Master, The Tempest Is Raging-Beware, The Number Nine Sea!

Mark 6:51..and He got into the boat with them and the wind ceased and 

                  they were utterly astounded.  ESV

During my years in the Coast Guard, my cutter spent roughly a month at a time sailing around a ten square mile grid (ocean stations) in one of the five geographic locations in the North Atlantic.  Each year we did about six of those assignments that ranged from the Straights of Labrador to Cuba. On one of the northern most station assignments we experienced abnormally severe cold and icing to the degree that “all hands” had to man the decks with hammers and baseball bats to chip away the ice before we got so top heavy that we would literally roll over and sink!  Ultimately we were “relieved early” by another cutter because the ice had damaged two of our life boats and we were still unable to lighten the ships’ weight enough for safety.

We headed south toward warmer weather which, it would turn out, didn’t happen before we encountered some of the worst seas we had ever experienced. Violent seas were generally “rated” by sailors in a series of numbers ranging from one to nine, with nine being the one few, if any, survived.  Anxiousness, yes FEAR, arose among the crew as we were battered about by raging swells, nearly hurricane force winds and, suddenly, at six AM, the sound of the main deck in front of the five-inch gun mount splitting from port to starboard!  We were experiencing a number nine sea!  Abject fear, little hope and not enough lifeboats!  Immediately we were “piped” to general stations, the ship turned around with the stern into the winds, and the heroic damage control team set about welding the forward deck with metal plates, all the while in the midst of the sea’s tumult!  We survived to tell of god’s Grace!

Sometimes we have life experiences, similar to the raging tempest, sea billows tossing dangerously ‘to and fro,’ and sensing that we have no lifeboats.  We have mortgages, children creating college bills, critical illnesses and associated bills, national elections, all causing turmoil and upheaval. We are so overwhelmed by the storms of life that we want to “jettison the cargo, with all hope of being saved - at last abandoned (Acts27:18-20.”)  We fear that our Master may be sleeping while we are being sucked into the abyss.  (“Teacher, do you not know that we are perishing?” Mk 4:38.) When beset by these winds and waves, we are reminded that our Savior himself uttered these words – “Peace, be still!” (Mk 4:39)

We can be the ones to live and tell of having survived the “number nine seas” of our lives if we grasp the life ring of faith offered by our compassionate Lord.  We need to be reminded that we are not “the masters of our fate, the captains of our souls (Invictus)” but rather, the Holy Spirit led mates pulling oars on our course toward “peaceful shores and calling it Heaven” (Wyrtzen)

             

“The winds and the waves shall obey my will, peace, peace, peace be still.

               Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, or demons or men or whatever it be.

               No water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of oceans and earth and skies.”

               (James Cleveland)

“JaCK and Jill went up the hill to fetch A pail of water……………….”

Genesis 24:13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, 

and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. ESV

Water…  The sustainer of life.  It is said the water comprises as much as 50-65% of the human body.  It is also said the common denominator for much of human conflict in the biblical record as well as modern times centers around the abundance or scarcity of water in specific locations around the world.  No…  it is not “oil,” although that substance generates its own significant international angst!

The Bible records a multitude of major events centered around the source of water…wells.  They were the place you went, either early in the morning or later after the sun went down to get your daily water needs. While the customs, at the time, dictated that women were the major well visitors, it was not limited to them alone.  Battles were fought over well ownership, with wells being dug, filled in and dug again, based upon who won or lost. (Gen 26:20-32) Understandably, cities were built around the water supply of wells. Several major Old Testament patriarchs were the beneficiaries of divinely ordained meetings at the well.  Abraham’s servant was sent to a well on a “God blessed” venture to choose a woman (Rebekah,) who offered to draw water for the servant’s camels, as an eventual wife for his son, Isaac. (Gen 23-24.)  Similar story is recorded for Rachel and Jacob (Gen. 29:8f.)  Moses saved the women of Midian at a well from roving shepherds and one of the women, Zipporah, was given to him as a wife by her father, Laban. (Gen 2: 14-22)

 

