Three Items of Note

   This could be entitled Three Kids of Note, but I did not want to set this up as a bragging piece. Not that I couldn't, mind you, but these things just came up all in the same week, and I liked that.

   First of all, our oldest, turned 53 yesterday. Hard to think of the fact that we have a son that old, but we do and we are proud of all he and his wife Karen have accomplished. They are "white hat" people for sure.

   On a second front, our third child, continues the "white hat" tradition with his family, work and willingness to embrace those two foster kids for the time he and Dawn are keeping them. I realize it is a big commitment, but those kids will never be the same, and I mean both his own three and the two they are helping raise in these days.

   Thirdly, and maybe I should not give so much space to this one, but it is a unique scenario. My conversation with our second child and only daughter has been interesting these past few days. Now I could brag on what she has done with family, kids, work and all, but one day she and I ended up on the same side of a political divide. That is good.

   I noticed on Facebook the other day that she had shared an article about John Kasich, the Governor or Ohio and a possible Republican candidate for President in 2016. I had read one of his books some time back and was impressed with his lifestyle, his ideas and his faith. That Donna and I might end up liking the same candidate was unusual. I was surprised.

   Too many times it seems, the men and women who have leadership roles in the governing of this nation, end up just trying to score political points to make the other party look bad, and don't take the time to actually listen to each other and take their stands seriously. And this is true on both sides of the aisle.

   Perhaps, it is the 24 hour news cycle that makes it appear that way, but these news outlets spend all their time on party differences, seemingly taking one side or the other, and then slanting the news to make the enemy party look bad. That is true on the left or the right.

   I like the idea of a man who can work with people from all sides of the political spectrum, not just if they come around to his way of thinking, but listening to their ideas and treating them, not as sparring partners, but equals in their task.

   But, I like most of all, being able to agree that the things that one man brings to the political table are important and worth celebrating, regardless of party label and regardless of whether or not he wins or loses.

   The moral tone of any debate can be raised a notch with faith as a reason for actions.

   So I say to all my kids, "keep the white hats on and wear them proudly". Whether in work or play or family or even politics, we can be a part of a solution and not part of the problem.

A Tale of Two Tales

   Part of the Bible reading for this morning continued in the Book of Esther, chapters 4 and 5. These chapters continue the unfolding story of the Jewish people in Persia, taken there as captives when their land of Israel was overrun.

   This is a "feel good" story. It has a heroine, a villain, and a good ending. The people of God, maybe wearing white hats,  triumph over the evil villain, no doubt dressed in black, and all because God placed a young woman in a place of power, and she responded by doing the right thing.

   This section of Scripture contains one of my favorites:

" And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

   And I enjoyed thinking on the whole story one more time.

   It is easy to think of God being in control of everything when the ending is as we think right. Is that fact any different if the outcome is not in our understanding?

   A German airliner crashed into portion of the French Alps. This on a routine flight from Spain to Germany with 150 people on board. The story is still coming to light, but it looks as if a co-pilot deliberately ran the plane into the mountain, killing all passengers and crew.

   Was God still in control as in the Esther story above?

   I believe the answer is still the same in both instances, but how do I get my head around the second story line. Would I answer yes, if one of my kids or grandkids were on that plane? Even if I could give that affirmative answer, would I really believe it?

   The two main questions that will be asked in the days ahead will be:

      Why did he do it?

      How can we keep it from happening again?

   I'll be interested in those answers, too, but I will still wonder how and why God could let something like that happen. It doesn't seem fair.

   It is a tragedy that does not even touch me on a personal level, but how much more traumatic would it be if one of those dead belonged to me in some way?

   These words were in another part of my reading this morning, in Romans 9:

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

   God's ways are not my ways, His thoughts are not like mine. He knows the beginning and the ending of each and every story line, and how it all fits together in His continuing narrative. I have faith that God is just and good.

   Easy to write from this far removed. Not easy to be understood either, but I would pray God's mercy and compassion on all those who mourn.

   I picture myself, standing on that French hillside, looking down into that debris covered valley. Would I cry out to God "why", or would I just cry?

   And how long would it be before I let His healing come…soon I pray

Could It Be..Deja Vu, Again?

   The Book of Esther, 4th Century BC, Country of Persia…

      A plot to kill all the Jews in the land promoted by a high official in this land of Persia

      A decree to this end, making it official government policy

      An intervention comes just in time to save the Jewish people

   Skip forward in time about 2,500 years to today…

      An Ayatollah in Iran preaches to his people, "we will wipe Israel off the map"

      The Jews are running scared

      World leaders are trying to bargain with Iran over its nuclear capacity

   Is it Deja Vu all over again?

