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.

Reminiscing

 As we get older, I think many of us begin to think more about times past and gone, and a little less about the future.  I think that’s normal, and is not in any way weird or out of the ordinary.  We especially think about events and times in our lives which at the time may have seemed like nothing, but in hindsight were pivotal in some way or another…a chance encounter with someone…our decision to go to work for this person or that company…our move to a certain neighborhood or city…the subjects we studied in school, or any number of other decisions and events that have come our way in life in times past.

More often than we’d like to think, those things that seemed trivial and of no importance ended up being of great importance in life.  Perhaps one day we decided to take an alternate route into work and something happened that would not have happened otherwise which gave us a new direction in life.  Maybe we made the decision to get some minor medical issue checked out, which turned into finding out about a serious condition that had just begun and could be easily treated.  Or we could have made a phone call, applied for a certain job, sent an email, or done one of any number of things which, although they seemed routine, in their own way caused a great shift in our trajectory in life.  And we tend as we get older, I think, to put some of these seemingly random and trivial events into some kind of story which results in our being who and what we are today.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, in my mind I’ve been doing that kind of “putting together” of those seemingly random events over the past few years.  I sometimes find myself awake at an odd hour of the night putting events and happenings together from my past that make sense now, but then were just random things that occurred.  It’s utterly amazing that if any one of thousands of decisions and events of past life had occurred differently, in all probability I would not be where I am today, and would not be with the woman who is my wife today.  I would have different friends.  My relationship with my family would be different.  I would have different children and grandchildren…or perhaps none at all.  I might well be living in a different place, doing something different, or perhaps would already be dead and gone.  It’s really mind-numbing to plumb through even one aspect of one’s past, connecting the dots of various events and decisions, and realizing the incredible significance of that decision or that certain event as it pertains to who and what I now am.

In looking at all of this, I am left with a question that countless people have asked before me and will continue to ask as time goes on.  Did all of these things happen randomly, and just happen to work out the way they did?  Or has there been some force or intelligence behind it all, encouraging, leading, and guiding these things?  Is there some grand scheme for my life, and for the lives of everyone else, or are we just playing with random chance in life?

I confess I don’t know with certainty that there is an answer to those questions…at least an answer that we can understand, comprehend, and prove.  It seems so unlikely that all of these events, situations, and decisions in my life could have been sheer chance; yet it is equally unfathomable that chance could possibly have brought me to the place where I am today.

Chance is just that…chance.  There is no intelligence in chance.  Chance has no mind…chance has no thoughts…chance has no motives.  There is no overriding purpose in chance.  There is no morality or sense of “oughtness” in chance.  Chance is incapable of being concerned with the individual, cannot validate the individual as something of value, or long for the good of an individual…or for the world for that matter.

Yet to consider a being…God, if you will…who orchestrates, nudges, encourages, plans, leads, and loves individuals to the extent that at least some of what occurs in life does so at His bidding, is equally unfathomable and unexplainable.

I would think, however, that the truth has to be one of those two situations…either sheer chance or a god-like being who operates within the universal order, but is not part of that universal order.

As a practicing Christian, I choose to believe in the God of Noah, Abraham, Jacob, David, Peter, Paul, and the others I find in the Holy Bible.  I don’t, in that belief, pretend to understand how He works in my life and in the lives of others.  Nor do I believe that literally every move I make is somehow orchestrated by Him and I am no more than a puppet on strings doing his bidding.  But I can’t even remotely begin to fathom the idea of chance bringing me to where I am now…that would, in my opinion, require much more faith on my part than believing in the God of the Universe.

I don’t know about you.  You may not do much “reminiscing,” about things of the past.  Or maybe you do.  Nor do I know whether you believe in chance or in a supreme being who is living and active in the world and in your life.  I would ask you, however, to carefully consider the evidence…consider your life…your history…and the role that chance may have played in it…or that God may have played in it.

I think if you’re thinking reasonably and rationally, you’ll come to much the same conclusion as I have…that there indeed is a God who is living, active, and works in the world and in the lives of his people, including me and you.

 

Blessings.

Max

 This past Saturday was a perfectly normal day in our household.  We were thoroughly ensconced in our home out of the bitter cold and wind, taking the day easy, as the latest polar vortex was screaming outside .  The cold had come into the Great Plains a couple of days before, and we weren’t too eager to get out into it.

As we were watching an NFL game on the TV, we got a call from Laura, our daughter-in-law, telling us that they had taken their house cat Max to the emergency veterinary clinic.  The news wasn't good.  Max, a 17 year old cat, rescued from a shelter as a youngster, and who had been with the family from the beginning, wasn't going to get better.  His organs were shutting down, and he had not long to live, even with intensive and expensive intervention.

