Thursday, March 14, 2024

"Worth It All"

 “Seeing that right there…that’s worth it all.”  So said a woman who was standing beside me on the deck of a cruise ship in Alaskan waters last summer.  We were about a mile from Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park.  This glacier was actively calving…house-size and up to ten-story building size chunks of ice were calving off of a three-hundred-foot high wall of ice into the Arctic Ocean, producing a delayed thunder-clap-like sound about as loudly as I’ve ever heard as the ice chunks fell into the sea.

I’m not exactly sure what the woman was talking about when she said “that’s worth it all.”  We both were so engrossed in what we were witnessing that we didn’t converse with each other at all.  But I suspect she may have been speaking of the expense of the cruise, the difficulty she may have had in travel, or some other kind of problem that made that moment…that moment when we were privileged to witness one of the great spectacles of nature in a remote part of the earth…worth whatever difficulty she may have had to overcome.

We, too, had some things happen in the whole trip process that, while they may not have been extreme difficulties, they could have easily become a roadblock of sorts.  We had multiple conversations with our travel agent to be sure we were both on the same page.  We had to have our passports renewed, as part of our trip was in Canada.  We went through customs, had to wear masks, be vaccinated against COVID and show proof of the same.  Our bus didn’t show up at the airport to take us to our hotel, so we had to make alternate arrangements.  At times, we felt like we were sort of herded like cattle.  We went in June, so the air was rather crisp at times.  Our room on the ship was really small for the four of us.  A red-eye flight back to civilization over several time zones.  Beyond tired.

Yet those were really small inconveniences compared with the magnificence of what we experienced in the Arctic Ocean a mile or so from a huge wall of ice.  Yes, seeing that right there…that indeed was worth it all.

Paul, the apostle of Jesus, had something to say about whether or not the difficulties we encounter in life were worth it.  This is a man, you recall, who endured arrests, dungeons, beatings, shipwreck, and other “inconveniences” for the privilege of telling others about the risen Lord and a new covenant God was giving His people.  Yet he insisted on calling these things he experienced…these beatings, arrests, and other troubles “light and momentary troubles” compared with what he knew he would experience in eternity with his Lord.  Here’s what he said about that.

 

 We do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

 

Life seldom goes the way we would like.  Most of us haven’t had the kind of troubles that Paul had in his ministry.  Yet we do experience things that are part of life and living which make it more difficult, it seems, to be the kind of people God would have us be.  Sometimes we get so discouraged that we consider just giving in and giving up.  We determine that the end we envision isn’t worth all the trouble we are experiencing in order to get there.

I know that we can’t physically see the reality that God says he has in store for us if we remain faithful.  It can be incredibly difficult to be in the midst of trial and trouble, yet know, believe, and anticipate that ahead lies something that will make all of the difficulties in this life worthwhile.  I know that because I am just like you…I sometimes wonder if it’s worth it all…if something I cannot yet see, feel or comprehend in any physical way makes the trials and problems of life worth it.  The temptation to just give up and give in is real.

And to add insult to injury, Christians are often accused of believing in a fairy tale…a pie-in-the-sky, unbelievable, and preposterous tale of a god who became human, lived a human life, was killed by the Romans, and that that death somehow makes it possible for anyone who believes that story to have a life after death that is glorious beyond description.

I get it.  The logic in me says to be wary.  Any other story that seems too good to be true, we are told, usually is.

“Seeing that right there…that’s worth it all.”  I often go back to that statement by the woman who was standing next to me on the ship as we watched the calving of the glacier.  I may not physically see God or the future time, but with a kind of sight that bypasses the eyes in my head, I see the truth of what I am told.  I see the God of the universe.  And I too am convinced that these troubles are really “light and momentary,” compared with what I comprehend is ahead.  And I hope and trust that you also will understand that yes, it indeed is “worth it all.”

 

Blessings.

Thursday, March 07, 2024

"Between the Lines"

 A good friend and fellow minister writes a pretty much daily article to post on his social media pages.  Today, he was writing about helping those in need and that he would much rather see the church and people of faith helping rather than the government.  Here is an excerpt of what he wrote.

I would rather help the poor directly.  The less the government takes, the more I have to give.  I am not sure how effective government programs are, though we certainly get whatever assistance we can for those in our community of faith.  I think it is better when I give to those I know and can directly help.  Of course, this assumes we will all give generously to those in need.

 He goes on with his main point in today’s writing:

 I want Jesus and God to get the glory/credit/praise for any help given.  I do not want the resources I have being used for the glory and praise of the government or any politician.  I want to help in the name of Jesus.   

I am always thankful when people are helped.  If God wants to use the government to do that, well... that is certainly His business.  But I just don't see working in earthly kingdoms as fulfilling my real Kingdom responsibility.

 OK, this is Jay again.  I have no issue with what he said.  It IS the responsibility of Christ-followers to help those in need, and to do so with compassion and dignity.  And that help needs to be more than a couple of dollars we might give to the man at the street corner asking for money, or a few cans of green beans given to the food pantry.

However, I believe the issues are much greater, more ingrained, and more intractable than what many people understand.  I wrote this in response to his post.

 Reading between the lines of your post, I see the tension of relying too much on government versus the faith community's charge to care for the needy.

The needs, however, are greater than what any individual church or person can provide.  And, although certainly necessary, needs go far beyond a meal, a coat, or a room at a motel for the night.  Mental health, generational poverty, physical health, depression, legal issues, addiction, affordable housing, and other issues loom like unconquerable mountains over the lives of many of these people.  It’s as if they are looking at a path ahead that is so blocked that there is no conceivable way through or around.  Despair, surrender, and exhaustion become the norm.

