-Balancing on the Razor's Edge-

Life comes at ya hard sometimes…well, a LOT of times. You might even say we live life balancing on the razor’s edge of calamity. You’ve probably heard or read this humorous example of things gone really wrong:

Reported in a workman's comp insurance inquiry:
Dear Sir:
I am writing in response to your request for additional information in Block #3 of the accident reporting form. I put “Poor Planning” as the cause of my accident. You asked for a fuller explanation and I trust the following details will be sufficient.

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I found I had some bricks left over which when weighed later were found to weigh 240 lbs. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor. Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 240 lbs of bricks. You will note on the accident reporting form that my weight is 135 lbs.

Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed. This explains the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collarbone, as listed in Section 3 of the accident reporting form. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley which I mentioned in Paragraph 2 of this correspondence. Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of the excruciating pain I was now beginning to experience. At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground, and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs. I refer you again to my weight.

As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and severe lacerations of my legs and lower body. Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to move and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope…


While that story may be humorous, I think it would shock us to total inactivity if we knew how close we all live on the edge of disaster! No doubt, every day the angels of God help & protect us from who knows how much peril. Even down to atomic particles, we owe the order of the universe to God’s sustaining power. One slip of a neutron & catastrophic nuclear fission would occur, annihilating life as we know it! Only eternity will bear out the ‘near-misses’ of our lives. Scripture reminds us of God’s ultimate control & power over life:

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning; supreme over all who rise from the dead.So he is first in everything. For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. Colossians 1:15-20

Throughout my life I have had many near-fatal, ‘near-misses’ (why isn’t it called ‘near-hits’ anyway?!). I’ve joked many times of wearing out my guardian angel. I’m sure a year guarding me is like ‘dog years.’ I’ve wondered if there’s hazardous pay to have to deal with me?! Time or space won’t permit my elaboration, but ask me sometime & I’ll share some ‘hair raising’ tales.

While I may have been or AM prone to hazard, I dare say we ALL are balancing on a razor’s edge of catastrophe. Take a minute to thank God for His divine intervention on behalf of you today. More importantly, if you don’t realize His sustaining power & know Him, stop & ask the Creator to make Himself real to you & change all your eternity…not just this little minute in time.



www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com

-New Transplants-

A few weeks ago I gave a reminder about how this how new year is an opportunity to start anew. It’s a chance to have a fresh beginning & a clean slate. It’s a chance to start or complete goals & live life to its fullest. That’s exactly what the New Year brought for Hilberto Rodriguez. He graduated from Garfield High School in Los Angeles last week -- a mere 67 years late. According to AOL news, Rodriguez, 86, was meant to graduate in the class of 1944, but history intervened in the shape of World War II. Instead of worrying about exams and chasing girls like the other high school guys, Rodriguez enlisted and went to fight in the South Pacific. "My brothers joined, so that's why I joined," he said. Now, Rodriguez can finally say he is both a veteran and a high school grad.

Hopefully, our goals & plans won’t take that long to come to fruition, but even if we get put off a bit, with God’s help we have an opportunity to move ahead & make a difference in the world around us. New starts, new relationships, new dreams, goals & vision; all are in the hands of our Creator. We simply need to dive into His word & find the direction.

On my part, after a 6 month struggle with ear problems, (again, not the best thing for a music guy to deal with!) I’m about to get a new eardrum! As you read this, I’ll be preparing to get a repair/replacement of my left eardrum. Both of my eardrums blew out this past summer and, after many procedures & prescriptions, the eardrum has not healed. Answer, a new eardrum! I’ll be the first guy in Newport with a ‘bionic’ ear. (You gotta be really old school to catch that one!) Obviously, I hope to regain full hearing in the ear after the procedure.

While my hearing is vitally important to me, of infinite more importance is my heart! I hate to admit it, but I often find myself like Israel in the bible. I play ‘hide & seek’ with God. One minute charging off to right the wrongs & the next day struggling to remember to pray. God loved them, as He loves us, with an unfailing love we can’t begin to comprehend. So much so that He offered to give them a new heart at His Son’s expense.

The world’s first heart transplant was performed in Dec of 1967 by
Dr. Christiaan Barnard. Since that time, about 3,500 people world-wide receive heart transplants. While that may have been the first physical heart transplant, God has been in the business of performing spiritual transplants since the beginning of time. The prophet Ezekiel shared God’s heart with His people:

“… I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19-20 NLT

You may not be in need of a new eardrum like me, but maybe like me, you need a new heart for God! Today is a perfect opportunity to get a new spirit & a new heart. You don’t even need to be put on a donor list! Simply call out to Him & He’ll give you a new transplant. If I can be of any help just call on me…promise I’ll hear you.

www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com