vehicles. Manufacturers are using better pre-production treatments, more use of galvanized metals, aluminum, plastics and composites, and smarter design but, rust hasn’t quite been banished. In places where the roads are salted in the winter, the effect of that salt on cars is brutal. Anytime that you have unprotected metal surfaces, rust is inevitable.

As I was repairing the rust on my Rambler, I was reminded of the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

Here Jesus tells us not to place too much value in the things of this world. If you treasure them as the most important things in your life, one day you will find yourself very disappointed when they are devalued, destroyed, or stolen. Is Jesus telling us that we should not have any possessions here in this world? Of course not. But he is telling us that treasures on earth are subject to being eaten, corroding or being stolen. Treasures in heaven are secure. They will remain.

What do you treasure? I enjoy my little Rambler. When I drive it, it brings a smile to my face. But rust had damaged the Rambler, and even though I have repaired the rust, it will eventually come back. Jesus is telling us that whatever we have here on this earth will not last. Even if our “treasure” consists of gemstones such as diamonds and rubies, and precious metals such as gold and silver that resist rusting, it isn’t secure. Even though it may resist corrosion very well, there is still the age-old problem of other people wanting those items without paying you for them. They break in and steal them.

We understand what treasures are here on earth, but what did Jesus mean by “treasures in heaven?” I have heard many preachers use this verse to tell me why I should give my money to the church. While that might be part of it, I’m quite certain that is not what Jesus had in mind. He wants us to use our time, energy and finances to pursue after those things that are of eternal value; Those things that will have value in heaven, not on earth.

 “Treasures in heaven” are things of worth in the kingdom of heaven, such as justice and respect for the dignity of every person. Jesus implies that we should invest our money in activities that transform the world, instead of accumulating earthly treasures. The Ten Commandments start with these words; “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3 (NKJV) When our heart is set on on the things of this earth, we are no longer serving God. We have put our treasures above God, and we are serving them. They have become our god and our life. Jesus challenges us to ask ourselves where our treasure is. If your treasure is on earth and the things of this world, your heart will be there as well. If your heart is focused on Jesus and on laying up treasures in heaven, your heart will be there.

Gentle Reader, the Bible says “set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2 (NKJV) Does this mean that Jesus wants us to be paupers? No, the Bible is also clear that God values hard work. “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” Proverbs 13:4 (NLT) So, how are we to understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate attention to “treasures on earth?” Jesus answers, “don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.” Matthew 6:31-33(NCV) Remember that Ramblers rust, “but the word of the Lord endures forever.” 1 Peter 1:25 (NKJV)

Christmas Recital

An Arkie's Faith column from the December 12, 2018, issue of The Mena Star.

The country church was beautifully decorated for Christmas. There were Christmas trees, poinsettias, and a lovely nativity. One by one, Mrs. Bates’ piano students played the Christmas pieces they had prepared for the recital. From the simplest notes of Jolly Old St. Nicholas by the youngest student to a rousing duet version of Sleigh Ride by one of the students with Mrs. Bates, the sounds of Christmas filled the church.

My granddaughters, aged eight, eleven, and thirteen were among the students playing at the recital. They had been practicing their pieces for weeks. The girls performed beautifully. I asked them if they were nervous, but they said they weren’t. Even when there was a problem with the piano, they didn’t let it bother them but played through it.

As I listened to them and the other piano students, I remembered growing up and taking music lessons. I played the trumpet and was in the band. I didn’t mind practicing and could always learn to play my pieces correctly but when it was time for a performance my nerves would get the best of me. I have terrible memories of botched performances. Once I was scheduled to play a solo before a church area youth conference. While we were traveling to the town where the youth conference was being held, our car broke down. By the time repairs were made, we were late arriving. I was scheduled to play almost immediately. I was so unnerved that I could hardly make a sound with my trumpet. Failure in front of my peers was a devastating blow to my fragile teenage ego.

Have you ever found that something that you can do, have done, and have practiced many times, fails you when you are under pressure? For me, that was my trumpet. No matter how hard I practiced, I would often mess up when I was playing for my music teacher or in front of an audience. In our small school band, I played third chair trumpet. The first chair trumpet player thought it would be a good idea if on one of our pieces I would switch with him and play the first trumpet part. I practiced and practiced until I had the part perfect. We did the switch several times in practice, and the band director didn’t notice. When the night came for our public performance, we made the switch, and I played the part quite poorly. The band director was not happy!

My junior year of high school I transferred to a larger school and was too intimidated to try out for the band. I eventually stopped taking lessons, telling my parents that the pressure was too much. My trumpet sits forlornly in the garage. Now I can barely make a sound. Because I wasn’t willing to try to handle the pressure, I soon wasn’t able to play at all.

