Dana's Christian Journey

Greetings to everyone from the Davis family. After a wonderful summer, we are once again beginning another school year. Our youngest daughter Karlyn recently returned from Uganda, where she worked with children in need during the months of June and July. She headed back to college this week and we are excited about all God is doing in her life.

Early in the summer, Susan, John, and I, along with Kinsey, Jordan, Taylor, and Emma, got to visit the Grand Canyon for the first time ever. After witnessing a beautiful sunset at the close of the day, Susan and I left our group to visit the restrooms before driving to our motel.

As we reached the top of a hill, a woman got our attention and pointed to a clump of trees not far from us. There stood a huge elk with a great set of antlers feeding on the leaves of a tree.

Immediately I knew the rest of the family would want to see this marvelous animal, so I started running back toward the canyon. It was getting dark and I couldn’t see plainly, but when I thought I spotted our crew, I yelled, “Elk, elk!”

The description given by others was quite humorous as we later recounted the story. Kinsey said she saw this old man running down the mountain. Taylor said he knew it was me because I ran like ‘Peepaw,’ my dad. All were a little concerned because they misunderstood my message. Instead of hearing, “Elk, elk!” they thought I was shouting “Help, help!” I was too out of breath to explain, but everyone walked the direction I pointed and eventually witnessed God’s beautiful creature.

So what is God saying these days? I’m quite confident the One who loves us perfectly is always speaking and sometimes shouting, wanting all to hear and respond. Jesus constantly offered invitations as He walked the earth and the Father wants us to hear these invitations today. “God, help me to listen; help me to understand; and help me to accept.”

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Hebrews 1:1-3

Susan and I made great time in a six-hour drive from Atlanta to Memphis Saturday morning. But the two-hour trip from Memphis to Little Rock took seven as a truck accident shut down the interstate. So we arrived at Jordan’s graduation from medical school just as the crowds began streaming out of the Verizon Arena. At least we got to take pictures and eat a celebratory dinner with Kinsey and Dr. Stanley.

Last week our eighth graders had a nice graduation ceremony and this week our seniors graduate. But we all know there is more to come. The eighth graders begin high school next year, the seniors become freshmen in college, and Jordan starts four years of a residency program to become an ophthalmologist.

Besides receiving a diploma and participating in a great celebration, graduation insinuates that one is ready for the next step. In a similar sense I have stressed to my Algebra students this year that my job was to get them ready for their future math courses. “If you do not master Algebra 1, there is no way to succeed in Algebra 2!” My students got tired of me saying it.

I guess Christians don’t graduate from one level to a next, but I believe God understands perfectly the progression of growth His children are to make. I wonder sometimes if we would be wise to ask what He is trying to teach us.

Before we are ready to take the Gospel to a foreign land, maybe He wants us to talk to our next-door neighbor about eternal matters. Before we are ready to capture our city for Christ, perhaps He wants us to learn to treat those in our workplace like we want to be treated. Before we are ready to do some grand act of service, maybe God wants us to obey a little thing He’s been telling us to do.

As Jeremiah complained about his difficulties, God said: “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5) God knows what we need to go through before we are really ready for the next thing.

As always, Jesus is our best example. The Father even taught His only Son… and when everything was complete, the Son laid down His life for each of us.

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” Hebrews 5:7-9