Personal

I grew up in tornado country. One of my vivid childhood memories is my dad driving us a couple of miles from home to a vantage point where we watched a tornado go through downtown Dallas (1957) and praying for my mother who had not yet returned home from working downtown. 6 year olds remember stuff like that.

Tornadoes are unpredictable, hit very fast, can do tremendous damage, but are confined to relatively small areas and are over quickly.

A few years ago, I moved to Florida just in time to experience the new upswing in hurricane activity. 4 hurricanes in 1 year rapidly introduced me to plywood over windows, stores of food and bottled water, and long hours sitting inside while wind and rain build, peak, and then subside. Since I live in Orlando, the tremendously destructive winds are not nearly as severe as on the coast, so mostly, hurricanes are boring.

Two weeks ago, Floridians were reminded of our second wind danger. I learned that I’m back in tornado country.

I’ve never lived in earthquake country. I really don’t care too. But a friend in California told me that he’d much rather live in earthquake country than hurricane country. His analysis: you don’t have to prepare, it happens quickly, there is really nothing you can do, you survive or you don’t. That’s actually a healthy perspective, particularly if you are prepared for death and have confidence in your destination for eternity.

So I found this map interesting. Looking for a safe place to live? There are not a lot of choices!

Looks like Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Michigan are best. Or way out in West Texas. But then there are other issues like cold, snow, heat, and no rain. Oh well, guess I’ll stay in Florida.

Yesterday, Grammy and I took Abby to the park. It was fun to hear her squeal with delight at all the fun things to do. Everything was interesting!

I am an introvert. There, I’ve said it. I’m an introvert in an organization whose purpose is to help everyone know someone who truly follows Jesus. Sometimes it feels like being an introvert in an extrovert organization!

Yesterday was a great day. After 2 weeks of people, people, people as the host or director of several conferences, Kay and I had a day by ourselves. It felt good! Several asked Kay and I to join with them in exploring Budapest, cruising the Danube, exploring castles. All sounded good, but they were with people.

What did we do? Kay and I sat in 3 different coffee shops. We talked. We wrote postcards. We read. We just sat. And it was good.

Kay and I are in Budapest helping host 8 conferences over a 3 week period for leaders from every area of the world. I am directing several of the conferences.

I can remember sitting in Bolton Hall as a newly enrolled freshman in Texas A&M’s College of Engineering. The course was Engineering 101. The discussion was all the roles an engineer can have in an organization — all the way from pure researchers in white lab coats with slide rules (the calculators of that day) to sales people who vaguely remember studying engineering in their distant past. I can clearly remember thinking, “The white lab coat guys seem to have it made. They don’t have to deal with people. Ohm’s Law works, all the time. Kirchoff’s Laws aren’t flaky and disappointing to me. I really don’t like people. The lab is the choice for me!”

I was an introvert, and didn’t know it at the time.

On the way to my ideal lab research job, I met the Holy Spirit. I was a believer, so He already indwelled me. But He didn’t direct my life. During my junior year, a student involved with Campus Crusade shared how I could allow the Holy Spirit to give meaning and purpose to my life every day. A light bulb clicked on, and the light began to reveal truths I had never fully understood about the source of power and purpose in life.

And I began to like people.

It’s an amazing thing. I never really disliked people, I just had rather be alone. I never expected to enjoy being around people. But as I grew as a Christian, I found myself becoming more and more concerned about people, about their hopes and dreams, about their fears and concerns.

It is not possible to walk closely with Jesus and not be deeply concerned about people.

And I am still an introvert.

I’ve learned that the difference between introverts and extroverts is where I get my energy. Being around a lot of people consumes energy for an introvert. Being around a lot of people generates energy for an extrovert. Times of aloneness and solitude generates energy for me, as an introvert.

Being in fulltime ministry does not mean changing from introvert to extrovert. It means learning to draw energy from God. So where does the energy come from to host 8 conferences in 20 days? Paul says, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” (Colossians 4:13). "’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Any good electrical engineer knows that power is the measure of energy over time. It’s probably not what the Greek means by “power”, but 2 Corinthians 12:9 is very meaningful to me by realizing that Christ’s power is Christ’s energy released over time as I help host and lead 8 conferences over 21 days.

So yesterday was a great day. I think I could use several more days, but God gave me one, and He gave me His Holy Spirit who gives me the strength to do all things. Christ’s energy is available to me.

He is sufficient.

Our Measurements conference ended Friday. Some will stay a few more days for additional training. I’m now sitting in Manchester Airport waiting for Kay’s flight to arrive from the U.S. I’m reflecting on the power of going through life with friends.

I spent Saturday afternoon with great friends John and Lynn. John and Kay and I went to school together.

Daniel is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were friends who went through Babylonian captivity together. Their fellowship gave them strength to remain pure in God’s call on their lives.

Friends do that. Lifelong friends help each other make sense out of God’s workings in our lives. The go through trials together. They strengthen one another.

So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. [Daniel 2:13]
…
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. [Daniel 2:17]

Some other thoughts on friends:

[Proverbs 17:17] A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

[Proverbs 18:24] A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

[Proverbs 27:9]: Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.

[Eccles. 4:10]: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

That’s how John and Lynn go through life with Kay and me. We’ve trusted God for ministry victories while students at Texas A&M. We’ve shared experiences in Africa together although separated by the entire continent most of our time there. Now we are sharing together as our children launch out into their lives, working through the 3 big issues all of us sort through: life’s Master, life’s mate, and life’s mission.

It’s great to go through life with friends.