Enjoy Your Time

June 22.  We’re having a typical Kansas thunderstorm right now (shortly after 9pm).  As I often do, I opened the garage door and looked out at the storm as it came in and blew rain down (or is it up) the street in front of our house.  Lightning from time to time, thunder following the lightning, and wind along with moderate to sometimes rather heavy rainfall.  There’s nothing really unusual about events such as this, unless one is in a drought, which technically we are, but we’ve had a lot of rain the past couple of weeks.

I had to wonder as I stood in the doorway why it was that I enjoyed looking at such things as rain and wind.  Why is it that I like to get as close to the door as I can without getting too wet?  Why is it that I think about things such as where the water originated (Gulf of Mexico, they say), or how much energy it takes to evaporate a gallon of water out of the Gulf, or why the neighbor chooses to go out to his dumpster five minutes after it starts raining, hiding under an umbrella, or why the other neighbor had to dress up and go out to roll up windows on his car in the drive in the rain instead of doing it before.

I don’t know why I think of such things.  Nor do I know why I seem to be so fascinated by the number of gallons that fall in an inch of rain over a 200 square mile area, or by how much energy is released as the drops condense in the atmosphere.  It must have something to do with the way brains are wired, or perhaps it may have something to do with environment or with how I was raised.  Maybe it has something to do with how I related to my mother, or what I think of guilt.  It could be that someone could interpret my responses to ink blots or assess the results of a psychological test to tell me why.

Or, it could be that I just enjoy watching weather events.  It could just be that I feel a closeness to the creation and the Creator when things like this happen.  It could be that I recognize that there is a Caretaker of all that I see and know, and all that I can’t see and don’t know.  It could be that it is a time of reflection, repose, and worship for me.  Maybe I get closer to God in times like this than at other times, and recognize His authority and love in a way that I cannot do in many other venues.

What is it that makes you feel close to God?  Where do you meet God?  When do you consider Him in His glory?  Is it at times like this?  Or is it some other time?  You may hate thunderstorms and weather, but love to read inspirational things.  You may like to be with others and relate to others, thereby becoming closer to God.  You might enjoy a time of quiet and meditation alone.  Or there may be some other way you reach God.

Whatever it is, do it regularly.  And often.  And enjoy your time with your Maker.

Close To You

Yesterday, I found “Close To You — Remembering The Carpenters” on YouTube.  For those of you of the younger generation who may not know, The Carpenters were a brother/sister group primarily in the 1970’s that had a unique voice and style.  They were not the normal rock band.  Rather, they sang songs that were easy to understand, easy to listen to, and resonated with multitudes of people across all boundaries of humanity.

The lead singer, Karen Carpenter, had an alto voice that is one of the most pure, melodious, and mellow of anyone I have ever in my life heard.  The song arrangements, done in large part by brother Richard, who also sang with Karen, are unique and immediately identifiable.

Listening to the songs again immediately transports me back to the 1970’s and a time long gone.  Listening to the songs again create in me a feeling of immense gratitude that I was part of their listening populace.  And listening to the songs again instills in me an almost constant sense of sadness and loss…that lump in my throat that just won’t go away because of a life and a talent taken at such an early age by such a demonic illness as anorexia.

Back in that day, we didn’t know, or want to know, much about anorexia.  The prevailing feeling was to tell them to just stop not eating.  To stop throwing up.  To be normal again.  We couldn’t understand the emotional and psychological things that were happening to create the physical manifestation of starving oneself intentionally.  We still don’t know that much about the illness, and it’s related maladies.  We’re doing better, but have a long way to go.

Karen Carpenter is one of just a chosen few who, it seemed, could sing just as easily and effortlessly as she talked.  Diana Ross was another.  Patsy Cline, Cass Elliott, and Billie Holiday were some others in that elite group.  Effortless.  Flawless.  Perfection.

There were female singers such as Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, and Kate Smith who sang wonderfully.  But listening to them, you got the feeling that they were working…they were expending effort in their songs.  That’s not a bad thing, but there’s something about listening to someone sing who appears to be doing so with the greatest of ease, breathing out melodies and harmonies as easily as one would say, “Good night,” that is just…well…different.

If you have a chance, go to YouTube and watch the video.  It’s at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvALCAHMEVk and has no commercials attached to it.  It’s produced by PBS.

One Shot

The prose that follows is attributed to Mother Theresa.  Whether that is true or not is anyone’s guess.  However, wherever it came from, I thought it appropriate to post for your consideration.

All too often we humans become so wrapped up in our own egos, our own desires, our own motives, that we forget that we are on a cosmic trip (so to speak) toward eternity, and we are just passing through this time we call life.

In my view, and I find my support in the Bible, we only go around once in life.  We aren’t given a second chance.  We don’t re-enter someone’s womb and live life all over again.  We get one shot at it, and we get one shot at doing it right.

