Dan Kunz

The tension on college campuses is mounting on an almost daily basis because of the war in Gaza.  Protesters are becoming more and more vocal and more and more vehement in their condemnation of Israel and concern for the Palestinian people.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that the war or the protests will be over any time soon. 

Why are so many young people across the country becoming involved?  At least part of the reason is as old as civilization itself.  Everybody wants to feel as if they are making a difference in the world.  This is especially true of people who are not “spiritual”.  As Christians you and I know the reason we’re here – to glorify God, to spread the Gospel, and to make a positive impact on the lives of other peosple.  For people who don’t have a “God connection”, they’re missing the first two reasons.  This explains their need to make a difference in the world.  They want to know their life means something.  Again, you and I know our lives mean enough to God that he sent his own Son into the world to redeem us and make us his own.  We have value in God’s eyes and that’s all that really matters.

Of course, latching onto a “cause” is nothing new.  Just last Monday the United States celebrated the anniversary of the very first Earth Day, back in 1970.  The purpose of Earth Day was to raise awareness of our need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations.  The movement gave rise to all sorts of “green” organizations over the years and more recently the “climate change” supporters.  We could spend lots of time debating the negative impact which man has on the planet, but I’m not sure we can improve on God’s original command to Adam and Eve.  Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.  Have dominion of the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.  The key words are “subdue” and “dominion”.  The first implies control and the second implies rule over.  Neither of them implies destroy, waste, or obliterate.  Certainly, God wanted Adam and Eve to make use of what he had given them, but he also wanted them to take care of it.  One planet for two people isn’t bad.  One planet for 8,000,000,000 people is a little different.  We know God, ultimately, has everything under control, but we also know he has given us the intelligence, skills, and compassion to be good stewards of the home he’s given us.

In 1955 the treatment of an African American woman, Rosa Parks, on a Mongomery, Alabama bus, sparked the Civil Rights Movement.  In the 1960’s, the War in Vietnam, complete with campus unrest and the “occupation” of campus buildings, was the cause for which many college-aged Americans protested.  Another cause of the time was the plight of many native American people, bringing the founding of the American Indian Movement or AIM.  In the fall of 2011, the cause of economic inequality brought Occupy Wall Street. The death of George Floyd in May of 2020 focused our attention on racial injustice in cities throughout the United States.  Our country was actually founded on the cause of independence from Great Britain and the First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees our right to speak out for the causes about which we feel strongly. 

Although not all causes evoke the same empathy or spark the same passion, it’s safe to say the cause of spreading the Gospel and glorifying God in the process, is the absolute best cause we could ever support.  Whether we do so with our time, our treasures, or our talents, we could never find a cause more worthy or one which gives us more of a sense of purpose for our lives!  I Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Dan Kunz

Did you see it or were you disappointed?  A total eclipse of the sun is a fairly rare occurrence in most places.  They happen every few years, but are often in remote locations where very few people see them.  The eclipse this past week tracked right across the middle of America, so millions of people had access to it – unless it was cloudy where they were.  Were you disappointed?  The sky got a little darker in western Wisconsin where I live, but that was about it.  Clouds covered the sky and the sun as well.  It was somewhat disappointing.  Imagine the people, though, who spent thousands of dollars and traveled thousands of miles to experience the eclipse, only to have it blotted out by the clouds.  The ones who were interviewed on television tried to make it seem okay (they enjoyed the party atmosphere and all the hype), but you know they were disappointed.  In the U.S. we’ll have to wait another twenty years to have the experience again - maybe.

Imagine God’s Old Testament people.  They had anticipated the coming of the Savior for thousands of years.  They longed for his appearance and what he would do when he came.  Unfortunately, many of them looked for the wrong thing.  Many knew the Christ would conquer sin and death, the scourges of the human race from the time of Adam and Eve, but many others believed, mistakenly, the Christ would conquer the hated Romans and restore the glory of Israel and, once again, make it a powerful and independent nation.  The evidence was there.  They could see it.  Jesus fed thousands of people with a few fish and some bread.  Jesus healed many who had been sick or handicapped for years, some for their entire lives.  He even brought some people back from the dead!  Jesus must be The One.  They were sure of it.  They were disappointed.  He wasn’t the type of conqueror they anticipated.  He was hidden by their clouds of unbelief and stubbornness.

How about you?  For whom or what are you looking?  If you seek a dazzling ruler who makes this life everything you hoped it would be, you’ll be disappointed.  If you believe God’s chosen people will be healthy and wealthy and have every “wish” granted while on this earth, all you’ll see is clouds.  If, on the other hand, you’re anticipating a Savior who causes a total eclipse of sin, death, and hell for eternity, you’ll join with millions and billions of people over the ages who recognize the real Christ, The One who came to earth as a lowly human being, lived a perfect life (which we cannot), and died a horrible, excruciating death in our place, all in order for us to be with him for eternity!  The disappearance of mankind’s biggest enemies won’t be for a few fleeting moments, it will go on and on and on.  The excitement of a total eclipse forever!  We can’t begin to imagine the glory of it.  No wonder mere words can’t describe the wonder of heaven!

Human beings all learn disappointment at an early age, but only earthly disappointment.  When our eyes of faith are trained on the things of God, we’ll never be disappointed!  Joshua 23:14 “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed.  Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”

Dan Kunz

Chances are, by the time you read this, you’ve probably already colored your Easter eggs.  If you don’t get at your emails right away, you may have already eaten some!  When I was a boy, I learned a cool way to color eggs which our family still does today.  (Okay, I mainly do.)  Take out a box of old, broken crayons.  (Everyone saves their old crayons, don’t they?)  Take two or three different colors, peel off any remaining paper, break them into small pieces, and put them into a quart or sandwich-size plastic bag.  After the eggs are boiled, while they are still relatively hot, put one into the bag and “massage” the crayon pieces around the egg.  Unless you have hands of steel, I would strongly recommend wearing fairly thick gloves to do this.  As you try this, you will become more creative in the colors you combine and the way you distribute them on the eggs.  Two things become obvious about this method very quickly – the results are absolutely beautiful, and the eggs are completely unique.  No two, even with the same colors, will turn out alike.

 As we celebrate the joyous resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, it’s good to remember a few important lessons. 

