Wednesday, November 26, 2014

A Reason to Give Thanks




The Thanksgiving season (as opposed to the day) doesn’t get near enough emphasis. Its roots lie back in the early history of settlers coming to this continent. Presidents thought it an important enough idea to designate a special day for it each year. Frankly, it’s just good to stop and figure out what we have for which we ought to give thanks. Since a couple of weeks ago I wrote on taking time to stop, breathe, and remember what all these holidays are about, this week I am stopping long enough to record a list of what is so important in my life that it deserves gratitude.

Being a follower of Jesus Christ, without apology I give my gratitude first and foremost to my heavenly Father.

 “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning...” (James 1:17)

That will always begin my list of blessings. Before I can move into the mortal realm, there has to be the primacy of God the Son who freely chose to take the punishment for my personal rebellion against the plans of the Father. There is the gift of God the Spirit who dwells within my mind and enables me to strive to live in accordance with the plans God has for me.

The blessings of this life begin with relationships. My wife and two sons and now a daughter-in-law take my thoughts away from a self-centered focus and direct them toward individuals who have shown me it is truly more blessed to give than to receive.

I am thankful for the home that now no longer exists created by my parents who loved God and loved their two sons; who sacrificed much to give those two sons a hope for a future that would include greater opportunities than their own had contained.

In the mornings when I walk I sometimes use the moments to point out to God all the good things in my life instead of asking for more:

A body that is still strong enough and pain free so that I can walk; eyes to behold the beauty of the stars; ears to hear the haunting sound of the great horned owl and early rising mockingbird; hands and fingers that can feel the cold begin to seep through the gloves.

Gloves to keep my fingers and hands warm; multiple layers of clothes that make the early morning walk bearable; shoes that can keep out the cold from the frozen ground.

A house with a roof that does not leak and windows and doors that keep out rain, snow and wind; a warm bed from which to rise and a full refrigerator to which to return; photographs to remind of what has been and calendars and schedules to remind me, for the moment at least, I have an earthly future.

A car that runs well enough to take me to a job that pays well enough to cover the bills; a driveway in a grassy yard presently covered with leaves of many hues; stone walls bordering flower and herb beds that hold memories of past beauty and promises of future glory.

Friends and extended family scattered across the states; and a waiting spiritual home that will know no end.

Col 3:15  The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful.
Col 3:16  Christ's message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts.
Col 3:17  Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father.

I am blessed. I have many reasons to be thankful throughout the year. May you be filled with gratitude in the knowledge God will meet your every need.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Rainbows and Roses




An acquaintance from long ago used to sign notes with the phrase ‘rainbows and watermelons’ followed by his name. The rainbows I could understand, but I never did get the concept of wishing someone watermelons.

Over the years I’ve thought about that closing and found ‘rainbows and roses’ more meaningful. I don’t mean to take anything away from my acquaintance. This phrase just means more to me.

Rainbows generally come with storms. I don’t wish anyone storms, but I do realize some beautiful things in life can only be seen when the turbulence hits. Some pine trees can only release seeds after their cones have gone through fire. Butterflies spread their wings only after going through the stress of breaking out of their cocoon. Rainbows most often occur when the storm clouds break and sunlight filters through.

Most roses have thorns. Some varieties have been developed which have no thorns, but who remembers those? In my personal garden five varieties share their colors every spring and summer. One type has quarter size blooms that open white and then turn to soft pink as they age. The thorns are small and mostly annoying. Another type of rosebush produces a bloom with broad petals of half dollar size, one bush bright red, the other snow white. Again their thorns are mostly a nuisance. In both cases the bushes are short and the blossoms, though pretty, have no fragrance. They simply add color and variety.

The other three provide a different experience. The peach rose sends out canes six and seven feet long. Each cane ends in a cluster of buds that open into four inch flowers. The yellow rose, though short and slow growing, produces a blossom even larger. The deep red rose will send up canes about three feet each topped with a single blossom that can be five inches across. In all three cases the fragrance is strong and mingles with the other flowers.

Did I mention that all three of the aromatic roses have thorns that can strip the flesh from your bones? No piddling sandpaper on these plants! They are man eaters. The deep red bush in particular with its fragrance that can be detected several feet away when it’s in full bloom can have thorns a half inch long or longer. You can enjoy their aroma and beauty up close, but extreme caution will be practiced by the wise.

I would rather not go through a strong thunderstorm, but the glory of a rainbow shining out against the dark clouds is a wonder no one should ever miss. Thorns can leave some nasty scars, but I can accept the potential pain as long as I have the opportunity to walk among roses in full bloom. In the midst of pain, beauty will win us over when our determination hesitates.

Roses still generally come with thorns. Rainbows usually come after storms. The resurrection of Jesus Christ could only come after the crucifixion. In a season of thanksgiving, we can be thankful that thorns have roses, storms bring about rainbows, and out of a Roman crucifixion there came a resurrection.

1Pe 1:3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope,
1Pe 1:4 and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away.

These holidays make it easy to focus upon getting and giving material things. I will be working hard to remember the spiritual side. We can ignore this as most people will do, but we will lose something critical. The birth of a special Child, his life, his death, and the miracle that showed it had eternal significance makes for a reason to be thankful even when we get pricked by a thorn, have to endure a thunderstorm, or remember a cross that gave us life as He gave up His.

