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To think that GOD loves me |
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Autobiography Dieter R. Fischer Book 8 |
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To think that GOD loves me |
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Autobiography Dieter R. Fischer Book 8 |
THE WINNER GAVE IT ALL GIVEN YOUR ALL - NOW WHAT ? HOME ISBN 0 9577 426 8 1 Book 8 / Ch 2 Written / Published 26/10 - 2/11/09
| 2. Two wise words Cruising at 80 km/h through a tiny place in Western Victoria I spotted, out of the corner of my eye, a parked automobile. Two, maybe three, passengers were either entering or leaving. Travelling at 22.2 metres per second it's understandable I can't recall the exact detail. However, despite it all moving so fast, I had become an expert in reading vehicle registration plates. It was my fourth trip east from Adelaide to Melbourne in 2009. As before, I travelled in my Suzuki alone. The date was October 9th, 09. A few days earlier I had received the newsletter of a Victorian Pro-Life organisation. When I read about an invent, to take place on 10.10.09 my mind opened to the possibility of doing this journey. Even if it meant driving the extra smile, or 1000, which happens to be the Roman numeral M, I had learned when to say yes to my inner promptings. Logically, since it had only been just over a week that I had returned home to from a 3 1/2 week jaunt to North Queensland, it was early to be on the move again. Mother-in-law did not understand it. As I was passing through Dadswell Bridge, which is well-known for it's giant koala, my creative mind did a three second job decoding the registration plate mentioned above -J 4. After the letters ULY flashed into my brain from the Victorian registered vehicle I saw JULY. Child's play, so far. The second part 271* did not take an Einstein either, to make sense, since my wife and I were married on 24 [July] 71.
Motoring toward Melbourne I experienced a few delays. They used to call it road works. The new term is nation building. The delays are just as inconvenient. Usually, nation building involves speed restrictions. At one location, I remember distinctly, the limit was reduced in stages, 80 >>> 60 >>> 40 km/h. This happened a few times. These numbers re-arranged themselves in my brain, reminding me of the debacle of the RU 486 abortion pill. Ironically, this trip was about the issue of abortion and the battle associated with it. Driving at 40 km/h through these road works, sorry nation-building site, the name of a side road looked rather Da Ninci. It was the only road for some miles *Packhams La.
Including rest/meal breaks and to follow my own road safety teaching (take a break every two hours) it too approximately ten hours to cover (almost) 800 km (500 mile) trip. By 7 PM I had already erected my tent in the caravan park at Hobson's Bay (Postcode 3016). Why not a ride on my GIANT 21-speed bike into Melbourne, I thought, for a little fun? On two of the previous three trips to Melbourne in 09, I had been to the Etihad Stadium to watch football matches. That night, Friday October 9th, two top A-League teams, Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC, were playing each other. To reach the city I had to almost pass by the stadium. I considered this option. The football action had already started, well before I arrived. A few latecomers still queued at the ticket office. For some reason, there was not as much noise from the crowd as I had expected. If this was my reason I can't recall, but I decided against buying a ticket. Just as well, as there was a very unhappy Melbourne Victory (not-tonight-darling) crowd, with a bad headache: The visiting players from Sydney, according to the news later, humiliated their home team 3 goals to 0.
Cycling away from the stadium, right opposite, on top of a large office block, I read four letters. They looked just like the digits IOIO. Maybe were meant to mean 1010 (ten-out-of ten) for the Sydney FC, who taught Muscat Thompson & Co a lesson? Whatever! But NO - I saw IOIO completely different, as the next day's date, October 10. That day at I I.OO AM an event was to take place, the reason for my long journey. It was the first anniversary of the passing of one of the most extreme pieces of abortion legislation of any Government. In 2008 on that day the reckless Victorian 08 Abortion Law Reform Bill was passed in Parliament. It is brutal. It allows the killing of the most vulnerable, most helpless in our society, the unborn, even until the time of birth. (Laugh or cry, I had to scroll up and smile at the baby in my header above).
Hundred passionate opponents of the bad abortion law gathered in bright sunshine to march in protest. Young and old, pregnant mothers, toddlers in prams, pre-schoolers in strollers, parents and grand parents had come from far and wide. Many carried banners, others balloons. The message to politicians was as clear as the sky above: Repeal this law; it destroys precious life. I didn't know anybody. I just walked along with the crowd, pushing my bike and occasionally becoming aware of a camera taking photographs or filming. The march ended with a peaceful protest rally in front of Victoria's Parliament House. Prominent church leaders and a few politicians, those who had fought hard against the law, addressed the crowd.
