Just Be

 “Just give grace.  People are exhausted by life right now.”

That quote which I found on social media hit me hard.  I shared it on my time line and said, “I’m feeling this,” with the share.  I’ve had numerous of my friends like and some have commented.

So, what is it with “life right now” that drives people to exhaustion?  Surely, we’ve never had it so good…whiz-bang technology, instant communications, great medical advances over the years, the wealthiest nation on earth…on and on we could go.  Yet life for many seems to be less than good…less than enjoyable…less than contented.  What is it that’s making life so difficult right now?

I’m old enough to recall the worst of the cold war age when we as kids had to practice “duck & cover” in school.  Somehow, the radiation from the atomic bomb wouldn’t hurt us if we only covered our heads and hid  under our desks.  I recall the advent of the polio vaccine and what that disease had done to countless people over the centuries…now being tamed.

I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis and the fact that we were on the brink of thermonuclear war…except for the fact that JFK used the military in a diplomatic sense as much as a show of might and power…and the Soviet Union capitulated and withdrew its missiles from Cuba upon assurances from us regarding other nuclear weapons in Europe.

I remember the assassinations of John Kennedy, his brother Robert, and Martin Luther King, and the attempt on Gerald Ford.  I recall the demonstrations against the VietNam war that sometimes turned violent and people were killed.  The draft evaders who fled to Canada, the VietNam veterans who returned home to anger and frustration, Watergate, the stag-flation of the late 1970’s when interest rates were over 20% on the best mortgages.

Yet it seems that with all that history…and I could go back into the Korean conflict, World War II, and other notable points in history…today it seems that we’re totally exhausted from all of the stress, pain, and worry.

Could it be that our technology, instant everything, wealth, and status has been a double-edged sword?  Yes, those things of themselves are wonderful blessings.  But they also have the capability to isolate us from one-another…break up relationships…create grief and sorrow…and make loneliness a common malady in today’s culture.

Families don’t look like families looked some decades ago.  The basic unit of society…the family unit…is largely fractured, splintered, and grossly dysfunctional.  The “traditional” intact nuclear, functional family unit of an loving father and mother along with kids is in the minority now.  The actual numbers vary depending on who one checks, but the general consensus is that less than 1 in 4 family units are of the traditional variety.

Could there be a correlation?  I’m not smart enough to know the answer to that.  Could there be other issues?  Of course.  But I have to go back to the traditional nuclear family unit…that is functional…not dysfunctional…and say that it sure looks a lot like there’s something there that may be causing the general exhaustion that so many experience.

Other factors?  Yes.  The work culture.  The necessity for both parents to work rather than one stay home.  The political turmoil that is rife on all levels…international, national, state, and local.  Instant news that brings us the latest information on a mass shooting, terrorist attack, or weather disaster.  Our penchant for isolating ourselves in our phones or computers…and in so doing block out the rest of life and living.  Ideological extremes and unwillingness to communicate with one-another on an adult, compassionate, and intelligent level.

Of course, there certainly are other factors at work as well as these.  But I think you get the idea.  There IS a temptation, even though we know it just makes the stress and strain continue on in our lives…to keep on indulging in these.  It’s a sort of addiction.  We have to know the latest news from Capitol Hill.  We must keep abreast of what our friends are doing on social media.  We have to work so we can afford the eight dollar coffee, the fifty dollar dinner, and the sixty thousand dollar pickup trucks.

It just never seems to end.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

“The Lord is in His holy temple.  Let all the earth keep silence before him.”

“Stand still and consider the wonders of God.”

Maybe we need to back off, take a deep breath, and just “BE” for awhile…just “BE” with the God of the universe.

Maybe, just maybe, our state of exhaustion will see some relief.

 

Blessings.

 

Potpourri (Again)

 Good afternoon.

 Today may well be a potpourri of thoughts and things rattling around in my head.  I don’t do this often on this venue, but sometimes it just seems like I need to get some of this stuff out of my head and out on the table, so here goes.

