My friend Joel ask that I post one of my more humorous adventures so here goes... I originally sent this as an email to some friends.
It seemed like a good idea at the time….
You see I had been hiking at Dan Daniels Park the day before and was very conscious that this was tick season. I checked carefully after my hike and was relieved to find no parasites.
The next morning however, courtesy of my wonderful cat that felt compelled to rub against my shin repeatedly, on taking the boys to the bus stop, I find a tick. No problem I give it a pull, but I won’t budge. Hmm…my mom always said to burn the little suckers so as to get the whole thing out.
I get home and cannot find matches. Then it hits, “ why not freeze it!” So I go downstairs and find my can of compressed air. I give the tick one more pull with tweezers, and it is a no go. Time for operation freeze.
It stung a bit but it not only came off, it SHATTERED. Good deal, although my leg had a significant red spot. No problem I thought.
Until the next morning when the red spot had grown, a knot was forming under the skin, it itched and hurt. That did not seem right. Better not tell Carolyn; she will make me go the doctor. And definitely don’t mention operation freeze…
Until Wednesday when the knot, well…. it burst. And then turned black. Time to tell the wife.
So now it is Thursday and I am at the doctors. The nurse does the prep work, you know fever check, blood pressure etc… Then she asks what happened.
“Well I had a tick and I froze it off with a can of compressed air, and then it turned red and then… Do I have frostbite or bite infection?
She smiled.”Both”
The doctor comes in next. I tell her about the bite and show her the wound.
“How did you get it off? Did you get it all?”
“Yep I froze it with a can of compressed air and it shattered”. I sounded so proud.
She smiled; you know the smile women do when men are being men.
“Freezing. That explains the skin burns. You have a bite infection all right and damaged tissue from the freezing (frostbite). You will need a tetanus shot, it is pretty nasty and antibiotics.”
OK.
As she was leaving I said “I bet you will love telling this to your husband tonight!”
“Oh no. If I did he would try it.”
As she went out the door she turned and with a wry smile said, “Oh and Tim, don’t do this anymore ok?”
“Yes Mam”
Only me! This is almost as good as the time when we found bricks in the woods while playing army.
“Hey guys you know what we can do with these bricks!” But that is another story…
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
To Be Known
Galatians 4:8-9 “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? “
“The worst part of it all Tim was that I had to pay a total stranger to listen to my problems!" A friend blurted this out as he explained how difficult it was being away at seminary. There with so many Christians he thought for sure he would find fellowship and kindred spirits. And whereas he did make friends they lacked one essential ingredient. They did not “know” him.
Oh they knew his name, his testimony of how he came to Christ (this is important in seminary because they want to make sure you did it right), they knew his major etc. But when stress led to depression they did not know the signs. They had not lived with him, invested in his life, borne burdens with him, encouraged, loved, rebuked. You get the picture.
So in desperation he paid for counseling to help him work through his depression. It helped some, but he finally stopped out shear frustration. Coming home that fall for Christmas break he poured out his heart to us who knew him. Within a few days the light returned to his eyes. He laughed that old familiar laugh. We prayed and cried and prayed some more. Jesus was with us and as He is prone to do, He began to heal my brother.
To be known is so much more important for emotional and spiritual health than I ever imagined. Last year when I lost my job of 26 years I experienced the pain of not being known. What I called feeling alone was actually the absence of being known. Even now when I am with my former co-workers I come alive. My heart lightens. I can be myself, warts and all. They love me enough to tell me the truth and love me whether I listen or not. With them I am my “best” self. They have a way of bringing out the best in me. And to love them to bear their joys and sorrows I count and honor and privilege.
But to be known requires risk. You have to trust yourself to someone and hold him or her in trust. You have to take and interest in them and they in you. This is more than familiarity; it is community, which is a by-product of shared life journeys. You have to invest not expecting anything in return. The technical definition of this is love.
“The worst part of it all Tim was that I had to pay a total stranger to listen to my problems!" A friend blurted this out as he explained how difficult it was being away at seminary. There with so many Christians he thought for sure he would find fellowship and kindred spirits. And whereas he did make friends they lacked one essential ingredient. They did not “know” him.
Oh they knew his name, his testimony of how he came to Christ (this is important in seminary because they want to make sure you did it right), they knew his major etc. But when stress led to depression they did not know the signs. They had not lived with him, invested in his life, borne burdens with him, encouraged, loved, rebuked. You get the picture.
So in desperation he paid for counseling to help him work through his depression. It helped some, but he finally stopped out shear frustration. Coming home that fall for Christmas break he poured out his heart to us who knew him. Within a few days the light returned to his eyes. He laughed that old familiar laugh. We prayed and cried and prayed some more. Jesus was with us and as He is prone to do, He began to heal my brother.
To be known is so much more important for emotional and spiritual health than I ever imagined. Last year when I lost my job of 26 years I experienced the pain of not being known. What I called feeling alone was actually the absence of being known. Even now when I am with my former co-workers I come alive. My heart lightens. I can be myself, warts and all. They love me enough to tell me the truth and love me whether I listen or not. With them I am my “best” self. They have a way of bringing out the best in me. And to love them to bear their joys and sorrows I count and honor and privilege.
But to be known requires risk. You have to trust yourself to someone and hold him or her in trust. You have to take and interest in them and they in you. This is more than familiarity; it is community, which is a by-product of shared life journeys. You have to invest not expecting anything in return. The technical definition of this is love.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
A Long Drive
Although it was only an hour drive it felt like much longer. I was traveling to comfort a friend but that was not what was making this drive so long. You see someone I love deeply had done something that to me was out of character. I was hurt, disappointed, confused.
“I do not understand my feelings and thoughts Lord. Please Lord meet with me. Give me Your perspective.”
As the miles rolled by and I thought and prayed a question began to form in my heart.
“If the ones you love have to travel a broken road to reach Me and that road does not pass through you, will you be OK with that?”
Mile after mile the question came to me. I am ashamed to say I struggled to answer in the affirmative. The depth of my selfishness surprised and disappointed me. Finally I heard myself say out loud “Lord Jesus as long as they are yours. That is all I really want.”
Then a second question deeper and more unsettling than the first.
“Do you love them for who they are or for who you want them to be?” Odd, even His rebukes are sweet.
“I want to love them like you do Jesus.”
It has been several years now since all this transpired. Those two questions still echo in my heart.
“I do not understand my feelings and thoughts Lord. Please Lord meet with me. Give me Your perspective.”
As the miles rolled by and I thought and prayed a question began to form in my heart.
“If the ones you love have to travel a broken road to reach Me and that road does not pass through you, will you be OK with that?”
Mile after mile the question came to me. I am ashamed to say I struggled to answer in the affirmative. The depth of my selfishness surprised and disappointed me. Finally I heard myself say out loud “Lord Jesus as long as they are yours. That is all I really want.”
Then a second question deeper and more unsettling than the first.
“Do you love them for who they are or for who you want them to be?” Odd, even His rebukes are sweet.
“I want to love them like you do Jesus.”
It has been several years now since all this transpired. Those two questions still echo in my heart.
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