Soaring Like a Barn Swallow

By Brenda Black

Three miles. That's the distance between the home driveway and our little country church, give or take a few hundred feet. The convenience for saving gas is diminished on those Sunday mornings when every member of the household arrives on the premises one person per vehicle. Most days, the caravan consists of two – the early shift and the late shift. Recently, I opted to go with my early bird preacher husband who gets to work way before anyone else. Since I arrived long before others would gather or my SS class needed my presence, I lingered in the parking lot. The sun warmed my right side through the open car door and a gentle breeze welcomed me to God's property. I was thoroughly at peace and glad I made that choice.

Suddenly, something swooped right past the front windshield and nearly entered my Impala! A Barn Swallow gave me an up-close-and-personal, “Good Morning!” We were parked very near a muddy nest and morning exercise drills were in progress.

I thought this must be an industrious mother tending her babes. Then I noticed multiple split-tail acrobats ducking and diving a few feet ahead. They were fledglings, exuberantly testing their wings – all but one that is. Five little swallows chirped and careened past the mud and twig built nest over and over coaxing one timid sibling, who sat firmly and defiantly attached to home.

I marveled at how sturdy that little abode to hold six wiggling, flapping youngins; and how industrious the parents who constructed it. Nest building is a time consuming process for busy swallows who sometimes have to travel several hundred yards to a stream bank or other source of mud.

My mind snapped back to the one straggler. By then, he had dared to take a mere 2-foot flight to another mud glob in the opposite corner of the porch on this old school house that sits opposite our church. The family swooped again in waves of encouragement, bidding him take flight with them. Several minutes passed while the stubborn swallow refused to fly. Finally he launched to join the rest.

They cheered with chirps and aerial acrobatics. Then quickly, after the group was all air born, they disappeared as one. The aerial show ended, and only faint, audible evidence indicated that they may have congregated in a nearby tree.

All I could think was that I just witnessed a winged version of the congregation that would soon join me in this sacred place. The House of God is a refuge. Some cling to it desperately and care for it meticulously. Some take flight from it and grace the world with their joyful exuberance. It's where we are fed and encouraged. Our brothers and sisters in Christ encircle us with prayers for courage, cheers for success. Here, we learn to spread our wings and take risks. In this holy place, we find the wherewithal to soar!

Since that sudden epiphany, I've learned more about the Barn Swallow that helps me realize to a greater extent how important it is to heed the lessons the Lord gives from even the smallest creatures.

1. When feeding young, the swallows fly from before dawn until after sunset, while taking very few rests.

Time is of the essence. In a world saturated with sin and deceit, feeding our children the Truth of Christ is critical for survival. And that takes good old fashion hard work! Talk about it when you sit at home and when you drive down the road. Tell them about Jesus when they lie down at night and when they rise in the morning. (Deuteronomy 6:7-9) Little swallows work their scissor tails off to make sure their hatchlings have a healthy start. That begins at home. It carries over into the assembly of the called out – the Church. Young families take notice.

2. Barn swallows usually nest in small colonies and also hunt together.

Togetherness is of significant worth. In a world that captivates our every waking moment, setting aside a few precious hours once or twice a week to stand with one another is invaluable. I need you and you need me in times like these! Especially when the enemy is on the prowl. When a cat or other predator approaches a barn swallow's nesting site, the entire colony immediately mobs the intruder in an impressive display of bombing dives! We are the body of Christ and we need to watch the backs of our brothers. That means praying, helping, loving and staying as long as necessary by their side in good times and in trouble.

3. The swallows seem to enjoy the easy life of late summer, when they do not need to work every minute of the day to feed their young. They are often seen perched above the creek, doing nothing at all. But, the easy life is short lived, as the end of summer approaches and they prepare for their long journey south.

Travel plans are eternally important. This world will end. Either your life will come to a close or the Lord will return. Either way, you better know where you're going and what it is going to take to arrive there safely. Like the swallows, we have a long journey ahead. Unlike them, we cannot take it easy until the day of our departure. We need to keep searching for ways to reinforce the nest so we can launch another hatch in the power of Christ! We must keep building one another up as we see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:23-25).

Next time you see a glistening blue and tawny Barn Swallow dart gracefully over a field or above a body of water, look closer at the agile flyer . God has set him apart from all other North American swallows by gracing him with a forked tail. Those two feathers are a reminder of two boards fashioned together to form a cross. Jesus made a way so we could wing our way home one day just like a Barn Swallow.

copyright 2012 The Word's Out - Brenda Black

Burn Prevention

Burn Prevention
By Brenda Black

Last week I confessed about a backyard sizzler that scorched the lawn and charred my pride when I was younger. In the midst of that trash fire gone hay wire, at least one key thing prevented anyone from getting burned. We kept our heads and developed a strategy to beat those flames into submission. Thankfully, with the help of neighbors each doing their part, all succeeded without injury.

I guess a respect for the flames and a healthy fear caused me to engage without drawing too near the source of danger. But that short-lived battle with a wild fire ended in only a matter of minutes and was nothing even close to the ordeal of those miners in Chile, who are still on my mind this week. I'm still wondering if the fear of dying was daily on their minds. And if they pondered the possibility of never seeing daylight again, just what kind of calm assurance would keep 33 men sane in a dark cavern nearly a half mile under the soil? How did they not panic? The answer is prayer and order.