Over the past three years, we’ve had three different trash services (or was it four services) at our house.  This company bought out that company, which in turn was absorbed into a larger company, and so on.

I had paid for a year in advance with the company which was absorbed by the larger one now serving us.  That year in advance ends November 1.  So far, the larger company has honored that advance payment.  However, I am not interested in establishing or continuing a relationship with software or an 800 number.

Phone calls to the company involve wait times of over an hour.  Prices have increased.  The ability to speak to a live person, either in person or on the phone, has diminished considerably.  Furthermore, I do not wish to continue a relationship that was established without my knowledge or consent.

But, I have a question.  Do I need to contact them to tell them I no longer want their service?  Or will they automatically discontinue service on November 1?  Will they continue service automatically and bill me for it?  Who knows…I certainly don’t.

I do know the new trash service will pick up where I desire the other one to leave off.  I can speak to a live person at that service after just the second ring of the phone.  She knows who I am.  She has the information I need.  I know we will have trash service after November 1.  As for the conglomerate…well, I’m an old guy and just like to do business in a little more personal manner than what is being offered.

By the way, English Rentals & Trash Service out of Newton, Kansas is our new waste removal company beginning November 1.  Stay tuned.  This might prove to be interesting.

It was only earlier this year that I became aware of a place in Hazelton, Kansas…look that up in your Rand McNally atlas…the Freedom Gates Boys Ranch.  Freedom Gates is a fully privately funded working ranch for troubled boys ages 11 to 18.  They receive no finances from any government agency.  Nor do they charge families a set fee.  They are totally reliant on donations.  They serve boys and their families…and they do it well and without fanfare.

The program is faith based.  School is private on the premises.  They are licensed by the state regarding housing standards, safety and fire standards.  But they are free to develop their own program, their own curriculum, and their own way of doing things.

Boys actively work the ranch.  They have cattle, horses, gardens, field crops, and all the rest that goes with ranches and ranching.  The boys actively work those areas as their age allows.  They learn skills such as welding, construction, fence building, working livestock, electrician, plumber and other trades work.

They learn to work with and support each other.  They develop not only work skills, but life skills that will remain with them long after they depart the ranch.

In addition, they receive appropriate therapy along with their families with the goal of eventual re-integration.  If that is not a possibility, that young man may stay at the ranch until he reaches adulthood, and may even stay at the ranch longer than that, helping the younger boys, mentoring, and teaching.  Quite the place for such a small community as Hazelton, Kansas.  Check it out.

The next days and weeks may well be “interesting” insofar as how the various state and local governments navigate the uncertainty of the federal government shutdown.  Of course, we're hearing the extremes of both sides of this debacle.  One side is saying that people will go hungry and without health care.  The other side is saying we can’t afford to continue down the debt spiral, and even now may be beyond a point of no return.

On a local level…on a neighbor to neighbor level, how do we as a church family react?  Furthermore, how do we proactively plan for a possible increase in hungry children and families coming to our food pantry?  How do we navigate helping our neighbors get through the week or even the day?  What about our members who are affected?  Will they tell us of their need?  And if they do, how do we respond appropriately?

Depending on the length of the shutdown, we may see some Social Security checks not come through.  We may see some Medicare payments not being made.  We already are seeing SNAP and WIC benefits being cut.  Are we as a society…and more particularly, are we as a church preparing for something that may directly affect us in some basic-need way?  It’s a question we need to ask, and begin to formulate a response.

Standard Time begins Sunday morning, November 2.  There is always a big discussion about this time of year regarding whether or not to continue this Standard-to-Daylight and Daylight-to-Standard time adjustment.  Some love the extra hour of daylight in the evenings.  But that has to be tempered with the fact that that hour was taken from the morning, making sunrise well after many people are at work and kids are going to school.  No extra hour of daylight magically appears in the day.  We rob Peter to pay Paul.

I don’t know if I like it or not.  Yes, I like the hour in the evening in the summer.  But I don’t like getting up to darkness or barely daylight in the morning as the days shorten.

