Now and then, I experience a sense of purpose. I seem to be in the right place at the right time with the right word or gesture or act, and all of it is effortless.
The rest of the time, which is most of my time, not so much.
During those other times, I have to rely on direction, trust that the compass is set to the right heading, that God is my True North.
You see, I want purpose to replace my old quest for a blueprint. "OK, God, make it clear, make every day make sense, let me see the pattern, let me logically deduct the next step." And that, for me, is madness.
I don't necessarily know what my purpose is at this second. Even if I did, it might be entirely different two minutes from now. New people, new room, a telephone rings, a car cuts me off, I see someone walking past; any of these might indicate a shift in purpose.
Is God the unmoved Mover, constantly the same? Well, yes, the nature of God is probably the same "yesterday, today and tomorrow," but if: 1) I exist, and 2) I can change my mind, and 3) I am even one little atom in the being of God; then God changes. If I grow in understanding, talent, or compassion, at least my little corner of God is evolving.
Why do I expect purpose to remain static? How probable is that?
I want Easy God. That's the God I want to follow, the one Who always makes sense, the one Who is clear and concise.
I ain't seen that God lately!
God stopped being clear and concise when God introduced the concepts of mercy and grace. They skew everything, and they evidence how capricious God's love is.
I can't always rely on purpose, but I can fall back on direction. I can continue to move in the last accurate trajectory of love for love toward love in love. If I do that, my purpose at any given moment will show up. Whether I realize it or not.
Blessings,
David
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Hospital-ity
I made a hospital visit tonight, and met an ICU nurse who clearly cared about the welfare of her patients. I am not insinuating that this is unusual. I know too many wonderful nurses! It's just that tonight, I had a chance to pay attention.
I was there because I cared about one of her patients and felt called to stop and pray for him in a specific way. As I watched her, I realized she also felt called to care for him in a specific way, a way geared toward honoring both his feelings and his needs.
It was a blessing to be reminded that honoring both a person's feelings and needs is essential.
Bless you, Ingrid.
Blessings,
David
I was there because I cared about one of her patients and felt called to stop and pray for him in a specific way. As I watched her, I realized she also felt called to care for him in a specific way, a way geared toward honoring both his feelings and his needs.
It was a blessing to be reminded that honoring both a person's feelings and needs is essential.
Bless you, Ingrid.
Blessings,
David
Thank You, God,
for this day and all it held,
for the moments when I stepped aside
and let You love through me
and for the moments when I stepped in the way,
and learned the difference between the two.
Thank You, God,
for this day and all it held,
for the creativity expressed
and the resistance to change,
for the graciousness extended
and the selfishness retained.
Thank You, God,
for this day and all it held,
for lessons learned,
for lessons unlearned, and
for lessons unobserved.
Thank You, God,
for this day and all it held,
for the times I got it right,
and the times I got it wrong,
for the times I needed to be right,
and for the times I felt I was wronged.
Thank You, God,
for this day and all it held,
for while I was busy trying to figure it all out
You were busy loving me exactly as I am.
Thank You, God.
Blessings,
David
for this day and all it held,
for the moments when I stepped aside
and let You love through me
and for the moments when I stepped in the way,
and learned the difference between the two.
Thank You, God,
for this day and all it held,
for the creativity expressed
and the resistance to change,
for the graciousness extended
and the selfishness retained.
Thank You, God,
for this day and all it held,
for lessons learned,
for lessons unlearned, and
for lessons unobserved.
Thank You, God,
for this day and all it held,
for the times I got it right,
and the times I got it wrong,
for the times I needed to be right,
and for the times I felt I was wronged.
Thank You, God,
for this day and all it held,
for while I was busy trying to figure it all out
You were busy loving me exactly as I am.
Thank You, God.
Blessings,
David
Thursday, August 25, 2011
And lead us not...
Gee, for no reason at all I seem to be thinking about temptation. Or, perhaps, I just encountered it. Maybe. Possibly. It could happen. I know; you're shocked, but get over it.
Sometimes temptation appears unexpectedly. Someone makes a remark, a billboard uses a seductive picture, something is lying on the street. You cannot always predict when and how temptation may show up, right?
Actually, I think temptation is rarely ever unexpected. After all, those same things may not have any affect on another day. Temptation is only temptation if I'm in the mood to be tempted, and whether or not I am in the mood to be tempted depends on how much attention I am paying to maintaining my spirituality in a healthy way. While grace is there as a safety net, and I'm glad it is, spiritual maintenance is largely a proactive practice.
If I have an intention to remain in grace, there are ways for me to support that intention. Regular and intermeittent prayer, supportive friends, positive music, and so on. If I'm "paying intention," I'm on the path.
Challenges occur when I'm not paying intention, when I'm bored, or as the 12-step groups put it, in those "HALT" moments (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired). If I qualify for one or more of those, I need to address it quickly and resolve the problem.
I have a prayer, though, for those moments of temptation, a slight twist on a classic. Temptation is not a problem unless I begin to consider why I deserve to engage in something, or why it won't hurt anyone, or why it will go unnoticed. So my prayer is:
"And lead me not into rationalization, but deliver me from my thinking. Amen."
God usually has better ideas than I do, especially in those moments!
Blessings,
David
Sometimes temptation appears unexpectedly. Someone makes a remark, a billboard uses a seductive picture, something is lying on the street. You cannot always predict when and how temptation may show up, right?
Actually, I think temptation is rarely ever unexpected. After all, those same things may not have any affect on another day. Temptation is only temptation if I'm in the mood to be tempted, and whether or not I am in the mood to be tempted depends on how much attention I am paying to maintaining my spirituality in a healthy way. While grace is there as a safety net, and I'm glad it is, spiritual maintenance is largely a proactive practice.
If I have an intention to remain in grace, there are ways for me to support that intention. Regular and intermeittent prayer, supportive friends, positive music, and so on. If I'm "paying intention," I'm on the path.
Challenges occur when I'm not paying intention, when I'm bored, or as the 12-step groups put it, in those "HALT" moments (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired). If I qualify for one or more of those, I need to address it quickly and resolve the problem.
I have a prayer, though, for those moments of temptation, a slight twist on a classic. Temptation is not a problem unless I begin to consider why I deserve to engage in something, or why it won't hurt anyone, or why it will go unnoticed. So my prayer is:
"And lead me not into rationalization, but deliver me from my thinking. Amen."
God usually has better ideas than I do, especially in those moments!
