Author: Ian Bothwell

Putting my glasses in my shirt pocket I said to my barber, “Number four on top and finger cut on the sides.”  Just then her cell phone rang.  I didn’t mind as I waited.  I enjoy the smells of a barber shop.  With a “Good-bye” she turned to me and began giving me a four on the sides and finger cut on top.  I didn’t say anything because it was too late and I was curious if she would ever catch on.  She did and fortunately my wife likes it.

As I was thinking about my backward haircut I was reminded of the Sermon on the Mount.  I think about the Sermon on the Mount a lot because it seems to be such a challenge.  It is backward living from my normal impulses.  When I get hit I want to hit back – harder.  Jesus tells me I am supposed to “love my enemies.”  I know. How could I have any enemies?  I am such a nice guy!  But I am a realist and know there are people who cannot stand me.  When I think about them I don’t want them to prosper. But Jesus is powerfully emphatic about this very issue. I must pray for them and long for them to do very well.  Being a real Christian is so very backward to my nature.

The last shall be first.  The poor in spirit will inherit the Kingdom.  It is no wonder Paul exclaimed about himself, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”   Praise God for the answer to his question.  Romans 8, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 3, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

The sign in front of the barber shop beckoned with the message, “First Time $5.” I’m not sure how many hundred times I have driven by without responding.  However, today I was very shaggy and decided to check it out.  Sure enough they (two very talkative ladies) only charged me $5 and it is a good haircut. I will go back.  My regular barbers (two not so talkative ladies) are going to miss me.   I enjoyed the chatter.

Persistent advertising finally got me.  When I was a little guy there was a map in our church where someone was keeping track of and marking countries that had been sent a missionary.  The inspiration for this was the idea that when the Gospel had gone to the whole world then Jesus would come.  What intrigued me was the idea that a single presence or a single event of witnessing meant we could check off an entire country.  We were one step closer to the Kingdom.  But does a one-time exposure really do the job?  I once heard someone say they passed out pamphlets to a neighborhood; therefore, those people had their chance.  Come on.  Really?

We are talking about something so much more significant than a haircut and it took hundreds of times before I responded.  When we are talking about totally changing one’s life we have to realize, while some people will see it right away, it will take multiple years before another person gets it.   So, don’t give up.  If there is someone you have been praying for keep on praying.  If there is a family member who needs to respond, keep on being the kindest, most caring, most self-sacrificing person in their life.  Someday it will make a difference.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 2, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

They seemed so sincere I don’t think they got it.  They were convinced they were not salesmen.  They were only knocking on doors to see if we needed new windows.  They would help us determine so.  Should they so decide they would then arrange to send a salesman.  Therefore, they were not selling anything.  I could not convince them they were selling.

They were like car sales people who rush out to snag you if you pause for a moment to look at a car.  After they schmooze you, they bring in the big gun from the backroom to seal the deal. It is also like people who bring friends to church hoping the pastor can convince them to join.  Everyone is part of the process.  Even the people who brought casseroles to the potluck are part of the team.  Convincing someone to buy or become a part of something is a team effort.  The pastor will never succeed if the members do not create a welcoming atmosphere.

One would think it to be easy to give someone eternal life.  Perhaps it is difficult because we complicate it.  Often we make people think they have to join “our” church if they are to be saved.  “We” are God’s exclusive little club and they need to dress like us, eat like us and pray like us.  God must sometimes smile at our ridiculous behavior.  At other times He must shake His head in exasperation.  The point is we do have a marvelous product to share with the world.  And the way we sell it or give it is to make it attractive and the way to make it attractive is for us to be as much like Jesus as we are capable.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 1, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

The storm really took its toll on the little fellow.  Who knows where he was blown in from or perhaps he was a local who didn’t find good shelter.  We spotted him this afternoon looking ragged and exhausted.  Chickadees usually looked prim and proper but not this little guy.  He sat on a railing looking like he had just finished a marathon.  This evening he decided to spend the night by a large dish of water we keep on the ground for the birds.  He had tucked his head under his wing and became the perfect meal for any nocturnal hunter looking for a snack.  My wife went over and picked him up.  As he awakened in her hand he put up a major fuss.  How dare she interrupt his dreams!  Ever so gently he was placed up on a safe branch.

