Passing-Thought

bread at the duck pond

"Sir, is that a Bible you are reading?"

I turned to answer the mother. "Actually, no, but I do read the Bible." I had only taken a few steps past her when she asked me. A few more steps and I would be on the bridge that crossed a creek leading into a small duck pond at the park next to where I live. I have been regularly strolling through this park on Sundays as I walk through the neighborhood in the afternoons to read. The weather was especially beautiful today. And I figured it was as good time as any to read through the chapter "The Grand Inquisitor" in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, seeing that I have no time during the week to do it.

As I had approached her on my way to the bridge, her eyes seemed intent upon me. I smiled, but did not seem to shake her gaze. She had just spoken to her two children and released them to play. The boy was probably about eight and the girl about five. Both went in opposite directions, and as I talked with their mother, she seemed anxious about their whereabouts. Perhaps they had already begun to press the boundaries of her commands.

I smiled. "I take it by your question..."
"Yes, I am a Christian," she answered as I completed the sentence. "I noticed you reading the book, and you appeared to be reading the Bible, so I was curious as to what you were reading."

I told her the book I was reading, but quickly added that my pastor had preached from a passage in James today. For some reason I sensed that would bring some comfort to her, since she seemed to actually want to know what book I was reading. She seemed happy to hear it.

"We didn't make it to church today, because we were feeling sick this morning."
She had inquired more about the book, since I told her that it was very spiritual and had great insight into human nature; it dealt with the struggle between orthodox faith and atheism in pre-communistic Russia. I showed her the name of the book and its author, so she could remember it.

Again, she became nervous about her kids. Her son was next to the pond, but her little girl was playing in the garden area behind her back, which was not easy for her to see. Instinctively, I fixed my eyes on the girl, almost to say, "Don't worry, I have my eye on her."

She told me they like to visit the park on nice days, even though they don't live in the neighborhood like I do. I was close enough to see that she did not have a wedding ring on her finger. By this time I had the sense that we had completed the proper time alloted for a casual conversation with a stranger. So, I stood up and blessed her saying, "Have a blessed day!" And she returned the blessing to me, refreshed. Soon, I had crossed the bridge.

I was happy as I left, but the happiness soon left. I had not even asked of their names. I had this nagging sense that I had in effect told her to "be warm and be fed." I prayed a quick prayer for God to send her a husband, and remembered that about this time last year I was seriously considering taking responsibility for a divorced woman with two children. Some twenty odd years ago, I was one of those kids.

Am I so set now on finding my dream girl, that I will not consider again a woman with children, who is hungry for spiritual guidance and discipline for her children? I can't help but think that the pleasant interaction with the woman only made her hungrier. Like throwing pebbles in the pond next to the ducks who think they are receiving bread. No, that can't be the whole of the truth. I never sensed one ounce of desparation from her or a gravity insisting me to remain. We both enjoyed speaking with another believer and sharing briefly that Bread of Life with whom we shall never again starve. And yet my heart does long to know she will be blessed with a godly husband soon. Could I accept it?

Saturday blues

Here it is 6:00pm and I have yet to do even one thing I had determined to do today. Not that I feel like I've wasted my time. I have written some things I needed to write. But, O, that I'd be granted the wisdom to get half of the things I want to do done. Thankfully I don't even remember half the other things I need to do. :) Would two Saturday's help any? Well, there is a few hours remaining, still hope.

Other sad news. I just received an email from one of our local churches announcing the cancellation of their morning service due to the bad icy weather. Many of the members drive a distance to get to the church. Probably true of most churches in the DFW metroplex. That is depressing. In my 10 years of being in the church, I've not known a single Sunday when my church's morning service has been canceled. Has anyone else experienced such a thing?

What would I do? I guess I'd try to call some friends nearby and see if we could get together to sing hymns and listen to a sermon on a tape. It's a dreadful thought to me, having to spend Sunday morning home alone watching church on the TV! (*shudder*) O Lord, remember those who are sick and bed-ridden, who are unable to partake in public worship. Heal them or take them to yourself soon, so that they might not miss out in the grace of worship in the body of Christ.

V-day : the aftermath

Do couples have an exclusive right to Valentines Day? I think not. Romantic interests aside (but certainly not forgotten), upon my heart was to send something to a few of my friends, I've known over the years. In the past, Valentines Day to me, has been a time to remember friends that for one reason or another I feel obligated to send some token of love to. Sometimes to seek reconcilliation and forgiveness; sometimes to say, "Hey, I still remember you, sorry for not keeping in better touch."

This past Valentine's Day, I remembered my mother, who had sent me a card the previous week. In the morning on my way to work, I called my trusted friend Bill, 200 miles away, to see if he had time to get something for her for me. No sooner had my request left my mouth, Bill was out the door to do the good work. That's how he is, yet it never ceases to surprise me how quick, almost spontaneous his love is. My love for my mother was the goal, and yet I felt unexpectedly blessed by my friend's quick willingness to help out. That's just one instance in which v-day "backfired" on me, throwing love back into my face, even before my mom could thank me for the "three beautiful roses."

There were other such instances, a poem given here, a box of chocolates there, a number of e-cards here and there. Anxieties in the aftermath over how people would respond to these gestures. But, by the end of the week, all that has returned to me has left me surprisingly loved.

He longs for her jealously

The Gospel in a Nutshell?

credit or debit?

In the economy of salvation, is faith credit or debit?

