“WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND . . .LOST!”

 By Michael L. Alumbaugh © 2023

“But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’” ~ Luke 15:32

It was a wintery, Sunday, Christmas Eve. There was a light skiff of snow covering the ground but the streets were clear. We’d gathered at my Mom’s parent’s home after the church service. Dressed in our Sunday best, we celebrated Christmas early, with parents, siblings and cousins.

After a delightfully traditional family meal, we said our goodbyes. It was time for a short fifteen mile jaunt or so to my Dad’s parent’s farm for the rest of the celebrations. Mom and Dad had gone ahead to prepare for more feasting. Receiving warm wishes and Christmas cheer, my older and younger sisters and I exited our Grandma Van’s house. The snow began to fall once again, and to my surprise, my older sister handed me the keys to the ’60 Ford Galaxy announcing, “You’re driving!”

I’d just turned 16 in October and received my first driver’s license. I’d never driven in snow, but I manned up! We loaded ourselves up, and headed for the sand hills north of town where Grandma and Grandpa A’s farm was located. 

As we drove, my older sister, Sandra, sitting in front with me, turned around to chat with my little sister, Janet, in the back seat. I drove cautiously but confidently, smiling as I listened to their girlish giggles and banter.

We headed north out of town, and then turned west heading for the hills. As we traveled, the snowflakes grew bigger, fluffier and more numerous. It was a lovely countryside view with rolling hills blanketed in a mantle of white; something like a sleigh ride scene from an old movie.

With windshield wipers flapping, we journeyed on. The familiar landmarks had all but disappeared, veiled by the fresh winter cloak. [Once off the county highway, we’d be driving down sandy 2 track dirt paths for several miles, which were seldom, if ever, graded.]

“Sandra?” I asked, “Do you see where we’re supposed to turn?” I was beginning to feel a bit lost.

She turned around and stared at the road ahead. “I’m not sure. I haven’t been watching. It’s gotta be one of these roads coming up.” she replied. “Try one of the next ones!” she suggested.

The next intersection north looked slightly familiar so I turned and headed up the road. The beautiful snow glistened as it fell. It was a delightful sight with the hills and trees banking on either side. Strangely, though, there were no tire tracks to indicate any previous travelers.

Driving on, the barbwire fences bordering the sides of the “back road” drew closer and closer together until they merged into a narrow cow path. Up ahead, trees blocked the way altogether as if the road never existed! I stopped the car.

 “This can’t be the right road!”

I put the car into reverse and started backing up. As I inched backward the car slowed to a stop. A spattering sound announced I’d entered a mud hole. I tried going forward but the car wouldn’t budge. I shifted the gear lever back and forth from forward to reverse a few more times, but the car didn’t move. We were stuck!

I tried again, but this time the spattering sound stopped. I got out and had Sandra try it. Oddly, the tires weren’t moving either. Something must have broken!

“Well, now what?” I asked

“You think you could walk to Grandmas and get help? We’ll stay here in the car.” Sandra responded.

I left the car running and the heater on high. Janet said she was cold so they snuggled up together in the back seat wrapped in their coats. Pulling my suit jacket tight around me, I ventured into the scenic unknown.

I was totally unprepared for what lay ahead. Dressed as I was, Sunday suit, tie and dress shoes, I ignorantly headed for the trees where the fences joined and climbed over.

My artistic imagination took over, “Oh, wow! What a playground of white delight!” Watching those fluffy flakes gently floating down through the stillness, covering the tree-lined meadows and hills in a magnificent scenic view took my breath away. It was like a winter wonderland! The snow crunched under each step leaving deep impressions. My warm breath was a series of frosty clouds, as I pressed forward. But, the euphoric bliss was to be short lived.

As time passed, tripping lightly on before turned into wearily trudging more and more! There was nothing familiar on the horizon; no cars or houses in view, or even the sounds of livestock. There was just a lonely stillness.

I pushed forward to a destination unknown, distance unmeasured, energy dwindling. The frigid temperature had penetrated my suit jacket and my feet were wet and my hands were freezing. I increased my speed trying to raise my body temperature, but as I pressed on, the cold sapped my strength. I had no idea how much time had transpired or how much further I had to go. I kept scanning the horizon for anything familiar and warm.

Then, from a hilltop, I saw it! There in the distance was smoke wafting from a chimney surrounded by trees.  Hope sprang eternal! Little did I know, this was to be a Divine intervention.

