A Crash Course in the Ways of God

As I announced in an earlier blog posting, I failed to stop at a red traffic light and
was involved in a collision. Neither I nor the other driver involved were hurt, but
my car was totaled. The car that hit my car had minor damage. The only other
time I had been involved in an auto accident was thirty years ago in Boston when
a car speeded through a red light and and rammed into my car, totaling it. But this
time it was completely my fault. I didn't stop for a red light and travelled into the
path of traffic crossing at an intersection.

As the shock of the accident wore off, I tried to reconstruct from memory the
events leading up to the accident. Less than 15 minutes before the accident, I had
 been in the dentist's chair having a tooth prepared for a crown. I was given an an-
esthetic. The dental work was not painful, but I was in the chair for over an hour as
the dentist did all that he needed to do for the crown. I was in my car on my way
home. I was not lightheaded or sleepy. I have always driven responsibly and honor
stop signs and traffic signals. I remember an instant of blackness and then watching
a car traveling in slow motion coming from my right and crashing into the front pas-
senger side of my car. Then things happened quickly: my hood buckled, the airbags
inflated, and steam poured from the engine. My car was turned by the oncoming car
so that I faced the direction of the one-way street that intersected the direction I was
going. I looked up and saw the green light turn to yellow and then to red. Then I
knew for sure I had run a red light.

Everything happened so rapidly after that. No one was hurt. The police responded
quickly and took control of the situation. A flatbed truck came and collected the
wreckage that was once my car, and dropped me off at my place. I reported the ac-
cident to my insurance and they took it from there. Progressive Insurance provided
me with excellent service. It took a couple of days -if not longer- to work through
the shock of the accident and what I had done. My major concern was that I might
have blacked out just before the accident. I was afraid that I might have to take my-
self off the road for fear of blacking out and causing serious injury or loss of life.

Shortly after the accident I went to see my doctor. My blood pressure was low and
my pulse was racing. I have been taking medication for high blood pressure. The
doctor made an adjustment to my medication. Everything else about my heart and
circulation checked out ok. I had been using a British prescribed high blood pres-
sure medication until just a few weeks before the accident. When I ran low, I had
my doctor here in the USA prescribe an equivalent US medication, which he did.
He saw that the British brand was not available in the US and substituted an Amer-
ican brand. It is not easy to translate the dosage for the British medication into the
right dosage for the US brand. I saw him two weeks later and my blood pressure
was spot on and my pulse normal. It is possible that I had low blood pressure after I
changed medication. The low blood pressure coupled with the anesthetic at the den-
tist might have set me up for a blackout. When I first visited the doctor after the ac-
cident, he recommended I purchase a blood pressure and pulse monitor, so I did. I
recorded my blood pressure and pulse readings for two weeks and showed them to
the doctor when I went back to him. He was quite pleased with the readings and
could not find anything of concern regarding my heart or circulation. I was relieved
that I had a good bill of health and could feel confident about driving.

My best bud Steve perceived the accident and the loss of the car as a divine wake
up call. I think he's right. The accident could have been serious with somebody
killed or injured. As a result of the accident I was made aware of my low blood
pressure. It shocked me out of a rut I had been in for several months and made me
take my life here more seriously. In a strange way God got my attention when I
had been growing somewhat complacent. As a result of this trying situation, I feel
much closer to God than I had been earlier in the year. It is a good place to be. I am
grateful to the Lord that no one was hurt in the accident, but wish I had not lost the
car. I really enjoyed the car. Meanwhile I continue onward and upward.

Blessings to you and yours,

Under Orders: Standing Down Again

Recently I was disappointed when the Member of Parliament who was advo-
cating for me informed me that her efforts to reverse my visa refusal to return
to Scotland had not been successful. I had guarded my expectations, but still
I had hoped that she would be successful. She promised to try one other ave-
nue, so there is still some hope. But I don't  expect to return to parish ministry
in St. Fergus, Scotland, until early next spring. I must admit that I felt let down
and disappointed.

Last April I was invited to attend a four day Christian Leaders' Prayer Summit
on the Oregon Coast. There were twenty-three of us there and on the first night
we each had an opportunity to share what was happening to us. I told them about
my situation and the first visa refusal. The next afternoon one of the women lead-
ers said she had a word for me. She saw me in a dugout at a baseball game. I was
all alone at the far end of the bench watching my teammates playing ball out on
the field.