However, as my friend Jennifer White and many others have said, and I've often quoted, "I can't do everything, but I can do something." Just because the problem seems intractable is no reason to sit back and relax. We can ALL do something, even though knowing we won't ever "fix" the issues entirely in this fallen creation.

 This is Jay again.  I don’t know what your thoughts are regarding the poor, the impoverished, the unhoused, the mentally ill, and those with other types of issues that keep them from what many of us consider to be a “normal” lifestyle.  You may be one of those who has a very black-and-white view of them and you say, or think, “Why don’t you just get a job and get back into life?”  Others of you may be very engaged in these societal issues through your work as a social worker, therapist, counselor, medical provider, or other similar vocations.

Still others of you may be helping in some way by volunteering at a food pantry, a soup kitchen, or by handing out clothing and other needs to the unhoused.  The responses to the issues of poverty, homelessness, and all the rest are many and varied.  However, the responses of the Christian…the one who is a true follower of Jesus Christ…must be more narrow in scope.

Christians don’t have the option of dismissing someone’s misery by telling them to “Just get a job.”  And Christians do have, in my opinion, an obligation to try to understand at least some of the below-the-surface issues that manifest in homelessness and poverty.

I believe we also have an obligation to not only begin to understand the issues, but to help alleviate those issues ourselves, AND work alongside non-profits, government, and communities of faith…supporting them as we can and are able.

It’s a big issue…one that we will always have with us, I believe.  And it’s one that we as Christians need to not only be aware of, but “dug in,” so to speak, in some way to help alleviate it…renewing the creation One. Person. At. A. Time.

 Blessings

Thursday, February 29, 2024

God Is Big Enough

 I think many of us, as we go about our days, at least at times are aware of some of the headlines that are in the news of the day.  It seems that the news goes in cycles.  We hear about something the news orgs believe to be important one day…then hear about it again the next day…and the next.  Then, when something else “new and newsworthy” comes along, the old news topic is dropped, many times never to be heard from again even though that same situation or event is still happening.

Sometimes the news people insert a “good news” story into the mixture.  It’s usually about some good deed done by someone, or perhaps it’s a look at some kind of special relationship between people, or perhaps it involves an animal in a feel-good way.  These stories are bountiful, but don’t seem to get the air time that the disaster and bad behavior stories receive.

And if you’re like me, some days you look at the headlines and wonder if the world truly has gone over the edge.  It’s so bad some days you don’t even want to read or hear the story itself.  And you’re sorry you even looked at the headlines, because they just ruined your whole day.

Today was such a day for me.  I will often go to one of the local television station web pages in the morning and just briefly look over the headlines.  Here’s what one station had on its page today.

 Wildfires kill livestock in Texas and Kansas.

Man charged with capital murder in East Wichita motel shooting

Extra security at USD 266 due to unsubstantiated threat.

Putin threatens nuclear war if troops sent to aid Ukraine

Kellogg’s CEO criticized for “Cereal for dinner” comment

Man allegedly causes $550,000 in damage to rail cars

 And last, but certainly not least

 Utah study reveals the best place for UFO sightings.

 Now, I know these headlines aren’t unusual.  These types of stories come out in the news every day.  But today, for some reason, I took a quick look at them, went “UGH” in my mind, and decided to close the web page without any further perusal of the stories.  I also woke up today with the beginnings of a headache, and had some additional aches this morning from some more strenuous activity yesterday than I normally engage in.  So, I wasn’t in any great frame of mind anyway, and probably should never have looked at the news from overnight.

Now, I could, given my frame of mind, the absurdity and depravity of some of the headlines, and a general malaise, let today just continue to go downhill…OR, I could see what I could do to make some lemonade, so to speak, from what is left of my optimism and positivity.

I have to admit that I have to work to keep myself from getting too riled up over the headlines.  Political headlines especially are sometimes a real issue for me.  I believe that I need to have some understanding of what is happening in political circles, yet I also need to not get so worked up over those things about which I can do nothing.  I have no control over what Mr. Trump or Mr. Biden say or do.  I cannot vote for or against a certain bill or resolution in the Congress, the state legislature, or the county commission.  I believe I need to be aware, and I can and do communicate with my representatives, but once that is done, I need to let it go.

And as far as the other headlines go, people are going to do bad and stupid things.  People are going to say things they ought not have said, at least publicly.  The environment, the weather, and the natural world will not always be rainbows and unicorns.  So, what can I do?

The one thing that I can do, but many times forget to do, is talk with the ONE who is the ultimate authority...the ultimate power...the ultimate control.  I can speak with him regarding the situations here, petition for relief, and do my part to bring a renewed creation into my sphere of influence.

You may think that prayer…communication with God…is a cop-out and an abdication of my responsibility somehow to try to effect real change.  You may think that instead of prayer, I need to join a political party, be part of a protest in front of City Hall, contribute to a political action committee, or some other thing.  You may think that I am just “checking out,” so to speak, and am not being realistic about how things really are.

I assure you that I know what goes on in the real world.  I’m very familiar with death and dying.  I see poverty, and daily work to help alleviate it.  I know all too well what it means to be homeless.  I know of the struggles of single parenting.  I’ve spent years in public service of one kind or another.  No, I’m not an expert in every social ailment, but I’ve been around enough to have some comprehension of many aspects of society and the world situation which make the news from time to time.

And I’ve found prayer to be an effective tool, if you will, as I continue in life.  I think you might also find it beneficial and effective.  Nothing else has worked for you, has it…it can’t hurt to give it a try.  Give your anxiety, your anger, and your fears regarding the news headlines over to God.  He’s big enough to take it all on.

