His Good Purpose

It's for His good purpose that eagles are raised up.

Only days after I took this photograph a strong wind flew across North Idaho, an uncommonly strong wind. A thunder cloud nearly as big as Rhode Island pushed its way across the Panhandle and left dead trees and destruction from south of Coeur d'Alene to the Canadian border. Average wind speed was over 50 mph with gusts up to 70 and possibly more in places.

And it was sudden.

It came across the landscape like a freight train. Below is a picture taken from my front porch only a minute or so after the first powerful breath hit us.

Sadly, this eagle's nest was destroyed. The adults survived, but as near as we could tell, the chicks did not.

It's like that in life, I think, in human life. Who chooses who dies and who lives at any given time? Death always seems unreasonable, unfair. But is it? Who are we to say? God is the creator.

Do you believe in Satan, the God of this World, according to the bible? I do. God, the Creator Most High, gave him certain leeway and lattitude here for whatever reasons divine or otherwise. He is the ruler of death. But Jesus Christ, the lamb of God, overcame the power of Satan. If you've been touched by Him (the Christ) then you know what I mean. If not, then you probably don't care and have clicked on.

The two eagle chicks in the right of the nest above weren't the only birds killed that day. Look at the wind in the second picture! But many survived as well. It's for His good purpose that eagles are raised up. Are you an eagle in spirit? Do you have the drive and the fortitude to face life as an eagle faces life? with eyes that see far and wings adept?

I am. I hope to God I am and I wish to soar with what He's given me.

### Dwayne K. Parsons

The Flower of Insight

Do you think of grasses as bearing flowers? They do. All grasses flower if not cut and a wide variety of grasses exist in the plant realm. Many people see grass as the short, mowed green stuff in their yard. They never see it full grown on the stem flowering out into full blossom dropping pollen, and if they do see it, they don't really notice it.

This orchard grass stem was imaged one afternoon while I fished along the shoreline of the lower Clark Fork River on the banks of Derr Island, where my wife and I had gone to enjoy an afternoon barbeque with Jerry & Gale Sherman and others. Satisfied with meal and friends I dropped down to the river to try my luck. I caught more photographs than fish. This one stood out as one of my favorites of the day.

It reminds me of the way insight comes. Insight, like this grass-top flower fully laden with fertile pollen, blossoms out on the stem of perceptive thought. You look at something, watch it, analyze it and think about it for a time, forgetting about the flow of life around you and then as the thought ripens, it suddenly blooms into insight. "Aha!" you say. You've caught hold of something you didn't realize before.

I love moments like that, just like I love this flower shot of river grass in bloom. Think about it. Flowers and thoughts bloom in the same way. Both grow out of a soil of sorts nurtured in one way or another until they bud into pregnancy. Then suddenly, with predestined magic, they blossom to release their fertility on yet more flowers or thought.

###Dwayne K. Parsons

Between Others and Near

I played piano Saturday evening, Memorial Day weekend, in The Seasons at Sandpoint for a private party among good people. I love this kind of setting. My job is to provide atmosphere by maintaining soft melodic background music in support of the numerous conversations that happen when people get together. Having the gentle melodies of a single-voiced piano floating through the room and out onto the deck helps people relax and open up.

Hosts, Chris and Kathy Chambers, who have the heart to understand why people socialize, know exceedingly well how to provide the amenities of a great gathering. Wonderful gourmet food was prepared professionally by the team of Joy Tharp and Michelle Pecukonis, dba Skeyes The Limit Catering. The Seasons' full-time Concierge, Tom Parks, served an incredible line-up of fine wines with knowledge to support the tastes and preferences of everyone present. The stage was set overlooking Pend d'Oreille Bay and the Cabinet Mountain Range in the distance where the sun rises and full moons lift off mountain peaks on summer nights to dance romantically across the water of this pure natural lake.

To play piano in this precious setting is to fill my soul with song. I found it very easy to report my deepest feelings musically. Consequently, this was one of the more enjoyable piano gigs I've had in awhile. I played for 4 hours using my Kawaii's single-track recording capability to take short breaks when needed. Following a good set, I'd press the play-back and take time off the bench to talk briefly with The Seasons' guests. The electric piano filled the air for me.

I gained both strength and energy as I allowed the music to flow through my fingers. The last hour was the best. By then I had reached the zone, that place of fluidity, where one's musical knowledge and experience combine into a flawless combination of rhythm and melodies that come off without any thought about it, no effort at all. The music just is and perfectly so.

Performing musicians know this place, particularly jazz players. In the zone, I feel I'm actually talking through the keyboard. A note is not just a note in the zone; it's part of a dazzling chain of individual sounds strung dreamily together to carry the air. In the zone, I'm singing through the key board, supporting the friendships and intellects of fifty people, in this case, who are out there getting to know each other. The zone is somewhere between others and near, just beyond self.