Christ met a woman at a well, too.  A little bit of a different story, but more dramatically life-changing!  He was sitting by a well and asked a woman from Samaria to draw a drink for him. Little did she know how much he knew about her!  After life-changing dialogue about her somewhat questionable past, Jesus had given her “living water.” (Jn. 4:7-26)

Because of their social context, wells became the local “hang-out.”  A place where refreshment went beyond keeping the body’s water percentage up. The local “meet and greet.”  Our culture has developed a form of that “meet and greet.”  It’s called the local Starbucks!  In the case of my new hometown, it’s appropriately called “The Well.”  Yep, you heard correctly – “The Well.”  It is actually a non-profit, started by two retired physicians that uses all proceeds to build life-sustaining wells in Africa.  How appropriately named!

For those of you who know me, it is not surprising that The Well has become the “Lew Gibbs variety of networking” place to be.  Make no mistake, this isn’t about names recorded or business cards collected.  It is about random relationships built over a “cop-o-joe.”  Mind you, unlike some of those old testament examples, I’m not looking for a wife!  Already have one!  But the Lord has given me the gift of engagement (not sure that gift is so-named in Romans) that has already allowed me to share life experiences to the benefit of several “chance meetings” over coffee. Yeah, I know there are NO chance meetings, NO coincidences!

This is about “having your life read as a living gospel before men.”  It’s about sharing some wisdom, and some practical life experiences as a bridge to sharing Gospel truths. It’s about purposeful interaction.

Where is your hangout – what do you bring – what do people see – where’s your watering hole….??

Jacob’s servant, Moses, Christ, Lew………………   All hangin’ out at The Well!  WooHoo!!  

Finishing the 4th Quarter Well

I recently sent a letter to my boss saying something along the lines of "well, I'm of kind of feeling that it's the end of the third quarter, I've run up the score pretty well and it might be time for me to move to the sidelines and allow another person to quarter-back the team - when you need the big '3rd and long' look over and put me in." (Sort of a cute way of saying the big "R" word - Donchaknow!) You need to know that I don't believe that retirement (the big "R" word) is biblical. After all, wasn't Caleb out capturing turf after running off the opposition when he was in his 80s?? Didn't Abraham concieve in his 90's?? (I suppose I might want to clarify that I'm not thinking that!!!) I looked at my recent (???) history and wasn't totally surprised to note that if you add up 4 years in the Coast Guard, 31 years with IBM, and 15 years at Cedarville, that's 1/2 of a century of "pedal to the metal, high energy, take no prisoners activity." God has truly blessed my wife Sheron and I with three great children and 5 wonderful grand-children (to date) and has allowed us to enjoy at blessed sojourn here in Cedarville. Surely the un-named chief servant of Abraham had it right when he prayed "O Lord, (my God) give me success today and show kindness to my master Abraham (my wife and I.) See I am "hanging out at the well" and multitudes of possibilities will pass by. May it be that I'll say (as he did) "let down your jar that I may drink" (and review the many options) and have the ones that best fit your plan for the 4th quarter be apparent. Then perhaps I can also bow down and say "Praise be to the Lord of my master Abraham, (my God)who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness and has led and blessed me on this journey."

Development of Character - Briefly Explored

What is character? More importantly, what is good character? The Greek philosopher Aristotle said it is “right conduct in relation to other persons and in relation to oneself.”

He also suggested “we are what we repeatedly do.” Obviously we want our children – the young adults of the next generation – to display good character. It would be helpful to review how to develop appropriate traits in the lives of those for whom we have educational or mentoring responsibility.

Good character is the public and private reflection of traits, attitudes and creeds that have become the convictions of the heart and are consistently demonstrated in wise personal choices of actions when confronted with opportunities, trials, or adversities. It is one thing to generate mind thoughts about appropriate goodness. It is something else to want to do good. The task at hand involves converting thoughts and desires into actually doing good. In Hamlet’s words, “Ah, there’s the rub.”