Blessings,
David
Soon Enough
It is the wee hours.
The dogs are asleep;
even the cat has settled down.
The neighbors' houses were dark
when I drove home.
Everyone is sleeping,
as I should be
and will be
soon enough.
But,
there is something delicious
about this stolen time with You, Lord,
like being a child
getting to stay up past bedtime
and get rocked a few extra minutes.
I have a picture of my grandfather
holding me as an infant.
He was a sweet man
who died too soon in my opinion.
He is gray haired, and skinny as the string beans he grew,
his wire rimmed glasses perched on his nose,
sitting in a rocking chair
on the porch of his farmhouse,
holding me,
looking at me,
and smiling at me.
That's how it feels right now, Lord,
like you are letting me stay up for a few minutes
while everyone else is in bed
just so I can feel You
holding me,
looking at me,
and smiling at me.
It is the wee hours.
The dogs are asleep;
even the cat has settled down.
The neighbors' houses were dark
when I drove home.
Everyone is sleeping,
as I should be
and will be
soon enough.
Soon enough.
Blessings,
David
The dogs are asleep;
even the cat has settled down.
The neighbors' houses were dark
when I drove home.
Everyone is sleeping,
as I should be
and will be
soon enough.
But,
there is something delicious
about this stolen time with You, Lord,
like being a child
getting to stay up past bedtime
and get rocked a few extra minutes.
I have a picture of my grandfather
holding me as an infant.
He was a sweet man
who died too soon in my opinion.
He is gray haired, and skinny as the string beans he grew,
his wire rimmed glasses perched on his nose,
sitting in a rocking chair
on the porch of his farmhouse,
holding me,
looking at me,
and smiling at me.
That's how it feels right now, Lord,
like you are letting me stay up for a few minutes
while everyone else is in bed
just so I can feel You
holding me,
looking at me,
and smiling at me.
It is the wee hours.
The dogs are asleep;
even the cat has settled down.
The neighbors' houses were dark
when I drove home.
Everyone is sleeping,
as I should be
and will be
soon enough.
Soon enough.
Blessings,
David
A Long Day's Journey into Joy
I worked late at the church, tonight, after praying with a patient in the ICU, assisting with the midweek service, fellowshipping afterwards, and then putting the finishing touches on the preparations for tomorrow morning's Celebration of Life service at a cemetery chapel. When my work was done, I did not leave right away.
Instead, I then spent a few minutes relaxing by posting horrible puns onto my friends' facebook posts. I admit to a deep-seated need to pun. It is apparently incurable. But, while the groaners I spout may cause reasonable people stress, they lighten me up every time.
"Did you hear about the high tech spider who used centrifugal force to spin a whirled, wide web?" I won't list any more, because they don't get better.
The thing is, humor and creativity are powerful attitude adjustment tools, and people rarely wreck their cars because they are driving happy, so they are better tools than some I could use. Creativity is the activity of God, and I believe when we give ourselves over to being creative, we are generative and regenerative.
St. Francis always said, "Pace e bene!" which translates as "Peace and good!" It is a greeting of joy with which to meet any person or situation.
I strive to emulate him, but some days I need a little boost! Other days, a lot of boost! I am learning, though, the medicinal value of a laugh or a smile or a bit of merriment. Tonight -well, this early morning actually- I end my day focused on joy.
The same way I hope to begin the next one.
Blessings,
David
Instead, I then spent a few minutes relaxing by posting horrible puns onto my friends' facebook posts. I admit to a deep-seated need to pun. It is apparently incurable. But, while the groaners I spout may cause reasonable people stress, they lighten me up every time.
"Did you hear about the high tech spider who used centrifugal force to spin a whirled, wide web?" I won't list any more, because they don't get better.
The thing is, humor and creativity are powerful attitude adjustment tools, and people rarely wreck their cars because they are driving happy, so they are better tools than some I could use. Creativity is the activity of God, and I believe when we give ourselves over to being creative, we are generative and regenerative.
St. Francis always said, "Pace e bene!" which translates as "Peace and good!" It is a greeting of joy with which to meet any person or situation.
I strive to emulate him, but some days I need a little boost! Other days, a lot of boost! I am learning, though, the medicinal value of a laugh or a smile or a bit of merriment. Tonight -well, this early morning actually- I end my day focused on joy.
The same way I hope to begin the next one.
Blessings,
David
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Marsha Stevens and Oprah on Forgiveness
In March of 2004, I was a member of a choir offering back-up vocals at a performance by Marsha Stevens. In the 1960s, Marsha wrote the popular contemporary hymn (or in honor of Marsha, I should say "hyrm") "For Those Tears I Died."
Most of us who later, in the 1970s, followed her pioneering path into the "Jesus Music Movement" sang that song, and it was published in many languages, and included in any Evangelical songbook worth its salt. It was a highlight of my musical career to sing back up on such an iconic song for such an iconic writer.
Years later, when Marsha came out as a lesbian, many churches ripped the song out their songbooks and mailed them back to Marsha.
Knowing this story and some of the other heartbreaking moments of her life, I found tremendous power in her words on forgiveness:
"Forgiveness is giving up my right to hurt someone who hurt me."
Oprah Winfrey also speaks about forgiveness with the authority of one who has been hurt deeply in her lifetime. She remarked that she was quoting a guest when she said,
"Forgiveness is giving up my expectation that the past should somehow be different."
Of course, my father St. Francis asks God for the opportunity to sow pardon where there is injury.
Food for thought.
Blessings,
David
Most of us who later, in the 1970s, followed her pioneering path into the "Jesus Music Movement" sang that song, and it was published in many languages, and included in any Evangelical songbook worth its salt. It was a highlight of my musical career to sing back up on such an iconic song for such an iconic writer.
Years later, when Marsha came out as a lesbian, many churches ripped the song out their songbooks and mailed them back to Marsha.
Knowing this story and some of the other heartbreaking moments of her life, I found tremendous power in her words on forgiveness:
"Forgiveness is giving up my right to hurt someone who hurt me."
Oprah Winfrey also speaks about forgiveness with the authority of one who has been hurt deeply in her lifetime. She remarked that she was quoting a guest when she said,
"Forgiveness is giving up my expectation that the past should somehow be different."
Of course, my father St. Francis asks God for the opportunity to sow pardon where there is injury.
Food for thought.
Blessings,
David
Oh, That's How It Works!
God doesn't give me circumstances to live through;
rather, in my circumstances, God gives me opportunities to let God live through me.
