The Things We Say and Do

 Good afternoon, and welcome to windy Kansas.  I’m doing this thought on Friday afternoon, and the wind has come up from the south hot and strong.  I’m not sure of the temperature, but it feels like middle 90’s out there.  What a change from just a couple of days ago when we were dealing with flooding rains, downed trees, and low clouds.

 I’ve been thinking this week about something we rarely, it seems think about until it’s too late.  The things we say and do, or conversely don’t say and don’t do, often have far-reaching effects far beyond our own sphere, and often beyond anything we could ever have imagined.  I’m thinking this week specifically of things we might do that are in some way contrary to ethics, morals, and right living, but this can also apply to things we do that are good, kind, right, and decent.

 Think for example of some kind of sexual indiscretion done by someone to or with another.  That kind of thing can easily “blow up,” so to speak, and involve not only those two who were involved, but also spouses of the two, families, friends, fellow employees and employers, and can also involve law enforcement, the court system, and have far-reaching consequences for decades to come.

 Or think of something good and decent.  Think of someone who goes a little “above and beyond,” and for example buys a tank of gasoline for someone else who couldn’t afford it at the time.  That too can have far-reaching ripple effects in that person now being able to go to work, not losing his or her job because of absence, take kids to the doctor, or one of any number of things that would require transportation in this modern day.

 The job thing…if that person could keep her job, she wouldn’t be evicted from her apartment because she couldn’t pay the rent.  She wouldn’t be homeless.  Her kids would continue to have food on the table.  She could get medication for herself or her family.  And the list of good ripple effects just goes on and on because someone decided to spend a few dollars on a tank of gasoline for someone else.

 The things we say and do, or conversely don’t say or don’t do, can even have effects far down the road…years and even decades later.  An entire generation may be in a different place and situation far in the future because of a small gesture of kindness or because of some kind of indiscretion or moral or ethical failure.

 The same goes, for those who are Christians, for prayer.  Prayer today has the ability to change things for many people…both now and in the future.  It humbles me to know that the prayers of my grand parents, aunts, uncles, Sunday School teachers, and parents decades ago may well be influencing who I am and what I am doing today.  That even my ancestors farther back…centuries ago…may have been praying for their descendants to come much later, and those prayers may be influencing my life right now.

 Remember, God does not change, and God is timeless.  When fervent prayers are said now by, as James says in his New Testament letter, “a righteous person” for unknown people 200 years in the future, God knows…God remembers…and God acts.

 This week has reminded me that I need to not only be aware of those things I say and do…I also need to understand the possible far-reaching effects those actions or inactions have on possible multitudes of others.  And I need to understand that prayer indeed has the power to be effective, not only in the here and now, but for decades and possible centuries to come.  What a wondrous thought that is.

 Blessings.

THOSE Days

 Good morning, and welcome.

I’m sure you’ve had days when you’re ready and eager to get up and take on the activities and events of the day.  You have energy.  You feel good.  Things are going smoothly.  You feel like you’re ready for whatever comes your way.  Your step is light and your cup is full.

Then there are the other days.  Those days when you struggle a bit to get out of bed.  Those days when your energy level is close to “E”.  Those days when you know you’ll have to face events and situations you know you won’t like.  THOSE DAYS.  For some reason, your mental and emotional reserves have been depleted.  You’re running on fumes and need a refill.

And sometimes you know the day before that the next day could well be one of those days.  One of those days when you know you’ll be engaging something or someone that you’d rather not engage.  You may have trouble sleeping that night before.  Your breakfast doesn’t taste good.  And you sort of schlep out the door to face the demons of that day.

Well, that’s my day today.  This is one of  those days when, the evening before, I knew would be a tougher day than most.  I worked late yesterday, came home, ate something, then told the wife that I was mentally exhausted.  I dealt with two major issues yesterday, knowing that they were not even close to being resolved, and knowing I would have to continue the process today and on into the next days.  I napped after I ate, watched some TV, then went to bed, sleeping fitfully for much of the night.

Today the shower felt especially good.  The cereal was OK, but nothing special.  When I went out to the garage and opened the overhead door, there was a light mist falling and the outdoors seemed dreary and foreboding.  I thought to myself that the outdoor mist and foggy clouds were a perfect fit for my mental and emotional state.

As I came in to work, the mist became a drizzle.  The streets became slick.  By the time I got to the church, the drizzle had turned into a light rain, further darkening my mood for the day.  Knowing what may lie ahead in the day didn’t help my mood.

