Quick to Listen..."

 I have a sheet of paper taped to my office door.  On that letter-size sheet is a circle with the words, “Someone’s problem,” inside it.  A straight line slices through the circle, cutting off a very, very small part of it.  Next to that very, very, small part are the words, “What you know about it.”  The heading at the top of the page reads, “Why you should be kind to people.”

I see that page taped to my door each time I go in or out of the office.  I can also see it from my office chair.  It’s a frequent reminder that I don’t know nearly as much a I might think I know about a lot of different things…not only the problems faced by others, but also societal issues such as homelessness, mental health, and food insecurity, political issues like immigration, government spending, and foreign policy, and general life and living issues faced by us all such as relationships, budgeting, and raising kids.

I may think, for example, that I’m some sort of expert when it comes to raising kids, as we’ve been there and done that.  I may also think I’m an expert when it comes to budgeting since we seem to be on a good path financially right now.  And I may think I can offer some expert advice when it comes to the issue of homelessness, since we deal with some of that at the church on a regular basis.

However, when I immerse myself into the real world of these things, it doesn’t take long for me to understand that I really know very, very little about the incredible complexity of these issues and the seeming intractability of being able to solve them to any acceptable degree.

Many of these problems and issues seem to be barely manageable, let alone solvable.  They often prove to be obstinate, unwieldy, and stubborn.  Those whose job it is to work with them and try to solve them often aren’t any more or better equipped to work with them than I am, yet we look to those people to find some magic cure…some quick fix…some miraculous thing that will solve homelessness, end political polarization, and cure mental health ills.  And we’re quick to offer our own quick fixes in the event they run out of ideas.

And, we often think we have the answer if they will just listen to us.  If  you’re mentally ill, get therapy and take your meds.  If government spends too much, just cut back on the budget until it balances.  If your kids are running amok, just clamp down and put them in their place.  Let them know who is boss.

But if we’ll just stop and think about it for a moment in as much of an unbiased manner as possible, we’ll quickly understand that it isn’t that easy.  It isn’t that simple.  There is no quick fix for many of these issues.  There may not be a fix of any kind for at least some of these issues.  Yet, we often think we have the answers and self-righteously elevate ourselves into positions of knowing THE answer, even while we show our abject ignorance by spouting some kind of platitude that never has and never will help the situation.

In Proverbs 17, the wise sage said this:  “A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.  Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.”

In the New Testament, James says, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”

These are only two of several places in the Scriptures where we are to use restraint when speaking.  Paul tells us to “Be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one-another.”  Luke records Jesus saying that we are to “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”  Paul says in the Colossian letter, “Let your speech always be with grace…”  I’m sure that if you are at all familiar with the Bible, you can think of other places having to do with how we behave in our speech.

The next time you’re tempted to enter into someone else’s problem or inject yourself into some issue, stop and think about how much you really know about it and how much there may well be that you don’t know.  Then if you still need to speak, do so respectfully and with grace, knowing you don’t have the magic pill that solves the riddle, but that your thoughts can hopefully contribute to the discussion.

And don’t hesitate to contact your government officials, the leaders of your church, or others if you feel led to do so.  But do it with respect, knowing you know very little about the situation and are only offering an opinion, which may or may not be one that contributes to the solution.

Someone long ago said that you can’t learn anything while you’re talking.  Think about that.  Then think about what James says in the New Testament.  Be careful in your selection of what you will listen to…be quick to listen to those things that are good, true, decent, and beneficial…and be slow to speak, even when you think you may have the answer.

Those qualities are a sure sign of maturity.

Blessings,

Let Go/Let God

 Today is Thursday, the day before the Big Snow.  According to all the weather folks for the past several days, a big snow storm is due to come our way here in Kansas and points south and east.  Some areas farther south will experience, they say, extreme ice storms.  And the cold…on Saturday, they are forecasting a high of six degrees for Wichita…that’s six…just one digit.  Sunday won’t be much better with a forecast high of 11.

Now, that could all change.  We’ve seen it happen before.  Movement of just forty or fifty miles either north or south by the system low pressure center can make a big difference in how much snow or ice comes our way.  So, even though the forecasts are not always on point a couple of days before the event, we are taking precautions.  We’re discussing not holding services Sunday.  We’re working with the snow removal people.  We’re setting thermostats so things don’t freeze up in the building.

And we’re also taking some precautions personally.  Filling gas tanks.  Planning ahead.  We aren’t stocking up on tons of water, toilet paper, or food.  We have enough normally at the house for what we will need.  The wife is doing her regular weekly grocery shopping today, and I expect she’ll pick up the usual assortment of things.

I did purchase a new snow shovel yesterday, but only because the old one is indeed old, and the plastic is cracked and broken to the point that it doesn’t work very well anymore.  I’ve been intending to get one for the past several months, and have just put it off.  We have bird seed for our winter feathered friends sufficient to weather the storm.  We don’t have any place we have to be or go, so we should be OK.

I also know that from time to time I will be thinking of some of those I know who are spending their time outdoors in the cold.  I’m hopeful they will seek shelter at the Second Light facility in downtown Wichita.  However, many have mental health issues that prevent them from wanting shelter, or they have behavior issues that keep them out.  They are still people.  They are still human beings.  They still are made in the image of God.  We do what we can.  But sometimes what we can do isn’t enough.  People still become ill.  People still die.  It’s something that we sometimes have to admit that we should do what we reasonably can do and let the rest…those things, circumstances, and situations that we can’t control…go.

