May 26

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You know that question people like to ask?  The one that goes something like, "If you could talk to anyone dead or alive who would it be?"  For our purposes, we are going to exclude people in the Bible.

Who would be on your list?

My mind easily flips through a number of people who have had world influence: Elizabeth Elliot, Saint Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther King Jr, William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, John Calvin etc.

However, there is one person who always takes first place above all the rest:  my grandad Startup.

He may not have had the worldly fame of those listed above, but for those who knew him- he certainly changed their world.  To his family: Nana, Mom, Aunt Sandy, & Uncle Rob you might say he was their world.  He impacted their world in the way only a husband and daddy can.  His life, even though it was cut short, changed and impacted the world of those around him.  He was in his 30's when he went to heaven.  But during the years he lived on earth, he left an impact that will never be forgotten.
The photos are of him, my Nana (his beloved), and my mom (his oldest baby girl).

This month is for everyone who knew & loved him.  It's for those who ache for him on earth & those that have already joined him at heaven's gates.

For:
Nana, my mom, Aunt Sandy, Uncle Rob
Grandmama & Grandaddy
Aunt Becky, Uncle Rich, Uncle Dan
& many more

I will refer to him in this post as "grandad."


Much like my own father, Grandad was an outdoorsman.  I grew up hearing stories of him hunting and fishing.  He loved nature, science, and Jesus.  He was also a poet.  He wrote the words of this month's calendar:

"Have you ever heard a rainbow sing or a sunset sigh in peace?
Do you know the humming of morning glories as they wait for night's release? 
Listen then to the rose recite or a tulip shout for joy and hear how sweet the daisies' song that all the field enjoy.
Listen too, for the music of the clouds, the lyrics of the rain.
As melodies all around us ring in harmonious refrain.
Earthsong, so clearly sung, was never meant for all.
For only if your heart's in tune can you hear their call.
Liturgy of the mountain, sonnets of the sea,
Earthsong, play on, play long, we love thy symphony."

- Robert N. Startup
Copyright 1982


I will be honest: I feel a little out of my depth this month with my silly words next to his.  His words are beautiful and (according to the stories) came as easily to him as breathing.  Words were just like that for him - they came and were beautifully strung together with each of his poems.  I would like to think I got my love of writing from him.

The words of Earthsong call for the reader to pause and consider creation.  When was the last time nature took your breath away?  When was the last time it caused you stop and think, "wow, God, You created that!?"  I'd like to invite you to take a deep breath and close your eyes.   
Ask yourself...
Where do you see Him, the Creator?

If you're not sure, maybe step away from the device you're reading on and step outside for a minute.  Take a breath and ask Him to show you.  It may feel hot or cold, be raining or cloudy, sunny or dark- that's okay.  Ask Him anyway.  
I'll wait.

It might be a rainbow or some wild flowers.  Another day maybe you are reminded of Him in a thunderstorm or a chipmunk outside your window.  Maybe its a tree in your yard or something breathtaking like the Grand Canyon.  Whatever it is, creation points us to our Creator.
________________

For me, today, it is in the animals of the earth that I am reminded of God's sovereignty.  About a month ago, my family said goodbye to our dog Winnie.  Since then I have been pondering the sovereignty of God to even use animals to accomplish His purposes.  It's a story for another day, but I could fill a book with all the ways God used Winnie in my life.

I'm reminded of scriptures like these:

Genesis 2:19
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky.  He brought them to the man [Adam] to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

Luke 12:24
Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Psalm 8:9
LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Job 12:7-10
But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.  Which of these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?  In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

Psalm 50:9-11
I [God] have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.  I [God] know every bird in the mountains, and the insects of the field are mine.
________________

There is a man in the bible named Job.  The story of his life is a heavy one.  Job loses everything except his life - children, livestock, his health, etc.  The initial chapters of the book give us a glimpse into heaven while all these disasters fall upon God's servant Job.  While I think it accurate to say he lost everything, his wife and a few friends were still around.  If you read the book, you'll see that they don't help Job or his situation.

While his wife and friends are not helpful, God Himself speaks to Job near the end of the book.  They are quite possibly some of my favorite chapters in all of scripture.  

God reminds Job that He is sovereign over all of creation.  I invite you to read it and ask God to show you whatever it is He wants to reveal to you.  Job 38-41 speak of God's sovereignty over the most powerful and gentle things on earth.  It's definitely worth your time.

If nothing else, read Job 38-39.  Then allow yourself time to marvel at His glory.

You can get your bible or read online: Job 38-39 

________________

"Have you ever heard a rainbow sing or a sunset sigh in peace?
Do you know the humming of morning glories as they wait for night's release? 
Listen then to the rose recite or a tulip shout for joy and hear how sweet the daisies' song that all the field enjoy.
Listen too, for the music of the clouds, the lyrics of the rain.
As melodies all around us ring in harmonious refrain.
Earthsong, so clearly sung, was never meant for all.
For only if your heart's in tune can you hear their call.
Liturgy of the mountain, sonnets of the sea,
Earthsong, play on, play long, we love thy symphony."

- Robert N. Startup
Copyright 1982
________________

I ask you again...where do you see Him?

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