With Help It Can Be Done

   When I saw this last verse in this morning's reading in Luke 14:

    "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

   my mind went immediately to our election this coming Tuesday. Probably that was because we took the advantage of the early voting schedule to cast our ballots yesterday.

   Now, since we are not living in a "battleground" state and do not have cable in our home, we have not been subjected to the many political ads that are flooding the airways, and so have been spared all the rhetoric that accompanies this every four year event.

   But it is hard to escape it altogether, and I see and hear the candidates telling the voters why they should vote in a certain way.

   I can fix this...

   I can bring us back...

   I have accomplished this...

   I will do this...

   I will not do this...

   People want a person who projects himself or herself as a strong leader, a person that will get things done, and it is hard to portray oneself as this type without the constant use of the "I" pronoun. The ones that write and produce all that advertising must feel that these are selling points that will sway a person when he or she goes to the polls.

   I know that I, on my own, can do little, and certainly nothing of eternal importance. I realize the fact stated in Psalm 121:

   "My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth."

   Realizing that politicians running for office will often say "With your help (talking to the voters) and with God's help, I will.....". Cynically, it seems like the help they want from the voters and from God is only to be put in office, and then they can get the job done.

   How refreshing would it be to have someone ask for help from God, and from the people, and mean it past election day?

   My prayer is that God might raise up leaders for our nation that rely on Him and not themselves.

  


  

"Theys" and "Thems"

   When I sit down to begin my quiet time, or reflection time, or meditation time, or whatever name it goes by, in the morning, sometimes my thoughts immediately go to "what can I write about this morning?" Then I realize that those thoughts are out of place, they are not the real motivation for spending this time.

   This is one reason that I like the structure of that Examen.me website. The first screen that comes up is a place for me to write my prayer for the study. What do I want God to do in my life in the time that I am about to dedicate to hearing from Him? The prayer that I write down becomes a way to settle my thoughts into what I feel He might want to tell me at that moment.

   Then I read the Psalm portion for the day, followed by the Gospel reading, and then I go for a short mind-clearing walk outside, thinking about what I had read and wondering about the application for my life, for that day in particular, but also for my life in general.

   This morning, as I walked through the neighborhood, I saw a woman walking her dog, and I saw her stop to talk to a man as he picked up his morning paper from the driveway. I knew these people and called them by name in my mind. I did not know what they faced in their lives, what joys they might have this morning or what concerns. I was too far away to read any expression on their faces, or to exchange any words with them, but God seemed to say that I could pray for them, so I did. Just a simple mentioning of their names to Him, nothing profound, just a quick nod in their direction.

   As I continued to walk, I thought of others whose houses I passed by, and threw up a fast prayer for them. I did not think about yesterday, or of the hours yet to come in this day, but just of those people and their lives in that moment There was nothing profound in all of this, but just an acknowledging of persons by name, and asking God to be in their lives. They were not just a shapeless mass of humanity, but actual people, with names and lives, that could use a "helping" of God in their individual existences.

   The two readings for this morning were filled with "they" and "them". Each they and each them represented a real live person, a person with fears, joys, hopes and aspirations, and each person that I come into contact with is the same.

   Perhaps I should, and could, do more for each one of these that I thought of and mentioned this morning, but the least I could do was to pray that God would be with them that day. So I called out mentally, these names, as I walked.

   The thought passed through my mind, as I did this, that maybe, just maybe, that I should be more concerned about "the others" in my life and less about myself.

   Could I actually do that?

A Parable for Me or Us?

   There is a parable in the Gospel reading for today in Luke 13:

   And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

   When I read this, the thing that caught my eye was the patience of the vinedresser, the one tasked with the care and production of the vineyard. His word was "let's give it one more chance", and I wonder whether or not that was his word to the owner last year at this time.

   How many times has God looked into my life and wondered about any production, any fruit? How many times has He relented when "the tree should have been cut down", and given a reprieve? Given my time on this earth, it must have been quite a few times, and my question is how much have I taken advantage of this extended time to actually do something for Him?

   This all correlates to this country as well. God has blessed this land in a mighty way, and these blessings extend to all the people living in it. How much have we tried His patience with our silly schemes and our wanton disregard of His moral guidelines? How long have we presumed upon His blessings, as though they are our right, and so will be perpetuated forever?

   How soon might we hear "cut it down" rather than "let's give it another year"? How soon for me?

   What do I do? I listen for His voice speaking to me through His Word, through other believers, and through the circumstances of my life that He brings about. I listen, and I hear about my sins and failures that I need to repent of, and turn from, and then I listen to what my production should be, and get on with that.

   That formula is true for me, and it is true for our nation.

   The parable is for me and for us. Individually and collectively, we need to take it to heart so as to hear "well done" and not "cut it down".

   While I pray for His patience, I also plead for "ears to hear what His Spirit says to me". 

   So may we all.

