May 9 – “Power transfer”

I missed out on Cailyn’s field day at school yesterday.  I had water therapy and then a meeting at church with a group that is going to be using our facilities for a pretty big homeschool coop in the fall.  They will be teaching a host of music skills.  They even have choirs and orchestras.  Quite impressive, actually.  It fits right in with one of the original stated visions of the building: that it be made available to homeschool students in whatever ways possible.  Pretty excited about that one.

I hated to miss the field day, though.  Sounds like Cailyn had a good time in spite of the fact that she fell down coming out of the building and scraped up her side before they even got started.  They did some creative relays that sounded like some of the ones they do at youth camp every year.  Chris said her favorite was when they had to carry a potato on a wooden spoon.  The looks of determination on their faces were apparently something to behold.  Nathan made it for the last part.  He had been called to a fire right at five in the morning, so he was somewhat delayed. 

They had a fire the day before, too.  I got to go to that one.  I had just completed the final two deliveries of Bibles that I began on Easter.  That’s when I got the call to head to the hospital because Mom was on the downswing.  I also wanted to say happy birthday to Chief Wisko.  The call came in as I was talking to him and Trish.  He invited me to join him, so I readily agreed.  The fire was a strange one.  The residents were not home, but a neighbor reported seeing flames under the house.  Then someone walked down to the home of a fire fighter who lives nearby and got him involved in the process.  I’m not sure what the Fire Marshall finally decided was the actual cause, but speculation was that it was something electrical.  By the time we arrived there were no longer any visible flames, and the guys were putting the finishing touches on it.  I was fascinated by the ingenious way they managed to get water to the truck, though.  The hydrant was about a block or so away, and around the corner from the fire.  To maintain sufficient water pressure to handle the three lines they had run, they ran a short hose from the hydrant to one truck, then used that truck to pump the water through the bigger hose to the truck in front of the house.  Then that truck’s pump could more efficiently get enough water to the fire.  I probably didn’t describe the process exactly correctly, but it was something like that.  And I’m sure there is a sermon illustration in there somewhere.  Something like, the farther you get away from the Source (Jesus), the harder it is to have enough power to get the job done (Getting through all the circumstances of life).  It is crucial that someone stay close and connected to the Source (Prayer matters, even if you are not the one on the firing line).  Anyway, however the process actually worked, I was impressed by the efficiency.  Nice job, guys. 

Colossians 1:16-18 says, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Father, help me be always connected and close to you so I can do some of that power transfer to the guys fighting fires.  Amen.