 Blessings,

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Some Questions

 Good morning and welcome to this Thursday’s thought.

 Scot Pollard had a heart transplant last week.  For those of you who are in the know on things KU Basketball, Pollard was a big part of the KU basketball program in the mid 1990’s, and played for eleven seasons in the NBA following his graduation.  Due to a viral episode a few years ago that weakened his heart, it was decided that the only way out was to receive a transplant.  That happened last week.

Pollard is up and around, and is recovering well.  There had been some difficulty in finding a heart of the proper size, as Pollard is a big man at six feet eleven inches.  One was found, however, and he is getting a new lease on life, thanks to a donor whose identity has not been made public.

I’ve not had a transplant.  So I don’t know the answers to the questions I’m about to ask.  But I have to wonder if these thoughts go through the minds of those who HAVE received a transplant, whether a heart, a kidney, or some other body part.

In the midst of the joy of a new lease on life must surely come the realization that someone else has died, at least in terms of a heart transplant.  And that were it not for that death, the recipient of the transplant may well not be alive or have much of a future.  One life traded for another, so to speak.

Yes, I know that the life that ended did so inevitably.  That there was no cure…no recourse…no chance for survival.  But I have to wonder how the transplant recipient thinks about that reality, and if she or he does, to what extent.  And if so, how that reality colors the joy of a new life.  Are there periods of reflection, sadness, gratitude?  Does the recipient really understand the gravity and “life-and-death” of it all?

I also have to wonder if the recipient has a greater sense of service and “paying it forward,” as it were, knowing that either the donor or his family made a conscious decision to give…to give something a precious as life…to another whom they would never know.  I know that acts of service and generosity many times trigger at least a temporary increase of the same in the lives of those served.  I have to wonder if a transplant changes how a person thinks regarding service and generosity, especially the kind of generosity that demands extraordinary sacrifice of some kind, such as organ donation.

In short, does a transplant cause a fundamental change in the recipient’s outlook on life?  Is that person different in ways that are not only easily noticed, but permanent in nature?  And what are the recipient’s views on meeting the family of the one who gave the organ?  What would one say to the family, or to the person who donated, should that person be living?  What kinds of emotions would course through one’s soul at that moment?

I am grateful that I have not had to experience that kind of thing.  And in any event, I am old enough that such a thing would not be a medical possibility for me.  But Scot Pollard is not yet 50 years old.  He has a lot of life left, if his new heart keeps working without being rejected, and all else is good.  And he is not alone.  Transplants of various kinds…hearts, lungs, kidneys, livers, and so on are more and more common.  And there are better anti-rejection medications now than there were some years ago, resulting in fewer complications.

Medical science has come a long way over the years, and I’m sure will continue to progress in ways we can only imagine now.  But along with that progression, we need to keep in mind that we are treating human beings…people…individuals.  These people have another side to their makeup besides their physiology.  People are emotional, thoughtful, and cognizant.  We have hearts (not of the physical variety, but of the emotional kind), souls, and minds.  What is done in a physical way affects other areas of life and living.  And I would think that the recipient of new life through a transplant gift would be especially affected.

Thanks for listening.  Life can be complicated, even without all of the externals of politics, the world situation, and the various trials and tribulations that we see.  But that’s also one of the great things about life and living.  We aren’t robots.  We aren’t just existing.  Life has meaning and purpose.  And for that, I am most grateful.

I never answered my questions, but that’s OK.  Good things to think about even if you have never experienced something like a heart transplant.  Humanity could use a good dose of humility, gratefulness, and generosity about now.  Thanks for listening.

 Blessings,

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Eeyore

 Good afternoon.

 As some of you may know, I have a “wall of heroes” in my office just opposite my desk.  I can see it at all times when I’m at my desk, and I receive many blessings from the photos that I have there.  Most of the photos are of people who I am honoring by placing their photos on the wall.  I have a photo of the now-former planet Pluto and one of the earth.  I also have a photo of a couple of therapy dogs that have been in my past.

And, I have two photos of Eeyore, the donkey in the Winnie The Pooh stories.  Eeyore, as you may know, comes across as a pessimistic and gloomy character who seems to have bad things happen to him.  Yet he always gets up, so to speak, dusts himself off, and goes on with life and living.

One of the photos I have shows Eeyore with his head between his front legs, looking back toward his tail.  The other shows him with Pooh and the caption, “Any day spent with you is my favorite day,” spoken by Pooh.

Eeyore is described by Wikepedia as physically one of the stronger animals of the series, and is often treated as a pack animal whenever a plot calls for one.  His house is regularly knocked down, but he always rebuilds it.  He usually expects misfortune to happen to him, accepts it when it does and rarely even tries to prevent it.  His catchphrases are "Thanks for noticin' me" and "Ohhh-kayyy.

I can certainly relate to Eeyore.  In fact, I’m sometimes referred to by that name by my family.  I suppose that’s because I’m just not the bubbly type.  I rarely show a lot of emotion, and have been told that I sometimes come across as angry or upset when I’m nowhere close to those emotions.  I don’t know that I always have bad things that happen to me, or that I don’t try to prevent those things from happening.  But, I’ve always thought that I go on with life and living when bad things happen, preferring to look ahead rather than continuing to live in the past.  And, as I said, I’m nowhere near the bubbly, outgoing type.  I’d much rather stand over in a corner in a crowd or not even be there in the first place.  Even if the crowd is people I know and love, I do better when I’m on my own, or at least separated somewhat from the crowds.

I don’t avoid crowds at all costs.  I attend concerts, visit zoos, parks, and other places where there is likely to be others gathered, and have gone on cruises, flown commercially, and enjoyed several vacations in places where there were crowds.  At our church, I teach classes, visit with other congregants, and enjoy my time there.  But I just seem to be more relaxed and “at home” when I’m alone or with my wife.

