Letters From Grandpa #265

LETTERS FROM GRANDPA # 265

Dearest grandchild,

Today’s letter will encourage you to include God in the decisions you make rather than only relying on your own understanding. The Scriptures warn: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Prov 14:12). Decisions are important! Wise King Solomon also said: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5,6). Please consider asking for help from God when making decisions. He knows everything! We don’t!

On 8:38 p.m. on July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. took off from New Jersey’s Essex Co. Airport in a single engine Piper Saratoga. He was planning to attend the wedding of his cousin at Martha’s Vineyard. His wife and sister in law were with him. At about 9:41 p.m. his plane crashed nose down into the Atlantic scattering debris and killing everyone on board. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that Kennedy fell victim to spatial disorientation while he was descending over water at night. Kennedy did not hold an instrument rating and was only certified to fly under visual flight rules. At the time of the crash, the weather, low visibility, and light conditions were such that all basic landmarks were obscured.

As you may know, I have been a Certificated Flight Instructor for over 40 years. I am still current. One basic rule instructors emphasize is to trust your instruments and not your feelings. You can “feel” like you are flying straight and level when you are upside down in a dive. Legendary stunt pilot, the late Bob Hoover, proved this with a cup of coffee. He poured a cup of coffee and then turned his airplane upside down and did all sorts of radical maneuvers without spilling a drop. He even poured a glass of tea while doing a barrel roll without spilling a drop. (If you are interested you can Google this as it was captured on video). The point is, if a cup of coffee cannot tell whether it is upside down or right side up, neither can we. THAT’S WHY PILOTS ARE TRAINED TO TRUST THEIR INSTRUMENTS AND NOT THEIR FEELINGS.

The original sin in Eden involved feelings over facts. In the end, it really didn’t matter what Adam and Eve “felt”. Feelings can be deceptive! They made a fatal mistake when they forgot what God said and leaned on their own understanding. Don’t make that mistake! The wisest course of action is always to place your primary trust in God and not yourself.

Your physical life began when your father’s sperm united with the ovum (egg) of your mother. That microscopic life form, known as a zygote, was extremely complex. It contained 23 chromosomes and 15,000 genes from each parent. That single cell also contained a digital blueprint to make trillions of other cells. Although the tiniest bacterial cells are incredibly small, (weighing less than 10-12 grams), each is in effect a veritable micro-miniaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery. They are made up of one hundred thousand million atoms and are far more complicated than any machinery ever built by man. This complexity is absolutely without parallel in the non-living world. Incredibly, everything about you was in that original cell. Like a divine blueprint it contained the design for every organ in your body.. Your growth, both in the womb and outside it, could not have taken place, however, without God. God is the One Who orchestrated those 30 trillion cells and knitted them together to make you who you are (Ps. 139:13-16).

I mention this to remind you that God Who made you is vitally interested in everything about you. Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered (Matt. 10:30). No decision you will ever make is too trivial or insignificant for God. Whatever you do in word or deed God wants to be a part of it (Col. 3:17). If you trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding, He has promised to direct your path. Nothing is more rational and reasonable than seeking guidance from God.

I have told you before about Dr. James M. Tour (see letters 248 and 252). As we have said, he is listed as one of the 50 most influential scientists in the world. He has published over 680 research papers and has received over 130 patents. His many honors are too numerous to repeat here, but the point is, this brilliant scientist seeks the guidance of God every day. For more than 30 years he has begun each day by studying the Scriptures. He delights in worshiping God and feels a special bond from communing with Christ in the Lord’s Supper. He writes: “I pray daily for my work and professional activities including research, writing and teaching. Although I have never heard an audible voice from God, I do not preclude that it could and does occur. My experience is that I ask his specific blessing and guidance upon all my work, and I often sense his direction and counsel in these endeavors. But I must admit that clarity in sensing his precise direction for me is a topic of my constant seeking and I am in need of improvement.”

The guidance of God, of course, is not just for famous scientists, it is for every child of God. Regardless of how ignorant we are, and how insignificant we may feel, every one of us is vitally important to God. Not even one sparrow falls to the ground without his knowledge, and you are of more value than many sparrows. So: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths”.

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce