drgregorygordon

Jan. 22, 2022

YOU LIKE SURPRISES?

I love to be around kids. I read not long ago that it takes us adults about 10 weeks to laugh as much as

a child does in one day. I feel that many of us grownups are too grown up for our own good. We need to slow down and perhaps learn to play a little more. When we are children, we look at this wonderful world with awe. As the years go by, we lose this innocence.

I am a big fan of these little people. I love working with children in the office. I will be the first to admit it is not at times easy. We try to book these new guests into special slots or spots. This allows me to slow down and take my time so neither they nor I feel rushed. We do the same for older kids as well as often the elderly revert to childish behavior.

Many times, parents will share stories with me about their kids and it awakens stories in my heart from years gone by with our 3 boys who are grown men now. Our boys have taught many things down through the years.

It was many years ago and I was doing an exam right before Christmas on a curious little 7-year-old girl. As I put up the eye chart that is half red and half green she interrupted. She asked me if she could ask me a question. I live for these moments and of course said, of course. Please notice the last sentence implying a course or learning experience was perhaps at hand. She wanted to know if I always use those same colors are I was I using them because it was Christmas time.

We have a toybox in our waiting room. We live in a small town and most know that we do not have any girls. I still blush when sometimes on my lunch hour I buy a small doll or a unicorn with multicolored hair and a brush. We have a surprise box for young patients. My staff and I often use them to encourage children to allow testing to earn their surprises after an exam.

Years ago, I was having trouble getting to get a little fellow to comply. I asked him if he liked surprises. Usually this engages a puppy like eagerness to run through fire. he fired back a question as he crossed his arms. He asked, ' What kind of a surprise is it?"

I have more stories deep with in my heart. I hope to write a book someday about things that have happened in the office down through the years. I feel many of them will be about the little people that have influenced me in a big way.

I want to share a little secret with you. This is off the record! I think the world is in trouble because we have gotten too big for our own good. We have turned our backs on our creator. Sure, we have our smart phones and we have put a man on the moon. How come with all our knowledge, science, technology and know-how, a small virus is 3 steps ahead and is outsmarting us?

You will learn as you teach and as you do be reminded that God will come through for all of us who believe. Teach the young children old and remind the older ones that the greatest and most wonderful surprise awaits us when we are all through. It's called heaven!

Just Trusting,

Greg

The proper time to influence the character a child is about a hundred years before he is born.

William Ralph Ingle

God gave us memories so that we might have roses in December.

James M. Barrie

I have read the last page of the bible. It is going to turn out all right.

The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of a child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiam.

                        As you come up our drive and after you cross the small creek,you pass between two field stone 

                         pillars that match the stones on our home. There is a light atop both of them . Right now, one is green and the                           the side is white. The green light is to show support for all the people who serve our military as well

                         as those who have done so in the past.

                         At Christmas i hang white lights along the 4 rail horse fence. We change the white one to red and

                         The entryway is good to go. The placement of the red and green has a reason behind it as well. 

                          It may seem to be be random but Iassure you is not the case.

                         On a plane the red light is always on the left side and the green is on the right side. green and right both

                          have 5 letters and this was how I was taught to remember as a boy.  This applies to boats as well.

                         Our oldest son, Josh, is a navel aviator. He and his wonderful wife , Christina, are a week or two from going

                          to Japan. They have lived in several places over the last few years. They lived in Fallon Nevada

                          most recently and we were blessed to have all of our boys and their girls under our roof and together 

                          the holidays. 

                         Since they aproached our farm from the west the right light was green and the left one was on the left 

                         came home. When they were out east in Va it was the reversed. Japan is on the other side of the world

                         so I am not sure what I will do. I have not stepped it off but am told it is about as far east to west as it is 

                         west to east.

                         God is a concerned loving Father who loves you so much! He has made a way for you to come 

                         home through his son Jesus. The porch light of heaven is on . You have a green light my friend.

                         Because of the red blood of Jesus ,your sins are forgiven . Your approach is cleared as well as all your sins.

                          As far as the east is from the west,so far has removed our transgressions from us.

                                                                                                                                                             Psalm 103:12

 ENTRY

                            Yesterday I went out to check on the horses. It has again been vey hot here of late and a daily chore

                             to top off the water troughs will cool clear water.As I make my rounds the horses ususlly get excited when                                    they hear the sound of our old red ATV.  Because this vehicle usally has horse feeds as well as carrots, we c                                  call  it  "Chuck" short for chuck wagon .

                             There is a mare and two young ones in the south pasture. I whistled and they did not come. I banged on the

                              red tubes on the gate with the scooper. It makes a sound that sounds like a hillbilly dinner bell. I had seen                                    them the evening before and knew they were ok. I surmised they had found a place with a breeze and had it                                made in the shade.

                            I set the bright orange bucket filled with feed and carrots in front of the gate. This bucket was a physical                                   reminder for me to "lets  do this later". I had some mowing to do and that filled several hours of the                                               afternoon. I  kept   looking down at the water tank seeing they had not yet drank from it and for the first                                     time  became a  little  concerned.

                           I went down to the gate and did the two tone whistle my dad taught me. I do this in honor of him and have                                  taught my sons to do the same. They all would turn and prick up their earsand know it was me  if I did this                                  even in a crowd.

                           I banged again on the gate and in no time flat heard the three of them flat out running as hard as they could 

                           go. They seemed happy to see me and even more to see Chuck .They were breathing heavy as they devoured                                their snacks.

                          My friend I believe God is calling all of us. As we read Scripture, we learn he calls us all differently .  Many                                    people tell me after I speak that I missed my calling. I would quite my practice and enroll in seminary school                                 tomorrow if I felt in my heart that is what God wanted for me. I answered  my "call to the see" many years                                  ago.  I love  the interaction I have with patients for the most part. I never would have believed God would and                            could could use me to write  these stories for his glory.

                          He has blended  and used the very things I love and hold dear such as horses, hunting , and rivers . I am often                            very  surprised at how stories and lessons come together in such a way that I know it is not me but him                                          working  through me. Here is the exciting part, he wants to do the same with you. You may not be called to                                  write or do  eyes but you are being called . What do you do that gives you joy and satisfaction? There is your                               best clue in  regard to what God is calling you to do.

                          I  pray  that at times this website feeds you. I write for all God's people and not just those who gather under                               the steeple. All I know is when I do this with the hope of pleasing my Savior, it just feels so "write"!

                                                 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things 

                                                 you do not know.                                                                                       Jeremiah 33:3

                                                   When you empty yourself, God rushes in.  

                                                                                                                                  A.W. Tozer

                                                    For the man who prays in his heart ,the whole world is a church.

                                                                                                                                   Sylvain of Athos