   I guess I knew, but had not remembered as I read through Esther again today, that this is the only book in the Bible that does not mention God.

   One commentator postulated that the writer of the book purposefully left out a reference to God, so as to show that, even without any acknowledgement, God was indeed working in the normal course of events to bring His Will about. He was in control, even though not mentioned.

   Fast forward to today, 2015. Israel is pretty much a secular society. God is there but surely not the focal point of everyday deliberations on the state of the country. The talk is more about a preemptive strike, or the Iron Dome missile defense system.

   World leaders scurry about looking for a diplomatic solution to an impending crises. Leaders in Israel worry about missiles with nuclear warheads landing on their soil.

   Is God still in control?

   Not mentioned, but still working.

   Everywhere...

Esther and Me

   One of the readings this morning was from Esther, chapter 1. Now, when I hear about Esther, my mind almost immediately jumps to the verse in the 4th chapter that states:

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

   "For such a time as this"

   It is easy to see this application in the life of Esther. As we look at her story, and that of her uncle, it is easy to see how Esther has been placed in her position by God Himself, so that she has the opportunity to act on behalf of her people. It may be a challenge for her, it may be dangerous, and it could cost her dearly.

   But there she is. From her humble beginning, she has risen to the place of Queen, and now we can see the reason. It is somewhat akin to the Cinderella story, but with an ending that is still to be decided. She has free will. She has a choice. She could remain silent.

   It is sometimes easy to see the right path for Esther as we look down on this scene from the vantage point of thousands of years, but how about where I stand today. Do the words "for such a time as this" still apply to me?

   Our role in God's story has placed each of us in some positions, positions that call to us to make right decisions for the well being of those that we find in our lives.

   I have a position in my home, one in the homes of my family, in my church, and in the place where I live. The decisions that appear at my door may not be to forestall genocide for a people, but they may be no less important for those affected.

   The way that I conduct myself in these various roles is important, the decisions and the actions that flow from those, no less so.

   God, help me to be conscious of my role in any context, and let me see the "such a time".

   Amen

 

 

A Posible Answer to a Pain Question..

   Yes, I did get up pretty early, but I do have a reason for not writing till noon, and it all adds up, at least in my own mind.

   I woke up around 4:30am with a pain in my hip and stomach area. Now I had taken the Advil dose when I went to bed 6 hours before, but I guess it had worn off. So I tried to get comfortable and finally got back to sleep until a few minutes before seven.

   Trying not to take too many of these pills, I got up and dressed and then walked for a half hour to see if I could feel better. It seems to help if I keep moving around some.

   Back to the condo with time to read some verses out of the daily reading. A few in Psalms, some in Nehemiah and another portion of Romans, but I could not get the thought out of my head that I had not taken care of the pain and it was still present, not bad, but still there.

   Not wanting to give in and pop another pill, I looked online at the Jesus Calling devotional, seeing what this lady had to say.

   Her husband is a pastor and sometimes writes a blog, whose titles she lists on the sidebar of her site, and this morning the latest title jumped out.

   Was this what I was supposed to deal with today?

   I read it, and then thought about it. Sure, God can use our pains to call us toward, or even away from, something He has in mind. Maybe I should think on that for awhile.

   Then realizing that my wife was still in bed, I walked into the bedroom and found her awake, but still curled up under the blanket. All of a sudden that bed looked good.

   So I climbed in, fully clothed, and got under that warm blanket. Next thing I knew, it was an hour later, and she was gone.

   But you know, I did not hurt, and all the pills were still in the bottle.

   Maybe I had just discovered the answer to all those questions on pain I had considered.

There went the morning...

 

Just Thinking...

   No, I did not take my camera out this morning to catch the sunrise, although as the sky in the east began to lighten, I saw the color and wished that I had.

   Instead, I post this sunrise shot from several months back.

   The world was still pretty dark that morning, but the sun was causing the low clouds on the horizon to turn a bright yellow, and these were reflected in the tidal creek.

   The Psalmist says in Psalm 150:

"Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens."

   Is it enough to know there is a new day out there, not really knowing what it will bring, but knowing whose day it is?

   God, let it be so...

 

Music in the Air

   I need to check this out with my daughter over in Arkansas, but since it is very early on a Saturday morning over there, I better quote the story and ask permission later. As I remember it being told:

   Her firstborn, Archer, did not talk until late. One morning in church, he leaned over to her and asked if he could say something. "Of course", she said and he came out with "Lord". Thinking about it at the time, I thought that was profound. I don't know what all was in his mind that morning, but, when I woke up early today, that is the word I wanted to say.

