Harry and Barbara Brocksiek are retired Salvation Army officers from the Central Territory in the USA. They have also served at the Eastern European Training College in Finland.By Harry Brocksiek:
It was December 2007, we were heading down Ute Pass to I 25 north out of Colorado Springs on our way to the Intermountain divisional staff Christmas party. As pastoral care officers for the division we were invited to the dinner theater event. Snow had not started to fall as we left home (8500’) but it began as we ascended the 7100’ hump at Monument. Predictions were for 2 1/2 feet. Barbara and I were looking forward to being with the enjoyable staff and the dinner theater. The program was to be ‘Forever Plaid,’ a delightful 50s musical of 4 high school guys on their way to their “big musical break” when they were “killed by a bus load of virgins” (Catholic high school girls). Miraculously all these years later, due to some time warp, they were being allowed to do this ‘special’ concert before going on to their eternal reward. We had seen this play 9 times at the Stepenwolf in Chicago because we could get in free if we had white shirt, black tie, dark trousers/slacks, black socks/shoes and if we would usher. Barbara and I had gone ourselves but we also invited friends to go with us since all our friends had the proper attire. As we reminisced we remembered the time we took Barry and Sue Swanson with us. During the play the actors always look for someone in the audience to participate in the program – we knew that, although they never chose an usher, they were going to choose Sue. The actors got more than they bargained for. Sue was delightful, stole the show and was the hero even after the performance. Now we were looking forward to another rendition of ‘Forever Plaid.’ The dinner was good. The performance was by a local dentist, teacher, social worker and small business man. We understood why they kept their day jobs.
The next day we were heading to Salt Lake City (535 miles) to host the divisional retired officer’s party for that section of the division. It was still snowing as we headed west out of Denver and further up in the mountains, after all Denver is only a mile high. The snow was reaching its 29 inches as we crawled up the mountains toward the Eisenhower tunnel (11,000’). Semis fully chained were chunking up the mountain. We had chains but did not put them on but at times wished we did as the crawl of traffic halted and the tires wanted to spin as we inched forward. Entering the tunnel we wondered how long it would take us to get to Salt Lake. Coming out of the 2 mile tunnel the sun was shining making sunglasses necessary, down the other side of the mountain the snow was cleared and by the time we got to Vail we were at 75 mph and enjoying the freshness of 29 inches of pristine snow flocking the trees and recreating the mountains.
The party with the ROs in SLC was a pleasure, the food better than two nights ago at the theatre. We then headed north along the mountains to the very old town of Butte, MT (416 miles) where we met with the Advisory Board in the basement of the corps building which was still an imposing two story, history filled building, built like a rock, with seemingly a thousand stairs and the chapel left as when General Booth visited it (though he did not do so). Its mauve carpet and bolted down chairs cowered under the pictures of both William and Catherine staring down from the front was inspiring.
The weather was still great as we headed east in Montana to Bozeman and on to Billings before heading south past Custer’s last stand to Sheridan, along the Big Horn mountains through Casper to Cheyenne visiting the officers and praying with each endeavoring to encourage them until we came almost full circle to Broomfield, CO (769 miles) where Captains Tom and Laura Felton are the Cos.
When Barbara and I are in the car together she reads to me from some book she has selected for us (probably some special message she wants me to get.) This is a wonderful way for two introverts to communicate. She reads, we comment on what is read, we are enriched and connect with each other in interesting, sometimes challenging and sometimes funny ways - it works very well for us. The book she had selected this time was by Ken Gire. Ken lives in that Colorado hump we call Monument not far from our house. He lives with his back against the Rocky mts and reports finding inspiration out his back door as he hikes further up into the Rockies. This book, The Weathering Grace of God, is very much a product of his hiking in the Rockies. It is a delightful read, particularly as we travel through the mts, of how at some time in the history of earth there were great upheavals about 100 miles west of the Kansas border. These upheavals formed the peaks of the Rocky mts and further west the plateau of the western Rockies then further peaks as you go further west. Gire’s book talks about these upheavals as compared to the upheavals in our lives then proceeds to remind us that, if we let God, He will ‘weather away' to create beauty out of our upheavals. We and others will be able to enjoy the weathered beauty of our lives just as we now enjoy the weathered beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
We were meeting with Captains Tom and Laura sharing our discoveries in the book and other things. Tom is one of those people who, when you go to encourage, you get more than you give. It reminds me of Elisha wanting a double blessing from Elijah and getting it. Tom is dying of a disease that you get from drinking heavily but Tom says, “I got the disease but did not get the fun of drinking.” Tom was at one time a standup comedian. He was a successful business man. Now he is extremely happy to be a SA officer. The skits he does at divisional Bible camp are funny and he has the rare ability to make you laugh uncontrollably while punching you in the gut with the theology of the moment - much like Jesus with some of His parables. As we left Tom and Laura, totally uplifted and encouraged ourselves – Tom allows no pity or sorrow in his presence - I began to think of the weathering grace of God. Tom and all the theology Salvationists believe do not believe God caused Tom’s disease. Disease is not in God’s gifts to His children. Disease comes from a fallen world but God is with us as we face the disease. Tom’s testimony of God’s work in him is like getting a refreshing shower on a beastly hot summer day or like entering a warm cozy house with the fire blazing and a cup of hot chocolate steaming by a comfortable chair.
My thoughts for the last 4 years have been full of the beauty God creates, the tragedies that life brings to us and the opportunities, challenges and sometimes ‘tests,’ as the Rabbi’s call them, of those who serve and served God. In the next few weeks, as my Lenten discipline and as the Spirit gives guidance, I will be sharing with you some thoughts from this old codger (me not Tom) about, NOT Ken Gier’s book The Weathering Grace of God, but “weathering the grace of God.”
Blessings
Harry
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