Inspiration
A Life They Never Live
There are few things quite so
boring as being religious, but there is nothing quite so exciting as being a
Christian!
Most folks have never discovered the difference between
the one and the other, so that there are those who sincerely try to live a life
they do not have, substituting religion for God, Christianity for Christ, and
their own noble endeavors for the energy, joy, and power of the Holy Spirit. In
the absence of reality, they can only grasp at ritual, stubbornly defending the
latter in the absence of the former, lest they be found with neither!
They are lamps without oil, cars without gas, and pens without ink,
baffled at their own impotence in the absence of all that alone can make man
functional; for man was so engineered by God that the presence of the Creator within the creature is indispensable to
His humanity. Christ gave Himself for us to give Himself
to us! His presence puts God back into the man! He came that we might have life
- God's life!
There are those who have a life they never live. They have come to
Christ and thanked Him only for what He did, but do not live in the power of
who He is. Between the Jesus who "was" and the Jesus who "will
be" they live in a spiritual vacuum, trying with no little zeal to live
for Christ a life that only He can live in and through them, perpetually
begging for what in Him they already have!
High in the mountains of
Mack, a champion Scottish collie, was in his glory.
He came from a long line of working dogs, and he had sheep in his blood. This
was what he was made for, this was what he had been trained to do. And it was a
marvelous thing to see him circling to the right, circling to the left,
barking, crouching, racing along, herding a stray sheep here, nipping at a
stubborn one there, his eyes always glued to the sheep, his ears listening for
the tiny metal whistle from his master, which I couldn't hear.
Mari took me to the pens to watch what John had to
do there. When all the animals had been shut inside the gates, Mack tore around
the outside of the pens and took up his position at the dipping trough, frantic
with expectation, waiting for the chance to leap into action again. One by one
John seized the rams by their curled horns and flung them into the antiseptic.
They would struggle to climb out the side, and Mack would snarl and snap at
their faces to force them back in. Just as they were about to climb up the ramp
at the far end, John caught them by the horns with a wooden implement, spun
them around, and held them -- ears, eyes, and nose submerged for a few seconds
. . . .
When the rams had been dipped, John rode out again
on his horse to herd the ewes which were in a different pasture. Again I
watched with Mari as John and Mack went to work, the one in charge, the other
obedient. Sometimes, tearing at top speed around the flock, Mack would jam on
four-wheeled brakes, his eyes blazing but still on the sheep, his body tense
and quivering, but obedient to the command to stop. What the shepherd saw the
dog could not see - the weak ewe that lagged behind, the one caught in a bush,
the danger that lay ahead for the flock.
"Do the sheep have any idea what's
happening?" I asked Mari.
"Not a clue!" she said.
"And how about Mack?" I'll never forget
Mari's answer.
"The dog doesn't understand the pattern - only
obedience."
Oh, that each one of us would live our lives in
such obedience to our Master and Lord!
Putting the 'Awe' Back in Awesome
CBN.com
-- I suppose we can safely say,
“Spring has officially ‘sprung!’ ” All around us we see the telltale signs of
newly budding life as it sleepily awakes from a long winter’s nap. Like the
tuning up of a symphony orchestra, Mother Nature anxiously awaits to make her
seasonal debut.
The
rows and rows of vibrant tulips, the baby robins with their high-pitched
chirping, impatient for momma robin to bring them breakfast, the warming rays
of the sun, and the sounds of lawn mowers on the move -- all creation is taking
center stage in a perfect crescendo of harmony as our favorite season shows off
her manifold splendor.
It
is truly an awesome sight to behold. Yes, awesome, indeed!
Lately,
I’ve been thinking about that word “awesome,” in particular, the little prefix
“awe.” I thought to myself, you know, it’s really not even so much a word as it
is something we utter when we simply open our mouths and allow sound to move
through our lips.
No
doubt you’ve heard the term “awe inspiring”? Well, I believe we have somehow
lost our inspiration to “awe” in association with the things of God.
Did
you know that, historically, some of the more devout men and women of the 1800s
actually set aside what we call the “wonder words,” such as “awesome,”
“magnificent,” “marvelous,” “resplendent,” and “incredible,” for the express
purpose of one thing: to describe God?
