UNBROKEN CHAIN
“Jerry,
we need to talk…” “…sure, I will come
right over…” My wife looked at me and
quizzed, “who…? What…?” I told her that
James wanted something, but did not say what.
I was puzzled and concerned that maybe my dogs had gotten out and killed
his cats, or something worse?! I drove
around to his half of the forty, and he graciously offered some garden peppers. “…no, thanks; heartburn… what’s going
on…” “My brother, Joe saw it first; I
had not even noticed…” James then pointed to a fifty foot tall pine with no green
needles on it! “Whoa, James, I had not
noticed it; but you need to park your truck away from its radius until …” “…not
today…” “Saturday?”
In the
mean time, my wife called our oldest son, Jeremiah, and our son-in-law, David. With advice from co-workers, loaned chains, a
2-ton come-along, a winch, Jeremiah, James, and I began our safety
work-order the next Saturday! About half way up the tree,
we wrapped a chain into itself, and attached two more lengths of chain, and
finally attached a long-chain come-along, which was chained to the bottom of a
tree some fifty feet away. Jeremiah
offered to run the chain saw, but I told him he had a family to raise. “… if something happens, tell them I love
them…” And, with the chain tightened, to
ensure the tree did not fall towards the truck shed, I made my first cut a bate
on the side we wanted it to fall.
“Jeremiah, tighten the chain some more…”
Fearful of falling dead limbs, I began my cut on the other side. I heard a crack, and I yelled, “Run; … run,
NOW; it’s falling…” Ka-whop! “Jeremiah, you OK?! Answer me, Jeremiah!” A voice some thirty yards to the side came
back, “here I am!” My next words to
James were “thank the Lord” The chain
held and nobody and nothing was hurt.
How
many links have to hold? ALL of
them! If even one breaks, it does not
affect just that one link?! All sorts of
things could happen, most of them bad.
But, all the links held.
Everybody went home safe. And, a
F150 can sleep peacefully, not to mention my wife’s concerns. But, what if …?!
I think
of my departed dad, his children, their children, now, their children – four
generations. Like a chain, the
generations are stretching out. And I
pray for the next two generations, yet unborn – them, their unborn spouses,
their in-laws to-be, all who effect this chain!
I pray for people involved in the lives of my grandkids. “…keep the chain of faith strong and going…”
I have
a nephew who has no time for Jesus, seemingly.
He has broken the chain. Two
little girls are dangling loose on the chain.
Their grandparents have stepped in, thank the Lord! Some chains are double linked! In fact, this inter-generational chain
resembles a cross-linked chain web-net, in some ways!
I am
reminded of Paul’s comments to his protégé, Timothy – “I have been reminded of
your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your
mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” (2Tim.1:5 NIV) That’s what I am talking about! (there is no mention of his dad, or
grandfather?! Do NOT be the missing
link!) Mothers, God bless them, hold
together the family. But, where are the
“bull links”?! I am not fully convinced
of the state of the departed; but, I envision an Old Man, somewhere, pleading
for his family?! Much like Obi-Wan Kenobi
told Luke, “… I will be far more powerful than you can imagine…”?! But, I do know that the living can pray for
the future generations. Join me in this
prayer for your grandkids future grandkids and their spouses, yet unborn.
Some
hear slavery and confinement when they think “chain”. Others envision a ship securely anchored
against the storm by an anchor chain.
One could even imagine the protective shield afforded by the interlocked
links of a knight’s chain mail armor.
Connection is fundamentally heard in the word “chain”. Animals could be chained for their own
protection from the highway, and for the protection of trespassing
neighbors?! Chains can transmit
power. Chains can lock gates and prevent
escape and invasion or burglary. The
list goes on? Chains serve many
purposes.
Another
thought that needs to be developed is chain care and maintenance. What weakens a chain? What corrodes a chain? What are chain abuses and misuses? How does one protect and maintain a chain? Just some things to ponder!
Earth’s diameter is 7,926.41 mile at Equator. [But, if you measure the earth through the
poles the diameter is a bit shorter - 7,901 miles (12,715.43 km).]
Either that, or the Apocalypse of John is not to be taken
“literally” but rather a true
“allegory” or epic parable?!