   LORD

   I'm not even sure why I wanted to come out with that. I knew that I had been somewhat in a fog the past week or so, and having a hard time to connect in any morning quiet times, and I just wanted to get back to the basics.

   The verse that first came to my mind today, was the one in Genesis:

   "In the beginning, God…"

   There the Bible begins, the place where I need to start to even contemplate, and so I do.

   Then the words of Matthew 6:

"‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

   That prayer seems very personal to me this morning, as if God were right in the middle of it. I feel connected somehow. The fog of my mind seemed not so dense.

   As I walked in the dark, there was light behind the dark clouds, and I knew, even before a sliver of moon peeked out, that it was there, even when I could not see it clearly.

   And I sensed what The Creator wanted me to see and feel this morning:

   He Knows and He Cares

   This song brings it home:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A97aLphdL00&spfreload=10

   Hallowed Be Your Name

The Comfort of a Foggy Blanket

   I look outside to this:

   I thought about my poor life the last week or so and realized this was a picture of me also. I felt that I had been living right in the middle of a fog bank, where I had little regard for anyone or anything else besides me.

   For seven solid days, it has all been about:

   Is this silly rash stuff going away?

   How soon can I get rid of this medicine?

   Can I get some appetite back?

    How soon can I get back to bed?

   I, Me, I, Me, I, Me…Let's just wrap up in the fog blanket and survive another day. There is no one else out there that matters anyway.

   Then I thought of my friend who lives upstairs in our condo unit. He has been in Jacksonville for 10 days or so, rehabbing from having two knees replaced. He is coming home today, and he has a life to be concerned about also. Maybe there is someone else that is living in this world.

   So, I open the door to the porch and listen. Yes, there are some faint sounds out there that speak of other people and other lives.

   Yes, I do like the fog. It has a certain insulating comfort, and sometimes life has to be lived within its borders, but God is out there, there is more than one person in the world at this moment, and there is life to be lived, not just commiserated about.

   Let's live this day and not just survive.

Too Late Smart

   All last week, I struggled. First of all I did not feel quite up to par, low grade fever, some small headaches, but nothing serious.

   Secondly, every time I picked up my Bible to read in the mornings, the thought that seem to rise out of the verses had to do with healing, and, although I had that little stuff mentioned above, I could not relate that to a medical emergency, like the kind Jesus took care of.

   Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, all the first of the week, I managed to function normally, and still those healing verses came plugging along.

   Then came Wednesday evening; We had gone to a friend's home to discuss our trip last year to Scotland (these folks are from there and were anxious to hear our impressions), then we had gone out to dinner with some other friends and then gone back to their home for dessert. One the way home from there, I felt as if I had an old laundry tag scratching my waistline, but I could not find it.

   On arriving at home, I undressed to find my whole rear end and the front side of my left leg covered with big red splotches. I would call them "angry" red splotches. Not itching, no pain, just looked real bad. Probably allegoric to something I ate, I thought.

   Calling the doctor on Thursday, I gave him my symptoms. His advice was to wait till the next morning and see if all the eruptions began to go away. They did not, and so we went in to his office on Friday morning.

                                     WHAM

   All of those healing verses from the first of the week were meant for me after all, but I could not see the implication.

   Now on Sunday morning, thinking over the events of the past week, I think I begin to see.

 


 

All Around Us….Change

   My wife was on the phone this morning with a friend from her high school days. She and her husband are our ages, but they are getting reedy to move into a nursing home down in SC. He is not doing too well with his Alzheimer's, and she is moving with him to that facility to be involved in the care giving. A new place to live, in a new area (they now live in VA but their daughter and family live close to the nursing home), all around them is change.

   My golfing buddy had two knee replacement last week, and he is in rehab in Jacksonville. I'm sure he feels that change right now as he tries to get straightened out with new knees.

   All around us is change. From the things that we can do, to the things that we are not even asked to do anymore.

   So how do we cope? Do we just go with the flow of things, or do we hang on? Do we resign ourselves to the new order of things, or do we fight it?

   It is so easy to see in our mind the possible problems of the future, but surely we are not to sit around the rest of our days bemoaning our bad situations. How about something to look forward to?

   God has not finished with us yet.

   Maybe, just maybe, he wants us to be an example of a person growing older with grace and looking forward , not to just the bye and bye, but in the place where he has put us today.

   Our lives need not be devoid of purpose as long as that purpose is His.

   Let's look for that.