I know everyone is different.  I know there are the personalities that seem to relish being around others and do well at absorbing the energy that is found in crowds.  These are the ones who seem to be those we notice right away…that when they come into a room, everyone takes notice of their presence.  I’m not one of them.  Crowds don’t feed my energy level…I consume energy and am tired when I’ve been in a crowd for a time.  I’d prefer that no one much notice that I’m there, and let me just stand in the corner, so to speak, and observe and listen.

My friend Eeyore is on my wall of heroes.  Not because of his pessimistic and gloomy nature, but because of his resilience.  When his house is knocked down, he rebuilds it.  When he’s asked to be a pack animal, he does his job.  When he loses his tail, he has Chrisopher Robin pin it back on.  And he goes on about life and living, looking ahead rather than stewing and fretting about the past.    Blessings…

Thursday, February 08, 2024

The Surgery

 Almost three weeks ago, I had to have a couple of teeth removed.  One had broken off at the gum line.  The other was cracked up inside the gum and was aching.  I decided to have both of them removed and have implants later on this year after everything has healed.  That process consists of having “posts” implanted sometime in April, waiting for that to heal, and having the final restoration done sometime in June.

I tell you this because I went into this pretty much dreading the after effects of the removal surgery.  The last time I had any teeth removed was when I had wisdom teeth extracted some 50 or more years ago.  At that time I had just local anesthesia, and the after-effects were less than pleasant for a couple of days.  I also had an extended time of having to eat soft food, and was single, so I was on my own.

This time, I asked to be put under general anesthesia…conscious sedation, I think they call it.  Yet I wasn’t at all looking forward to the days following the surgery, knowing there would essentially be a couple of holes in my gums that I would have to keep clean, and I would have to be careful what I ate and how I chewed my food.

The surgery went well.  I don’t remember anything.  The discomfort following the surgery was minimal.  I took only two or three of the pain pills I was given, and for the next two or three days just took over the counter medications.  I did have to watch what and how I ate, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it might be.  My mouth has now pretty much healed, and I can eat practically anything.

I tell you these things because there is a larger principle here.  So often when we see something ahead of us that is an unknown, we tend to think the worst.  We dwell on the negative aspects.  Our brains immediately think about all that can go wrong.  We get worked up because of all of the possible problems, issues, and yes, I’ll say it, CHANGES that we will need to make in our daily routines because of what we think may be coming our way.  We are, after all, creatures of habit, comfort, and sameness.

Sometimes we are correct in our notion that things can go badly.  Our lives are upended.  Things go drastically wrong.  Permanent changes take place in our lives and in the lives of those we know and love.  But often, we become agitated and upset about a future event only to experience very little disruption, very little change, very little that we previously were dreading.

Jesus said this about worry in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel.

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?   Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

Most of us tend to fret and worry entirely too much.  We worry about things over which we have little or no control.  I’ve spoken before about how some of us get all worked up about national and international politics; yet we have virtually no control over anything that happens in those venues.  Things such as who becomes elected as President.  The various wars and conflicts over the world.  What the Congress will or won’t do.  Floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.  Who wins the Super Bowl.

These are things we can’t influence in any meaningful way.  Yes, we need to cast our votes.  Yes, we need to communicate as best we can with our elected representatives.  Yes, we need to be aware of what’s going on in the world.  But to worry, get upset, lose sleep, lose friends, and generally work oneself into a frenzy over these things is not only unproductive.  It is unhealthy.

So, like my interactions with the oral surgeon, and later on my regular dentist, it is not productive for me to worry.  It can even be unhealthy for me to get upset over something I need to do.

Life is much better when we take a moment to just breathe and relax.  Wind down and enjoy the time we have.  As was said in the old Alka Seltzer commercial, Try it.  You’ll like it.

Thursday, February 01, 2024

Political Theater

 It’s time for another Thursday Thought…Good Morning !!

 I’d like to venture into the world of politics for just a moment.  Now, don’t tune me out or turn me off.  It won’t be what you think.  I’m not going to rail against one person and extol the virtues of another.  I’m not going to talk about conservative versus liberal, Democrat versus Republican, or any of that.  Rather, I’d like to give you my take on how I cope with what goes on in the fantasy world otherwise known as political theater.

There are several political theaters in our culture.  There’s the national and international theaters.  Then we come closer to home with state politics, and finally local politics of various stripes…city, county, school districts, and so on.  Each of these theaters vies for our attention as citizens, voters, and supporters.  And each of these theaters has its own modus operandi, so to speak, regarding how, when, what, and why it communicates with us.

We in turn have a relationship with each of these political theaters.  For example, for the vast majority of us, our relationship with national and international politics can be described as distant at best.  Yes, we may have intense opinions about this or that regarding the national and international political scene.  Our world view may be such that we coalesce around one or another dogma, issue, or human political figure.  We may even participate in protests, marches, or other civic activities in order to express our opinion.  But the fact is that for the most of us, what we say or do in no way changes what happens in the national or international political scenes.

Our individual voices are seldom, if ever heard.  Instead, the communication is the other way around…the political interests talking to us.  Their primary job, it seems, is keeping us stirred up about this or that perceived failure of the other side, asking for money to “fight the good fight,” to keep the bad guys out of power, promising rainbows and unicorns if the “good guys” are in power, and letting us know that our nation as we know it will cease to exist and the apocalypse will commence if the other side wins.

However, with local politics, and to a somewhat lesser degree state politics, if we approach it in the right way, we will be heard.  The local politicians will listen.  We can have a productive dialog with them.  And we can effect change.

