Christmas 2000 will forever be significant for me. On December 20th, while settling in to watch a movie on television, I was hit with a force in my chest that was like someone had dropped a refrigerator on me. Breathing was painful. I was doubled over, and my wife called the emergency medical technicians. By the time they arrived, I was feeling much better and thought I might be making a fool of myself riding in an ambulance rather than just driving myself in. Yet I had just entered the valley of death and didn't know it. Things began to go in slow motion as there was but "just enough" staff present for the Christmas holidays. I experienced another chest-crushing episode in my room. The next day I took some tests and they scheduled me for an angiogram for Tuesday, the 26th. After that test, they told me I had two choices, die or go immediately to surgery. Some choice. Ninety minutes later I was under the knife. During all that time, six days, I was never anxious, stressed, or worried — six days of chatting with the staff and patients, swapping stories, walking the halls, exchanging smiles and Christmas greetings, hosting visitors in my room, taping to the walls of the room e-mail stuff sent by family and friends from all over the world, saying prayers.

A man I took no notice of during those six days was one of those "invisible people" — one of those people who rarely register on anyone's radar screen. In fact, he had no visitors, no relatives, no one he could talk to. He approached me after my surgery and said his pending surgery had him terrified, and he had noticed how calm I seemed, and wondered how I did that.

Now, I know there are some who would say this was the perfect time to whip out the old, "Jesus died for you" speech. But such would be very wrong. He was truly in a panic, and I reached over, picked up and held his hand. I asked him if his doctors told him the success rate of his procedure. He said they had. Did he remember what they told him? He couldn't remember. I told him my doctor said 98{8395b6ce96fcf25a14d80edc3b65c36a8995b6c1ba5f8c16ac11d8adaa79f35b}. Pretty good odds. Our odds of crossing the busy intersection outside the hospital were probably a lot less. He laughed a little, a little strained laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. I was on a roll. I asked him if he remembered that little kid's bedtime prayer that goes, "If I should die before I wake". He said he did. Then I asked him to think about what that meant to him in this situation and walked away.

Later he came into my room with peace plastered all over his face. He said if he did die it would be peaceful: no burns, torn limbs, pain and suffering. If there ever was a way to go, this was it. Then he asked if I would pray for him. Now he was ready to hear about God's love.

Word began to spread over the ward about this lonely man's plight. (I still can't figure out how that word got out.) One by one, sometimes two by two, they found time to visit Harry before and after his operation. Before he went under, I gave him a toy, a beanbag baby bald eagle a visitor had given me. I told him to go in that operating room and soar with the eagles. And he did, with flying colours. What a beautiful smile on his face after his operation. You would think he had just scaled Mount Everest. Perhaps he did. One thing for sure, he was no longer in the Valley of Death.

Oh, the prayer I prayed for him? My favourite:

Prayer: Watch over thy child, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and guide him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he fall; and in his heart may thy peace which passes all understanding abide in him all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer)

One of our writers mentioned recently about waiting patiently for God in His good time. It got me to thinking about our confusion regarding time, because we English-speaking people have but one word to describe the passing of time: "time". The Greeks were a bit more sophisticated in describing things with different words. "Time" is one of them. The Greeks had at least two words for time: "kronos" and "kairos".

The word "kronos" or "chrono", is used regularly in our vocabulary. We use "chronology", "chronic", "Chronicles", and about 14 other derivatives of the root word, "kronos". The definition of "chronology" in my dictionary is "the science that treats the measurement of time by regular divisions, and which assigns to events their proper dates." In other words, it is man's time. We, man, set the standard. And are we ever precise about it! Commercials on television and radio are timed to the split second. Is it any wonder we ignore "kairos", a mere mention in the footnotes of "chrono"?

"Kairos" is God's time. He sets the standard and it is not for us to know the times or dates.

I heard a good example of the difference between the two words. Suppose a pregnant woman's doctor sets her delivery date as October 21 at 10:34 a.m. On October 15, at 2:00 a.m., in wee hours of the morning, she wakes her husband and says, "Honey, it's time." What do you suppose her reaction would be if her husband tells her to go back to sleep because it isn't the 21st nor is it 10:34 a.m.?

That is the best example I have come across that illustrates the difference between man's time and God's time. It is an example that we can apply to many situations in our lives. When we can shed ourselves of ourselves, and place our trust in God's time, not ours, then we can begin to get a deep appreciation of the unfolding of God's plan for His creation and not ours.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach us to place our trust in you, that you are the Master and we your humble servants. For it is in you, and only you, that we find the peace that passes all understanding. Amen.

As a child growing up, I must have missed a Sunday or two when the topic or sermon was presented on the Holy Ghost, as the Holy Spirit was called back then. Anyway, I went through life with my mind on Jesus and God, a vertical relationship, not a triangular relationship. During that time growing up, I attended movies and saw a lot of movies about evil spirits, ghosts, cemeteries at midnight, vampires, rain and lightning. I really believed in the evil side of things. In fact, there were times I had nightmares dreaming about those evil creatures which had been set in my mind. But in it all there was some degree of solace.