Rachel, our oldest grand, came into the family about the same time as Max.  All the kids have ever known was Max the house cat.  Mild-mannered, Max allowed little kids to pull his tail, grab him, and love him in the ways that little kids sometimes do.  When he had enough of their play, he just disappeared somewhere until a better time.  He became very adept at being on the floor in the middle of a lot of feet, but seldom being stepped on…he developed some really good moves while navigating the crowds of kids and grown-ups.  And later on, he could often be found on the back of the sofa or on someone’s lap, just cooling his heels and looking wise.  Max was the epitome of calm in the storm of six kids and two adults in the same house.

This was going to be a tough rest-of-the-day, because wee knew that Max wouldn’t be coming back home.  Tough on the grand kids.  Tough on Laura and Scott.  Tough on us all. 

Scott and Laura left Max at the clinic where they had taken him and received news they didn’t want to hear, while they went back to the house to break the news to the kids.  Just before they left the clinic, they called and told us.  We volunteered to go out to the house and be with them when they let the kids know.  We bundled up against the cold and wind, and got to the house a few minutes before Laura and Scott, telling the grands once we were there that we came out to watch them until their parents got back.

In a few minutes, Laura and Scott came home.  We gathered around the dining table, and the news was broken to the kids.  It didn't take long for the kids themselves to be broken.  We worked through the news about Max for the next 30 minutes or so around the table.  Any of the kids who wanted to see Max one last time could go back with us to the clinic, but if one or more wanted to stay home, we would stay with them.  All wanted to go.  Son Michael and grand Estella had come down from Hutchinson after hearing the news to be with everyone too.  I'm grateful they chose to come and support us all.  So we gathered our coats, our favorite comfort stuffed animals, etc., and went to the clinic.

At the clinic, there was a “family” room we could use to say our good-byes to Max.  They brought him in and we spent a good 45 minutes or so with him...with Scott holding him.  Each of the kids got to sit next to him for a time.  We talked.  We cried.  We wiped tears.  We held.  We even laughed from time to time.

Finally, Scott was ready.  The veterinarian came in, told us what she would be doing, and carried it out.  Max went peacefully over the rainbow bridge, held and stroked and loved by his family.  They decided to take Max home and bury him on the family property.  The clinic prepared a bag and a box for Max, took his paw prints to give to the family, and we started out for home.  It was over.

I tell this story to say that even though Pat and I knew Max very well, he wasn't our cat...his family was Scott and Laura and kids.  Yet I felt pretty much drained a couple of hours after coming home from the clinic.  These things take an emotional toll even on those of us who are a little more detached from the situation than others and provide support for the grieving.  I can't imagine how the veterinary staff emotionally handles these things.

By the way, they (the staff) did great.  Caring.  Communicating.  Compassionate.  I have nothing but praise for them and for the physical facilities, which had “family” rooms for these kinds of things, televisions, crayons, etc to keep the younger kids occupied, and water, snacks, and restrooms for us if needed.

On the way home from the clinic, I told Pat that what we did...being with the family...was important tonight.  I think it mattered that we were there.  I think it mattered that we cared.  I think it mattered that Uncle Mike and Cousin Estella came down from Hutchinson.  I think it mattered that we were grieving along with them.

The days will go on.  Max is buried on the home place and will forever be in the hearts of those of us who were his family.  These things are never easy.  But in this broken creation, they are necessary...until the Day all death will be abolished forever.  As the song says, “What a day…glorious day…that will be.”

 

Blessings.

The Blessing of Music

 In early 2021, I heard of a CD by Carrie Underwood that was about to be released.  The CD was a collection of older hymns that she compiled, arranged, and sang.  The CD is titled “My Savior.”  There are thirteen songs recorded there, including “Softly and Tenderly”, “Blessed Assurance,” and others.  I waited until the CD was released, then ordered it.  When I received it, I put it in the CD player of my pickup.  It is still there in the player, and in fact has been the only CD in the player since it was first put there almost three years ago.

I played it continually for the first year or so, with breaks only occasionally to listen to classical music on the public radio station.  I listen to it a little less often now, but still have it active in the player about half of the time I’m in the pickup, alternating with classical music on the radio.

I’ve often wondered why I many times would turn off the classical station and start the CD from where it left off.  I’ve wondered what it is about that CD that brings me to want to hear it again for at least the two hundred and forty second time.  I’m not a country music fan.  Ms. Underwood can rightly be branded a country music singer.  I’m not necessarily smitten with Ms. Underwood, either.  The only thing I have left is the music itself…not necessarily the way it has been arranged and sung, although those things have, in my mind, enhanced the messages of the songs.  It’s the words that go along with the “enhanced” musical score and go along with Ms. Underwood’s voice and emotion that is palpable in her singing.  It’s the words.  It’s the message.

