Proverbs 3:5-6a
“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge HIM AND HE…”
“THE ENCOUNTER”
It was one of those days you dream about, even long for…beautiful weather, a beautiful setting, and absolutely no requirement to be anywhere or do anything. The year was 1996 and Susan and I were in the beautiful Pacific Coast town of Santa Barbara, California. We were actually there to attend a prestigious high school volleyball tournament in which our daughter, Angela, then a junior in High School, was participating. But on this gorgeous fall weekday in Southern California, there were no games scheduled and we had no responsibilities whatsoever. So, we slept in, ate a late breakfast at the hotel and decided to take a leisurely stroll down the sidewalk that paralleled the scenic beachfront. After we had walked about a mile, simply soaking up the sun and visiting about pretty much nothing, we noticed a crowd gathering in front of one of the beach front hotels. With nothing else to do, out of curiosity more than anything, we wandered over to the crowd and inquired as to what was going on. “It’s HIM, they responded, we are waiting to see “HIM.” I looked over at my wife to see if maybe I was missing the obvious but she simply shrugged her shoulders indicating she was just as clueless as I was about who “HIM” was. So, not wanting to seem like I was totally stupid, I simply said to my wife, making sure the rest of the crowd could hear, “OOOH, HIM, sure, we can’t wait to see HIM (whoever HIM might be) .”
We waited with the crowd for about 10 minutes and never really figured out who “HIM” was until slowly, a fleet of black Suburbans began to slowly file down the hotel driveway. Alongside the black Suburbans were men wearing suits, seemingly all wearing ray ban mirror sun glasses, with ear pieces barely visible, but firmly implanted in one of their ears. That is when it clicked. That is when it dawned on me. “HIM” was really “HIM”…the sitting President of the United States of America, William Jefferson Clinton.
Now, I don’t know what you think of President Clinton—that is not what this is about. But, I can tell you this much, the display of power surrounding the President of the United States is truly something to behold. I have met 3 sitting presidents and attended the inauguration of one, George W. Bush, and there is really nothing as awe inspiring as observing the power surrounding the President of the United States of America. Shortly after we attended the inaugural ceremony of President Bush, Susan and I stood on Pennsylvania Avenue and watched the procession of the President down the avenue amidst the grandeur of the inaugural parade. Strength and power just oozed from the presidential party…black Suburbans…armored personnel carriers…secret service and marines….all there to protect “HIM.” It was no different on this sunny morning in Santa Barbara, California. As the black Suburbans filed out onto the street and were joined by what seemed like dozens of gun boats patrolling the shore, all of a sudden “HE” appeared…the President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton…in shorts, a Razorback t-shirt and running shoes. “HE,” the President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, was going for a run along the beach.
You know, it got me to thinking about the fact that “HIMs” and “HEs” appear and disappear, they come and they go…presidents, rock stars, famous athletes, powerful orators. Their light shines bright for a time and then the title of “HE” or “HIM” is bestowed on another, and so on, and so on, and so on. However, there is one “HE” and one “HIM” that never changes, never fails, never wavers, never dies. HIS name is Jesus…Yahweh…Jehovah….the Lord God almighty…the prince of peace. HE is the great I AM, the Alpha and the Omega, wonderful counselor, the everlasting God. HE is the being that has no beginning and hence, no end. HE is the being who created the earth out of nothing and man out of the dust of the earth. HE is the author of all history, the King of Kings. HE knows every hair on your head and every star in the sky. HE and HE alone can part the Red Sea on one day and send manna from heaven to feed His children on the next. HE can thwart the cause of Satan borne out in the life of Hitler or Hussein, and at the same moment create the blessed cry of a new born baby….and yet, we, His children, often pay more homage to the lesser “HEs” and “HIMs” of this world…the presidents who fail us, the athletes who disappoint us, the famous people who fade into oblivion, the fathers who leave our mother, the dads who are never there, the one and only who suddenly finds another love interest, than we do to the one and only God of the universe.
Today’s scripture tells us we are to acknowledge the only HIM that matters so that HE can act in our lives out of HIS love and eternal majesty. Isn’t it about time we quit trusting false Gods, including ourselves, more than HIM? Isn’t it about time that we acknowledged HIS eternal power, love, strength and will, knowing that HE and HE alone is worthy of our trust and in return will guide us through all of the difficult circumstances of life? Camp is a great time to realize just who HE is and how much HE loves you and wants you to love HIM. Think about it, will you? Understanding and acknowledging who HE is will make a huge difference in your summer. Believe me, I know.
And, oh by the way, after “HE” crossed the street and jogged down the beach, Susan and I turned around and started strolling back toward our hotel. In about 10 minutes we noticed the entourage returning down the beach. Suddenly, “HE” crossed the street and was making a bee line straight toward us on his way back to his hotel. “Well,” I figured, “no guts no glory.” So as “HE” drew within about 10 feet of us, I approached “HIM.” I was wearing my Mt. Ida Lions baseball cap and Susan was wearing a Corps of Cadets sweatshirt from Texas A&M. As I approached “HE” said, “Are you from Mt. Ida?” “Yeah,” I answered, “I own Camp Ozark.” We then commenced to have a conversation about Camp Ozark where he and Chelsea had visited for an Indian Princesses program. He then joked with my wife about being an Aggie and after a relatively pleasant 5 minute conversation, “HE,” the President of the United States of America, was on his way. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I didn’t vote for him and that I wasn’t going to vote for him in the coming election that fall. Some things are just better left unsaid.
No comments:
Post a Comment