Mountaintop Musings: Springtime Ramblings

Well spring has finally showed up, both on the calendar and in the warmer temperatures and melting snow. I know we are all glad for this time of year, especially after the rough month we had in February. The snow sure looks pretty, even when there is too much to plow and no place to put it. Seeing the snow fall reminds me of hunting excursions, road trips and the days of old when I was a timber marker and rode snowmobiles many miles in to the mountains of central Oregon to mark and cruise timber. We rode those old dinosaurs even on days when we should have stayed home.

Some nights it would snow so much our tracks from the day before were obliterated and we had to spend the whole day breaking trail. That was never much fun I dare say. But we plugged away and got things done. The snow is good at covering things up. Now with the snow melting we see some of the carnage of winter. Dead animals poke their heads up through the snow reminding us that winter can be harsh. Snow melt cuts away the roads and driveways, resulting in time, effort and financial expenses to repair. I think of the poor folk in Nebraska and other areas who are dealing with catastrophic loss and heartache, yes snow melt and springtime rains can be harder than the cold winter months that precede them.

I also find fresh snow reminds me of much of the rhetoric and bombastic talk we hear from the political and religious world. We are bombarded with so much nonsense that attempts to fix a problem but really creates 10 more problems with far more serious consequences. Why is it that we can never run out of reasons to spend money we do not have, on programs we do not need, to fix things that if left alone would either go away, or be solved by real people and not political hubris? Why in the religious realm do we continue to hear of new (well maybe not so new) ideas, and plans to control lives, distort truth and program people in to the gates of hell?

Much of the talk and solutions to our political and religious problems is like fresh snow. It sounds good, looks good and maybe even seems genuine. But it won’t be long before the hype of the proponents, and hope of the people dissolves in to the reality of broken dreams, and big bank accounts for the people who “have all the solutions”. I think many if not most of you reading this would agree that if a person’s wealth increases significantly from holding a political office, or serving as a religious authority (pastor, ministry leader, etc.) then something is amiss. It may take some time for the “snow to melt” but sooner or later the hypocrisy and illegalities of the situation will be exposed.

As a missionary-pastor for 18 years I have not always made the right decisions, had the right counsel, or had the right perspective on a situation. But I have never intentionally misled someone or manipulated things for my personal benefit. In fact, I have often made choices that cost me and my family while benefiting someone else or their family. I have never held political office (although I was a District Fire Commissioner in Idaho for a few years) so I do not have the experience of the temptations that come with that job. I do know that doing the right thing, the ethical thing, the God-honoring thing is always the right thing to do.

So, as we move through spring, I hope you enjoy the journey towards summer. And as you move through life, I hope you enjoy the journey towards death. That may sound strange, but the fact is death awaits us all at the end of life’s journey. I hope you have a sure hope of heaven. That will come as you have a firm grasp on the man history calls Jesus Christ. He fulfills the top political and religious positions in eternity, and you can bet your life on Him that he will always meet your needs and never let you down.

(Dave & Lisa Carroll are area missionaries with InFaith, America’s oldest Christian home mission agency.)