North Pacific I Rence February 1, 1982
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FEBRUARY 1, 1982 NORTH PACIFIC I RENCE the bees left. The bees did not leave; a God Is Good: few sat on the picnic table but off the tablecloth. Several buzzed close but not one near me or my plate of food. He Commands the Bees "Just brush them slowly with your By Arlene Foley hand if they get close and they will leave," I said to my husband. "We are Last summer, when the temperatures two meals fanning ourselves and the to have faith — they won't hurt us." I were soaring, we packed up our little table; even the dogs at our feet couldn't prayed for increased faith as we ate and camper and drove to the Wenatchee enjoy a tasty morsel without bees hover- talked, and also sent prayers of River. We found a large, lovely river- ing dangerously near their mouths. thanksgiving to the One who knows our side recreational vehicle campground. The feeling of happiness left me as I needs and desires of my heart. Our three How enjoyable it was to wade into the prepared our third meal. These bees dogs lay at our feet, refusing the morsels cold refreshing water! Our dogs romped were ruining the mealtimes completely of food they generally love. Simple: no in a small shallow pool along the big and it was far too hot to eat in an en- food, no bees bothering them. Their river. This little round, quiet pool was closed camper. A feeling of defeat and mouths were kept shut — a little like the lined with smooth flat rocks and encir- helplessness overcame me. The next lions in Daniel's den experience. cled with small rocks for sitting. second brought a powerful surge of dif- Another lesson came home very Some doting father, in his concern for ferent thoughts: God has allowed us to strong. God does not answer us always his little ones, put this together, a be here, He is caring for us and knows in the way we expect. The bees weren't monument of his love. How much more about our difficulty with the bees, we removed. Only as we exercised our faith does our heavenly Father care for us! need only to ask. I cheered up im- was stronger control placed on the bees' The manager left a sprinkler near us mediately. behavior. When my faith started being for the entire three days we were there. As I fixed the food, my husband set plagued by doubt the bees became more Like children, we ran through it many the table and put the food on. As I sat active and came closer. As my attitude times a day to help stay cool. At night it down I announced, "God wants us to be of faith turned to Jesus in childlike trust put needed moisture into the air and we happy and I've prayed that He take care the bees would move farther away. slept well. Wild flowers were blooming of the bees and keep us from being Previous to this trip I had been pray- close by and lots of birds visited all day bothered. We are to have faith." With- ing for a better understanding of faith, near us. What a beautiful spot to rest out a word he looked dubiously at me. also more awareness of experimental and relax! We felt so fortunate. Several things happened to me in the religion. What a lesson! Thank you, We noted no one ate outside and we next few minutes. My fear and anger at Jesus. quickly learned why. Bees! They would wait till we had eaten a few bites and begin to fly around our faces. We spent Admonitions for Worthy Students Arlene Foley writes from Bothell, By Fannie L. Houck Wash. 1. Love the Lord with heart and wal- school expenses. Will not the Lord, the let alike. Allow the blessings of stew- school, and your benefactors be de- LEANER ardship to fill both of them. lighted? NORTH PACIFIC UNION CONFERENCE 2. Trust the Lord to supply your 5. Spend money wisely, honoring (USPS 394-560) needs. Be prepared to count His provi- needs before wishes. Fun, fads, and fin- Member Associated Church Press Address all correspondence to: dences. ery fade, but education endures. GLEANER, 3. Do not covet another's schol- 6. Thank those who help pay your North Pacific Union Conference arship or fine clothing, for true happi- school bills. Even unknown donors rel- P.O. Box 16677, Portland, OR 97216 ness has neither price nor repayment ish a grateful spirit. The money- (503) 255-7300 schedules. handlers can relay your attitude and let- February 1, 1982 Vol. 77 Number 3 4. Work industriously to earn your ters of appreciation. Editor, Morten Juberg 7. Participate in worthwhile ac- Assistant Editor, Ed Schwisow Fannie Houck is a Port Townsend, tivities at school. In so doing, mental, Published by the North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Wash., free-lance writer. spiritual, and social growth shall be Please Note—Every reasonable effort is made to screen both editorial and adver- tising materials and to avoid error in this publication. But the North Pacific Union Conference GLEANER does not accept About the Cover responsibility for categorical or typo- Gary Lackie, Anchorage, Alaska, took the unusual ice graphical errors, nor for advertisers' sculpture at Portage Glacier, 48 miles south of Anchorage. He claims. notes that the area "makes its own weather and the winds Second-class postage paid at College sometimes blow in excess of 100 miles an hour." Place, Washington. Published semi- Lackie is a foreman at Northern Printing where he is a monthly at Color Press. Subscription, cameraman. He uses a Canon F-1 camera and shoots with $6.25 per year. Kodachrome II film. The exposure on this picture was 1/1000 Litho U.S.A. CP31701 of a second at f/8. POSTMASTERS: Send form 3579 to North Pacific Union GLEANER, P.O. Box 397. College Place, Washington 99324. GLEANER February 1 1982 page 2 yours. Why else have you enrolled in school prematurely. 10. In the days beyond graduation, this school? 9. Be faithful in attending church endeavor to share your bankroll with 8. Shun time-wasting and evil ac- services when you are home, lest it be scholars who need support. Thus shall tivities, lest you stray far from your said of you, "Who is he? I don't know your debt be repaid and your heart educational goals and be asked to leave him." cheered. Contrary to Nature By Claude H. Veal "Now, all you have to do is stick your know them because they are spiritually get the feel of it and establish confidence head under water and breathe," I said to discerned." I Corinthians 2:14. Just as in the equipment. A skilled swimmer the man standing waist deep in water the diver must go contrary to nature, and accustomed to swimming underwa- beside my boat. What was I trying to putting his confidence in his air-supply ter while holding his breath, he antici- accomplish? Strange counsel indeed, system and doing that which reason de- pated no problem in being able to do the and if one were to be ignorant of the clared foolishness, so must the Chris- work. But, try as he did, he could not circumstances, foul play could well be tian put his confidence in God and, con- bring himself to attempt to breathe with suspected. trary to every natural inclination, by a his head submerged. With the evidence To elaborate on the story, let me ex- constant act of the will, receive the sup- before him of having watched me work, plain. My work, at that time, was the ply given him by God. he still could not exert his will strongly salvaging of logs that had sunk to the Just as my tanks had a limited supply enough to overcome his natural fear bottom of the East Hoquiam River in of air, so we must daily receive fresh and, consequently, I could not use him western Washington. The procedure supplies of grace. And, just as my sub- in my work. involved the use of a scuba-diving out- concious effort to revert to my natural Connected to my air supply and using fit, by which the logs were located, after state and expel the mouthpiece, so in it, I could work effectively in a hostile which a line would be hooked to the log our spiritual life, one regression can be environment. Separated from it I was in and it would be raised to the surface and the end of our whole experience. immediate danger and helpless. "Abide held up by attaching empty steel drums Back to the opening scene. Due to a in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot until it could be moved to a loading area. slight cold, during which a diver should bear fruit except it abide in the vine: no The key to the whole operation was not work, I decided to break in another more can ye except ye abide in me." the work of the one using the diving man to do the underwater work. We had John 15:4. gear, and the success of this person to gone to a shallow spot where he could perform his work lay in his ability to go contrary to nature and breathe under water. When I first took up this work I soon This Couldn't Be You, Now Could It? learned that this was not easy to do.