They
reserved these words to define God and His unending attributes. We need only to
look back at some of those famous old hymns and recognize that the authors and
lyricists held God in the highest regard and in the holiest revere.
My
heart standeth in awe of Thy word, (Psalm 119:161).
Nowadays,
we use the word “awesome” to describe a 99-cent hamburger, or the fact that our
favorite sports hero can “palm” a basketball. We toss around the word “marvelous”
to describe the appearance of our favorite
The
point I’m trying to make is that maybe it’s time for us as a people (and as a
nation) to rediscover our wonder words and the meaningful significance they
hold.
We
don’t have to become legalistic by making new rules about the do’s and don’ts
of what words to use or not use. The real issue always boils down to the
condition of our hearts anyway. Do we esteem God with a respectful “awe”? Can
we say that we revere Him enough to give Him first place in our lives? If so,
then we will automatically begin to sense the true awe-inspiring emotion that
sums up beautifully our feelings, articulated so well in that little
three-letter-word.
Let’s
put the awe back where it belongs, in our mouths and in our hearts, as we daily
worship and adore our loving God, the Great I AM, whose honor is above all
reproach and whose name is above all names!
Let
all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe
of Him, (Psalm 33:8).
Missey Butler
CBN Staff Writer
Are You Hungry?
Johnny wasn't hungry.
Normally he couldn't satisfy his appetite. A few days went by when Mom said,
"We're going to the doctor to see what's wrong with you." That's a responsible mom.
When a Christian is
absent from worship and avoids satisfying his soul with the "Bread of
Life," we know his soul is hungering for God's Word. That's troubling! Our soul doesn't experience hunger
pangs. To neglect God's Word is inviting
human reason to fill the vacuum with unbelief. Eventually only a spiritual
cadaver remains.
Each
believer needs a Christian buddy. Like Johnny's mom wanting to find out his
problem, so we should want to find out why our fellow member is absent from
church. That's what Jesus wants.
If Johnny insisted on
not eating, we know what would happen to him. The same happens to those absent
from worshipping our Creator and Redeemer, and failing to ingest God's Word.
We are our brother's
keeper. Absenteeism is fatal.
-
selected
A Servant’s Heart
Helen Keller
said, "I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty
is to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble."
Everyone seeks a sense of
importance in what they do. After all it is human nature to desire recognition
for great accomplishments. But what determines greatness?
On this subject Jesus said,
"Anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the
Thank you, dear members of
Hurdlers Must
Press On!
"Forgetting
what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal
to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3:14)
When I was in college, I ran the 400 meter hurdles. I
loved that race. To be an intermediate hurdler, you had to be a little crazy.
Not only was it a difficult race, but each finish brought a new measure of
pain.
This race has a total of ten (10) hurdles evenly
distributed around the track. It was extremely important for a hurdler to focus
on one hurdle at a time. If you happened to stumble a little over a hurdle, the
worst thing you can do is look back. Not only would that slow you down, but you
might crash into the next hurdle! Your focus, your concentration was always
ahead, one hurdle at a time, to conquer the pain and exhaustion of the last 100
meters and to finish the race.
So, a good intermediate hurdler is the one who is able
to combine speed, strength and plenty of guts to "press on" toward
the finish line.
I shared this verse from Scripture and my story as a
college hurdler with my 12 year old son (soon to be 13) a few nights ago. He
plays on a premier soccer club called the Idaho Osprey. The weekend before
Easter he collided with another player and suffered a complete fracture of his lower
leg (tibia bone). The pain, frustration, and disappointment of the injury and
the fact that he will be out for the season has been difficult. The road to
recovery is going to be long and tough, especially for an active boy.
My encouragement to him was to focus on one hurdle at
a time, even though the healing time looks far off in the distance. We don't
look back with What if's? or the Why's, for that
could cause us to stumble. Nor, can we hope to cross the finish line soon,
thinking it will be easy or without pain, for that could also be discouraging.
But, we focus on the race ahead, one hurdle at a time, knowing it will be a
challenge and even painful.