Whatever is done or not done, not everyone will be happy.  There will always be factions on both sides of the discussion, and many occupying the middle areas.  That’s the way it usually is with most things.  We should know by now that we can say our piece…our opinion…then let the chips fall where they may.  If they are in our favor…good.  If not, well, we live to fight another battle.

Thanks for listening this week.  Regardless of which side you’re on regarding Daylight Saving time, remember the God who created time and daylight…and created you.

 

Blessings,

All of You

Good morning!

 As you probably know by now, I coordinate a lot of the benevolence at RiverWalk.  We work with our members who are in need, and we also reach out to non-members as we can and are able.  Our non-member outreach is more limited in scope compared with member needs, which is, we believe, as it should be.  Paul tells the Galatian Christians to do good to all, and especially to those who are of “the household of faith,” as he puts it.

We also recognize that there is much more need than what we can possibly fill, so we have concentrated our efforts somewhat.  We recognize the issues with homelessness, and work some in that arena; however, there are many other non-profits and churches who also are working in that arena.  What isn’t so well-known are the issues surrounding those who still have housing…still have a roof over them and food on the table, but are just days or perhaps weeks from losing those things due to illness, injury, unplanned financial needs, job loss, or some other issue.

We have found that once an individual or family crosses that line from housed to unhoused, it immediately becomes incredibly difficult to get back into the realm of the housed.  Suddenly, there is no mailing address.  There is no place to store and prepare food.  There is no place for routine hygiene.  Transportation becomes problematic.  Access to clean water and other utilities is difficult or non-existent.  Where to store personal effects is an issue.  If there’s an eviction on record that caused the homelessness, good luck renting ANYTHING in the future.

There’s just a whole slew of things that come crashing down right away, overwhelming that individual or family in ways that make life incredibly hard, and getting back into housing even harder.

So, we concentrate more on trying to keep people in housing if possible.  Sometimes, there’s not a lot we can do.  Sometimes, all it takes is a few gallons of fuel in a gas tank so that person can get to work so they don’t lose their job due to not showing up.

Some of those we interact with in these situations are “rookies,” so to speak.  They’ve never been in a near-homeless situation before.  They haven’t much of a clue regarding how to navigate these new waters.  They don’t know what, if any services might be available.

And, they’re scared.  Their sense of security is gone.  They are stressed.  They hesitate to tell anyone due to shame.  They’re trying to juggle it all and keep things in the air, but are watching the balls fall to the ground one by one.

And if they have a family…spouse…kids…are caring for a disabled family member…have health issues of their own…the stress and fear are all the greater.

There are shelters for men and for women.  But family shelters…what family shelters there are…are always full.  There’s no moving in to one immediately…or possibly ever.

These are the people that we try to work with as much as our limited budget will allow.  Sometimes we can’t help.  Sometimes we can.  It’s dependent on the need as well as our resources.

And I suspect it…the need…of members as well as non-members…will only increase with time.  As the population of the metro area grows, more will naturally be in need.  Society and government play a part in the increasing need.  However, I believe that the number one cause of increased need is the degradation of the family unit.  Families don’t care for each other as they used to do.  Family units are torn apart by greed, lust, and sin.  People don’t know their extended families.  It’s an epidemic in many ways.

Government cannot help in any material way.  The answer has to come from within.  There needs to be a change of heart…a change of attitude…a change of soul in individuals…one person at a time…one family at a time.

Believe what you will, but I’m telling you that the man Jesus, who is also called the Christ of God, is that answer.

Will faith in Jesus Christ be a magic bullet that suddenly makes it all right?  No.  But it will, over time, create, as King David once said, “a new heart,” in those who believe and follow the teachings of Jesus.  That "new heart," will in turn and over time bring about a new way of thinking and a new way of living.

