Alone

You may have noticed, this is theme with me.  I just completed reading Adam by David Bolt.  In case you do not know, Adam was the first man.  God created him into a paradise.  He worked to keep the Garden, name the animals and hang out with the Lord.  Until he got lonely.  In brash terms I am sure God had God stuff to go and do.  You can play with dogs only so much, cats only when they want and elephants when...I do not know when they feel playful.  Maybe just around the lake and rivers.  But the key was he could not talk to them, there was no communication possible, they do not understand him nor him them.  Men are made for companionship.  The Lord knew that, He is after all All Knowing (yes I will capitalize His attributes too! :P)

When finally Adam had known loneliness, he longed for a companion and he was provided a woman, Eve.  They had fun I am sure.  He taught her what he knew.  She asked questions and introduced a different perspective in his life, rejuvenated his curiosity, injected a playfulness into his brooding.  He enjoyed every moment.  He considers for a moment that Eve has never known the loneliness he experienced.  According to Uncle Mo, this is why men are more often brooders.  We picked it up from Grandpa Adam.  Women are more social because it was like that from their beginning.  Makes sense to me.

The Fall; yes she wanted to be wise, above the creatures.  She asked, "How can we know good if we do not know evil?"  Curiosity killed paradise.  And he thought, "If God created her, he would not have made her to lead me astray would He?"  And there it all went.

I would have done the same thing most likely.  It was that or (from tainted mortal sight) go back to being alone.  There is so much we give up for companionship, that is why it is such a big deal - it's expensive.  How much more we gain from it.  Now we know for sure that God loves us, for He provided Himself to be the perfect sacrifice that we may again walk and talk with Him.  None of us, if we so choose, will ever be alone again.

Thumper Adventure #1

Took the motorrad on my first road trip.  It was a great experience.  I missed wifey the whole time, but thoroughly enjoyed the time alone.  It does me good.

I left for WV on Friday.  Took interstate and then some secondary roads. I returned on Saturday.  I could smell the places I was riding through.  I saw people on their porches. One man swept, a family sat around the grill.  I could smell the meat cooking, hear them laughing almost.  It was cooler in the shade, distinctly so when I climbed and the reverse when I went down a mountain.  The trees, the creeks, signs, so much that will not likely grow around the interstates any time soon.

So you know Pickaway, VA has a Pizza Barn and outside Union I saw a Beauty Barn.  I saw Humpback Bridge and Falling Springs Falls in Covington, little jewels by the roadside that one may never find.  Next time I will take a real camera.

I talked briefly to Doug and his wife Carol.  They have a daughter who goes to school where I live.  He has even been to Zim!  That was so cool.  He walked up to me and he looked at the bike and goes, "Oh it's a Beemer.  Must be a smooth ride."  And on we went like buddies.

To top it off I hit the twisties on 250 heading down from Head Waters, a section that is technical in a car, so much more on a bike.  I loved it.  The brief moment I looked down I could see the pebbles on the road.
I did not feel the freedom that most people talk about, I just felt closer to the places I went through.  I could (briefly) see the weeping willows.

In a word, it was a lovely ride.  Let's do it again soon.

Eugene

I was young and impressionable.  I was in a brand new world.  Lost, plagued by inferiority.  Small, pushed about yet still trying to make a name for myself.  Working hard to fit in some place with some one, anyone.

He was tall, dark, blast the cliche handsome.  The little school girls loved him.  We little school boys too.  As much as we loved him we feared him.  He walked bolt straight.  Did I mention he was tall?  A tall man's posture is a lot more pronounced than a shorter one.  I never saw him slouch, or walk with drooped shoulders.  He wore a long, sure stride.  Usually smiled; he was human and had bad days.  On most days he smiled.  He was an accountant.  Guess what I wanted to be at that point and for the next 6 years of my life?  Accountant or actuary. I did not just want to be like this man, I almost wanted to be him.  If God worked the miracles I almost heard at the church were the guy preached with his back to the kids, maybe he will make me get tall and handsome too.  Then I can be a successful accountant like Eugene, and I can drive a nice car and...fancies of a little boy.

One Saturday afternoon I did not want to play with the other kids.  Eugene was the duty teacher and I asked to stay in the dorm and read.  He permitted it.  That evening after we watched a movie and everyone went to bed I do not remember exactly why, but he called me and another boy, Samuel into his room.  It was neat, yellow lights, plenty of books...I remember that much.  Eugene told us about Jesus Christ and about the church he took kids to on Sundays.  He asked if we wanted to go.  I agreed to go but I had to get a paper signed by my parents.  Which meant waiting for exeat weekend when they would pick me up.  It was a week away, but I spoke to my dad on the phone by some fluke and he came and signed the paper.  It was set, the Sunday after I got back from exeat I was going to church with Eugene.  He gave me a year old, leather bound diary I used as a notebook for many years afterwards.

I did not know what to expect, but I hoped to find an answer to the mystery of Eugene.  I wanted what he had, I wanted his life style. The joy, the respect he commanded, the love he had for most kids.  He whistled in the hallways! Nobody did that.  Only good for nothings whistled, but this man who was far from a good for nothing whistled in the hallways after lights out!  That is what I wanted - joy, peace, confidence, belonging.

I went to church every weekend I was at school.  I begged to go to camp and was finally allowed to go.  I gave my life to the Lord so that I would be like the flannel board David - well groomed and smiling with his sword.  They promised the Lord would fight my battles for me.  I would victor over giants (flannel board Goliath with warts and all).  I thought bullies, He meant other, bigger, scarier giants.  If I trusted in Jesus, they said, I would turn out on top.  We even sang about it, "...no weapon against me shall prosper, because I know who I am.  Yeah I am washed in the blood of the Lamb...I know who I am in Jesus, I am the head and not the tail...above and not beneath!  I have the mind of Christ..."  I went to camp, received the Holy Spirit.  I spoke in tounges.  I prayed in tounges, still do.

I left the school when I was done there.  Eugene's life got tumultuous, you could see the difference in him.  He left the school.  But while he was, we became 'friends' and he told me where he worked.  Said I could call on him.  One day after 2-3 years I did.  He had changed his name.  Married a divorcee (which was frowned upon).  His stride was shorter.  The smile in his eyes was mostly gone.  It took effort to speak to me, I got the distinct impression he wanted to forget Selbourne Routledge so I said goodbye and that was it.

He had been sifted like wheat; as we all are at some point.  It took the smile out of him, I hope still for a spark of faith.  I do not know, His Saviour knows.  He knows Eugene's name and from whence he came, and He is faithful to keep what Eugene entrusted to Him until that Day.  He will do the same for Xian, and Promise and David and many others, if that spark remains.  I am sure He will fan it to flame, I know He would never put it out.

I got what Eugene had, I got to meet His Master and I love Him more than I ever loved.  Every once in a while my dad would bring news about Eugene.  Even that became scarce until it too died.  I have my own identity now.  I will never forget the man who showed me Christ.