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.

FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish motives.

BE KIND ANYWAY.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.

SUCCEED ANYWAY.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.

BE HONEST AND SINCERE ANYWAY.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.

BUILD ANYWAY.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.

BE HAPPY ANYWAY.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.

DO GOOD ANYWAY.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.

GIVE THEM YOUR BEST ANYWAY.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

IT NEVER WAS BETWEEN YOU AND THEM ANYWAY.

Some Creative Artistry

One of my Facebook friends (and friend in real life) is a photographer who likes to shoot, among other things, birds.  Yesterday, he posted a picture on line and asked for help in identification.  We since have identified it as a female painted bunting. 

She is bright green all over, but more pale on the underneath side.  She is very different from the male of the species, which is one of the most colorful birds I know.

Painted buntings are in our neck of the woods for a relatively short time.  Additionally, we are on kind of the fringe of their habitat, so they aren’t nearly as common as cardinals, robins, or other species we know so well.

God must have gone overboard in creating the male of this species.  He is red, blue, yellow, green, and other colors I can’t even describe.  He would be an unmistakable bird to see in the wild. 

I have to wonder how evolution accounts for the brilliant colors of the male.  I know how I account for them.

Seeing a male painted bunting in the wild is on my bucket list, and has been ever since my parents gave me a plastic model of the painted bunting years ago (about 55, to be more exact).  I put the model together and painted it per the instructions.  I thought the instructions were wrong and exaggerated the bird.  I could hardly believe that something so colorful was actually in nature.  Yet it is indeed true.

Don (my friend) was able to photograph the female.  Now he’s on the lookout for the male.  I hope he finds him, and I hope he is able to take his mug shot.  ‘Twould be quite a feather (ahem) in his cap to do so.

Rebellion

This morning as I was coming to work on West Kellogg, the traffic was moderate.  I usually drive the speed limit, which means that everyone goes around me and there is a lot of room in front of me.  I never have to worry about following someone too closely.

I noticed a hundred yards or so in front of me in the center lane a vehicle that would periodically flash brake lights.  On Kellogg one always looks ahead for that, which often means a general slow-down of traffic, or at minimum some kind of traffic issue.  As I watched for a few seconds, however, it was apparent that the driver was following another vehicle very closely and was braking from time to time so as to not ram into the rear of the other vehicle.  Even when presented with an opportunity to change lanes and pass the “offending” vehicle, the driver continued behind this vehicle at a very close range, flashing his brake lights from time to time.

I have to wonder what the fascination is with driving up to the tail of another vehicle and going 65 miles an hour down an expressway, only 15 or 20 feet behind.  I see it constantly.

If I am in the center lane doing the speed limit, and a vehicle is behind me, often it will be content with staying there, a few car lengths behind me.  However, if I change lanes, I can bet money on (and win the bet) the fact that the vehicle will speed up by several miles an hour until it gets to the next vehicle ahead of me; then do the same thing…stay a few car-lengths behind.

Could someone explain to me what the rationale is behind this behavior?  I really don’t get it.  I fail to understand any reason, logical or not, that would cause someone to behave in this way.  In my mind, it is a much more pleasant driving experience, and a lot less stressful, to have a quarter mile of empty lane in front of me than to have 15 feet of empty lane in front of me as I travel 60 miles an hour.  It’s much less stressful to NOT have to brake every 15 seconds to avoid hitting someone, and it’s much more pleasant to NOT have to change lanes every ¼ mile in order to gain an extra 40 or 50 feet of travel.

Additionally, every time someone changes lanes, they open themselves to liability if an accident should occur.  Every time someone tailgates, they open themselves to liability if an accident should occur.  Every time someone exceeds the speed limit, they open themselves to liability if an accident should occur.  Why would anyone consciously do those things for no decent reason other than they are in a hurry, or they want to demonstrate some kind of superiority, or they wish to intimidate someone else through driving practices, or draw attention to themselves?

Or maybe it’s that, “I want to be in control,” attitude that seems prevalent in the lives of humans.  And when I’m not in control, then I get nervous and I tailgate.  I change lanes to try to bring back some semblance of control.  Or I speed down the freeway because, “I can do whatever I want to do…I’m in charge here.”

Let’s get one thing straight.  God reigns.  God reigns.  And because God reigns, I don’t, I can’t, I won’t, and I shouldn’t.  God reigns.  God is sovereign.  God is in charge.  And yes, that even applies to traffic laws and rules.  God, the ultimate Authority, establishes governments and gives them the authority to maintain the peace and quiet of society.  Anyone who rebels against government (I don’t care what the speed limit is…I want to drive the speed I want to drive, so I will.) rebels against God (Romans 12:2).  It’s that serious.