Blessings,
David
rather, in my circumstances, God gives me opportunities to let God live through me.
Blessings,
David
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
It Isn't What It Is, After All
A friend is fond of saying, "It is what it is," and while I understand the importance of acceptance, I also have begun to understand that, in reality, "it is what I am."
If I am grateful, I can see whatever comes my way as a cause for gratitude. For example: suppose, the car broke down and wouldn't start? I would be grateful that didn't happen in heavy traffic.
Likewise, if I am ungrateful, I can concentrate on the thorns instead of the roses.
None of this is ground breaking research, I know, but I benefit by being reminded about the simple things. To ignore the basics is like building a sea wall that is never maintained. Eventually, there will be one wave too many.
But even then, it will be what I am!
Let's close this one out with Philippians 4:8. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
Blessings,
David
If I am grateful, I can see whatever comes my way as a cause for gratitude. For example: suppose, the car broke down and wouldn't start? I would be grateful that didn't happen in heavy traffic.
Likewise, if I am ungrateful, I can concentrate on the thorns instead of the roses.
None of this is ground breaking research, I know, but I benefit by being reminded about the simple things. To ignore the basics is like building a sea wall that is never maintained. Eventually, there will be one wave too many.
But even then, it will be what I am!
Let's close this one out with Philippians 4:8. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
Blessings,
David
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Wisdom or Strength
The master and his disciple were walking beside a stream, when the disciple asked, "Master, what it strength?"
The master stopped, and as is often the custom with masters, responded to his question with a question. "Which is stronger, you or a cup of water?"
The disciple replied, "Water has no muscles, so of course I am stronger."
The master in turn said, "Form a cup with your hands and scoop some water out of the stream. Then, keep it in your hands until I say to release it."
The disciple did as he was told, but the water seeped out of his hands. "Try again," the master said. Once more, the disciple cupped his hands and pressed them tightly together; still the water slowly seeped out of his grasp. The master invited him to try again, knowing he would use all of his might to close the gaps between his fingers and his hands. However, the water seeped out.
The disciple, realizing he was destined to failure, turned to the master to understand the meaning of the lesson.
The master, a compassionate man, did not make him wait. "You are stronger," he said, "But the water is wiser. Which is true strength?"
Blessings,
David
The master stopped, and as is often the custom with masters, responded to his question with a question. "Which is stronger, you or a cup of water?"
The disciple replied, "Water has no muscles, so of course I am stronger."
The master in turn said, "Form a cup with your hands and scoop some water out of the stream. Then, keep it in your hands until I say to release it."
The disciple did as he was told, but the water seeped out of his hands. "Try again," the master said. Once more, the disciple cupped his hands and pressed them tightly together; still the water slowly seeped out of his grasp. The master invited him to try again, knowing he would use all of his might to close the gaps between his fingers and his hands. However, the water seeped out.
The disciple, realizing he was destined to failure, turned to the master to understand the meaning of the lesson.
The master, a compassionate man, did not make him wait. "You are stronger," he said, "But the water is wiser. Which is true strength?"
Blessings,
David
Friday, August 19, 2011
You Can Do This.
The earth is an interesting place, with its deserts, mountains, valleys, and so on. Likewise our lives, with their deserts, mountains, valleys and so on!
Sometimes uphill seems like a long journey; sometimes downhill is scary as speed picks up. No matter what your personal topography looks like at this moment, God is with you.
God does not do things to us; God goes through things with us. God is not afraid of our challenges. Isaiah 53:3 describes the prophesied Messiah in this way: "He was despised and rejected; a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care."
If I have to deal with rejections, mistreatment, isolation and grief from time to time, I'm grateful that these qualities were not absent from the Messiah but actually integral to the Messiah.
I am convinced God understands us and never abandons us, no matter how the conditions may appear. Romans 8:39a reminds us that "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God."
Whatever the path looks like, God is with you. Keep walking in love with love toward love, because you can do this, and you never have to do it alone.
Blessings,
David
Sometimes uphill seems like a long journey; sometimes downhill is scary as speed picks up. No matter what your personal topography looks like at this moment, God is with you.
God does not do things to us; God goes through things with us. God is not afraid of our challenges. Isaiah 53:3 describes the prophesied Messiah in this way: "He was despised and rejected; a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care."
If I have to deal with rejections, mistreatment, isolation and grief from time to time, I'm grateful that these qualities were not absent from the Messiah but actually integral to the Messiah.
I am convinced God understands us and never abandons us, no matter how the conditions may appear. Romans 8:39a reminds us that "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God."
Whatever the path looks like, God is with you. Keep walking in love with love toward love, because you can do this, and you never have to do it alone.
Blessings,
David
Where There is Despair, Hope.
The Prayer of St. Francis sometimes seems like a pretty tall order! Bringing hope, light, pardon, understanding and compassion to the world is a lot to put on my to-do list!
It seems as extreme as "Tikkun olam," the Jewish phrase meaning to "repair the world." Maybe it's a blueprint for tikkum olam.
Francis, though, speaks of "sowing" love, pardon, and the rest. Wisely, he infers our work is to begin love where we don't find it, to introduce pardon where we don't see it. We walk about planting; we may not be there to see the harvest. It is like the old man who plants an apple tree for the generations to come, knowing he may never taste the fruit personally.
It also relieves us of the ego attachment to results. Sowing is an act of optimism, of trust in the universe to provide what the seed needs to grow. The act of sowing is in itself an expression of hope.
What could be simpler than sowing a seed? Maybe tikkum olam is not so far-fetched after all.
Blessings,
David
It seems as extreme as "Tikkun olam," the Jewish phrase meaning to "repair the world." Maybe it's a blueprint for tikkum olam.
Francis, though, speaks of "sowing" love, pardon, and the rest. Wisely, he infers our work is to begin love where we don't find it, to introduce pardon where we don't see it. We walk about planting; we may not be there to see the harvest. It is like the old man who plants an apple tree for the generations to come, knowing he may never taste the fruit personally.
It also relieves us of the ego attachment to results. Sowing is an act of optimism, of trust in the universe to provide what the seed needs to grow. The act of sowing is in itself an expression of hope.
What could be simpler than sowing a seed? Maybe tikkum olam is not so far-fetched after all.
Blessings,
David
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Reflections on Today's Street Fight
Today, at mid-afternoon, I was in a pleasant neighborhood, walking out to my car, parked in the lot behind a family-run restaurant on one of the main streets in town.