Additionally, we can engage ourselves in our community.  We can make our corner of the world a better place for our having been here.  We can partner with others to effectively make changes that we alone could not do.  As my friend Jennifer White says, “I can’t do everything, but I can do something.”  We may not be able to move the mountain that is national and international politics, but we can certainly put our shoulders against the hill that is local and state politics, and begin to facilitate a move toward a better local society.

“How?” you say.  I don’t know how you will gain a local politician’s ear, but for me, reaching out to that person displaying kindness, some knowledge of current events, expressing gratitude for their willingness to serve regardless of their political bent, and a desire for genuine conversations go a long way toward gaining an audience.  I’ve also found out that an offer a lunch date in a place that is relatively quiet so we can just visit over food and drink will often be the carrot for conversation.

I have the ear of my state representative, the person who will be my state senator next year, my city council person, the city council person of the district of where the church is located, my county commissioner, and others in city, county, and state government.  I don’t always agree with them, nor do they agree with me.  I explain my position and they explain theirs.  We sometimes agree to disagree and remain friends.  However, I know I have communicated with them, and I know they take what I say seriously and at least consider it as they deliberate and debate in city hall or the state capitol.

I have found that local and state politics is nowhere near the simple, fifteen-second sound byte or shouted slogan that the media and others would have one believe.  It’s messy, incredibly complicated, and reaches into the most inner workings of society and of individual lives.  It’s where we pretty much live as individuals and local community.

I’ve sort of sworn off of national and international politics.  I can’t change what happens.  I can’t communicate in any realistic way with my national representatives.  I am virtually an unknown, except as a source of money or ideological energy.  But with state and local politics, I can be someone…a person…a human being.  I can, if I approach them in a dignified way, with kindness and a willingness to listen and learn, have genuine conversation with my local representatives.  I can effect change.

And you can too.  Try it.  Get to know those who represent you locally.  It’s well worth the effort.  And don’t allow the media and political machines to rile you up with garbage speech, innuendo, and outright lies that should never see the light of day.  You’ll be healthier.  You’ll be happier.  You’ll be free from the scrum at the bottom of the cesspool.

One last thing.  Pray.  Pray, as Paul says in his letter to Timothy, “for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

 

Blessings.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Reminiscing

 As we get older, I think many of us begin to think more about times past and gone, and a little less about the future.  I think that’s normal, and is not in any way weird or out of the ordinary.  We especially think about events and times in our lives which at the time may have seemed like nothing, but in hindsight were pivotal in some way or another…a chance encounter with someone…our decision to go to work for this person or that company…our move to a certain neighborhood or city…the subjects we studied in school, or any number of other decisions and events that have come our way in life in times past.

More often than we’d like to think, those things that seemed trivial and of no importance ended up being of great importance in life.  Perhaps one day we decided to take an alternate route into work and something happened that would not have happened otherwise which gave us a new direction in life.  Maybe we made the decision to get some minor medical issue checked out, which turned into finding out about a serious condition that had just begun and could be easily treated.  Or we could have made a phone call, applied for a certain job, sent an email, or done one of any number of things which, although they seemed routine, in their own way caused a great shift in our trajectory in life.  And we tend as we get older, I think, to put some of these seemingly random and trivial events into some kind of story which results in our being who and what we are today.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, in my mind I’ve been doing that kind of “putting together” of those seemingly random events over the past few years.  I sometimes find myself awake at an odd hour of the night putting events and happenings together from my past that make sense now, but then were just random things that occurred.  It’s utterly amazing that if any one of thousands of decisions and events of past life had occurred differently, in all probability I would not be where I am today, and would not be with the woman who is my wife today.  I would have different friends.  My relationship with my family would be different.  I would have different children and grandchildren…or perhaps none at all.  I might well be living in a different place, doing something different, or perhaps would already be dead and gone.  It’s really mind-numbing to plumb through even one aspect of one’s past, connecting the dots of various events and decisions, and realizing the incredible significance of that decision or that certain event as it pertains to who and what I now am.

In looking at all of this, I am left with a question that countless people have asked before me and will continue to ask as time goes on.  Did all of these things happen randomly, and just happen to work out the way they did?  Or has there been some force or intelligence behind it all, encouraging, leading, and guiding these things?  Is there some grand scheme for my life, and for the lives of everyone else, or are we just playing with random chance in life?

I confess I don’t know with certainty that there is an answer to those questions…at least an answer that we can understand, comprehend, and prove.  It seems so unlikely that all of these events, situations, and decisions in my life could have been sheer chance; yet it is equally unfathomable that chance could possibly have brought me to the place where I am today.

Chance is just that…chance.  There is no intelligence in chance.  Chance has no mind…chance has no thoughts…chance has no motives.  There is no overriding purpose in chance.  There is no morality or sense of “oughtness” in chance.  Chance is incapable of being concerned with the individual, cannot validate the individual as something of value, or long for the good of an individual…or for the world for that matter.

Yet to consider a being…God, if you will…who orchestrates, nudges, encourages, plans, leads, and loves individuals to the extent that at least some of what occurs in life does so at His bidding, is equally unfathomable and unexplainable.

I would think, however, that the truth has to be one of those two situations…either sheer chance or a god-like being who operates within the universal order, but is not part of that universal order.

As a practicing Christian, I choose to believe in the God of Noah, Abraham, Jacob, David, Peter, Paul, and the others I find in the Holy Bible.  I don’t, in that belief, pretend to understand how He works in my life and in the lives of others.  Nor do I believe that literally every move I make is somehow orchestrated by Him and I am no more than a puppet on strings doing his bidding.  But I can’t even remotely begin to fathom the idea of chance bringing me to where I am now…that would, in my opinion, require much more faith on my part than believing in the God of the Universe.

