I Feel So Dumb...

 I have become somewhat addicted to the East Idaho News videos on YouTube where the news staff has taken on the responsibility for handing out thousands of dollars in gifts to deserving people in the Eastern Idaho area, complements of an anonymous Secret Santa who evidently lives somewhere in the area.  This past Christmas, Secret Santa gave away one million dollars in cash and gifts, including cars, gift cards, cashier’s checks, and other gifts that truly make a difference and change the lives of these people and their families.

Nominations for beneficiaries of these gifts come in from the public and are vetted by the East Idaho News staff in consultation with the Secret Santa.  They together make the decision what to give.  Then the news crew finds the beneficiary and gives the gifts.

I recently watched one video where a woman with five children had just buried her husband following a protracted and painful illness.  Secret Santa decided to pay for the funeral, which had just occurred a few days before the visit by the news crew, give a five thousand dollar cashier's check, and provide several thousand dollars in gift cards.  The woman was stunned and truly grateful for the help.

There are usually many comments below the video.  Below this particular video, the comment at the top of the page was this:  “I feel dumb and ashamed when I complain about insignificant things. They just suffered a terrible loss. May our heavenly father watch over and be with this family. Give them comfort and love.”

I read the comments somewhat regularly.  This comment stopped me in my tracks.  “I feel dumb and ashamed when I complain about insignificant things...”  Many people posted replies to this comment, agreeing with it and commenting further.  The comment really hit a nerve for many.

What the woman who was the beneficiary of the Secret Santa gifts went through definitely would NOT be insignificant.  This woman cared for her ill husband for about 10 years...nursed him through a kidney transplant...and cared for him through his terminal cancer, all the while holding the family together and caring for five kids.  She had just finished the funeral memorial and didn't have the funds to pay for the funeral...the home agreed to put it on payments for her.  “I feel dumb and ashamed when I complain about insignificant things.”

When one looks at what this woman and family have gone through, most everything that we encounter in our lives looks more and more like the “insignificant things” that the woman referred to in her comment.  I know we all have issues in life.  I know things don’t always go our way, and for some of us, things are tough right now.  However, many of us complain loud and long about the most trivial of inconveniences in life.  We think that our few aches and pains, our temporary setbacks, our not being able to live our lives exactly as we had planned, our inability to turn the world around and make it all go our own self-centered way...we think we're the ones who are so abused.  We pout.  We get angry.  We push others out of the way.  We have pity parties for ourselves.  We complain loudly about the unfairness of it all.  We are concerned only with  ourselves and how we can get things to go our way again.

“I feel dumb and ashamed when I complain about insignificant things.”

I know it's tough to do, but I'm asking you right now to give an account of yourself when some “insignificant thing” comes into your life.  How do you react?  What do you do?  What do you say?  What do you think?  How do you act?  What kind of a person do you become?

The next time you're tempted to throw a pity party for yourself, throw everyone else under the bus in a fit of self=centeredness, or scream about the unfairness of it all, STOP.

Think of this one sentence.   “I feel dumb and ashamed when I complain about insignificant things.”

Blessings.

Think On These Things

 Just when you think things can't get any worse...just when you think that the world is going to hell in a hand basket...just when you think that greed, self-centeredness, hatred, jealousy and dissension have taken over humanity...you see the flowers of love, generosity, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control grow and bloom...and once more you begin to recover your faith and choose not only to see the good and right, but you determine more than ever to emulate that good and right in your own life.

Now, that's a rather strong way to begin this Thursday thought.  I have become convinced, however, over the past weeks and months that there is far more good in the world than we are led to believe by social media, the news media, and the shrill voices spewing hatred and dissension.  There is a reason why the good is often tamped down, and the bad and evil are emphasized.  Darkness hates light.  Evil revels in and encourages chaos.  The bad seeks to recruit others into lives of greed and selfishness.