I made my way to the house, passed by the wire fence, and entered the front gate. By this time, I could hardly stand up. Shivering from the cold, I knocked on the old front door and waited. No answer. My sense of relief began morphing into dread. I feared, “No one is home.”  I knocked again.

Soon I could hear a faint sound of someone talking as they came to the door. Doubt transformed into deliverance! My heart raced and my teeth chattered as the door was opened. I pondered the notion as to whether they would be unfriendly or welcoming.

The heat front the room blasted into my face fogging up my lens. I could hardly see the two people in front of me. Then, I heard a man’s voice. “Can I help you?”

Releasing my stress, I pointed in the direction I’d traveled and blurted, “I’m lost and my sisters are stranded somewhere back that way.”

Seeing my condition, they pulled me in, wrapped me up in a blanket, and served me a hot drink. The woman soon recognized me. It was my Grandpa’s sister and her husband. As I thawed, I explained the situation as best I could. They prepared to leave.

We squeezed into their little two-door VW and drove to my grandparents farm. Once inside the house, they relayed the details and approximate location of the girls and car. With that, Dad and the uncles gathered hats, gloves and coats, chains and tools, a car, cranked up Grandpa’s old ‘40’s green John Deere tractor and headed out.

After over an hour search, they found the stranded car with the girls tucked inside. Dad, the original DIY guy, did a quick analysis of the car. I’d blown the transmission. The uncles drove the gils back while Dad towed the car. All was well . . . at last!

Even with all the stress and expense that Christmas Eve, the next morning a thankful Merry Christmas was had by one and all!

            Dig a Little Deeper: Isaiah 35:10, 41:10; Luke 15:7, 10; John 5:25

 Published in the December 2023 issue of Black River Times

“YOU STOLE MY WATCH!”

 By Michael L. Alumbaugh © 2023

“ . . . respond with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:6

Have you ever been accused of something that you didn’t do? I have several times, but God is faithful to deliver. Here’s my memory of one of those early victories.

It was a Friday night during my freshman year and the middle of the basketball season. I’m not much of a sports enthusiast, but I went to the game anyway. I wanted to see how we’d do against some tough opposition.

As the game pushed toward halftime, our team, the Panthers, had gained a healthy lead. With that in mind, I decided to head for the concession stand early to beat the rush. I made my way past the crowded bleachers to the exit doors and out into the hallway of the main building.

Just around the corner was the stand. There were a few people hanging around it chatting with the staff so I meandered around for a while. That’s when I heard a familiar voice echoing my name further down the hallway. “Hey, Mike! Come here.”

It was Jerry, one of my classmates from Metal Shop. He was from another town but assigned to our rural school. We’d hit it off, though he was a stranger to our area. (I tend to be a loner, but seem to be drawn to people who need a friend.) I headed his way.

As I approached him, I noticed he was accompanied by four other guys, ones I didn’t recognize. They were probably school mates from his hometown. With a welcoming smile, I greeted them. “Hey, how’s it going?”

Turning toward Jerry, I noticed something odd about him. He seemed different. As he approached me, he staggered. By all appearances, he seemed a bit tipsy and his speech was slurred. “Well, hey, I need to talk to you.”

I responded warmly, ‘What about?”

Now showing a more stern expression, he swaggered toward me. His buddies surrounded us. In an accusing tone he commanded, “You stole my watch! Now, give it back.”

Slightly perplexed, I replied, “Jerry, I’m your friend. Why would I steal your watch?” Honestly, I didn’t even know he had a watch.

With that, his companions clinched their fists and edged in closer. Stepping toward me, he retorted, “Well, maybe you’re lying.”

Outwardly, I felt intimidated, but inwardly I had a calm, confident inner peace. I looked directly into his eyes, smiled again, and replied, “Friends don’t lie to each other, and they don’t steal from each other either. Jerry, you and I are friends!”

At that, he paused. I could see the wheels turning in his head. My comment had hit a positive note with him. The stressed look he’d confronted me with diminished. He responded, “Mike, you’re right. We’re friends and you’ve never lied to me.”

With that, his buddies backed away. Then a couple of the guys took hold of his arms and escorted him out the back exit to the parking lot. The others followed. As I watched, they wandered into the darkness and disappeared into the night.

Was I a bit shaken and afraid? Yes, a little. But I knew we were friends and I had done no wrong. I cared too much about him and our friendship. The following Monday, we saw each other in class. He acted his normal self and the Friday incident seemed to have never occurred. So, I didn’t bring it up, but, instead, just let it go.

