Echoes From the Past

I remember as a child playing in a huge creek, which meandered gracefully through our hill country farm in serpentine fashion.   For the most part, it was a dry bed, except after heavy rains when there would be a lot of water for a few days.  Then a few little pools scattered here and there would remain.  There was very little life, except a few crayfish, and occasionally, a catfish or a tired, ailing bass would be washed down from a far away distance. 

But contentment came to life in that little ravine when my brother and I would find ourselves lost in time in the hypnotic trance of make believe contrivances of our youth.  Imaginations would go wild with all sorts of diversions that can only be left to the captivating memories of the past.

I will never forget one spring morning, while mentally in the pursuit of Mt. Everest; a new experience engulfed the mind, of this world-renowned 6-year-old mountain climber.  Of course it was only a 12 to 15 foot cliff along the creek bed, but for me the experience was all the same.  I was attempting to press on to the summit of this giant peak, when all of a sudden I heard a call from my brother who was some 30 or 40 yards around the bend.

But this call was different.  I heard my name ring three or four times around the curve of the landscape, and I experienced for the first time, at least in my memory, the meaning of an echo.  What a thrill.  That was an unexpected event, and I quickly called back.  “Did you hear that” and at the same time I heard reverberations; THAT, That that…coming right back at me, as I looked up and saw him walking toward me.

He asked me what I was talking about, and when I explained about the noises that were following the words, he said sure, that was just an echo.  He walked back behind the bend and said, “hey Dummy, do you hear the echo, ECHO, Echo, echo?” 

I did hear it.  I was very conscious of it, and yelled right back.  Yeah Doofus, I hear it, never giving much attention to the endearing names we yelled at each other.  And those names never did really bother us, unless we were mad or angry.  At least for that moment, the experience was so great I was enthralled with trying to figure out the echo. 

But little did I know, that later in life, the echo would become a part of a divine message that would have such impactful meaning.  When I think about the echoes of my past, I see them in two ways.  They can be very endearing to me, or they can be misery.  I work hard at forgetting about the bad things of my past, and trying to see all the good.  I try to live out the message I see in the echo from Luke 6:27-42, about loving our enemies, and not judging others.  I try to remember that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things that have been stored up in his heart, while the evil man brings evil things out of his. Think on these terms if your heart becomes full of anger, hatred and resentment.  As you walk through the mountainous caverns, canyons and ravines of life, and you yell out hatred from your mouth, that echo will return.  HATRED, Hatred, hatred.  But on the other hand, what if you walk through these same canyons, and by your own choice scream out to your neighbor, I LOVE YOU, look at what is going to return in the echo.  Love from the father.  

I challenge you during this week to take a close look at this wonderful passage from Luke, and listen for the echoes. 

Love your enemies.

Do good to those who hate you.

If someone strikes you, turn the other cheek.

If someone takes your coat, give him your tunic.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Help others without expecting anything in return.

Remember to love and give, and it will be given back to you.  Forgive and you will be forgiven.  Just as the echo reverberates back to your ear, so will the blessings reverberate back into your life. 

Above all, take a look at verse 38 and let it echo back into your heart. Then put it in your memory bank this week if at all possible. 

Give and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Luke 6:38

Dock Caton  06/25/2011

   

In anticipation of your prayers

Many of you, our friends have been praying for our kids for some time now about their unusual plight of family separation.  This was caused by some little glitch or technicality in the Spanish Government.  In reality, no one knows what is going on, except for God in his infinite wisdom.  We know our kids will be alright, and well taken care of, but this time of delay, and the fear of the unknown, keeps us all hanging in suspense and confusion as we wait to see the final outcome.  We also know the end result will be for God's greater glory.

Below is the latest prayer request direct from our children. There is still no solution, and probably there are more questions than answers.  But please pray for them, especially our grandkids as they are separated from their father.  

Hey Prayer Warriors,

Could we ask you to pray for us on Monday, June 20^th as Giles goes into the Spanish Consulate in Chicago to finally apply for his Visa?  His appointment is at 10:20am, but that is just to hand in the paperwork – no decisions will be made then other than whether or not Giles has handed in all of the necessary documents.  Pray that they accept all our paperwork and that God moves quickly and mightily in this process.  If the Visa could be approved within the next three months then he wouldn’t have to spend any more time separated from the family.  That is definitely the request we are placing before God.

And could you also pray for Deb’s Legal Appeal in Spain regarding her revoked residence card?  Our lawyer says it’s a lost cause, but it serves a purpose by at least allowing Deb to remain in Spain with the kids while the appeal process runs its course.  But we know that God is able to do exceedingly more than all we can ask or imagine.  He could make this “lost cause” actually work and then Deb wouldn’t have to eventually be separated from the family for three months at a time like Giles is currently doing.

As always we want nothing other than His will for us, but we also know that His will is indeed affected by our prayers.  “You do not have because you do not ask,” says James 4:2.  We don’t want that to be the case here!  “This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’” (2 Chr. 20:15)  The pastor at the church Giles went to today preached on this verse…coincidence?  We don’t think so!

Thank you so much for your prayers!