In a recent devotional, the writer mentioned "Casper the Friendly Ghost". I remember reading comic books about Casper and watching an occasional cartoon on television. I really liked Casper and all the adventures he/she/it (I don't know) had fighting evil.

I became enlightened when I was about forty, while attending a workshop conducted on the Holy Spirit by an Episcopal priest, who is now a bishop. I was dumbfounded. I had many questions about the Holy Spirit because, basically, I was so very ignorant.

The priest was excellent in his presentation of all the gifts of the Spirit. He had a way of feeding spiritual pablum to intellectuals and having them like it. I remember asking him where the Holy Spirit existed in the scheme of things. He replied, "Jim, if you were to send a letter to God, what address would you use?"

I said, "Heaven, but I don't know the zip code."

"Very good," was his reply. "How about Jesus?" he asked.

"That would be heaven too, at the right hand of God," said I.

"Jim, your theology is excellent. One more question. How about the Holy Spirit?"

I was stumped. "No idea," was my reply. "That's why I asked the question."

"Jim," he continued, "The Holy Spirit exists here in the world. He is all around you and in you. He is the comforter, the supporter, the one who enables, the one who empowers you."

Wow! What a revelation! For the first time in my life, I gained the knowledge that there really was a Casper — Someone I could count on to fight the mighty battles. I was no longer alone. After that, it was a matter of applying what I learned, and praising Him.

Isn't it a blessing that we are always given the choice to see the good in something? Where I once believed there were only evil spirits or ghosts, I am now able to experience the ultimate power and gifts of the Holy Ghost or Spirit.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, open our hearts and minds to the fullness of your Trinity in all its majestic splendour. Send your people to teach us ways that we can receive and discover those very special gifts you have for each and every one of us. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

A gang of guys from church were doing a yard clean-up for an elderly lady in our congregation. In her front yard were some of those massive oak trees seen in the deep south — those that spread their branches hundreds of feet from the trunk. I was picking up a fallen branch, and noticed what I thought was moss. But this moss was different. It had tiny fronds. I asked the lady what this might be. Her face beamed as she smiled and replied, "That, my friend, is a resurrection fern."

"A resurrection fern?" I asked. "I never saw one before. Can you tell me about it?"

"Well," she replied, "The way you see it now, it has been blessed with enough water to keep it green. When dry times come, it shrivels and turns brown. From all outward appearances it looks dead. Let's see if we can find one that hasn't been so fortunate."

We looked about the broken branches, and, sure enough, we found a "dead" resurrection fern. The branch it was clinging to had fallen in a sunny place. Ferns, of course, like shade and moisture. She picked up the "dead" fern, and took it to an outside water facet and gave it a good drink. She told me to come back in an hour to see what happened.

I continued my chores, and later went back. True to her word, the tiny resurrection fern had sprung back to life. The fronds that once were brown and shriveled were now green and upright.

"Amazing," I thought. "How could this be? How could something 'dead' now be alive?" The impact of that little demonstration was enormous. For me, it was God's way of saying there truly is a resurrection in store for all of us who believe in Him. We shall have everlasting life and thirst no more.

John 4:10 – Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, who showed us the way through parables and example. We also thank you for your infinite wisdom in providing us with mighty day-to-day examples in your creation. Amen.

Each day I receive about twenty or thirty e-mails. In that pile of "required reading", there is trash, some jokes, reference to web-sites, and letters from home. Somewhere sandwiched in between that pile is the Daily devotional. Today I noticed a quirk, if you will, in my behaviour. I have been saving the Daily devotional to read last. "Why am I doing that?" I asked myself. "It's just another e-mail." Several reasons came to mind.

First, for me, the Daily devotional is like a fine wine, to be savoured and enjoyed. It requires me to listen and empathize with the writer — to put myself in the writer's shoes and walk a mile with them. This is a wonderful, unique web-page. Here we are not preached to, but rather we have writers sharing a piece of their lives with us. Their writing is based on their real life experiences and observations.

I save reading the Daily devotional to the last because I know I feel compelled to respond to the writer in some fashion. This is not always easy. Each response is done with prayer, hoping the writer gets just the right message of encouragement. Sometimes I draw a blank and must walk away from my computer and quietly reflect and pray. Saving the Daily devotional to last gives me the time to respond without having an anxiety attack wondering what else is in my mailbox.

I learn so much more through teachings rather than preachings. Wasn't that what Jesus modelled for us: stories, parables, and examples?

Finally, I save the Daily devotional to read last because it enriches my life and lifts my spirits for the next twenty-four hours. How wonderful to have a story or experience to think upon, cling to, and ponder during all the hubbub of everyday life. While the Daily devotional is read last, it is first in all the mail I receive.

