The Terror Trap (Department Z Book 7) Read online

  The boat’s remains are 27 feet (8.27 meters) long, 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) wide, with a maximum preserved height of 4.3 feet (1.3 meters). It was discovered by two brothers, Moshe and Yuval Lufan, local fishermen from the nearby kibbutz, who were also amateur archaeologists. They had always dreamed of one day discovering an ancient boat in the Sea of Galilee, where they and generations of their family had fished. In 1986, it happened. During a season of great drought that had reduced the lake to new water-levels, they stumbled across the remains of a boat buried in the mud along the northwest shore.

  Upon report of their discovery, Israeli authorities sent a team of archaeologists to investigate. Recognizing the historical importance to Jews and Christians alike, a secret archaeological dig followed. Rumors spread the boat was full of gold and the dig had to be guarded night and day. Excavating the boat from the mud without damaging it, extracting it before the water rose again, required working together as experts along with numerous volunteers, an effort lasting 12 days and nights. Following its release from the muddy bottom of the sea, the boat was submerged in a chemical bath for 7 years, for purposes of preservation, before being put on public display.

  Made primarily of cedar planks joined together by pegged mortise and tenon joints and nails, it has a flat bottom, that allowed fishing close to shore. This boat is made of ten different wood types, suggesting it may have undergone repeated fixes. It has been dated to 40 BC (plus or minus 80 years) based on radiocarbon dating; and 50 BC to AD 50, based on pottery (including a cooking pot and lamp) and nails found in the boat, as well as hull construction techniques. It had been row-able, and had a mast allowing its fishermen to sail the boat as well.

  The Sea of Galilee Boat is historically valuable as a visible example of the type of boat used in the 1st century for both fishing and transportation across the lake. It is the same sort of boat used by Jesus and his disciples, several of whom were fishermen. Boats like this played a large role in Jesus’ life and ministry and are mentioned fifty times in the Gospels.

  It is likely to have been this kind of boat Peter and his friends were in that fateful night. A night that was perhaps not the worst they had known, but very hard nonetheless; a night when exhaustion was setting in as they rowed against the wind.

  It has been a week of nights like this for Dixie. Not the worst that she has ever known, but hard nonetheless, nights spent rowing against the wind, often leaving her fatigued, drained, and still a long way from shore.

  Friday marks the end of her fourth week of chemo / radiation. Each day brings a now familiar journey over the SR 520 floating bridge, arriving at 8:15am at the UWMC, handing car keys to the parking valet, walking to the Pacific elevators, down to Floor 1, checking in at the radiation center, waiting until her handheld buzzer sounds, at which time she goes to the Unit, while I remain in the waiting area.

  She follows the same precise procedure under the watchful eyes of technicians who know her well by now and call her name like old friends. Upon the treatment’s completion for the day, we exit the same way we entered, find our car, and drive the longer route across the I-90 floating bridge, to lend some variety to the routine, arriving home by 9:30, where she begins the rest of her day.

  This not-so-routine treatment is taking its expected toll on Dixie’s energy, leaving her physically and mentally depleted. A bit of ironing, preparing (or repairing) the evening meal, some of which has been dropped off by friends. A special night out on Wednesday to enjoy our neighbors and a gourmet-prepared meal in their home. Thursday is guy’s night out, as the women shed themselves of their menfolk. Four of us guys head straight for Safeco Field, and for me, a mental break filled with junk food and Mariners baseball.

  An ordinary week. Rowing against the wind. Not the worst of weeks. Not the best either. Moments during long Northwest summer nights, somehow made longer this year. In the darkest times, with the winds of circumstance pressing against her, I watch her straining . . . rowing . . . wanting to take the oars away from her . . . desperately wishing it were me instead . . . yet knowing in my heart that much of this dark crossing is hers alone to make . . . and with that sinking feeling settling in, I am reminded again of Peter’s story.

  I imagine Jesus reaching out to catch me, saying, “You of little faith, why do you doubt? I have both of you in my hands. I know exactly where you are, what you are facing . . . I’ve been here before, remember? These elements are beyond your control . . . don’t waste your energy worrying about them . . . trust me.”

  And then he is in the boat with us . . . and the winds cease . . . and there follows a magnificent peace that is beyond understanding . . . as amazing as it once must have been on a dark night in a little boat on the Sea of Galilee. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

  I know for some of you, my imaginings may appear to be little more than a crutch of desperation to lean on in difficult times, like wishing upon a star. I get that. And I’m not the least offended if you happen to feel that way. But it is this kind of imagining that makes me think Peter may have told his famous Jesus Boat story to young Mark in Jerusalem, right after Paul refused to take him on his second missionary journey, due largely to the way Mark had failed the team and turned back while on their first.

