Trigger Happy

Bang!

A Penske truck is a trigger.  It's a trigger for a pretty great inside joke, but that's just the beginning.  Every time I see a Penske truck it triggers the memory of our move from Bair Lake to Cran-Hill.

Driving through the night to get home from Florida would normally be followed by immediate rest, but fresh air was calling, so we all went for a walk.  (Ok, maybe we went for a walk because Ellie couldn't wait one more moment to see Sky.) It doesn't really matter how He got us out there; the walk turned out to be an awesome connection time with the Lord.  As we walked around the Ranch we were caught up in gratitude.  A year ago our hearts were in a cloud, but as we walked together we all sensed God's peace and an incredible sense of belonging.  Our cloudless hearts are an undeniable proof that God heals. So 12 months and one Penske truck later: Cran-Hill is our home.

Bang! (Oh wait, I already counted that one...)

Whether It's Easy or Not

Sometimes giving thanks is easy.  A perfect day of swimming under the span of the Mackinaw Bridge makes it easy to be thankful.  We could list all that inspires thanksgiving on a day like that: clear and warm-enough water for swimming, money for gas in our van to get us there and back again (pause for momentary tribute to Bilbo Baggins), sabbath day for Trevor from the work he's a part of at CHR, two boys who love and respect their daddy, a daddy who's crazy enough to pose for a conquer-under-the-Mackinaw photo.  The list of reasons continues in my mental vault, but I think that gets the point across.

Sometimes, though, giving thanks isn't easy. Since reading about him on the Voice of the Martyrs site, www.persecution.com,  I am haunted by the circumstances of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran.  This is him:

He is, as I write freely in the safety and comfort of our Bag End home, trapped in Lakan Prison somewhere in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Why imprisonment? He didn't want his two boys to be required to learn the Quran at their school and he spoke up about it.  Originally the arrest was on charges of protesting, but that was somehow changed to charges of apostasy and evangelism of Muslims.  Now almost two years later, he has a family that waits daily for the announcement of his execution.  The whole horrific story could be over in a moment if he would just deny Jesus and return to Islam.  But he won't do that. And, we're praying that he has the strength to continue to be faithful.  I would be foolish to say that it's easy for him to have a grateful heart.  But I think he does.  He couldn't possibly keep proclaiming Jesus if he doesn't have a clear sense of all that God has done for him.

Before you click on the next whatever, please stop and pray right now for him and his family.  Facebook can wait a few more minutes.