All during the march my mind kept going back to an amazing personal experience I had had early that morning. To me it was as if God was telling me that HE indeed wanted me to be in that place at that time. Remember, the date was 10.10! How else to explain it all, other than God is speaking to us in HIS unusual ways: HE is displeased with the Victorian abortion laws. Please read carefully. Then think for yourself. That morning, before rising from my tent for breakfast, I wanted to read a passage in the bible. I carried a copy of my International Children's Bible with me. At the time I was not following a set reading schedule. As I picked up this bible it fell open toward the middle. My eyes took a glance and stopped the word laws. So I just started reading Isaiah Chapter 10:
International Children's Bible - Page 779. Isaiah 10. Verse 1:
The scripture in Isaiah 10 continues. God is angry about lawmakers, who abuse their power. The God of love is also a God of justice, who feels anger. (Chapter 10, Verse 4). This is why Christians speak up against certain laws. It's not because they hate gay people, or pregnant woman having abortions, or prostitutes etc. When I am feeling anger, it's because lawmakers enable laws that either ignore or misinterpret godly principles. In the chapter following you will read an email, where I reminded a politicians of the responsibility that rests on their shoulders. When lawmakers go directly against God's laws, the nation is doomed, unless it repents of their wrong doing and turns back to God.. Would it not be far better to submit to Almighty God, make laws that please HIM that are fair and just. HE promised us HIS blessings, so we can enjoy the fruit of obeying HIS commandments. And we know which is the most important one - Love God and love your fellow man.
The scripture in Isaiah could not have been more appropriate for me that morning. I had travelled 1000 miles, because I felt so strongly about this bad law. My bible falling open to just this verse was no co-incidence. Just as it was no co-incidence that on my screen came up above baby, expressing my message with one finger. If the baby could talk, out of its mouth would come ... The scripture in Isaiah (10.1) lacks a 0 to actually make October 10. Maybe, its all about 0?
There is another controversial, moral issue before the South Australian Parliament, as I write this chapter. Similar to abortion, this proposed legislation (law) crosses the line, since it will result in humans making the decision to end a human life. A decision to end a human life should be left in God's hand. The sixth commandment forbids killing. On the morning of writing, October 26th, 09 emailed my local Member of Parliament, who happens to be The Speaker in the Lower House.
In my email to the young politician, the youngest ever to be South Australia's Speaker in the House, I expressed my concerns about this bill. The full name is the 'Consent to Medical Treatment and Palliative Care (Voluntary Euthanasia) Amendment Bill'. The idea of voluntary euthanasia has been before our parliament many times before. This latest version is the brain child of the only Greens MP in our Parliament, Mark Parnell. (Mark's a chapter late). Like abortion, voluntary euthanasia involves the deliberate act to end a human life. Here lay the dilemma: Who should make this decision? And what if the person, who decided to end their life, later regrets it? There's no come-back! Should governments not pass laws that protect all human life? The medical profession should research how to preserve life, how to relief pain. No law will guarantee that there won't be human suffering. I sent the following message to the MP, with copies to the Premier, plus selected Ministers and Members of Parliament:
Worldwide the Green Party does have great passion on certain issues and seems to care about our planet. If it were as passionate about moral issues, using the bible as their standard, I would vote for them too. Sadly, their approach seems to be based on humanistic, anti-biblical principles. Many Christians vote for the Greens to support them in environmental issues. Sadly, it's the Greens in our Parliaments, who also push for laws, or support laws, which cross the moral base line. Uninformed voters, passionate about the environment and climate change etc. may not be aware of this. They vote happily for rain forests to be protected, but don't hear the add-on offer: "Do you want same-sex marriage with that? The media often is keeping debates on moral issues quiet. Or it rates a few lines toward the back pages, because the treasurer's love life takes the front page. Commercial TV is no different. To proof this point, when the above Voluntary Euthanasia Bill came up for a vote in Parliament (on 28/10/09) TV Channel 7 and 9 did not mention it. (To the best of my knowledge, only our public broadcaster, the ABC ran a brief item). Uniformed voters may not even realize what they have voted for, thinking they are doing society a great favour voting green. That's why democracy only works if voters inform themselves, think about issues and vote intelligently at the ballot box.
During recent days two more powerful authorities in South Australia have called for the establishment of an ICAC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Pallaras. As I suspected with Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond, who also came out with a call for an ICAC, nobody would do so out of the blue. The other organisation is the Union movement, which raised their voice, calling for an anti-corruption body, seemingly out of the blue. The Union movement normally supports policies of the Labor Party and what they stand for. It makes me think, will they keep up the call? Will the Labor Party risk losing votes over this issue? There is an election on the horizon.
During the year 2009 Peter's supporter had a glimmer of hope. The new opposition leader, Isobel Redmond, in a letter to me, stated that the matter in under investigation. She never said who is investigating, neither did she ask for any details, which may have saved her researchers a lot of time. I am married to a lady, who works for the blind. Her name is Isobel. The other lady by that name, since becoming South Australia's opposition leader, has been silent since. The cry for justice overcomes Omertà.
South Australia - section from a YHA map.
