February 17


Beautiful Hands


The LORD our God is right in everything He does.

Daniel 9:14 (NLT)


We were just back from Cannon Beach—what a wonderful vacation that was! I took out the disk of family photos a photographer had done for us. There were almost 30 shots of the five of us: Kris and me and our three boys—Drew, Ryan and Alex.

To begin with, I have to confess. I had high expectations. I love great photography and I especially enjoy good photos of people I know and love. And, yeah, I guess I was hoping for a good shot to use with the family Christmas letter this year.

My expectations came unraveled early.

My idea was to go with the coordinated look. We could all wear our “Krueger Reunion – July 2007” T-shirts. The powder blue and white lettering would look perfect at the beach, but instead, photographer and family convinced us to “go casual” … and that was okay, but as I looked at one photo after another, there was something wrong in each—a squint here, a silly grin there, wind tossed hair in the next and so on. If I was expecting perfection, I certainly wasn’t getting it!

Then I began noticing my son Ryan in one series of shots. Ryan has had over 20 surgeries, many on his hands, and his physical imperfections seemed to stand out in these particular shots. Especially the hands—and there they were. Four very different, misshapen, thickly curled fingers on each hand resting, front and center, on the shoulders of his mother and brother. In an unthinking moment, I caught myself, “Oh, Ryan….” I wanted to hide the truth—Ryan was different. He was not perfect.

Then the truth hit and my heart was chastened: Ryan was not perfect—true—but then neither was I. And then, more truth: Ryan’s twisted fingers were not ugly—they were a badge of honor, reflecting what he and this family had endured. And, yes, God made Ryan different, but in God’s eyes … his hands were perfect—the way He knew they would be.

I looked at the photos again. This time I saw the smiling faces, the beautiful beach and the glorious day, and for the first time, I began to treasure all of God’s gifts.


Father, thank You for Your precious gifts—family, friends and knowing You.

February 16


Wise Old Sports and Curious Kids


The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.

Psalm 24:1 (NLT)


There are few spots on Planet Earth I’d rather be than Cannon Beach, Oregon. What majesty! What beauty! Jutting rocks and endless, sandy beaches are joined with deep, deep blues and crowned with rich green forests. They lavish the eye while the pounding surf and calling birds soothe the ear.

It’s nothing short of spectacular … and such a restful spot. It’s where I was last week vacationing with family—relaxing, unwinding, enjoying the deeper teaching of God’s word and the beauty of His Creation. In reflection, I think God brought me here to remind me—I need this. I need His beauty in my life, and I need to slow down and enjoy it.

I’m also learning when I’m a little slow to get God’s subtle message, He repeats it.

It happened on Wednesday when eight of us went to play golf. Dan, the golf pro, met us at the clubhouse. He greeted us, gave us some course tips, told us a great story about Walter Hagen, the golf legend, and then quoted him:

“You’re only here for a short visit … Don’t hurry, don’t worry, and be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”

It was good advice, too soon forgotten by me. Once we teed off, I was anxious to keep our foursome moving. Smack the ball, walk up hill and down, find the balls, take your best shot, hurry along, finish the hole and tee it up on the next.

I was all go, go, go until the 13th Tee when I noticed my 9-year old son Alex was missing. And where did I find him? Stretched out, belly down on the last hole! With his right arm extended to the cup in the middle of the green. He was intently staring at the end of his finger and making friends with a brightly colored ladybug. He, at least, had stopped to smell the roses and, with the help of Dan and Walter and God above, gave me my best lesson of the week.


Thank You, LORD for such wonderful insights from wise old sports, curious kids, and You.