The Welcome Valley Reader

Essays

The Beacon

Those traveling cross-country at night often see a beam of white light arching across the sky. It sweeps across the blackness, then disappears. But it reappears, flashing steadily until sunrise. This light might seem eerie, except most people know what it is. It comes from the beacon at an airport.

Bridges to Burn

Bridges are important in regular wars. Bridges take armies across rivers and canyons. Enemy armies try to stop each other at bridges. An army destroys the bridge before its enemy gets there. The enemy army cannot use the bridge then. They cannot attack. They cannot escape. The river or canyon stops them. Sometimes the river or canyon also stops the army that destroyed the bridge. When this happens we say they “burned their bridge behind them.”  Bridges are important in spiritual war too. We do not destroy bridges people use to cross rivers, but we need to destroy some spiritual bridges. It works like this.

Come in Out of the Cold (by Ervin Witmer)

 Brr! It’s ten degrees below zero this morning in central Wisconsin. My work truck is like a giant ice cube. Having come through the brutal chill of the night, it is uncooperative and unresponsive this morning. It isn’t going anywhere until it begins to feel some heat from it’s “now plugged-in” block heater.

Dropping Out

He had a lot to deal with, and the fact that he knew of people making good money with less education didn’t make the grind any easier. Finally, within weeks of graduation, Jack had had enough. He dropped out.

t t t Dying Faith

 “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” The man who spoke those words had incredible gall. He had just admitted he deserved to be hanging by nails from a wooden rack in public. He had just admitted he was dying because he was evil.

Everything I Didn't Have

What is eternal life worth? Is it worth everything? Think about death. Think about Hell. Such thoughts bring to mind the day a school bully was chasing me. He grabbed my jacket. I slipped out of my jacket and kept running. I was willing to pay about any price if only I could make it safely home.  When making it safely home means making it to Heaven, there is no price I wouldn’t be willing to pay. That price leads to a problem.

Failed Horizons   

“Dave, I want to show you something.” My flight instructor took control of the two-seat Cessna. Moments later the airplane pitched over. The sky disappeared from the windshield as we plunged earthward, spinning wildly. I felt like I was going to die as I braced against gravity. We were in what pilots call a spin. While the fear factor was real, I had asked for this very experience.  

Failing for the Lord

Are you willing to fail for the Lord? Fail for the Lord? Now wait a minute!

Fire Danger!

Anyone who has experienced winter in the northern forest knows how welcome springtime can be. The change to mild weather happens almost reluctantly, and snow flurries can occur after the first thunderstorm, but spring is still spring. The air warms. The snow melts. The soil thaws and begins to warm. The water left by the snow dries up. Trees bud. The grass turns green. The glories of a northern summer begin to assert themselves. Spring is a most welcome time in the north woods.  Spring is also a dangerous time in the north woods.

  Living Water

This photo obviously represents a winter view. Yes, forest growth still slows part of the stream. But look carefully. The creek still runs. A few miles to the southwest, a lake that is at least a mile wide and long lies frozen over, its ice buried in snow. A river big enough for canoes lies a few miles to the north. It is ice enshrouded. A well-known canoe river lies a few more miles to the north. It, too, is covered with ice. Yet, this little stream flows on.

Negligence

I suppose I might as well confess. I haven’t always done a good job of maintaining my cars. One vehicle in particular comes to mind, a small red station wagon that I really liked. Liking a car and liking to work on it are not the same thing, however, and changing oil ranked high on the list of things I didn’t like to do. As a result, that poor car went a lot more than the normal 3,000 miles between oil changes

Stepping Toward God (by Ervin Witmer)

 Most of us haven’t thought about how risky it is to walk since we were toddlers. As we stood unsteadily alone and contemplated our first step, it seemed uncertain at best.  Eventually we risked a tumble and launched into that first step. Those who loved us lavished us with praise and cheered us on with each subsequent step.  Since then, walking has become routine and each step is taken for granted.

The Road Through the Swamp

 My morning walk takes me through a swamp. It isn’t a large swamp, only a wet area along the banks of a small stream. I enjoy the swamp. Rabbits and deer shelter in its bushes. The deep grass stands heavy with dew. Tiny minnows swim in the clear, shallow brook. The standing water reflects the sky. The whole visual picture seems to call out for exploration. Yet, as I ponder the scene, I realize that I don’t want to get serious about exploring the swamp.

Spring or Rock Formation?

You are looking at a picture of Liberty Cap. This rock formation at Yellowstone National Park in the western United States stands over thirty feet tall. It’s one of the many impressive natural features in the park. Just to keep you guessing, though, Liberty Cap isn’t a rock formation. It’s a spring of water. Water? That’s correct, or at least it was.

Swimming with Piranhas

A clear-sided container held several small tropical fish. Swimming in the same tank were piranhas. Piranhas, of course, are also small tropical fish, but they were the bigger of the two species. The difference, other than size and shape, is reputation. Piranhas are known killers.  They aren’t something you’d want to be in the same tank with--especially if you happened to be a smaller fish.

Tracks in the Woods

The summer forest is an easy place to hide. Small creatures duck out of sight in countless trees. Areas of dense underbrush shelter larger animals. As summer turns to fall and fall turns to winter, the situation seems to change. The leaves fall away revealing the heart of the forest. Then, snow comes and buries fallen leaves, old logs, stumps, and other hiding places. Somehow, a walk in the winter woods still fails to reveal much wildlife. Some creatures hibernate. Others congregate in sheltered areas. Some tunnel under the snow. The winter forest might even seem more deserted than the summer forest.

How to Have a Relationship with God

Spiritual life represents the highest level of human existence. That life, however, doesn't come from our own efforts. It must come directly from God. The spirit of the person who enters into a relationship with God receives life--the ability to actually function on a spiritual level and to live forever. The person who doesn't have this relationship is separated from God and unable to live in the spiritual sense, now or after death. Getting life from God is the most important thing any of us can ever do. Since God loves us, He is eager to give us spiritual life and the relationship that causes it as a gift. Based on the Bible, here is how you can receive God's gift of spiritual life.

How to Have a Relationship with God

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