A few minutes a lot of miles from yesterday

Recently, when on a trip to the mountains….a tale began.  The following is a true story about a book, a chase, and a relentless Love Story from above.

 

Not so long ago, there was a little boy named McGrew. McGrew loved to go fishing and do anything outdoors. McGrew went on a camping trip with his daddy and his brothers.

They set up their camp:   a camper, some tents, a grill, a campfire and a whole big pile of food. McGrew had everything he’d hoped for at his camp site. He was very excited about something he brought from home:  the yellow and black book called “A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday”. So, when he arrived at the camp site he couldn’t wait to get to fishin’ and he couldn’t wait to start reading his book.

McGrew went to sleep that night and early the next morning he was out and about. Today was time…to go and catch his trout! The sun was not up yet and it was hard to see, but for McGrew…a fisherman he was born to be! Up, out, and to the river! 

Ahhh haaah!  This is the spot I will catch my fish; said McGrew.

Ahhh haaah!! THIS is the spot where I will catch my fish, said McGrew’s daddy.

Uhh Oh! said McGrew’s brothers. They knew that McGrew was going to catch a lot of trout……so did McGrew!

When it was dark outside, after a long day fishin’, McGrew wondered if he’d completed his mission. He thought to himself, “Did I catch more trout than my brothers and dad?” Or, had he been had?? There was still fishin’ to be done but never mind that because these guys were hungry and it was time for dinner.

One more day and lots of time to play. Time to think, time to read….READ!!  “That’s it!” thought McGrew. The book.  The yellow and black book. 

The book that McGrew brought to camp…..the book that was yellow and black – “A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday”. It would be time to read this yellow and black book and McGrew felt he was just at the right place.  “My chair, my camp site, my book…this is going to be a great race!”

The yellow and black book called “A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday” was going to be good. It was going to be a book that McGrew would never forget. And then, when McGrew left the camp site to go on his next fishing outing in the mountains, something was missing. Something was not right. Something was not next to McGrew! The yellow and black book called, “A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday” was gone. He looked high and low. He looked left and right. He asked other fisherman around the fire at camp. The yellow and black book had disappeared.

McGrew went to town earlier that day with his yellow and black book called, “A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday” and when he came back to camp he did not know the yellow and black book was missing. After he found out his book was gone, and after he looked high and low, and after he looked left and right, McGrew went back to town. He raced to town and all the way there his face had a frown. He was going to miss his new book. He was not sure which way to look. It was just gone and the fault must have been his own.

Off to town McGrew went and came back to the camp site. The yellow and black book called, “A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday” was nowhere to be found but McGrew had a big appetite!! Two hamburgers and one pork chop later, there was still on the table sitting one read tomater! Gulp!!  Down the hatch….time for the chefs at camp to close the cooking latch! McGrew was full of food and now very tired. Still, no sign of the yellow and black book called, “A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday”.  It was the last night of the camping trip. McGrew was ready for bed.

Fishing had been almost great but without his book it was just hard to appreciate!

The next morning came and it was time to take down their camp site. McGrew looked high and low. He looked left and he looked right – still, for the book called, “A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday”, there was no sight. Suddenly, McGrew had an idea! He wondered, “What if someone found my book?” and said to himself, “I will ask Ms. Leila!”

Ms. Leila worked at the local mountain store. Ms. Leila and her husband, Ham. Ms. Leila's mom was there, too. “Fisherman from all over knew about Ms. Leila's store”, thought McGrew, “maybe the yellow and black book called, “A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday” is sitting right there!”

As the crew headed home from their big big fishing trip in the mountains, McGrew went to the mountain store where he saw Ms. Leila.  Ms. Leila smiled and said, “Hi!”  McGrew looked high and he looked low, he looked left and he looked right and what did he see??

A yellow and black book called,“A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday”!!

As the store workers smiled, McGrew smiled back and said, “Thanks, I missed my book.”

McGrew went home wondering why the book had gone, why he had not found it and why would a yellow and black book called, “A Few Minutes a lot of Miles from Yesterday” have a need to find its way back to him.

Hmmmmm, said McGrew; “Maybe, I am worth more than these trout I caught!”

“Yes, son, you certainly are…” said McGrew’s daddy. “Maybe God wants you to know His love for you and the ways he is looking after you??”

“Hmmmm, I think you’re right, daddy.” said, McGrew.

 

There is a yellow and black book called, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years:  What I Learned While Editing My Life” by Donald Miller. This is the book I am currently reading. I brought this book to my annual fishing trip with my family. I fished. I ate a lot of food. I lost my book. I searched VERY hard to find my book. While driving by the mountain store, I felt a slight voice and nudge in my mind to inquire in the store. On our way out of the mountains, I pulled in to the store and walked in to be greeted by Leila. She and her mother smiled at me and as I scanned my eyes across the counter I saw the yellow and black book. It was only slightly beat up. It had rolled and rocked on the pavement and gravel while some unnamed fisherman found it and brought it to the store in case its owner needed it. I knew in that moment that for whatever reason….after all I had been through and driving to town (40 minutes one way) and back – this book needed to be read by me. I needed to read the book.

I also knew something else about this book. It would always serve as a reminder of God’s love for me. God’s pursuit of me. God’s furious longing for me. I was sick over the weekend of our fishing trip. I did not feel 100% and yet somehow God used a missing book to remind me of my heart, of my life, of the pace I live and breath each day. Something like this yellow and black book?  God’s spirit. In the Psalms we are told in a prayer (to God) that, “Where can I flee from your Spirit?” –Psalm 139.  I could not flee this book.  Even the idea of losing it wouldn’t shake from my mind. Have you ever had an idea or thought or something in your life you could not shake? Not even weather, sickness or losses could shake it?  That is the story of this yellow and black book.  That is the story of the love of Jesus Christ, the power of a Great Affection made alive in my heart through the most amazing, powerful, all-I-could-ever-want love story and pursuit of me (and you) made clear in the love of Christ.

³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

-Romans 8:38-39 NIV

So far, still sick.  Still reading.  Stay tuned for how the book turned out. I hear it’s a good one!

Blessings,

-ao

 

ps – every night when I put my oldest son, Wyatt, to bed – we “tell stories”.  My stories are always about “Bahgrew” (McGrew). McGrew was my family nickname when I was growing up.  He was a cartoon comic strip character. Short and chubby – McGrew.  Hmmm, the name fits.  There are many more tales to tell about McGrew.  Stay tuned. I’m considering putting them all together for our boys – in one place. They may not work for many kids or many toddlers or anyone at all – but they are amazing with Wyatt. He loves them. I am thankful for my story.  I am thankful for my dad.  I am thankful for my wife and our two boys. I am thankful for Jesus.