According to news coverage, the miners created a highly structured civilization with each survivor assuming specific roles in their temporary community. Daily prayer was led by Jose Henriquez, named official “pastor”. (See God goes deep into the earth and into the heart of man.) An electrician wired up lamps to provide 12 hours of light each day. Three miners were in charge of the food deliveries and distribution. They had a media team in charge of phone lines, cameras, and video conferences. Jonny Barrios was a miner with training in advanced first aid; logically he became the resident doctor. Some patrolled the cave and watched for signs of another rockfall. One miner acted as environmental assistant, using devices to measure oxygen, Co2 levels and air temperature. The group as a whole was divided into three categories and the leader of each of those reported directly to Luis Ursua, the shift foreman on Aug. 5, when the men entered the mine.

Their half-day shift ended 69 days later and the world watched in amazement as men were elevated to loved ones and appeared healthy, clean shaven and well nourished. That's because they took showers daily and brushed their teeth, slept on air mattresses and “Dr. Barrios” vaccinated the entire group against diphtheria, tetanus and pneumonia! Apparently, the miners were just as busy beneath the ground as those atop preparing for their rescue.

We can learn a lot from these noble South Americans about what real community looks like, whether 700 meters below the desert or right in our hometowns. The Chilean miners modeled citizenship that needs to be implemented in civic clubs, local schools and sports teams; in corporate offices, families and all the way up to national government. They also provided a glimpse into how the body of Christ is meant to work.

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ...Now the body is not made up of one part but of many... God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body...there should be no division in the body...its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-26 selected)

Each miner brought his strengths; they kept their heads and worked for the benefit of everyone. And they prayed every day. Now that's a strategy for success and a way to keep rampant anxiety in check.

But I fear that the Hollywood world pounding on the doors of their humble homes will ruin the hearts and heads of the men who managed to keep their wits for nearly 70 days, when most humans would totally freak. Formerly unknown to those beyond the local mining town, these men are now world famous. They are being pursued by opportunistic authors and movie producers and others who promise riches for the scoop on their adventure. I hope their calm intelligence prevents rash decisions in light of so much temptation. And I pray that the faith they relied upon way down deep in the heart of the earth remains intact up here on the surface.

If indeed they manage to maintain the sanity that they knew in their mining fraternity under the worse of circumstances, maybe we will be blessed to have true contemporary heroes among us. Let's just pray that they keep using their heads so they don't get burned in the days ahead.

Two Men, One Mission

Two Men, One Mission
By Brenda Black

Batman & Robin. The Lone Ranger & Tonto. Abbott and Costello. George & Gracie. Dynamic duos composed of opposites. Here's another for the list: Cornelius and Peter. Maybe that doesn't ring quite as familiar as the fictitious characters and famous Hollywood performers, but I assure you, their meeting and subsequent friendship would make a great movie.

Meet Cornelius: He was devout, God fearing, generous and respected by the Jews. He prayed regularly. And he was a centurion in the Roman army.

A regiment very similar to his own mocked and scourged the Christ; they nailed him to a cross and crammed into his temples a torturous wreath of thorns. But Cornelius and all his family believed in God. He was known by God. Heard by God. Seen by God. And visited by God.

“One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, 'Cornelius!'

“Cornelius stared at him in fear. 'What is it, Lord?' he asked.

“The angel answered, 'Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a remembrance before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter...

“When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and one of his soldiers who was a devout man. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.” (Acts 10:3-8)

Enter Peter: “About noon the following day as they were approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray...he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.'

“'Surely not, Lord!' Peter replied. 'I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.'

“The voice spoke to him a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'

“This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

“While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.'” (vs. 9-20)

Peter was a Jew. Cornelius a Roman centurion. Jews despised Gentiles. But this Gentile was different. He had authority over men and was under the authority of God Most High. Peter learned of Cornelius by way of the powerful man's servants, but it may have been a fragment of their message that captured Peter's heart and moved him to oblige their request. “A holy angel told [Cornelius] to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” (vs. 22c)

The true reason for the reunion Peter would not comprehend until he entered Cornelius' door. Though the centurion received a clear message from God, Peter had to learn that revelation often follows resignation. While one received a clear answer and the other a mysterious vision, God pulled them together for a specific purpose – they each were to teach the other a God lesson.

Peter makes the connection between his dream and his mission. “God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.” (vs. 28b) “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” (vs. 34)

The room full of circumcised Jews and searching Gentiles became brothers in Christ! “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

“Then Peter said, 'Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.'” (vs. 44-47)

Two men of fervent prayer; two obedient followers from two separate worlds became one in the body of Christ because they listened and obeyed individual calls from God. Don't think such miraculous messages are reserved only for movie scripts and ancient history. God is counting on you at this moment in time and space! He has someone for you to reach. Someone for you to teach. And when you go in obedience to share the gospel, you'll learn a valuable lesson yourself. Don't miss the call to multiply the kingdom when you subtract doubt and confusion and add faith and acceptance.