January 7th Phil Wrote

Hi all. The winter is flying by. It seems like just 8 weeks since I wrote the last time. I can hardly believe it is time for me to write again. Ruth; you mentioned one of your memories from Christmas. One of my favorite Christmas memories was the time we had the youth group from church to our house for refreshments after Christmas caroling on Christmas Eve. After they left, at about 1:00 IN THE MORNING, we got daddy out of bed and opened our gifts. I can't imagine how we talked you into it, mom, but that was really neat to me.

Next spring our church is having a special event called "40 Days of Purpose: What on Earth Am I Here For." I am involved in the planning for the event and it has really got me thinking about the question, "What is the purpose in my life?" In the process of thinking about that question I wrote a little story that I would like to share with you all. Let me know what you think. It's a bit long, so if you get bored, I apologize.

Imagine for a moment that everything you do from the day you are born until the day you die is really digging a hole. When a baby takes its first breath, it is putting its hand to a shovel and sinking that shovel, as best it can, into the black earth of life. As that child grows and plays and learns, every act is another shovel full of earth taken from the bottom of the hole he is digging. When that child enters school, he does his homework, he plays with his friends, and he practices his multiplication tables. But every act is the shovel sunk deep into the soil, lifted out and thrown aside. Now imagine that that child comes to a point in his life when he says, "Why am I digging this hole? What is the point of this mess I am making? This is hard work and I don't have any idea what I'm trying to accomplish." So he goes to his father and says, "Dad, why am I digging this hole?"

His father stops his work. He leaned on his own shovel as he looks at his son. He thinks hard for a moment then says, "Son, I think its time for you know. We dig holes son, because that is what we do. We are hole diggers. Have you noticed the hole I have dug? All of our neighbors are digging holes too. Some are digging long narrow holes; others are digging skinny deep holes. Some work hard at their holes, while others just go at it in a kind of nonchalant way. But all of us are digging holes; just digging holes, cause that's what we do; we're hole diggers."

"But son," the father continued in a very serious tone, "your need to know that there is a right way and a wrong way to dig your hole. You need to make sure you dig your hole in the right way and in the right place. You need to make sure it is the right shape; that it is deep enough and wide enough; that the walls are straight enough, and that the dirt is piled at the right place. There is a lot you need to know, but there is a manual. Here, let me show you." He takes a big book from its place on a shelf and holds it out to his son. "In this manual, you will find all the information you will ever need to make your hole the best it can be. This manual was written a long time ago about the best hole-digger that ever lived. He dug the best hole ever dug and his means and methods have all been preserved for us in this great manual. This manual tells us that if we dig our holes right, our holes will become a part of a great plan, a plan that is bigger then we can understand and there will be a great reward. But if you dig your hole in the wrong way, if you ignore the information in the manual, your hole will be nothing but your grave. One day while you are digging, the walls will cave in and you will be crushed in the bottom of your hole. Someone else will come along and fill your hole with the dirt from his own hole and all of your work will be forgotten. Read the manual son, you will see."

The boy takes the manual. He flips a few pages and reads a few lines. He looks at his father's hole, and he surveys the work of his neighbors. Then he turns back to his own hole. His hole is nothing special. It isn't very big yet and it isn't very deep. It doesn't look like it will be of any use to anyone . but he believed what his father said. He believes that his hole could be part of something great and that is what he wants. He determines that he is going to dig a great hole. He is going to do it right. And so, with renewed enthusiasm and with one eye on the other holes around him, he returns to his digging.

Now imagine that some time goes by. Maybe a few days, maybe a few years, it doesn't matter, but as the boy grows and continues to dig, he can't stop wondering if the hole he is digging is being dug in the right way. Is it in the right place? Is it the right shape? Is it deep enough? Is he working hard enough at it? Will his hole be part of the big plan, or will it just be his grave? He refers to the manual from time to time, but so often it just doesn't seem to apply. All of the examples in the manual seem to be out dated or totally impractical. He tries to dig his hole right, but sometimes his foot slips and his shovel goes crooked, or he is distracted by someone else and he sinks his shovel at the wrong place. He tries hard, but it all seems so hopeless. His hole will never be worth anything. Why bother? Why not just dig where it is easy? Whenever he tries to follow the instructions, he hits rocks and the digging is hard. But he knows where there is soft dirt to dig. What's the difference? So what if his hole becomes his grave. That business about the great plan is probably just a story anyway.

So the boy begins to dig in the easy places. He looks for soft soil with no regard to the kind of hole he is making. He joins his hole with the holes of a few friends, and together they make a game out of their digging. Just for fun they throw their dirt into other diggers holes and laugh when they are scolded. They make fun of anyone that believes that old story about a big plan. They accept the fact that their hole will one day be their grave, and they don't seem to care. All they want to do is get through their lives as easily as possible and have as much fun as they can along the way.

But sometimes, late at night, when the boy is alone in his hole, he can' t help but think about what his father told him. Could it be that there really is a big plan? Could the stories in the manual about the master digger be true? Could there be more to life then just digging your own grave?

If you would like to spend 40 days wrestling with that question, feel free to join us at Swamp from Feb. 21 to April 4, 2004 for our 40 Days of Purpose.

Love you all

Phil