His squawking reminded me of us when God sometimes has to move us to a safer place.  Getting us to change isn’t always easy and sometimes we go kicking and screaming; yelling at Him for disturbing our perceived comfort.  When we put ourselves in His hands we then need to trust what happens next.  “In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?” Psalm 11  And where is our mountain?  “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.” Psalm 48 Often from our point of view the change doesn’t look so good.  But should we see our life from His vantage point we would never want it any other way than His way.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 31, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

We had an interesting experience today at Denny’s.  While waiting for our order we watched a server prepare a table for the next customer.  First she cleared off the dishes and then she very carefully wiped the seats.  Following that she then wiped off the table using the same cloth she had used to wipe off the seats.  At least it looked clean.  But wait.  It gets better.  The next customer to use that table had really nasty looking sores on his elbows and I’m sure you know what happened.  He sat down and promptly put his elbows on the table.   I am amazed we are as healthy as we are.  The human body does a great job in fending off all manner of germs.

As I watched the man with the nasty looking elbows I found myself wishing that it would be as easy to spread the Gospel as it is to spread germs.  That really is a horrible analogy.  The Gospel is the best thing ever and I shouldn’t even put it in the same sentence with germs.  One brings health and never ending life while the other brings misery, suffering and death.  But wouldn’t it be grand if we could sneeze and spread the Good News like we spray colds and the flu?

I have always wanted to be an infectious Christian.  Yawning is infectious. A few good yawns in a classroom will produce more.  A good smile usually produces more smiles.  Kindness usually begets more kindness.  Those, of course, are merely human behaviors.  What I really desire is something much more substantive.  I long for people to understand just how self-sacrificing and wonderful God is.  That’s a much more difficult task.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 30, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

I have a good friend who is being baptized this weekend.  It’s an exciting event when a person makes a conscious decision to make Jesus the Lord of their life.  To celebrate one of the pastors at the church invited us all to her home for dinner.   We gladly accepted.  Then we found out my friend’s family also wanted to celebrate so he couldn’t be at the pastor’s home.  So I called and uninvited myself by saying, “The only reason we were coming was to be with my friend.”  Now just how stupid was that!  As the words flowed from my mouth I realized I was an idiot.  “The only reason was .”   That was amazingly insensitive. It wasn’t even true.  I really enjoy the pastor’s company.  She is bright, quick, witty and a joy to be around.  But no, I had to say the “only” reason I was coming was for my other friend.  She was so kind.  She should have said, “You jerk.  I’ll never have you over again.”   She didn’t.  Graciously she spoke about another time.

So how often does our mouth work without having our brain in gear?   At least on this occasion I heard myself.   What I am guessing is I most likely do it every day without realizing it.  It is a lesson to me not to be so quick to think other people are jerks when they say something stupid. Looking in the mirror is a very good reason not to be harsh with others and to give people the benefit of the doubt.

I haven’t apologized yet but I am going to do so just as soon as I finish writing this confession of my stupidity.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 20, 2010

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

When my older son was about twelve months old I was holding him on my lap as together we gazed out upon an African landscape from a high rocky point.  As I pointed out things to him I remember thinking I shouldn’t have any more children because every bit of love I was capable of generating was centered in that boy.  I didn’t understand until the next son sat on my lap.  Then I realized I had a whole new reservoir of love.

Years ago someone ignorantly asked me which son was my favorite.  Which son did I love the most?  There is no most.  There is no equal.  Each love experience is so unique it is impossible to measure or compare.  Uniqueness is the key to understanding. As they are different so my love for them is different.

One of the most horrifying movies I have ever seen is Sophie’s Choice, where in order to save one son the Nazis forced her to choose.  If she did not choose they would kill both.  It has been years since I have seen that but just thinking about it still rings my heart with horrific pain.  It would be the ultimate hell.