According to Kenneth Blackwell, the former secretary of state of Ohio, “Sadly, defined ethics (character traits) are not common anymore.” Recent surveys indicate that those who enter the professional world without a well-integrated sense of good character tend to fail – with “lack of integrity, honesty, theft, and sexual harassment” being the predominant reasons for dismissal, beyond downsizing. In response, Blackwell endorsed “The Uncommon Sense Declaration,” a citizen education project that advocates 20 character-based ethics, which he hoped would become the foundation of Ohio’s future professional and cultural interactions.

It is abundantly clear to me, as a university director of career services, interacting with various publics, that who we really are, as opposed to what we’ve studied or who we know, is of paramount importance.

The optimum location for the development of the “who we are” nature of character is in the living room. Family taught disciplines, development of virtues, and dialogue on reasons, in addition to rules, could be the best developmental laboratory for the growth and practice of good character traits. The next best setting is the classroom, where teachers must model and mold strong character though example and dialogue. Then there is the collegiate event room, where “leadership and character” training take place. Finally, there is the boardroom, the corporate level where character is assumed. Our ability to have meaningful impact diminishes with each level.

The focus of this piece is the second room, the classroom. Character education cannot exist by simply offering a helpful list of virtues such as honesty, kindness, duty, and citizenship. Such approaches attempt to promote external behavior without addressing who we really are; our character, our morals, our virtues. Christian schools may be the only place that can offer a comprehensive definition of these virtues. Jesus Christ is the consummate example of good character and taught that “we would know a tree by its fruit.” Such “Christ-schools” should be the laboratory in which we mix all biblical truth, knowledge of right & wrong, and “in & out of class” curricula that give opportunities for repetition of good actions in the mixing pot of character development.

For character development to succeed in our classrooms, we must be willing to pay the price of defining evil to understand good. We must understand that guilt or shame may sometimes result from a desire for morality.

We must be willing to occasionally offend if we are to proclaim virtues. We must, as William Wilberforce did centuries ago, insist on manners and decency as a way of life. While known for his work to change Great Britain’s posture on slavery, he also managed to change their approach to civility, much of which is still a part of their 21st century culture.

We must inculcate a renewed desire to define, refine, articulate, and employ creeds that may bind, may limit, and may constrain our interactions with others. We must have a conviction that never wavers when faced with the adverse reactions that can result from those who don’t share our views. Thinking about good (head)is only the first step. Desiring to do good (heart) and then doing good (hands) are the absolute necessary outcomes of any of our attempts to teach character.

“To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

A Woman Of Character - My Wife

10 A wife of noble character, who can find one? She is worth more than diamonds,

a corvette, or
all the gold in Fort Knox.
11 I have full confidence and trust in her, and as a result, lack nothing of value.
12 She is always good and not harmful, every day demonstrating love and care.
13 She chooses clothes to provide for her family with great, untiring eagerness, desiring for us
all to look our best. Washing and ironing never get her down.
14 She plans her shopping trips with great skill, seeking out every bargain, providing a
veritable jeep full of food and necessities, no matter how far she has to go to acquire them.
Her finding, filing, and use of coupons is unmatched and invaluable.
15 She gets up early in the morning, often while it’s still dark, to prepare for the days meals,
not only for the family, but for such guests as may be with us. Her Thanksgiving meals are
unexcelled.
16 She considers the best use and appearance of our property, combining the beauty of
gardens with the practicality of raspberries, cherries, apples, tomatoes, and the like.
17 She most often appears tireless in her approach to her responsibilities and pursues them
with great vigor.
18 She sees that her spending for provision is practical and efficient and plans for stock on
consumable items without flaw.
19 In her hands she adeptly handles the needle and thread, the crocheting needles, the
controls of the sewing machine, and the scissors to cut my hair.
20 She is exceedingly generous to those in need, sharing whatever, wherever and whenever
possible. She has a giving heart, easily discernable by all.
21 She has no fear of the family’s appearance, because she provides quality clothing as well as
household comforts.
22 She makes bed coverings, drapes, upholstering and all good material necessities for the
home.
23 Because of her good stature and excellent reputation, I have the respect of folks who are
my fellow co-workers, community citizens and church members.
24 She makes a variety of handmade gifts, frequently better than purchase-able items,
offsetting great cost to the family budget.
25 She carries herself with strength and dignity and generally looks to the future with
confidence.
26 She has great intuitive powers and can frequently view opportunities in difficult situations,
giving great recommendations and advice. Mentoring young women is her forte’.
27 She constantly cares for the affairs of the household and rarely wastes her time or energy.
Bible study and prayer start her day.
28 All of our family judges her to be an incredible Godly example of grace to us. There aren’t
enough opportunities to articulate all of her wonderful attributes, thought we would all hope
to.
29 The world or friends may hold up many women who do noble things, but none of them
surpass or even equal the accomplishments of my wife, my friend and the mother of our
children.
30 The world looks at charm and beauty, forgetting that much of that passes with time, but a
woman who fears the Lord and seeks His will and eternal benefit, far surpasses the
temporary qualities the world seeks after.
31 We all thank her for her tireless efforts and praise her for her Christ-like example of love
and sacrifice. Surely she is an example for all.

