A Thanksgiving Encounter

 It isn't unusual for someone to call our church office during the week and ask for some kind of benevolent help. I am usually the one who handles such calls. Wednesday was no exception. Our office manager forwarded a call to me from a woman who we will call Norma who was asking for blankets, pull-ups for her toddler, and possibly some fuel for her vehicle so she could get to work.

I took the call and visited with Norma a bit, asking her what she needed. After she told me, I explained that we didn't have any pull-ups or blankets at the church, but that our food pantry might have those items. However, the pantry is open only on Mondays and Tuesdays. I told her I would give her information on the pantry hours and location, then asked her about her need for fuel.

Norma said she worked at a local industry on the assembly line (not aircraft or any business connected with aircraft). I knew from experience that this business paid somewhat better than unskilled labor, but not much. In fact, it wasn't unusual for us to help someone who worked at that business with fuel.. She said she was off work today, but needed to go in tomorrow at 6am and didn't have the gas to make it to work or the money to buy it..

We only recently re-started our benevolent program after having to suspend it due to a lack of funds. I told her we could help with fuel, and explained that I usually met the person at a Quick Trip or Dillons and pumped the gas for them. We made arrangements to meet in a few minutes at a station and I left the building to pump the gas.

Arriving at the Quick Trip, I met a short, somewhat heavy-set woman with short hair, wearing a light jacket. Her vehicle was about twenty years old, dented up and with a bungee cord holding the passenger door together. As I pumped the gas, we visited. Norma said she had completed her GED, and had also just received a certificate that would enable her to perform more skilled tasks at work. She said her little one was three years old and, I presume since she needed pull-ups was in the middle of potty training. She seemed to be pretty much on top of things, but just needed a little help in the present.

My normal procedure in such encounters is to not only pump gas but also offer ten or twenty dollars church cash for whatever they might need, and to give them a bit more dignity for awhile. I asked Norma how much pull-ups would cost. She told me that the box she normally buys was around twenty five dollars, but she could buy a smaller box for less money if necessary. I had twenty dollars in church cash with me and offered it to her.

The look and attitude of being “on top of things” quickly evaporated from her face and I could tell she was becoming emotional. I then quickly thought that the twenty dollars probably wouldn't be enough for the pull-ups, and as she was thanking me for the money, I told her to wait. I pulled out my wallet and gave her another twenty for not only pull-ups but also for some other thing she might need. At that, her face cratered, so to speak, and sobbing she thanked me profusely and asked if she could give me a hug.

I agreed, and as we were hugging, she continued to embrace me and tell me that her daughter had been born premature, had spent a lot of time in the Nic-U, had had medical issues in her short lifetime, but was doing OK at least for now at age 3. She also told me she had just recently gotten out of an abusive relationship and was in the process of healing and recovery from that. Norma again expressed her appreciation to the church for the tank of gas and the financial help.

I gave her information on our food pantry along with some advice on what to ask for when she goes there. We parted then, she going her way and I going mine.

I don't often do this, but will follow up with Norma in a couple of days to see how she is doing. She expressed interest in the church, and as I don't think on my feet very well, I didn't follow up on that statement. I will when I contact her again. I will also tell her of another place that may have some things she might need that I hadn't thought to tell her when we met at the Quick Trip, again because I don't think well on my feet.

I tell you this rather long story to say that these kinds of encounters truly amaze me for a number of reasons. The first is the number of people who do not have the financial means to even buy a tank of gas or diapers for a child. There are many...many people “out there” who are surviving on little more than a wish and a hope. They work hard...by far the great majority are just like Norma. They have a job that pays, but not enough for a middle class life. They struggle mightily with the basics...shelter, food, heat, and transportation. They don't have the funds for hygiene items or even coffee or a soft drink at at Quick Trip.

Second, I am blown away by the number of people who are in or have gotten out of abusive relationships or relationships that aren't beneficial or loving. Norma is yet another one who has been taken advantage of and suffers, I'm sure, from feelings of worthlessness, depression, and guilt. She may well be a walking mental health case.

