God Is Big Enough

 I think many of us, as we go about our days, at least at times are aware of some of the headlines that are in the news of the day.  It seems that the news goes in cycles.  We hear about something the news orgs believe to be important one day…then hear about it again the next day…and the next.  Then, when something else “new and newsworthy” comes along, the old news topic is dropped, many times never to be heard from again even though that same situation or event is still happening.

Sometimes the news people insert a “good news” story into the mixture.  It’s usually about some good deed done by someone, or perhaps it’s a look at some kind of special relationship between people, or perhaps it involves an animal in a feel-good way.  These stories are bountiful, but don’t seem to get the air time that the disaster and bad behavior stories receive.

And if you’re like me, some days you look at the headlines and wonder if the world truly has gone over the edge.  It’s so bad some days you don’t even want to read or hear the story itself.  And you’re sorry you even looked at the headlines, because they just ruined your whole day.

Today was such a day for me.  I will often go to one of the local television station web pages in the morning and just briefly look over the headlines.  Here’s what one station had on its page today.

 Wildfires kill livestock in Texas and Kansas.

Man charged with capital murder in East Wichita motel shooting

Extra security at USD 266 due to unsubstantiated threat.

Putin threatens nuclear war if troops sent to aid Ukraine

Kellogg’s CEO criticized for “Cereal for dinner” comment

Man allegedly causes $550,000 in damage to rail cars

 And last, but certainly not least

 Utah study reveals the best place for UFO sightings.

 Now, I know these headlines aren’t unusual.  These types of stories come out in the news every day.  But today, for some reason, I took a quick look at them, went “UGH” in my mind, and decided to close the web page without any further perusal of the stories.  I also woke up today with the beginnings of a headache, and had some additional aches this morning from some more strenuous activity yesterday than I normally engage in.  So, I wasn’t in any great frame of mind anyway, and probably should never have looked at the news from overnight.

Now, I could, given my frame of mind, the absurdity and depravity of some of the headlines, and a general malaise, let today just continue to go downhill…OR, I could see what I could do to make some lemonade, so to speak, from what is left of my optimism and positivity.

I have to admit that I have to work to keep myself from getting too riled up over the headlines.  Political headlines especially are sometimes a real issue for me.  I believe that I need to have some understanding of what is happening in political circles, yet I also need to not get so worked up over those things about which I can do nothing.  I have no control over what Mr. Trump or Mr. Biden say or do.  I cannot vote for or against a certain bill or resolution in the Congress, the state legislature, or the county commission.  I believe I need to be aware, and I can and do communicate with my representatives, but once that is done, I need to let it go.

And as far as the other headlines go, people are going to do bad and stupid things.  People are going to say things they ought not have said, at least publicly.  The environment, the weather, and the natural world will not always be rainbows and unicorns.  So, what can I do?

The one thing that I can do, but many times forget to do, is talk with the ONE who is the ultimate authority...the ultimate power...the ultimate control.  I can speak with him regarding the situations here, petition for relief, and do my part to bring a renewed creation into my sphere of influence.

You may think that prayer…communication with God…is a cop-out and an abdication of my responsibility somehow to try to effect real change.  You may think that instead of prayer, I need to join a political party, be part of a protest in front of City Hall, contribute to a political action committee, or some other thing.  You may think that I am just “checking out,” so to speak, and am not being realistic about how things really are.

I assure you that I know what goes on in the real world.  I’m very familiar with death and dying.  I see poverty, and daily work to help alleviate it.  I know all too well what it means to be homeless.  I know of the struggles of single parenting.  I’ve spent years in public service of one kind or another.  No, I’m not an expert in every social ailment, but I’ve been around enough to have some comprehension of many aspects of society and the world situation which make the news from time to time.

And I’ve found prayer to be an effective tool, if you will, as I continue in life.  I think you might also find it beneficial and effective.  Nothing else has worked for you, has it…it can’t hurt to give it a try.  Give your anxiety, your anger, and your fears regarding the news headlines over to God.  He’s big enough to take it all on.

 Blessings,

Some Questions

 Good morning and welcome to this Thursday’s thought.

 Scot Pollard had a heart transplant last week.  For those of you who are in the know on things KU Basketball, Pollard was a big part of the KU basketball program in the mid 1990’s, and played for eleven seasons in the NBA following his graduation.  Due to a viral episode a few years ago that weakened his heart, it was decided that the only way out was to receive a transplant.  That happened last week.