2005 Annual Report (Wycliffe)

Dear friends and loved ones, this past year had plenty of good surprises:
 
In Giving

In 2005, God surprised me with two new partners in giving.  What a joy it is to discover, apart from my prompting or their announcement, additional people joining our work for the vision of God's glorious future among the nations!

I was also startled to discover at the end of the year that giving had met 98% of my average monthly quota!  What amazing team of supporters God has given me!  Over half of the committments were completely fulfilled, and a few even increased their commitment or gave above their pledge. Praise the Lord!

I was able to present my work to a couple of church groups this past year.  Please pray for more of these opportunities to let others know about the work I do.  I have already spoken to a men's group in January at the church where I worship. Everyone said it was very interesting and informative!

In Prayer and Encouragement

Toward the end of the year, I was overwelmed with the number of people who told me they have been praying for me on a weekly basis, unbeknownst to me!  And looking back, I can see that God has surely provided for me in a number of important ways, including work, school, and fellowship:
 
I really love the work I'm doing here; my fellow teammates are family to me! Our team successfully completed the Beta of Fieldworks Language Explorer (FLex for short). This is the Grammar and Lexicon tool I've been working on for the past year. It is in the process of being distributed to field workers and should be freely available to download soon. Pray that missionaries working in minority languages would be able to use FLex for their language projects and will give us helpful feedback so this year we can continue to make it more useful to them.

In other news, I successfully completed two seminary classes this past year taught by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson. Seminary continues to be a rich and challenging experience, and I trust that the Lord will bless my studies for the benefit of his church. Please pray that I will have the time and money needed to complete the 13 hours for a Masters of Arts in Religion over the next two years.  (Classes currently run $340 per credit hour.)

Church worship and fellowship is a highlight every week.  It's been amazing to see so many families with children growing up in the Lord, and to get to know some of them. I've also been blessed to get to know several linguistics students and missionary kids (MKs) over the past year, who frequent the cafeteria on campus.  I've especially enjoyed meeting with the MKs on a weekly basis to watch and discuss movies that invite spiritual reflection. I've even had a few opportunities to get to know some godly women this past year. You may continue to pray for that as well, as I know a number of you have been! :-) Yours by His faithfulness, Eric D. Pyle Webpage : http://www.opcNorman.org/Wycliffe/EricPyle/ Personal Address : 1520 Bradford St, Irving, TX 75061 (469-222-2865) Wycliffe Bible Translators : P.O. Box 628200, Orlando, Florida  32862-8200

[View and Comment on my picture album of my work environment: visit EricPyle.shutterfly.com ] "God's blessing Eric! We are so proud of you. Love, Gayle and Stan"

love AND sorrow?

i recently discovered that hard times have fallen upon a brother of mine, yet he is not taking it so hard. I say, "I am sorry" and want to really mean it. He asks, Is commiserate rehabilitate?

"blessed are those who mourn..."
I want to believe that it is. That love grieves for those who suffer, even if those suffering don't feel the extent of their trouble. I want to know the magnitude of it (without necessarily having to know private details). And that such pathos can bring true healing. Through such sorrow, confronting the reality of pain, we can find true joy. That sorrow for those confronting death in its manifaceted forms is a prophetic critique of a world-order that pushes novocaine values to numb us with the self-help gospel, promises for paper-plastic peace, and a fast-food consummer marketplace for meism.

misery is drug in veins of many. while i don't want to live in denial of actual misery, i also have no interest in keeping wounds fresh. i like love in which there is no pity - in all relations, whether i'm giving or receiving end. ...if i show you that i pity you, you feel pitiable. some people like that feeling and KEEP themselves: not only pitiable, but pitiful like beggars grown dependent on donors. trust breeds trust. love, love. pity, pity. cursed are those who say "blessed are those who mourn", and intend for people to just live their earthly lives as pitiful and miserable, as though they always need to have some sort of pious crisis. blessed are those who use the phrase sparingly, and then say something like: get off your ass and get to work! be salt and light!

I recognize that misery, like its Dollar General antedotes, is a potent drug. The latter a hallucinogen to escape from facing problems, and the former a self-injected tracer to show others all your problems. I have known close friends and relatives addicted to it, more or less, and the victim mentality (against others or self and sin). I have learned (through interacting with them, and recognizing my own shared weaknesses) more and more to encourage people who carry such attitudes (and remind myself) to discover opportunities for loving those who seem to hurt them the most, to not make sin or one's past an idol greater than God and his grace in Christ, and to demonstrate the love of Christ that surpasses anyones deserving, a liberty that isn't confined by other peoples opinions or judgments about you (as if humans could control the liberty of God's free and sovereign grace), but overflows even to the feet of those who wrong you.

Amen: A sorrow and compassion which does not also offer words of wisdom to deliver the oppressed from their oppression, to cast out demons, is impotent. At the same time, there is also more wisdom and power in sitting in silence in sackcloth and ashes, than rushing to be Job's accuser. Deeds of "love" without sorrow, pity, compassion, will not the flesh rise up to render them hollow? uncaring, unconcerned, inhuman.

An immortal widow who eternally mourns the loss of her husband (like Arwen dreams she will for Aragorn in Lord of the Rings) may be hopelessly romantic, but there is no justice in it for her or her husband. Angels are impotent to raise the human dead! But what do we make of the same widow's character if she decides not to mourn on the principle that it will do no one any good, and remarries even before the time of her former husband's funeral has been finished?

"Jesus wept."
He is paradagmatic for my conception of love in union with Him. Apart from His sorrow, my heart will surely rot with hardness (towards the weak) or bitterness (towards the strong). Yes, his weeping can raise the dead and will restore the cosmos to right order.