Third, I am surprised still by the things people will tell me...someone they do not know, have never met before, and may never encounter again. Norma told me things after the wall of confidence cracked apart that she had been holding in and may well have not told very many others about. And she did so in a public place, outside, at a gas station. I even heard a couple of the specific physical things her abuser did to her. We just stood there holding each other for a minute or so as it spilled out of her. Although I've done this numerous times before, the hug thing was becoming somewhat embarrassing to me, yet I didn't want to dissuade her from saying her piece or physically push her away from me. She didn't need any more indignity or rejection heaped upon her.  And, that moment was powerful for us both, I believe.

What do I make of all of this? I still, after years of doing this, don't have the answers. I don't even know with certainty what questions to ask or who to ask them of. How do people get into these life situations? Is it generational? What do they need to do to get out of their multiple predicaments? Is there any hope that they will be able to do so, or are they too far down to rise above it all? What about the role of society? Are we asking the right questions and working to provide the right answers? How do we know if we are or aren't? Is there an ultimate answer of some kind, or will we always have people who I sometimes describe as a train wreck? What should be the Christian response? Do I need to go through the WWJD exercise yet again? How do we respond as a church, and are we responding as we should as the people of God? And those questions are just the beginning.

And then I look at my life. I can pay the bills. I am warm, fed, clothed, and have access to medical and dental care. I will sleep in a comfortable bed in relative safety tonight. I have cash in my wallet, a large line of available credit, and money in the bank. My fuel tank is full. I have loving family and friends. My blessings are innumerable and overwhelming. And then the questions start again. With all of the blessings that are mine, what are my obligations to those without? And one more time, WWJD? How do I help, but not enable? Am I a Good Samaritan, or am I a priest or levite who moves to the other side of the road away from the one who is hurting?

Maybe you ask those kinds of questions also. Maybe not. It is, however, my hope that your reading this will prompt you to think...and to act. Blessings.

Some Humility

 

Good morning, and welcome.

 I know this is Thanksgiving week.  The thought for today doesn’t directly tie into the holiday, but there is a connection…both my wife and I had occasion to give thanks last week, as well as learn a lesson or two in humility.

 Every once in a while, something happens to remind me that humans are fallible creatures.  Yes, I know we like to think of ourselves as having it all together, able to take hold of and deal with anything that comes our way during the day.  But there are times when we are told in no uncertain terms that our capability to get through the day unscathed is just a fairy tale.  Most of the time, what happens isn’t a big deal in itself, but it often makes us think about life and how fallible…how dependent we are.

 Two recent incidents come to mind.  One happened to my wife…the other to me.  Neither was a huge deal, but we both were reminded of our humanity and the need for humility.

 Last weekend, my wife and I went to Towne West Mall to walk the public area.  It was cold outside and we need the exercise, so we went to a place that was warm.  Most malls don’t mind having “walkers” in the mall, and Towne West is no exception.  The day we were there we noticed several people doing the same thing we were doing.

 We wore our coats into the mall, but the wife shed hers when she got inside.  We walked the perimeter of the commons area, got our exercise, and went back home.  On the way out the mall door, she noticed that she didn’t have her small purse with her.  Thinking she didn’t bring it to the mall, we went home and found it wasn’t there.  We looked in the car and didn’t find it.  So we went back to the mall, hoping to find it in the parking lot.  It was not to be.

 We were becoming increasingly more nervous at the prospect of a mall patron picking up her purse and using the credit cards, identification, etc. for nefarious purposes.  So once we got into the mall, we went to the mall office, which was closed as it was a Saturday.  There was a sign on the door that said if we needed something to call security.  So we did.

 Security directed us to their office where the man asked her to describe what she lost.  She did and he said, “I think we have it here.”  He went to the back room and brought it out, intact.  He said one of the “walkers” who had been coming to the mall for years found it and turned it in.  Our stress level came down considerably upon seeing her purse.  We thanked him profusely and went on our way.

 A few days ago, I lost the keys to my pickup.  Normally, they are in my left jeans pocket, but  they weren’t there and nowhere to be found in the house or garage.  I figured that I had dropped them when I was running some errands the day before, and didn’t think much of it since I had a spare set and whoever might have found them wouldn’t know what to do with them anyway.