I noticed a commotion, and looking beyond my car saw a young woman atop a young man, straddling his chest and fiercely beating him about the head and shoulders while another young man watched with apparent disinterest.
I called out to them with some simple statement like, "What in the world are you doing?!" to get their attention. The woman glared at me, and got off of the man. The disinterested man said, "Move along, this is not your business," and flashed a gang sign. I didn't move along, I just said I don't tolerate violence and stood my ground. "You better move along," he repeated. I didn't. The three of them did.
St. Francis said, "Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
Our society not only tolerates violence, it glorifies it, worships it like the Golden Calf. The moral values and influences of video games that award points for killing and stealing are not even questioned. Instead of "tag," we shoot paint balls at one another. While the commandment says, "Thou shalt not kill," we build more efficient weapons and dance around them. We put our faith in them, rather than in God who is Love.
Apparently there is still a lot of impossible yet to be done! Let us begin with a willingness to do what is necessary: to issue a personal withdrawal from the cult of violence and a surrender to the heart of love, and to invite others to do the same.
St. Francis reminds us that "all the darkness of the world cannot extinguish the light of a small candle." Likewise, Shakespeare wrote, "How far that tiny candle throws its beam; so shines a good deed in a naughty world."
Jesus, of whom John wrote, "The Light has come into the darkness, and the darkness can never put it out," offers the reminder that what we do to one another, we do to Him.
Let's replace the Golden Calf with the Golden Rule and see what happens.
Blessings,
David
I noticed a commotion, and looking beyond my car saw a young woman atop a young man, straddling his chest and fiercely beating him about the head and shoulders while another young man watched with apparent disinterest.
I called out to them with some simple statement like, "What in the world are you doing?!" to get their attention. The woman glared at me, and got off of the man. The disinterested man said, "Move along, this is not your business," and flashed a gang sign. I didn't move along, I just said I don't tolerate violence and stood my ground. "You better move along," he repeated. I didn't. The three of them did.
St. Francis said, "Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
Our society not only tolerates violence, it glorifies it, worships it like the Golden Calf. The moral values and influences of video games that award points for killing and stealing are not even questioned. Instead of "tag," we shoot paint balls at one another. While the commandment says, "Thou shalt not kill," we build more efficient weapons and dance around them. We put our faith in them, rather than in God who is Love.
Apparently there is still a lot of impossible yet to be done! Let us begin with a willingness to do what is necessary: to issue a personal withdrawal from the cult of violence and a surrender to the heart of love, and to invite others to do the same.
St. Francis reminds us that "all the darkness of the world cannot extinguish the light of a small candle." Likewise, Shakespeare wrote, "How far that tiny candle throws its beam; so shines a good deed in a naughty world."
Jesus, of whom John wrote, "The Light has come into the darkness, and the darkness can never put it out," offers the reminder that what we do to one another, we do to Him.
Let's replace the Golden Calf with the Golden Rule and see what happens.
Blessings,
David
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
My Heart is Ready, Lord! (Psalm 108)
The opening line of Psalm 108 is often translated as "My heart is steadfast, Lord." I have read this psalm before, but because "steadfast" is not a word I commonly use, I tend to skip past it without encountering its significance. I interpret it as something akin to loyal or faithful. And I am wrong.
"Steadfast" is a translation of the Hebrew word "kuwn" and in the original, the psalmist implies that the heart has been prepared like a building, that the foundation has been laid with care. The heart has been prepared and is therefore ready and waiting.
In the Divine Office for today, the line is translated, "My heart is ready, Lord." That seems closer to the psalmist's intention, but it is still important to ask, "Why is my heart ready? Is it due to preparation, or panic?"
Is my heart ready because I have tried everything else and hit bottom, so in desperation I'm willing to even try this "God Thing" that I've heard people talk about? Certainly that is the moment when some of us feel ready: when all else has failed. "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."
Or, is my heart ready because I have prepared it like a fertile field, opened it toward God, desired to experience God in the fullest way possible? That is the readiness that today's psalm implies.
Either way, God will not turn away a ready heart!
Blessings,
David
"Steadfast" is a translation of the Hebrew word "kuwn" and in the original, the psalmist implies that the heart has been prepared like a building, that the foundation has been laid with care. The heart has been prepared and is therefore ready and waiting.
In the Divine Office for today, the line is translated, "My heart is ready, Lord." That seems closer to the psalmist's intention, but it is still important to ask, "Why is my heart ready? Is it due to preparation, or panic?"
Is my heart ready because I have tried everything else and hit bottom, so in desperation I'm willing to even try this "God Thing" that I've heard people talk about? Certainly that is the moment when some of us feel ready: when all else has failed. "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."
Or, is my heart ready because I have prepared it like a fertile field, opened it toward God, desired to experience God in the fullest way possible? That is the readiness that today's psalm implies.
Either way, God will not turn away a ready heart!
Blessings,
David
Monday, August 15, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Once Upon a Summer Day
A few minutes ago, I heard the song "Remember" by Watermark, from their album "Constant." The opening verse captured me:
"Must have been You out in the back yard
The mystery began in the heart of a child
I didn't know 'til now, that even then I knew You
And there were songs back then
There was a love affair"*
Like Remember's songwriters Christy Nockels and Nathan Nockels, as a child in the back yard, I had a sense of God, some kind of awareness, although certainly not in the convoluted, complicated and over-developed way I have perfected as an adult.
God, back then, was found when I would lie with my dog Duchess in the backyard and watch the birds gather for their migration south, the cool, soft grass cushioning us.
God, back then, was the sound of Duchess panting quietly beside me, the rise and fall of her soft fur beneath my hand as she breathed, the faithfulness of her presence.
God, back then, was found in tracing the amazing journey of a single ant through a forest of blades of grass.
God was the endless sky, the colors on the clouds at sunset, the maple seeds twirling to the ground, the sound of church bells pealing a few blocks away, the scent of autumn leaves, the first taste of winter snowflakes and the first full moon on a virgin snowfall, the tulips breaking through the still cold earth in spring.
I didn't need to know, to define, to understand; only to comprehend, to take in, to relax in the beauty and serenity and wonder. It was a love affair, with its mysteries and surprises.
Now I am decades - a lifetime - away from that young boy in the backyard. I am eager to forget what I have learned in the interim and embrace what I found in the purity of those first kisses. A different dog is beside me, now. Two of them, in fact, and we are about to go for a walk in the twilight of a summer day, under a sky of changing color, past fragrant blossoms, through the coolness of evening, back in time, directly back into the heart of God.