  It would be Peter’s style, I think, to encourage this young man who felt the invisible weight of failure carried by so many of us, to forgive himself and try again. After all, Peter understood failure. And shame. And forgiveness. He had experienced it all, but he sought and found true forgiveness and tried again.

  It is for these same reasons, I offer up my simple imaginings for any who care to read and ponder. Perhaps, like Peter or Mark, it is time to forgive yourself. And in the same breath, to accept the forgiveness of Jesus. To acknowledge him in your heart of hearts for who he truly is. Wherever you are on the sea of your life, “may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

  28

  Lifting Weary Hands

  Lord, with a heavy heart, I bring my cares to you to cast them at your feet so that I may walk away free of the burden. Thank you for the privilege of walking in your freedom.

  Give me the strength to give grace to others when grace is needed. Help me to give “tough love” when that is needed and help me to know which is appropriate.

  Lord, as I teach your Word, please help me teach with knowledge, wisdom and in the power of your Spirit. Give me favor with these people so they can receive what you have to give them through me . . . so they can make a difference for you in their world. Give me understanding so that I can lead them with a sure step. All for your glory. Amen. ~ DLT diary, November 1990

  You may remember this Old Testament Bible story. It’s one of my favorites. It is the day Amalek attacks Israel in Rephidim. Moses takes with him two of his best buddies and stands on a hill overlooking the scene, holding up the sacred staff representing God’s presence and power. As long as he can hold the staff heavenward, the battle goes in Israel’s favor. When he becomes weary, the enemy prevails. Back and forth it goes until finally, “When the hands of Moses became heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and so his hands were steady until the sun went down” (Exodus 17:12).

  The battle was won that day, in part at least, through the faith and faithfulness of two men who humbly held up the weary hands of Moses until it was over. Aaron and Hur. You gotta love those guys!

  Friday marks the end of radiation/chemo combo Week 5. Dixie’s weight is holding steady and that is important. This next week will bring the greatest fatigue factor into play, so maintaining body weight and physical stamina is vital to her wellbeing.

  Five more treatments.

  There is a gong hanging in the waiting area. As each patient completes their final treatment, they hit the gong on their way out. Everyon
e in the room claps and cheers, offering sincere congratulations, while silently counting their own days, knowing their turn is coming. It can’t come soon enough. It is just a brief moment. A cheery moment. A moment when we all hold up a stranger’s hands and cheer them on in victory.

  One week to go.

  And then a month for her body to heal and become stronger. A month to clear the battlefield of hundreds of thousands of dead Enemy Cancer cells and to replenish the good ones, killed along with the bad in this war against cancer. A month to think good thoughts. To be reminded just how far she has come. Much of her success we attribute to the prayers of the many saints in our lives.

  Prayer, a mystery to some, is like breathing for others. Something we may not have done before the Master of souls came into our lives. Something seeming so natural ever since. There are thousands around the world these weeks past who have been Aaron and Hur to us. Partners in prayer. Would that people everywhere might find such supportive power and peace.

  Instead, all too often Evil delivers death to innocents in the skies. Bitterness and hatred light the night scene on borders around the world. Tragedy seems close to us all, and yet so far away. Anger and lust for power. Selfishness and pride. Cain and Abel.

  Where do we go to navigate our journeys in times that are not always smooth, places where our footing becomes unsure? The truth is the answer is not to be found in where one goes, but rather in how one goes. All battles are not fought in ancient Hebraic texts, or half a world away. Some are fought right here, as near as your next breath or mine, and won with this strange weapon called prayer. Faith mixed with love . . . stirred by a patient hope . . . lived out in a spirit of humility.

  Andrew Murray, a late 19th-early 20th century South African writer, teacher, and Christian pastor in the Dutch Reformed tradition, wrote, “Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble”7

  Dixie and I are being served by so many humble, caring people right now, living out the essence of that Scripture passage. Every ethnic and religious background. Doctors, residents, nurses, interns, cleaning staffs, parking attendants, the list goes on. A favorite of mine is an African American Buddhist male nurse who never stops smiling and always has a good word for us. Friends at church, neighbors, colleagues near and far. I’ll say what I think Moses said to Aaron and Hur on their way back at the end of the day. “Thanks, guys, we couldn’t have won this battle without you!”

  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility,

  count others more significant than yourselves. ~ Philippians 2:3

  29

  Ring That Bell!

  David ordered the heads of the Levites to assign their relatives to sing in the choir, accompanied by a well-equipped marching band, and fill the air with joyful sound (as the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant was carried into Jerusalem). ~ 1 Chronicles 15:16 MSG

  Friday 25 July. If it is good enough for God, King David and the children of Israel, we think it should be more than good enough for us. So we declare this week now ending, a week of celebration. On Wednesday, Dixie serves a tasty dinner for seven. Yes, that’s what I said . . . seven! Celebrating our daughter, Michele’s birthday.