 ·         Our Heavenly Father loved us so much, he sent his only Son to live the life of a lowly human being, submit to the cruelest and most excruciating death we can imagine, and be abandoned by God himself, all in our place.  Such love (grace) is truly amazing! 

·         The price for our lives of rebellion has been paid in full.  Jesus, himself, said it while hanging on the cross – “It is finished.”  His resurrection on Easter Sunday morning is our guarantee.  Not only that, it’s a promissory note which guarantees our resurrection through faith in the Savior’s perfect life and perfect death. 

·         Like my crayon eggs, you and I are now beautiful in God’s eyes!  Because of Jesus’ robes of righteousness given to us (without cost), we are no longer ugly in God’s sight because of our lives of sin and wretchedness.  God’s eyes sparkle and his mouth smiles when he sees us.  We are now, literally, unforgettable to him.

·         Also like the crayon eggs, we are truly unique.  Psalm 139:13  “For you created my inmost being;  you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”  Our Heavenly Father created us for a life of service with all kinds of skills, abilities, gifts, and characteristics to do the job.  Because each of us is one-of-a-kind, we have a special place in his plans and his world.  We should remember that, not so we become vain and arrogant, but so we can thank God daily for all the mercies and blessings with which he has gifted us.

 As you celebrate Easter throughout the year, remember God’s unbelievable love, Jesus willing payment of your bill, your beauty in God’s eyes, and your uniqueness among the billions of inhabitants of our world.  Easter eggs don’t have to be just for Easter!  Matthew 28:5-6 “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”

He is risen!  He is risen, indeed! 

Dan Kunz

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

The rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Whether you are Irish or not, this traditional Irish prayer is a “keeper”! As St. Patrick’s Day once again rolls around, it may serve all of us well to remember our own “Saint Patrick”.

According to the Internet, source of all wisdom (kidding), Saint Patrick has a lot of folklore and traditions surrounding him, but not much is verifiable. As a matter of fact, even his autobiography, Confessio, has been questioned by some for its truthfulness. Nevertheless, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated by a lot of people, all over the world. Let’s look at a few facts and a few traditions.

Patrick (not his original name) was born in England in 386.  In other words, he wasn’t Irish. He was supposedly kidnapped at the age of sixteen by Irish raiders as the Roman Empire, especially in its farthest reaches, was becoming weaker. He was taken to Ireland and forced to tend sheep. According to his autobiography, he was visited by an angel and helped to escape, eventually returning to England. After receiving religious instruction and becoming a bishop, he chose to return to Ireland, the place of his captivity, to bring Christianity to the pagan country. Although he is referred to as “Saint” Patrick, he was never canonized by the Catholic Church. He is said to have driven the snakes from Ireland, but Ireland had very few, if any, snakes. (Perhaps this is a reference to eliminating heathen practices.). He is also said to have used the shamrock, a three-leafed plant, to teach the concept of the Trinity.  Patrick died on March 17, 461 and thus, the date of Saint Patrick’s Day every year.  Whether any or all of these things are true really isn’t the point.  The one agreed-on fact is that he brought the truth of the Gospel to an entire nation.

So, who is your “Saint Patrick”?  Do you know?  I recently began to delve into my family tree and was surprised and excited to find at least one branch tracing back to the 1500’s in Germany and other nearby countries.  My grandfather on my mother’s side, passed away at the age of 31, leaving behind a wife and four children under the age of seven.  It’s that branch of the family tree which I was able to follow.  I don’t know how far back in that line our family’s Christian roots go, but somewhere along the line there was a “Saint Patrick”.  Somebody shared the Gospel with one of my relatives and, centuries later, I’m a Christian.  I never met the person and I don’t even know who they were, but I thank God for them!  I’m not Irish (that I know of) and I didn’t find even a twig of my family tree coming from Ireland.  Nevertheless, I think I’ll celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, not by drinking a green beer, but by thanking God for every single person along the way, who brought the Gospel to and kept the Gospel in my family tree!  Ephesians 3:21 “…to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!  Amen.”

Dan Kunz

On a recent fishing trip, my friend, Keith, and I had a guide each day. Enrique was our guide for the first two days. Mario was our guide on the third day. Jorge was our guide on the fourth and final day. (We were bass fishing in Mexico.) All three were nice guys. All three seemed to be knowledgeable about where to fish. All three were polite and took care of our basic needs, such as plenty of beverages, stowing our equipment, and bringing us back safely.  All three, to some degree, even suggested which lures to use.

The similarity ended there. Keith and I didn’t catch many fish the first three days and no big fish at all. I wouldn’t describe us as professionals, but we aren’t novices, either. The other eight people in our group did far better than we did, which made the experience even more frustrating. Finally, out of great kindness, the “host” of our group offered us his guide, Jorge, for the fourth and final day of the trip. That made all the difference! We both caught more fish and each of us caught what most people would consider a “trophy” bass. The reason? Jorge went far above and beyond what the other two guides did. He not only suggested lures, he hand-picked them out of our tackle boxes (or provided them himself), tied them on for us, and told us where to cast them. He netted our fish and took them off the hook for us. He weighed them and released them, too. The topper came at the end of the day. Without my asking, Jorge retrieved the case for my sunglasses out of my bag and gave it to me to store them. He then put the case back in my bag. Unbelievable! He got a very nice tip from us for his excellent service.

Jorge’s name really should have been Jesus. (Insert the Spanish pronunciation if you’d like!). Our Lord and Savior didn’t just come to guide us, he came to do things for us we couldn’t do. He went so far above and beyond what we deserved, it’s not even measurable. He literally did everything for us. He lived a perfect life and died a perfect death in our place, so that we could have the joy of being in heaven with him.  And the amazing part is that it wasn’t for a tip or even a pat on the back. He did it all out of pure, unselfish, love for us!

How could we ever say, “thank you” enough to our “guide”, Jesus?  Two ways are by guiding others to him and also by going above and beyond in our service to our fellow travelers on this “fishing” trip we call life. Don’t just do the minimum, overwhelm people with your kindness, compassion, and grace. Reflect Jesus’ heart of a servant. Amaze others with your desire to make their lives better.  Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

As my daughter’s college graduation class was told, “Don’t just go out and do well in the world.  Go out and do good in the world.”  Follow the example of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.  Have the heart of a servant and by your actions, reveal the faith from which those actions come.  Your “tip” will be in heaven, good and faithful servant!