Blessings,
David
* "Remember" Publishers: ROCKETOWN MUSIC, SWEATER WEATHER MUSIC, WORD MUSIC, LLC
"Must have been You out in the back yard
The mystery began in the heart of a child
I didn't know 'til now, that even then I knew You
And there were songs back then
There was a love affair"*
Like Remember's songwriters Christy Nockels and Nathan Nockels, as a child in the back yard, I had a sense of God, some kind of awareness, although certainly not in the convoluted, complicated and over-developed way I have perfected as an adult.
God, back then, was found when I would lie with my dog Duchess in the backyard and watch the birds gather for their migration south, the cool, soft grass cushioning us.
God, back then, was the sound of Duchess panting quietly beside me, the rise and fall of her soft fur beneath my hand as she breathed, the faithfulness of her presence.
God, back then, was found in tracing the amazing journey of a single ant through a forest of blades of grass.
God was the endless sky, the colors on the clouds at sunset, the maple seeds twirling to the ground, the sound of church bells pealing a few blocks away, the scent of autumn leaves, the first taste of winter snowflakes and the first full moon on a virgin snowfall, the tulips breaking through the still cold earth in spring.
I didn't need to know, to define, to understand; only to comprehend, to take in, to relax in the beauty and serenity and wonder. It was a love affair, with its mysteries and surprises.
Now I am decades - a lifetime - away from that young boy in the backyard. I am eager to forget what I have learned in the interim and embrace what I found in the purity of those first kisses. A different dog is beside me, now. Two of them, in fact, and we are about to go for a walk in the twilight of a summer day, under a sky of changing color, past fragrant blossoms, through the coolness of evening, back in time, directly back into the heart of God.
Blessings,
David
* "Remember" Publishers: ROCKETOWN MUSIC, SWEATER WEATHER MUSIC, WORD MUSIC, LLC
Save It for a Rainy Day
My friend Pete just called and reminded me of a rather embarrassing trip to dinner. I had invited friends to come enjoy my favorite restaurant, which was "out in the country." For years I had enjoyed flawless, delicious meals there.
Until that day.
Since it was located in the south, it was no surprise that my friend was served sweet tea. He gently let the server know he preferred unsweetened tea. "We don't serve sweet tea," she said flatly. He paled at the realization that someone in the kitchen had sweetened their glass of tea - maybe refilled it a few times - and she had grabbed it and delivered it to him. He looked at me with a glance that said, "Nice place you dragged us to out here in the middle of nowhere!" and managed to convince her to bring him a new glass of tea stolen from someone in the kitchen who did not use sugar. She was not amused, as I recall.
This place, however, was not famous for its tea. It was famous for its biscuits, fluffy, slightly sweet, buttery homemade biscuits that could forgive a multitude of shared drinks. When she returned with the beverage, she left a large basket of biscuits and said rather emotionlessly, "Enjoy."
I don't recall if it was my friend's wife or our other guests who got the biscuit with the prize. We all took turn examining it. It doesn't take an etymologist to identify from whence a long, skinny brown wing originated.
Our server, for some odd reason, seemed reluctant to return, despite our attempts to subtly flag her over. So, being young and resourceful, we all began twirling our napkins over our heads, like the terrible towels at a football game. She examined the evidence and declared it to be an eggplant peel. Uh-huh. With antennae.
Well, the rest of the meal was examined carefully, and all of us lived to tell the tale. That was many years ago, and the restaurant is now a part of history, and maybe infamy in its own little way.
Through it all, though, we laughed, especially the more adamant the server became about ignoring us. And yes, I took a ration of abuse from my friends for many months to follow.
Today, being reminded of that event brought back lots of funny memories and sweet remembrances of times we all spent together fifteen or twenty years ago. So I made a dark, sweet, iced tea (sweetened with xylotol, but sweet nonetheless) and a batch of biscuits. Minus the eggplant, but filled with memories.
Blessings,
David
Until that day.
Since it was located in the south, it was no surprise that my friend was served sweet tea. He gently let the server know he preferred unsweetened tea. "We don't serve sweet tea," she said flatly. He paled at the realization that someone in the kitchen had sweetened their glass of tea - maybe refilled it a few times - and she had grabbed it and delivered it to him. He looked at me with a glance that said, "Nice place you dragged us to out here in the middle of nowhere!" and managed to convince her to bring him a new glass of tea stolen from someone in the kitchen who did not use sugar. She was not amused, as I recall.
This place, however, was not famous for its tea. It was famous for its biscuits, fluffy, slightly sweet, buttery homemade biscuits that could forgive a multitude of shared drinks. When she returned with the beverage, she left a large basket of biscuits and said rather emotionlessly, "Enjoy."
I don't recall if it was my friend's wife or our other guests who got the biscuit with the prize. We all took turn examining it. It doesn't take an etymologist to identify from whence a long, skinny brown wing originated.
Our server, for some odd reason, seemed reluctant to return, despite our attempts to subtly flag her over. So, being young and resourceful, we all began twirling our napkins over our heads, like the terrible towels at a football game. She examined the evidence and declared it to be an eggplant peel. Uh-huh. With antennae.
Well, the rest of the meal was examined carefully, and all of us lived to tell the tale. That was many years ago, and the restaurant is now a part of history, and maybe infamy in its own little way.
Through it all, though, we laughed, especially the more adamant the server became about ignoring us. And yes, I took a ration of abuse from my friends for many months to follow.
Today, being reminded of that event brought back lots of funny memories and sweet remembrances of times we all spent together fifteen or twenty years ago. So I made a dark, sweet, iced tea (sweetened with xylotol, but sweet nonetheless) and a batch of biscuits. Minus the eggplant, but filled with memories.
Blessings,
David
Be Still, and Know that I Am God (Psalm 46:10)
Outside my window:
still life.
The walnut tree stands,
branches unmoving,
sunlight on its leaves.
Stillness?
Somewhere within it,
photosynthesis is happening.
Life is coursing through it,
renewing it,
repairing it,
inching it closer
to the very sun that feeds it.
Inside my room:
still life.
I sit praying,
unmoving,
letting light shine within.
Stillness?
Somewhere within me,
rebirth is happening.
Love is coursing through me,
renewing me,
repairing me,
freeing me to become
the very love that feeds me.
Blessings,
David
still life.