That's the way it should be. I'm there to provide atmosphere. I know I'm successful when people linger and laugh and enjoy each other as they did last night.

### Dwayne K. Parsons

Heaven's Gate

Continued from The Hardest Thing From Here, April 30th archive.

The great army drew near rapidly. We were hopeless before it. We had neither weapons nor way to oppose it. Singing praises seemed such a futile and useless thing, but what else did we have?

I felt the blood rush out of my skin. My voice surely quivered and the sound of others singing with me drowned out in the din. Nonetheless, I held my stance. If my words did anything, they became a prayer...and then the enemy was upon us.

I felt them go through me. They were warriors great and strong and fierce in appearance. At the very moment I felt sure to die they passed through and around me as if I wasn't there. I felt their ugly presence and I saw them wound and slay many of the others with whom I had marched, but they went by and through me as if I were not there.

I looked at Daniel. He too was invisible to them. He stood braced for battle, greeting the enemy straight on, his dagger drawn; but they ran right through him. He was as surprised and as shocked as I, to say the least. I looked about and saw that a few others, women included, were untouched by this fiercesome force.

"Keep singing," I called out in a loud voice. "We must keep singing!" Our voices grew again in strength and then we saw collectively a most unbelievable scene. Out of the sky in a burst of light came an army of chariots with fearless horses and warriors strong, charging forth into this ghastly mix with such speed and power that this whole army of the enemy panicked. Many of its warriors were killed right there, almost immediately. Others of them were dismembered or crippled by the swords and spears of this angelic host. They turned and ran back across the plain in hordes. And just as they had passed through us on the come, so they ran through us on the return. We who sang were left untouched. Not a single hair on our heads, nor a shred of our clothing was touched in the battle.

The enemy that had set so quickly upon us had been disippated and slain in a cloud of dust and light that receded to the east as fast as it had come.

I looked about at the fallen and lifeless forms. They were as beastly and horrible in death as they had been in the onslaught, but they were dead. They lay lifeless all about the fields. Sadly, among them were many people who had marched with us.

As the cloud of war moved off in the distance, Daniel asked, "Why is it that some of ours were slain? I saw some of these demons throw balls of light, electric light, and when they hit someone, the person fell."

How I knew the answer, I don't know. I simply said, "Fear. They threw fear and those who took it in accepted death."

"Weren't you afraid?"

"I was...and you?"

"Yes, but I sang anyway."

"And these women and those over there, I think they sang too. However it happened, we have just seen and been part of an angelic battle...and we have victims among us. Yet we have moved through it. Did you feel it, Daniel? Did you feel them pass through you?"

Daniel nodded and swallowed. His eyes were wide with excitement. "I did."

###Dwayne K. Parsons

Another Kind of Joy

My wife, Claudia, and I sat at a dinner table as guests with four others for a fine dinner. The discussion went through normal patterns of the social network until it weaved its way naturally into examples of people who have lots of money, and what happens to them because of it. Two examples stood out in contrast.

One was a very wealthy friend of one of the couples, a man unnamed in another state who had amassed such a great fortune that he no longer had a way to spend it all. He had become eccentric in the latter part of his life, lived on an estate with a view marvelous view but kept his curtains drawn all the time and had no partner, no one he trusted. He had grown fearful of people, sure that all wanted friendship or relationship with him for his money so he lived alone.

The other was a man who had also made considerable wealth in his lifetime. But unlike the first, he'd spent his life on building relationships including one with God. By the age of 75, he had become a genuine philanthropist, traveling much. He seemed happy everywhere he went and gave a lot of money to causes or people he deemed worthy or useful.

Both men had seemingly boundless wealth. One was lonely, distrusting and withdrawn; the other, outreaching, loving and happy. One had learned to horde; the other to give.

We concluded that joy was found in giving.

But I think another kind of joy is potential in the lack of money. Difficult financial straights can lead to the same contrast as those of our two wealthy men.

People have a choice when they are poor as much as they do when they are rich. They can either be happy or they can turn bitter. The latter develops a complaining heart while the former builds a loving heart. It's not the money that ruins a person, rich or poor; it's the choice they make in the habits of their heart.

The joy of dependency is the joy found in trusting God for everything.

With little or no resource spawned from self, one still has a choice. You can complain and grow bitter or you can praise God and find joy in your situation. Choosing the praise leads to the joy.

There is a great joy found in giving, yes. But another kind of joy is found in dependence on God because there you see His hand working. Whether you are rich or poor, makes no difference.

