Bend Over

Monday is a big day for me. I am going in for a colonoscopy. Yep, I am heading to the airport where in just a few short moments, someone I have never met will ask me to strip, x-ray me, and run their Star Trek Tricoder over my body. The process is much like the dreaded colonoscopy, only without the drugs. And not nearly as effective. You see when the doctor takes a look, he may be saving your life. When these guys take a look, they are supposed to be saving lives, but more often than not, it is just busy work. How else can you explain my adventure a few years back traveling around the US? Answer me this. Haven't you ever wondered if these folks are even paying attention? Especially the people watching your bags go through whatever that machine is. I mean, how vigilant can you be? Hours upon hours of seeing nothing but bags full of junk passing in front of you. Talk about needing cable to avoid reruns! I'm surprised when they find anything. But let's look at this logically. Since the FAA has determined that we must turn off all of our electronic gadgets for landing and take off, they must believe there is a real threat to the avionics of those planes in which we travel. Otherwise, they would never have that ban. So why do we get to take these electronics on board at all? It's simple. Money. I have a good friend who says all you have to do is follow the money. And in this case, it is business interests. Can you imagine the havoc if we banned these potential weapons of terrorism from airplanes? Anyways, I digress. I am flying this week because I am part of the Fellowship of Short-Term Mission Leaders. Each year we get together to pray, dream, worship, and try to improve how we serve Christ, and others when we go, and take teams with us on short-term mission trips. I've posted some of my thoughts on this over at my other blog titled "notes from dave." I have learned a lot from this group of leaders and cannot imagine missing this annual gathering. It has really, in the words of Chuck Swindoll, improved my serve. Now until I return, all kidding aside, guys, go get your colonoscopy, ladies, your mammograms. These tests really do save lives!