The walnut tree stands,
branches unmoving,
sunlight on its leaves.
Stillness?
Somewhere within it,
photosynthesis is happening.
Life is coursing through it,
renewing it,
repairing it,
inching it closer
to the very sun that feeds it.
Inside my room:
still life.
I sit praying,
unmoving,
letting light shine within.
Stillness?
Somewhere within me,
rebirth is happening.
Love is coursing through me,
renewing me,
repairing me,
freeing me to become
the very love that feeds me.
Blessings,
David
Friday, August 12, 2011
Why I Still Believe in Beauty
Tonight I was at a vocal performance by a group of young people (compared to me, well, young and younger) ranging in age from about 4 or 5 to 28 or so. Each person performed a solo and sang their heart out.
All of them were talented, a few were amazingly talented. Like everyone in the audience, I clapped and hooted and cheered each one on.
What if we did that for each other? What if we just started clapping and hooting and cheering each other on? What if we said, "Thank you, you're the best toll taker!" or, "Wow! You are the kindest barber!" What if we consistently and deliberately found a way to make people feel good about themselves?
What would that world be like? Heaven. And the Kingdom of Heaven is among us.
It is so sweet of you to read this!
Blessings,
David
All of them were talented, a few were amazingly talented. Like everyone in the audience, I clapped and hooted and cheered each one on.
What if we did that for each other? What if we just started clapping and hooting and cheering each other on? What if we said, "Thank you, you're the best toll taker!" or, "Wow! You are the kindest barber!" What if we consistently and deliberately found a way to make people feel good about themselves?
What would that world be like? Heaven. And the Kingdom of Heaven is among us.
It is so sweet of you to read this!
Blessings,
David
Life in the Real World
Mistakes are made. Mechanical things break down. Good people experience challenging times. Results differ from expectations. Addictions, diseases, and accidents happen.
These are the circumstances of the world in which we live. Our emotional lives often mirror the natural world. Around us and within us there are calm sunsets and earthquakes, gentle, refreshing rains and hurricanes, bubbling streams and class 5 rapids.
Don't ask me why, I only work here. I don't get to set policy.
Our faith is not necessarily measured or demonstrated by the circumstances in our lives. "The rain falls on the just and the unjust."(Matthew 5:45) Our faith shows in how we respond to them.
Our faith is not necessarily obvious in the first blush of experience. We grieve, we regret, we get angry. We react. We over-react. Welcome to humanity.
Faith is like a steady beam of light that eventually cuts through the fog. Maybe I can't see how to express it immediately, but I hold onto it until I can.
It is time that we quit being ashamed of being human. Let's just be humans with faith, humans who look for the way to bring it all around to good, to love, to hope, to compassion.
Jesus was not ashamed of us. What a beautiful thought that God incarnated into human flesh, human conditions, a human world. God must not have been ashamed of us if God chose to dress up like us. Maybe God really fancied us. Maybe God thought, "I think I'll grow a beard. I think I'll experience a family vacation. I think I'll enjoy some wine, maybe even make it myself."
Maybe, just maybe, God is trying to tell us there is holiness in being human, sacredness in wearing these fragile skins.
I don't know, I just work here.
Blessings,
David
These are the circumstances of the world in which we live. Our emotional lives often mirror the natural world. Around us and within us there are calm sunsets and earthquakes, gentle, refreshing rains and hurricanes, bubbling streams and class 5 rapids.
Don't ask me why, I only work here. I don't get to set policy.
Our faith is not necessarily measured or demonstrated by the circumstances in our lives. "The rain falls on the just and the unjust."(Matthew 5:45) Our faith shows in how we respond to them.
Our faith is not necessarily obvious in the first blush of experience. We grieve, we regret, we get angry. We react. We over-react. Welcome to humanity.
Faith is like a steady beam of light that eventually cuts through the fog. Maybe I can't see how to express it immediately, but I hold onto it until I can.
It is time that we quit being ashamed of being human. Let's just be humans with faith, humans who look for the way to bring it all around to good, to love, to hope, to compassion.
Jesus was not ashamed of us. What a beautiful thought that God incarnated into human flesh, human conditions, a human world. God must not have been ashamed of us if God chose to dress up like us. Maybe God really fancied us. Maybe God thought, "I think I'll grow a beard. I think I'll experience a family vacation. I think I'll enjoy some wine, maybe even make it myself."
Maybe, just maybe, God is trying to tell us there is holiness in being human, sacredness in wearing these fragile skins.
I don't know, I just work here.
Blessings,
David
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Faith?
There was an important life-lesson waiting for me in the book "High Calling" by Evelyn Husband, about the life and faith of her husband Rick, who was the commander of the ill-fated space shuttle Columbia:
Faith begins where you think it ends.
Belief will carry you pretty far, but when the fog is thick and the path is uncertain, when questions have no answers, when the "how" or "why" don't make sense, that next step is where faith begins. Until you need it, until there is nothing else to support you, faith is not faith.
I'm not sure why God thought it was such a good idea to set things up so that we sometimes have to rely on faith, but I'll go on faith that it is.
Blessings,
David
Faith begins where you think it ends.
Belief will carry you pretty far, but when the fog is thick and the path is uncertain, when questions have no answers, when the "how" or "why" don't make sense, that next step is where faith begins. Until you need it, until there is nothing else to support you, faith is not faith.
I'm not sure why God thought it was such a good idea to set things up so that we sometimes have to rely on faith, but I'll go on faith that it is.
Blessings,
David
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
God of My Heart
God of my heart,
You do not need to enlighten me today.
I need no brilliance to toss around.
God of my heart,
You do not need to bless me today.
I need no favoritism to show off.
God of my heart,
You do not need to create through me today.
I need no talent to justify me.
God of my heart,
all I ask
is to remember
You are there.
Blessings,
David
You do not need to enlighten me today.
I need no brilliance to toss around.
God of my heart,
You do not need to bless me today.
I need no favoritism to show off.
God of my heart,
You do not need to create through me today.
I need no talent to justify me.
God of my heart,
all I ask
is to remember
You are there.
Blessings,
David
Mysteries
I have been so busy
solving mysteries
that I overlooked the fact that
some mysteries are best
unsolved
and
savored.
Blessings,
David
solving mysteries
that I overlooked the fact that
some mysteries are best
unsolved
and
savored.
