Bittersweet Farm

Our youngest son, Wes and his wife Dylan are expecting a baby girl this week.

On Thursday proof copies of Finding Bittersweet should arrive out on Bittersweet Farm. Soon thereafter the book will be available on Amazon. If you sometimes wrestle to see the sweet in the bitter our you know someone who does, I think this book will encourage and inspire.

Sometimes things will get better. Sometimes they will not get better in this life. It is then especially when our faith is tested and we cling to the promises of God. Today’s story is an example of that.

Music in the Mountains

Our oldest son, Kyle is a pastor in Grand Rapids. A couple years ago a family needed his pastoral services. Grandpa had died. Kyle preached his funeral and ministered to the family. A few months later the family called again. This time the news was especially bitter. Their fourteen-year-old son had died at his own hand. The family was devastated.

Kyle spent time with them. He prayed with them and listened to their stories. The boys mother and father were divorced. They shared custody. Kyle asked the boy’s mother if she could share a happy memory about her boy. She told him this story:

One summer they visited the Natural Bridge State Park in Kentucky. The plan was for them to hike up to the bridge together. It is a tough hike. On the way up mom ran out of strength. She just couldn’t go on. She found a bench and sat down to rest. Brokenhearted, she told her son, “Go on without me. I’ll have to wait for you here.”

He sat down with her. “Mom, I love you. I didn’t come here to see the Natural Bridge. I came to spend time with you.”

She insisted. He took off and ran to the top and quickly returned to join his mom on the bench. He said, “There’s someone up there with an instrument, mom.”

They sat there in silence at dusk or a few minutes when, suddenly beautiful music began to drift down from above them. Not just birdsong and wind in the leaves, but something more. It was the cello. The music filled the giant amphitheater of mountain and forest with with music.

They sat and listened to the music that day on the bench on the mountainside—music that seemed especially arranged for them.

She said; “I will always cherish that memory.”

Deep silence.

Kyle listened to the story quietly and then said; “One day there will be a new heaven and there will be a new earth. I think in the new heaven and the new earth there will still be a Natural Bridge. I think you can go back one day. In your glorified body you will be able to reach the top together.

Life in this broken world can damage your spirit and threaten your faith, but we have the promises of God that one day all that is wrong in this world will be made right and those who hope in Jesus will be with Him again in a place were divorce do violence to love and young boys will never again be crushed with despair.

Bittersweet Farm
April 7, 2019

This weekend I played injured and under-the-influence, but I played. Thursday on the way home from my Aunt Ann’s funeral in Ohio I began to tremble with something dreadful in my innards. Friday I spent most of the day sleeping, mercifully, bright sunlight fell through the window across the bed. Saturday I started medications designed to kill the infection that afflicted me.

Sunday my Bethel talk was on rest. I called it “Red Dot Days.” It came from a deep place in my soul. I drove home and crawled back into bed and enjoyed two sweet hours of drooling sleep, rose and drove to Kalamazoo. I had promised to tell stories at a hymn-sing that involved old favorites, harmonica, a spirited choir, and a women’s trio and a lively men’s quartet. It was all led by my little brother Nathan. There was great joy and love in the house. After church we went to a sit-down restaurant and I began to get my legs under me again. The custard helped some. Maybe it was the gummy bears, but is was probably the green antibiotic pills. I stayed late, drove home and tumbled into bed for a good night’s rest without doing any of my normal Sunday afternoon writing.

I’m feeling a bit better today, but I may run out and stock up on gummy bears just to be safe.

How Well Are You Following Jesus?

If you really know Jesus you will have rest in your soul. This is how he put it. “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lovely in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

If you don’t have rest in your souls, you are not following Jesus well.

Charles Spurgeon once illustrated the importance of rest in this way:

“Look at the mower on a summer’s day. With so much to cut down before the sun sets, he pauses in his labor. Is he a sluggard? He looks for a stone and begins to draw it up and down the scythe, rink a tink, rink a tink, rink a tink. He is sharpening his blade. Is that idle music?

Is he wasting precious moments? How much he might have mown while he was ringing out those notes on his blade. But he is sharpening his tool. And he will do far more when once again he gives his strength to those long sweeps which lay the grass prostrate in rows before him. Even thus a little pause can prepare the mind for greater service in a good cause.”