###Dwayne K. Parsons

The Hardest Thing From Here

(Continued from In This Earshot, April 20th Archive)

Before long the whole plain was alive with harmony. We were all headed in the same direction, toward the rising sun, and everyone seemed unified and full of joy. We continued in this manner for some length of time marching and singing together. But we were spread thin. The band of people with me was among the larger. Most were either alone or in small groups.

The horizon looked like trees in the distance. Everyone was excited. We hurried in our steps until we got close enough as a group. Then it was as if we all saw the same thing at the same time. That which appeared to be a forest was instead an army and they were a hundred-fold more than we.

We stopped in our tracks, our mouths came open agasped. Daniel said, "There are so many."

"And they oppose us, have no doubt," I said. It was obvious to everyone. "Keep singing," I shouted. Many in our ranks were breaking and running toward the rear. It was too late, the plain was much too large for retreat. "Please, keep, singing. We must sing praise, for the Lord's army is greater than this."

"I've only got this dagger."

"And I have no sword, Daniel. Trust the Lord. We have no choice." But I admit even now my knees were weak and my heart fluttered in fear. The great army before us was advancing and they were obviously the enemy. "Bless you, O Lord, Saviour of my soul. Rescue us now. Come rescue us now."

I did my best to sing. Daniel and several others joined in meekly. We could see others of ours on the plain doing the same, at least trying. Many were praying, some weeping. Only a few ran, but even some of those, realizing apparently that they had no hope, stopped and turned to face the enemy.

"The hardest thing from here," I said to Daniel "is to see heaven before it comes."

"If the Lord does not intervene, we will surely die," Daniel muttered.

"Keep your eyes on Heaven, Daniel. Sing. Sing. Sing with all the joy you can muster." I stood up. My breath grew strong and I sang with all my heart before the advance of the enemy.

###Dwayne K. Parsons

In This Earshot

(Continued from The Root of Joy, 4/2 Archive)

At first I was surprised by the fact that morning light broke on the horizon at the same time in which I experienced this glad awakening in my heart. But as we enjoyed it and marveled in the early hour beauty, I grew in awareness that this light of day in our dark world had much to do with the choice toward happiness.

Knowing how difficult it is to choose such when things are dark and the direction is not clear, I bid the others by reminding them that we were on this walk because God had decided we should be. "Make no mistake about it," I said, "you are with me because God put something in you, stirred you up when you were asleep. We're walking this path because the Lord of Hosts is coming--be glad in it."

What a sight I had before me. In the day light I could see that more had joined my company during the long night. I estimated at least two hundred of mixed ages, gender and size. For the most part, they were motley, ragged and broken in spirit. None had weapons except my younger friend and one other, a man in armor who carried a spear. The rest had sticks or carried nothing at all by which to defend themselves. But I saw faith in some of them, particularly in a couple of the women. One was older, near my age; the other, younger. Both were obviously strong. They had chosen happiness and encouraged those around them to give praise and thanksgiving. I also was greatly encouraged by them.

Why had all these people taken to me? I had had no intention to gather people about me. They stood in front of me nonetheless, dependent in their anticipation that I would somehow take them out of this dark wilderness. We were as a crowd on a great wide plain, sparsed by bush and a few trees. Rock outcroppings, some higher than others decorated the landscape seemingly without logic. We could see many other people about at distances near and far. Most were in bands following someone but a few walked alone or in small company. I could see as the dawn grew stronger that the faint lights of glowing swords I'd seen on the ground here and there were leaders of these bands.

"We're certainly not alone," I commented to my close friend.

"Praise God," he responded.

"Exactly," I realized at his words. "That's exactly right!" He had just handed me a revelation. I stopped walking. The crowd stopped with me.

I turned to them and spoke loudly so that all could hear, "Remember by The Hope Stone how we praised God and thanked Him? That's what we must do! Now raise your voices to Him who created you and praise Him."

I began singing a simple phrase. The two women I mentioned joined in easily as they were leaders themselves and, though softly at first, even the complainers began to sing. Soon the pack of us became a source of unified song. Our harmony carried across the plain. Other groups stopped walking as well. Hearing our song, they joined in the chorus. Some of those who walked alone fell to their knees. One man walking alone in the distance raised his arms up looking toward the breaking sky. Song spread across the land in a wave moving out in all directions.

"Daniel," I said, for his name was Daniel, "Do you see what I see?"

"Everyone is singing," he said with a half-controlled laugh of delight, "They're praising God--praise God! They're praising God!"

"Yes, everyone is praising Him! Keep singing." The song was the same everywhere: I need thee Lord. I need thee, yes I need thee, which then became collectively: We need thee, Lord, yes we need thee. We need thee. Over and over again people sang in harmony the same words and with great joy they sang it. One could not help but be happy in this earshot and as we sang, the day's light grew stronger still.

### Dwayne K. Parsons