 

“Come home.  Come home.  Ye who are weary, come home.”

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.”

“Just as I am, without one plea; but that thy blood was shed for me.”

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.  Because He lives, all fear is gone.”

“Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father.  Thou changest not…thy compassions they fail not.”

“He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood.”

“Jesus loves me; this I know.’

 

The words of these hymns are as close to timeless as words can be.  And dare I say that many of the words of these songs are truly inspired…inspired by and through the work of the Spirit of God moving in the hearts and minds of the authors…authors such as Will Thompson, John Newton, Bill & Gloria Gaither, Thomas Chisholm, Anna Bartlett Warner and others.  Words that in turn can inspire, comfort, instruct, and bless.

This CD and these hymns can calm my stress, relieve my anxiety, and make me a better driver.  They can prepare me for what may be a rough day at work.  They can encourage me to think beyond the here-and-now.  They can bring to light a reality that transcends any obstacles which may appear in my day.

And sometimes, they just make a good alternative to the radio.  Sometimes I will flip through the stations I’ve put on my radio buttons just to hear the noise coming out of those channels.  Some may be in the middle of a ten-minute commercial break.  Others may be playing some kind of modern noise to which I cannot relate.  Still others may be in a “newstalk” time where someone is raving about the world ending as we know it if this politician gets his or her way.  Or they’re spouting some kind of conspiracy theory or selling a book.

It is then that I switch to the CD and take comfort in a God who is always there, knows exactly what’s happening, knows what he’s doing with His creation, and has promised me a future with him.

I don’t know about you.  Maybe music doesn’t spiritually move you to any great extent.  Maybe it does, but it isn’t hymns…instead, it may be music like Handel’s Messiah or southern gospel.  Maybe it’s music like what is found on Light 99 FM.  Everyone is different, and everyone has their own way of approaching God, appreciating God, and communing with God.  For me, the CD we’ve been talking about, along with some other forms of spiritually-based music are one of the primary ways I connect with the God of the universe.

What is your connection?  How do you approach God?  What part, if any, does music play in your relationship with him?  Humanity has been given a marvelous gift…the gift of music…the gift of poetry…the gift of authors and composers who have been inspired in some way by the Spirit of God to create.

 

May God bless you in the coming days.

Prayer

 Good morning, and welcome.

 I’m not sure at this point what my topic for this Thursday Thought will be.  There are so many things rattling around in my head, and none of them are settling in right now for a cohesive thought.  There’s a lot going on in the world, just as there always has been.  However, in today’s world, we are exposed to a lot more of it than we were just a few decades ago.  We get instant news, instant commentary, and instant conspiracy theories.  And those things come at us several different ways…many times now through social media and the Internet.  Television, radio, and print make up a lot of the remainder, with personal interaction making up a small part.

News organizations have reporters and photographers embedded in much of the world.  I was reading an article on the recent bombing in Iran conducted by the United States and coalition forces which killed a leader of a militant group there.  The report spoke of an Associated Press photographer in Iran who was allowed to photograph the results of the bombing.  I can’t imagine being a member of the press in a place like that.  The stress level must be about 18 on a scale of 1 to 10.

We can know much about what’s going on in China…Argentina…Australia…The Sudan…Israel…Great Britain…Russia…Canada…and any other place in the world you’d like to name, just be doing a little searching on line.  And of course, Washington DC is always in the news in some form or another, as well as various state capitals, and even sometimes the city halls of larger cities.

It can all be so overwhelming, especially when we realize that there is nothing we can do to change things.  We have no say in whether or not another bombing will take place in Iran.  We cannot in any way shape the Israel/Hamas war.  We have no access to our elected senators and representatives, and certainly we don’t have the ear of the President.  We’d be lost in Topeka trying to make our way through the jungle of state government.  And we even have difficulty contacting our city council person, county commissioner, or our mayor in any meaningful way.

I think the combination of so much news and information…most of it telling us that something bad is going on…and our inability to do anything about it in any meaningful way eats on us as well.  Our stress level goes up.  Our uneasiness increases.  We become fearful of the next thing to happen.  We become hooked on news cycles and search for news outlets that slant the news in ways that we like, so that we can better manage the stress.

We align ourselves with people and groups that appear to have answers, or at least have the ear of those who are making the decisions.  Most often, however, these people and groups have no answers, but our joining their rhetoric makes us feel better…makes us feel like we are doing something…anything to reduce the stress and fear.