That works for several areas of life and living.  All too often, it seems, we try to control the outcome of something so it ends up the way we want it to end.  We become increasingly frustrated, stressed, and upset as things continue down the path we have NOT selected.  We seem to be powerless to switch the track, so to speak, to make things turn out our way.

The advice to do what we reasonably can do and give the rest to God is good advice.  We don’t know the long term.  We don’t know what’s at the end of the track.  We don’t know what God has planned and is carrying out.

Think of the story of Joseph in the Old Testament.  Hated by his older brothers, thrown down an old dry well in the desert by them…brought out of that pit and sold by his brothers to an Egyptian to be made a slave.  Later he was imprisoned for something he did not do.  Eventually, though, Joseph’s life was one that saved his entire family and the nation of Israel from a great famine and brought them into the land of Egypt to live.  Joseph’s message to his family at the end of it all was, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Sometimes, we need to be taught the lesson that God is indeed in charge.  We should do what we reasonably can, but we need to recognize that God ultimately controls the outcome.  And sometimes, I believe God intentionally paints us into a corner in order to get that lesson across to us AND to show us His awesome power, mercy, and work.

Whatever demons you’re fighting right now, do what you reasonably can do…then pray…pray for God’s will to be done.  And let it go and let God.

 

Blessings

Ms. Jo

 Josephine Brown, often just called “Jo”,  the first Black woman to chair the Wichita Board of Education in the 1970’s, died this past December 31 at age 96.  She won the seat during a time when the Wichita school system still had not fully implemented the Brown vs Board of Education directive to fully integrate the schools.

According to a KAKE news piece, Brown served during a pivotal time in the early 1970s as Wichita Public Schools faced pressure to desegregate and address inequities in education. Her daughter, Sheila Kinnard, said her mother spent her life advocating for fairness, community involvement and change.

Ms. Brown’s advocacy for equality didn’t end when her time on the school board ended.  Mark McCormick, in an editorial in the Kansas Reflector, said this about Brown:  “In a society expecting her to dim her light, Mrs. Jo set the night sky ablaze with searchlights.  When she confronted the yet lingering vestiges of that era, at a bank or a store, she would correct them as she might one of her tiny students.  Firmly but gracefully.”

“You don’t pay AND beg, baby,” she told me once.

This is Jay.  Think about that last line.  “You don’t pay AND beg, baby.”  I’m not a minority.  I’m as Caucasian as can be.  So what follows is in no way part of a racial issue.  Yet, even now, for me, sometimes I feel like I have to beg someone to provide the service that I either have already paid for or will be paying for.  Have you felt the same way sometimes?

Customer service is often non-existent or so difficult to come by that it takes a herculean effort to get anything done.  The automated answer is standard anymore, if there is even a phone number to call.  Pressing “0” doesn’t always get a live voice.  Emails aren’t answered.  Promises made when someone DOES contact “customer service” are not kept.  Send in this form.  FAX this in to us and we’ll take care of it.  Email us a copy of your receipt.  And on and on it goes.

“You don’t pay AND beg, baby.”

Even when dealing with someone in person it isn’t always easy to get something done.  Insurance, medical care, and government seem to be the biggest problem areas, but it’s really all over.  People who DO answer the phone are often in India or Cambodia speaking broken English from a script provided by their computer.

“You don’t pay AND beg, baby.”

So, what do you do?  You become persistent.  You do business with those who will meet your need for service.  Local and smaller is often  better.  If the business is within driving distance, go to that business rather than continuing to send emails and playing phone tag.  Determine you will receive an answer when you go, and keep at it until you do.

“You don’t pay AND beg, baby.”

Let me tell you a story from my files.  Some time ago I had the need to see a cardiologist at a cardiology clinic in Wichita.  The doctor recommended I wear a Holter monitor…a device that records various functions of the heart, for 24 hours.  I agreed.  When I checked out the monitor, I had to sign a form saying that if I didn’t bring it back in good condition that I would be liable for $1,500 reimbursement.  I agreed, and signed.

When I brought the monitor back to the office a couple of days later, I asked for a receipt showing that I had brought the monitor back.  The woman at the desk told me that they didn’t give receipts for monitors.  I repeated my request.  She repeated her response.  I repeated my request a third time.  She repeated her response a third time.

Then we just looked at each other for about 30 seconds…I assume she thought I would leave.  I didn’t.  I then said that I had to sign a paper saying I was liable for the monitor unless it was brought back, and I wasn’t going to leave until I had a receipt saying it was brought back.  Then I repeated my request, “I need a receipt showing that I brought the monitor back to the clinic.”  I remained in control, barely, and polite, barely, but firm.

“You don’t pay AND beg, baby.”

She said, “Just a minute,” and went to the back.  She came back out in a few minutes, hand-wrote a receipt, signed and dated it, and gave it to me.  I thanked her and told her the clinic needed to do this for all returns.  When I saw the doctor a few days later to review the monitor’s findings, I relayed the story to him.  I have no idea if they have begun to give receipts or not.  I do not plan on checking out another monitor, and in fact canceled the appointment I had a couple of months ago to do that very thing.

You don’t pay AND beg, baby.”

As an aside, don’t worry about my canceling that appointment…my primary care physician, following review of my medical record, tells me the testing was not necessary at this time.  I would never do anything to intentionally jeopardize my health in that way.