  A good portion of the day following is spent in tasks now all too familiar. A blood draw, a pharmacy visit for new prescriptions, meetings with Drs. Gabriella Chiorean at SCCA and Edward Kim at the UWMC, and finally, topped off by radiation treatment #29.

  And now TGIF. It is Friday morning.

  Tranquility. The peace that comes when energies are in harmony, relationships are in balance.

  The words of the wise heard in quiet, are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. ~ Ecclesiastes 9:17

  The final day of radiation treatments. Though Dixie is having some not uncommon feelings of nausea this morning, there is as well a kind of peaceful anticipation. The first treatment day seems long ago now . . . that scary day! For the last six weeks this has been our way of life. A familiar, though not always looked forward to, routine. But that is all about to change. It’s Friday. Day 30. Last day. Gong Day!

  Wisdom. Knowledge, intuition and experience combine to guide us in thought and deed.

  (My goal is) that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ~ Colossians 2:2

  Michele comes with us to celebrate her mom, the tenacity that keeps her going, the courage that turns a frightful synergy chamber into a holy place, the example she is to us all. How did she make it this far? Each morning as that thick door closes tightly behind her, leaving her alone with her thoughts, she begins reciting verses of Scripture, sends arrow prayers heavenward, gives thanks for her doctors and handlers, her family and, of course, her prayer partners. And each day her heart would fill with incredible peace and joy.

  We watch again this morning as she disappears down the hallway for the final time.

  Then at 9:00, she reappears, entering the waiting room with a huge smile.

  Treatment finished!

  Love. An inspired form of giving, love breathes life into the heart and brings grace to the soul.

  So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

  All at once something spontaneous and wonderful happens! Something we’d not witnessed before in the last six weeks. As Dixie takes the mallet to hit the gong, technicians, attendants, office staff, doctors and nurses come out of their offices and work stations to watch and join us in applauding! There are smiles and hugs and laughter and many thank yous all around as for a moment . . . gratitude reigns . . . filling a room often so seriously quiet with great joy, like the kind that comes at the end of a well-run race!

  10 Dixie rings the bell.

  And at this same hour in Texas, Missy is ringing her treasured grandmother’s bell in celebration of this milestone. Grace and peace! Marty and Joyce and Sheri and Nancy and Earl and Tawny and Connie and Mary Lou and Diana and many others ring doorbells and alarm clocks and bang on kitchen pots in California. Joy! Glenn and Charles and Sylvia and Deann celebrate in Washington. Hope! A bell rings out in a California preschool classroom as forty-five 4 and 5 year olds do a victory lap around their classroom. These children do not know her, but her gifts of inspiration and love, encouragement and sacrifice, helped build the very classroom in which they are marching. Love!

  11 The radiation team joins in celebration

  Many more are there, too, across the US and Canada and around the world, praying and ringing and celebrating with us.

  Courage. Not the absence of fear or despair but the strength to conquer them.

  Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. ~ Deuteronomy 31:6

  The stunning diagnosis. Pancreatic cancer! A new reality. Overlake Hospital. Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. University of Washington Medical Center. In and out since early February. Major Whipple surgery. Chemotherapy infusions. The dreaded series of radiation/chemotherapy treatments. All completed. Behind us now!

  Peace. To bring peace to the Earth, strive to make your own life peaceful.

  May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. ~ Jude 1:2

  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ~ John 14:27

  In this hour of completion, friends and strangers join in, both near at hand and far away to hail the victory won! A happy crowd fills the heavens with soun
ds of triumph and thanksgiving. Personally, I think King David may be watching, pointing to his friends, saying, “See there? See what’s happening? It’s still all good!” On this Friday, between 9 and 10 in the morning PDT, Dixie grasps the mallet in her hand and with a huge smile rings the gong, celebrating her own major mission accomplished!

  Happiness. To be content and filled with joy.

  Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. ~ Jeremiah 15:16

  Preparing to leave the hospital, we share hugs and contact information as we say goodbye to Brad and Kathy. Brad began radiation treatment for an inoperable brain tumor at Dixie’s halfway treatment point, giving us time in the ensuing days to get acquainted with these dear people. We wish each other well, but the look in their eyes says it all. They’ve a very difficult road still ahead, and weeks of radiation yet to go. We assure them of our prayers.

  And now a month off for Dixie. Weeks to be given over to whatever she wants to do, laced with lots of rest and renewal, to help rebuild an emotional and physical system that is completely exhausted.

  (The six key words in the text above, Tranquillity, Wisdom, Love, Courage, Peace, Happiness, are from a traditional Tibetan prayer. The verse quotes are from the Christian Bible.)

  12 Michele with step granddaughters: Karen, Amy, Jody, Becky and Dixie

  13 Our son, Stephen, Nancy and Jesse

  14 Our granddaughter, Jessica

  15 Our daughter, Michele, and Mark