And because it’s that serious, God did something serious to mitigate our rebellion.  He sent His Son to pay the price for us and reconcile us to Him.  And he told us through Paul that although His grace is plentiful and abundant, we are not to continue to sin just so God’s grace can abound.  Instead, we are to live lives in which others see that we “fear God and honor the King.”

So, how are you doing in that department?  If you’re like most of us, you have more work to do.  And, although we’ll never be perfect in this life, we can, because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus the Christ, be accounted as righteous before God.  And because of the work of the Holy Spirit of God in our lives, we can even now…even in this life…become more and more like the One who has saved us and brought us out of death.

Grocery Store Observations

Observations from a short trip to the grocery store.

Don’t expect to pull into a parking stall until you’re able to fully see the area and know whether or not someone is pulling into that same stall from the adjacent drive and stall.  I know people do this, and I’ve done it myself, but one would think one would look ahead to see if someone else might be on the verge of turning in.

One of the younger clerks had the name “Pandy” on her lapel pin.  I’m not sure if that was her given name or if it was a nickname of some kind.  I’ve never heard of Pandy before now.  I have to wonder what the person or people who named her were thinking when they came up with that one.

Manager’s specials are fine, but not on sour cream and cottage cheese when the out date is today’s date.  Some things can be frozen, but I don’t think it’s worth it to try to freeze those items for preservation.  And they had a lot of it to sell.

I headed to a check out lane when an associate told me that the first lane, the one for 15 items or less, was clear.  As I headed down there I noticed no one was manning the lane and the lane light was off.  I said something to her about no one being there.  She told me that the woman who was checking on lane 5 was closing that lane and moving to lane 1.

As I arrived at lane 1, the woman had just gotten there and started logging in.  I said something about the fact that she got to change lanes.  She told me she didn’t see why she needed to move from one lane to the other, and I said something like, “Probably someone at corporate headquarters thought you needed to move.”

She looked at me and said, “I have some things to say about corporate headquarters, but if I told you, I’d probably be in trouble.”

All of the different varieties of potatoes in the five pound bags were the same price…don’t know that I’ve ever seen that before.  Usually, one is quite a bit cheaper, or one is a lot higher in price.

Some people just think the aisle in front of them should just open up for them as they go through.  Sometimes, that doesn’t happen.

I’ve never seen anyone actually buy anything from the oriental man in the booth who creates the deli fish thingies.  I didn’t see anyone today either, but he had a helper in that little booth.  I wonder if she felted cramped in with him.

You can get an idea of the profit margin and “moveability” of items by the amount of shelf and floor space they occupy…the more floor and shelf space, the more the profit in that item.  Now, look at the soft drink aisle, the chips aisle, the cereal aisle, and the personal care products aisle.

Happy shopping!

The Dove

Today as I was walking in our church foyer, I noticed a dove come toward a window and hit it in flight.  He sort of brushed that off and hit at it again before settling down on the concrete below the window.  He then looked up at the window as if saying, “What’s going on here?”

Just inside the window was an indoor potted tree.  I think he was trying to land on one of the branches of the tree and didn’t realize that it was on the other side of the glass.  I’m not sure he ever figured it out, but he eventually flew away.

I got to thinking, and even mentioned it to the ones in the office what had happened and how sometimes I feel like that in my days.  Some days it seems like I bang myself against something that I don’t understand and can’t figure out.  I try more than once, but the result is always the same.  Then I sort of back up, look at it, and try to figure it out.  Sometimes I can, and sometimes I just can’t seem to figure out what the roadblock is that is keeping me from doing what I wanted to do.

I’m sure you’ve had the same experience at times.  And maybe your days are more like that of the dove and his experience than you care to think about.  Sometimes it seems that those days just string along four, five, six days at a time.  And we just can’t seem to break free of whatever it is that is keeping us from our goal.

The apostle Paul talks about running a race and finishing as a metaphor of life.  And he talks about that finish as a goal that he has in mind, not only for himself, but for all who call themselves Christians.  He and other writers of the Bible talk about many things that can keep us from finishing…keep us from arriving at our goal.  Those things always, it seems, have to do with sin and separation from God in some shape or form.

And all too often we struggle, fail, and look for what kept us from our goal.  Just like the dove, we don’t see the glass; we don’t see that it is our own sin and shortcomings that keep us from finishing and obtaining the prize.  So we continue banging against it, making true the old adage that says, “Insanity is doing the same things over and over again, but expecting somehow different results.”

Only God can enable us to see ourselves for what we really are; sinners in need of the grace, forgiveness, and mercy of God.  Notice I said “enable.”  He doesn’t force us to see it, but rather makes it possible for us to see it, if we will just take off our blinders and look.

The older I get the more I realize that I have been going through a lot of my life with blinders on and an inability to accurately see the truth of my life.  I think age does that to a person, although it is still God that enables.  Hopefully God will give me enough time to truly see and make those changes.  He’s calling; am I listening?