So, I hope you remember this little sentence that carries incredible meaning.  “You don’t pay AND beg, baby.”  Be polite.  Be controlled.  But be persistent.  Be insistent.  Don’t settle for less than what you paid for.  Whether you’re black, brown, white or something else…whether you’re a man or woman, young or old, rich or poor, rural or urban, it doesn’t matter.  Insist on good service.  Hold those you do business with accountable.  Ms Jo would be pleased.

Blessings…

Staying Grounded

 When was the last time you were really frustrated, anxious, or just plain disgusted with the way things were going for you in life and living?  If you’re like pretty much everyone else, that time wasn’t more than a few hours or days ago.  It seems that life’s frustrations bubble up out of the ground regularly…some are a little bigger than others, but they all tend to cause changes in priorities, adjustments in how we see things, and at times force us to stop everything and just concentrate on what’s happening at the time.

These blips in life can be as mild as catching a cold at an inconvenient time, or as big as a loved one suddenly passing away or some kind of natural disaster that destroys our possessions and home.  We often never know when these things will come at us, and almost as often aren’t sure how to deal with the situation that is presented to us.

Sometimes we tend to worry about what MIGHT happen in the future to the point that it becomes some kind of obsession.  When that happens, we become paralyzed with fear and anxiety.  We are afraid to move ahead in life fearing we’ll run into one or more roadblocks.  We spend our days in bed, many times literally, because we cannot face the day ahead.

So, how do we deal with the anxiety and fear?  Many of us have developed coping mechanisms which tend to ground us in reality…help us discern what is really important in life.  These things keep us “rooted,” so to speak, in the realities of the day and time.  For we who wear the name Christian, the ultimate “grounding” is looking to our God and Lord…the unchanging sovereign who has never promised to help us avoid life’s bumps and bruises, but has promised that He will be with us going through them.  “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear nothing, because you are with me.  Your rod and staff comfort me..”  So says that famous Psalm of the Old Testament…Psalm 23.  The poem ends with this:  “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.  And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

God in his mercy has given us many and varied ways to help us keep a steady keel in life.  I recently read something that got me to thinking about what some of those things were for me.  What keeps me going?  How does God work in my life to help me navigate the uncertainties?

My author friend Kendra Broekhuis publishes a monthly blog that appears in my email.  This month, she was musing on what keeps her grounded in life during times of frustration and anxiety…times when things just aren’t going as she would have liked.  Here’s how she said it in the blog:  What’s rooting me in place—holding me steady?  What’s feeding my soul—helping me maintain a healthy perspective on my life and work?  What helps me get out of my own head in a way I can thrive through seasons of stretching, growing, and even pruning?”

Kendra then mentioned several things that help keep her grounded and “rooted,” as she says—keeping her on a steady life course.  She mentions sixteen things that help “ground” her.  I’ll read just a few of them:

 

Reading my chronological, large print Bible.

Noticing the many stray cats in our alley.

Snuggling my kids.

Hearing my kids laugh.

Praying honest prayers.

Taking a walk with a friend through a snowy park.

Sitting at my parent’s table for a late night conversation.

Brunch with my husband.

A King, born in a stable.

 

Well, you get the idea.  And this, as I said earlier, got me to thinking about myself…what keeps me grounded…what keeps me “rooted,” so to speak…what helps smooth out the bumps and bruises in life.

 

Here are a few of my own thoughts on that.

 

Sitting on our back patio any time…summer/winter, day/night…a place that faces the park woods and offers serenity.

Giving one of the grands a ride on the riding mower.

Feeding our feathered friends and watching them enjoy the seeds I put out for them.

Listening to familiar music, whether from The Messiah, Carrie Underwood, Acappella, or Peter, Paul, and Mary.

Watching videos on YouTube of generous people giving to those in need.

Appreciating the things Pat does around the house to keep things orderly.

Caring for our back yard fish pond residents.

Working alongside THE BEST church staff ever.

Knowing I have an absolutely reliable and confidential partner (Pat) in my work as an Elder and Minister.

Going for a drive in rural areas surrounding the Metro, “looking at the crops,” as Dad would say.

Receiving hugs from the grands, even if I saw them only the day before.

 

These things along with others help me to stay on course.  And these things and the people who are part of some of these things are all God-given…gifts from a benevolent and merciful Creator.

So, what keeps you grounded?  What keeps  you rooted?  What do you rely on to reset your compass…to give you a healthy perspective on life and living?

May God continue to shower His blessings on you this day as you face life’s uncertainties.

KLOE Radio

 Good morning.

As you may have heard by now, the radio transmitting tower of KLOE AM radio in Goodland, Kansas toppled over in the windy weather we’ve had over the past week or two.  Free-standing for over 75 years on four large insulators that kept the tower isolated electrically from the ground, the tower first leaned, then after a few days fell over.

Apparently, one of the insulators failed either due to age or the stress of the wind…or both…and caused the eventual demise of the tower.  Efforts were ongoing to provide temporary support and repair, but those efforts didn’t come soon enough to mark the end of a remarkable era of radio broadcasting in the Tri-state area.  The cost of replacement of the tower would be more than it would be worth to keep the station on the air.  AM Radio isn’t what it used to be, and although KLOE Radio was still an important part of the Tri-state area, other radio stations have sprung up in the past few decades to deliver continuing local news and weather.  So, the owners have decided to silence the airwaves at 730 on the AM dial.

