Kilroy Was Here

      For the WWII generation, this will bring back memories. For you younger folks, it is a bit of trivia that is a part of our American history. This is a story about a guy named Kilroy. You may be familiar with his picture; a fellow with only his fingers, elongated nose, pointed head and eyes peeking over the top of an imaginary wall with the caption “Kilroy Was Here”. So, who was Kilroy and where did he come from? In 1946, through its radio program, “Speak to America”, the American Transit Assoc. sponsored a nationwide contest to find the real Kilroy. Out of forty responding men, only James Kilroy of Halifax, Massachusetts had evidence of his identity. Kilroy was a 46-year-old shipyard worker. Rivets were the mode of ship assembly, not welding, and the riveters were paid by how many rivets they installed in a work-shift period. Kilroy counted and marked each rivet with a semi-waxed lumber chalk so wages could be calculated. The problem was, the riveters removed some of the marks getting groups of rivets counted twice and being paid twice. Once this was discovered and verified, Kilroy started using a waxy chalk to mark his counted rivets, which the riveters couldn’t remove completely. Kilroy started adding his little man peering over the invisible wall just to remind the riveters they were being watched closely and the count was correct because “Kilroy Was Here”. With the war on, the ships were leaving the shipyards without paint and the rivet counting evidence was plain to see. As a result, Kilroy’s inspection “trademark” was seen by thousands of American servicemen who boarded the troopships he worked on. To the troops aboard those ships, however, he was a mystery; all they knew was that somebody named Kilroy had “been there first”. As a joke, U.S. servicemen began placing the graffiti wherever they went, claiming it was already there when they arrived. Kilroy became the U.S. super-GI who had always “already been” before everyone else. Throughout the European and Pacific theatres of war, Kilroy was reported as having been there and it is reported that the “Kilroy Was Here” graffiti has been found atop Mt. Everest, the Statue of Liberty and even scrawled in the dust of the moon. Really Buzz?


      [Genesis 1: 2-24; John 1: 1-14; Colossians 1: 15-20; 1 Corinthians 15: 20-28] Whoa!! That’s a lot of reading there Tom. Well, it won’t take you long to discover that the one we call Jesus was everywhere way before Kilroy, and Jesus is not a legion. In the beginning, God said, and God said, and God said. At the Word of God, all things were made as testified to by the books of Genesis and John. “The Word became flesh and made his (Jesus) dwelling among us” (John 1:14). God’s signature is on everything we see and he’s there before we arrive, anywhere we go. In Colossians 1:15 we read Jesus was “…the firstborn over all creation.” You can’t get any more first-er than that! Then in 1 Corinthians 1:20 “…Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (v. 17) “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” [James1:16-18] “…He chose to give us birth through the word of truth (Jesus), that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created.” Guess what? You are first in the heart of God! You’re first and probably don’t even realize it. Now that you know, what are you leaving behind to let others know? Are you living a life worthy of being number one? Are you striving to stay number one in God’s heart?

Drop Everything

      Bubba, not what you would classify as “the sharpest knife in the drawer” type of person, walked into the doctor’s office and the receptionist asked him what he had. “Shingles”, said Bubba. She wrote down his name, address, got his medical insurance information and told him to have a seat. Fifteen minutes later a nurse’s aide came into the waiting room and called Bubba to another room. She asked Bubba what he had. “Shingles”, Bubba replied. She interviewed him, writing down his height, weight, a complete medical history, then told Bubba to wait in the examining room. A half an hour later a nurse came in and asked Bubba what he had. With a great big sigh Bubba replied, “Shingles!” The nurse told him she was there to help and gave Bubba a blood pressure test, an electrocardiogram and drew some blood for testing. Then she told him to take off all his clothes, gave him a backward shirt to put on and to take a seat and wait for the doctor. About an hour later the doctor came in and asked Bubba what he had. Disgusted and tired Bubba calmly said, “Shingles.” The doctor asked, “Where?” Bubba said, “Outside in the truck. Where do you want ‘em unloaded?”


      I guess you can tell I’ve been dealing with doctors again. My wife was admitted to the hospital for a couple of days last week, through the emergency room. Even though her doctor had called ahead to the ER with information concerning her case we felt more like aliens from another world when we arrived. Every person along the line wanted to know, “Why are you here?” The problem here is I don’t talk doctor, a totally foreign language to me, hence the reason for the phone call from the doctor to begin with. No one seems to have the information. Only the phantom ghost doctor of the hospital knows what’s going on. We all did our best to get treatment started for my wife and eventually the doctor with the information showed up and everybody got on the same page of why we were there and what had to be done. All in a day of life.

