I love life! Don't you? True friends riding along with us make the entire journey worth it! Life is so very fragile and temporary though. Many of my friends have cancer. And yesterday I received a text from a friend whose wife was just admitted to the ER suffering from a heart attack. Prayer should be our first reaction and our best defence against the bumps in life's road. Prayer is refreshing water during the long, dry and parched journey through the desert valleys that we all walk through.
As many of you know I have been without steady work for almost two years. I have tried advertising, sale pitches and fasting and prayer. As my son Erik put it while talking to a group of his friends " My dad just cant get a break!".
One day as I was running my errands I stopped at the Old Firehouse Barber Shop located in Alpine CA. Dean Poore, the owner, listened to me talk about my plight while he snipped and cut at my hair. Have you ever noticed that if the barber is enjoying the conversation that they will cut very slowly and prolong the cut. Dean listened to me and afterward offered me a remodeling job on his own kitchen. He also did not charge me for the hair cut. That simple act of grace really encouraged me that day.
On another occasion in the midst of the same dry spell it seemed like all my electrical appliances were dying one after another. First our heating and air conditioning system failed in July followed by clothes dryer, cooking range, well pump and our refrigerator. The air system and well pump cost over $10,000 alone to replace. So after the refrigerator broke last night Pam and I turned towards one another, smiled and laughed out loud! What else was there to do? Pam is my wife but she is also my very best friend.
When our well pump went out that did tend to complicate life for our family. You see we get our water from the ground and when our tank is empty we have no water to wash, drink or shower with. So I called our well guy, Orin Davis of Butler Drilling, and he said he could be there in a week. "A week" I said to myself "What am I going to tell my wife?". Pam does at least 10 loads of laundry per week and waters the trees and plants around our home. I knew we were going to have a bad week.
The next day as our booster pump was spinning out of control the telephone rings. It was Mert Thomas who runs a local water truck business "Hey Dean, I heard you need a load of water?" said Mert with concern in his voice. "I do how much are you charging these days?" I sheepishly inquired. "Well $200 per load" Mert replied. "OK, I need it badly bring it on over" I gratefully replied.
Mert Thomas had already put in a full day of work but he filled his truck one more time and brought our family a load of water. After the very last drop fell into our tank I asked Mert how much I owed him. He said he knew of my situation and said just to pay $ 100 to cover the water and the truck's fuel. As I went into the house for the money I hear Mert taking off in his truck and with a wave and he says Goodbye and "God is so very good. This one's on me!" I will never be able to repay him.
What would we do without friends like these? In fact the only thing we will take to heaven when we leave this earth is our relationships with others. I truly love these men. And now work is starting to come in for me which is an answer to prayer. And I learned a very valuable lesson while walking through this latest valley. I have some very amazing and loyal friends. People I would lay down my life for. I love life! It really is all about the journey.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
A Piece Of Humble Pie
God has humbled me yet another time. Calvary Chapel La Mesa recently put on an outreach to our community in La Mesa Ca. We cooked food had worship time and a great sermon. There is a homeless man that comes to the Tue night Men's study at 6:30 pm at the church 7525 El Cajon Blvd. He lives out in a field near the 99 cent store. He signed up to bring the cheese for the outreach. I was worried. On Tue afternoon he comes into the church praising God and says to me "I knew God would do it!" "I knew He would come through" said Bebe as he likes to call himself. "Bebe, what did God do for you?" I asked him. "I have been praying that God would help me get money so that I could buy the cheese for the outreach" Bebe blurted out as he was in constant dancing mode. I'm still worried. I'm thinking to myself "Did he go dumpster diving for it?" or maybe its been sitting out in the sun all day.
Now this is where pastor Dean has to step back a bit open his mouth wide and prepare to receive a huge piece of humble pie. When Bebe handed me the cheese in the store bag it was still cold. You see God answered Bebe's prayer and provided an old car battery for him to recycle earning the $7.00 with which to buy the cheese. He was so excited because he had no money when he signed up for the outreach, remember this guy is homeless.
The next day I was able to sort of redeem myself. As I got to church early I noticed two pairs of feet in the church's stairwell. I unlocked the church, sat down in my office, which incidentally doubles as the copy room, when God spoke to me. I didn't hear a voice but He spoke to my heart and He told me to make the two pairs of feet breakfast. So I scrambled up some eggs, cooked hot dogs and put a bun on a plate and covered it with with tin foil.
As I approach the couple I woke them from a sound sleep. "Excuse me" I said timidly "Are you guys homeless?" which was probably the stupidest thing to say to someone sleeping outside in a stairwell. They said they were sorry to be there and that they meant no trouble and that they would leave.
I told them I was not kicking them out but I had made breakfast for them. Their eyes widened and they were very surprised. I was able to pray with them and let them use the bathroom at the church. Ed and Joanna were 20 yrs old and 18 yrs old respectively. They were out of luck living out on the street. Ed said he was just looking for a safe place to stay when he remembered going to Calvary Chapel La Mesa as a small child. They ate their food, gathered their belongings and we prayed and said our good byes. As I finished praying with them the church and school staff began to arrive.