But turn off the negativity and darkness that is constantly invading your conscience, and look around you.  I've been working at doing that for some time now, and I can see the goodness, the gentleness, the generosity, and the kindness popping up all over.  And if you too turn off those voices of darkness...if you refuse to buy into the schlock that is constantly peddled, tune out the shrill shrieks of doom and fear, look outside of yourself and open your eyes, you'll see those things too.

You want some examples?  OK, here are some things I'm seeing right now...today...that give me hope and flesh out God's promise to renew His creation.

On a larger scale, I see a person in the Idaho Fall, Idaho area who is anonymously giving away one million dollars this year to deserving people and families.  This is the sixth or seventh year that this has been going on, and this person’s generosity is changing lives. 

I see a municipal court judge in Rhode Island who issues rulings with compassion and takes the time to see into someone’s life before issuing his rulings.  His court is one that should be an example for all who deal with matters of law and justice, tempered with mercy.

On a more local level, I see people going to work in jobs that would test the sanity of many of us.  School workers of all kinds, health care workers of all kinds, public servants of all kinds.  I particularly know of a psychologist for the Wichita Public Schools who gives her best even when faced with trauma and emotional issues that would be unbelievable for many.  I also know of a para for the 259 district and a bus monitor for 259 who both give their all for the kids they interact with on a daily basis, doing what they can to make their kids’ days the best they can possibly be.

I know of people within our congregation who look out for the elderly in our church family, who check up on and create social contact with those who can’t get out and around.  We have people who provide food and financial help for others, who go out of their way to provide transportation and comfort.  Most of these church members do these things quietly and without fanfare or recognition.

I know people who volunteer to work at the Lord’s Diner, at food pantries, in the schools, and in many, many other ways…each one doing just a little something to make that corner of the world a little better place.  And I know people who have formed non-profit organizations right here in Wichita to combat human trafficking, homelessness, prostitution, hunger, poverty, mental illness, and many other societal ills.  People such as Jennifer, Michelle, Julie, Rachel, Laura, and others who give selflessly of their time and treasure to make a difference.  One.  Person.  At. A. Time.

I know people serving in government, both in elected office as well as hourly or salaried employees who go to work every day, doing the right thing for the right reason.  Their work is often misunderstood, and they sometimes take a lot of rubbish from the public.  But they persist and prevail in redeeming the creation…or at least a small corner of it.

I see people paying it forward…they themselves having received from someone now giving back in some way.  Whether that be in the drive-up window line at a fast food place or in the check out line at a WalMart or Target…or maybe someone buying some fuel for someone else at a Quik Trip…people are paying it forward.

I see the generosity of my church family when I hear of a special need of someone in our church family…I ask others in the family to help out.  Sometimes the generosity of those people is much, much greater than the specific special need.

I see moms and dads raising kids…some who are special needs…and some of whom have great medical and emotional need.  I see good people adopting kids.  I see good people fostering kids.  I see people mentoring kids.  I see people being surrogate grandparents for kids.  I see people all over who are investing their lives…their time, energy, talent, and treasure into the next generations.

And the above examples are just a microcosm of the work going on in the world to make things better for others…to provide a brighter path for living…to bring hope to those who have no hope.

Look around.  Turn off the naysayers, the negative, the fearmongering.  Look instead for the goodness.  Begin to live there, in the meadowlands of hope, compassion, kindness, and gentleness instead of in the desert of hopelessness and fear.  As Paul the great Apostle says in his letter to the Philippian church, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Will You Join Us?

 Last Monday morning, I came into the office a little earlier than I normally do.  I had a meeting scheduled at 9am and wanted to be here in plenty of time in the event the person I was meeting came a little early.  I needn’t have come in early, however, because the person I was meeting was actually late getting here.  My Monday wasn’t starting out very well, it seemed.

A little later in the morning, our youth minister, CJ, came into the office.  He walked past my office door toward his office, and as he passed my door, he greeted me and asked me how I was doing.  CJ usually does this when he comes in, and I have begun to respond to him with something other than, “Fine,” or “I’m OK today,” or some other of the usual phrases that people give to that greeting.