I don’t know about you.  You may not do much “reminiscing,” about things of the past.  Or maybe you do.  Nor do I know whether you believe in chance or in a supreme being who is living and active in the world and in your life.  I would ask you, however, to carefully consider the evidence…consider your life…your history…and the role that chance may have played in it…or that God may have played in it.

I think if you’re thinking reasonably and rationally, you’ll come to much the same conclusion as I have…that there indeed is a God who is living, active, and works in the world and in the lives of his people, including me and you.

 

Blessings.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Max

 This past Saturday was a perfectly normal day in our household.  We were thoroughly ensconced in our home out of the bitter cold and wind, taking the day easy, as the latest polar vortex was screaming outside .  The cold had come into the Great Plains a couple of days before, and we weren’t too eager to get out into it.

As we were watching an NFL game on the TV, we got a call from Laura, our daughter-in-law, telling us that they had taken their house cat Max to the emergency veterinary clinic.  The news wasn't good.  Max, a 17 year old cat, rescued from a shelter as a youngster, and who had been with the family from the beginning, wasn't going to get better.  His organs were shutting down, and he had not long to live, even with intensive and expensive intervention.

Rachel, our oldest grand, came into the family about the same time as Max.  All the kids have ever known was Max the house cat.  Mild-mannered, Max allowed little kids to pull his tail, grab him, and love him in the ways that little kids sometimes do.  When he had enough of their play, he just disappeared somewhere until a better time.  He became very adept at being on the floor in the middle of a lot of feet, but seldom being stepped on…he developed some really good moves while navigating the crowds of kids and grown-ups.  And later on, he could often be found on the back of the sofa or on someone’s lap, just cooling his heels and looking wise.  Max was the epitome of calm in the storm of six kids and two adults in the same house.

This was going to be a tough rest-of-the-day, because wee knew that Max wouldn’t be coming back home.  Tough on the grand kids.  Tough on Laura and Scott.  Tough on us all. 

Scott and Laura left Max at the clinic where they had taken him and received news they didn’t want to hear, while they went back to the house to break the news to the kids.  Just before they left the clinic, they called and told us.  We volunteered to go out to the house and be with them when they let the kids know.  We bundled up against the cold and wind, and got to the house a few minutes before Laura and Scott, telling the grands once we were there that we came out to watch them until their parents got back.

In a few minutes, Laura and Scott came home.  We gathered around the dining table, and the news was broken to the kids.  It didn't take long for the kids themselves to be broken.  We worked through the news about Max for the next 30 minutes or so around the table.  Any of the kids who wanted to see Max one last time could go back with us to the clinic, but if one or more wanted to stay home, we would stay with them.  All wanted to go.  Son Michael and grand Estella had come down from Hutchinson after hearing the news to be with everyone too.  I'm grateful they chose to come and support us all.  So we gathered our coats, our favorite comfort stuffed animals, etc., and went to the clinic.

At the clinic, there was a “family” room we could use to say our good-byes to Max.  They brought him in and we spent a good 45 minutes or so with him...with Scott holding him.  Each of the kids got to sit next to him for a time.  We talked.  We cried.  We wiped tears.  We held.  We even laughed from time to time.

Finally, Scott was ready.  The veterinarian came in, told us what she would be doing, and carried it out.  Max went peacefully over the rainbow bridge, held and stroked and loved by his family.  They decided to take Max home and bury him on the family property.  The clinic prepared a bag and a box for Max, took his paw prints to give to the family, and we started out for home.  It was over.

I tell this story to say that even though Pat and I knew Max very well, he wasn't our cat...his family was Scott and Laura and kids.  Yet I felt pretty much drained a couple of hours after coming home from the clinic.  These things take an emotional toll even on those of us who are a little more detached from the situation than others and provide support for the grieving.  I can't imagine how the veterinary staff emotionally handles these things.

By the way, they (the staff) did great.  Caring.  Communicating.  Compassionate.  I have nothing but praise for them and for the physical facilities, which had “family” rooms for these kinds of things, televisions, crayons, etc to keep the younger kids occupied, and water, snacks, and restrooms for us if needed.

On the way home from the clinic, I told Pat that what we did...being with the family...was important tonight.  I think it mattered that we were there.  I think it mattered that we cared.  I think it mattered that Uncle Mike and Cousin Estella came down from Hutchinson.  I think it mattered that we were grieving along with them.

The days will go on.  Max is buried on the home place and will forever be in the hearts of those of us who were his family.  These things are never easy.  But in this broken creation, they are necessary...until the Day all death will be abolished forever.  As the song says, “What a day…glorious day…that will be.”

 

Blessings.

Thursday, January 11, 2024

The Blessing of Music

 In early 2021, I heard of a CD by Carrie Underwood that was about to be released.  The CD was a collection of older hymns that she compiled, arranged, and sang.  The CD is titled “My Savior.”  There are thirteen songs recorded there, including “Softly and Tenderly”, “Blessed Assurance,” and others.  I waited until the CD was released, then ordered it.  When I received it, I put it in the CD player of my pickup.  It is still there in the player, and in fact has been the only CD in the player since it was first put there almost three years ago.

I played it continually for the first year or so, with breaks only occasionally to listen to classical music on the public radio station.  I listen to it a little less often now, but still have it active in the player about half of the time I’m in the pickup, alternating with classical music on the radio.