Dan Kunz

Have you ever noticed how people who have been married for some time begin to develop some of the same mannerisms?  It’s true not just of married couples, but anybody who spends a fair amount of time around someone else.  My mom used to sit with her elbow on the arm of her chair and her hand casually in the air.  I’m told I do the same thing.  Another relative has gone through some prolonged physical pain in the past year.  He sometimes puffs his cheeks out and exhales through pursed lips.  I recently found myself breathing the same way when I was having some pain.  Whether we realize it or not, human beings many times subconsciously copy those around them.

You may be familiar with the expression, “Little pitchers have big ears.”  The point of that old saying is that children may be listening, so be careful what you say.  I’m sure more than one little kid learned some “salty language” from an older brother, cousin, or uncle!  The same thing is true of our actions, and it’s not just kids who mimic those around them.  Sometimes adults pick up the habits of others, as well.  With that in mind, we, as Christians, should be extra careful of how we conduct ourselves - our language, our actions, the places we go, who we associate with and so on.  Some things which others see or hear from us, may not be a big deal to imitate, but others are.  Using inappropriate language, losing one’s temper, gossiping, telling a “white” lie, or having one too many cocktails, can all serve as a bad example for others to follow.

On the other hand, serving as a good example is something for which we should strive so others follow that lead.  When we don’t take God’s name in vain, when we don’t lose our temper, when we refuse to stretch the truth, or when we limit our alcohol consumption, that also is noticeable, and, hopefully, copied by those around us, kids and adults alike.  “Be like Mike” is a good thing, as long as Mike’s motto is, “Be like Jesus”!

Over the years it’s become obvious that others watch what we do and say even when we’re not aware of it ourselves.  In a well-known scene from the movie, Jaws, the dad, played by Roy Scheider, is sitting and making a variety of faces as he ponders a problem.  He slowly becomes aware that his young son, sitting nearby and watching him intently, is trying to make the exact same faces he’s making.  He turns to his son and continues to make faces, while his son is still imitating him, until they both break out laughing.  Little pitchers…

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  We usually think of that imperative from Solomon (God) in terms of the actual training which we, as parents or grandparents, give, but it also applies to how we live our lives.  Former NBA star, Charles Barkley, once said, “I shouldn’t be your kids’ role model, you should be.”  As Christians, we should all be role models, just as Jesus is for us!

Dan Kunz

Shortly after dinosaurs stopped roaming the earth, I taught 9th grade English (among other things).  It was a general English course, so we looked at all kinds of English-related topics, including “weasel words”.  According to the Internet, source of all knowledge, weasel words are ones which are intentionally ambiguous or misleading.  Words such as “may”, “might”, “could”, “can”, “virtually”, and “help” are examples.  Advertising is especially known for using weasel words.  “XYZ detergent will help get your clothes cleaner and brighter!” Will it get them clean, or will it only help get them clean?  “The law firm of Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe can get you the settlement you deserve!”  They can, but will they?  Senator Slippery is quoted as saying, “We’ve done virtually everything we can to solve the crisis.”  Have you done everything, or virtually everything?  The examples from everyday life are endless. 

One of my favorite weasel words is the word “if”.  I like to tease my grandkids when they use that word.  I’m not sure where I got the expression, but I’ll respond, “If, if, if - if frog’s had pistols, there’d be no more snakes!”  They always laugh.

We need to be aware of language which is intentionally ambiguous or misleading in lots of applications.  Contracts, relationships, and business are all potential sources of misunderstandings or dishonesty.  Even our faith-life needs to be protected.  John 8:44b When he (the Devil) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” The account of Jesus’ temptation in the book of Luke highlights Satan’s use of a weasel word.  Luke 4:3, 7, & 9 “If you are the Son of God…If you then will worship me…If you are the Son of God…”  Because our enemy is constantly looking for ways to attack us, he certainly isn’t above using weasel words against us, too.  Cartoons usually picture a little angel sitting on one of our shoulders and a little devil sitting on the other.  That’s not such a bad image of our sinful nature and the new man battling against each other for control of our choices.  The Devil, the world, and our sinful nature regularly tempt us with illusions of fame, success, pleasure, and dozens of other “gotta have’s” in our life.  Lies, half-truths, and even truths are tools used against us. 

Satan’s playbook is full of questions such as: 

If God really exists, why would he allow something so terrible to happen?

If God loves you, why doesn’t he take away your cancer?

If God can do anything, why does he let wars break out?

And his all-time favorite – Could God really allow a sinner as bad as you into heaven?

As I told my freshmen English students, knowledge is the key to almost everything in life.  This is no exception.  When you are aware of words meant to mislead, you can at least be on guard against them and whoever is using them.  Don’t allow advertisers to lead you to buy something which may or may not be what you need or want.  Don’t allow politicians to convince you they are the “real deal”.  Most of all, don’t allow Satan to beguile you with lies or half-truths which have the potential to harm you eternally.  Jesus lived a perfect life, died a perfect death, and rose from the dead to guarantee your eternal life with him.  No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it

Dan Kunz

A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to hear a comedian, Gavin Jerome, talk about faith. I know, that sounds disjointed, but after hearing him, what he had to say made a lot of sense. The primary job of Christians is to share Jesus with others. To do that you have to have some sort of relationship with them, even if it only started five minutes earlier. When it comes to relating to others, a sense of humor can be a huge benefit. Most people would rather be around someone with a sense of humor, than someone as sour as month-old milk! An optimistic, lighthearted viewpoint is appreciated by most. His point is well-taken.

My favorite example of Gavin’s humor came in a story about his visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles. (We’ve probably all experienced a “cranky” representative, whether it’s at the DMV, post office, or the airlines.) His suggestion was this - When the person asks your name, state it loud and clear. When he or she asks for your birthday, state the month and the day. When the person asks for the year, say, “Well, every year!” The comedian went on. “I’m sure they’ll see the humor in that and join you in a good laugh - or not!” You probably don’t want to irritate someone who’s cranky, but at least his story was funny.

This comedian had his serious moments, too. As he told his life story, it became obvious that in his early years, he didn’t care much for God, or God’s preferred way to live one’s life. As he put it, he was in “Me Mode”. He was successful, popular, and living the “party life” for which some entertainers are known. That all changed abruptly. He was in a car crash that should have cost him his life - but it didn’t. He walked away with a few bruises and that was all. Even the first police officer on the scene was amazed he was alive!

