Have you ever seen a dog chase his own tail? Have you ever seen one actually catch his own tail? I’ve seen a successful tail chasing dog a couple of times. I always wonder “why”?!

Now, please shift gears with me and consider an experience Pat and I had nearly twenty years ago. Old? Yeah, but timeless in a neat way.

Reminiscing is a great past time, especially over a good omelet. Pat and I got to go out for breakfast at a favorite place. She still has no kitchen in which to fix meals, so we get by on stuff we can eat from the microwave or cold.

We got to talking about a motorcycle trip we made in the 80’s to Calgary Alberta, Canada. Since a young lad, I’d always wanted to go see one of the world’s largest rodeos, and the Calgary Stampede certainly more than met my dreams.

We camped at a KOA. We took one day to go see Banff and Lake Louise. Incredibly beautiful sights. One day we decided that because neither of us had ever been to British Columbia, we’d go across the provincial line far enough so we could add B.C. to our list of visited places.

Right across the line was Field, B.C. There were the ruins of a round house. If you’ve never seen a round house, it’s something else. Usually there is a roof over the building, but this one was just tracks – lots and lots of train tracks. The tracks were laid out like spokes in an old wagon wheel. A whole train would pull in on one track, wait for the turntable to do it’s thing and go out an entirely different direction. No town there, just ruins.

Across the two-laner from the round house, there was a current observation platform. On the platform was a sign that explained what one could see (IF one were lucky beyond words). Below was a winding train tunnel that allowed westbound trains to climb and climb, always circling, always huffing and puffing. The sign concluded by stating that with a really long train, when the engineer got to the top of the tunnel and emerged, he could look below him and see his own caboose. Can you imagine that?

Well, we didn’t get to see a train that day. When Pat and I began talking about the whole trip and especially that platform for watching trains, I began to think of the possible lessons that might be found in this story.

I wondered about our “train of life”. We may be a mighty engine, thinking ourselves over high mountains and through low valleys. Still, there are many circumstances of life attached to our train. Finally, we have a caboose. Isn’t it neat that once in awhile God gives us a view that allows us to see our own caboose and know that we’re in the mighty engine? We can appreciate that God is our chief engineer.

Please let me know what God might say to you through this piece. Your response is very important. Your prayer requests are welcomed, too. Just use the “Leave a Reply” box below and I’ll get back to you!

SOME SELECTED RESPONSES TO “Eric RAY, THE OATMEAL KID”

– Brother, you pick me up when I need it. I really appreciate the ministry God has granted you, and I LOVE the expression on Eric RAY’s face in the picture.

– Oh, thanks. That was wonderful. What a little cutie he is. It reminded me of something my sister did years ago. Her husband was based in Greece. She missed her Cocoa Puffs and could not get them. She wrote the company and they sent her a free package of the cereal. LOL! Then she bought it after that.

– Yet, another good one. Thanks for the insightfulness. Folks will never know what kind of blessing might be around the corner if one never asks. God asks us to respond in prayer with needs and they will be delivered according to His timing. What an incredible relationship! All this for only believing in Him. Cool beans!

– What a cutie. I never met a kid who liked oatmeal before. Ha! Ha! Mine never did. What a great story though. It gives you food for thought. I’m still praying for you and Pat. God bless her, Jerry. She must be having a really hard time. (ed note: She is really doing very well and hanging on to Romans 8:28 She attributes her well being to the prayers of so many friends, family, and readers of Inside Out.)

– That moldy situation just riles up in my spirit. Unless you want me to pray otherwise, I pray that the insurance company do as you suggested: and buy the house from you and tear it down or something else. Is there some point at which they have to do that anyway? Do you and your wife want to live in the house (without the mold?) If so, I’ll pray that the mold be expelled. Then if you want to sell the house you can. Tell me what you and your wife want, brother, other than an end to this.

– What a darling little boy. I surely hope that he gets the oatmeal soon and that they can find it out in Colorado soon.

– If it’s oatmeal he loves, a good grandpa gets him oatmeal. Loved the story! Sorry to hear that the house will take even longer! I guess you could consider it your Abraham/Sarah experience. Abraham went off not knowing where he was going. And you sure don’t know exactly where this is going. I keep praying.

– So good to hear from you, and am very sorry to hear about your house and Pat’s health. Both of you and your Mother will be in my prayers. Your article was about one of my favorite subjects – GRANDKIDS. I have two grandkids with my husband’s daughter and one by our daughter. Being a grandparent is an awesome experience – and it’s hard to explain to someone who is not. At this point in my life, I have the time to spend with them – being able to stop along the way and have fun. I love it when their faces light up when they see me, and the amount of love I have for them is unbelievable. I can spoil them and send them home, as the saying goes. We are having a yard sale this weekend in our community and I won’t be looking for things for myself – I feel like a kid in a candy store, when I find something that they will like. Hope you and your family keep well, and you’ll be in my prayers.

– I think of this verse often as I do things for my grands. I think Eric Ray has a loving grandad!

– Good piece! I can relate to those grandkids. I’m sure we would have done the same as you did. What a blessing they are! I have tried to imagine the truth of the verse you quoted many times. I am convinced that God truly wants to do just what He says, but so many believers somehow miss that Pipeline. They grow bitter with tough situations, resentful if things don’t go their way, and so on. You know what I mean. In those ways they put a big plug in the Pipeline. Gee, more work on the house!!!!! It sounds as if you’re going to have a lot of brand new things in it when it’s all done. That will be nice. The hard part is waiting and waiting to live in it again. I hope that it will get done sooner than expected for you. Poor Pat, I’m so sorry that she got so sick in the house. May God help her.

– I love the photo you sent of your grandson…he is so cute. (grin) I enjoyed your article also about the oatmeal and the comparison to how God delights to give gifts to us…His children. He has given us so many things.

– Oh, my, what a precious pic of your grandson… I’m sending ya a pic of my two grandsons, of whom I am very proud. The oldest and I are extremely close, because I got to keep him a lot when he was growing up…

The parallel that you gave on this story is a great one Our Father in Heaven does give us marvelous gifts that we can’t even begin to number. The very world around us in all it’s beauty that He created is the best example of those gifts…

Thank you for picking every day ideas to write about.