I’ve often wondered why I many times would turn off the classical station and start the CD from where it left off.  I’ve wondered what it is about that CD that brings me to want to hear it again for at least the two hundred and forty second time.  I’m not a country music fan.  Ms. Underwood can rightly be branded a country music singer.  I’m not necessarily smitten with Ms. Underwood, either.  The only thing I have left is the music itself…not necessarily the way it has been arranged and sung, although those things have, in my mind, enhanced the messages of the songs.  It’s the words that go along with the “enhanced” musical score and go along with Ms. Underwood’s voice and emotion that is palpable in her singing.  It’s the words.  It’s the message.

 

“Come home.  Come home.  Ye who are weary, come home.”

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.”

“Just as I am, without one plea; but that thy blood was shed for me.”

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.  Because He lives, all fear is gone.”

“Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father.  Thou changest not…thy compassions they fail not.”

“He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood.”

“Jesus loves me; this I know.’

 

The words of these hymns are as close to timeless as words can be.  And dare I say that many of the words of these songs are truly inspired…inspired by and through the work of the Spirit of God moving in the hearts and minds of the authors…authors such as Will Thompson, John Newton, Bill & Gloria Gaither, Thomas Chisholm, Anna Bartlett Warner and others.  Words that in turn can inspire, comfort, instruct, and bless.

This CD and these hymns can calm my stress, relieve my anxiety, and make me a better driver.  They can prepare me for what may be a rough day at work.  They can encourage me to think beyond the here-and-now.  They can bring to light a reality that transcends any obstacles which may appear in my day.

And sometimes, they just make a good alternative to the radio.  Sometimes I will flip through the stations I’ve put on my radio buttons just to hear the noise coming out of those channels.  Some may be in the middle of a ten-minute commercial break.  Others may be playing some kind of modern noise to which I cannot relate.  Still others may be in a “newstalk” time where someone is raving about the world ending as we know it if this politician gets his or her way.  Or they’re spouting some kind of conspiracy theory or selling a book.

It is then that I switch to the CD and take comfort in a God who is always there, knows exactly what’s happening, knows what he’s doing with His creation, and has promised me a future with him.

I don’t know about you.  Maybe music doesn’t spiritually move you to any great extent.  Maybe it does, but it isn’t hymns…instead, it may be music like Handel’s Messiah or southern gospel.  Maybe it’s music like what is found on Light 99 FM.  Everyone is different, and everyone has their own way of approaching God, appreciating God, and communing with God.  For me, the CD we’ve been talking about, along with some other forms of spiritually-based music are one of the primary ways I connect with the God of the universe.

What is your connection?  How do you approach God?  What part, if any, does music play in your relationship with him?  Humanity has been given a marvelous gift…the gift of music…the gift of poetry…the gift of authors and composers who have been inspired in some way by the Spirit of God to create.

 

May God bless you in the coming days.

Thursday, January 04, 2024

Prayer

 Good morning, and welcome.

 I’m not sure at this point what my topic for this Thursday Thought will be.  There are so many things rattling around in my head, and none of them are settling in right now for a cohesive thought.  There’s a lot going on in the world, just as there always has been.  However, in today’s world, we are exposed to a lot more of it than we were just a few decades ago.  We get instant news, instant commentary, and instant conspiracy theories.  And those things come at us several different ways…many times now through social media and the Internet.  Television, radio, and print make up a lot of the remainder, with personal interaction making up a small part.

News organizations have reporters and photographers embedded in much of the world.  I was reading an article on the recent bombing in Iran conducted by the United States and coalition forces which killed a leader of a militant group there.  The report spoke of an Associated Press photographer in Iran who was allowed to photograph the results of the bombing.  I can’t imagine being a member of the press in a place like that.  The stress level must be about 18 on a scale of 1 to 10.

We can know much about what’s going on in China…Argentina…Australia…The Sudan…Israel…Great Britain…Russia…Canada…and any other place in the world you’d like to name, just be doing a little searching on line.  And of course, Washington DC is always in the news in some form or another, as well as various state capitals, and even sometimes the city halls of larger cities.

It can all be so overwhelming, especially when we realize that there is nothing we can do to change things.  We have no say in whether or not another bombing will take place in Iran.  We cannot in any way shape the Israel/Hamas war.  We have no access to our elected senators and representatives, and certainly we don’t have the ear of the President.  We’d be lost in Topeka trying to make our way through the jungle of state government.  And we even have difficulty contacting our city council person, county commissioner, or our mayor in any meaningful way.

I think the combination of so much news and information…most of it telling us that something bad is going on…and our inability to do anything about it in any meaningful way eats on us as well.  Our stress level goes up.  Our uneasiness increases.  We become fearful of the next thing to happen.  We become hooked on news cycles and search for news outlets that slant the news in ways that we like, so that we can better manage the stress.

We align ourselves with people and groups that appear to have answers, or at least have the ear of those who are making the decisions.  Most often, however, these people and groups have no answers, but our joining their rhetoric makes us feel better…makes us feel like we are doing something…anything to reduce the stress and fear.

And then, to cap it all off, when we drive in downtown Wichita, we see a woman bent over under a load of things she’s carrying, disheveled, dirty, and unhoused…going from who knows where to who knows where.  She is one of hundreds who have no place to call home, and countless more who are couch-surfing or rooming in with relatives or friends.

The unhoused woman is a microcosm of a society that is ill.  In addition to homelessness, drug addiction, violence, mass shootings, lack of health care, too many incarcerated, too many who are hungry, and other ailments plague us as we make our way through life and living.  These are things that we can see…that we can experience…right here at home.  And we feel helpless here, too.  There is so much violence.  So much addiction.  So much homelessness.  So much hunger.

