Last Day of School

Yesterday was the last day of school. I picked the kids up for the last time and dropped them off safely. I signed yearbooks, received gifts and hugs, gave last words of encouragement, and realized how much these children have meant to me. I have a short elementary school route. It only takes about 10 minutes in the morning to pick them up and drop them off and 20 in the afternoon to load them and take them home. Its amazing that those 2 encounters totaling about 30 minutes each day can generate such endearment. But, of course, that could be the secret. If I had to spend 8 hours with them every day, I might not think of them so dearly. Here are a few stories:

• All the kindergarteners came dressed in their best for their graduation program. They were beautiful. One relatively quiet 5 year old girl adorned in a beautiful green dress hesitated before getting off the bus, looked at me with a long face, then gave me a huge hug. It was a sweet moment.
• After I picked them up yesterday morning, I asked them if they were excited that this was the last day of school which they all shouted with an enthusiastic "yes!" I then said "You mean you are all happy about not seeing me for the next two months!" Mouths dropped open and there was a moment of awkward silence when a K-5 student quietly and slowly but resolutely said "Yes we are!" I busted out laughing!
• I received a $30 gift card to Starbucks, 2 $25 gift cards to Olive Garden/Red Lobster and Chili's/Macaroni Grill, $15 Home Depot card, 2 $10 McDonald's cards and $20 cash all with cards that expressed gratitude and hopefulness that I would be their kids' bus driver next year. These gifts and words all reminded me that there is more going on here than just picking kids up and dropping them off. That these brief encounters with their children were more meaningful than I could have imagined. That somehow even a bus driver can make a difference.
• On the way home, a first grader and a third grader sat behind me and berated me the whole trip. Told me I was an awful bus driver and delighted in calling me names such as "toilethead." Kids, you gotta love'em.
• Very few students on my HS route. They get to leave after their finals if they have a ride. So Wed, my normal load of 30+ was only 5. Thurs I had 3. Fri only 1. I brought them pizza and soda on Thursday. One young lady said "I love you. I'm not even going to hide it anymore. I love you." She made me laugh. Amazing how food breaks down barriers.
  

What is the first chapter of the Bible?

Yesterday I began reading the Gospel of Matthew and today I was in chapter 2. It is the story of the Magi and of the baby Messiah’s flight to Egypt. This somewhat meaningless trip to Egypt has always puzzled me. I understand the circumstances that drove this family into exile but why was it necessary in the grand scheme of things? Why was this event so important that it had to be prophesied ahead of time? Would it have lessened Jesus’ claim as Messiah if this had not been foretold and this trip was omitted from the story? The fact that it was prophesied means that it had to be fulfilled but why was this important to God? Is there a deeper meaning to this story or is it just another testament to the omniscience of God? I think for the first time (although God has been using teachers, books, events for a good while to bring me here) I am beginning to see the significance of this story. Maybe I can share what I have learned and am learning.
The Bible is a collection of stories and teachings that, although they can all stand on their own and we can glean much truth from each of them, are all part of a bigger, grander story. Each story is only a part of the whole and we can miss much significance if we do not step back and see how it fits into the overall scheme of the story. For some reason in this story, God wants us to go back to Egypt and be reminded of another time, place and event. God is saying that if you can grasp the back story, it will bring meaning to this new story.
The way I see it, the opening chapter of the Bible is not Genesis 1 but actually Exodus 3. The first 5 books of the Bible are attributed to Moses. He wrote, edited, compiled, narrated, witnessed, and/or recorded the events from Genesis 1 through Deuteronomy 33 (someone else, probably Joshua, had to have written Deut. 34 since it is about Moses’ death.) So God’s written revelation begins with Moses and Moses’ first encounter with the God of the bigger, grander story is in Exodus 3.
Let’s set the stage. The children of Israel are slaves, in deep servitude, bondage to a more powerful empire. They are being abused, victimized, killed by a more dominant people. Their lives are in the hands of a merciless, wealthy, megalomaniac named Pharaoh. And its been this way for a long, long time. Then there is Moses. Moses is also an Israelite but through circumstances and consequences, he is free from this tyranny. He is on the other side of the desert living the life of a shepherd with only the restraints of family binding his feet to the ground. And its been that way for 40 years. Enter God! 450 years of silence is broken as God comes to Moses in a spectacular way (the burning bush) and reveals His purpose and plan to save Israel. God has heard the cries of His people and is sending Moses back to Israel to carry out His daring rescue mission to redeem (buy back) the people that He loves. Moses must give up home, family even freedom to return to Egypt. He must become a slave in order to lead those in bondage to the promised land. The whole OT revolves around this story of redemption that begins in chapter 3 and takes up most of Exodus. Genesis and the first 2 chapters of Exodus are back stories to this event. All that follows this event is how it is lived out in the lives of people and the nation of Israel and ultimately in the whole world. This is the bigger, grander story. God is on mission to redeem, save, reclaim what is His and who He loves.
Back to Matthew 2. People are still in bondage. A new empire (Roman) is oppressing not only the children of Israel but the whole world. Their rule is like an iron fist. Their Pharaoh, Caesar, is also a wealthy, merciless, megalomaniac. Enter God! 400 silent years are broken in a spectacular way. Angels, stars, choirs sing a new song of redemption. But this time God is not sending just any man. He is sending His Son. A Son that chooses to go not for circumstance or consequence but for love. A Son that must leave Family, home, and even put aside His freedom in order to don the robes of a slave and take on the form of a servant. He must become one of them so that He can save them all. And He must go to Egypt. Even though Egypt had long since ceased to be a world power, it is always used as a symbol of oppression, bondage, slavery, the world’s system. And He symbolically enters into this oppression so that God can call Him out, call us out into a new kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven. It has been called the New Exodus. This is the bigger, grander story. God is on mission to redeem, save, reclaim what is His and who He loves. The whole Bible revolves around this story. Everything before is back story to this event. Everything that follows is how this story is lived out in our lives and in this world.