When they are under pressure, many people experience a loss of the ability to do what they can usually do. Why is that? When we are under pressure, our focus shifts from execution to the outcome. How we as Christians react under pressure says more about our faith and maturity in Jesus than anything else.

In 2 Corinthians 1:8,9 (VOICE), Paul talks about being under intense pressure. “My brothers and sisters, we have to tell you that when we were in Asia, the troubles we faced were nearly more than we could handle. The burdens we bore nearly crushed us. Our strength dwindled to nothing. For a while, we weren’t sure we would make it through the whole ordeal. We thought we would have to serve out our death sentences right then and there. As a result, we realized that we could no longer rely on ourselves and that we must trust solely in God.” The only way that a Christian can handle the pressures of life is to trust solely in God instead of relying on ourselves.

I recently heard a story that I’m quite sure never actually happened, but I liked the application so I will share it with you. We will call it a parable.

A famous concert pianist was preparing for a show when a group of admirers came to the concert hall. A little boy was there with his mother. He wandered away from her and found himself on a stage with a grand piano.

Suddenly the curtains parted, and a spotlight lit the grand piano. The mother looked around for her son and saw him on stage sitting at the piano. He started playing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” The concert pianist walked up to the boy, put his arms around him and began playing a counter medley as he whispered, “keep playing, you're doing great.” The audience was mesmerized as he played alongside the boy. When they finished, the audience rose in applause.

What we do for God in our strength is a lot like playing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” in a concert hall all by ourselves. For us to accomplish anything worthwhile for God, it is going to have to be with Him. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13 (NKJV), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Gentle Reader, in the piano recital of life, God will sit down beside you and turn your music into something beautiful that will bring glory to Him. It is together with God, and only with God, that beautiful music is created.  Jesus tells us in John 15:4 (NCV), “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in me.”

Afraid of the Dark

An Arkie's Faith column from the December 5, 2018, issue of The Mena Star.

The young boy made his way through the kitchen, out the front door, and onto the screened in front porch. He hesitantly opened the screen door and crept out into the night. The path that was illuminated just hours before was now lost in the blackness of a moonless night. Fear gripped him as he carefully made his way to the outhouse at the end of the path.

When I was a young boy, my grandparents’ home didn’t have an indoor bathroom. The outhouse was interesting in the daytime because it was different than being at home, but on a dark night, it was creepy and a bit frightening. Darkness changes our perspective. Most children at one time or another experience the fear of the dark. And unlike most childhood fears, it’s one that plenty of people never outgrow.

According to Psychologist Thomas Ollendick, the director of the Child Study Center at Virginia Tech University, some fears are acquired based on specific life experiences; others are more universal and innate. Fear of darkness falls into that latter category. The reason: It’s not the darkness itself that’s frightening. It’s the fear of what the darkness masks. The dark leaves us vulnerable and exposed, unable to spot any threats that may be lurking nearby. For much of human history, dark meant danger, and fearing it meant taking precautions to stay safe. That’s not the case anymore — there’s not much to fear when we spend the darkest hours of the night tucked safely in our beds with a light switch nearby — but darkness has nevertheless held on to its place in our psyche as a manifestation of the terrifying unknown.

Darkness is scary because you can’t see. Once the lights are on, everything turns back to normal. The shadowy, life-threatening figures become normal, everyday objects. Your heart rate slows, and you are no longer hyperventilating. You can see again, and the world is normal once more. The Psalmist understood the connection between fear and darkness, but he also knew that God is greater than those fears. He wrote, “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness.” Psalms 91:5,6 (NIV) Darkness makes the world a scary place, but Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NKJV)

In the light of God’s love and grace and truth, we can find courage, help, and strength to overcome our fears. When he was talking to Nicodemus, Jesus explained it this way: “The Light has come into the world, but they did not want light. They wanted darkness, because they were doing evil things. All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show all the evil things they do. But those who follow the true way come to the light, and it shows that the things they do were done through God.” John 3:19-21 (NCV)

When Jesus came to this world, it was as if a light was switched on. Every one of us needs that light to shine into our lives. Recently, the lights turned on for me spiritually. I’d been in a dark period for a while. I had been taught that God gives us trials and therefore He must have caused the darkness that was consuming my life. People that I had loved and trusted had abandoned me. I incorrectly believed that if my life was difficult, that it must be God’s will. I had been taught that trials bring us closer to God, so I should be thankful. But I wasn’t thankful; I was angry and bitter. I was in darkness, and I was afraid for what the future would bring. Then a light switched on when I read Jeremiah 29:11 (NCV), where God says, “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.”