I am well-acquainted with that tower.  I worked at KLOE from the mid 1970’s into the early 1980’s.  As an FCC-licensed broadcast engineer, my job was to maintain and service KLOE radio, and secondarily to do the same with KLOE TV channel 10.  There were three of us engineers on staff at the time, and we were each given a primary responsibility.  Mine was the radio station.  I’ve been up close and personal with the tower, the tuning shack at it’s feet, and the transmitters that sent voice and music over the airwaves though that structure.

AM Radio is a little different than television or FM radio.  Most broadcast stations utilize a tower with a broadcast antenna at the top of the tower.  The antenna is separate from the supporting tower.

With AM Radio, the tower IS the antenna.  The entire structure is a broadcast antenna.  That’s why this tower, like all AM radio towers, is insulated from the ground by large (in this case) ceramic insulators.  The broadcast signal is fed directly to the metal of the tower.

I had other responsibilities at KLOE.  I did a stint as a DJ on KLOE AM as well as doing the weather cast on KLOE TV for awhile.  The operation was one of those small-business operations where everyone pitched in and did whatever was necessary to keep things going.  That time at KLOE was one of the most enjoyable times I’ve ever had in a work setting.  The hours were long, but the work was satisfying and enjoyable.

When I heard that the tower had fallen and that KLOE would be silenced, a kind of a melancholy feeling came over me…as if mourning the passing of something that was important to me.  And, I suppose, that feeling is entirely appropriate, because several years of my working life were taken up in that place, working with the very thing…KLOE Radio…that no longer exists, represented by the now-defunct tower that broadcast the signal of KLOE AM.

However, I also think about this.  You may not realize it, but every kind of electronic signal that is put into the Earth’s air has a small part of that signal that escapes the Earth and begins a speed-of-light travel into the universe.  My voice and my picture, coded into electromagnetic radiation,  are somewhere in our galaxy, about 45 light-years away from the Earth.

You may think that strange, but the same concept of capturing stray electromagnetic radiation is what brings to us stunning images and troves of information about the universe though our telescopes and other equipment.  It’s not at all inconceivable that, should there be some kind of signal-capturing equipment “out there” somewhere, that someone may be watching or listening to my radio show or the TV weather from Earth in 1980.

And somehow, that makes things just a bit better.

Blessings,

"May You Know..."

 Today is Christmas Eve as I am writing this.  The day is foggy and warm for this time of the  year.  The sun is trying to break through the gloom, and according to the weather people will eventually do so later today.

I have come in to work today to wrap up a few things before the holiday.  The traffic on the street is much lighter this morning, and the portion of the parking lot we lease to our next door neighbor is only about one third filled.  I plan to be here for a few hours, then head on home for the rest of the day.  We are planning on Scott and family to be with us this evening, so I need to get ready for that…which means I need to nap this afternoon.  It's tough being semi-retired, but someone’s gotta do it.

When I pulled into the parking lot of the church, I parked and rather than come into the office, decided to walk to the nearby pharmacy and the downtown post office.  The wife had a prescription I needed to pick up, and we needed stamps at home for the four or five mailings a month that we normally do.

I stopped at the post office first.  It was a very slow day there…I was first in line.  I chose some stamp sheets, paid, and headed to the pharmacy a block or so farther down the street.

The pharmacy was pretty much like the post office…not very busy.  I got right to a clerk.  The medication I was getting was for the wife and was one of the more expensive medicines.  A month of this medication with insurance is almost a hundred forty dollars.

The clerk found the medication and rang up the charges.  I tapped my debit card, entered my PIN, and completed the transaction.

I didn’t think about it at the time, but after I was back on the street walking back to the church, I thought about how easy it was to pay for the medication.  I never gave it a second thought…I knew we had the money in the checking account that is attached to the debit card.  I also knew that we would not need the money for anything else right now.

Then I thought of some of those who I encounter and visit with as a minister.  I do the benevolence at the church, and regularly encounter folks who need help with basic needs…food, transportation, utilities, clothing.  Sometimes, we can help.  Sometimes for whatever reason, we can’t.

I still struggle, even after doing this for more than a decade, to understand just how much as little as twenty dollars in benevolent help means to some of the people I visit with. 

A tank of fuel for a vehicle.  A sack of groceries from our food pantry.  Paying the past due part of an electric bill.  Things I take for granted.  Things I can get or do any time.  Things I don’t even have to think about whether or not I can afford them.  What a blessing it is to not have to worry about such things.

I’ve told you before, I’ve seen grown men and women just crater into an emotional puddle in my office when they were told that a utility bill would be paid, or they were handed a gift card for groceries.  In fact, that response is not at all unusual.  Actually, it’s one of the more satisfying parts of what we do here…to see some of the incredible stress and fear these people deal with pretty much constantly…melt away, even if for a short time.

I also thought about a young couple who had just had their first child.  Far from home.  Very little in resources.  No doctor.  No hospital.  No warm, comfortable place to stay.  Instead, they found refuge in a barn.  She delivered her first child there.

And had it not been, some time later on, for the generosity of strangers from a place far in the East, this young family may well have not remained intact, because they had to flee to a foreign nation to avoid the paranoia and terror of the local governor.  And they had to have resources…those gifts brought by those men from the East…to be able to do that.

So today and tomorrow, as you bask in the warmth of family, friends, and the joy of giving and receiving, remember the young couple who gave birth to God Incarnate in a barn in a backwater village in a part of the world barely tolerated by the government of the time.

May you know the joy of generosity…the blessing of giving…the beauty of kindness…the humanity of loving your neighbor…the divinity of knowing Jesus Christ.

