CROSSCURRENTS - Larry Whittlesey

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN PERSPECTIVE

Sometimes there's a lesson where you least expect it. At least that's the way it usually works with me. This past weekend I had the privilege of traveling to Florida, Texas and Tennesse to assist some friends who were promoting a 3 date concert tour with some well known Christian musical artists. It was a very busy 4 days, setting up for these events in 3 different cities in 3 different states. The concerts were incredible, blessing all those in attendance.

     When the final concert closed we were all tired but happy with the results. God had visited those venues and people left encouraged. It was on our attempt to travel home that the lessons came. American Airlilnes called late Sunday night to inform us that my flight scheduled for early the next morning had been cancelled due to the violent thunderstorms and tornadoes in the Midwest. We didn't appreciate the gravity of those issues until we saw the pictures of Joplin early the next morning.

      That phone call from American Airlines started a string of events that could have only been orchestrated by God. We were in Chattanooga at the time so getting out of town was going to be a problem. The earliest they could get me on a flight out of Chattanooga was late Wednesday night, so we tried larger cities within reasonable driving distance (Atlanta, Knoxville, Nashville). I was finally able to book the last seat on Tuesday afternoon out of Nashville. It meant renting a car and driving the 150 miles, finding a hotel, and a delay of almost 36 hours. Under the circumstances it was the best option.

       Monday, therefore, became a "waste" day. I had to check out of the hotel in Chattanooga before noon, so I grabbed a cab and went to the airport to rent a car. Picking up another young man in our traveling party, whose flight had also been cancelled, we proceeded to find a way to fill the day. Our first stop was Tennessee Temple University, a small Baptist school located in Chattanooga. This young man's father and aunt had attended this school years before. The school has fallen on hard times, but he was still able to see the chapel where his aunt was married and the auditorium where his dad's quartet had sung during college. Though he had never been there before, he felt very connected to the things we saw there, taking photos and retelling stories he had heard since h is early childhood.

      From there we headed toward downtown Chattanooga. Along the way we came across the famous Chattanooga Choo-Choo. A quick detour through the hotel and grounds there was like a walk through time for me. I grew up hearing the Glenn Miller orchestra playing the song that made the "Choo Choo" famous. My dad was a HUGE train buff, so walking through the old train station turned into a hotel lobby, and seeing the historic trains displayed on the grouunds, was incredibly nostalic for me. Somehow I couldn't help but think my dad was taking in the sights with me!

     As we headed out of town on our way to Nashville we saw a sign for "Lookout Mountain". I had always heard the stories of "Lookout Mountain" and "Signal Mountain", so we couldn't resist a quick sidetrip to the summit. Evidently the Native American indians that originally inhabited this area used to camp guards on one side of the valley on top of Signal Mountain, and others across the valley on top of Lookout Mountain. From their vantage points they could see the entire valley below. They would send smoke signals to their compatriots on the other mountain if they spotted intruders. It was a pretty spectacular view so I would imagine more than one indian guard got distracted by sights when he should have been focusing on his duty.

     Having led 3 Promise Keeper conferences in Nashville since 2003, I made arrangements to meet a very special friend for dinner that night when we got into town. Though we haven't seen each other in almost 3 years, it was as if we hadn't missed a heartbeat. We laughed, we shared stories, and we enjoyed the fellowship around the table. It was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

      I headed to the airport the next morning at 4 AM....just in time to see God put on a spectacular display in the form of a lightning storm. There were 7-8 bolts of lighting crackling all around the area at the same time for at least an hour. It was an amazing sight. Though it jeopardized my flight later that day, it was something to behold.

      Fortunately, I finally did get home Tuesday night, but not without a few more delays in Dallas. It had been quite the adventure and one that I almost ran right past before I got to thinking. I had been disappointed that I couldn't come home Monday AM as planned. My plans got dramatically changed by circumstances I had no control over. While I didn't get angry, I had things to do and needed to get home. But God had other plans in mind! He allowed both my traveling partner and myself to connect with a very personal place right there in Chattanooga......a place we would have never seen if we kept our original plans. He took us to the top of the mountain to gain a whole new perspective of the valley where Chattanooga sits, and gave us view that became the backdrop for some unforgettable pictures. He allowed me to unexpectedly spend some quality time with a friend that is as close to me as a brother. And to top all that off, He put on quite the show for me on Tuesday morning, and still got me home where I belong! All in all, my "wasted day" became a "day to remember".