Prayer: Lord, we thank and bless you for Daily devotional and all its contributors. Give us the wisdom to respond to our writers in such a way as to return to them, in some measure, words that are meaningful and encouraging to them. Amen.

Why did Jesus command us to be perfect if we cannot be perfect?

In Sunday School a few weeks ago as we discussed the meaning of Lent, I silently reflected on how difficult it is to strive for Christian perfection and how short I fall in attempting to obtain that perfection.

Several months ago, I purchased one of those direct-to-home television satellite systems. In order to set it up, I read the installation manual from cover to cover several times to ensure I did it right (perfect) the first time. (How long has it been since I read God's manual cover to cover? Never, sad to say.) I followed the step-by-step instructions on how to select a site for best reception. I used a magnetic compass to direct the antenna in the proper direction, adjusted the azimuth to correspond to the degrees of latitude for my location. (How exacting am I in following God's direction?) I purchased cables with the proper specifications, and installed them so as to be pleasing and unobtrusive. I further fine-tuned the antenna to pull in the strongest signal. (Do my prayers fall short because I am not set to the proper channel or pointed in the right direction?) My objective was to achieve 100{8395b6ce96fcf25a14d80edc3b65c36a8995b6c1ba5f8c16ac11d8adaa79f35b} signal strength (perfection) but the best I could achieve was about 85-94 percent.

I ran into barriers to that 100{8395b6ce96fcf25a14d80edc3b65c36a8995b6c1ba5f8c16ac11d8adaa79f35b} goal. I selected screw-on cable connectors and initially could not get a strong signal. I tried and tried unsuccessfully. I finally realized I needed help and hired a local television repairman to look over my system. (When was the last time I asked for God's help?) The television fellow discovered my problem was with the cable screw-on connectors and replaced them with clamp-on connectors. (Am I clamped on to God?) He also gave me hints on how I could improve the 85-94{8395b6ce96fcf25a14d80edc3b65c36a8995b6c1ba5f8c16ac11d8adaa79f35b} reception. He charged me $75.00 US. (Am I willing to pay the price to be a Christian?)

That was not the only barrier. After getting the system up and running, I discovered I could not get local television stations through direct-to-home television. (There is some law about that.) I remembered something in the manual that stated the receiver would accept local television if one installed an outside antenna. (Will this process of seeking perfection never end? Have I taken the time to reread God's manual?) Well, after several trips to the store, some bunny-ear antennae and another few hours of installation, I finally got to where everything is working. Perfect yet? No! The television repairman told me there were times when rain and other atmospheric conditions might interfere with my signal. (Do I let outside influences affect my relationship with God?)

Prayer: Lord, show me Your way. Make me obedient to Your desires for me. Give me a clear channel to Your communications with me. Point me. Direct me. Help me. Amen.

Why I have been led to submit this piece is a mystery to me. There are folks that have suffered, and are suffering, in much greater circumstances than mine.

Nearing the age of sixty, I was downsized and reorganized (politically correct for being fired). I was not depressed, but very disappointed. I worked every day for six months searching for employment in my profession. During that time, I had only two interviews and both went bust. I became anxious and discouraged. Then one day, I was led to prayer and I was told to enjoy these moments of early retirement. Trust in the Lord always, was my mantra. True, I had to wait two years for social security and pension benefits to kick in, but we had saved prudently throughout the years and, after assessing our financial situation, we determined we could get by.

The Lord is laughing in the heavens. For even though we had given up on sandy beaches, travel, relaxing, enjoying, etc., the Lord had, years before, already taken care of our needs.

I was an officer in the navy and served our country for seven years on active duty. I continued serving an additional thirteen years in the naval reserves even though many times I was tempted to quit. There was always that little nagging thought in the back of my head to keep going. (My guardian angel speaking?) At age sixty, my navy retirement pension kicked in. It wasn't much, but it kept the roof on the house.

About eight years ago, prior to my early retirement, I met and befriended Roger. Roger is a financial planner, but I didn't meet him in that context. Roger and I served together ministering to four rural churches in the backwaters of Tennessee when a minister was nowhere to be found. We might have been academically unqualified, but we kept the flame of hope burning in those poor little churches. One day Roger asked if we could review my finances. Through him, we set up a mutual fund comprised of various bits of savings scattered here and there. That consolidation has propelled my wife and I into tax categories I never dreamed possible. I thank the Lord (and Roger) daily for this "daily bread."

Being fed financially has allowed me to continue thanking and working for Him. Since retirement I have worked in the county Juvenile Detention Center as their teacher, worked on two Christian movements called Cursillo and Kairos, and lately, have been serving as one of six lay readers doing Morning Prayer in my church, which has just recently lost its priest. I am at peace.

Prayer: (from The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer) "Watch over thy child, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and guide him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he fall; and in his heart may thy peace which passes all understanding abide in him all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord." Amen.