And then, to cap it all off, when we drive in downtown Wichita, we see a woman bent over under a load of things she’s carrying, disheveled, dirty, and unhoused…going from who knows where to who knows where.  She is one of hundreds who have no place to call home, and countless more who are couch-surfing or rooming in with relatives or friends.

The unhoused woman is a microcosm of a society that is ill.  In addition to homelessness, drug addiction, violence, mass shootings, lack of health care, too many incarcerated, too many who are hungry, and other ailments plague us as we make our way through life and living.  These are things that we can see…that we can experience…right here at home.  And we feel helpless here, too.  There is so much violence.  So much addiction.  So much homelessness.  So much hunger.

It rapidly gets to the point that we just check out.  We become numb.  We just try to get through the day.  We ensconce ourselves in a sort of cocoon, just in order to survive.  We become depressed.  We see therapists.  We medicate ourselves, either legally or illegally.  Is it any wonder we are the way we are?

I’m not going to leave you in a state of depression, though.  Yes, the problems are real.  Yes, we have real issues in society and in the world.  It is correct also that we seemingly don’t have any control over any of this…that the world is running amuck.  However, as Christians, there is something very powerful that we can do.

In the New Testament book of James, we read this:  “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Paul the apostle tells Timothy to “Pray for kings and others in power, so we may live quiet and peaceful lives as we worship and honor God.”

These are just two of the many places in both the Old and New Testaments where we either are instructed to pray, or find examples of people who prayed.

Prayer does two things.

First, prayer puts us in touch with someone who, unlike us, is able to do something about whatever situation about which we have a concern.  If we as Christians truly believe in an all-powerful God who continues to be living and active in His creation, our prayers connect us with that God in a powerful way.

Second, through prayer, we can reach beyond any barrier to directly affect the outcome of any given situation in the world today.  We don’t have to travel to Gaza, Iran, or China to affect some situation.  We can go there in prayer, bypassing all of the barriers that are in our way.

And I’ll give you a third point.  Prayer reduces our anxiety and calms our fears.  Prayer gives us peace and contentment, even in the world we live in today.  Prayer is the great healer.

Well, I never did get to a real topic for this Thursday Thought, so I’ll close with this:  this new year, if you don’t already do so, take even a minute or two out of every day to engage in prayer.  Reach out to the One who can do immeasurably more than we can ask or even think.

 

Blessings,

What Can I Do?

 Over the years, I’ve taken notice of the fact that as far as the national and international stages are concerned, I’m pretty much a non-entity.  For example, I can’t affect the outcome of the Israel-Hamas war.  I can’t change the outcome of the New Hampshire primary.  Whether or not people are found guilty or not guilty of crimes having to do with the 2020 election is nothing I can affect.  I have no control over earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.  I can’t stop rampant inflation, corruption, and spreading poverty in developing and third-world nations.  My feeble attempts to slow climate change are like spitting in the wind.

The twenty-four hour news cycle does its best to keep me riled up and hunkered down behind my ideological wall.  I am supposed to be angry at certain people and groups; upset with how things are turning out in government, and worried sick about inflation and corruption.  The stress and strain of it all isn’t good for my health, my well-being, or my relationships.

So, does that mean that I just chuck it all and go live under a bridge somewhere?  As a follower of Jesus Christ, what do I expect of myself?  What does God expect of me?  How can I help bring redemption and God’s peace to the world?  What do I do?

First, pray.  Prayer takes me out to places and events that otherwise I would have no contact with in any meaningful way.  I can pray for peace.  I can pray for wise leadership.  I can pray for the solving of seemingly intractable problems and issues.  I can pray for the raising up of people who CAN affect these issues.  I can even pray that I will be brought to an understanding of what to pray for.  I can reach out to Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Hamas, New Hampshire, Washington D.C., and other places that I otherwise have no avenue to, through prayer, petitioning for peace, relief, and justice.

Second, quoting my friend Jennifer White, I may not be able to do everything, but I can do something.  Politically, I can talk with my city council representative.  I can communicate with my state representatives.  I can participate in both local and national elections as an informed…not an ideological…voter.  I can join with others on a local level to effect change that will bring about justice, mercy, and peace.  I can contribute my time, energy, and resources as I can and am able.  Above all, I can be understanding regarding the opinions of others and also understand that my world view is just that…my point of view…and is not the once-for-all solution to all of life’s problems.

I can also do other things that at first glance seem to be nothing of substance.  I can open a door for someone, pick up some trash and litter, be pleasant with the clerk at the hardware store, be understanding when the teller at the bank seems to be having a bad day.  I can tip the wait person more than a minimal amount.  I can drive defensively and humanely, and not like a screaming banshee.  I can give deference to someone; affirm someone’s humanity; say, “I’m sorry,” and hug my grand kids.