But all wasn’t lost.  When I arrived at work, I was later than normal.  The rest of the crew was already here.  My day immediately became brighter just because of the people I knew were in other offices and places in the building.  These are people I want to be with.  These are people who understand what it’s like sometimes to be mentally and emotionally drained.  These are people who will encourage, mentor, and strengthen me.  These are people who are fellow-workers in the Kingdom of God.

Often when I am facing a particularly difficult challenge, I can gain a new perspective and see things in a different and better way because of our common relationship and desire to help one-another.  The day becomes less dreary and the sun begins to shine…if not literally…at least in a figurative sense as the day progresses.

Today is one of those days.  One of those days when I needed a refill, so to speak, and got it in part by talking with others, and in part by just being in the same place with these my co-workers, friends, and fellow believers.

Do you have such a blessing in your life…a blessing of friends, family, or co-workers that help you make a dreary day better?  Who support and uphold you?  Who provide wise counsel when needed, and keep their tongue when needed?  Are you one of those who uplifts others and helps re-fill the emotional and mental gas tanks of those with whom you interact?  Think about it.

May God bless you and keep you.  May he fill you with the strength and energy you need for the day.  May you be a blessing to others.

Weather

 Good morning, and welcome to this Thursday Thought.

A few evenings ago, the weather was cloudy with a good chance of rain and some wind.  I was watching the weather report on the late news.  The weather person said there was a gust front of wind just to the west of Wichita, moving into the metro area.  Just behind that gust front was a thunderstorm also moving in.

Rather than staying inside while the wind and rain came in, I went outside to experience the change in wind direction, wind speed, and temperature as the gust front moved through.  I didn’t have long to wait.  The wind went calm for just a few seconds, then began picking up steam from a different direction, gradually increasing in speed.  The temperature fell several degrees, and the smell of the air was noticeably different…it smelled of a rain shower.

And, even though it was dark, I could see some very low-level clouds go by in the reflected city light.  The lightning soon came along with thunder…then the first of the rain drops.  I went back inside and let the storm come on through.

I don’t know if you’ve ever done something like that.  I like to be outside and watch those kinds of weather changes come along.  There’s something about being out in the weather when a change comes that makes me grateful to be alive to experience it.

One of the more recent autumns, the air had been muggy, warm, and sticky for many days.  We were well into October, I think, but had not had any push of cooler air from the north to drive out the sticky, muggy air from the south.  I had heard on the weather report one evening that a cold front was coming through and was just about to Wichita.  The front was to bring much cooler temperatures, much less humidity, and the promise of colder weather ahead.  I went outside and just waited for the front to show up at our house.

I didn’t have to wait long.  The wind from the south slowed down rapidly, became calm for about 20 seconds, then the first whiffs of the cooler air came to me along with a change in wind direction.  For a few seconds, the muggy, humid air mixed with the cooler air, but eventually the cool air won, and I knew the warm, muggy days of that autumn were over, probably for the next several months.  I noticed a real internal sense of change in my mind…knowing that it would no longer be as it had been for so long…that winter was indeed coming.

The weather has always been something I’ve enjoyed keeping up with and learning about…even the uncomfortable hot and cold weather…the snowy, icy, rainy weather…the wind…the hail…and yes, even the severe weather.  It’s just something I’ve done over the years, and probably will continue to do until I no longer can.

But there’s a little more to this than just enjoying keeping up with the weather.  Weather often reminds me of things spiritual.  No, I don’t believe the weather itself is some kind of god or spiritual entity.  But I do believe that the God of the universe created the weather especially for the earth…that what happens is intentional and ultimately for the good of the creation.  I believe God can and sometimes does intervene in weather situations…often, I think, in response to the fervent prayers of righteous people.

Observing and learning about the weather, especially on a part of the earth known for extremes, is often for me an exercise in worship and thanksgiving, gratefulness and praise.  I see the power of a thunderstorm in the lightning and wind, or the results of a badly-needed rain in the growth of plants and cleansing of the environment.  I marvel at times at how even weather phenomena such as hurricanes actually help preserve the environment.  As I understand it, among other things, they move heat energy from one place to another and cause beneficial rains and other forms of weather that are actually good for the earth as a whole.  Yes, they can be destructive when they move over places built up by humans.  But they also can and are very beneficial to the environment and the climate of the earth.

The weather is just one aspect of the creation that God has beautifully and perfectly put together…for his own glory as well as for the benefit of mankind and all the rest of the creation.  We need to respect the power and destructive potential of the winds and rains.  But we also need to thank God for His provision and care as we watch His handiwork continue to unfold in the clouds, the rains, the winds, and the snows.

May God bless you this week as you continue to serve Him.