And so it is that our Father God loves billions.  There is a huge and natural temptation for each church, group, nation, denomination, race, etc.to think they are God’s favorites.  To even think such is an indication they have yet to comprehend Jesus telling us to begin our prayers with “Our Father.”  Just as you are a unique being so is His love for you unique.There is no more or less.  There is no better or worse.  There are no favorites.  There is unique.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 28, 2008

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Some of you may have seen the television commercial that features a woman running from a store yelling, “Start the car.  Start the car.”   She got such a great bargain inside that store she thought she had just robbed the place.   Sometimes after I read Ephesians 2 I feel like yelling, “Start the car.”  Paul tells us we have received eternal life and it is absolutely free.  Really there cannot be such a deal.  It is too good to be true.  Ah, but it is true.  This is what Paul says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: . .” The whole thing gets even better when we take note of the verses prior to this. “He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

It is why He does this that is so astounding.  He wants to spend eternity showering us with riches.  By riches we are not talking about jewels and precious metals.  Things like that are only valuable if they are rare.  They will not be rare there.  Instead we are talking about growth.  We are talking about intellectual powers and assimilation into the likeness of God Himself.

While it is true we cannot steal it, I still think somewhere ages and ages hence if you hear someone shouting, “Start the car” it will be me.  You can just smile and say, “Roger’s at it again.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 26, 2008

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

I got a new pair of glasses.  They are old-people glasses.  Old-people glasses used to be bi or trifocals with the lines but now we get progressive lenses.  No lines.  The only people who now get glasses with lines are the trendy people.  My old-people glasses are ones with some anti-glare treatment.  When cars come at me after dark their headlights don’t flare all over the place.

Little by little I am making the transition to being old.  I now take Centrum Silver so I can ride my bicycle with the wind blowing through my hair (oops – no hair left) as I laugh at whoever knows that.  I love getting my senior citizen discount. I ask for it everywhere I go.  I wonder if God will give me a discount on tithe and I only need return nine percent.  I need to start putting my stuff up on ebay.com. Now that our little college, Atlantic Union College, will not be  opening this fall, I can spend snowbound winter days selling things on line.  However, I’m not sure who would want an old clock with an inscription        “A+ Professor.” I got it from a student.  (Sorry about that.  Had to brag.)

Life is such an adventure. The trouble with selling stuff is each item has a story.  It’s like selling one’s life to strangers. Three score and ten isn’t very long.  But I have a feeling that if we had thirty score and ten it would still not be enough.  What a thrill it is to read John 3:16.  If we believe we will never perish but have everlasting life. What a thrill it is to know Jesus and know this is just a prelude.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 25, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

They were both wearing wedding rings so I am going to believe they were married to each other.   What cast just a hint of suspicion was the way they acted.  They were sitting at a restaurant table talking to each other and laughing.  That’s not normal.  Normal married people at a restaurant don’t talk to each other.  Usually each is too busy texting someone else.  There was something else abnormal about this couple.  She was all dolled up with makeup and jewelry with freshly quaffed dyed hair.  Oh, there was one more thing.  I think they were both ninety. You could tell by the way he looked at her that he thought she was beautiful.  And you could tell by the expression on her face that she knew he thought she was beautiful.  You just have to love a woman who never gives up; no matter how old.  Maybe she keeps trying because she knows he loves her efforts.

The Song of Solomon is quite a book.  It has entertained a lot of boys sitting through dull sermons.  Some people have tried to justify its presence in Scripture as a metaphor of Christ and His bride, His church.  I really don’t think so but I could be very wrong.  I am wrong about much.  However, it is true that God does think we are beautiful.  Love is blind; even for God.  Most likely it is because He knows what we will be.  We are bundles of potentiality.  In Revelation we are portrayed as the bride for Christ and have you ever seen a bride that isn’t beautiful? It isn’t about the shape of a nose or cheekbones.  It is the glow of happiness.  That’s what I saw in the elderly lady in the restaurant.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 22, 2014

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org