After a great deal of reflection, he realized his “nodding acquaintance” with God needed to change. God had saved his life and he knew it. In the blink of an eye, he went from Me Mode to He Mode. People in Me Mode usually aren’t even aware of how self-absorbed they’ve become. As long as life is good, they’re good. Gavin readily admits the “tunnel vision” on his career, his success, and his enjoyment. Now that he’s in He Mode, things are different. He’s still successful and still popular, but his life is devoted to Jesus, not himself. His humor is clean and his message points to his Savior. He is filled with thankfulness, not just for a life saved in a car crash, but for a life saved for eternity and he takes every opportunity to share that message with all he meets. II Corinthians 3:3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

If we are in Me Mode, even only occasionally, we need to flip to He Mode. Hopefully, it doesn’t take a horrific accident, a career in shambles, or the loss of a relationship, to clear our head and set us on the right path. A life lived for him who lived, died, and rose again, for us, is a life well-lived, indeed! Flip that switch to He Mode and enjoy the results!

Dan Kunz

The choices we have for listening to music today are almost unbounded.  As a teenager, my Saturdays were usually “work days”, meaning my dad found lots of work for me to do every Saturday.  Mowing the lawn, cleaning the dog kennel, and hauling garbage were a few of my normal activities.  The transistor radio I kept nearby, playing the latest tunes, helped immensely.  (For those of you too young to know about such advanced technology as the transistor radio, you can Google it.)  Now we have Sirius XM, Pandora, and a myriad of other ways to get exactly the music which suits our current mood.  I especially appreciate it, because one of my favorite types of music, bluegrass, isn’t usually available on many radio stations.  I think part of the appeal of bluegrass for me is its “upbeat” nature.  It’s hard to be sad while banjo pickin’ and fiddle playin’ are going on!

If you’ve never heard of The King James Boys, they combine bluegrass and Gospel music.  Although I haven’t listened to all their music, one song caught my attention – “The Devil’s Not Afraid of a Dust-Covered Bible”.  It’s long been said that good country music is “three chords and the truth”.  I don’t know about the three chords part, but it seems a lot of music certainly conveys the truth – and faith!  The King James Boys’ song is a good example, and it originates from a surprising source.  For those of you who are religious scholars, you may have heard of a Nineteenth Century English preacher named Charles Spurgeon.  He was a Baptist minister who defended conservative, Bible-based values.  He was very well-known in his day and many of his quotes remain popular today.  “The Devil’s not afraid of a dust-covered Bible” is one of them.  “A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”  “God is our portion, Christ our companion, the Spirit our Comforter, Earth our lodge, and Heaven is our home.”  The more of his quotes you read, the more you may like him.  He emphasized a simple faith in Jesus, our Savior, as the one and only way to be saved.

Is your Bible dust-covered or does it hold a prominent place near your bed, your easy chair, or on your kitchen counter?  God talks to us every day through that amazing book.  He shares the wisdom which brought the universe into being.  He calms our troubled heart.  He points the way to eternal life through his Son, Jesus Christ.  It’s all there and we have access to it 24/7!  Thank God for all the people and events which made that possible, from the original writers, to the Dead Sea scrolls, to Martin Luther, to the printing press, and even to modern technology.  People have no excuse for not knowing our Heavenly Father or his plan of salvation for us.

Don’t take time to read the Bible; make time to read the Bible.  Being “in the Word” should become a habit, just like the Bereans.  Acts 17:11 (The Bereans) received the word very eagerly and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these things were so.  It doesn’t take huge amounts of daily study to benefit your spirit.  The key word is daily.  It will help you grow as a person and as a Christian, just don’t let the dust collect!  Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Dan Kunz

What’s your favorite Christmas classic  - “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “Elf”, “Home Alone”?  (Don’t say “Die Hard”.  That only takes place at Christmas time!)  One of my favorites is “A Christmas Carol” better known in America as “Scrooge”.  George C. Scott has always been one of my favorite actors, so I’m biased toward the 1984 version with Scott playing Ebenezer Scrooge.  The acting, costumes, and staging are all fantastic!

Although many memorable events in the movie come to mind, Jacob Marley’s soliloquy is really the hinge pin which starts Scrooge on his journey of “redemption”.  Marley’s ghost says, “I wear the chain I forged in life.  I made it link by link and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.  Is its pattern strange to you?”  According to Michel Martin del Campo’s commentary on the movie, “The chains represent each act of greed Marley committed in life. The chains are tied to money boxes, ledgers, and other heavy items that symbolize Marley's greed in life that he must now drag everywhere.” Especially vivid in the 1984 version is the image of Jacob Marley’s ghost wearing his heavy chains while dragging even more behind him.  What if all our sins made up a chain – greed, lust, hatred, idolatry?  You get the idea.  We wouldn’t be dragging any chain.  We’d be buried under a mountain of chain – literally!

Remember I wrote that “A Christmas Carol” or “Scrooge” is one of my favorite Christmas classics?  My really, truly, all time favorite Christmas classic is “The Night God Came To Earth To Remove My Chains”!  Don’t look for it on Netflix, or Amazon Prime, or even The Hallmark Channel.  The best place to find this classic is in the Bible.  God’s Word tells us the little baby, born in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago, would grow up to live a perfect life in our place.  He would die a horrible, painful death on the cross in our place.  He would be forsaken, abandoned, and deserted by his Heavenly Father in our place.  But then, on Easter Sunday morning, he would rise from the grave to announce his victory over, not only earthly death, but also eternal death.  We can now take our place in heaven with him, because of him.  We are now the perfect ones in God’s eyes.  Jesus Christ, the baby born in Bethlehem, has rid us of our chains of sin and guilt, once and for all.  Have a truly blessed and joyful Christmas!

Luke 2:8-14 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Dan Kunz

One of the things I most appreciate about my daughters, is that they hold their kids accountable.  Whether five or fifteen, they are being taught to be responsible.  Some wash their own clothes.  Others load the dishwasher.  They love to help their moms cook or bake.  If they’re old enough, they mow the lawn.  I’m amazed that they all get at their homework and complete it without whining, crying, or procrastinating.  (They didn’t learn that from me!)  Unfortunately, because so many parents today don’t hold their children responsible for the things they do, a pretty sizable portion of the population is growing up in a way which spells trouble for them down the road. If you broke it, you fix it. If you messed up your room, you clean it up. If you hurt someone, physically or emotionally, you make things right with them. People who grow up with such a mindset will probably go far in this world, simply because so many people don’t operate that way.