God bless,

Giles and Debbie, Micah, Nathan, Rebekah and Jacob

P.S.  We should add that God has richly blessed our time apart even though it has been difficult.  During the time Giles has been in the States he has been able to start and finish writing one entire book in English and is now halfway through another book in Spanish.  This time separated from his family and ministry enabled him to focus and write to a degree that he never would have been able to do in Spain without becoming a really lousy father or missionary!  It has also been a great blessing to see God bless Deb and the kids as they are each growing in God and excited to see their father again soon!  Giles will be going back to Spain on July 6 as a tourist (don’t need a Visa for that).  He´ll be in Spain for a few days to speak at an Intervarsity camp in Valencia.  Then he´ll return to the USA for three weeks, to Speak at Timber-lee and officiate a wedding (Isma and Erica are leaders in our youth group in Spain, but since Erica is American, the wedding is in Indiana!)  He´ll then be able to return to the family in Spain on August 7. . .  but after 90 total as a ´tourist´ there, he’ll have to come back to the States for 91 days before being able to return to Spain…until he gets his Visa.  That’s why it would be so wonderful if God were to give him his Visa in the next 90 days.

True Surrender

Recently our men’s group has been in a study of wisdom and true surrender.  I ask God almost daily to give me more and more of His wisdom, and to help me understand what true and total surrender would look like in my life.  During this time I ran across a prayer of Mother Teresa, and thought this might be as near as one can get to real freedom when his life is surrendered to the power of the Holy Spirit.  This was her prayer. 

Dear Jesus help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go.  Flood our souls with your Spirit and life.  Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.  Shine through us and be in us so much that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in their soul.  Let them look up and see us no longer, but only Jesus.  Stay with us until we begin to shine as you shine in order to be a light to others.  This light of Jesus will be all from you.  None of it will be ours.  It will be you shining on others through us.  Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us.  Let us preach you without preaching only words; but rather by our example, and by the catching force and sympathetic influence of what we do.  And let the fullness of your love be evident to the love our hearts bear to you.

And the prayer of my heart is that I might have that kind of insight and wisdom. 

As I wait upon you Lord, help me to learn to see things through your eyes and your perspective.  Help me move myself at your pace, and perform all tasks under your directive.  When I pause to wait on you, give me that time to grow and learn.  Help me become still and know you are God.  Let my heart get quiet before you, and enter into Your peace.  Help me sense my own weaknesses, and receive your strength.  Even as I sleep, let me continue to hear you calling out to me.  Help me mount up with wings as the eagles, being lifted by the wind of your spirit.  Then let me move ahead, being sensitive to your timing and giving myself to the things you ask me to do.   

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

Dock Caton 06/15/2011

Thanks 10 million to all of you who have written today either by e-mail or face book wishing me a Happy Birthday. I am not one who uses face book very often, as a matter of fact, only four or five times since my son stuck a picture of my mug on line a few years ago.  But today I was so blessed with many messages in both English and Spanish, and even French that I felt obligated to respond both on my blog and face book. And hesitantly, I decided I am going to up date my face book, in order to read about so many lovely friends that Norma and I have made around the world over the years.  Even with the updates, I still will probably be too lazy to do much on face book. But God has placed so many wonderful people in our lives, that today I can do no less than take time to share my words of gratitude to all of you.

We have just returned this week after almost two months in Spain, and the Canary Islands.  Most of that time was in Alcala de Henares, (Madrid) where my daughter and son-in-law are missionaries through SEND INTERNATIONAL. That was the city in which I was honored to baptize my daughter Deborah, over thirty years ago.  Also, Madrid was where our son David was born.

One week of our time was taken by the death of our brother Bob in California. He had been in process of chemotherapy for cancer, and was doing quite well, until he contacted pneumonia, and his death came quite rapidly.   I came back to the States, alone for 7 days for his funeral while Norma remained to help Deb and our four grandchildren while her husband is away in Chicagoland.

On my return to Madrid, we then took another seven days for a restful vacation in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands.  While in Spain, most of our time was spent visiting old friends of more than 35 years, and making new ones.  We were also honored to do a workshop at MP, (Mission Possible) which is an event taking place every other year in Spain.  I also had opportunity to speak to youth in a Church in San Fernando where our daughter works.  After that we made a trip to Barcelona to visit a Spanish Church, The Spanish Bible institute and Seminary and then on a little farther north to visit with friends of FIEDE a Spanish organization of Evangelical Churches.  Along the way we were able to make many new friends, and are hoping to build on these friendships for years to come.  About the only thing that kept tugging at our heart strings to return home, was our precious little Abby, our three year old grand daughter in Batavia Illinois, just about 10 minutes from where we live in Geneva, Il.  Of course it was great to see our son David and his wife Marsha also.

So when all is said and done, I do not feel one year older than my current 45 years, (after todays birthday) NOT... But we are doing great, enjoying retirement this far, and trying to figure out where to next.  We honestly feel that our very best years are still ahead.  Lord willing, we will be going to Nicaragua next, (hopefully before the end of the year), where our local Church is involved in ministries in Managua.  We have sold our home, and must make some decisions whether we will buy another home, or just continue to rent from here on.  These last 8 months have been so refreshing without having to keep snow removed, lawns mowed, and the general maintenance and responsibilities of keeping up a home.  But at least, we are relaxed and have plenty of time to make those decisions, since one of the things that we both enjoy is travel.

And then of course that brings up the whole agenda of health.  We have hopes to be on the move frequently, if the Lord continues to bless us with good health.  Norma carries her job around with her wherever we go, as she continues to work with Veggie Tales after being fired twice, when the company made their move.  (this is her 3rd time with them.)  She will have to be fired again, because I know she is never going to quit.  She loves what she does so much, and it is all in her computer,  packed and ready to go, wherever she may lay her head.  Isn't technology great.  If only I could just learn to use it.

So I will end this little composition wishing the best to all of you our friends, and again say thank you for all your best wishes and prayers for us.  I would like to invite any of you at any time to feel free to make  postings to our blog. If you follow my blog, you will be able to see and read of our adventures, joys, thrills, heart breaks, pains and passions as we continue this upward journey for Him.

Sincerely,  Dock Caton  06/03/2011