"Dean, please don't encourage people to sleep here." said someone from the church staff. My heart broke as I remembered how Jesus must have felt as He tried to teach people to love others. You know, I do understand we need to be carefull with people and keep the law using our discernment but Jesus said in Matt 25 if you feed someone in His name your feeding Him! If you clothe someone in His name you are clothing Him. What is more important?
People let us indeed start helping others and begin meeting needs. Let us pick up our own crosses, the crosses of self-less-ness, and love like Jesus commanded us to do. You can fulfill this commission just by giving someone a handshake, hug or opening the door for someone. We need community right more than ever. It might just be you and your wife sleeping in the stairwell. We are all just two pay checks from sleeping on the streets.
I will always remember Bebe,the homeless guy, who had more faith than I and brought the cheese. And the yougn couple who only wanted to be safe from a storm of life. But most of all, I think what burns in my mind is the reminder of our hard stony hearts. Where we are ultimately more concerned with the color of the carpet and getting it dirty than a life saved from the fires of hell. Let your material things burn. Remember the only thing you will take to heaven with you are the relationships you make here on earth.
Now this is where pastor Dean has to step back a bit open his mouth wide and prepare to receive a huge piece of humble pie. When Bebe handed me the cheese in the store bag it was still cold. You see God answered Bebe's prayer and provided an old car battery for him to recycle earning the $7.00 with which to buy the cheese. He was so excited because he had no money when he signed up for the outreach, remember this guy is homeless.
The next day I was able to sort of redeem myself. As I got to church early I noticed two pairs of feet in the church's stairwell. I unlocked the church, sat down in my office, which incidentally doubles as the copy room, when God spoke to me. I didn't hear a voice but He spoke to my heart and He told me to make the two pairs of feet breakfast. So I scrambled up some eggs, cooked hot dogs and put a bun on a plate and covered it with with tin foil.
As I approach the couple I woke them from a sound sleep. "Excuse me" I said timidly "Are you guys homeless?" which was probably the stupidest thing to say to someone sleeping outside in a stairwell. They said they were sorry to be there and that they meant no trouble and that they would leave.
I told them I was not kicking them out but I had made breakfast for them. Their eyes widened and they were very surprised. I was able to pray with them and let them use the bathroom at the church. Ed and Joanna were 20 yrs old and 18 yrs old respectively. They were out of luck living out on the street. Ed said he was just looking for a safe place to stay when he remembered going to Calvary Chapel La Mesa as a small child. They ate their food, gathered their belongings and we prayed and said our good byes. As I finished praying with them the church and school staff began to arrive.
"Dean, please don't encourage people to sleep here." said someone from the church staff. My heart broke as I remembered how Jesus must have felt as He tried to teach people to love others. You know, I do understand we need to be carefull with people and keep the law using our discernment but Jesus said in Matt 25 if you feed someone in His name your feeding Him! If you clothe someone in His name you are clothing Him. What is more important?
People let us indeed start helping others and begin meeting needs. Let us pick up our own crosses, the crosses of self-less-ness, and love like Jesus commanded us to do. You can fulfill this commission just by giving someone a handshake, hug or opening the door for someone. We need community right more than ever. It might just be you and your wife sleeping in the stairwell. We are all just two pay checks from sleeping on the streets.
I will always remember Bebe,the homeless guy, who had more faith than I and brought the cheese. And the yougn couple who only wanted to be safe from a storm of life. But most of all, I think what burns in my mind is the reminder of our hard stony hearts. Where we are ultimately more concerned with the color of the carpet and getting it dirty than a life saved from the fires of hell. Let your material things burn. Remember the only thing you will take to heaven with you are the relationships you make here on earth.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Father's Day Letter
Happy Fathers Day! June 19Th 2011
Hey dad just wanted to tell you how much I admire you. You are a great example to me as well as my family. You are not self seeking but you put everyone else above your own needs. You loved us all so much that You sent Your one and only Son to earth to model and teach us all how we should live while here on earth.
You are a great Provider too! Your whole life has been directed in a way to support what is most important to you, your family. And you have taught me to do the same. Your written word has a couple of chapters on six days of Your creation but the entire rest of the bible explains Your plan to redeem us!
It’s too bad we only get around to celebrating it only once a year. And letting You know how much we love You! Well I don’t have a shirt, tie, Pipe or belt for You but I do have a lot of admiration for You! It’s a joy to have You to share life with. You even gave us Your Holy Spirit to walk with. You are a Great Father! I hope you will enjoy the rest of your day. I only pray that You would help me to walk in a way that is worthy of You. May my life bring a smile to Your face, a sweet smelling aroma rising up to You and may my worship be the entire song of my life that is lived for you. Note; Book shelf is in the design stage soon to be in production.
Tomorrow is my wife's and mine 24Th wedding anniversary and so I have many last minute details to attend to. I know the institution of marriage is from You and not only created but also You modeled it for us in the life of Your Son Jesus.
Jesus is our bridegroom and we are His bride being made perfect into His image. Mold me as a block of clay into a beautiful creation set apart for Your use. Oh Lord, how we long to be with You! Jesus, come quickly. We love You!
Jesus is our bridegroom and we are His bride being made perfect into His image. Mold me as a block of clay into a beautiful creation set apart for Your use. Oh Lord, how we long to be with You! Jesus, come quickly. We love You!
Love Dean
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