One of the most important lessons parents can teach their kids is that choices have consequences. I was shocked to learn the average person makes over 30,000 choices every day, all the way from choosing what to have for breakfast to what career path to pursue. Obviously, some choices have minimal consequences, and some have enormous consequences. Some people make great choices and end up with a good job, spouse, and family. Others make poor choices and end up homeless, incarcerated, or dead. Making choices is part of learning responsibility, too.

Unfortunately, there are some things we break which we can’t fix. I’m not a plumber or an electrician.  If I hit a deer with my truck, I’m not fixing that!  Some things we mess up and can’t clean up. If I accidentally spill a bag of fertilizer on the lawn, some is going to stay there.  No matter how responsible we are taught to be, we don’t always have the tools to make everything right again.  Fortunately, we have a God who can do anything. He can create a universe with just a word. He can mold a bucket of dirt into a walking, talking, thinking human being. He can come into the world as a tiny baby, grow into a man, die on a cross and fix every commandment we’ve broken and every mess we’ve made in our lives.

So-called “helicopter parents” or “bulldozer parents” really aren’t doing their kids any favors in this life. When they follow their child around, trying to clean up every mess they make, the child never learns responsibility.  When they strive to make their child’s life “happy” by clearing out every obstacle in their path, the child never learns to fend for himself or herself.  Having a God who loves us, wants us to be happy, and can restore us to perfection, is a different story. God, from eternity, had a plan for us. Through his Son, our brother, Jesus Christ, he executed the plan for us, because we could not do it ourselves.  He fixes our brokenness and cleans up the mess we make of our lives.  Jesus lived a perfect life and died a perfect death so we could be “unbroken” and “clean”.

It’s important to fix what you break and clean up your messes, but it’s even more important to know who, ultimately, is responsible for your eternal life!  II Corinthians 5:19 That is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their sins against them. And he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation.

Dan Kunz

If you have a smartphone, it’s inevitable that you’ll get a message every month or two telling you to “download the latest upgrade”. If you’re like me, you probably dread the thought of getting a new upgrade. Some “techno-geek” somewhere is being paid whole bushel baskets full of money, to make your life more convenient, quicker, easier, or better. I just want it the way it was! The upgrades might be an improvement in their eyes, but not necessarily in mine. I’ve got to search for things, change how to do things, or do without something I really liked and depended on. Ugh!

Sadly, the same mindset has affected people’s perception of God. Many in today’s world want a God who is more convenient, quicker, easier, or better. Take, for example, the topic of abortion. God’s viewpoint of taking another person’s life is pretty simple and straightforward. “You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13. God begins life at conception also seems obvious. “For you created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13. Show a three-year-old an ultrasound picture of an unborn child and ask them what it is. “It’s a baby,” they’ll tell you with a look that shows they don’t think much of your intelligence if you had to ask a three-year-old that! Those two concepts should tell us all we need to know about abortion, yet people have wanted an “upgrade” in God’s “operating system” for years and years. Even with the most recent Supreme Court ruling about abortion, people are more determined than ever to do away with any limitations on abortion. Babies sometimes aren’t convenient. Having a baby right now will make things difficult. Adding another child to the family will not make our financial situation better. These are all reasons for an upgrade in God’s laws, right?

Of course other upgrades are popular, too. Do you want to live together outside of marriage? Just pretend God “upgraded” the Sixth Commandment. Don’t like the thought of going to hell when you die? Imagine God did a “re-boot” and eliminated hell. Everybody gets to go the heaven! Don’t like the idea of going to church to hear God’s Word every week? No problem! God just upgraded the Third Commandment, too. You don’t have to go to church or be bothered with God’s Word at all! Just drop a couple items at the local food pantry occasionally, and God will call it “good” at Judgement Day!

The only upgrade God does is in our status as a sinner! Through Jesus’ life and death, God has upgraded us from sinner to saint, from damned to forgiven. He doesn’t change to accommodate us. He changes us, to accommodate him! His perfect justice was executed on Jesus, not us. Wearing Christ’s robe of righteousness, we are now “fit” to enter God’s presence. What am I thankful for at this time of year? I’m thankful God, through the Holy Spirit, installed the most important upgrade I needed - faith in Jesus as my Savior! Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and tomorrow.”

Dan Kunz

Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!”  My modern take on that is, “How do I love my water? Let me count the ways!”  I haven’t actually done a count of how many different ways a person can buy water today, but it has to be dozens, if not hundreds. I’m kind of partial to the raspberry-flavored 20-ounce bottles which I get at my favorite convenience store, but during the summer I also like the many flavors LaCroix offers in cans which include a little “sparkle”!  You can get flavored water.  You can get carbonated water.  You can get water in bottles.  You can get water in cans.  You can even get little packets of energy-boosting powder which you can add to your water.  The variations are limitless.

My dad moved to his heavenly home quite a few years ago, but if he was still around, I’m sure he’d be amazed that people actually buy water, instead of filling up a glass from the faucet. If he was still around, I’m pretty sure he’d “box my ears” for spending good money for something which is free.  The flavored water would, as my friend says, “Throw him for a spinner!” Why would you need to add anything to good, clean, cold, refreshing water? As odd as that may seem to an “old soul”, many people do so every day.  Unfortunately, many people do the exact same thing with the “living water” which Jesus offers.

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The Samaritan woman at the well was there drawing water in the middle of the day because she was trying to avoid the looks and comments of her fellow Samaritans.  She was a “woman with a reputation”.  The well water she was getting definitely wasn’t flavored and probably wasn’t even safe to drink without boiling.  Jesus spoke to her not only of her earthly need for pure water, he also spoke with her about a much more important topic.  The water which Jesus offered the woman at the well is the exact same water he offers you and me - the pure, unadulterated Gospel. Once we have that Gospel, we will never again be thirsty (for something “better”), and it will bring us eternal life with God in heaven.