I can donate food, clothing, time, energy, and cash to those places and causes who will make use of it to help redeem their and my corner of the world.  The place to begin with that is, in my view, the local church in its outreach to the poor, the addicted, the sick, and the troubled.  Beyond the church, there are countless non-profits and orgs who do wonderful things in so many ways.  Choose one or two and become part of their community in some way.

I can also do my best to develop and foster good relationships with my spouse, my family, my friends and those who I encounter in my daily life.  Even in this broken world, kindness and civility go a long way toward good relationships.  I can think of others before I think of myself.  The list goes on.  I can defer to others when possible.  Let my speech be gracious.  Treat others like I would want to be treated.  And love my neighbor.  Grow close to God.  Allow Him to guide my steps.

As you can readily see, the things that I CAN do are really a tall order.  I won’t be able to do all of these all the time, nor will I do them perfectly.  There will be times when I break down the façade of grace and kindness, and, for example, drive Kellogg like a wild banshee.  There will be times when I am not pleasant with the store clerk.  There will be times when I’d rather banish my grand kids from my presence instead of hugging them.  And there will be times when I don’t treat others at all like I’d like to be treated.  I won’t carry though with my prayers and petitions.  I’ll become agitated with the latest scandal that comes out of Washington.  And I’ll watch far too much news coverage…much more than I need or want.

However, like good wine, as I age, I also grow.  Grow in grace.  Grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Grow in becoming more like him.  I become more aware of my influence on others in life as well as my limitations, both physical and mental.  I can’t do everything…I never could…but I always could, and can continue to do something.

 

Blessings.

Christmas 2023

 “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…”  That’s the opening line from a song by the same name, written in 1963 for Andy Williams.  The song mainly speaks of family activities over the holidays, such as hosting parties, visits from friends, spending time with loved ones, sledding, roasting marshmallows, and so on.  For many of us who are in the older generations, the song brings back memories of the holidays long ago celebrated.  For many of the younger, I have to wonder if the song is some kind of ancient history…the time before cell phones and the Internet.  “Quaint” is the word that pops into my head now as I think about that possibility.

In many respects we older folks can be rather quaint to the younger generations…”charmingly odd in an old-fashioned way,” as the dictionary defines the word.  I often wonder what images and thoughts come to the minds of my grand children when they think of me.  Do they think of me as “quaint”?  Or do other thoughts and visions come to mind?

I know that at least the older grands realize that I have some age on me.  They are more helpful when it comes to carrying something, lifting something, or doing some other kind of manual labor.  The younger grands enjoy the “meeting and greeting” part of our coming together…giving hugs and seeming to genuinely be happy to have me present.  It’s as if they somehow know that it won’t always be this way…that they will grow up and I will get older and one day not even be here.  These “meeting and greeting” times seem to be times of “Enjoy it now while we can,” things.  Which, by the way, I do.

This week, as we go full tilt into the Christmas holiday on Monday, the next days are filled, at least for our family, with the kinds of things talked about in the Andy Williams song.  We won’t get much sledding done…it looks like the weather won’t be cooperative…but there will be all kinds of meetings, greetings, get-togethers, and times with family and friends.  We will enjoy it all, and be happy we can rest and recover for a day or two following it all.

I don’t know what your holiday weekend will be like.  I don’t know if you have family or not.  I don’t know if you want to see your family or not.  I don’t know if you celebrate the holiday or just prefer to let it pass unnoticed.  Everyone does it differently, and that’s OK.  I do hope, however, that you celebrate relationships…relationships with others, whether family, friends, or neighbors.  We are not islands.  We don’t live…we only exist…if we don’t have good relationship with others.

Those of you who know me also know that I’m not much of a poet, nor am I into poetry.  I was “forced” to memorize poems in junior high school such as Flanders Fields and The Village Blacksmith.  It was not one of my better memories of junior high.  However, I came across a poem in a Google search on relationships written by John O’Neill.  O’Neill, in a poem written a few years back, has this to say about relationships and growing older.  This isn’t the complete poem.  I’ve taken excerpts from it instead.

 

Where is my village now when I need it more than ever?  The generation that raised me are all gone:  Grandparents, parents, the last of my twenty-six aunts and uncles.  I’m not ready to be an elder of the remaining tribe.  What wisdom can I claim as my own?  What insights and advice dare come from my lips?  There are no easy solutions to our difficulties.  Some basic measures must suffice

As a beginning: Hug those you love And touch them with words as well.  Accept and respect the people you know.  Love and respect at least one person not of your tribe.  Be gentle and kind of heart in all of your actions.  Keep in mind always that we are not islands; but all life is part of one creation.  Life’s burdens were meant to be shared.