Rainbows and roses to all of you this season.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Take A Breath!




I’m sure you have heard the statement, “Come apart before you fall apart.” I perhaps have shared the importance of this concept more than once in this blog. It bears repeating. Rest is something the human body needs. Rest is something the mind needs. Rest is something the spirit needs. With the holidays stretching out before us, you, your mind, your body, and your spirit need time to rest.

It doesn’t take much thought to list the benefits of rest. Your body’s cells have a chance to clean out and renew. Tissue has a chance to repair before the next big push. The brain has a chance to cull through all its experiences and file the accumulation in the proper levels of consciousness. Rest gives the soul a chance to hear God.

Over the next several weeks each of us will be involved in making plans for how we will spend each of the coming holidays. We will plan dates on which action has to be taken. We will plan the action we will take. We will plan travel or how to receive those who will be traveling. We will plan what to eat, where to sleep, and even how much sleep we can expect to get.

We will go shopping. We will decide what we will buy, how much we will pay for it, and who will receive it. We will decide how we will give it to them and if we will see them when we do. We will buy food, clothing, jewelry, household items, tools, travel tickets, and gift cards, perhaps lots of gift cards! We will decide when to use credit cards and when to use cash and when we have spent enough and when we are done.

God wonders if we will continue until we collapse, until the money runs out, or simply when the calendar says we have run out of time. Somewhere along the line he hopes we will slow down enough to get the rest he intended for us mortals. At the same time we will have the opportunity to listen to him.

When God clarified his laws on Sabbath rest in Deuteronomy 5:13-14, he was emphasizing the need to build in a break from the routine of making a living or the accumulation of things. We need rest. Rest is so important God commanded that everyone take time for it, a full day every week.

Deu 5:13  You have six days in which to do your work,
Deu 5:14  but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work---neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. Your slaves must rest just as you do.

The Gospel of Mark records Jesus saw the need for his disciples to find a place and time to rest especially in the midst of high emotion and conflicting expectations.

Mar 6:31  There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn't even have time to eat. So he said to them, "Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest a while."

The wonder of these holidays cannot be enjoyed through the memories of others. Our own experiences must be a critical part of this time of year. If our memories are to be more than those of fighting shopping lines, standing in the kitchen baking, screaming at kids to leave things alone, and checking visitation schedules, then we must schedule a time to stop.

Take time in this season to sit and write a list of the good things in your life. Include the material things and those blessings found in relationships. Take time to see colors around you. Some will be in nature and some will be manmade. Take time to listen to sounds. Some will be natural. Others will be manmade. Some sounds will be uniquely human voices.

Take time to listen to God and in turn speak to him. He’s been waiting for this opportunity all year.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Freedom, Privilege, or Does It Matter




I voted yesterday. I got some winners in those elections. I lost some. I recognize that in the big scheme of things my one vote may not count for much, but then again in a close race it might be the deciding vote. I would never know if I didn’t vote.

I have been exercising my right as an American citizen in good standing since 1968. That presidential election was my first opportunity at the age of eighteen to vote. I may have missed one election since then. I take my right to vote seriously.

I use the word “right” with some fear and trepidation. I am not a constitutional lawyer. Is voting a right or a privilege? My high school government class said it was a right. Obviously you can have rights, but those rights can be taken away because of some kind of abuse or illegal activity. Does that turn the right into a privilege only for those who meet all the requirements? Ask a lawyer.

All I know is as an American citizen, voting in our free elections is something I prize. For the most part our elections are honest. We spend too much on campaigning and saying half truths or outright lies about the opponents. We depend, however, on a citizenry who can see through it and make a somewhat educated decision about who will make the best public official. We don’t always get the best person, but so far our country has been strong enough to survive the mistakes.

Voting is the way we most often talk to our government. We cherish that right, privilege, or whatever you want to call it. A far more important freedom can never be taken away from us. The freedom to talk to our God, and all too often we don’t use it any more than we talk to our government through voting.

Luk 18:1  Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged.
Luk 18:2  "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people.
Luk 18:3  And there was a widow in that same town who kept coming to him and pleading for her rights, saying, 'Help me against my opponent!'
Luk 18:4  For a long time the judge refused to act, but at last he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or respect people,
Luk 18:5  yet because of all the trouble this widow is giving me, I will see to it that she gets her rights. If I don't, she will keep on coming and finally wear me out!' "
Luk 18:6  And the Lord continued, "Listen to what that corrupt judge said.
Luk 18:7  Now, will God not judge in favor of his own people who cry to him day and night for help? Will he be slow to help them?
Luk 18:8  I tell you, he will judge in their favor and do it quickly. But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when he comes?"

Jesus taught his disciples to pray always. Talk to your heavenly Father. He is listening. He wants to hear what you have on your heart. He already knows but he wants to know if we know what the real priorities in life are.

When we vote, we are declaring these are the important civil and moral matters to us. We believe this person can do the most to support what we feel is important for us and our country. These are our priorities.

When we pray, we do the same thing. We are expressing through our words, our attitudes, and our deepest feelings about what are the most important things to us. God wants to hear them all.

The best part is we all have the right to come to him with all that is on our minds. That is our right, purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ when he died on the cross. His death opened the door for us to enter the presence of God with our prayers. No one gets turned away.