Hang in there

I talked with a young man the other days who confessed to being tired. He is trying faithfully to do what was right as he best understands his situation. However, he hasn't been getting a lot of affirmation and support for his efforts. In fact, some of his friends had ridiculed him for not looking the other way and allowing some things to just go by. I recognize that doing good isn't easy and friends don't always give us support and encouragement. It is easy to grow weary and wonder if it is worth the effort. The scripture (Galatians 6:9) encourages us to "not loose heart in doing good...." So, I say to my friend, "Hang in there even if the effort makes you tired."

Forgiven or Pacified

There is a major difference between being forgiven and being pacified. To be pacified, it seems to me, is to find some means that removes my guilt and shame. It is like being tranquilized. Forgiveness, on the other hand, has to do with repentance. Repentance means that I've stopped the behavior or at least I'm making a serious effort. Forgiveness is also a process. My commitment to work toward forgiveness is a clear decision to be made at a specific time and, probably, will need to be made again and again. It will take some time and effort to change my attitudes, behavior, spirit, etc. It will also take a desire on my part to make the necessary changes and it will require some work in me by God's Spirit to stay the course of forgiveness. Forgiveness has to do with learning from my past behaviors so that they are not continually re-occurring. Forgiveness is difficult, but it leads to genuine peace. To be pacified is to find a small break in a storm. Forgiveness iinvolves getting out of the storm.

Crucifying ourselves

I recently saw this quote from Fulton Oursler, the author of The Greatest Story Ever Told. In a short sentence he says a lot of truth. "Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves -- regret for the past and fear of the future."

How Much Is Enough?

I'm stunned with the news of the recent shootings in El Paso and Dayton. These shooting are coming too frequently and should not be coming at all. I think we need stronger mental health laws and resources. Too many of our mentally ill folks are among the homeless. We need stronger gun legislation. I do not believe that civilians need military type weapons. Military assault weapons are designed to kill a lot of people quickly. Let's have background checks before the purchase of any and all guns, no matter where they are purchased. I also think there is too much violence in movies, television and the Internet. Let's value peacemaking; not violence. I believe there is great racial prejudice among us. We are blind to our own prejudices. How much is enough before we do something? Whatever we are doing or not doing at the present time, isn't working.

Learning How To Stop

Many years ago when I was much younger and much more agile, I took up snow skiing. I took a lesson after falling down and needing help to get up. The first part of the lesson was learning how to stop. How to stop without breaking a leg or getting the skis all tangled up was important. In the spiritual life, it is important to learn how to stop. Jesus stopped often. He would go off to pray or at least he disappeared from the crowd who came searching for him. In Trevor Hudson's excellent book, Signposts to Spirituality,/> he quotes Donald Nicholl, "Unless we can stop the rush and noise of daily traffic in our lives we do not have the slightest chance of hearing the call to holiness." (Kindle location 1369-76) What keeps me from stopping my hurried life? If it is greed, envy, competition, need to please others, etc., then I need to learn that these energies are not from God's Spirit. Stopping gives me an opportunity to face these energies with repentance and bring them to the Lord for conversion.

Control Issues

Yesterday Judy had a test at the hospital which we rescheduled several times due to their schedule as well as mine. When we arrived at the reception room for the test, an elderly lady, sitting alone in a wheel chair, looked at me and said, "Who are you? You look familiar." When I gave her my name, she knew me from her support of the Seminary and her long time presence in a Georgetown church. The more we talked the more we "knew each other." I told her that I had preached at her Church about a year ago. With a puzzled look, she said that she didn't remember that. Then she added, "I guess I wasn't impressed with your preaching." I replied that she wasn't the only one. She had to drink a large amount of liquid before her test and she became frightened that she would choke. I helped her hold the container, she held her nose, took small sips and we talked between those sips. When she was finished, Judy came back into the room after her test. I don't know if the timing of Judy's test and meeting the elderly lady was fate, providence or just luck. I think there is no provable answer. What I do know is that it seems the less I try to control things such as plans, events, situations, etc., and accept the presence of God, who is somehow and very mysteriously always present, things like this seem to happen more often.

My Old Paper and Pencil Calendar

A friend recently asked if I would share with him my class calendar. He is also a Professor in the school where I teach. My friend is a tech wizard. He knows and can do more with a computer, I-Pad, phone, etc. than I could even imagine. I told him that I would be more than happy to let him see my At-A Glance calendar which reveals my entire week's appointments and responsibilities at a quick look. That's not what my friend had in mind. Perhaps someday I'll keep appointments in my phone, computer, etc. Maybe I haven't make the switch because of my age--I'm elderly. Us old folks don't like to change or so I'm told. Perhaps I continue to refuse to make the transition because I'm a rebel. I was about the last person to have a cell phone and, then, my wife and son purchased the cell phone as a Father's Day gift. I was quiet content to use it simply as a phone. I really didn't need, and still don't need, a small computer in my pocket. I had a supervisor describe me as a rebel or one who didn't always like to be in step with everyone else. Whatever the reason for not keeping a computer-type calendar, I'm very content with my paper and pencil calendar. Contentment--maybe that's the reason.