Healing and overcoming pain and disappointment is a
process that takes one hurdle at a time.
I don't know why God would allow my son, Justin, to
break his leg playing soccer. As a parent, I, too, went through a period of
grief and disappointment.
I do know however, that God was in control and
continues to be in control. The Bible continually reminds us how the heavenly
Father orchestrated all things leading up to the death of Jesus Christ, his one
and only Son. The end, Christ's death and resurrection, was the final victory
on behalf of us. He has made it possible for us to finish the race and receive the
prize, eternal life in heaven. The race is difficult, challenging, even
painful. And we know this! This is no surprise.
I well remember the moments before starting a 400
meter intermediate hurdle race. You looked forward to the challenge, but you
also knew it was going to be painful to finish.
Sometimes, the difference between winning or losing,
or how well you completed a race, was the person's ability to "dig
in" during those final few meters.
I think the Apostle Paul had a firm grasp on this
concept when we apply it toward our Christian life. He knew that a Christian
needed to "strain" and "press on" toward that finish line.
No matter what difficulties lie ahead of you, beside you, or behind you, our
focus is to finish the race. Christ's death and resurrection guaranteed that we
will receive the crown of glory and be declared the victor when we cross
the finish line.
To my fellow Christian "hurdlers" in the
midst of running the race before us, keep on running toward the finish, trying
to win the prize which God has given us through Christ Jesus.
David Malnes,
son-in-law
of Pastor & Margaret Meier
ConfessionYears ago, when I was in the last couple of years of high school and the first three years at the University, I taught Sunday school. At the time I realized I really did not do a very good job of it. Looking across the gulf of nearly 40 years I think the job I did was closer to terrible. The poor kids, they probably ended up with a warped view of religious education for life.
If the story ended there it would be just another little memory tucked away in the corner of the brain. I recently appeared before the church council at Crown of Life in West St. Paul They have a large council, it must be about 25. One of the men there was on the council 30 year ago when I was treasurer, the rest were strangers…I thought.They gave me five minutes and as I finished up one of the guys from across the room told me he had been in my Sunday school class. I was very surprised.Everyone likes to look at their successes, not dwell on failure. The point here is, we don’t know when we are succeeding. Outreach and evangelism is like that. We plant the seeds. Even if we think we are doing a lousy job if it, there is more going on than we see. Will some of the kids in our Sunday school be on the church council someday? More than likely.John Murray
Big Mud Puddles And Sunny Yellow Dandelions
When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch
of weeds that are going to take over my yard.
My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff
you can wish on.
When I look at an old.drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person
who probably wants money, and I look away.
My kids
see someone smiling at them and they smile back.
When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen.
My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out
the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own.
When I feel the wind on may face, I brace myself
against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly
with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.
When I pray, I say Thee and Thou and grant me this,
give me that.
My kids say, "Hi God! Thanks for my toys and
my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go
to heaven yet. I would miss Mommy and Daddy.”
When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty
carpets.
My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers
to cross, and worms to play with.
I wonder if we are given kids to teach,or learn from? No wonder God loves the little children.
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you
may look back and realize they were the big things.
I wish you Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow Dandelions!
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths
we take - but by the moments that take our breath away."
submitted by an “Olive Branch” reader
Poetry
Time Is Short!
Have
you ever watched kids
On
a merry-go-round,
Or
listened to the rain
Lapping
on the ground?
Ever
followed a butterfly's erratic flight,
Or
gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You
better slow down,
Don't
dance so fast.
Time
is short,
The
music won't last.
Do
you run through each day on the fly,
When
you ask "How are you?",
Do
you hear the reply?
When
the day is done,
Do
you lie in your bed,
With
the next hundred chores
Running
through your head?
You'd
better slow down,
Don't
dance so fast.
Time
is short,
The
music won't last.
Ever
told your child,
We'll
do it tomorrow,
And
in your haste,
Not
see his sorrow?
Ever
lost touch,
Let
a good friendship die,
Cause
you never had time
To
call and say "Hi"?
You'd
better slow down,
Don't
dance so fast.
Time
is short,
The
music won't last.