An Office Conversation

 A couple of days ago at work, I was in my office when I heard Linda (our office manager) go to the office door and let someone in.  She visited with the guest for a moment.  I overheard part of the conversation.  The woman was there with her mother and was asking if we had any food.

Linda said something to the effect that we don't usually keep food here, but we had some snack-type food that we normally place into the Blessing Box outside.  When I heard what the conversation was about, I went out to the waiting area where the conversation took place to find a woman in her 40's along with an older lady.  Linda went back to the food storage area to prepare a sack of snack-type food for them.

In the waiting area, I began a conversation with the younger woman, as she was the one who had been speaking with Linda.  I usually begin these kinds of conversations by just asking what was going on with them or how their day is going (in a nice way, of course).

The younger woman began telling me a little about their situation.  Her face was calm and collected, and seemed to display a sign of strength, but I saw her left hand on the arm of the chair.  Her hand was shaking…tremoring.  That told me that she was barely holding it together, so I asked them both to come back to the office and we'd visit there.

They came into the office and we visited while Linda finished filling a sack.  We ended up conversing for over 30 minutes as I gently pulled more and more of their story out of them.  Their story was one I've heard many tens of times before.  Abusive situation.  Boyfriend is a knothead.  They had to get out of the domestic situation.  Have no place to go.  Have never had to access social services in the past.  Didn't seemingly have much of an idea of what to do or where to go.  Mom had transportation and was helping daughter as best she could.  Both are couch surfing.

There wasn't much we could really do here.  We gave them a sack or two of food.  I happened to have a couple of one-day bus passes that I gave them.  I gave them contact information for a couple of my social services friends who might be able to help.  I gave them a list of services available in Wichita that the Homeless Outreach Team gives to the homeless.  I told Mom that when her gas tank got more empty, to contact me and we'd fill her tank.  And, I happened to have a little cash on hand for needs like this, and gave the younger woman $20.

But mostly, I listened.  The ladies talked at least 90 percent of the time we were conversing.  I was just asking questions and getting some clarification.  And as we conversed, the stress level began to fall.  The facade of strength I saw the first couple of minutes in the waiting area was no longer visible.  And when I gave her the cash and told her I didn't care what she did with it, she totally lost it.  She couldn't talk for a good minute or so.  And THAT reaction is not unusual at all when I give a little cash.  When I once asked one of my social worker friends why these people tended to become so emotional when handed just a few dollars, she responded that it was because I trusted them with something of value to do with as they chose...not as I chose.  I have to admit I hadn't thought of it that way, but can appreciate it.  By the way, we don’t just give out cash right and left.  In fact, we seldom do so.  It has to be a special need, or someone I know well.  And we don’t always have cash to give.  We have guidelines and limits in place.  But sometimes, a little cash can go a long way to help meet a need.

Well, we parted ways a couple of minutes after that.  I don't know where they were going.  Nor do I know where they spent the night that night or what is happening with them now.  We may never see them again.  I think about these kinds of encounters for several days following.  Wondering just where they went and were they safe.  Whether they contacted the social service contacts I gave them or were able to find other services.  Ninety nine percent of the time, I never hear from them again.  This may be an exception if the Mom contacts me when her gas tank empties.  I may be able to have some of my questions answered then.  But I'm not counting on it.  They may decide to find another town or city in which to live due to the abusive situation.

This is not an unusual occurrence at our church.  Not at all.  It's usually women who come in.  It's usually an abusive situation of some kind.  Often, it's generational in nature, but not always.  A decent share of the time it's a first timer, or newbie that comes to our door, basically lost in the maze of social service agencies, invisible to much of society, lonely, and afraid...afraid for their own safety, afraid of what that night or the next day has in store, afraid of having lost what little control they had over their lives.

Those of us with a secure safety net of family, friends, and resources haven't a clue of the stress, the disappointment, and the despair these people live with every waking moment.  The least we can do is display some compassion and empathy.

Well, thanks for listening to me, as I sometimes need a listening ear as well as those who come to the office door.  This holiday season, check up on your listening skills.  How are your compassion and empathy assets doing right now?  Have you had the opportunity to give in some way recently?  Did you act positively on that opportunity?  May God’s blessing be upon us all as we learn what it means to love our neighbor.

Being Remembered

 During this time of the year, we often begin to think about things we maybe don’t otherwise think about at other times of the year.  Gift-giving, kind gestures toward others, holiday snows, special church services, gathering with family and friends…I’m sure you can think of other things that come front and center in your thoughts during this time of the year.

I too think about several of these kinds of things.  But I also sometimes think about something perhaps not many people think about, or even like to think about.  You’ve sometimes heard, I’m sure, the question that is asked at times in conversations regarding life and living…”How do you want to be remembered?”

Now, I know that my thinking about this question at this time of the year may seem a bit unusual, but I assure you that I’m not the only one who thinks about this from time to time.  And, at the end of the year when things are “wrapping up,” so to speak, and a new slate is on the way in the coming year, it really isn’t such a weird thing at all.

I don’t obsess about it, and frankly, the thought usually only comes a very few times during the end of the year.  But I always have a difficult time in trying to come up with some kind of an answer.

I’ve heard other people answer that question, but those answers never seemed to me to be something I would say for myself.  Most, I think, would want to be remembered as someone who was kind to others, generous, loved life, and so on.  Those who are committed Christians would probably say something like that they wanted to be remembered as a child of God.