She knew I was a talented player and that I loved my teammates and the game.
It was very evident how much I wanted to be out on the field and in the game.  
Then she saw the coach come over to me and sit down right beside me. She
looked closer and recognized that the coach was Jesus. Jesus then began to
teach me how he placed the players and what he did in certain situations. He
commented on the batters from the other team and what to do when batters
got on base. One of my colleagues at the the Summit piped up that the best
coaches made it a habit of listening and learning. Their words struck deeply
into my heart and encouraged me.

I love Jesus and I marvel at the way he is building his kingdom. I only do as I
am ordered by him; I am under orders. But I wanted Jesus to send me out onto
the field so that I could play the game with my teammates. It seems that for the
last five years, I have been sitting on the bench and out of the game. I have ex-
perienced setbacks, disappointments, and challenges that have knocked the stuf-
fing out of me. There were several times when things seemed to be opening up
for me, but quickly disappeared. But I know for certain that I have been called
to minister at St. Fergus Parish Church. Nothing will deter me from serving the
people there as their minister.

Since the Prayer Summit in April, I have experienced a change in my atti-
tude. I see my extended stay here in the Longview/Kelso area as a time of
blessing rather than a negative ordeal to go through. It all seems infused
with a sense of God's wise love for me. I have developed a whole new set
of relationships in the area. I always seem to have something to do or some
place to go and I often yearn for free time when I have nothing that I need
to do. My relationship with the Lord and my knowledge of myself have
never been better. I feel like I have moved up to a new spiritual level that I
had never reached until now. I believe that this time here at home is a divine
appointment meant to prepare me for pastoral ministry at St. Fergus Parish
Church. I feel myself royally blessed by God.

As always, I covet you prayers.

Blessing to you and yours,

Unexpected Setbacks

A week ago I suffered two setbacks. I was involved in an auto accident that

totaled my car and I received disappointing news that a Member of Parliament's 

appeal of my visa refusal was not successful. I do not view these two setbacks
as defeats, but as challenges that I must engage with. 

The car accident occurred on Thursday, June 23. Just 15 minutes before the ac-

cident, I was in the dental chair. The dentist was preparing one of my molars for

a crown. A local anesthetic was used, but it still was not a pleasant experience.
I was in the chair for over an hour. When I was released, I did not sit down or
rest, but got in my car and headed home. The preparatory work was an ordeal,
but I felt fine. I did not feel drowsy or faint, but steady and alert. 

I remember driving, listening to the radio, and paying attention to traffic signals 

for the next three blocks. The next thing I remember was a car coming from my 

right, the sound of a crash, my hood buckling, the air bags expanding, and steam 

venting out of the engine. I couldn't believe what I was going through. My car
was pointing down the cross street. I looked up and saw the green light turn to
red, and I knew I was at fault in the accident. I was shocked. I couldn't believe
what was happening to me.  

I got out of the car, walked to the corner, and saw that the other driver was ok.
A passing motorist called 911 and soon the police were on the scene. They
made sure we were ok and took reports from us. While the police were doing
what police do in these situations, I stood at the corner, watching traffic go by,
and looking at the wreckage that just minutes before had been my car. I was
stunned, but not confused. The police were great and took control of the situa-
tion. The truck driver who moved my car gave me a ride home. I reported the
accident to my insurance. They have taken great care of me. As I went through
what had happened, all that I could think of is that I had blacked out. I will write
more about that in a future posting.  

The next day I received disappointing news from the Member of Parlia-

ment who has been appealing my visa refusal. She reported that her ap-
peal on my behalf had not been successful, but declared that she was try-
ing another route of appeal. I was not surprised that the government had
rejected the appeal, but I was saddened to learn that I must wait 12 months
from the date of the March visa refusal  to apply again for a visa to return
to Scotland. That means I must wait two months more than I had thought
to apply for the visa. I will also write about that  in a future posting.  

In these trying circumstances, I keep looking to Jesus and walking forward in
faith. As always, I covet your prayers on my behalf.

Blessings to you and yours,