That day, I was feeling kind of down.  The early arrival that day along with the late meeting didn’t help that any, but there were other things on my mind that were weighing me down that day.  We have a number in our congregation who are ill or fighting chronic health issues.  We just had a memorial service for a long-time member the week before and have other members whose time on earth is numbered.

We had the lowest attendance at worship services the day before that we’ve had in a long while.  The class I taught on Sunday didn’t seem to “flow” very well.  And I’ve been fussing with some kind of a pinched nerve in my hip that hurts whenever I walk.

Additionally, there is the constant barrage of political stuff, shootings, COVID-related issues, and other societal ills that come our way on the news and in social media.  Sometimes, it seems that things are getting worse and worse with no end in sight.

And, for perhaps one of the first and only times since I’ve been part of the church staff…that’s been 10 years now…as I was coming in to work that morning, I wasn’t very enthused about doing so.  I think I would much rather have stayed home that day.

Normally, I very much enjoy what I do here.  I look forward to the day and the work of the day.  But on that Monday, I was not in that kind of mood.  I would much rather have gone for a drive in the country and forget about work that day.

So, when CJ came by and asked me how I was doing, I asked him to step into the office and close the door.  He did and after I said to him, “You asked,” I proceeded to tell him how I was doing…not well.

I won’t go into the conversation in detail, but I will tell you that it struck a nerve with both of us.  We commiserated regarding the state of how things were, both in the church and in society, and took the conversation on side trips that touched on several aspects of life and living.  We talked about the future and what that means for those who are Christians.  We talked about the passage of time, acknowledged past regrets, and future apprehensions.  We spoke of the heaviness of burden-bearing as ministers and pastors.  I spoke of the relatively short time I have left on the earth, and we both recognized that we have squandered some of the time we’ve already been given, and that time and opportunities for making a difference in the lives of our families, friends, and others were growing shorter for the both of us.  And we talked about the fact that we both like to be in control of our lives…and that when the end comes, we will have no control over anything…that we will have to rely on the promises of God that we find in the Bible to bring us into the eternity that we believe He has promised for those who are His.

We ended that impromptu meeting with a man hug and a prayer.  And we both felt much better the rest of that day…and on into the next days, for that matter…because of our honesty with each other and “getting it out,” so to speak, getting out into the open those things which were building up inside us over the last weeks and months.

I don’t know where you are in life right now.  I don’t know if you have it all together and are merrily going on your way down life’s path, or if you are wrestling with the issues of the day and how they affect you physically, mentally, emotionally, and yes…spiritually.  I don’t know if you often look at your life past and dwell on the regrets or if you look at the past with great joy and peace.  I don’t know if you gaze into the future and find joy and excitement there, or if you see apprehension and fear of the unknown.

Or maybe you aren’t concerned with the past and the future and are just trying your best to get through the next hour or two.  You may be looking forward only to tonight when hopefully the cacophony will calm down and let you rest a little.

Whatever your situation, and wherever you are in life, know that you are not alone.  Seek out someone you can talk with who will understand and share life with you.  If you’re a Christian…a Christ-follower…find time in your day or your week to just be…no doing…just being.  Let God’s love overflow you and bring you contentment and peace even in the midst of the chaos.  Make it a priority to spend time with the One who created you and knows you better than you know yourself.

I don’t know how you best can do that.  It isn’t necessary that you sit in a dark closet for all of that time unless that’s your thing.  Different people have different ways of connecting with God.  Find the way that you enjoy and that brings you into communion with Him.  Make it a practice to meet Him regularly.

Our church staff will do that today…this afternoon.  We all will stand down this afternoon as part of our work day to just be.  The office will be closed.  The phones will not be answered.  Our social media will be shut off.  We will not be in our offices or even at the building.  We plan to, in whatever ways work best for us, be in touch with our Creator for three hours, from 1pm to 4pm.  Will you join us?