When
you run so fast to get somewhere
You
miss half the fun of getting there.
When
you worry and hurry through your day,
It
is like an unopened gift....
Thrown
away...
Life
is not a race.
Do
take it slower
Hear
the music
Before
the song is over.
One Man
Awake!
One man awake, awakens
another.
The second awakens his next door neighbor.
And three awake, can arouse the town
And turn the whole place upside-down.
And many awake can raise such a fuss,
that it finally awakens the rest of us.
One man up with dawn in his eyes ...multiplies!
The Love
of God
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
"Could we with ink
the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky."
author unknown
As children bring their
broken toys
With tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God
Because He is my friend.
But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back and cried,
"How could you be so slow?"
"My child," He said, "what could I do?"
"You never did let go."
author unknown
As I strived to bring success to
my life,
I was surrounded by turmoil and strife.
I thought I knew how my life should be.
You see, back then it was all about me.
I
was sure my plans were the best to be found
But the struggles increased and I gained no ground.
Confusion reigned - how could this be?
But, remember, back then it was all about me.
I
started to study what God had to say
And tried to give Him my time each day.
Then, I began to really see -
It was wrong to think it was 'all about me'!
The
time had come to release my own goals
For my selfish focus was taking its toll.
I trusted God's plan for eternity
And I finally understood - it's not about me!
We try to look ahead
As we carefully prepare.
We search for all the answers,
And seek counsel everywhere.
We
map out all our steps,
Down to the last detail.
With all this preparation,
We surely will not fail!
Why,
then, is there such turmoil?
Why can't we find our way?
We
use all our resources,
Yet, frustration builds each day.
The
strategies that we propose
Will not alone succeed.
For there is one great Master Plan
That each of us will need.
God's
plan is the only one
That we should seek to follow.
All other plans will break apart,
And leave us feeling hollow.
We
may not always understand
The plan He has designed.
But if we follow Him by faith,
We'll find true peace of mind.
Humor
Acts 2:38
An
elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening of church services
when she was startled by an intruder. She caught the man in the act of robbing
her home of its valuables and yelled, Stop! Acts 2:38!" (Repent and be
baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.)
The burglar
stopped in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what
she had done. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the
burglar, "Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a
scripture to you."
Scripture?"
replied the burglar. "She said she had an Ax and Two 38's!"
A wealthy lady decides to go on a photo safari in
One day the poodle starts chasing butterflies and before long he discovers that he is lost. Wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the obvious intention of having lunch.
The poodle thinks, "Uh-oh, I'm in deep trouble
now!" Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles
down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the
leopard is about to leap, the poodle exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one
delicious leopard. I wonder if there are any more around here."
Hearing this, the leopard halts his attack in
mid-stride, a look of terror comes over him, and he slinks away into the trees.
"Whew," says the leopard. "That was close. That poodle nearly
had me."
Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole
scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and
trade it for protection from the leopard. So, off he goes. But the poodle sees
him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must
be up. The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and
strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The leopard is furious at being
made a fool of and says, "Here monkey, hop on my back and see what's going
to happen to that conniving canine."
Now the poodle sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, "What am I going to do now?"
But instead of running, the dog sits down with his
back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet and, just when they
get close enough to hear, the poodle says "Where's that monkey? I sent him
off half an hour ago to bring me another leopard!"
(Could this be what Jesus
meant when He said, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves (leopards).
Therefore be as shrewd as snakes (poodles) and as innocent as doves,” Matthew
10:16?)
Church News
Work NightOn Thursday, May 12, beginning at 7:00pm in the Fellowship Hall, we will be hosting our annual "work night" for missions. In the past we have had men and women working on such projects as needlepoint on plastic crosses for the children in Tarapoto, Peru; dismantling old paraments for future use as "new" paraments in various mission congregations; working on a portable "stage set" for a play of "Three Men in the Fiery Furnace" for Terry Schultz to use in the jungles of Peru; making portable blackboards for the jungle congregations in Peru; cutting and laminating religious pictures for use in wet, humid areas; etc.