 I didn’t have occasion to drive the pickup for three or four days.  When I did need to use it, I got in with the spare set of keys and tried to insert the key into the ignition.  The key wouldn’t go in.  I tried a second time and got the same result.  I wondered what in the world was wrong with the key that it wouldn’t go in, so I looked down at the ignition and saw that the keys that I had “lost” were in the ignition.  I had failed to remove them a few days before, for some reason.

 Neither of these incidents resulted in a catastrophic outcome.  Both were eventually taken care of without incident.  Yet it is these kinds of things that serve to remind us of our fallibility, our need for the good will of others, and the reality that we are getting along in years and may not be quite as savvy in some areas of life as we once were.

 I usually try to end these Thursday thoughts with some kind of spiritual truth.  That truth for today?  As much as we might like to assert our independence, our capabilities, our self-care, and our lack of need, we know that at the core, we are dependent in so many ways.  In the case of the missing purse, we were dependent on the good will and honesty of people we didn’t know, both the one who found the purse and the security man who held it.  We were dependent on the mall for providing security.  And the list could go on.

 And for the missing keys, although no one else was involved in finding them or turning them in to lost and found, I realized that I did not do what I normally do…take out the keys and put them in my pocket.  Nor did I recall not doing that.  Several days passed until I found them, shall we say, accidently.  I’m still puzzled by my lack of care in handling them and wonder what else I fail to do from time to time.

 Out of a host of Biblical references on humility, one of my favorites is in Micah 6:8 where the prophet says this:  “God has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

 May God bless you this holiday season.

Gas Pumps & Faith

 

Good morning and welcome! 

 A few days ago I was at the QuickTrip helping a man with some fuel for his car so he could get back and forth to work.  While we were at the gas pump, he asked me this question.  “Are belief and faith the same thing?”

 Now, I don’t know what your answer would be, but my answer was, “No.”  The man looked puzzled and asked what the difference was between belief and faith.

 I’m not very good at thinking on my feet, but came up with this rather lame description of belief and faith.  “Belief,” I said, “Is when I can look at the gas pump here and say that the color of it is black.  I don’t need anyone else to confirm it for me…I can see it for myself, and I believe what my eyes are telling me.”

 “Faith is when I can’t see the pump for myself, but you can see it and you tell me that the color is black, and because I trust you (due to past experience with you always being truthful and faithful to me), I have faith (the positive assurance) that the pump color is black and can confidently say that it is black without ever having seen it for myself.”

 I don’t know if that’s a very good explanation or not, but it got me to thinking further about the relationship between belief and faith.  We are told in the New Testament book of James that the devils even believe, but they tremble because their belief won’t do them any good in the end.  We’re told elsewhere in the book of Hebrews that faith is the assurance of the hoped-for things and the evidence for those things that are not seen.

 Actually, I’ve always wondered just how good that Biblical explanation of faith is.  I have to wonder if the description of faith has lost something in the transfer of the thought from the Greek culture to ours, or if there is something about the translation from the Greek into the English that is a little off, because it seems to be a rather difficult description to comprehend, at least for me.  Or, maybe I’m just a little dense when it comes to understanding things like this.

 At any rate, I’d like to go to one or two more places in the Bible.  The writer says, in what we call the great faith chapter of the Bible, Hebrews 11, “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  And in the book of James again, we are told that, “Faith without works is useless.”

 Going back to the gas pump thing, I now, in hindsight, would have taken the definition of faith farther.  Faith is not only the assurance that what you tell me is always true and right, but because of my belief in you and the assurance I have that the pump is black, I now act on that and do something as a result…perhaps I buy more black paint to paint the other pumps.  My action…my doing…is a direct result of my belief in what you have told me…belief that has come because my history with you has always been one of honesty and doing what you say you will do.

 Now, let’s translate that to spiritual things for a moment.  Not only do I believe that God exists, I also know by past experience, and by the historical record that is in the Bible, that God always does what He promises, and He always tells me the truth.  Because of that history with God, I have the assurance that He will continue to fulfill His promises and will keep His word.  And because of that assurance, I naturally respond in love for Him and for my neighbor, and jmn in good works of service as I partner with God and with other people to help bring renewal to the creation.