Do people try to “flavor” this living water? Absolutely!  Just as some people may think that plain old regular water is kind of dull, boring, or lacking flavor, some may feel that the Gospel is also plain, dull, boring, or lacking “flavor”.  Let’s infuse some of our good works to make it sparkle. Let’s eliminate some of God’s commandments to make it taste better. Let’s add some of our own thoughts and ideas to make it sweeter. Adding flavors or carbonation may be okay for canned or bottled water, but adding to or subtracting from the Living Water, makes it poisonous! Any time we add or subtract from any of God’s Word, we diminish it.  If we do so with the Gospel, we take the most valuable commodity on earth, and make it worthless.  I don’t know about you, but although I sometimes like my earthly water to taste like raspberries, I want my spiritual water to taste like Jesus!

Dan Kunz

When I am an old man I shall drink chocolate milk.  Does my new mantra sound familiar?  For a few of you who are aware of Jenny Joseph’s poem, “Warning”, it might.  Written in 1961, the poem has become an anthem for people who have reached “senior citizen” status.  It begins with the lines,

“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.”

The point of the poem is to enjoy things in old age which may not have been the case when one was younger – when you get old, you can do as you please.  Maybe at a younger age doing or having certain things wasn’t expedient or it was too expensive.  We have lots of reasons for limiting or denying ourselves or feeling guilty when we don’t.

As I was a little boy, chocolate milk was a “treat”, reserved for special occasions.  I’m not sure why, but I’m guessing that it may have cost a little more than regular milk.  Also, it contained chocolate, so, of course, it was kind of like candy.  Did anyone else have a similar experience?  Even now, I am somewhat surprised when one of our grandkids has chocolate milk with a “regular meal”!  After all, aren’t contentment and moderation considered worthy goals for us, as Christians, to pursue?  Indulgence, which the poem celebrates, isn’t good, is it?  Let’s look at that a little bit.

When God created the world, he didn’t just make it functional.  He made it beautiful and opulent as well.  Adam and Eve had the most amazing home anyone can imagine.  Although sin has certainly tainted that home (which we inherited), the visual delight and abundance which the earth offers shows the Creator’s love for us.  Just as we always have chocolate milk in the refrigerator for the grandkids when they come over, God has stocked our home with incredible gifts for us to enjoy, and not just when we get old!  At this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, the stunning sight of trees clothed in gold, yellow, red, and orange is on full display.   Truth be told, most of our breakfast, lunch, and dinner tables probably have wholesome and tasty food on a regular basis.  It’s okay to be content with what you have and do all things in moderation, but it’s also okay to take a break from whatever you are doing and enjoy a crisp autumn morning and the glories of creation.  It’s okay to live in a home which has nice furniture.  It’s okay to eat dessert first!

Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

God’s Word encourages us to partake of the best which our Heavenly Father has to offer.  We know he has plans to someday take us to the home he has prepared for us.  He sent his Son, our Savior, into the world for that very reason, to live a perfect life and die a perfect death to purchase our admission ticket.  If this is our future, it makes sense that God would give us a foretaste of those blessings now, to whet our appetite for the things to come.  We are the children of the King!  He wants us to enjoy the experience now, and even more so when we are with him in heaven.  I don’t know about wearing purple, but when I am an old man I shall drink chocolate milk.  When I’m in heaven, I shall always drink chocolate milk!

Dan Kunz

For the past several months, I’ve been telling friends, family and acquaintances about Dr. Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychologist and writer.  I have become a huge fan lately and encourage others to check out his book, Twelve Rules for Life:  An Antidote for Chaos, his podcast, or his many interviews on YouTube.  He is uncommonly gifted with common sense and is a conservative voice for reason.  As far as I know, he doesn’t profess to be a Christian, but he certainly espouses many opinions which Christians hold and quotes the Bible quite often in his speaking and writing.  Because he says many things which ring true for Christians and verbalizes some of the same beliefs which Christians share, I think we can take away some important concepts from his viewpoint.

For example, in Twelve Rules for Life, Peterson states, “All people serve their ambition.  In that matter, there are no atheists.  There are only people who know, and don’t know, what God they serve.”  As Christians you and I know we serve the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Our “ambition” is to glorify God through our thoughts, words, and actions.  Our “ambition” is to spread the Good News of God’s plan of salvation with as many people as possible.  Our “ambition” is to hold fast to Jesus, as he holds fast to us, so that we may spend eternity with him in heaven. Philippians 1:6 I am convinced of this very thing: that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The famous 17th Century philosopher, Blaise Pascal, once said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum (hole) in the heart of each man, which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made know through Jesus Christ.”  Man innately knows God belongs in that hole, but, when he refuses to put God there, must fill it with something else.  That, I believe, is what Jordan Peterson meant.  Even an atheist must put his “faith” in something.  It might be power.  It might be wealth.  It might be pleasure.  “All people serve their ambition.”  We know who we serve and do so willingly and gladly.  Even if someone doesn’t know who they serve, they still serve him, her, or it.  It’s like a person who says, “I know I’m hungry, but I don’t know what I’m hungry for.”  You can bet they’ll eat something, even if they can’t determine what it is they’d really like to have.

How can we help?  If you find someone who seems to be searching, don’t necessarily tell them what you think they need.  Instead, share with them that you, too, once felt unfulfilled, wandering, adrift.  Maybe you even tried to fill the void with something other than God, too.  Most importantly, share with them what finally filled the void, quenched your thirst, and calmed your troubled heart – Jesus.  Next, and maybe just as important, offer to be their guide.  Don’t just give them the map, take the journey with them.  Teach them.  Encourage them.  Direct them.  When they reach their destination, as you do, it will be a day even the angels will celebrate.

Dan Kunz

As some of you know, my wife and I moved into a new home a little over two years ago.  It was a “new build”, so although we’re not complete slaves to technology, it certainly has more new tech ideas than our former home of over forty years.  I joke that I may have to go back to school to learn how to operate everything.  One of the facets of our new home, which is completely different than the old, is how our lights are operated.  Although we had one or two “dimmer switches” in our former house, most lights were operated by a simple on-and-off switch on the wall.  In a few rooms, two switches could operate the same light, but that was about the extent of the complexity.  Our new home, however, turns the complexity up several notches.