Time to Be

 

Something that often comes through nowadays whenever one hears the COVID-related news reports is the fact that caregivers…nurses, ancillary staff, physicians, maintenance and housekeeping people…and even others such as pastors, counselors, and others…are tired.  And that tiredness goes on to those in other vocations such as customer service, education, public health, and hospitality.  It seems like we all are tired…tired of the illness…tired of the restrictions…tired of hearing of yet more preventable deaths…tired of fighting what seems to be a never-ending, uphill, and at times unwinnable battle against not only a microscopic speck of DNA, but also against ignorance, selfishness, coarse behavior, violent acting-out, and other societal ills.

 I believe we are ALL tired.

 However, for many of us, finding the time to rest and refresh is more of a pipe dream than a reality.  It seems we are being called to do ever more with less…to improvise…to pack more work into fewer hours…to put out ever larger and more frequent fires in our lives.

 That reality has hit home in my vocation.  The staff at the church where I work is also tired.  We have had two deaths in our church family in just the last week or so.  We have others who are hanging on for life.  Some in our church family have incurable illness and are awaiting their time to go.  Others have chronic, but not yet life-threatening illness.  And still others are dealing with family breakup, mental health issues, spiritual issues, work-related issues, financial woes, unemployment, failing health, caring for children issues, and other assorted ailments physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

 And we ourselves as staff feel overwhelmed…having our own set of problems to deal with, even as we provide comfort, spiritual guidance, and service to others in our spiritual family.  And then there is the ever-present reality of carrying on with church services, Sunday School classes, and the day-to-day, week-by-week routine of what church is and does.

 As I thought about all of this earlier this week, it came to me that perhaps it would do our church staff good if we took some time away from normal work and just refreshed through meditation and prayer.  So I asked staff to set aside an afternoon next week for just such a thing.  For three hours next Thursday afternoon, we will close the office, not answer our phones or engage in social media.  We will do whatever it is that we do to refresh, meditate and pray, whether that be going for a walk, listening to music, sitting quietly, putting a puzzle together…whatever it might be.  We will consider these to be work hours, but will not engage in the ordinary and routine of work.  Hopefully, we will find refreshment, a measure of peace and contentment, and a little less overwhelmed-feeling at the end of that time.  And hopefully, we will have, during this time, given our burden over to the God who is willing and able to bear them all and relieve us of the burden of carrying them alone.

 I don’t know what your circumstance in life is at the moment.  However, if you can join us on that day, that would be so good…and if you can’t during that time, perhaps you can set aside a time of your own next week…just to be and not do.  As has been said, we are human beings, not human doings.  We need to take the time to just be.

 Join us if you can, Thursday the 20^th from 1pm to 4pm.  Blessings.

Life's Preciousness

  This is from my cousin Rachel, who has these last years endured the  hell of spousal deception, abuse, and finally his suicide.  There is truth in this post well beyond Rachel's years...for us all.

Some days it still amazes me; the amount of pieces of my life I still find myself putting back together. Unpacking dishes into my new (to me!) China cabinet today has me thinking and thanking. Some of these things I haven't seen in years. Some I packed away and tucked into a box because I knew they weren't safe in my home anymore. Some were packed by people I didn't even know who reached out to help a broken woman in some of her darkest days and have sat in that packaging for more time than I want to count. I know they are material possessions, but every one of the items I have found today holds significance and value to me. Some were gifts, some passed down by family. Some I bought myself in the days before I knew what hell looked like. Some I thought I had lost and there are tears of joy, because every single thing I have seen today holds and sparks a precious memory. Some remind me of the humility and safety of strangers helping hands, and remind me to always try to be that helping hand to someone else. Somehow it all reminds me of the preciousness of life. The preciousness of enjoying beauty and grace, and everything we have in the right now of our life. It reminds me that pieces of yourself you thought you had lost can be found. Pieces of yourself that are lost forever can be remade, rebuilt and restored into an even greater part of who you are and a treasure. Those pieces make you stronger. Softer. More aware and thankful for every gift that you are given. Yeah, I know; seems like a strange realization and thought for simply a bunch of dishes and material possessions, but sometimes God uses those things in life that bring beauty and aesthetics to remind us of His care. His love. His restoration and rebuilding. Thankful today for simple joys. Simple life. Simple thanking and washing, and making of beauty. Simple love and peace from a God who sees all, knows all, loves all, and restores all for His good.

