A Day with Ike the Butcher
by Tyler Zach
I can still see the cow’s cut-off head lying there in the trash can. A pool of blood formed at the bottom of the can while flies started to hover around inside.
I was riding my bike around the small town of Humphrey (about 700 people) when I one day found where “Ike the Butcher” did his business. I would go up to the entrance and watch him take a chain saw and slice a cow in half - as the dead carcass hung from the ceiling. It was truly an amazing sight for a little boy. Ike would proudly pull out the cow’s heart from a pile of “stuff” on the floor and show it to me. My eyes were as wide as they could get!
Does this story have any relevance to something spiritual? Maybe.
Did the ugly description of a dead cow capture your attention? Did it get you to scroll down and read more? I personally love stories or ideas that will capture my attention.
God has used a lot of huge circumstances as well as important attention-capturing people to make a difference in my life. But honestly, He has spoken a lot more to me through the non-dramatic circumstances.
Should I keep dating this girl? What kind of job should I get? What is Your Will for me God? Do I have a purpose in life? Why aren’t You answering me?
These are all questions that we shout out to God from time to time expecting Him to answer us with an audible, earth-rumbling, attention-grabbing answer. The truth is that God does speak to us very clearly – but it is through His Word (the bible). Let me try to put some more skin on this concept.
In the fraternity, when I was President, I had to make some tough decisions. When I would ponder about a tough decision, Carter Ashton Jenkins (one of the founding fathers) would not come to me in a dream and say, “Dearest brother, you shall suspend this activity or this member because of....” It doesn’t work that way. I would think about the ideals of the fraternity (which is exhorted in great power) in the ritual guide that we have and make a decision based on that. That is how our founding fathers wanted their ideas and legacy to be passed down – through a powerful book of powerful words that came from their heart.
So it is with God. The bible is packed with stories, biographies, poems, doctrine, prophesies, and much more – which God fully inspired to make much of Himself and make a radical difference in your life. If we aren’t a people who are reading the bible, belong to a community of friends who read the bible, and belong to a church which exhorts truth from the bible, then you will never know which way to turn.
God may get your attention in big circumstances – but His voice remains steady through the Word. It has been through reading the bible in the early mornings that I have gotten the best grasp on life and my purpose here. Man is subject to fallibility, but the truth of the bible will never fail.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” – 2 Timothy 3:16
(Paul speaking to a church) “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” – 1 Thessalonians 2:13
I can still see the cow’s cut-off head lying there in the trash can. A pool of blood formed at the bottom of the can while flies started to hover around inside.
I was riding my bike around the small town of Humphrey (about 700 people) when I one day found where “Ike the Butcher” did his business. I would go up to the entrance and watch him take a chain saw and slice a cow in half - as the dead carcass hung from the ceiling. It was truly an amazing sight for a little boy. Ike would proudly pull out the cow’s heart from a pile of “stuff” on the floor and show it to me. My eyes were as wide as they could get!
Does this story have any relevance to something spiritual? Maybe.
Did the ugly description of a dead cow capture your attention? Did it get you to scroll down and read more? I personally love stories or ideas that will capture my attention.
God has used a lot of huge circumstances as well as important attention-capturing people to make a difference in my life. But honestly, He has spoken a lot more to me through the non-dramatic circumstances.
Should I keep dating this girl? What kind of job should I get? What is Your Will for me God? Do I have a purpose in life? Why aren’t You answering me?
These are all questions that we shout out to God from time to time expecting Him to answer us with an audible, earth-rumbling, attention-grabbing answer. The truth is that God does speak to us very clearly – but it is through His Word (the bible). Let me try to put some more skin on this concept.
In the fraternity, when I was President, I had to make some tough decisions. When I would ponder about a tough decision, Carter Ashton Jenkins (one of the founding fathers) would not come to me in a dream and say, “Dearest brother, you shall suspend this activity or this member because of....” It doesn’t work that way. I would think about the ideals of the fraternity (which is exhorted in great power) in the ritual guide that we have and make a decision based on that. That is how our founding fathers wanted their ideas and legacy to be passed down – through a powerful book of powerful words that came from their heart.
So it is with God. The bible is packed with stories, biographies, poems, doctrine, prophesies, and much more – which God fully inspired to make much of Himself and make a radical difference in your life. If we aren’t a people who are reading the bible, belong to a community of friends who read the bible, and belong to a church which exhorts truth from the bible, then you will never know which way to turn.
God may get your attention in big circumstances – but His voice remains steady through the Word. It has been through reading the bible in the early mornings that I have gotten the best grasp on life and my purpose here. Man is subject to fallibility, but the truth of the bible will never fail.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” – 2 Timothy 3:16
(Paul speaking to a church) “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” – 1 Thessalonians 2:13
posted by Tyler Zach at 9:29 AM
1 Comments:
How true! Sometimes I get so caught up in asking God to answer me this, why that, I don't understand life...that I forget that He's already written everything that I need to know! Don't get me wrong, prayer, meditation, and reflection with God are still crucial, but I need to realize that sometimes I just need to stop and read...when I hear silence, I think it's probably God telling me to spend time with Him in reading rather than waiting/listening for the answer to life's questions!
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