Muscle and Brains

Yesterday we climbed the steps leading up to the highest observation level at Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona.
An old guy who works here said the crater is so large, you could hold 20 Super Bowl Games at the same time on the floor of the crater and have enough room to seat 40 million fans around the sides. Amazing to see this thing.

I told my boys (again) to notice the difference between falling and climbing. Our legs were a bit shakey - and since the altitude is higher than Denver, we were also a bit winded. "Constructive thoughts or words of encouragement will strengthen certain muscles. We have to work to climb - and the view is better. Complaining thoughts or words of discouragement will also strengthen certain muscles - but it is less work and not only are you going down, the view is also a 'downer'."

I'm sure my boys thought - "Oh no, there goes Dad, again!"
Even so I'm not giving up. I heard somewhere that a parent repeats instruction about 1,500 times before it begins to change the behavior of a child. I'm up for it.

The wind was so strong they closed down the 'rim tour' for fear someone might be blown off. While climbing the stairs we had rails on either side. The boys were amazed that they could lean so far into the wind and it was holding them up. One gust was so strong it blew us into the other rail on the path. My 2 year old daughter Therese began to cry and I wrapped her in my coat to calm her.

This, too, got me thinking...

You can see faith as a bunch or rules or clear markings to keep you alive. I'm sure some guy somewhere would boast how he is so strong he does not need any railings. Right. Without railings I can picture this same guy shouting the loudest, moving the fastest, covering the greatest distance, just before making the strongest impression on the bottom of the crater 570 feet below.

Work your muscles and use your brains. We men need to be praying for wisdom or we will be lacking in wisdom. We need to be strengthening the right set of muscles to be the best for our wives and children. This week I was a bit of a whiner - I hope to do better next week. I hope the same for you. (Dads AND Teens - test this out. See how when you work the right set of muscles you can lift up the mood of your family.)