This year I have purchased many small craft kits that we will be putting together for use in various mission fields and Pam will be bringing materials for banners for the Peruvian mission field.Please plan to attend and have a fun time working on these worthwhile projects. Bring good, sharp scissors and settle in for an evening among friends. We always have a great time, followed by homemade goodies from Pam and Linda. Once again I would like to stress that both women and men are urged to attend. We'll have something for everyone!!!See you then!Linda Petersen and Pam Folkens, your hostesses for this special May Women's Guild worknight
Altar Guild MeetingAltar Guild will meet on Thursday, May 19, 7:00pm in the Fireside Room. Please forward any items for the meeting agenda to Linda Petersen, lkp@cnaengineers.com, by Tuesday, May 17.
As always, we welcome new members to our group!Thank you!Linda Petersen
President, Mt. Olive
Corban Creek at
The nationally renowned
singing group known as Corban Creek will be
participating in the May 22nd Sunday Worship Service here at
They will be sharing a variety of hymns and
anthems, both traditional and contemporary.
You may view their itinerary and listen to their
music at www.corbancreek.com.
Members of Corban Creek are:
Emile Burgess
Sacramento,
Eagle River
Eric Gullickson
New
Cindy
Weyauwega
Watertown
Invite your family, friends, and neighbor’s children!!!
Mt
Date: June 27th – July 1st
Time: 9:00 – 11:30am
Ages: 4-11
Register: 651.645.2575
The children will enjoy a
variety of music, crafts, games - all surrounded with a Christian message to
add to the excitement of the day. Please join us!
(Your help
will be needed and appreciated as we distribute neighborhood brochures and as
we conduct our 2005 VBS.)
Outreach
Update
Five Mt. Olive members
gathered with E. John Fredrich in the Fireside Room
on Wednesday, April 13 at 7 PM to listen to E. John’s presentation on “Handling
Objections – Avoiding Arguments When Sharing Your Faith,” where five basic
principles for handling objections were reviewed and discussed, along with
suggestions on how to steer discussions to enable effective sharing of the
Gospel. If anyone would like a written
copy of this informative and interesting “Handling Objections” presentation,
let me know.
Those attending the April 13 Outreach
Training were also shown a “sneak
preview” of an initial version of the “Mt. Olive Cares” video that Ryan Young
has been working on putting together these past few months. Once finished, this video will become another
outreach tool that can be used to tell individuals about
Mark your calendar for Wednesday, May
18 at 7 PM, when the next Outreach Training meeting is scheduled to be held in
the Fireside Room.
Also, mark your calendars for Saturday,
June 4, when
John Mueller, Chairman,
Mt. Olive Outreach Committee
Sunday School News and Notes
I
want to thank all those who made our Christian Education Sunday such a big
success. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day.
The last day
of Sunday School this year is June 5th. This is the day of our
closing program and church picnic. The children will sing in church that day
and present their program during the Education Hour. Following the program,
everyone is invited to the park for the church picnic. We are planning a pińata
game for the children. Just bring a dish
to pass and join us on June 5th.
Linda Henkel,
Sunday School Superintendent
Thank you for
volunteering your time and service to
Your support of this year’s
auction contributed to raising nearly $65K in net proceeds! Congratulations on a job well done! I hope you will continue to support
You’re invited to a camping outing the weekend of June
24-26 at St. Croix Haven,
Coordinating Council
April 11, 2005 Meeting
Glover and
Bob Bentson met with three contractors in regards to
the ceiling insulation project. Insul-Tech submitted a bid of $24,956. The proposal was to spray high-density foam
plus a white fireproof inner layer, which would allow the 2x6 rafters to be
slightly exposed thus minimizing the change in appearance of the interior. Glover and Bob plan to view in person some of
the other completed work done by Insul-Tech to get a
better idea of the finished look. A bid
from another firm using a similar process is pending. A proposal will be developed to present to
the congregation at the Congregational Assembly on May 22nd.
The sewer in the downstairs
bathrooms has backed up twice now and all members are reminded not to flush
diapers down the toilet, as they may be an explanation for the problem.
There will be several special
services held here at Mt. Olive including
“Corban Creek” on May 22nd
Kirk Meyer on August 14th.