"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten... And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you..."

Joel 2:25‭-‬26 

It's the Little Things

 

Good morning.

 Yesterday as I was coming in to work, I received a phone call from my wife, who was already at work.  She asked me if I was still at home.  I said I wasn’t and asked what she needed.  She said she left her phone somewhere and wasn’t sure where it was.  It could have been, she said, at home or possibly have fallen out of her coat pocket and was in her car at work.  She said she had wanted me to check at home, but was busy that morning and didn’t really have time to go out to the car to look for it.

I was on Kellogg not far from the house, so turned around at an interchange and went back to look for it.  Once I got home, I did a quick search, but found nothing.  Dialing her number, I listened for her ring.  It was not there.  Now, I know I have the “find phone” feature on her phone, but didn’t think to access it until later.  So much for modern technology…it can’t help you if you don’t think to use it.

Knowing that she was going to have a busy day, I went on over to WSU Tech Old Town and went in to the office.  They know me by sight there as I stop in from time to time.  I told the receptionist why I was there and asked her if she could get the key fob so I could look for the phone in the car.  She went back to Pat’s office, but came back saying she was in a meeting.  The receptionist Then sent a message to her and received an OK to interrupt the meeting.

Going back to her office a second time, she came back with the fob.  I went out to the car and quickly found the phone on the seat.  I went back in and gave both the fob and the phone to the receptionist, who later returned it to Pat.

OK.  I tell you this story, not to give myself a pat on the back for going “above and beyond,” so to speak, for my wife.  These are the kinds of things we do for each other without really thinking about it that much, so it wasn’t anything special for me.

However, I had to wonder about the young receptionist, the security officer also in the reception area, and the person who was meeting with my wife.  They all knew the story and knew what I had done.  I wonder if they took note of the relationship the two of us have with each other, and how that relationship worked in a very practical way to the benefit of one.  Later that evening, I found out what the two young women…the receptionist and the security officer…thought.  Evidently, I made quite a stir with them because of what I did for Pat, because they spoke to her in glowing terms about her husband.  OK, I’ll tell you now that if you know me, you know that I don’t really “glow” very much…I’m pretty much just a routine sort of guy.  However, there is a lesson here.

All too often, as Christians we think that going about our everyday lives and routines is about as far as it gets from evangelism and planting the seeds of the good news message of Jesus.  And I don’t know how my service to my wife this particular time will make any difference or not in the lives of anyone else.  But I have to believe that somewhere along the line of life and living, these kinds of acts of service are at times noticed by those who have a tender heart for the seeds of love and kindness to drop on to.  I have to believe that God can take something even as mundane as finding a phone and make it into something useful and wonderful for His Kingdom.

It’s the little things, people.  It’s the ordinary, routine, mundane things of living that often bring about the greatest of change for the good in ourselves and others.  Don’t go through life in a fog, thinking only of yourself.  Think of the little ways you can demonstrate God’s love.  Let the car trying to merge into your lane go in front of you.  Help someone who can’t reach the top shelf at the grocery store get the item they want.  And while we’re on grocery stores, look around when you park to see if you can take someone’s cart back to the store for them.  You’ll help them as well as the employee who has to go out and bring them all back in.  Say “Please,” and “Thank you,” often.  Open a door for someone…anyone.  Volunteer at your favorite non-profit.  And if you can’t volunteer, be a cheer leader for them and the work they do.  Don’t push others out of the way by being in such a rush when going through your day.  Apologize when you are wrong or use a poor choice of words.  Find a way to make the day of a loved one a little easier.  And listen.  Listen to others more than you talk.  Above all, be kind toward others; tenderhearted, forgiving others.

These are all things that can make a huge difference in the lives of others.  And these are all things that can scatter that seed of the Kingdom of God in the world.  Try it…I think you’ll like it.

 

Blessings