      [Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43] As Jesus and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, a blind man named Bartimaeus, sitting by the roadside begging, asked what was going on. He was informed Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Bartimaeus was a pretty sharp fellow and knew of Jesus’ healing powers so cried out to him, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Of course the parade leaders, most likely prominent local townsfolk, told Bartimaeus to shut his trap, but Bart shouted all the more for Jesus’ help. Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” Someone went to get Bartimaeus, ‘“Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.’” I suppose if I hung around doctors long enough I would begin to understand their language, but I know when I need a doctor I have to drop everything and go, just as Bartimaeus did. The language of religion is difficult and can be understood when studied. There comes a time in every life when begging and excuses gets old and crying out for help seems right. By faith we seek God’s favors and drop everything to pray. “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…”(Hebrews 12:1-13). God heals the faithful.

Motherhood

      Motherhood. If a job description was to be found in the Library of Congress it would probably read something like this: Position: Mother, Mom, Mama. Job Description: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive campsites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses NOT reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required. Responsibilities: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until $5 bucks is needed. Must be willing to bite tongue, repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat, in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysterious sluggish toilets, stuck zippers and crashing computers. Must screen all phone calls, maintain appointment calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have abilities to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute and an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half a million cheap plastic toys and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final and complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facilities. Possibilities for Advancement and Promotion: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retaining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you. Previous Experience: None required, unfortunately. On-the-job-training (OJT) offered on a continually exhausting basis. Wages and Compensation: Get this! You pay them; offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18, because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you will actually enjoy it and wish you could give more. Benefits: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life, if you play your cards right.


      [Luke 2:51 & John 19:25] Although we know very little of Jesus’ childhood, we do know something about his mother. She “treasured” her memories of Jesus. We barely see Mary in his adult life, but we see her at the cross weeping for her dying son. When all others had deserted Jesus, Mary was there to love and comfort her son. “The love of a mother is never exhausted. It never changes; it never tires; it endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the worlds condemnation, a mother’s love still lives on” - Washington Irving. A fitting attribute of our faithful God, attached to the heart of woman, who nurtures the precious embodied spirit of mankind with the love of God.

We Can Learn God

      I guess it’s no secret I literally flunked English in High School but graduated anyway. Wouldn’t happen today, I don’t guess. There’s simply far too much structure and too many rules for me. I just like to have fun with words and express myself in simplicity. I think some of our mental instability stems from years of learning and understanding our Americanized language. Think about this: There is no egg in eggplant; nor ham in hamburger; neither pine nor apple is in a pineapple. English muffins weren’t invented in England nor were French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet at all, are meat. In English we find that quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is not from Guinea nor is it a pig. Why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groc and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth why isn’t the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, two geese. Why not one moose, two meese? Doesn’t it seem odd you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends, and you get rid of all of them except one, what would you call it? We know vegetarians only eat vegetables, so what do humanitarians eat? Do you realize that people recite at a play and play at a recital? Why do we ship by truck and send cargo by ship? We even have noses that run and feet that smell! How can a slim chance and a fat chance mean the same thing while a wise man and a wise guy are opposite? One has to marvel at the lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down. And then there’s the classic; when an alarm is activated and turns on to alert us and we say, “I heard the alarm going off.” English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflexes the creativity of the human race, which, of course, isn’t a race at all. That’s why, when the stars are out, they are visible and when the lights are out, they are invisible. Here’s one in parting. Why doesn’t Buick rhyme with quick? I dunno.


      Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School. “Well, mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then, he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge, throwing Pharaoh’s army into the water and all the Israelites were saved.” His mother asked, “Joey? Is that really what your teacher taught you?” “Well, no,” he replied. “But if I told it the way the teacher did, you’d never believe me!”

      [Matthew 13:1-23 & Acts 28:17-31] Jesus, in his parable of The Sower, and Paul, as he defended himself before the Jewish leaders and preached to them Jesus in Rome, quoted Isaiah 6: 9-10, concerning the learning and understanding of God’s Word. We spend much time keeping up with the trendy things of the day and growing in the ways of the world, but we don’t seem to find the time to enrich our relationship with God. We have a way of looking at God in troubled times as though he were a lifeboat to sit in until someone else comes to rescue us, all the while watching our worldly Titanic sink before our eyes. Personally, the closer I get to God, the more I understand his will for my life, the less life disappoints me and the more He supports me. I don’t want to be just a “stump in the land” (Isaiah 6:11-13), I want to grow in, and be loved by my God.