Miracle in Maine

   On Friday we flew out of Jacksonville, changed planes in Charlotte, continued our flight with Dwayne and Karen and Sydney and landed at Portland, Maine, later that same day. All of this was to see, and be with, Sawyer, our first grandson in college and to be with his dad and mom and sister, who set up the trip and invited us to go along.

   On Saturday we watched the NECA cross country meet. This conference of Division III schools is eleven strong and all the schools are located in the same area as Bowdoin, Sawyer's institution.

   After the meet, and eating a little lunch, touring the campus with our grandson guide, and looking around that area of Maine (a beautiful spot to be sure), we were all set to go out for some Maine lobster. But some trouble intervened.

   Dwayne knocked at our door in the Inn, telling us that he had had an email alert from our airline, saying that because of Sandy, the latest hurricane, and its path toward the northeast, we might want to rethink our going home on Monday. After talking it over, we decided that prudence might dictate that we try to get out on Sunday before the storm hit that area, even though that would cut our visit short.

   Then the fun began. Dwayne managed to get into the US Air web site and get his reservation changed to a Sunday flight, this being the exact same flight we were to take on Monday to Charlotte. He had to take 3 separated seats, because so many had already taken that one and only non-stop flight from Portland to Charlotte, on that day. But he was all set, and now we needed to do the same.

   With Dwayne trying to help us book seats on that flight, we began the ordeal. Dwayne tried the phone line for US Air while I went downstairs to use the computer in the lobby. He stayed on hold for at least 20 minutes while I finally got on the website. When I got to the point where they told me what options I had, there was only one. Leaving on Sunday morning, going to Philadelphia and then on to Jacksonville later that day. Seeing that Philly was going to be in the path of the storm long before Portland, that did not seem like an ideal, so we decided to try another plan.

   While the rest of the family went on out for supper, I called the online travel site that I had used to book the reservations in the first place. After explaining the situation to the customer service rep, she said she would try to get through to the airline, and see what she could do. She put me on hold and about every 5 minutes she would come back online to tell me she was still holding for someone to talk to about the whole problem. US Air has thousands of flights all along the east coast and they were swamped with folks requesting changes to their booked flights. I did not count the minutes, but I imagine I was on hold for 20 minutes or so, when she came back on and said she could not get through, and even if she did, she did not think she could do any better that I could on my own, since the airline's email had said there would be no charge for any change in my booking, and she could not guarantee that at all.

   About this time I was getting a little agitated with the inability of anyone to help, and thought that maybe we might have to take a chance on Monday's flights being OK.

   In one last desparate attempt at a solution, I looked up US Air in the yellow pages and called, with little hope of any type of help. Lo and behold, after a short computer question asking me about my request, a real person came on the line and asked if she could help. After getting up off the floor, my situation was explained and then it became her turn to try to help. She said "I think I can help you in this, let's see what we can do". Could this be the beginning of a miracle.

   She then asked if I would like to go out on Sunday with the same schedule that we had originally booked for Monday. "That would be great" was the hopeful replay, and she continued to work. Then some partial good news, "I can book you on the Charlotte to Jacksonville with no problem so let's see about Portland to Charlotte". Great, now all we have to do is get to Charlotte.

   As she continued to work on her end, I knew we were not home free, the most important thing was leaving Maine before the storm, even if we had to take a roundabout route to get home.

   "I found two seats on the Portland to Charlotte flight at 8AM Sunday", she announced, and we cheered. That was the flight we needed to make our connection to the other one she already had lined up. Not only that but the seats were together, not even separated like
Dwayne's. We thanked God and took the booking.

   I had spent a couple of hours, spinning my wheels, being put on hold numerous times, becoming somewhat perturbed, and here this lady took care of it in 10 minutes. Let me list the parts of this Miracle in Maine:

   1. getting a person to answer, and not only that, ready to help, and have a solution

   2. not being on hold for an eternity while any possible seats disappeared from view

   3. getting two seats together on the Charlotte flight and the Jax one also

   4. having the same itinerary as Dwayne and family so that we could ride to Portand together

    We went to Portland early on Sunday, caught our flight to Charlotte with Dwayne, Karen and Syd, waited for an hour or so, had some breakfast and prepared to move on toward Florida.

   Then the icing on the cake. We got on the Jax plane and found that we had seats in first class. Talk about a happy couple going home, that was us, smiling all the way, and, along with all the amenities of that seating, they did not even charge us extra for our luggage, and it came down the luggage carousel as advertised.

   If that is not the definition of "cool", I don't know what is.

   God is Good.....Soooooo Good

   And we are blessed, Thank You, Amen

  

What Do I Need Today?

   Today is a travel day. Mayre and I are flying out of Jacksonville this afternoon, going to Charlotte, changing planes, meeting Dwayne and Karen and Sydney at the gate, and flying on to Portland, Maine with them for the long weekend.

   It is a short drive from Portland to Brunswick, where our oldest grandson is in college at Bowdoin. He is a sophomore this year and runs on the cross country team. Tomorrow is their conference meet, being held at their school, and it will give us a chance to, not only visit with him, but to watch him run and see the campus as well.

