Putting the Chains on the Tires

It's mind blowing the ways God uses things to speak to us.  This time around it was through an episode of Ice Road Truckers.

This season a new driver, Ray, is part of the show. He's from "the Lower 48" where he used to have his own business but lost it with the economy.  Driving the ice road and desolate places Alaska is a way for Ray to provide for his family.
These roads are cruel, just like life.  It would be wise on the ice road to be prepared.

Ray had an opportunity to put chains on this tires before going through a particularly harsh part of the journey. If trucks don't have enough traction, they have a spin out. There are guardrails that barely protect from a drop that would lead to certain death.

Ray thought about it and came to the conclusion that putting chains on takes too much time.  After all, he's behind schedule and needs to make up time.

Guess what?

Ray ended up spinning out.  He ended up putting on chains, backing up traffic filled with waiting trucks, trucks prepared for the conditions because they had chains on.

I've been Ray. The short term plan appears too pressing. The long term plan?  Can't go there, won't go there, not until there is a spin out.

The chains not only give traction, they protect against the unpredictable storms, steep hills, all the things that are going to happen.  They just are so much easier to endure when you're ready for them by thinking long term.

I want more than to think long term, I want to be prepared.  The best way to be prepared is to seek wisdom, God's wisdom.  As I read the One Year Bible I read all about Solomon.  Of all the things he could have asked God for, he asked for wisdom.

I want that.

As much as there is ice and wind chills on the ice roads of Alaska.








 

I Can't Serve Like Hugh--Yet

I know what you're thinking. Kim and Maria are offline and I've gone over the edge. If you only knew. In the middle of a park crying my eyes out while walking my dog, God gave me this post. What I love about Him is He isn't as stuffy as the world makes Him to be. He's funny, and He'll use things familiar to draw us closer to His Son.

Today He showed me servanthood through the eyes of Hugh. You know, hugh at History Channel's Ice Road Truckers.

Actually I don't think it was God at first who was speaking to me. It was a mocking voice that God would not use on His kids. But once I heard the mocking, God gave me the message. And now it gets distributed here. God wins. I love that!

Here is where the mocking came in. Sunday's episode had Hugh, a rough looking, rough talking ice road talker hauling waste. In the Lower 48 (I sound smart don't I) he owns a a trucking company and rules the roads. Now that he's driving the Arctic and so far, there hasn't been a task that was too much for him.

Already we've seen Rick not handle tasks well AND be offended with mundane jobs. Hugh proved himself and gets to haul human waste. Poop, if you will. Hugh called it something else, I'm sure.

The mocking was when I was on my knees crying and scrubbing the floors, the seats, the underwear, the backside, the hands, the things my daughter was trying so hard to reach the potty for and more than not, coming up short elsewhere. After three straight days of constant wiping, cleaning, washing, and to do it over and over, I really did not feel like praising God. My nostrils are still burning. I thought because my words sound a lot nicer than what Hugh spews, I'm the better servant. Then the defeated one laughed, even with profanity Hugh comes off better than me. Because Hugh was grateful to serve, even when it was trucking poop.

Truth is, I'm not better than anyone, nor is Hugh. Sure he's my call if I have to make a trip on ice across the Arctic, but we both fall short of God's glory.

What I'm working on is my attitude. I have a ways to go. I get many nice compliments about my writing online mostly. That honestly doesn't feel like service because I know it's my calling and God tells me what to write and I do it. I enjoy it. Although He keeps stretching the box for me, so far, I'm happy to go where He calls me in that area.

Taking care of kids, one who is a little behind her peers in some areas, especially when it comes to unloading waste, that doesn't come as natural for me. But I know a bit of the potential God has for her, and it's an honor most of the time to sow my calling into hers. The mundane stuff, I struggle, especially after three straight days of the unloading.

But what God turned into good were other acts of service I had not thought of. I am not a natural evangelizer or bold anything. This summer He has called me to halt friendly conversations and ask if I could pray for that person---right there. I speak up more about what I see going on when I pray about stuff, instead of thinking I ate a taco too late and I'll make a fool out of myself for saying so. I sure don't do it because it's easy or for my own glory. I'd rather be watching Ice Road Truckers.

So kudos to Hugh, a great truck driver not afraid to haul our toilet goodies. I pray in your travels you get to know Jesus in a personal way. As for me, I'll try not to grumble and complain when I'm dealing with my own toilet goodie issues with a child God promised in the womb was an overcomer. But I won't let the devil get me down. I'm a serving work in progress.

Just like you!

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Julie Arduini is a surrendered writer with her own blog, http://thesurrenderedscribe.blogspot.com/. A graduate of the Christian Writers Guild, she blogs for the Christian Writers Forum Sundays as the mommy blogger. She is active with FaithWriters and has several writings ready to publish in different books and anthologies in 2008-09. She is the tentative debut interview on surrender/fearlessness for Kathy Vick's upcoming website, Run Like a Girl. To get to know Julie better, read her interview by Lynda Schab at:http://www.faithreaders.com/featured-author-details.php?id=33%20To contact Julie, please use the e mail provided in our profile.