It rapidly gets to the point that we just check out.  We become numb.  We just try to get through the day.  We ensconce ourselves in a sort of cocoon, just in order to survive.  We become depressed.  We see therapists.  We medicate ourselves, either legally or illegally.  Is it any wonder we are the way we are?

I’m not going to leave you in a state of depression, though.  Yes, the problems are real.  Yes, we have real issues in society and in the world.  It is correct also that we seemingly don’t have any control over any of this…that the world is running amuck.  However, as Christians, there is something very powerful that we can do.

In the New Testament book of James, we read this:  “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Paul the apostle tells Timothy to “Pray for kings and others in power, so we may live quiet and peaceful lives as we worship and honor God.”

These are just two of the many places in both the Old and New Testaments where we either are instructed to pray, or find examples of people who prayed.

Prayer does two things.

First, prayer puts us in touch with someone who, unlike us, is able to do something about whatever situation about which we have a concern.  If we as Christians truly believe in an all-powerful God who continues to be living and active in His creation, our prayers connect us with that God in a powerful way.

Second, through prayer, we can reach beyond any barrier to directly affect the outcome of any given situation in the world today.  We don’t have to travel to Gaza, Iran, or China to affect some situation.  We can go there in prayer, bypassing all of the barriers that are in our way.

And I’ll give you a third point.  Prayer reduces our anxiety and calms our fears.  Prayer gives us peace and contentment, even in the world we live in today.  Prayer is the great healer.

Well, I never did get to a real topic for this Thursday Thought, so I’ll close with this:  this new year, if you don’t already do so, take even a minute or two out of every day to engage in prayer.  Reach out to the One who can do immeasurably more than we can ask or even think.

 

Blessings,

Thursday, December 28, 2023

What Can I Do?

 Over the years, I’ve taken notice of the fact that as far as the national and international stages are concerned, I’m pretty much a non-entity.  For example, I can’t affect the outcome of the Israel-Hamas war.  I can’t change the outcome of the New Hampshire primary.  Whether or not people are found guilty or not guilty of crimes having to do with the 2020 election is nothing I can affect.  I have no control over earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.  I can’t stop rampant inflation, corruption, and spreading poverty in developing and third-world nations.  My feeble attempts to slow climate change are like spitting in the wind.

The twenty-four hour news cycle does its best to keep me riled up and hunkered down behind my ideological wall.  I am supposed to be angry at certain people and groups; upset with how things are turning out in government, and worried sick about inflation and corruption.  The stress and strain of it all isn’t good for my health, my well-being, or my relationships.

So, does that mean that I just chuck it all and go live under a bridge somewhere?  As a follower of Jesus Christ, what do I expect of myself?  What does God expect of me?  How can I help bring redemption and God’s peace to the world?  What do I do?

First, pray.  Prayer takes me out to places and events that otherwise I would have no contact with in any meaningful way.  I can pray for peace.  I can pray for wise leadership.  I can pray for the solving of seemingly intractable problems and issues.  I can pray for the raising up of people who CAN affect these issues.  I can even pray that I will be brought to an understanding of what to pray for.  I can reach out to Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Hamas, New Hampshire, Washington D.C., and other places that I otherwise have no avenue to, through prayer, petitioning for peace, relief, and justice.

Second, quoting my friend Jennifer White, I may not be able to do everything, but I can do something.  Politically, I can talk with my city council representative.  I can communicate with my state representatives.  I can participate in both local and national elections as an informed…not an ideological…voter.  I can join with others on a local level to effect change that will bring about justice, mercy, and peace.  I can contribute my time, energy, and resources as I can and am able.  Above all, I can be understanding regarding the opinions of others and also understand that my world view is just that…my point of view…and is not the once-for-all solution to all of life’s problems.

I can also do other things that at first glance seem to be nothing of substance.  I can open a door for someone, pick up some trash and litter, be pleasant with the clerk at the hardware store, be understanding when the teller at the bank seems to be having a bad day.  I can tip the wait person more than a minimal amount.  I can drive defensively and humanely, and not like a screaming banshee.  I can give deference to someone; affirm someone’s humanity; say, “I’m sorry,” and hug my grand kids.

I can donate food, clothing, time, energy, and cash to those places and causes who will make use of it to help redeem their and my corner of the world.  The place to begin with that is, in my view, the local church in its outreach to the poor, the addicted, the sick, and the troubled.  Beyond the church, there are countless non-profits and orgs who do wonderful things in so many ways.  Choose one or two and become part of their community in some way.

I can also do my best to develop and foster good relationships with my spouse, my family, my friends and those who I encounter in my daily life.  Even in this broken world, kindness and civility go a long way toward good relationships.  I can think of others before I think of myself.  The list goes on.  I can defer to others when possible.  Let my speech be gracious.  Treat others like I would want to be treated.  And love my neighbor.  Grow close to God.  Allow Him to guide my steps.

As you can readily see, the things that I CAN do are really a tall order.  I won’t be able to do all of these all the time, nor will I do them perfectly.  There will be times when I break down the façade of grace and kindness, and, for example, drive Kellogg like a wild banshee.  There will be times when I am not pleasant with the store clerk.  There will be times when I’d rather banish my grand kids from my presence instead of hugging them.  And there will be times when I don’t treat others at all like I’d like to be treated.  I won’t carry though with my prayers and petitions.  I’ll become agitated with the latest scandal that comes out of Washington.  And I’ll watch far too much news coverage…much more than I need or want.

However, like good wine, as I age, I also grow.  Grow in grace.  Grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Grow in becoming more like him.  I become more aware of my influence on others in life as well as my limitations, both physical and mental.  I can’t do everything…I never could…but I always could, and can continue to do something.

 

Blessings.