I never thought I’d be approached like that or falsely accused. That was the first time I recall something like that ever happening to me and, unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the last.

As Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” We, as Christians, need to always pursue a clear conscience and testimony of the work Jesus has done in our hearts and lives. One way that seems most effective is by wearing a warm smile and offering kind speech. We need to be approachable. We are the light of Christ to this world. Any dishonesty or questionable actions from us smear the sacredness of the work Jesus has done in us as well as others.

Dr. James Dobson said it this way; “One of the most important responsibilities in the Christian life is to care about others, smile at them, and be a friend to the friendless.” Jesus was exactly that. We should follow in His steps.

            Dig a Little Deeper: Deuteronomy 31:6; Psalm 118:6; Isaiah 41:10; Ephesians 6:13-16; Colossians 4:6; 1 Peter 3:15; Proverbs 15:1

 Published in the November 2023 issue of Black River Times

 

“WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?”

  By Michael L. Alumbaugh © 2023

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23

At one time or another, we’ve all sought the acceptance of others such as classmates, coworkers, relatives, family and friends. Thus, we’ve all received responses of rejection generating inner feelings of inadequacies, of not measuring up to the expectations of others. If there’s anyone who has worn that chain around their neck too long it is me.

In both grade school and high school, I’d received rude comments, been bullied, called names and generally felt rejected. At one point, I felt so dejected as a youngster I asked my mom why they’d adopted me. They hadn’t! I was theirs.

It’s been said that “A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.” Those reactions from others planted seeds in my mind that bore bad fruit. In the movie The Man Who Knew Too Much, Doris Day sings a song, “What Will Be, Will Be” (Que’ Sera, Sera). That song struck a chord with me internally, but not always a positive one. My version went something like this:

When I was just a little boy,

I asked my Daddy, “What will I be?

Will I be handsome? Will I be rich?”

Here’s what he said to me.

 

“Kid, you’re dumb, you’re DUMB!

Whatever could be, you’d be.

Your future’s not hard to see.

Kid, you’re dumb, you’re dumb.

That’s the way you’ll be.”

Now my Dad never actually said that, or even implied those words. Those thoughts came from me, and not the devil, like so many would promote. No, I was my own worst enemy. And so are you!

We give Satan way too much credit and too often use him as the excuse to get ourselves off the hook. He is neither omniscient nor omnipresent. He is NOT all knowing. Jeremiah 17:9 & 10 says this: “The heart [of man] is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” The key phrase is “above all things” which includes Satan!

Our thoughts, usually created by what we visually and mentally feed on, what we experience and continually ruminate on, form us into the people we are. When we feed our minds on negative, self-deprecating thoughts, we eventually personify them in our words and actions.  They become who we think we are, and others only confirm it.

Zig Ziglar said, “You are who you are and what you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change who you are and what you are by changing what goes into your mind.” That’s the good news. We don’t have to continue to be stuck in that groove. God the Father, through Christ Jesus, has made a way of escape. It’s called “transformation.”

Those who have come to faith in Christ are being transformed into a new creation. Old things are gone and the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “. . . that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  Therefore, why stay stuck in that rut? Call out to Jesus for redemption! Confess your sins to Him and make Him Lord of your life. Do a 180°turn and move away from the old allowing the Holy Spirit in you to make all things new. It takes effort and willingness on our part, but God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We just need to engage them.

In Philippians 3:13b – 14, Paul says it this way, “. . . this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

So, what’s on your mind? What’s holding you back from freedom in Christ? What are you allowing into your mind? Stop thinking according to the world and start planting life giving Words into your mind from the Word of God, the Bible.

There are five steps to renewing your mind.. Begin with hearing the Word of God preached and taught. More importantly, get alone with the Lord by reading the Bible on a consistent daily routine. Next, study what you are reading. (Two good tools I’ve found for studying is the Bible Hub and Enduring Word links.)  The next two steps are critical to strengthening your mind and walk in Christ and they are memorizing God’s Word, and, then, meditating on it. Think it through and apply it to your daily life. In this way, you start planting the things a new creature in Christ needs to nourish and strengthen itself.

Let God and His Word increase your growth, renew your spirit and manifest that god-like character you were designed to be.