Blessings,
David
And God Saw That It Was Good
I was just thinking about the meaning of the creation story, a huge nuance that before today has always escaped me. I have to admit that I am a reluctant male chauvinist in this regard, because until today, as I push toward my 56th year, I never saw what was in front of me all this time.
God created Adam and I was taught by pedagogy and inference that this was the crowning achievement. I bought it, hook, line and sinker. Oh, and Eve is there, eventually, to do maid service and figure out how to bake apple pies.
Even if I elevate Eve to equal status in the story, I still miss the point. It was not about creating people with different parts. It was about creating a way for souls to know love! "It is not good for us to be alone." How compassionate is that!
My anthropomorphic little brain was so busy seeing God create humans that I totally missed that what God really created were lovers.
Blessings,
David
God created Adam and I was taught by pedagogy and inference that this was the crowning achievement. I bought it, hook, line and sinker. Oh, and Eve is there, eventually, to do maid service and figure out how to bake apple pies.
Even if I elevate Eve to equal status in the story, I still miss the point. It was not about creating people with different parts. It was about creating a way for souls to know love! "It is not good for us to be alone." How compassionate is that!
My anthropomorphic little brain was so busy seeing God create humans that I totally missed that what God really created were lovers.
Blessings,
David
Rest In Peace, Awake in Glory
The news came this morning that my friend has crossed to the other side of the veil. Life is a powerful force, and his body was no longer able to contain it. Life needed to break free into eternity.
I once saw death as a diminishment, but in him I see it as it is, the point when the soul moves into its fullness, discards the body and enters freedom, sailing like an eagle in the boundless sky that is God.
May the angels lead you into paradise, sweet friend.
"Home," a Natalie Grant song, seemed appropriate this morning:
"You're home, where secrets are told, see a new world unfolding,
where hearts are one, the pain's undone, and you're finally belonging, yeah,
and you need to know, you need to know, you're home.
"So take your coat off and stay awhile,
what made you cry can make you smile again;
you can hold your head up high
'cause don't you know that you you were born to fly
"Welcome home; everything's gonna be alright, 'cause you're home,
feel the sun, your day has come; you're not alone. You're home."
Blessings,
David
I once saw death as a diminishment, but in him I see it as it is, the point when the soul moves into its fullness, discards the body and enters freedom, sailing like an eagle in the boundless sky that is God.
May the angels lead you into paradise, sweet friend.
"Home," a Natalie Grant song, seemed appropriate this morning:
"You're home, where secrets are told, see a new world unfolding,
where hearts are one, the pain's undone, and you're finally belonging, yeah,
and you need to know, you need to know, you're home.
"So take your coat off and stay awhile,
what made you cry can make you smile again;
you can hold your head up high
'cause don't you know that you you were born to fly
"Welcome home; everything's gonna be alright, 'cause you're home,
feel the sun, your day has come; you're not alone. You're home."
Blessings,
David
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Judgment or Love?
So I was chatting with Jesus tonight, and He was talking about how He said, "They will know you are My disciples by your judgment of one another."
No, wait a minute, that isn't what He said! So why do we interpret it that way?
We can't have it both ways. As soon as we begin to judge, we fail to love. You may want to dispute that. Knock yourself out, have a big time, justify it, rationalize it, categorize it.
Judging is easier than loving, because as soon as I judge it lets me off the hook for loving in fullness.
We'll probably come back to this topic. In the meantime, talk amongst yourselves.
Blessings,
David
No, wait a minute, that isn't what He said! So why do we interpret it that way?
We can't have it both ways. As soon as we begin to judge, we fail to love. You may want to dispute that. Knock yourself out, have a big time, justify it, rationalize it, categorize it.
Judging is easier than loving, because as soon as I judge it lets me off the hook for loving in fullness.
We'll probably come back to this topic. In the meantime, talk amongst yourselves.
Blessings,
David
This is How It Feels to Be Held
I prayed tonight about my friend who's light is flickering. I think I will go by tomorrow and visit him between our church services.
Sometimes I still wrestle with God over how things are not in my control, how even though I am linked with the God of All Creation, Etc., I still don't get to call all the shots. Another soul is on its own trajectory, and I have been invited to walk alongside for a few brief steps. I can't change anything except I can change everything. I can offer one more heart than he had before.
There was a time in my life when the circumstances of ministry made this a common experience for me, for years. It has been awhile, and in the meantime I have grown older, more aware of how precious a soul is, how fleeting life is. And in the last couple of years I have seen three friends I loved, one whose presence I cannot remember being without in my life, move on.
For reasons also not in my control, God gave me a gift to love this new friend. As a result, I'm sad that we will likely not have much more time together on this side of the veil.
It doesn't seem to matter whether it is a friend I have loved all my life or one whom I met recently but who has touched my heart; there is grieving involved. Grieving is the field where the mortal and eternal meet. Some rending is required both on the part of the one leaving and those left behind. The illusion is that a connection will be severed. The truth is that the connection will be stronger. It just takes a while to get to that understanding, and head-knowledge of it is of no use. The heart must figure it out.
It helped me tonight to listen repeatedly to Natalie Grant's rendition of the song, "Held," with it's profound chorus:
"This is what it means to be held
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We'd be held."
As will he. As will I. As will all who have loved him longer than me.
We will all be held.
Blessings,
David
Sometimes I still wrestle with God over how things are not in my control, how even though I am linked with the God of All Creation, Etc., I still don't get to call all the shots. Another soul is on its own trajectory, and I have been invited to walk alongside for a few brief steps. I can't change anything except I can change everything. I can offer one more heart than he had before.
There was a time in my life when the circumstances of ministry made this a common experience for me, for years. It has been awhile, and in the meantime I have grown older, more aware of how precious a soul is, how fleeting life is. And in the last couple of years I have seen three friends I loved, one whose presence I cannot remember being without in my life, move on.
For reasons also not in my control, God gave me a gift to love this new friend. As a result, I'm sad that we will likely not have much more time together on this side of the veil.
It doesn't seem to matter whether it is a friend I have loved all my life or one whom I met recently but who has touched my heart; there is grieving involved. Grieving is the field where the mortal and eternal meet. Some rending is required both on the part of the one leaving and those left behind. The illusion is that a connection will be severed. The truth is that the connection will be stronger. It just takes a while to get to that understanding, and head-knowledge of it is of no use. The heart must figure it out.
It helped me tonight to listen repeatedly to Natalie Grant's rendition of the song, "Held," with it's profound chorus:
"This is what it means to be held
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We'd be held."
As will he. As will I. As will all who have loved him longer than me.