(Back to Melbourne, October 09) That night I was booked into the YHA Hostel in Melbourne's CBD (Central Business District). I had chosen the location, because originally I was going to arrive by bus on the morning after. The YHA is very near the bus station. Later I decided to take the 'green machine', my cute little Suzuki. Despite having clocked up 285 000 kilometres in its 11-year history, it covered the miles faithfully, without complaining. As happened on many occasions, in hotels, on aircraft or when dealing with the public, I can't seem to get away from codes. To me it demonstrates the power of the internet, the absolute marvel of world-wide connectivity; all at the click of a mouse button. If not for the internet, how could I explain the following? On checking into the hostel I was given a receipt, which showed the booking details, plus a welcome card, the house rules and the room number. The room number on the receipt was 2072, the room number on the card didn't match - 316.
Receipt and welcome card, YHA Melbourne
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Unsure, where exactly I should go and worship the next day (Sunday 11/10) I headed east. Driving along Whitehorse Road I was expecting the Box Hill tram.
No tram to hold up my drive along memory lane to Box Hill and beyond. A previous visit to this district took me to Crossover Baptist Church in Blackburn. I arrived there around 9.30 am, half hour into their first service. But there was another service to take place at 11 AM, which suited me better. To fill in the time, I unloaded my Giant and went for bike ride in a nearby recreation park. It was perfect weather, a great spot to enjoy nature that Sunday morning. Just off the cycle path a game of baseball was under way, a sport which is not very wide-spread in Australia. There were only a handful of spectators, maybe 9, sitting behind a high wire fence on fold-up chairs. I had plenty of time, so I looked on for a while. An hour or so later, in church, how did this come about, during the sermon the subject of baseball came up. The preacher in his message explained that if God called us to service in HIS church, we may have to forego other ambitions, be it sport, politics or business careers. He then told the congregation about his Assistant Pastor's earlier life. He had been a well-known, champion baseball player, but heard God's call him to serve HIM.
Walking toward the Crossover Church building, near the front door, I spotted a small motor scooter. Had I been swifter in fetching my camera from my Suzuki, you would be able to see a picture of it. Both the registration plate, plus a large Christian bumper sticker directly under it, created this message: MR 135 - God loves you!
Maybe, there was another male in church, whose birthday makes the digits 135, who also loves God. (If so, and you took a photo, please pass on a copy, thanks). After church, more registration plates. This time I was swift to snap a photo of my Suzie and a potential partner with lots in common: Both born in Japan, migrated to Australia, their owners Baptists.
The plan was to drive to the nearby caravan park at Wantirna, erect the tent, have lunch and take a ride somewhere in the Dandenong mountains. Things didn't quite work out as planned. I'm glad they didn't. I would have missed an amazing, artistic performance in a little church back in Melbourne (next chapter). The caravan park at Wantirna was the place (Book 3, Chapter 45), where I was told, sleeping in a car, even in a caravan park, was against Victorian state law. That Sunday in October, over four years later, I again felt like Joseph, except I didn't carry a pregnant Mary with me. On arrival I was informed that the park does not cater for tents, even a small two-men tent. No room in the inn, for me or my Mary, sorry Suzie. Strange, but true. The caretaker suggested I should try Lilydale, about 15 kilometers up the road.
Driving to Lilydale I noticed a few dark clouds gathering. In a way I was glad, therefore, that I had not pitched my tent, neither in Wantirna, nor in Lilydale, where I could not locate a caravan park anyhow. Meanwhile, I was getting hungry, so I parked at Melba Park and cooked lunch. Lilydale's most famous name is that of world-renown singer Dame Nellie Melba. A quick online search in their history revealed another famous name; famous in my early (his)story, the father of Nellie: David Mitchell,
The dark clouds only produced a brief shower, thankfully, with only one or two clasps of thunder. Bike riding was back on the agenda. Instead of riding through the Dandenongs I opted for a shorter route, where I discovered a little treasure, the Warburton Trail. It's a disused railway line, popular with cyclists, walkers and horse riders. The trails highest point on my ride in was Mount Evelyn. The railway station and platform were still there, a popular meeting place for bonding with fellow cyclists, no doubt. The name Mt. Evelyn rang a bell. A well-known author and Baptist pastor A.M. founded a church here, which had grown rather large over years. It must have been a little out off town, otherwise I may have spotted it. Instead, right in the main street, I spotted a 5 cent coin. I circled back and picked it up.
Another discovery that afternoon was one of my specialties, a spelling error. Really, the sign, even without the spelling error, was in such a prominent position, beside the Maroondah Highway, it would have been hard to miss. The fact that I stopped pedalling and took this photo proves, spelling errors draw attention - it works. But not all would ponder and decode and discover things, as I did:
Anyone for ... Boxing ...or Road Safety?
Later, in the shower, more thoughts came re above sign. (May have been the shampoo. Fisher & Paykel engineers get their ideas in the shower). The road safety slogan, Drowsy Drivers Die suddenly made sense. I registered a connecting thought to the Wantirna Caravan Park: Sleeping in a car is prohibited. Especially while driving. In my road safety website I put it this way: When drowsy, stop the car and have a sleep - in that order. Wise word. %%%%%%%
Read drowsy backwards!
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