   

   Although we are not rabid fans of airline travel, with all its new hassles, it is the only way to be able to make this trip. We just pray that all the planes will be on time, that the weather will cooperate, and that a good time will be had by all. Perhaps even hurricane Sandy will stay away from where we are, and we won't have to deal with that storm.

   So as I sit and think about the day, what the plans are and what things might be on our path, I ponder what to pray for. Sure we will pray for safety, for patience, for stamina, for us and the rest of the family, but what else might we need.

   Then I come across this verse in Luke 12:

   "your Father knows that you need them."

   God, the Father, knows what I need right now, this moment, and He knows what my needs will be as the day progresses. I can project, in my mind, what the day will look like, but He knows. Not only that, but He has shown that He cares, and I trust that He does.

   Someone has my back, and that is all that matters.

   I rest my case.

A Chance Meeting, or More Than That?

   I sit back this morning and consider the events of yesterday, and how they seem to relate to the Scripture that I read right now. I also confess that I did spend some time looking at another Scripture on Wednesday, but just came up dry when it came time to write. Now I do not like to be shut out like that and have to say that it seemed that God did not speak or lead me in any of that. Perhaps it was because I was not ready to listen.

 
   We have a regular elders meeting every second and fourth Wednesday morning. Yesterday, our family pastor was in attendance and he spoke of a man in the church who had approached him with a desire to minister to a certain segment of the congregation. I knew this man and had been impressed by his willingness to serve, and so I volunteered to make the contact, on behalf of the elders, to get his heart on this.

   After I returned home, and after unsuccessfully being able to feel any nudge by the Spirit on what to write, I just went out to play golf, walking nine holes while Mayre went to get her hair fixed. Sometimes exercise has a way of clearing my mind, and I don't mind the golf either. So, as I played, I came up behind two men. As I was playing somewhat faster than they were, they waited for me on a tee box, beckoning me to play through. As I approached them, I realized that I knew one of the men, and that it was the very person that I had agreed to contact. Never before, in all the years I have played this course, had I ever run into him. Was it a sign that this contact on a new ministry was supposed to be? I take it that way as I think about it now, but was it more than just that?

   Then this morning, as I sit and think about the Fatherhood of God, and as I wonder how all that is supposed to feel in my life, I am reminded of what He showed me yesterday. He cared enough about me, and he cared enough about the heart of my friend, to put us together for a few brief minutes, so that we might begin a process, one that could bring ministry to some forgotten people in our church.

   What will be the outcome of this man's desire to serve? God only knows that, but I know that He showed me today that He was still active in my life, and this reassurance is just what I needed this morning.

   So, as I think of all this, I read this verse in Psalm 50:

   "The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;"

   And I am thankful.

God Is In Control: Comfort or Fear?

   I imagine that every generation living in the US, as they come to an election time, feels that this particular one coming up is the most important. There have always been major issues, from wars to cultural problems, that need the intervention of God to take care of. Probably every 4 years, as the citizens go to vote, the prayer of many is that God will take care of the problem of the moment so that the country can continue to grow and prosper.

   It seems no different this election cycle. The morality issues hit us from every angle. There is the violence, the abortion mess, the degeneration of high standards all through our entertainment and media culture, the elevation of deviant behavior and the ridicule of anything Christian. Then there is the economic situation, high unemployment, deficit spending, increasing national debt, loss of competitive advantage, and the entitlement culture. All of the above sap us of our collective moral and economic strength.

   As I hear our national leaders and want-to-be leaders, as well as the national parties that they represent, talk about how they will "fix" the problems and return this land to its former prosperous state, I wonder how we can make it as a people. How can we return this land to its former glory so that our children and grandchildren can have it as good or better than we have? How can the US be the light to the world that it has represented before, when darkness is crowding out that light?

   So many questions, so few answers coming out of the mouths of our national speakers. Have we lost our way, never to find it again?

   Then the thought hits me "God is in Control", and, for a moment I am comforted. Then I think farther and wonder if I should be happy or fearful of that fact.

   God is in control, no doubt about that, but does that statement imply that our country will rise up from its desperate situation and regain its glory, or does it mean that God will allow us to sink into an also ran nation, one whose glory days are in the past, dooming our children and theirs to a life of mediocrity and fear? We yearn for peace and prosperity, and we may be getting war and suffering. Has God put up with us long enough?

   A lot of the time when I pray, "Thy will be done", I envision good things, good things from my viewpoint, but His will can be for the things that might draw us back to Him, where we belong. These might not be so good in our eyes.

   Yes, God is in control, but I don't need to use it in such a flippant manner. We may want his blessings, but deserving them is another thing altogether.

   The one comfort I get from realizing that He knows and cares is that He is working in the hearts of men to cause them to seek and find Him. His control is for ultimate good, for me individually and for the country and its people as well.

  His words are  "Trust Me", and I will.

   The last verse of The National Anthem:

   Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

   We need that Trust again and in a big way.