Jake Can Do It!

I have been on an extraordinary schedule the last month—a January trip to visit possible filming sites in the Dominican Republic, a board meeting in California, starting up our missional community at the church, grandchildren visiting, back to the Dominican for a film shoot in February, home to a preaching assignment, then out to California again for a book I’ve been contracted to form.

All along the way, I’ve felt like a surgeon in the operating room where efficient, highly trained nurses place in my hand the exact tool to get the job done. In addition, I’ve tried to catch up on all my neglected medical exam (didn’t show up for a thyroid examination, and missed to breast exam appointments). David has been taking phone and Skype interviews on the documentary film he put together that focused on the slaughter of Nigerian Christians at the hands of the Boko Haram, Islamist extremists.

I’ve had people over for dinner and our eldest granddaughter took her spring break to introduce the new boyfriend to this side of the family. My journal (when I’ve gotten to it in the midst of all this busyness) is a record of evidences of God’s care.

Take the granddaughter’s new boyfriend, for instance. Jake arrived in our home just in time to haul the leather chair out of my daughter’s home, get it in the back of her truck, then take out the old recliner in David’s study that now refused to do anything but recline. The discarded chair was moved into the garage and the new leather recliner (well, the one I bought at Goodwill for $14, at any rate) was hauled upstairs. (It looks great—very.)

Jake had also spent a half-hour shoving Christmas boxes up that were waiting for a hand in the garage (and crowding our car when we parked it). Not only did he happily and willingly give a hand with the physical stuff, but he also helped David set up the new iPod that was purchased so he could Skype for these video interviews as well as have a portable means of communication so that he would not be tied to the personal computer at the office.

Oh, let’s see, it’s March, I really need help getting those boxes up into the attic—WHOA! Jake can lend a hand.

David’s knee has been bad, but I have a truck and some strong college kids. We can get the broken chair replaced with that stylish leather chair.

How in the world are we going to get this iPod figured without help?—oh, wait; we have help. Jake can do it.

I can go on and on, but I think you get the point. This morning we talked with a classroom of Palestinian children. Their teacher, a daughter of a friend of ours, had been reading them our book, Tales of the Kingdom. So we Skyped one another, and there were all the kids popping in front of the camera, waving their hands to ask questions. We talked for a half-hour before their school day ended.

And guess what? It was all to the exquisite timing of our granddaughter bringing her new boyfriend up from Indiana Wesleyan where they both go to school who “just happened” to be around when we needed him. Jake can do it. (Scalpel. Forceps. Needle and thread.)

Thank you, God. I spy You!