Dan and Ellen Berkner have been transferred to Zion Lutheran in
E. John Fredrich
completed his work with the outreach ministry.
We continue to receive updated lists of new residents in the
Seeds were handed out April 10
in preparation of the plant sale scheduled for June 4th and the
Congregational picnic will be held on June 5th at the Lions shelter
in
Jerry Holen
noted in his treasurer’s report that nothing was remitted to synod (behind
$3900) or
Maundy Thursday: $805 was split between high school and college scholarship funds.
Good Friday: $602 was given to “Time of Grace” TV ministry.
Easter: the offering of
$801 went to Friends of China.
The Building and
Maintenance Fund received $895 in special offerings.
Jerry also noted the $3072
expense to Xcel Energy for Feb & March and the
$524.00 expense for elevator inspection.
The church office is now using
a Xerox color printer for bulletins, brochures, etc. The printer is free with a three-year
contract for the purchase of supplies.
The nominating committee will
gather a list of candidates for election to the Coordinating Council. The election of these council members will
take place at the Congregational Assembly on May 22.
Under new business, a dress
code for ushers was suggested and referred to the worship committee.
A recent visitor to Sunday
worship commented that the
Pastor had recently attended
the Minnesota District Pastoral Conference in
Harold Rufledt,
Council Secretary
We acknowledge with thanks the following memorials
to the Building & Maintenance Fund:
…In memory of Carol Woulfe’s
mother from …
Ed &
Marcella Voss
Darryl &
Pam Folkens
Mae Schmidt
Marlene Struwe
Elvera Baran
Lee &
Linda Petersen
Bob &
Lois Bentson
Kevin &
Paulette Marschel
Greg &
Marcia Schuyler
Berhane & Sally Worku
Jerry &
Mary Holen
John & Rita Kruschwitz
Family &
friends
…In memory of Mary Holen’s
mother from …
Lee &
Linda Petersen
Art &
Maxine Schmugge
Steve &
Carol Woulfe
Family &
friends
...In memory of Short Fuller from …
John &
Rita Kruschwitz
…In memory of
Lois Kruse
Mae Schmidt
Elvera Baran
Jungle Journal
Missionary Terry Schultz,
Little 10-year old Iris was feeling such pains in
her stomach that her mom, Carrie, had to carry her to bed. It was only
7:00 PM, yet already pitch dark out in the Amazon River town of
“Iris is getting sicker,”
Carrie announced. “What were you doing all afternoon?” Pablo looked
down and quietly replied, “Playing soccer.” Pablo knew just what Carrie
was thinking. He was thinking it too: Because he had spent the
entire day away from the family, selfishly enjoying himself playing soccer, it
was his fault that Iris was ill!
Carrie and Pablo knew of only
one method to cure the weakening child. Pablo had to dash off and fetch
something: Was he off to get the nurse who lived in the health
clinic? No. Off to buy medicines from the general store? No. Pablo
was racing off to find the soccer ball that had been used in the
afternoon game!!
It was now past 10:00 PM, as
Pablo went door to door asking his friends whose soccer ball they had
used. He found out it was Javier’s ball, and raced to his house. All out
of breath, Pablo quickly explained to Javier that his little girl was
ill. Javier immediately retrieved the soccer ball and tossed it to
Pablo. Pablo thanked him and dashed off into the darkness.
Back at the house, Carrie has
everything ready: She has gotten out a big laundry-type plastic tub and
filled it half-way with water. Pablo rushed in, dropped the soccer ball
in the tub, and quickly began washing it, rubbing the ball all over with his
hands. Meanwhile, Carrie prepared the now limp little Iris to get in the
tub for a bath! The ball was removed and Iris was placed in the tub of
dirty water. The parents carefully poured water all over Iris’
body. Then Carrie went to prepare the final part of the treatment.
Carrie took a tablespoon, and filled it halfway with the dirty tub water and
than mixed in her own maternal milk. Carrie gently held Iris’ mouth open
and poured the mixture down.