 

He’s right, you know.  Life’s burdens are indeed meant to be shared.  And it’s in relationship that we share one-another’s burdens.  As the Apostle Paul says in his letter to the Galatian Christians, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”  A few short sentences later, Paul says, “The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

We can’t share burdens…we can’t love our neighbor…if we disregard relationships and don’t actively foster and promote them.  This holiday season, put away the discord, the divisiveness, the selfishness, and the put-downs.  Instead, work on relationships in a positive way.  Kind words, genuine care and compassion, serving rather than being served, promoting relationship…may your holidays be filled with peace and joy.

 

Blessings.

God's Goodness Prevails...Always

 I don’t know about you, but there are times when I just have a difficult time believing.  No, I’m not talking about belief in Santa Claus.  I’m talking about believing in a loving and merciful God who desires the best for me and is constantly working in a thousand ways on my behalf.  Oh, I know it intellectually.  It’s just that it becomes difficult to keep that belief in my innermost being that many would call my heart.

Just like you, there are times in my life when things just don’t go well for me.  It’s in those times that I tend to get in a kind of downward funk and begin to question everything…even those things that I have known and believed for decades…especially the things of God.  Where is this God who loves me and wants the best for me?  Has He completely abandoned me in my time of trial and need?  Does He care?  Is He even there?

I sometimes even fall into times like David of the Old Testament when things weren’t going well for him, either.  He wrote poetry to express his feelings.  Some of that poetry has been preserved for us in the Psalms in the Bible.  Here are a couple of examples of David crying out for relief, wondering where God is in all of his affliction.

 

Why, Lord, do you stand far off?  Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?  I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me?  Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"  My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"  Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?”

 

If you’ve ever felt this way, you certainly are not alone.  These times have been part of the lives of humans for thousands of years.  We find ourselves questioning long-held beliefs about life, living, God, relationships, and even beliefs about ourselves and our own lives.

One of my dear friends, Trinna, penned these words some years ago following her decision to come clean, get into recovery, and begin a new life.  She had grown up in a godly household, but took some wrong turns in life.  In a vacant house on North Broadway in Wichita some years ago, she woke up one day and decided she had had enough of the kind of life she had been living.  She got herself into recovery, came clean and got the help she needed.  She now has her family back, is married to the man she loves, and is a shining example of what God can do in the lives of those who call on Him.

Nevertheless, her recovery didn’t come without pain or doubt.  She penned these words in addressing how she felt during some of those darker days.  I quote her here:

 

I would be lying if I didn’t say there were days I had a hard time believing.  There were days I cried that turned into weeks of grieving.  Many mornings waking up “knowing” of his mercy being new but in my heart misplacing this truth with my painful feelings.  But I can honestly say I never lost hope in God's will.  I didn’t know when.  I didn’t know how but I had tasted and seen that he was good before a single material blessing so I had hope on the darkest days.  I also always remembered a quote by John Piper that I had heard when I first got saved.  “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”

So even through the push and pull of anger and thankfulness, grief and joy...no sight and seeing...patience and anxiety, prayers and distance...spirit and flesh...being tossed by the wind to remembering to whom I belong...His goodness prevails.  Always.  There is no power in the universe that can stop God from fulfilling his totally good plans for you.

 

She’s right, you know.  It doesn’t take material blessings for you to know that God is good.  And you really don’t have the foggiest clue of all of the things God is doing in your life that are molding you into someone who is looking more and more like Jesus.

We have such a limited understanding of the greatness of God…of the work of God in our lives.  We only dimly recall the past, and the future is unknown to us.  But God, who knows it all, always works for our good…always loves us…always is merciful…always is good.

 

Trinna, I hear you.  Even in the dark times of life, God’s goodness prevails.  Always.

 

Blessings,

Pain---Part of Life

Good morning.  I usually peruse my Facebook page each morning to catch up on posts from my friends.  Sometimes I just scroll a lot, but sometimes I stop and read what someone posts.  A couple of mornings ago I was scrolling, but stopped at a post by one of my friends (I’ll call her Amanda) who has experienced a lot of painful medical issues in her relatively young life…issues that for most of us would sorely tempt us to just check out from life and living.  Amanda posted a quote from a mental health outlet about living with chronic pain.  The last sentence of the quote was, “A chronic pain patient can function with a pain level that would incapacitate any other person.”