Pollard is up and around, and is recovering well.  There had been some difficulty in finding a heart of the proper size, as Pollard is a big man at six feet eleven inches.  One was found, however, and he is getting a new lease on life, thanks to a donor whose identity has not been made public.

I’ve not had a transplant.  So I don’t know the answers to the questions I’m about to ask.  But I have to wonder if these thoughts go through the minds of those who HAVE received a transplant, whether a heart, a kidney, or some other body part.

In the midst of the joy of a new lease on life must surely come the realization that someone else has died, at least in terms of a heart transplant.  And that were it not for that death, the recipient of the transplant may well not be alive or have much of a future.  One life traded for another, so to speak.

Yes, I know that the life that ended did so inevitably.  That there was no cure…no recourse…no chance for survival.  But I have to wonder how the transplant recipient thinks about that reality, and if she or he does, to what extent.  And if so, how that reality colors the joy of a new life.  Are there periods of reflection, sadness, gratitude?  Does the recipient really understand the gravity and “life-and-death” of it all?

I also have to wonder if the recipient has a greater sense of service and “paying it forward,” as it were, knowing that either the donor or his family made a conscious decision to give…to give something a precious as life…to another whom they would never know.  I know that acts of service and generosity many times trigger at least a temporary increase of the same in the lives of those served.  I have to wonder if a transplant changes how a person thinks regarding service and generosity, especially the kind of generosity that demands extraordinary sacrifice of some kind, such as organ donation.

In short, does a transplant cause a fundamental change in the recipient’s outlook on life?  Is that person different in ways that are not only easily noticed, but permanent in nature?  And what are the recipient’s views on meeting the family of the one who gave the organ?  What would one say to the family, or to the person who donated, should that person be living?  What kinds of emotions would course through one’s soul at that moment?

I am grateful that I have not had to experience that kind of thing.  And in any event, I am old enough that such a thing would not be a medical possibility for me.  But Scot Pollard is not yet 50 years old.  He has a lot of life left, if his new heart keeps working without being rejected, and all else is good.  And he is not alone.  Transplants of various kinds…hearts, lungs, kidneys, livers, and so on are more and more common.  And there are better anti-rejection medications now than there were some years ago, resulting in fewer complications.

Medical science has come a long way over the years, and I’m sure will continue to progress in ways we can only imagine now.  But along with that progression, we need to keep in mind that we are treating human beings…people…individuals.  These people have another side to their makeup besides their physiology.  People are emotional, thoughtful, and cognizant.  We have hearts (not of the physical variety, but of the emotional kind), souls, and minds.  What is done in a physical way affects other areas of life and living.  And I would think that the recipient of new life through a transplant gift would be especially affected.

Thanks for listening.  Life can be complicated, even without all of the externals of politics, the world situation, and the various trials and tribulations that we see.  But that’s also one of the great things about life and living.  We aren’t robots.  We aren’t just existing.  Life has meaning and purpose.  And for that, I am most grateful.

I never answered my questions, but that’s OK.  Good things to think about even if you have never experienced something like a heart transplant.  Humanity could use a good dose of humility, gratefulness, and generosity about now.  Thanks for listening.

 Blessings,

Eeyore

 Good afternoon.

 As some of you may know, I have a “wall of heroes” in my office just opposite my desk.  I can see it at all times when I’m at my desk, and I receive many blessings from the photos that I have there.  Most of the photos are of people who I am honoring by placing their photos on the wall.  I have a photo of the now-former planet Pluto and one of the earth.  I also have a photo of a couple of therapy dogs that have been in my past.

And, I have two photos of Eeyore, the donkey in the Winnie The Pooh stories.  Eeyore, as you may know, comes across as a pessimistic and gloomy character who seems to have bad things happen to him.  Yet he always gets up, so to speak, dusts himself off, and goes on with life and living.

One of the photos I have shows Eeyore with his head between his front legs, looking back toward his tail.  The other shows him with Pooh and the caption, “Any day spent with you is my favorite day,” spoken by Pooh.

Eeyore is described by Wikepedia as physically one of the stronger animals of the series, and is often treated as a pack animal whenever a plot calls for one.  His house is regularly knocked down, but he always rebuilds it.  He usually expects misfortune to happen to him, accepts it when it does and rarely even tries to prevent it.  His catchphrases are "Thanks for noticin' me" and "Ohhh-kayyy.