The next day, the little girl
felt much better. Carrie thinks Pablo’s selfish all-day soccer outing
nearly killed their daughter. Everyone thinks the folk medicine cure
saved the little girl. A thoroughly chastened Pablo promises less weekend
soccer and more quality time with the family!
Call it folk medicine mixed
with pure superstition or simply (the supremely politically incorrect phrase)
“old wives’ tales.” Whatever the label, many of these practices are
certainly unchristian. Nearly all of it has to do with trying to “explain
the unexplainable” or somehow “control the uncontrollable” For in the Amazon
villages, many parents have no idea what makes their children sick or why their
children behave the way they do. (Not that this is completely different
from parents in other countries we might add!)
Moreover, it’s a truly
frightening feeling in the villages when a baby is seriously sick and there is
no 911 to call, no doctor in the village, or even a first aid book to
frantically consult. What a desperate situation! Many villagers
turn to a grandma or sometimes a grandpa who is known to have a knack for
healing. Medical ability based on years of experience and knowledge of
natural medicines is of course one thing. Superstitious practices in
which supernatural powers are involved are obviously something else.
No doubt cultural
anthropologists have specific categories for the following superstition-based
medical treatments. There is a strange
creativity in the way certain animal characteristics or “powers” are thought to
have a corresponding effect on humans. What you don’t see here is God
being called upon as our “ever present help in need.” Instead, to the Devil’s
delight, most villagers are swamped in spiritual ignorance.
The peculiar practices
described here are found throughout the mestizo river
towns along the
Lily’s baby was just several
months old, yet appeared sluggish and listless. The baby seemed to have
trouble moving her arms and legs in that normal, springy way that new baby’s
do. Instead, the baby could only manage an occasional weak wave of her
arms and could barely roll over. Grandma of course noticed this also, and
confronted Lily straight on: “Lily, did you eat three-toed sloth during
your pregnancy?” “Yes, probably. Why?” “Well, look at your
baby. That’s why she moves like that. I know just what we need to
do.¨
Grandma ordered Lily’s
husband to go out and shoot a sloth. There aren’t as many three-toed sloths in the jungle as there used to be, but once you find
one (usually hanging upside down on a high tree branch) they are the easiest
animal in the Amazon to shoot.
When Lily’s husband returned
with a dead sloth, Grandma took it and quickly removed what she needed: a sloth
bone from one of the legs. Grandma took the bone and began to scrape it
with a knife blade, determinedly running the blade along the shaft of the
bone. Soon, she had produced a tiny mound of, what else, finely- grated
sloth-bone! A teaspoon of the grated sloth bone was stirred into a glass
of water, along with a teaspoon of mom’s milk. The strange concoction was
then poured into the little baby. No more sluggish, sloth-like movements
for this baby, Grandma announced. Dad only shook his head at these
strange goings-on, content to go out back and start up a fire. They could
believe what they wanted. All Dad knew was nothing tasted as good as
three-toed sloth… slow roasted of course.
Across town, a 6-month old
baby was experiencing serious problems with her eyes. Her left eye even
started to look a little clouded over. Mom and Dad were highly concerned.
Grandma was informed about the worsening condition and immediately came by.
Grandma took one look at the
dried jaguar skin hanging over the doorway, then shot a withering glare at
Dad. ¨When did you shoot that jaguar? ¨ Grandma asked. “A few
months ago,” replied Dad. “Did you two eat it then?” “Of
course.” Grandma shook her head in that special way that indicated she
had it all figured out and that she was once again highly disappointed with her
son-in-law.
Dad’s shooting of the jaguar
during Mom’s pregnancy was the cause of the baby’s eyes going bad, Grandma
announced. Thankfully, she knew just what to do. Dad was ordered to
immediately take the jaguar skin down off the wall. For the next 30 days,
instead of sleeping on cool sheets, the baby would be laid on the jaguar fur at
night.
Of course, it was more than a
little difficult during the hot nights for the baby to fall asleep on the warm
fur. But according to Grandma, it was the only way to neutralize the
power of the spirit of the jaguar over the baby. The baby’s eyes slowly
improved during the next month. And everyone assumed that Grandma, with
her ¨cat nap solution¨ had gotten it right once again.
