Dr. Steve’s Blog

My brother Dick and I were on RAGBRAI, a bike ride across Iowa.  The ride is sponsored by The Des Moines Register and usually will have about 12,000 to 15,000 riders each day.  They will ride 60 to 80 miles each day for 1 week on a zigzag course across Iowa.  The riders soon find out Iowa is NOT flat!

Iowa is a great place for this ride since we can stop at little town about every 10 to 15 miles for food and drink.  The problem for the little towns is having enough restrooms for this large group.  The planners have learned a long time ago to arrange for 10 to15 Port-a-Pots in a row at the towns.  You soon learn that proper etiquette dictates the riders form 1 long line and the first person can go to the first available Port-a-Pot.  This works well but waits can be somewhat long and the unit are not that pleasant on a hot, humid day! 

We had been on the ride 4 days when we got in line at a very small town and a man came up to us and asked if we were “the last ones in line”?  We said yes and he told us that if we would go back up the street ½ block to the mayor’s office we could use a regular bathroom is air conditioned comfort.  All we had to do was tell the older couple in front that we were “the last ones in line”.

Since we had been camping and riding for 4 days this sounded great!  We went and it all worked out just as the man had said.  While we were there the mayor came we asked him why he was doing this.  He said that he wanted to do something for RAGBRAI but knew he would be overwhelmed if he just put a sign out front.  Therefore he came up with the idea of telling “the last person in line” that he or she could use his facilities.  When the person was done they would then go and tell the next “last person in line” the plan.

We thanked him, told him we thought this was a great plan and went to the waiting line to carry on the scheme.  We asked a young lady if she was “the last person in line?”  She said yes and we told the great deal she could have.  She looked at us and then at the line and said “no thanks”.

As we walked away Dick said “I think there is a sermon in that”.  I replied with a very intelligent “huh”.  Dick said “she heard the good news chose not to accept it”! 

I have thought about this story from time to time.  My first thought was I am OK since I have heard the good news and accepted it both in the story and spiritually. However, as I thought more about the story I wondered why the young lady decided not to accept.  Perhaps she liked to use Port-a-Pots (not likely!).  I thing more likely she did not want to risk losing what she had.  However since she was”last in line” in reality she had nothing!  I wonder how often I am afraid to take a risk for Jesus.  Am I afraid to risk my dignity or my finances or my reputation for Jesus?  The more I think about it the list can grow.

Have great day accepting and risking for Jesus!

More about health

I had some more thoughts about health recently.  In all honesty these were reminders of previous thoughts.

I am fortunate in that I usually enjoy good health.  However, about two weeks ago I came down with a stomach flu bug.  This was one that lasted for several days.  It was the kind that had all the uncomfortable aspects of cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea.  I had no appetite and suffered with fever and chills.  I was miserable.

I remember thinking while I felt so bad how I had felt so good just the day before this started.  I remember thinking how I had taken it all for granted when I felt so good!  I told myself that if I ever got well again (I had my doubts!) I would be thankful every day!  What made this worse was that this was not the first time I had these ideas.  In fact every time I get really ill I think this! 

I would bet I am not the first person to have this happen.  I was reminded that this same phenomenon can happen in my spiritual life also.  I tend to take my relationship with God for granted too often.  Sometimes God has to let troubles and trials happen to me to get my attention I fear.

I hope I can remember to be thankful each day for physical and spiritual health!

What is health?

I was invited by Martin Weber to write a blog about health. This is pretty amazing since I just barely know what a blog is! I sometimes also think I just barely know what health is.

I found the following quotes on the Internet:

“In 1846 former president John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke. Although he returned to Congress the following year, his health was clearly failing. Daniel Webster described his last meeting with Adams: ‘Someone, a friend of his, came in and made particular inquiry of his health.’ Adams answered, ‘I inhabit a weak, frail, decayed tenement; battered by the winds and broken in upon by the storms, and from all I can learn, the landlord does not intend to repair.’” –Today In the Word, April 11, 1992.

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like and do what you’d rather not.” – Mark Twain

“Be careful about reading health books. You might die of a misprint.” – Mark Twain

While the above might be amusing, I think serious searchers for health will want more. In 1948, the World Health Assembly defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

I liked this definition but would also add spiritual well-being.

I would like to consider that the goal for health is to bring glory and honor to God. I invite and ask others to consider and offer their viewpoints about health!

Steve