I can certainly relate to Eeyore.  In fact, I’m sometimes referred to by that name by my family.  I suppose that’s because I’m just not the bubbly type.  I rarely show a lot of emotion, and have been told that I sometimes come across as angry or upset when I’m nowhere close to those emotions.  I don’t know that I always have bad things that happen to me, or that I don’t try to prevent those things from happening.  But, I’ve always thought that I go on with life and living when bad things happen, preferring to look ahead rather than continuing to live in the past.  And, as I said, I’m nowhere near the bubbly, outgoing type.  I’d much rather stand over in a corner in a crowd or not even be there in the first place.  Even if the crowd is people I know and love, I do better when I’m on my own, or at least separated somewhat from the crowds.

I don’t avoid crowds at all costs.  I attend concerts, visit zoos, parks, and other places where there is likely to be others gathered, and have gone on cruises, flown commercially, and enjoyed several vacations in places where there were crowds.  At our church, I teach classes, visit with other congregants, and enjoy my time there.  But I just seem to be more relaxed and “at home” when I’m alone or with my wife.

I know everyone is different.  I know there are the personalities that seem to relish being around others and do well at absorbing the energy that is found in crowds.  These are the ones who seem to be those we notice right away…that when they come into a room, everyone takes notice of their presence.  I’m not one of them.  Crowds don’t feed my energy level…I consume energy and am tired when I’ve been in a crowd for a time.  I’d prefer that no one much notice that I’m there, and let me just stand in the corner, so to speak, and observe and listen.

My friend Eeyore is on my wall of heroes.  Not because of his pessimistic and gloomy nature, but because of his resilience.  When his house is knocked down, he rebuilds it.  When he’s asked to be a pack animal, he does his job.  When he loses his tail, he has Chrisopher Robin pin it back on.  And he goes on about life and living, looking ahead rather than stewing and fretting about the past.    Blessings…

The Surgery

 Almost three weeks ago, I had to have a couple of teeth removed.  One had broken off at the gum line.  The other was cracked up inside the gum and was aching.  I decided to have both of them removed and have implants later on this year after everything has healed.  That process consists of having “posts” implanted sometime in April, waiting for that to heal, and having the final restoration done sometime in June.

I tell you this because I went into this pretty much dreading the after effects of the removal surgery.  The last time I had any teeth removed was when I had wisdom teeth extracted some 50 or more years ago.  At that time I had just local anesthesia, and the after-effects were less than pleasant for a couple of days.  I also had an extended time of having to eat soft food, and was single, so I was on my own.

This time, I asked to be put under general anesthesia…conscious sedation, I think they call it.  Yet I wasn’t at all looking forward to the days following the surgery, knowing there would essentially be a couple of holes in my gums that I would have to keep clean, and I would have to be careful what I ate and how I chewed my food.

The surgery went well.  I don’t remember anything.  The discomfort following the surgery was minimal.  I took only two or three of the pain pills I was given, and for the next two or three days just took over the counter medications.  I did have to watch what and how I ate, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it might be.  My mouth has now pretty much healed, and I can eat practically anything.

I tell you these things because there is a larger principle here.  So often when we see something ahead of us that is an unknown, we tend to think the worst.  We dwell on the negative aspects.  Our brains immediately think about all that can go wrong.  We get worked up because of all of the possible problems, issues, and yes, I’ll say it, CHANGES that we will need to make in our daily routines because of what we think may be coming our way.  We are, after all, creatures of habit, comfort, and sameness.

Sometimes we are correct in our notion that things can go badly.  Our lives are upended.  Things go drastically wrong.  Permanent changes take place in our lives and in the lives of those we know and love.  But often, we become agitated and upset about a future event only to experience very little disruption, very little change, very little that we previously were dreading.

Jesus said this about worry in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel.

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?   Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

Most of us tend to fret and worry entirely too much.  We worry about things over which we have little or no control.  I’ve spoken before about how some of us get all worked up about national and international politics; yet we have virtually no control over anything that happens in those venues.  Things such as who becomes elected as President.  The various wars and conflicts over the world.  What the Congress will or won’t do.  Floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.  Who wins the Super Bowl.

These are things we can’t influence in any meaningful way.  Yes, we need to cast our votes.  Yes, we need to communicate as best we can with our elected representatives.  Yes, we need to be aware of what’s going on in the world.  But to worry, get upset, lose sleep, lose friends, and generally work oneself into a frenzy over these things is not only unproductive.  It is unhealthy.