Every room has a switch plate with at least four small pushbuttons on it.  One may be for the lights in that room.  One may be for the lights in the next room.  One may be for the lights in the previous room.  One may be for what’s called a “scene”.  This switch can turn on pre-specified lights to a certain brightness, turn on outlets with lamps attached, and even raise or lower blinds to a certain height.  Some have another pushbutton which turns off all the lights in an area.  We can also operate all this technology from our phones!  To say this can be confusing is the understatement of the year.  Amazingly, though, even an “old dog” can learn new tricks and, as the Marine credo goes, “improve, adapt, and overcome”.

After a few weeks of living in our new home, I found myself instinctively reaching for certain buttons to turn lights and other things on and off without having to bend over and peer at the tiny labels on the switches to accomplish what I wanted.  It became a part of my life’s routine.  In the morning, walk into the bathroom and push the button for the vanity lights to wash my face, walk down the hall and push the button for the kitchen and great room lights.  Push the button to raise the great room blinds.  You get the idea.  Occasionally, our electrician has returned and changed some of the switches to accommodate what we want in a certain room.  I’m amazed at how quickly I can adapt to “pushing different buttons”!

Isn’t that the way it is throughout our lives?  We do so many things through simple repetition which very quickly becomes a habit – how we brush our teeth, how we make our morning coffee, or how we say goodbye to our loved ones when they leave from a visit.  Those habits are good things which make our lives stable and anxiety-free.  We can, however, also develop habits which, like a new set of wall switches, need to be adapted and re-learned.  On one side, over the years we may have formed a habit such as losing our temper, gossiping, using crude language, or taking God’s name in vain, which needs to be eliminated.  On the other side, we may need to improve our prayer life by being more thoughtful in our prayers and not vain and repetitious.  We may need to develop an actual schedule for reading our Bibles or doing an individual Bible study.  We may need to start taking notes during the Sunday sermon to improve our attention and retention of the points made by the pastor. 

It's said that old habits die hard, but they can and do die.  New habits are difficult to form, but not impossible (like pushing the right button).  This is an area where we can easily encourage one another, “You can do it.”  II Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  Self-control is the key to many things in life, and God’s power enables us to use it to bless ourselves and others!

Dan Kunz

What is the most beautiful place of worship you’ve ever seen?  Just this week, my wife and I were able to see The Chapel of The Christ at Martin Luther College.  It is a most beautiful building both in design and finish.  The soaring buttresses and intricate altar are impressive.  The person conducting our tour explained in intimate detail, the meaning and significance of almost every single aspect of the chapel.  The huge supports, a prominent visual display of architecture, are intended to remind one of both the ancient tent-like nature of the Israelites’ place of worship, and the temporary nature of our existence here on planet Earth.  The altar contains ten small pieces of African bloodwood to represent the Ten Commandments.  Our guide explained that a close observer will see the grain on the first three pieces runs vertically and the grain on the last seven runs horizontally.  This detail mimics the nature of the commandments.  The first three show our relationship to God, while the last seven reflect our relationship to our fellow man.  Amazing!

The world has no shortage of beautiful places to worship.  Cathedral of Brasilia, Duomo di Milano, Notre-Dame, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Cathedral of Florence, are just a few.  My wife and I have been blessed to have visited some beautiful churches over the years, and some of the most surprising are found in relatively small villages in Mexico.  It’s somewhat painful to think of how many generations of poor villagers and farmers gave all they had to build such awe-inspiring edifices.  The maintenance alone of such places must be overwhelming!  It’s also sad to think of these beautiful buildings being destroyed.  World wars care little for cathedrals and art museums.  Even recently, fire destroyed a large part of Notre-Dame.  Because of not only its spiritual importance, but the significance of the national pride it fuels, to their credit, the French government have vowed to rebuild Notre-Dame and make it even better!

Over the course of human history, the trillions of dollars spent, the physical labor, and the incredible sacrifice of time and talents, do you know what is God’s favorite place of worship?  Your heart!  The true devotion of a single human heart beats all the marble, all the gold, all the ornate wood, and all the soaring spires the world has to offer.  It’s good to show God and the world how important it is for us to glorify him and magnify his blessings to us, through the buildings and facilities we create for the work of the church, not for the purpose of earning heavenly “brownie points”, but to truly say, “I can’t thank you enough for sending your Son to save me from eternal damnation.” 

The dedication of a pure heart, the sacrifice of a selfless act, and unashamed adoration of a Christian’s being, are what really catch our Heavenly Father’s eye.  Psalm 51:17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.  You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.  He loves it when we love him.  He loves it when we say, “Not me, but thee,” and when we hold our giant foam index finger in the air and proclaim, “You’re Number One!  You’re Number One!”  Martin Luther, himself, said it best in his hymn, “Ah, Dearest Jesus, Holy Child” = “Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, make Thee a bed, soft, undefined within my heart, that it may be a quiet chamber kept for Thee.  In many cases, it took centuries to complete some of the great cathedrals of the world.  In our case, may we never stop building, cleaning, and polishing the most important place of worship, to us personally, our own heart!

Dan Kunz

How old would you be, if you didn’t know how old you were? Any time the topic of age and aging comes up, I like to throw out that question and watch people’s faces. Usually, the person looks confused and perplexed for a moment, followed by a growing look of recognition. What’s important is how old you feel and what you’re capable of doing, not a date on your birth certificate.

We’ve all seen 80-year-olds who act 40 (or younger) and 40-year-olds who act 80. That is very evident in today’s news cycle. You may have recently seen President Biden trip and fall while crossing a stage or struggle to put a coherent sentence together after being asked a question by a reporter. Just the other day, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stared off into space for at least thirty seconds, after being asked a simple question. (Aging doesn’t have a political party!) On the other end of the spectrum, Mick Jagger continues to “strut his stuff” on stage before packed houses and Harrison Ford just starred in yet another Indiana Jones movie. All four of them are approximately the same age.  

Good health, vitality, and mental acuity are all great blessings from God. Certainly, we can do things to maintain an active lifestyle and fight off the effects of aging, but ultimately, even the most physically and mentally capable people will succumb to the inevitable. Aging, eventually, catches up to all of us. My recent shoulder surgery is a reminder that bodies and body parts wear out. As I, unfortunately, found out, even replacement body parts wear out!  