      Isn't that how God often works? He takes us down side-streets, detours, and unforeseen circumstances to allow us to experience more of what He has to offer us. We certainly don't always like the change in our plans, but as we look back, we usually find out that it was all for the best. And often we realize when He gives us that view from on top of the mountain we wouldn't have had any other way, things look a lot different.

      While I'm not suggesting you drop all your plans to follow some whim, I am saying that you shouldn't be that surprised when God changes your plans. He usually has something much better in mind than you have....you just have to figuratively "get in the car and drive". I don't know where He's taking you, but I guarantee you He will lead the way. And when you get the chance to sit back and consider all that has happened I can't help but think you'll find a whole new perspective. I think God likes doing stuff like that!

Enjoy the view,

Larry

MODERN DAY MIRACLES

 
      I looked at the picture on the screen in utter amazement.  We live in a world filled with such technological advancements that it makes the heads of those just a generation or two behind us spin.   No one can possible keep up with the fast-changing world of scientific discovery,  or the commerical development of those newly found technologies.  A process developed for one purpose can quickly be adapted for a host of other uses in a wide variety of fields.  The things thought impossible just a few years earlier are now commonplace.
 

    On the particular day I  mentioned above I was staring at a computer screen watching an ultrasound image of my new "grandson" being formed in my daughter's womb.  He was being anything but modest, so there was no doubt that he was "all boy".  Though only slightly bigger than an avacado,  there he was --- 10 little toes, sucking his thumb, heart beating strong, and moving frequently to make sure we all knew he was alive and kicking!   As the technicians took the various measurements, she pronounced that despite some of the risks of my daughter's pregnancy,  little Lukas was growing right on schedule. 

 
   The fact that a little scope can see inside our bodies is both rermarkable and a bit disturbing. When my own kids were born we got the  predecessors  to the modern day ultrasounds, but it was honestly hard to tell that those little "blobs" on film were really one day going to be our children.  And while they thought they could tell what the babies were going to be (boy or girl),  we really didn't want to know  (and they got one wrong anyway!!).   Now you can even get a 3-D color photograph of your baby in utereo.  Next thing you know babies will  be coming out in diapers and already dressed in pink or blue.

    I was talking with some of the guys at my Bible Study last Monday about how technology has changed just in the last 30-40 years.  When I was in the Air Force I worked on the second most powerful computer in the world, second only to the mainframe that was in the Pentagon at the time. It was the size of a small house, featured banks and banks of tape reel drives and flashing lights, and had to be kept at a crisp 55-60 degrees at all times.  Now my laptop can process as much or more information....and you don't have to wear a sweater to work on it!  Amazing!  

 
    We've gone from silent films to IPODs,  woodstoves to microwaves, and horse & buggies to personal space craft.  The knowledge base is multiplying at staggering rates.  No one can truly keep up with all that happens!    Well, that is, except one person you probably know......GOD! 

 
    Sometimes I think we've become overly enamored with our own accomplishments.  Mankind truly has achieved a great deal and will continue to do so.  But let's face the facts --- our best efforts pale in comparison to what God has already done. While technology can give us sharper images on our TV screens, God created the views we're trying to project.  Though we've developed powerful weapons that stagger the imagination with their power,  a close-up look at a hurricane, tornado, tsunami, or earthquake will put our meager efforts in perspective.  While we've created some amazing things using the resources at our disposal, God made the resources we are using out of scratch.....FROM NOTHING!  If that doesn't make you stop and think, perhaps you should go take a long walk and look around at the world God created. 

 
     I'm not opposed to technology in the least. As a matter of fact, I'm a bit of a "geek" myself I guess.  I like smaller phones, faster computers, better MPG's in my car, internet research capabilities, and SKYPE!   But all the technology in the world doesn't compare to a personal relationship with the one who truly can be called "The Creator".   I'd rather know that I "know Him" and am "KNOWN" by Him than all the techno-wizardly trinkets money can by.  I marvel at what we, as humans, have been able to do.....but really, it just doesn't compare to what God has already done and continues to do all around us.  Count me as one of those who is throughly impressed with His workmanship.......including the way He's putting together my new little grandson inside his mother's womb.   If you truly want to see something impressive, take a look at one of those new ultrasounds and tell me you aren't totally amazed at this miracle we call life!   Watching little  Lukas develop is truly a technological marvel.....and I don't mean the machine that is taking the pictures!! 

 
From One "Geek" to Another,