However, when I think of what I might say, it’s difficult for me to come up with anything that in any way makes me look like some kind of a saint.  You see, I know myself better than you do.  I know the things I struggle with…my failures…my trials.  I know my sins and shortcomings.  I know when I’ve said things…done things...thought things…things that are anything but kind and generous.

Yes, I know I’ve been forgiven.  I know my slate is clean from that standpoint.  But I also know of the messes I’ve left on doorsteps and in hearts.  I know not everyone is enamored with me and how I’ve sometimes behaved.  And I can’t in good conscience sugarcoat it all with words that I know are not always true.

So, how DO I want to be remembered?  I feel much better when I answer that question this way.

 

I’d rather not be remembered so much as I’d like for those I know and love and have touched in some way to move on in life and living…and live their lives in ways that promote peace, understanding, kindness, and yes…the kingdom of God.  If those I know, love, and have touched over the years would do that, I think that would constitute for me a completion of the life I was given and had lived.

I will be remembered anyway…regardless of how I might SAY I want to be remembered.  Everyone who knows me or knows of me has a mental picture in mind of who an what I am.  What I might say in answer to the question about being remembered won’t change that picture.

Additionally, I’ve always been someone who has  advocated for us to move on when something bad or unexpected has happened…to do what we can to fix it if necessary, but not dwell excessively on the past…to move forward and look ahead.  Life goes only one direction, and we need to move along with it.

I realize this may not be the kind of holiday Thursday Thought you might have wanted to see here, a mere seven days before the Christmas holiday.  But it’s my thought today.  I don’t know if I’ll have a chance to post a thought next week or the week after…we’ll just see how things go.

Now, I need to take some time to wrap the two gifts I’ve bought…I don’t do much shopping this time of the year.  I leave that to the wife, who is much more into the season and enjoys the shopping experience more than I do. 

May God bless you as we all enter into the final week before the Christmas holiday, and the New Year holiday a week after that.

Joy To the World

 Joy to the world, the Lord is come!  Let Earth receive her King;  Let every heart prepare Him room,  And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

 This is the first verse of a well-known Christmas hymn, Joy To the World.  The song is one of the most published hymns in the modern day, and is well-known by multitudes.  Written in the early 1700’s by Isaac Watts, the song is thought to be taken from Psalm 98 and Genesis chapter 3.

There have been several tunes matched with the lyrics; however, the modern tune is one written by Lowell Mason in the mid 1800’s, and is widely thought to be patterned at least in part by excerpts from Handel’s Messiah.  The first four notes in the present tune are identical to the notes in the movement “Glory to God” in The Messiah.  The key, D major, is also the same.  Other parts of the tune are sometimes attributed to various other parts of the oratorio.  Mason himself gave credit to Handel for parts of the modern tune.

Many have thought that rather than a song to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the song is instead a celebration of the second coming of Christ as the victorious king.  Many Christians can appreciate the lyrics of the song as applying to either the birth of Christ or his second coming.  Watts himself seems to attribute the lyrics to Psalm 98, which he describes as follows:  Psalms 96-98 refer to "Christ's Incarnation, his setting up his Gospel-Kingdom to judge or rule the Gentiles, and the Judgment and Destruction of the Heathen Idols"

Regardless of your own interpretation of the words, the song is one that raises the spirit and provides hope during a season of the year when for many, life is anything but pleasant and joyful.  It promises to be a part of the holiday season repertoire for many decades to come.

There are four verses all together in the song.  I’ll close with the reciting of the other three.

 Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;  Let men their songs employ;  While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains  Repeat the sounding joy,  Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

 No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground;  He comes to make His blessings flow  Far as the curse is found,  Far as, far as, the curse is found.

 He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.

The "In-Between" Time

 Good morning:

 This time of the year is what I think of as the “in between” time…the days between two major holidays…Thanksgiving and Christmas.  This is the time when much of the world, and especially Western cultures, bring the brightly colored ornaments and decorations out of the closet, string up lights of all kinds, decorate evergreen trees in their homes, and max out their credit cards on gifts for others.  It’s a festive time of the year, especially since the days are getting progressively shorter in daylight length, it’s getting colder, nature is brown rather than green, and we’re stuck inside much of the time.

For some, it’s also a time to recall and remember the birth of a baby boy some two thousand years ago who has, in the intervening centuries created incredible changes, for the better I would argue, in societies and nations through his teachings and example.  He has commanded untold millions of followers and disciples over the centuries, and his overall influence has not diminished over the years.

And then there’s the coming of the new year just a week after Christmas.  We collectively seek to “wipe the slate clean,” so to speak, and start anew.  The old joke about new year’s resolutions and their short lifespan in the new year is just as pertinent now as it has been for untold decades.  We try.  We really try to lose weight, stop a bad habit, be more thoughtful and generous, or any of a thousand other things that plage the human race.  And sometimes we really succeed.  But most of the time those good intentions go by the wayside somewhere around January 25^th.

There are some things, however, that cannot be covered over with bright lights, tinsel, snow, holiday music, or gifts under the tree.  Oh, they can temporarily disappear, but just like the snows that come and cover over everything in a white, glistening coat, eventually those snows melt and the brown that is underneath again comes into full view.

We all have to deal with the “browns” in our lives from time to time.  Illness and chronic health issues, financial difficulties, family problems, relationship issues, and a host of other ills and ailments are constantly attacking us, trying to get the best of us.  Sometimes the best we can do is to shove these things off to the side temporarily while we deal with more pressing things.  But sometimes these issues come front and center in our lives and demand immediate attention.  The snow has melted.  We see these things that were buried underneath now before us.  And they won’t go away on their own.  They may not ever go away, but can only be managed for a time.