 OK, I don’t know that even this is an adequate description of faith.  I do know that this exercise has helped me see aspects of faith and relationship that I’ve not seen clearly before now.  I hope it has helped you too, at least somewhat.

 It is interesting to me how chance encounters such as the one at the QuickTrip, can lead to this kind of thought and discussion and result in a better understanding of life and living as a Christian on mission in a crazy world.  May your day be filled with the love and grace of a merciful God.

 Blessings.

Ordinary Days

 Good afternoon and welcome to a, at least in our neck of the woods, chilly Thursday.  This morning early the temperature was in the mid 60’s.  Now with the passage of a strong cold front, it has dropped to the 40’s and is forecast to stay there during the day for the next week to 10 days.  Lows at night are expected in the low to mid 20’s.  So it seems a foretaste of winter has indeed arrived in Kansas.

 Life and work are what one makes of them, I’ve often heard.  And I suppose that’s true for my life and my work at an urban church in Wichita, Kansas.  My days often run the gamut of emotions and life situations.  There is often in every day an element of boredom, contentment, excitement, surprise, learning, accomplishment, satisfaction, apprehension, and other emotions and feelings interspersed into the day.  Here are just a couple of things that have happened recently which could probably be put into one or more of the above categories.

 I made it a point some years ago to always have a Bible in my office that I could give to someone who requests one.  And, I wanted a Bible that was nicer than just the inexpensive, five-dollar kind that often are given out.  So I ordered several with a leather-look cover, extensive aids and helps, and is in an understandable, readable version.  I’ve had three of those Bibles on my shelf for a couple of years, one of which is a large-print version, with no one asking for one…until yesterday when an unknown man came to our church door and asked for a Bible.  I gave him one and he went on his way.

 Today, another man came to the door with a similar request.  That may not seem like much to you, but I was genuinely surprised that two Bibles in two days went out the door.  I have to wonder if they talked to each other, or if there is something going on on the street…these guys were homeless individuals…that I’m not aware of.  I’m now ordering a few more.

 Yesterday was election day nationwide.  I don’t know how you voted, and that’s really none of my business.  However, I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied that so many people went to the polls and expressed their opinions through the ballot.  And, although not all of my candidates won, I was generally pleased with how things turned out.

 I had been somewhat apprehensive as the day approached, and made a conscious effort to distance myself from social media and television ads because of all of the hype.  That tactic seemed to work, along with the confidence that God ultimately has the final say and that I have no idea who really, really should be in or out of this or that office when it comes to the will of God and His plan for his creation.

 I received an email from a friend earlier this week asking me to list several books I would want to have in my library if I could only have those books and not have access to others.  I enjoyed thinking back to books I had read and was happy to recommend several of them to her.  In turn, she asked to borrow some of them, which I am pleased to do for her.

 That exercise in recalling books also got me to thinking about times past of which these books were a part.  I was excited to answer her question about books and equally pleased to be able to take a trip to the past, even if for only a brief time.

 Monday, however, was really a slow day at the office.  Not much in the way of phone calls, people at the door, or needs that could be met.  And after I spent an hour or so at the beginning of the day answering emails and catching up on things I had to do, the rest of the day stretched out in front of me.  So I picked up a couple of books I’ve been trying to read and made some good inroads toward getting that done.

 However, it’s difficult for me to spend hours just reading.  Every twenty or thirty minutes, I’d get up and walk around inside or outside of the building.  I went on a longer walk in the afternoon…about 30 minutes.  And I checked email and messages every so often to keep up with that.  So I would categorize Monday as a day of some boredom as well as a day of learning and accomplishment.

 OK, you get the picture, I think.  What are your days like?  Are they filled with anxiety, nervousness, and stress?  Do you have places in your day to relax and just let things go?  Are you at a place where it is difficult or impossible for you to move around as you’d like or you no longer can read or do some of the other things that tend to make life pleasant and enjoyable?  Do you “stop and smell the roses,” so to speak and express gratitude for your blessings in some way?

 And how have you made a place in your day for God?  Do you think of Him often?  Do you have some kind of quiet time or devotional time?  What about prayer?  Meditation?  Did you have good relationships with those you interacted with during your day?  Did you say “Please” and “Thank you” to others?  Yes, those words are still in use and work wonders.  Did you see someone in need or hear of some situation where help was needed?  What did you do to help with that need or situation?  What did you do with the words of Jesus when he said that we are to love others as He has loved us and to love God wholeheartedly, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves?