My dear friend, Wally, sometimes drives me crazy with his ever-present optimism. “It’ll be alright,” is his mantra. He’s often right. What I see as a “big deal,” after an hour, or a day, or a week, does turn out alright. The reason he drives me crazy is that, in the moment, it doesn’t feel as if it’s going to be alright. That’s where our Christian faith comes in. Although we, or as mentioned above, those in charge, might show signs of aging and maybe even losing capability, that is never the case with God.

Even Edie Ceccarelli, who at 115 years old is the oldest living American, can’t do some of the things she used to do. Amazing indeed, but not invincible! That’s not the case with our God. My mom finally quit bowling at the age of 88. Right this minute, God could still bowl, if he wanted to, and he’s a lot older than that! Seriously, God never trips and falls because his legs don’t work as well as they used to when he created the world. He never forgets who we, his dear children, are. He remembers our name, where we live, and what we need. Most importantly, he remembers his plan for our salvation, which he carried out through his Son, Jesus Christ!

It really will be alright, because we don’t rely on any human being who has a definite “shelf life”, ourselves included. Because of our limited human brains, we can’t really grasp the concept of eternity and the myriad of its implications, but we can enter each new day knowing as sure as anything can be, that Psalm 115:3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Again, Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. And finally, Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

Dan Kunz

If any of you are bikers, runners, or walkers, you may be able to tell from the title of this blog, where I’m headed. On a recent trip to Colorado, I made it a point to get out every day for a two-mile walk. With shoulder surgery coming up in a couple weeks, I wanted to make sure I was in relatively good physical condition. It was on one of these morning walks, that I encountered “him”. Although Colorado has thousands of beautiful trails on which to get your exercise, I wasn’t on one of those. I was on a frontage road, along a neighboring four-lane highway. Our daughter and granddaughter live in the city, so I was opting for convenience, rather than beauty!  

The roads and highways were pretty busy that morning, so I chose “the road less traveled” – the frontage road. As I neared the last quarter mile of my journey, cruising along, ear buds blasting out “Free Bird”, I noticed a very large pothole ahead, on my half of the road, out near the center of the road, but definitely on my side. I also noticed “him”, a guy in his mid-forties, medium-length dark hair, driving his particular flavor of SUV (Does everybody in Colorado drive an SUV?), probably not speeding, but using every mile-per-hour the government was willing to give him. I’m not Nostradamus, but I was able to see exactly what was about to happen. He was going to get to the pothole, swerve to his right to avoid it, and, in the process, run over the guy walking along the edge of the road (me)!  

It all unfolded just as I had imagined it would, except as I approached the pothole and he approached the pothole, we didn’t arrive at the same time, so the only result of his swerving to avoid the pothole was a very surprised look on his face as he, for the first time, noticed me walking on his side of the road. It wasn’t close enough to elicit much of a response from either of us, although he was probably just a little embarrassed at not noticing a guy, 6’2” and 200 lbs., walking on his side of the road!

As I finished my walk that day, I thought about the “close call” that really wasn’t. I thought about how we are sometimes “him”, driving along through life, trying our hardest not to damage our SUV’s on the potholes of life, and all the while, not being aware of the bigger, more important, more costly issues walking right in front of us! The Devil is cunning and crafty. He is sneaky and deceptive. He knows more about us and about our kind (humans) than we would like to admit. Most of us are way too easily distracted by the potholes of life, that we don’t notice the rather large and obvious people we are about to run over! The potholes/people dilemma could apply to temptations. It could apply to our priorities. It could apply to our relationships. It could apply to almost any aspect of our lives, and have some dire consequences, if we don’t notice everything in our path. Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. As you navigate the twists and turns of your life, please pay attention to both the potholes and the people!

[Thank you to all who said a prayer or prayers on my behalf for my shoulder replacement surgery last Monday. The surgery went very well, thanks to the Great Physician. This type of surgery is very painful, but my meds are helping me to manage it. The rehab is a slow process (3-6 months), so if you hear any yelling from Western Wisconsin, it’s just me working at returning to all the active things I love to do!]

Dan Kunz

Hope (pray) for the best. That expression is found on the lips of people on a daily basis. It may be said concerning the weather and its impact on an upcoming event. It may be said about a business deal that is unfolding. It may be uttered (as in my case) when approaching a medical procedure or surgery. People have knees and hips replaced on a regular basis. It’s almost as common as getting dental work done. Unfortunately, I belong to a much more select group – those who have had a shoulder joint replaced. As a matter of fact, I’m even more “special”. I’ve had both shoulders replaced! One was ten years ago and the other five years. A life of sports, outdoor activities, and, yes, foolishness, has worn out both my shoulders. And now, in two weeks, I’m having the replacement replaced. Lucky me!

As the months and weeks have slipped quickly by, this latest surgery has been looming larger and larger in my windshield. It’s a pretty big deal – three to six months of rehab, lots of pain, huge limitations on my lifestyle for a time. For example, I won’t even be able to drive for six weeks. (My wife will love being a chauffeur again!) Because both of my previous shoulder replacements were extremely successful and allowed me to do all the things I love, I can truly say, “I’m praying for the best.” That being said, I also learned long ago to “Prepare for the worst.”

To be sure, we can’t always prepare for the worst, at least not in a very specific way. Things happen in life which we just don’t and can’t anticipate. No one plans to break a tooth. No one plans to have a traffic accident. No one plans a stroke. We can only be prepared for those things in a most general way. Some events, however, we can and should prepare for, so we’re not caught off guard or overwhelmed. Jesus told us himself in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We know life will not always go as planned, but we can take steps to offset some of the “worst”.

Could I die during my surgery? I could. I’m not planning on it, but I’ll make sure to tell all my loved ones that I do love them, just in case. Could the surgery only be partially successful, so that my ability to fully use my left shoulder is diminished? Unlikely, but possible. If people who are the victims of accidents or war can learn to adapt, I guess I can too. Will I suffer from depression after the surgery and during the subsequent rehab? Absolutely! Having been down this road twice before, I know major surgery takes a toll on your psyche for a time. A person comes face-to-face with his or her mortality when confronted with significant life changes. It’s inevitable for many people, but, if one plans for it and takes the necessary precautions, it won’t “drag you under”. Of course, faith has an impact on all the “what if’s”.  

I can prepare for my surgery in a lot of ways, including suggestions from my surgeon, but knowing “the Great Physician” is overseeing everything, is the most important prep work I can do. Passages such as these are part of my preparation: Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” and Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”