Gutter Goop

When small plants are growing in the eaves troughs on your house, you know it is time for a cleaning. So there I was, up on the ladder scooping remnants of leaves, needles, and small plants into a garbage bag. Then the hose cleared the downspouts and the gutters (the term I grew up using) were running again. Everything was proceeding along nicely until I came to the gutter which runs along the roof edge over the deck and then takes a 90º turn to run along the side of the house. Here I found standing water, but not just any standing water – a biology lab of standing water – all manner of slime and sediment and plant life could be found in that gutter, particularly on the deck side. To my disappointment, no tadpoles were growing in the scum.

Two circumstances were responsible for this collection of nature – one was the wire plug used to prevent leaves from gathering and clogging the down spout. This plug had become so filled with gutter stuff it would not allow any water to run. Water that does not run is standing water and standing water becomes a biology lab. The second circumstance is found at the 90º bend. There is a slight rise in the middle preventing all the water on the deck side from running to the downspout – so the water in this portion of the gutter sits and becomes ‘gutter goop’. Pulling the plug is the easy repair (what a delight to see the water freely flowing into the downspout). The 90º corner will at some point have to be replaced.

Any number of analogies to our spiritual life can be found in this encounter with the gutters. For me, Jesus’ teaching on the impact of the Holy Spirit came to mind – the one who believes in Jesus “out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). My experience in Christ through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit should be one of water flowing free along the gutter – fresh, cleansing, pure, energetic, and vital for life. Too often it is not, but I am thankful for the removal of clogged plugs and the washing away of the gutter goop.

Been There Before

In 1620, as the Pilgrims were making preparations for their journey to the new world aboard the Mayflower, the task before them was daunting. North America had been frequently visited by fishing fleets and whalers, but establishing a permanent colony was something else altogether.

While these Separatists from the church of England (they came to be called Pilgrims) were experienced at resettlement, having moved from England to Holland, a journey to America posed greater challenges. It was a new adventure for each one.

Robert Cushman, an important organizer of the voyage, wrote,

“It doth often trouble me to think that in this business we are all to learn and none to teach.”

The teacher Cushman desires is someone who had been to New England and would be able to help the Pilgrims settle into their new home.

Among the many definitions of a teacher, this one is filled with images – a teacher is someone who has been there before and is now leading learners to new territory.

A teacher is someone who has been there before. This suggests a realm of education and experience that is invaluable to the learning process. The biblical picture of a teacher, whether parents as they teach through life in Deuteronomy 6, or Ezra teaching from the inside out (Ezra 7:10), or the Apostles teaching out of their encounter with Christ (1 John 1:1-3), supports the idea that a teacher is someone who has been there before.

The most significant implication of this idea is that teachers must consistently encounter new places. An ever-expanding horizon of spiritual growth, life experience, and intellectual development is the necessary requirement for anyone who seeks to be someone who has been there before.

*For a detailed account of the Pilgrim’s settlement in New England, I recommend Nathaniel Philbrick’s book, Mayflower. Cushman’s quote is on page 20.

Waiting Well

I went to the doctor yesterday for the results of my thyroid biopsy. It had been fourteen days since the procedure – fourteen days of waiting and wondering.

The results – inconclusive. The sample retrieved by the fine needle aspiration was not sufficient for proper testing.

I have been told many times the waiting is the most difficult part of the process. The wondering has proven just as difficult. What constitutes ‘bad news’? What constitutes ‘good news’? How might life change if there is ‘bad news’? What is the conclusion is 'just live with it'?

I was not thinking of “inconclusive” - sounds like a loose end that needs tying up.

The result of this is a return to the waiting process, though I am thankful for Dr. Wigmore’s move toward the next step. That next step is a surgical biopsy. Sounds more interesting and more ominous.

All this is a reminder of the need to ‘wait’ well. Psalm 27:14 has become a point of encouragement in the aftermath of all this: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Biopsy

Yesterday I went to the hospital for a biopsy. Specifically a thyroid biopsy. Even more specifically, a fine-needle aspiration. The procedure was simple enough – a combination of ultrasound images, iodine, freezing, and a fine-needle. It was over quickly with little pain and minimal discomfort. The reason for the biopsy is to discover the nature of a nodule present on my thyroid – whether cystic, cancerous, benign, or otherwise.

The idea of a biopsy suggests cancer and that is the scary part. The thyroid, I have been told, is a finicky gland when it comes to disorders. Nodules can simply be nodules and nothing to be concerned about. Still, the word biopsy stands in the shadow of cancer. The results of the biopsy are two weeks away.

This is not intended to be a follow-my-bout-with-cancer blog. What I want to see in this is the hand of God at work and reflect on His faithfulness. In our almost 27 years of marriage Barb and I have had few serious health issues – a few concerns here and there that have required attention, but nothing life threatening. Our girls too have been healthy – not even any allergies.

On the way to the hospital Barb asked me if I was nervous. My response, which I trust was genuine and not a “man-answer”, was simply, “I have no reason to be.” My desire in all this, no matter what comes, is to not be nervous but confident in the gracious hand of Jesus. I do not intend this to be a simplistic answer to complicated issues. I simply believe Jesus is there to help with the complicated issues.

Welcome to Standing in Grace

I have entered the world of the blog. In these days of communication options a blog is nothing new, but for me it is a beginning. As is evident by my late entry into the land of blog, I am not an early adopter. This is not because I have anything against the concept, it is simply a matter of becoming convinced I have something - a thought, an idea, an experience, a perspective - worth sharing with those willing to check it out. This blog is a means of stretching myself to think beyond myself and become part of a new community.

Standing in Grace is a journey into the daily experience of grace found in the work of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2). As a follower of Jesus, redeemed and reconciled to the Father, I stand in His grace. My life is a reflection of the abundant favor of the Father toward me because of Jesus, and only because of Jesus.

I invite you to join me in this journey. Let us be encouraged together.