Righty-Tighty / Lefty-Loosey - Always Choices!

Do you remember having been taught that there
was a correct and an incorrect way to tighten nuts and bolts,
water faucets, and door handles?

It was buried somewhere between "don't talk with your mouth full" and "sit up straight." Two personal experiences have brought those "sage" sayings to mind recently.

When my wife and I were vacationing in the UK we had to make the adjustment to several cultural things rather quickly. "Mind the gap!" was a frequently heard phrase any time we were near the tube (subway or train to we Americans.) Driving on the other side of the road is not only the practice (but encouraged for reasons of safety and order!) as was walking down the LEFT side of the stairs and through the LEFT side of double doors. Additionally, there was the ever-present phrase "please get in que," meaning don't butt in line, take your place at the rear of the folks already waiting for something-anything. Imagine our surprise on one occasion when we made it to the front of the line, only to realize we weren't interested in using the "lou."

Well, that seems to be mostly an "other-side-of-the-pond" issue, but we certainly have our own unique cultural things here as well. Except that we may have missed the opportunity to effectively pass on those rare tidbits.

While we know that talking out loud at a movie (as well as having a cell phone turned on) is frowned upon, we do it. Getting ahead of the other person is a common practice - just ask a New York cabbie - or the teen-agers at a Harry Potter premier. Just check out the folks when the "blue light special" is announced and an apparent fire-drill seems to have been created.

While we ceratinly don't want to be percieved as old fogies that are interested in rules, have you noticed the breakdown in the little tidbits of life that contribute to a well ordered culture? My favorite is watching with vast amusement the utter chaos that occurs at double doors on campus, when young folks try to go in and out of buildings at the same time, many opening the left doors! I don't think that they think they're in London.

However, many a dropped bookbag, spilled frappacino, and slightly grazed nose have resulted from this practice. Have they forgotten the righty-tighty / lefty-loosey advice they were given years ago, or did they think that ONLY applied to nuts and bolts? It's not about rules, but it IS about respect and courtesy!

Tomorrow (or today) try opening the RIGHT door and, as a courtesy, holding it for the person that is following you. They will greatly appreciate not having someone spill their frappacino!

Unless, of course, the other person on the other side of the door CHOSE THE LEFT SIDE!!

Hence The Name

A Treatise on Wanting Things To Be Better for the Next Generation!

When I was very young, my mother used to have fried eggplant, with all the fixins' every Friday night and I always thought it was because that was her favorite meal. To this day I also like that meal, though it was well into my young adult life before I discovered that the reason for that Friday night special was because she used it as a meat substitute due to our family budget needs.
My father used to gather used newspapers and bundle them, planning to meet the big truck with the hanging scales which arrived once a month to gather the bundles, weigh them, and pass on to him an amount of cash equal to seventy-five cents per hundred pounds.

Those examples taught me a great deal about having to work hard, plan well, and "waste not" when it came to the things we wanted, perhaps even needed.
Recognizing that these are different times, shouldn't we still want some sort of fried eggplant and bundled newspapers in the life experiences of the next generation, whether they be our children, our students, our future political or business leaders?

Hopefully, this vehicle will allow me/us to discuss that which builds, praises, and challenges us to consider things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable - all for the purpose of encouraging growth in character for those who follow us.