We will all be held.
Blessings,
David
Selective Hearing?
Our aging Yorkie, Poco, seems to be losing his hearing. Calling him is useless; but if I pound on the floor a few times, he senses it and meanders my way.
On the other hand, slowly unwrap a slice of cheese and he'll come running from any room in the house.
I don't know if it is selective hearing or just that the "cheese wrapper frequency" still works. He is our beloved "grumpy old man" and it may be both.
This is similar to my relationship to God, I'm afraid. When God unwraps the slightest slice of deliciousness, I'm right there, ready to receive. When God calls me to less self-satisfying endeavors, well, sometimes God has to stomp on the floor to get my attention.
Yes, I will respond, but perhaps not as rapidly or eagerly.
Despite Poco's grumpy status, I love this canine companion of so many years. I think often of his younger days when he would vigorously terrorize any squirrel that dared step into his yard. We have a history, and I love him as-is.
Fortunately, I'm pretty sure the same is true of God's love for me.
Blessings,
David
On the other hand, slowly unwrap a slice of cheese and he'll come running from any room in the house.
I don't know if it is selective hearing or just that the "cheese wrapper frequency" still works. He is our beloved "grumpy old man" and it may be both.
This is similar to my relationship to God, I'm afraid. When God unwraps the slightest slice of deliciousness, I'm right there, ready to receive. When God calls me to less self-satisfying endeavors, well, sometimes God has to stomp on the floor to get my attention.
Yes, I will respond, but perhaps not as rapidly or eagerly.
Despite Poco's grumpy status, I love this canine companion of so many years. I think often of his younger days when he would vigorously terrorize any squirrel that dared step into his yard. We have a history, and I love him as-is.
Fortunately, I'm pretty sure the same is true of God's love for me.
Blessings,
David
Prayer and Forgiveness
Shantideva, an 8th century Buddhist scholar, said "It is natural for the immature to harm others. Getting angry with them is like resenting a fire for burning."
Yet sometimes, we do! So: How to forgive?
Prayer clears the way for forgiveness, and forgiveness clears the way for prayer. When one is missing, it impedes the other. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:22 to forgive "seventy times seven times," numbers that indicated perfection and would translate in our day as "one-hundred times one-hundred percent." In other words, always.
If we only live from the earlobes up, this can be a challenge. Where is the logic in forgiveness? But forgiveness is an expression of belief, the domain of the heart.
Kathleen Norris, in her book "Amazing Grace," writes, "I find it sad to consider that belief has become a scary word, because, at its Greek root, 'to believe' simply means 'to give one's heart to.' Thus if we can determine what it is we give our heart to, then we will know what it is we believe."
In Luke 12:34, Jesus reminds us, "For where your treasure lies, there your heart will be also."
The choice is ours. Do we really treasure kindness, love, compassion, and forgiveness? We can pray and forgive, or blame the fire for burning.
Blessings,
David
Yet sometimes, we do! So: How to forgive?
Prayer clears the way for forgiveness, and forgiveness clears the way for prayer. When one is missing, it impedes the other. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:22 to forgive "seventy times seven times," numbers that indicated perfection and would translate in our day as "one-hundred times one-hundred percent." In other words, always.
If we only live from the earlobes up, this can be a challenge. Where is the logic in forgiveness? But forgiveness is an expression of belief, the domain of the heart.
Kathleen Norris, in her book "Amazing Grace," writes, "I find it sad to consider that belief has become a scary word, because, at its Greek root, 'to believe' simply means 'to give one's heart to.' Thus if we can determine what it is we give our heart to, then we will know what it is we believe."
In Luke 12:34, Jesus reminds us, "For where your treasure lies, there your heart will be also."
The choice is ours. Do we really treasure kindness, love, compassion, and forgiveness? We can pray and forgive, or blame the fire for burning.
Blessings,
David
Monday, August 8, 2011
I Thirst: Visiting Jesus
Some people are resistant to the image of Jesus on the cross. An empty cross is acceptable, a sign of victory, but a crucifix is troublesome.
I admit, if we stop the story there, we miss the point. But if we race past it, we also miss the point.
My friend in the nursing home is in pretty bad shape, physically. Last week he was a walking skeleton; this week he no longer has the strength to walk. Speaking is labored for him, an energy-draining effort to produce a few whispered words. Probably, there is not much more time left for me to visit him face-to-face.
Unable to or uninterested in eating, he often wants a vanilla milkshake, as was the case today. He may only sip a bit of it, maybe half-an-ounce, but I got him a large shake anyway, if only for the dignity of having the option.
As I reflected on our visit I thought about Jesus on the cross saying, "I thirst." Today, at least, I was able to offer that crucified Jesus a sip of a vanilla shake.
The cross is not convenient, pretty or popular, especially in a society so infused with capitalism and having personal worth determined by productivity and impact. What impact does my friend have?
On me, his impact is tremendous. How often do I get to offer my thirsting Lord a drink?
Blessings,
David
I admit, if we stop the story there, we miss the point. But if we race past it, we also miss the point.
My friend in the nursing home is in pretty bad shape, physically. Last week he was a walking skeleton; this week he no longer has the strength to walk. Speaking is labored for him, an energy-draining effort to produce a few whispered words. Probably, there is not much more time left for me to visit him face-to-face.
Unable to or uninterested in eating, he often wants a vanilla milkshake, as was the case today. He may only sip a bit of it, maybe half-an-ounce, but I got him a large shake anyway, if only for the dignity of having the option.
As I reflected on our visit I thought about Jesus on the cross saying, "I thirst." Today, at least, I was able to offer that crucified Jesus a sip of a vanilla shake.
The cross is not convenient, pretty or popular, especially in a society so infused with capitalism and having personal worth determined by productivity and impact. What impact does my friend have?
On me, his impact is tremendous. How often do I get to offer my thirsting Lord a drink?
Blessings,
David
One Little Grace
A friend lamented the condition of the world, of politics, of humans toward other humans. So much seems wrong, almost hopeless.
I understand. I live in the same world. Yet, earlier in that day I had the opportunity to care for someone who needed to be loved, and as a result, I did not share my friend's dispair.
One little grace offered to another person changes the shape of the world.
Blessings,
David
I understand. I live in the same world. Yet, earlier in that day I had the opportunity to care for someone who needed to be loved, and as a result, I did not share my friend's dispair.
One little grace offered to another person changes the shape of the world.
Blessings,
David
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