Sunday, August 29, 2010

Chapter III

Australian Dictionary:
Heaps – Used in place of where we use really, extremely, or loads of.             
            Sentence: Man, that service tonight was heaps good.
Reckon – Used in place of where we use think. (Some country folk may already be familiar with this one, but keep in mind that all of Australia uses this, not just the country folk.)
            Sentence: I reckon I should take a shower at least once a day from now on.
Mate - Used in place of friend.
            Sentence: I let my mate borrow my shirt
Rubbish – Used in place of trash or garbage.
Bin – Used in place of garbage can.
            Sentence: Pick up that rubbish and throw it in the bin.
Hungry Jack’s – Used in place of Burger King - same menu and taste, different name.
Mackers - The nickname in which McDonald's is referred to by everyone, every time. 

Exciting News
I drove on the left side of the road and it was awesome! I found myself less in conversation and more in deep concentration while driving, but I reckon that’s better than running into an oncoming car. See what I did there?

Not Exciting News
Approximately 1:30 a.m. Saturday night, yours truly launched his skateboard under a railing straight into the Sydney Harbor.  Yes, that does suck. Before the board reached the edge I was running and pulling things out my pockets ready to leap in after it. Instinct told me to save the board, and I was going to do just that. Good thing there was a large crew of friends to grab me before I jumped in. There was no hope. It had sunk to the bottom like a rock and the current problem appeared unsalvageable.

I haven’t watched TV in almost 2 months. 

I’ve been washing clothes by hand for almost 2 months, although I am getting better at it.

What have I learned over the past week?           
The message on Sunday night was once again remarkable. The topic was peace and here's what I gathered form it... 

God, He Himself, The Creator of the Universe, offers us peace. But not just any peace. Not the type of peace we can offer someone else. It’s not a peace we can just get from reading a good book. It’s not a natural peace. It’s a supernatural peace. It’s a peace that according to Philippians 4 transcends all understanding. Call me crazy but there’s something comforting about a God-given peace of mind that is so perfect we can’t understand it. We just have to accept it.

Let me share with you the story that was shared with us last night; an amazingly inspiring example of a type of peace that transcends all understanding to the point where the only logical explanation is that it’s a peace from God.

Horatio Gates Spafford, a prominent American lawyer in Chicago married Anna Larsen in 1861. On October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire swept through the city. Horatio had invested heavily in the city's real estate, and the fire destroyed almost everything he owned. Nevertheless, Horatio and Anna Spafford worked tirelessly for two years to help the victims of the fire put their lives back together. Spafford soon decided his family should take a holiday somewhere in Europe. He was delayed because of business, so he sent his family ahead: his wife and their four daughters: eleven year old Anna, nine year old Margaret Lee, five year old Elizabeth, and two year old Tanetta.

On November 22, 1873, while crossing the Atlantic their ship was struck by another vessel and two hundred and twenty-six people lost their lives, including all four of Spafford's daughters. Anna Spafford survived the tragedy. Upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to Spafford beginning "Saved. Alone." Spafford, broken and alone, sailed to England, going over the location of his daughters' deaths. It was during this journey, amidst the very waters that took the lives of his four daughters, Spafford wrote the exceptionally famous hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul". 

Spafford found himself in a time and place where all peace should have ceased to exist. Spafford replaced distress, loneliness, brokenness, and frustration with the power of God’s supernatural peace.  The power behind those lyrics doesn’t come from a natural peace. We can presume one would find it easy to write such lyrics at a time when everything in life is going well. But Spafford was in a time that few of us can claim to understand and none of us would hope to ever have to.  I cannot help but think it was at this very moment in his life that Spafford began to grasp a little of the peace of God that transcends all understanding. Let his story encourage us. When we find ourselves filled with loneliness, frustration, confusion, distress, or brokenness, let this incomprehensible peace overwhelm us. When we find ourselves in devastating circumstances let this Godly peace be your catalyst to a story that will help change the lives of people who hear it. Let this supernatural peace be what takes you from merely knowing God to a place of experiencing God. What's awesome is this peace is not far, it's just a prayer away. 


3 comments:

  1. hey man I'm seeing a writer emerging. Good word I'm proud of you.

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  2. Wow - through my tear I remember the first time I heard that song. A group of Philadelphia Teen Challenge students (men) were singing it accuplella (sp?) and they had shared the story and how it also pertains to them today. Awesome, awesome! I have needed that peace in my life at least once and received it and that song has put some words to the peace I received and never knew how to humanly share with others.

    On the lighter side - washing your clothing by hand is much better for them than a machine - it keeps them lasting new longer - just hope they don't smell. lol

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  3. its funny... in france they call McDonalds... MacDough

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