Once an elderly man gave me sound advice. He said; “Son, every now and then you need to take the scenic route.” I did that one day driving my Red Jeep, George from South Bend to Detroit across Michigan on old Route 12. It was a glorious October day. I turned off the radio, powered down the windows and let the fresh air blow through my soul. Along the way I drove within just a few miles of the place we now own and call Bittersweet Farm. I had no idea that the countryside I was savoring that day would become our home. There was no way of knowing that God would display his goodness to us in such a rich kindness. The drive took a lot longer but I arrived home with a peaceful spirit. It was good for my soul. The old man was right.

Someone once asked a Rabi, “How have the Jews preserved the Sabbath for thousands of years?”

The old Rabbi answered; “The Jews have not preserved the Sabbath. The Sabbath has preserved the Jews.” 

Jesus, himself took naps and long walks along the lake. He retreated to the mountains, the wilderness and the sea to rest and meditate and pray. When he worked he worked hard, but he did not always work. There was more to his life than work.

Our daughter Holly is married to a “doer.” He is a diligent, hard-working, organized responsible man and his default setting is “getting things done.” She loves him deeply and enjoys the fruit of these qualities in her life, but one day she said; “We’re going on a trip to his folks this weekend. I’m so looking forward to it. We will be in the car together for hours. There will be no projects to distract him. I will have him all to myself.”

Did it ever occur to you that God really can run the whole universe without your help? He lets you work with Him because He loves you, but he is in no way dependent on your help. Sometimes he just wants you all to himself. How often does God get you all to himself?

Have you ever been with a loved one and you want to say; “Look at me. Just stop what you are doing. Sit down. Put everything else aside and be with me.”

There is joy obedeience to the all the things our Creator has commanded. This is true of sabbath. Bible teacher Marva Dawn wrote in her book Keeping Sabbath Wholly; “God did not tell us to keep the Sabbath holy to spoil our fun, but to deepen our joy.” 

As New Testament believers we are not under obligation to keep the Sabbath but God created in such a way that our souls to flourish in a sacred rhythm of work and rest.

I am a follower of Jesus who took naps and long walks and enjoyed leisurely conversation over slow meals with friends and commanded his followers to observe birds and consider flowers and take a regular day off. I know this: If my soul is not at rest, I’m not following Jesus well.

Bittersweet Farm
April 1, 2019

I’m writing this in the waning hours of the weekend. Friday night we stayed in a rustic log cabin in Holmes County, Ohio. Eight of us shared the place, so it was cozy. Our family has been using these cabins for 30 years. Out on the front porch of the cabin is a log bench. Little Koen is four. He sat down on the bench and dangled his feet while he sipped his cocoa. It reminded me of a picture I have of his mother sitting on that same bench when she was his age. That kinda’ stuff tugs on your heart.

It was a cold moonlit night when we arrived a the cabin. Soon the whole place was warm and glowing with a dancing wood fire. We had a good, old-fashioned “tellin'” in the cabin. Late into the night we laughed and swapped stories and memories. In the morning we had coffee and huge cinnamon twists from the Amish bakery. We puttered around the area, browsed the shops, and drove home Saturday arriving back in time to sleep well and enjoy our Bethel family on the Lord’s Day, rested and happy. It’s nice to be home. I’m sure we tucked-away some good memories this weekend.

Sunday morning when I walked into the Bethel Worship Center I looked over and saw Hope with little Keira. They had picked up ice coffees and they were wearing matching outfits and they were ready for worship. Keira loves her aunt Hope. The Bethel Kids sang a lively number in the service. Keira and Koen had front row seats. We welcomed four more new members. Bethel just keeps growing. April 1 we will have two more full-time staff members working with children, teens, and families. (Amy McDole and Andrew Wadsworth).

My Aunt Ann lives in Ohio. Springtime is coming to the gentle hills there, but my Aunt Ann will not live to see it. Her springtime will be in heaven. It’s always blossom-time there. It makes you think. You only get a few springtimes and then your steps will slow and you won’t have little round faces to kiss, and sweet little voices asking questions, and chubby hands to hold. They will grow up and make children of their own and memories of their own and you will have to work a little harder to keep looking forward and not looking back all the time.

They say it’s going to be sunny in the morning. Springtime is here. I’m looking forward to it.

Bittersweet Farm
March 24, 2019