One of Amanda’s Facebook friends posted a reply to her post.  In that reply, she told a short story of her own regarding pain, then said, “Pain just becomes a part of life.”

I had to stop my scrolling for a time and just reflect on both Amanda’s post and the reply of her friend.  On the one hand, I wanted to totally agree with them.  I think Amanda is a stronger, tougher woman than pretty much anyone else I know.  Dealing with pain has been her lot in life for decades.  And her friend is spot-on regarding living with pain.  On the other hand, I wanted to say, “No, it shouldn’t be this way.”  People shouldn’t have to live with chronic pain that would incapacitate most others.  We have doctors.  We have research facilities.  We have medicines.  It shouldn’t have to be this way.  Yet, it often is.

Everyone has experienced pain of some sort in their lives.  Whether physical, emotional, mental, or a combination of those, we all are susceptible to pain.  It’s just part of who we are and how we are made.  Some pain is chronic…that is, it is pain that is long-lasting.  It defies attempts to relieve it.  It just stays with us over the long haul.

Why it is that we humans have to deal with pain and suffering is a question that over the ages has never been adequately answered.  Especially for those of us who believe in a loving God who cares for His creation, we, like Job of the Old Testament, long for answers to the problem of pain and suffering.  Those answers never seem to come, however, and we are left with the question marks that never get erased.

“Pain just becomes part of life.”  That may be the best answer we will receive in this life.  It certainly is true, and it also is universal.  We don’t often know why we as humans have to deal with the things that cause us pain, whether physical, mental, or emotional.  We just know it’s part of life and living, and how we choose to deal with it reflects who we are.

The apostle to the Gentile people in the New Testament, Paul, tells of a “thorn in the flesh” that he had, and wanted God to remove it for him.  I don’t know if it was a literal thorn…it probably was not.  It probably was some other ailment that bothered him in a chronic way.  Yet God did not remove it from him, telling Paul instead that, “My grace is sufficient for you.  My power is made perfect in weakness.”

Whatever that means, and whatever that means for we who battle pain every day, we know that “Pain just becomes part of life,” and we are not at all alone in our dealing with it.

I don’t know whether you battle chronic and constant pain or not.  Many of us do, and don’t let on to anyone else that we are in that battle.  Yet this is just one more reason for us to be kind to others…to be understanding and helpful.  Being kind and understanding seem to be little things and sometimes not of great importance.  But we often don’t know what the person we are dealing with is going through at the moment.  We don’t, and can’t understand their pain.  But we can be compassionate and kind.  “Be kind one to another; tenderhearted, forgiving one-another even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”  Make this your go-to from today forward.  Blessings.

'Tis The Season

 ‘Tis the season to be…to be what?  Well, the song says “jolly,” and I suppose if that’s what  you want to be as you’re decking the halls, that’s fine and dandy.  But for me, ‘tis the season to be…”between holidays.”  Yes, Thanksgiving 2023 is in the record books, and Christmas 2023 has yet to descend upon us.  We are in the “in between” time…the time when we hear holiday music everywhere; when we make plans and watch the weather forecast; when we decide where we will celebrate the holiday, and with whom; when we spend entirely too much money on things; when at least some of us try to remind ourselves of the real reason for the season…a time of thanksgiving and celebration of the coming of God Himself to humanity.

Yet even with all of the hurrying, the overspending, the planning and the traveling, there is value in this in-between time.  This time can be a reminder of several things, not all of which have to do with the holiday past and the holiday to come.

We are reminded during this time that the year is rapidly coming to a close.  And that word “rapidly” is the operative word of the day.  The days seem to fly by anymore, and the months that some years ago seemed to drag on forever are just a quick fire in the pan.  And the years…don’t even get me started.

Looking in the mirror isn’t nearly the fun it used to be.  Chins sag along with a lot of other things.  New aches and pains pop up more regularly.  One’s stable of doctors and specialists is becoming more an more unmanageable as the various organs and systems which once worked together in more-or-less perfect harmony now work together mostly less.

We are also reminded that family and friends are important to us.  This time of the year may be one of the only times we see some of our family.  Some of our friends.  This is also a time when those relationships which have been somewhat strained recently become even more so, and we give in to that stress and strain by pulling back or attacking rather than confronting the issues as adults who long for relationship and are willing to make things right again.

We are reminded that nothing stays the same forever.  Oh, it may appear that things remain the same when looking at things from day to day or hour to hour.  But we all know that people move on.  Things wear out.  Relationships mature and grow…or wither and die.  We like it in our personal rut, and often have little impetus to look over the walls of that rut to see the changes that are even now taking place.  But there comes a time when change overcomes the deepest of ruts and forces us to move…grow…change…or wither…shrink…and die.