The Waffle House Dream

I ate at the Waffle House tonight. Everyone who knows me knows that I love Waffle House. I have always said that if I wasn't in ministry I would either be a pirate or short-order cook at Waffle House. To be honest, I don't go as much as I used to and the last time we went was such a bad experience that I almost wrote them off completely. But tonight it was near perfection! The hashbrowns scattered and smothered were the prettiest golden brown with the perfect crispiness. The ham and cheese omelet was just as beautiful and delicious. It restored my faith in this worthy establishment! As I sat there, I was flooded with Waffle House memories:

• When I was working night shift at Pepsi Cola in the mid 80's, my fellow worker, Bruce, and I would hit the WH at about 3am. There was a fairly attractive waitress that always served us. One night she told us that she had posed for Playboy! We were incredulous. She told us to wait there and promptly left the store to retrieve a copy of the magazine to prove her story. I told Bruce, whom I had been trying to be a light in his dark world, that I would not stay and wait. But Bruce stayed. He stayed until the morning light. She never returned and I mean never. She never returned to the WH and no one knew where she went. It has always been a mystery.
• One of my best friends and a fellow worker in the Gospel is Dwayne Sumner. We we were on staff together at the Hopewell Baptist Church for several years in the 90's. On a road trip, we stopped at a WH and as we walked in, the griddle burst into flames. It was a major fire. Everyone rushed out and they called 911. We got in the car and left but I couldn't talk Dwayne into the WH again. He said it was a sign!
• Dwayne also claimed that I had brainwashed my kids into believing that the WH was the best restaurant around. He would say to Ben and Joe after church. "You want to go to Longhorn's with me?" They would say "No! We're going to Waffle House! Do you want to come with us?" The kids favorite thing was putting quarters in the jukebox. The best music is on the WH jukebox!
• But my best memories are sitting with Pattie and talking for hours with her. We were good friends before we started dating. In fact, we were both dating other people and I would often call her after my dates and ask her if she wanted to go to WH (which was near her house) and I would share all my dating woes and she would give me advice into the midnight hours. Then one day I met her there and I realized what I had right in front of me! She asked how it was going with my latest interest and I said "I don't want to talk about her. I want to talk about you." My life changed that day! A relationship that had been cultivated over hashbrowns and waffles bloomed into true love. I love mine and Pattie's story. We call it "The Story of Us." The WH played a big part in our story. I guess that's why I can never truly write it off no matter how bad the experience is.
  

The Chattanooga Express

Today has been crazy! Immediately after my route this morning, I loaded up Joe's car and took Pattie and Rayanne to Pattie's mother's house in Trenton, GA on the other side of Chattanooga. We are going to stay with her while Pattie's brother, Doug, comes to Atlanta for Thurs - Sun for a needed break and also for some job hunting. Pray for him in this. He had a couple of people lined up to talk to about a job. He is a printer or a pressman, I'm not sure what the preferred title is. Its about a two hour drive. We got on the road at 9 and after a couple of stops arrived at the house at 11:30. I promptly unloaded the luggage and the ladies, kissed them all, and jumped back in the car to get back to my bus before 2 which I did with 15 minutes to spare. I will be going back up for the rest of the weekend after my routes tomorrow. Be praying for my mother-in-law, Carolyn Conway. She is suffering a lot of pain and we probably will be moving her to our house in June. We'll see what happens.