 Some things are more important than who was elected to this or that office or the fact that two Bibles went out of the church door in consecutive days.  Some things transcend our feelings and emotions that come and go during the day.  Some things come our way intentionally and demand some kind of loving response.

 May God bless you and yours during this season of Thanksgiving.

Election Time

 

Good morning, and welcome to another edition of Thursday Thought.

 It’s mid-term election time in the nation.  All of the House of Representatives, a third of the Senate, and many state and local elections are being held this November.  In many ways, this election is more important than the election for President because many of those on the ballot this go-around are people who most affect the average citizen’s daily life.  County commissioners, school board members, state representatives, district court judges, and so on are many of those who are on the ballot this time.  I would hope that all who are eligible will take this opportunity to make their voice heard.

 There is a somewhat darker side, however, to this season.  Misinformation, attack ads on TV, and outright falsehoods seem to have a sort of life of their own.  This is really nothing new.  Political races in this nation have always been a sort of knock-down…drag-out affair.  From the founding of the nation, political opponents have stretched the truth, fabricated lies, and impugned the integrity of their opponents in a bid to be elected to office.  It’s just part of the process.

 Television and social media, however, have amplified political rancor in the modern day.  Something said 2,000 miles away in a local political race is sometimes picked up and goes viral…and millions of people know what was said and form some sort of opinion.  Many of them then keep things stirred up by expressing their opinions on a matter on which they have only snippets of information.

 OK, you say.  Where are you going with all of this?  Well, as you might guess if you’re a regular viewer of Thursday thought, I’m going to the spiritual side of things with this.

 Wait, you say.  There’s a spiritual side to political issues?  Yes, of course there is.  And one of the big parts of the spiritual side of things is how Christians are to behave in times like these.  With the political divisions becoming more pronounced in society, and with all of the misinformation and attacks on opponents, to say nothing of the conspiracy theories and all that goes with them, what, exactly should be the response of the Christian?

 Let’s do a little review.  What did Jesus say was the first and greatest commandment?  Of course, it is to Love the Lord your God with all your soul, heart, mind, and strength.  And then what did Jesus say was one just like the first?  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  And it’s the second, which Jesus says is just like the first, that I want to key in on in this discussion.

 When we as Christians allow political issues to cause us to attack others, think less of others, wish ill-will on others, denigrate and speak ill of others, we bump up against the command of Jesus Himself to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

 Additionally, when we as Christians make members of another political party out to be pariahs, having nothing to do with them, considering them to be ignorant, unpatriotic, or even evil, we immediately eliminate up to half of the population from our effort to evangelize and tell of the love, grace, and mercy of God.

 And we become so politically motivated that we place our political views and our political party above all else.  We make politics our god and make our neighbors those who agree with us politically.

 Andy Stanley says it like this:  "If I’m not willing to break rank with my political party when my political party gets it wrong on an issue which the New Testament and the Scripture is clear, then I have elevated my party over my faith. As a Christian, I have just said not ‘One nation under God;’ I have said, ‘My God under my nation.’”

 You may say that you would never do such a thing.  Well, good for you.  But I caution you to back up a step or two, take a good, long look in the mirror, and give some serious thought to how you have treated those who disagree with you politically…what you think of them…how you relate to them…and what your relationship is with them.  Do you truly love them…desire the best for them…demonstrate God’s love toward them?

 Christians need to be actively engaged in the society in which they live.  That includes casting votes and yes, even running for office or pursuing a cause, if that’s your thing.  However, for the Christian, Jesus is clear.  Loving one’s neighbor takes precedence over any political ideology or dogma.  Loving one’s neighbor involves service, sacrifice, and giving up self for the benefit of another.

Andy Stanley says it better than I can.  Quote:  “The liberating Gospel of Jesus has huge, huge cultural implications. But they (cultural implications) don’t get voted in. They get raised up and lived out by the people who are following Jesus, and eventually people discover following Jesus makes you better at life; it makes life better. And it makes the world a better place.”

 Blessings.