A light turned on, and now I could see, and over time it’s become even clearer. I have come to realize that God never intended for evil to happen and He has a plan to wipe it out. Instead of causing my suffering and trials, Jesus takes them on Himself. In 1 Peter 5:6,7 (NKJV) we are told to “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Looking at what Jesus did for me on the cross and realizing that He has good plans for me changed my perspective. Knowing that He wanted me to cast my cares upon Him was like a turning on a light switch. Realizing that He wasn’t the cause of my trials and troubles, brought light back into my life.

Gentle Reader, if you are living in fear and darkness, God wants to light up your world. “For God, who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NET) Turn the lights on with the flip of a switch, and maybe you’ll find yourself saying with Paul, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NKJV).

Falls Branch Trail

An Arkie's Faith column from the November 28, 2018, issue of The Mena Star.

The warm sunshine filtered through the trees as we made our way from the trailhead to the Falls Branch Trail. It was a beautiful November day with temperatures in the seventies. After the second day of Thanksgiving dinner that couldn’t be beat, our family was excited to get outside and get some exercise. We had made plans to visit Garvan Woodland Gardens and see the Christmas light display. Since we were driving to Hot Springs to go to the gardens, we wanted to find someplace to take a short hike while we waited for the sun to go down.

We referred to our book, Arkansas Dayhikes for Kids and Families, by Pam, Tim, and Amber Ernst. We chose to hike the Falls Branch Trail at Lake Catherine State Park. The book told us that the hike to the Falls Creek Falls “is an easy stroll along the lakeshore.” An easy stroll to a waterfall was just the hike that some of us older folks in the group thought sounded good.

The book went on to explain; “There are several trails that take off from the trailhead, but the one that you want is the Falls Branch Trail that goes down near the lake shore. It heads out through some nice big trees, crosses a road near the camping area, and goes over a foot bridge—you are following the white blazes. (There are actually three different trails that share the first part of the route, so you will see different color blazes on the trees).”

When we arrived at Lake Catherine, we followed the road to the campground where the trailhead was located. As we were heading down the path to the trail, I volunteered to run something back to the car. “I will catch up to you,” I said to the others. When I made it back to the place where the trails start, there was a sign that showed Falls Branch Trail with its red blaze taking off to the right along with a yellow blaze for the Horseshoe Mountain Trail. To the left, it showed a white blaze for the Dam Mountain Trail. I studied the sign for a minute and thought about the conflicting information in my mind. I knew that I wanted the Falls Branch Trail, but it went to the right, and I was pretty sure that when I had looked at the map, I needed to go left. I didn’t have a map with me or the hiking book.

As I was standing there trying to decide which way to go, I remembered something from the hiking book quite clearly. It had stated, “you are following the white blazes.” Even though the sign said Dam Mountain Trail, I decided that it had the correct blazes, and it was going the correct direction. I headed down the trail with the white blazes. It wasn’t long before I reached the waterfall. It is less than three-quarters of a mile from the trailhead to the falls. When I arrived, I was puzzled. Where was the rest of my group? I hadn’t seen them on the trail, so I assumed that they were already at the falls.

After waiting at the falls for fifteen minutes, I called to find out where the rest of my group was. I found out that because a part of the trail traveled over steep slippery rocks, some of the group had turned back and were now back at the car. The rest of the group was still hiking. They assured me that they were on the Falls Branch Trail. At the trail marker sign, they had taken the trail to the right with the red blazes. When they had reached the sign, they too were puzzled. They thought that they remembered that the trail to the falls went to the left, but the sign clearly showed that Falls Branch Trail went to the right. So, they choose the trail to the right with the red blazes.

After comparing notes, we figured out what had happened. Falls Branch Trail is a loop trail, and they had taken the long way around to the falls while I had taken the trail in the opposite direction, arriving at the falls much sooner. How could we have been so confused about this simple trail? We had both looked at the trail map. We had both read the hiking book. But we didn’t have either the map or the book with us as we hiked. The information that wasn’t made clear on the sign, or in the book was that from the trailhead to the falls in the direction that I had hiked, Falls Branch Trail and Dam Mountain Trail are the same trail, with the two trails diverging at the falls.

By the time the rest of the group reached the falls, our daylight was fast slipping away. After enjoying the beauty of the falls and taking photos, we had to hurry back to the trailhead before it got dark.
How is it that people who have read the same information can come to different conclusions? In this case, it was which part of the information we chose to emphasize. I chose to focus on the blaze color even though it contradicted with the trail name. The other group felt that the trail name was the most important thing.

Gentle Reader, in this age of information overload, your decisions in life are affected by the information you choose to emphasize. Proverbs 2:8-11 (NLT) tells us that God “guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.” To make the best choices in life, choose to emphasize the information that God has given us in the Bible. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalms 119:105 (NLT)