            Dig a Little Deeper: Psalm 119:9-11; Romans 8:6-8, 12:2; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6: Philippians 4:8; Colossians 1:9-11, 3:1-4

Published in the October 2023 issue of Black River Times 

 

“CLASS DISMISSED!”

 By Michael L. Alumbaugh © 2023

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

 It was early autumn. The leaves were turning, the air was chilling and the student body was settling in for the long haul of the first semester classes. Mine was the New Testament class with Dr. Sawyer, a gentle soul with a warm smile, kindly manners, and a occasional tendency toward tedium. This morning’s lecture was one of those.

Sandy, a relatively attractive young lady of medium height and build, sat across from me and one seat back. She was always dressed properly, as were the other young ladies, per conservative school code; a modest blouse, top or sweater and a medium length skirt or dress. The young men generally wore “business casual.”

  She and I usually exchanged glances and grimaces with each other to overcome our near boredom, but not this morning. Looking backward over my shoulder I could see the 7:30 morning class had apparently taken its toll on her. She appeared to be in the third stage of nirvana, drowsy, eyes half closed and oblivious to anything around her.

 Well versed in giving the appearance of attentiveness; she sat with her chin resting on her heel of her hand and her elbow on her textbook. The other hand was resting on her open notebook with pen in hand as if taking notes. She was starting to doze.. As I scanned the room, some were listening attentively taking notes, others doodling, and others wearing blank expressions. All appeared to be pretty much in order as Dr. Sawyer progressed in his lectures. But things were about to change.

 As my eyes returned to my textbook, I heard strange sounds coming from behind as if someone were gagging or gasping for air after trying to swallow a golf ball. It was Sandy!  

 She suddenly sat straight up and began wiggling and jiggling. With eyes like saucers and a face as pale as chalk, she looked as if she’d seen a ghost! She jumped to her feet and reached behind her with one hand grasping the nap of her neck and the other hand shaking the back of her blouse.

 Quickly raising one shoulder and then the other, she shimmied and shook and did a little dance. Then she began swinging and gyrating her hips while grasping at the back of her blouse with both hands behind her! The clamor ensued. By this time, all eyes were on her, even Dr. Sawyers.

 “Miss Poe!” he called sternly, “Miss Poe! Please be seated!”

 But Sandy continued her chaotic cadence, wiggling, giggling, gyrating and jumping!

 Finally, the mysterious melodrama came to light. It was a little mouse! He’d been nesting inside the ceiling ductwork. As the furnaces kicked in, he decided it was time to evacuate, so he made his way to the nearest exit, the classroom ceiling vent, which just happened to be directly over sleeping Sandy.

 There, he dropped out the vent, and landed inside the back collar of her blouse. Then, being under cover, he travelled out of sight, scampering and wriggling over her spine and hips. Once there, he made his way to the bottom of the inside of her skirt and down her leg, jumped to the floor and made his escape racing toward the classroom door!

 Chad, an even tempered farm boy, the calmest, most studious, guy I’d met, saw the cause of the commotion heading his way. By then, everyone else was either sitting with their feet up or standing on the seat of their chairs. Dr. Sawyer exceeded us all. With a shocked look and gaping jaw, he stood on his desk while pulling at his pant legs!

 As the frightened rodent raced down the aisle, Chad casually, and confidently, reached down, grabbed the critter by the tail and carried him out of the room, down the hallway and gently tossed him out the front door into the grass.

 Meanwhile, the other young ladies gathered around Sandy to comfort and console her. A couple of her closer friends escorted her out of the building and back to her dorm room.

 By the time Chad had returned from his kindly deed, Dr. Sawyer had climbed down off his desk and was reclining in his desk chair, face flushed, with the back of his hand on his forehead, covering his eyes. His legs were sprawled out full length with his toes up and heels resting on the floor.

 After a few moments of snickering and chit chat, we all returned to our seats. Dr. Sawyer, appearing emotionally exhausted, but desiring to maintain a small degree of professional composure, looked out to the remaining students, slid his papers into a neat stack and, facing the class, replied, “Class Dismissed!”

 Reflecting on this incident years later, I’d like to offer  a couple observations. First, most people look at the outside of others and make certain conclusions based on the information set before them, not really considering what influences have generated that person’s condition or situation. On the other hand, others get involved trying to rectify the situation. Then there are those who just keep their distance, not wishing to be involved.

 Which one are you?

      Dig a Little Deeper: Psalm 61:1-3; Matthew 7:1-5; 2 Corinthians 4:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Published in the September 2023 issue of Black River Times