So, like my interactions with the oral surgeon, and later on my regular dentist, it is not productive for me to worry.  It can even be unhealthy for me to get upset over something I need to do.

Life is much better when we take a moment to just breathe and relax.  Wind down and enjoy the time we have.  As was said in the old Alka Seltzer commercial, Try it.  You’ll like it.

Political Theater

 It’s time for another Thursday Thought…Good Morning !!

 I’d like to venture into the world of politics for just a moment.  Now, don’t tune me out or turn me off.  It won’t be what you think.  I’m not going to rail against one person and extol the virtues of another.  I’m not going to talk about conservative versus liberal, Democrat versus Republican, or any of that.  Rather, I’d like to give you my take on how I cope with what goes on in the fantasy world otherwise known as political theater.

There are several political theaters in our culture.  There’s the national and international theaters.  Then we come closer to home with state politics, and finally local politics of various stripes…city, county, school districts, and so on.  Each of these theaters vies for our attention as citizens, voters, and supporters.  And each of these theaters has its own modus operandi, so to speak, regarding how, when, what, and why it communicates with us.

We in turn have a relationship with each of these political theaters.  For example, for the vast majority of us, our relationship with national and international politics can be described as distant at best.  Yes, we may have intense opinions about this or that regarding the national and international political scene.  Our world view may be such that we coalesce around one or another dogma, issue, or human political figure.  We may even participate in protests, marches, or other civic activities in order to express our opinion.  But the fact is that for the most of us, what we say or do in no way changes what happens in the national or international political scenes.

Our individual voices are seldom, if ever heard.  Instead, the communication is the other way around…the political interests talking to us.  Their primary job, it seems, is keeping us stirred up about this or that perceived failure of the other side, asking for money to “fight the good fight,” to keep the bad guys out of power, promising rainbows and unicorns if the “good guys” are in power, and letting us know that our nation as we know it will cease to exist and the apocalypse will commence if the other side wins.

However, with local politics, and to a somewhat lesser degree state politics, if we approach it in the right way, we will be heard.  The local politicians will listen.  We can have a productive dialog with them.  And we can effect change.

Additionally, we can engage ourselves in our community.  We can make our corner of the world a better place for our having been here.  We can partner with others to effectively make changes that we alone could not do.  As my friend Jennifer White says, “I can’t do everything, but I can do something.”  We may not be able to move the mountain that is national and international politics, but we can certainly put our shoulders against the hill that is local and state politics, and begin to facilitate a move toward a better local society.

“How?” you say.  I don’t know how you will gain a local politician’s ear, but for me, reaching out to that person displaying kindness, some knowledge of current events, expressing gratitude for their willingness to serve regardless of their political bent, and a desire for genuine conversations go a long way toward gaining an audience.  I’ve also found out that an offer a lunch date in a place that is relatively quiet so we can just visit over food and drink will often be the carrot for conversation.

I have the ear of my state representative, the person who will be my state senator next year, my city council person, the city council person of the district of where the church is located, my county commissioner, and others in city, county, and state government.  I don’t always agree with them, nor do they agree with me.  I explain my position and they explain theirs.  We sometimes agree to disagree and remain friends.  However, I know I have communicated with them, and I know they take what I say seriously and at least consider it as they deliberate and debate in city hall or the state capitol.

I have found that local and state politics is nowhere near the simple, fifteen-second sound byte or shouted slogan that the media and others would have one believe.  It’s messy, incredibly complicated, and reaches into the most inner workings of society and of individual lives.  It’s where we pretty much live as individuals and local community.

I’ve sort of sworn off of national and international politics.  I can’t change what happens.  I can’t communicate in any realistic way with my national representatives.  I am virtually an unknown, except as a source of money or ideological energy.  But with state and local politics, I can be someone…a person…a human being.  I can, if I approach them in a dignified way, with kindness and a willingness to listen and learn, have genuine conversation with my local representatives.  I can effect change.

And you can too.  Try it.  Get to know those who represent you locally.  It’s well worth the effort.  And don’t allow the media and political machines to rile you up with garbage speech, innuendo, and outright lies that should never see the light of day.  You’ll be healthier.  You’ll be happier.  You’ll be free from the scrum at the bottom of the cesspool.

One last thing.  Pray.  Pray, as Paul says in his letter to Timothy, “for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

 

Blessings.