I don’t mean to put a Grinch-like damper on the holiday season for you.  What I do intend to do is to possibly point you in a direction that ‘s different than the one you’re currently taking.  I said earlier that for some of us, this time of the year is a time to recall and remember the birth of a baby boy some two thousand years ago.  That baby boy, when grown, claimed to be, and I believe was indeed God in the flesh.  God incarnate.  God “pitching his tent,” so to speak, among us, as John says in the first few verses of his account of the life of Jesus.

Specifically, John says this about the man Jesus. 

In the beginning the Word already existed.  The Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He existed in the beginning with God.  God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.  The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.  He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.  But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

So the Word became human and made his home among us.  He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.  And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Jesus won’t take away the brown things.  But he will enable you to persevere as you walk with him through them. Paul the great Apostle tells the Corinthians that what we endure now is but a “light and momentary” thing.  Here’s specifically what he says:  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.

May God bless as you continue on in this season of thanksgiving and renewal.

Thanksgiving Eve

 Today is Thanksgiving Eve.  That sounds a bit strange, as we normally think of an “eve” day as being Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.  Thanksgiving…the holiday…seems to sometimes get lost in the general noise of life as we gear up, so to speak, for the “big” holiday of Christmas.  According to an AI search of the Encyclopedia Britannica, the holiday was officially proclaimed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 as a way to promote unity in a war-torn nation.

In a real way, the nation today is also in disarray…torn between right and left, conservative and liberal, religious and secular.  I have to wonder if the Thanksgiving holiday, properly observed, could help facilitate our coming together, if even for just a day, to celebrate unity…unity of purpose…unity of spirit…unity of brotherhood.

I don’t know what you will be doing in a special way…if anything…tomorrow.  Some of us are working.  Our jobs are a 24-7 thing, and we are on one of the shifts for tomorrow.  Some of us are traveling, whether by air, auto, or other means.  Or maybe we’re staying home cooking a special meal for our family or guests.

But some of us will be doing none of that.  Some will be on the street, in a shelter, in a hospital, a jail, or some other place we’d rather not be.  For those of us who will be in a warm home filled with the aroma of turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, and baked bread, it might do us good to at least think of some of the others who, for whatever reason, cannot be in a place like the one we are in.  And maybe we need to count our blessings instead of our challenges.

Last week, the wife and I took a short time off to go into western Kansas…a place we both are very familiar with.  We decided to get away, but to do so to a place we already knew…roads we had already traveled…towns and cities we already knew how to navigate.  We visited with people we’ve known for many years.  We ate at places we’ve known for decades.  We traveled roads and passed through towns…places where we had gone many times before in the past half century.  We stopped at tourist sites we already knew, with one or two new ones sprinkled in.

During those few days, I was thinking about times past and gone…people and places I had known…things I had done in those places…and just how much I have enjoyed my time alive on this ball of dirt.  Yes, there were challenges.  Yes, there were times I’d rather forget.  Yes, there were people in my life I’d rather not have had there.  But my life has been one of blessing, adventure, and protection.

Blessing in all that I’ve been able to see and experience that was good, right, and lovely.  Adventure in getting to see and do things that few others have experienced…my life has been rich and full.  Protection in guardian angels appearing at just the right time to save me from some catastrophe…usually of my own making.

Thanksgiving…yes…absolutely yes.  Thanksgiving just for tomorrow.  No.  Positively no.  Thankfulness daily is (or should be) the order of the day…this and every day.  Blessing, Adventure, Protection.

Maybe you have a different way of looking at life which brings you to a thankful attitude.  Whatever that way is, exercise it today, tomorrow, and every day.

And, maybe you find it difficult or impossible to be thankful.  Perhaps you’re struggling physically, mentally, or emotionally.  I don’t know what you may be going through right now, but know that help is available.

May God bless you as you walk through this time in your life.

Let Someone Know You Care

 Sometimes, in the course of living in Wichita and my work as a minister, I have occasion to hear, primarily through social media, of someone from my past who has been hospitalized in one of the Wichita hospitals.  It could be a classmate.  It could be someone who was in school the same time as I was, but a different grade.

When I hear of someone in the hospital that I know, I don't always make the trip to see them.  Sometimes, I hear about their hospitalization too late to go, as they've already been dismissed.  Sometimes, the relationship I had with that person was not one conducive to allow such a visit.  Sometimes, we barely knew each other, and it just didn't seem to be the thing to do to go for a visit.  But sometimes everything seems right, and I go for a short visit just to let them know that I know and care.

The visits are indeed often short.  Our lives long ago went in separate directions.  I have only attended a couple of our class or all-school reunions over the past almost 60 years.  I didn't have that many good friends in high school.  I wasn't a social butterfly.  And several of those friends I did have are no longer with us.  The last of the two or so reunions I attended was in 2017...our 50^th.  I don't plan on ever attending another reunion.

Sometimes I'll meet that person's family who may be there.  These would be people I don't know at all.  Those family members and I usually have a good conversation about what's going on with my friend...at least enough that I have some idea of the situation at hand.  They seem willing and at times even eager to talk about the situation.  So, sometimes I just do a lot of listening.