Lastly, we are also reminded of, to use a well-worn phrase…the reason for the season.  God providing abundantly for His creation and His people.  God making good on His promises to restore, renew, rescue, and refresh.  The Biblical story of God and his relationship with the humans he created is one of love, devotion, and compassion.  The humanity of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is both comforting to us as well as challenging.  Comforting because we know that God knows what it’s like to be human.  Challenging because we humans have a perfect example of life and living to emulate…and we know we can’t fully do that…but we also know that God’s grace and mercy fill in where we have let go.

So, as we settle in for this “in between” time at the close of the calendar year, may we do so with purpose and continued thanksgiving for each and every day.  “God bless us, every one…”

Churches and the Homeless Issue

 Good morning, and welcome.

 This fall, the City of Wichita has been struggling to provide adequate emergency winter shelter for the homeless.  In partnership with HumanKind Ministries, a new, temporary shelter is being set up for use.  The old shelter which was used in prior years is no longer available.

There is a lot of conversation in the non-profit and faith sectors regarding how the city has handled the issue of finding a place to operate an emergency shelter, as well as a lot of conversation on the part of local policy-makers.  Everyone, it seems, has an opinion regarding the city’s movement, or lack of movement in creating a new space for shelter this winter.

One of the comments I often hear, not only with this issue, but the issue of homelessness in general is the question of whether or not churches offer shelter in their buildings.  I can’t say with certainty, but I usually understand the person asking the question to have a prior belief that the churches, who we all know are wealthy, don’t pay taxes, and are feeding at the public trough, are watching what is happening and not offering to help in any way.  Now, this may indeed NOT be the thought of all of those who ask the question, but I know it’s on the minds of at least some.  I’d like to respond to that.

Yes, churches are exempt from paying property taxes on property that is used exclusively for faith-based purposes.  And most churches also are sales tax exempt in Kansas for purchases likewise used for faith-based purposes.  The rationale for that is that churches serve the public good by offering benevolent goods and services such as food pantries, help with rent or utilities, etc., social services, professional counseling, and other goods and services at no charge to the public.

I don’t know what other churches do regarding benevolence or housing the homeless, but I know what we do and why.  Yes, we have a large building in the downtown area.  However, housing codes prevent us from offering our building for any kind of shelter.  We conceivably could remodel the building to meet code, but that cost is prohibitive for us.  We are an independent congregation.  We have no oversight boards or organizations.  All of the money that we have comes from the contributions that congregants place into the offering plates each Sunday.  The cost to remodel to meet code would be in the multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars…something we just don’t have, nor could we get from our congregation of about 175.

Additionally, overnight shelter requires people to operate it and security to protect everyone.  It requires policies, procedures, expertise, administrative functions, food service, laundry service, janitorial services, and experience that we just don’t have within our congregation.  It’s not a matter of throwing a few mattresses down on a floor, ordering in pizza, and opening the doors to whoever comes in.

We know what we aren’t equipped to do.  But we aren’t passive regarding homelessness.  Although we operate a food pantry and have some clothing, toiletries, etc., available, and we have a Paxton’s Blessing Box on our property, we have chosen our main thrust and our limited resources on the near-homeless or those at risk for homelessness.  There are several ways one can receive assistance with rent; however, help with utilities and transportation, the lack of which are two huge drivers of homelessness, is something we can help with from time to time, depending on our budget.

Something as simple as a tank of gas in a vehicle so someone can job-search or get to a job can keep that person or family off of the street.  Helping someone stay on a utility payment plan can keep a family’s electric or gas service turned on so they won’t be evicted from the place they rent because of a shut-off utility.  And once an eviction goes on their record, finding another place to live becomes almost impossible.  Providing a bicycle for someone who has no driver’s license so they can get to and from work can keep that person off of the street.  And there are other simple, cost-effective, and relatively easy ways we can work with someone to maintain them in their home.

Our benevolence is limited and is designed to help, but not enable.  We don’t do it perfectly, and we sometimes look back on a decision we made and think that we maybe could have made a better decision.  But we are by no means sitting back and letting the world go by while families are living in cars and in tents along the Arkansas River.  We are doing what we can with what we have.

And that, I believe, is the key.  Do what you can with what you have.  Find ways to help given your abilities and resources.  You may not be able to shelter two hundred and fifty homeless each night this winter.  That’s OK.  One of my friends who works in the social services sector has often said this borrowed sentence regarding the seeming overwhelming great need of many in our society today:  I can’t do everything, but I can do something.

We as a church family can do something.  God can, and does bless that something that we do in His name and for His glory.

 Thanks for listening, and blessings.