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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2003)
Page 17 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 6, 2003 My life has gotten quite busy. My sister, Karen, gave me a little push a few months ago to sign up for college classes beginning summer term, so I did. I have spent the last couple of months trying to get things finished in prepara- tion for this busy time. Even last month, I set some goals that would free me up by the first week of school. Well, it didn’t work out. I started the first week of college with two impor- tant projects, as well as some smaller, yet still valuable projects, to com- plete. So much for having it all mapped out. So while I was in church Sunday, I was pray- ing to the Lord. I wanted to bring all the things to Him that would distract me from worshipping Him, not to mention that I really wanted to spend time with Him and forget the rest of the things in my life. As I began praying to Him, I let go of everything, and through the tears I asked Him to please, “Help me take your Hand.” You see, I believe that I am right where I am sup- posed to be. I also believe that even though I am busy, and even stressed, that He makes everything work out in His timing. When we take God’s hand, we give over the control of our lives. We are no longer lead- ing; we have our hand in His; and He’s leading. I need Him to “Help me take His hand” when I need comfort, direction, help with everything that just jumped in my face, dead- lines: the list goes on and on, and so does the need. I need Him to “Help me take His hand” because I want Him to lead. I need Him to get me through my life. He never expected us to have to make this jour- ney, or walk our walk, on our own. He waits for us to put our hand in His. He loves us that much. He is interested in what we do; how we do it; how our day goes. He wants to comfort us; love us; strengthen us; be with us. Let’s look at the Chil- dren of Israel. The Chil- dren of Israel were in Egypt busting their butts as slaves. They were miser- able. They worked too hard. They got nothing in return. They whined to the Lord for deliverance from such an evil and horrible circumstance. But as soon as they were on their way and they no longer had to work hard under the blaz- ing Sun, they began com- plaining. So we’ll say that even though they were on their way to something better, they couldn’t see past the horrible trip through the wilderness they must take. Instead of them crying out to the Lord to “Help them take His hand,” they only complained about the hardships they must en- dure. Didn’t the Lord only have a short time sched- uled for this 40-year trip? And didn’t He feed them, water them, sustain them, make sure that their health, youth and even their clothes not wear out? Where did they go wrong? They didn’t take the trip with their hand in the Lord’s. They started with Him and then lost their focus. So much so that when they finally reached the Promised Land, they had already worn out their welcome. They had lost their confi- dence in God’s promise, so they were as grasshoppers in their own eyes. Only two out of the entire gen- eration that the Lord deliv- ered would actually pos- sess the Promised Land. The point is that just as the Children of Israel had quite a walk to walk, we too must endure a narrow but straight road to live for all eternity with Jesus Christ. We can’t afford to be swept away by our needs, wants, desires or demands. We can’t lose sight of Jesus when our circum- stances aren’t what we think they should be; want them to be; or even need them to be. All you have to do is ask Him to, “Help me take Your hand.” There it is that you will find peace, joy, love, hope and con- tentment -- for sure. (Editor’s Note: Life Lines is a non-profit, Cave Junction-based prison ministry. For more infor- mation write Life Lines, POB 1816 Cave Junction OR 97523; or telephone 592-3643.) Children aren’t happy with nothing to ignore, and that’s what parents were created for. -Ogden Nash - Chain Link Specialist 592-6192 Small-business owners seek reform to health-care system Alive and well when it left the Oregon House of Representatives last month, a health-care re- form measure requested by small-business owners statewide could be laid to rest in a Senate graveyard unless lawmakers work to revive House Bill 2537, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). “There are some inter- est groups that lose out if the state Senate passes HB 2537, no doubt about it,” said J.L. Wilson, state di- rector for the 12,000- member Oregon chapter of NFIB. “But the people who stand to gain are infi- nitely greater, and they are the ones whom legislators see every day of the week in the thousands of small businesses that make up the Main Streets of Ore- gon.” The bill passed the state House of Representa- tives 32-25 on June 9, but its fate remains uncertain in the Senate, as opponents have rallied to slow, and possibly kill, its progress, said NFIB. If passed, House Bill 2537 would allow health insurers to offer a basic, lower-cost, mandate-free health care plan to its small-business customers in Oregon. Although shorn of some costly procedures, it would put basic health care within reach of thousands of Oregon workers cur- rently without it, said NFIB. Six years ago, 70 per- cent of NFIB/Oregon members offered health care for their employees. Today, that percentage is down to 62 and “dropping steadily.” In the same timeframe, the number of Oregonians insured in the small group market has declined from more than 280,000 to less than 240,000. “Sooner or later, law- makers will need to ad- dress the reality that small employers are being priced out of the health insurance market.” (R)