And, it seems that these incidents are becoming somewhat more frequent.  Of course, that would be expected, since most of us are well into our 70's, with the accompanying aches, pains, and illnesses that often attack.  I count it a privilege, though, to be able to make the visit and if even just briefly, for a moment re-establish the relationship.  And hopefully, my visit does something in a small way to provide some kind of relief and comfort.

There is one thing, though, that always seems to befuddle me when I encounter these situations.  I'm usually always calling up out of the dark recesses of my head memories of long ago.  Many times, those memories are videos complete with sound.  They are usually just snippets a few seconds long, but they're there as surely as I'm here.

I have to marvel at what I am experiencing.  How is it that somewhere in that gray mass of cells called the brain, these videos or still images are stored...kept...and recalled...sometimes 60 or more years after the event happened?  What kind of retrieval system does the brain have for these thoughts?  How does that work?  Why are some things stored permanently and others are soon forgotten?  Is my whole life somehow stashed away in there, but I can only recall certain aspects of it?  How are the physical brain cells changed when a thought...an image...a sound...is stored away?  Is there a limit to the information the brain can hold?  If so, what does it do when it reaches that limit?

I know that the people who study the brain may have some answers...or think they may have some answers to these questions.  But even so, what happens in that mass of cells in my head remains a mystery in so many ways.  I have to wonder just how it is that someone can reasonably conclude that such a marvelous piece of biology could have been put into existence by chance and happenstance.  I won't go into that in detail in this post...I'll leave that for another time, because the primary point in this thought is this:  If you hear of someone you know who is having some kind of health issue that necessitates that person being hospitalized, and if you think it might be good to make a short visit, by all means do so.  I know hospitals are places where a lot of people don't want to go, even when they're well.  I know it sometimes hurts to see someone else in discomfort or ill health.  I know it may take some time out of your day...you'll have to park in a far-away spot and navigate your way to the right room on the right floor.  And it might be difficult to find the words when you do see that person or that person's family.

But, put aside your own uncomfortable-ness and think of the one who is hospitalized.  Think about whether you would like someone to visit you should you be the one in that hospital bed.  Make that visit...even if for only five minutes.  You have no idea just how important it may be to your friend and his or her family for you to say that you care.

What a Concept !!

 As you all probably know by now, the United States government is “shut down,” to use the words of various media sources.  What that practically means is that many aspects of government have no authority in law to spend money, and so must curtail services until such authority is given.

There are some services that can, under law, continue to spend money, and there are other services which can keep their employees working, but their pay is delayed until the issue is fixed by the Congress and the President.

It's a complicated thing, this shut down business.  On the one hand, the very people who can fix the issue, but don’t, receive their regular pay and benefits.  On the other hand, those on the receiving end of the shut-down have to continue working as “essential workers” for no compensation until the law is changed.

And then there are those who rely on government services who suddenly are without.  The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is one such service.  Suddenly, tens of millions of people are without one of their basic means of survival.

Yes, I am well aware of the pro’s and the con’s regarding the SNAP program.  I know there are some who think it is a waste of resources and a huge mess of corruption.  There are others who believe the program is the savior of the world, so to speak, at least regarding food assistance, and want to expand it to many more.

I’m not here to argue any of the ideological points.  The truth is there are people who legitimately need assistance with basic necessities such as food.  That need may be filled by government, by non-profit orgs, by faith communities, or by individuals.  My guess is that if private orgs and individuals would be able and willing to fill the need, there would be no need for a SNAP program on a government level.  But that’s a topic for another day.

What I AM here to say is that I am seeing people step up to the need.  I am seeing people donate what they can afford to give.  I see every kind of donation from a can of green beans to a several thousand dollar check.  People are volunteering to work food pantries.  People are helping load and transport case lots of food.  People are spreading the news regarding the location and hours of the food pantries in the area.  People are delivering food to folks who can’t go to the pantry for whatever reason.  It’s heartening to see.

And I’m also seeing something I think is more important than donations of food or money.  I’m seeing people opening their minds to the truth that there is hunger and need in their neighborhoods.  I’m also seeing people open their hearts to the plight and circumstances of others.

Open minds and open hearts.  What a concept!  What a thought!  Could it be that this government-made situation be an instrument to help us open our minds and hearts to better enable us to love God and love our neighbor?

Paul Purdue, a minister with the United Methodist Church, wrote in a recent blog regarding open hearts and open minds.  I’ve slightly edited a part of it for this Thursday Thought.  Here’s what he said:

Sadly, much of what passes for Christianity in America today is closed minded, cultural bound, and increasingly hard hearted.  Such a faith rides up like an ill fitting jacket binding us up with do’s, don’t, oughts and shoulds.  This kind of Christian thought shuts down our minds, pinches off our compassion, and limits our capacity to love God and neighbor.

We substitute a list of norms, beliefs, and behaviors for a relationship with God…the God who told Abraham to immigrate, made Sarah laugh, empowered Moses to challenge Pharaoh, emboldened Esther, entrusted Mary with the fullness of God’s very self, went fishing with Peter, taught us to love, flipped over tables, suffered humiliation on the cross, rose from the dead, breathed the Holy Spirit on the disciples, changed Paul’s heart, and still speaks today.  Could it be that maybe…just maybe…an open heart and open mind are essential to faith?

This is Jay again.  I’ll just leave you to answer that last question yourself.  What do you think?

Meanwhile, if you’re at all able to help provide food, warmth, shelter, infant and baby needs, transportation, or any other need, please step up during this upcoming holiday season, and throughout the year.

Open minds and open hearts.  What a concept!  What a thought!