I’ve seen it happen far, far too many times to believe it’s pie in the sky thinking.  And you…you who are stressed, afraid, and are feeling lost and alone…what does it hurt to look into this Jesus thing…to give it a try.  But be warned.  You’ll have to go “all in” or not at all.  God’s not satisfied with just part of you.  He wants all of you.  Consider it. 

Going Back

Sometimes when we are in a quiet and meditative moment, we think back on things that happened in our life long ago.  Sometimes, those events might have included perhaps a teacher from our elementary or high school years.  Or maybe a special friend from our teen years.  Maybe we recall something that happened from a prior work experience.  It could be something we remember from a trip or vacation.  Or maybe it's something having to do with our family, our children, or friends.  I know my descriptions of those things right now are very general in nature, and I intended for them to be that way.  Because each of us has our own memories, both pleasant and unpleasant, that remain in our minds from long years ago.

And with those memories often come the thoughts of more innocent times.  We think about healthier bodies that responded much better to what our brains told them to do than they do now.  We think about the security of living with parents who loved us and cared for us.  We remember relationships we had with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.  We think of teachers and others who mentored us, accepted us, and yes, loved us.  The carefree childhood days of summer, the Christmases past of family gatherings, the birth of our own children.  We have many memories, at least most of us do, of a mostly pleasant and innocent time.

And we sometimes long for those kinds of times to come back into our lives as we deal with the issues of today.  We juggle health issues, deal with bureaucracies of many kinds, try to understand societal ills such as homelessness and addiction, work hard sometimes to foster and maintain relationships, and we lament for those in far off lands who are starving or killed due to the actions of those with a lust for power and dominance.

Yes, we had the cold war and the atom bomb back in the 1950's.  We had illnesses then…polio, measles, and others, that had no prevention or cure.  Some of us remember the Iron Lung…Google it if you don’t know what that was.  We also had the Iron Curtain and the after-effects of World War II and Korea...automobiles that were death traps.  The Interstate Highway System was in its infancy.  Smoking was considered to be fashionable.  Family planning and birth control were very hit and miss.

But by and large as kids, we didn't worry so much about those kinds of things and just lived our lives.  We didn't have, at least in my experience, all of the stress and strain of trying to deal with the world's ills while at the same time trying to navigate our own daily lives.

Today we're bombarded with the latest to come out of the 24 hour news cycle.  We have pundits and commentators constantly barraging us with their opinions and half-truths, trying to bring us around to their point of view.  Politicians are experts in twisting the truth to their advantage without plausibly being accused of outright lying.  We are urged to buy everything from insurance to household gadgets to Verbo vacations.  We’re told the country is going to the dogs in one breath, and someone else tells us how great everything is in the next breath.  We’re pulled this way and that.  Relationships have generally become more superficial and more dependent on our political or religious views.  It seems like a different world…and in many respects, it is.

But even though we recall the past and sometimes wish things were different, we don’t live in the past.  We live in the here and now, on our way to the not-yet.  The past is behind us and done.  It’s effects on us remain, but to go back and live it again is not within our power to do.

And to be honest with ourselves, if we really thought it through, how many of us really would want to go back and live it again…the childhood years of bumps and bruises and broken bones…those awkward teen years of first love, or rejection by the in crowd.  Or those years when we were trying to figure out what we wanted to do in life and hadn’t a clue how to proceed.  Those years when we didn’t have two nickels we could rub together.  The years when we lost our parents, grandparents, and others to old age or illness.

It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns back then, contrary to what we might think.  There were real issues…real life-and-death decisions…real consequences…real dangers.  Do we really want to go back to the dial telephone, polio and the Korean war?  I think not.

But, can we today obtain at least a measure of what we might describe as the innocence of those years?  I think we can.  Now, I don’t advocate that we go live under a bridge somewhere and drop out of society.  But I do think we can choose to NOT listen to the constant noise of those selling half-truths of some kind and political dogma from whatever camp it may be coming from.  We can choose to be aware of what’s going on around us, but realize that we can affect only what is in our sphere of influence.  We can be circumspect in our decisions to enter into a conflict of some kind or bow out and live to fight another day.