The confused belief that
harming certain animals will bring harm to a child is taken to the extreme in
the following uncomplicated story. (Warning: One little piggy goes
to market and gets butchered in this story. You may wish to skip the
following 3 graphic paragraphs.)
Right now there are more than
a few river villages where the inhabitants think twice before slaughtering a
pure black pig. Apparently the pure black ones possess a supernatural
power to extract revenge on those who would do them in.
Take the well-known case of
Pedro, who lives a few hours down-river from Yurimaguas.
It was early Saturday morning, as Pedro prepared to slaughter his huge
pure-black pig, cut it up, and sell portions of meat to the villagers for their
Saturday afternoon barbeque.
Pedro (excuse the graphic
details), slit the pig’s throat with his hunting knife, and then commenced with
a vertical cut down the belly of the pig. As the townspeople have now
figured it out, at that very instant when Pablo wielded his knife, his newborn
baby boy began bleeding profusely from where his umbilical chord had been
recently tied off, - his belly button. Tragically, the baby died within
minutes. The only possible explanation: As it was about to die, the
black pig supernaturally killed the child. The superstitious village
folks blamed both Pedro (for not knowing better) and the black pig for the
baby’s death. Since then, a pure black hog has never been killed in the
village.
Thankfully, most of the old
wives’ tales are not so brutal! Often, the supposed supernatural powers
of jungle animals over humans are no more than a nuisance. For example,
there is a curious, furry little tree-dwelling animal that looks something like
a cross between a monkey and a shrew. It has a pointy nose, monkey-like
paws and climbs up in the trees. Most striking of all, it has huge,
round, shiny orange eyes for seeing in the dark. These little animals are
most active at night.
And while they’re out all
night, they are thought to possess some magical effect over the babies in the
villages. If the little animals sit in trees close to a village, all the
babies are unable to sleep at night!- The babies go nocturnal! Sure
enough: Word will pass through the village that several of the
orange-eyed furry animals were spotted last night in the trees surrounding the
village. The moms then get to talking and wouldn’t you know it:
Everyone’s baby had trouble getting any sleep last night!
Other jungle animals are
thought to be a source of a purely beneficial effect. Take the big, ugly,
jungle warthog. These animals are still found in abundance in many parts
of the Amazon jungle. Everyone is pretty careful around them.
Warthogs are known to take a direct hit from a shotgun blast and then charge
right at the hunter who frantically starts fumbling for his machete.
The one distinguishing
feature of the huge jungle warthogs are of course their big, long snouts.
Many Amazon dwellers consider the warthogs kind of “special” when it comes to
the nasal department. So, what does Grandma do if her grandchild is suffering
from sinus and respiratory problems? First, she tells Dad to go out and
shoot a warthog. When he comes back with the huge animal, he cuts off a
hoof and hands it over to Grandma. After a little preparation, Grandma is
able to take a match and light the inside of the hoof. She then lovingly
passes the smoking, smelly, on-fire severed warthog hoof under the nose of the
stuffed-up baby. After some time, with the baby deeply inhaling the magical,
medicinal fumes, his nasal passages begin to open up. In a bizarre case
of reversal (like a “man bites dog” story) I guess you’d say the ham cures the
baby.
The fact is there are endless
variations on all these and other supposed remedies. Often the
superstitious practices change when jungle folks move to the city. Take
for example the earlier story of bathing the child in dirty soccer ball wash
water to cure a raging fever. In the city, the treatment goes like this:
Suppose you have a young
child that is constantly misbehaving. Part of the problem is that Dad is
not around much to help with the child rearing. He’s out there 6 days a
week pulling12 hour shifts driving one of those 3-wheel motorcycle rickshaw
taxis. The relatives blame him for the child’s constant unruliness, while
Mom is at her wit’s end.
Now sometimes one or the other parent leaves the superstitious jungle practices back in the jungle. Moms sometimes oppose this treatment, but Dad is convinced it’s just the thing to do. Like the soccer ball cure, Dad washes his motorcycle rickshaw and catches the dirty wash water in a plastic tub. You guessed it: Junior is put in the tub of dirty water and washed down. For good measure a table