We may not be able to control the 24 hour news cycle, the latest tragedy overseas, or what this or that politician says or does..  But we CAN decide whether or not we will be controlled by those things.  We CAN decide what our response will be to those things.

And most of all, we can continue to affirm, develop, and revel in our relationship with the ONE who never changes…never falters…never disappoints…always loves…always cherishes…always listens.  As the old song says about the God of the Universe…”I go to him in prayer…he knows my every care…”  Spend some time in prayer this day.

 

Blessings,

Positive Difference/Negative Difference

 Good morning!

 I don’t know if you’ve been outside yet, but the day is starting out just beautifully.  The air is clean following a brief shower earlier, there is just a hint of crispness in the air, and the world is going about normal business for this Thursday.

Yes, we have issues “out there” in the world today.  We continue to see grown men and women act like four-year-olds in Washington D.C. as well as Topeka.  We continue to have death and destruction in places like Gaza, Minnesota, and Kansas.  Hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural occurrences plague parts of the world.  Yes, we do have our share of issues…both natural and man-made.

But God has also provided us with a glimpse of what the creation could be…and will be one day through the present glory of nature and the goodness of mankind that is often on display.  Yes, there is the presence of God in nature, and there are countless acts of goodness and service…some of which we are privileged to know about, see for ourselves, or even be part of.

As you may know, Jane Goodall, the woman who conducted more than six decades of field research on the social and family life of wild chimpanzees, and became quite famous doing so, died recently.  Circulating on social media is a quote attributed to her.  This is what she was purported to have said at one time:  “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

As I see it, there aren’t many choices when it comes to the kind of difference you may want to make in your daily life and living routine.  It seems to me that we can make either a positive difference of some kind, or a negative difference…and that’s about the extent of the choices.  It’s the very rare person who, in the course of his or her day, makes no difference at all.  In fact, I would step on a limb here and say that making no difference is not possible, regardless of who you are, what you do or what your situation is on any given day.

So, if I want to make a positive difference today, how might I best do that?  Well, as a Jesus disciple, my answer would be to emulate the life of the man from Galilee.  “Love your neighbor as yourself.  Be kind to one-another…tenderhearted, forgiving one another.  Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.”  And if you’re a Jesus follower, you can surely think of other ways to make a positive difference in your daily living and interactions with others.

So, what would be the antithesis of that…the opposite of making a positive difference?  It would seem to me to be just the opposite of what I just said regarding how we make a positive difference.  “Love yourself and care not for your neighbor.  Treat others with disdain…put them down and elevate yourself.  Continue holding grudges and get even.  Worship the gods of the world…money, sex, and power.”

It seems kind of bold of me to put the negative difference makers in such plain English.  I want to reel back and say, “No, I don’t do those things!”  But if I’m honest with myself I have to admit that those things are lurking inside of me, and if given the chance will rise up in some way that makes ME the god…that makes ME the one I want to serve.

And they can be subtle…so subtle, in fact, that we actually believe we’re doing something good and noble when in reality we’re doing it only for ourselves and for our own gratification.

Being truly kind, serving, forgiving and loving is more difficult than one might think, and requires a strength not found within ourselves.  We have to go outside of ourselves to find that strength and motivation.  And for many of us, THAT is found in a relationship with that same Jesus we mentioned a bit earlier…the one of whom it is said is indeed God in the flesh…the one we can know and can emulate as he himself lived among us and showed us what it means to love, forgive, and serve, putting away our selfishness and pride.

Yes, Ms. Goodall.  I think you are correct.  We DO have an impact on the world around us each day…whether that world is in the office where we work, the home where we live, the hospital room where we are recovering, the nursing home room where we are spending our last days, the school where we learn, or the grocery store where we buy our necessities.

And so I leave you with this thought today.  The question is, will that impact be positive or negative.  Will we make the world…or at least our corner of it…a better place for our having been there, or will we leave that corner in shambles at the expense of others and for our benefit?

 Blessings,