Is it ironic that I’m listening to “The Age of Worry” by John Mayer while outside of this metallic shell of a vehicle the ice has formed, dark in some patches, glare in others, smashed and jagged in others – worry in every aspect of “safe travel”!
Outside there is a sense of apprehension in the air. Drivers, pedestrians, the unseen angels are collectively holding their breath and perhaps the bank of prayers are receiving additional deposits today…some in the form of I.O.U’s, others pre-paid, while some “fast-cash”…though prayer is prayer even in times of need and protection.
“This is the age of worry…and say worry get out of here!”
Be safe, where ever you may be today, and I hope that you make plenty of deposits in the prayer bank today, tomorrow and in all kinds of weather!
Isn’t it interesting that inspiration is spontaneous and seeks us out in the oddest of circumstances. Me? It found me today, bent, back aching from coughing all night, sick as a dog minus fleas…at least Im pretty sure i don’t have fleas. Medicine induced funky dreams that make as much sense as spaghetti in cereal…I know yuck! For everyone else in the world who is currently sick or about to get sick…I feel your pain, and it ain’t pretty…did I just say ain’t (don’t look now my red neck is showing)?!
I digress. I’m sick today hacking worse than a man with one lung In a marathon (no offense to my uni-lung compadres). Headache will undoubtably be at the door soon begging to come in. I’m frustrated with much to do and house bound…this truly sucks. Here today, I’m reminded though that I am not superman. I never was, and I never will be (is that a kick to my macho ego? Yep, it sure is). So in the spirit of the unhealthy and the unwell, I am putting the cape, silk yet indestructible, away today…(can I still hold on to it for a moment?).
There’s a passage in the Bible that says “apart from me (Jesus speaking) you can do nothing” (John 15:5). I’m really feeling that verse today. News Flash: I am not invincible. Sub-title: Jesus is.
Hmm…in my weakened state today, hacking and feeling achy…I realize that in every aspect of my life, I am better off with Christ than without him. There…I’ve admitted it…I don’t feel any less like a man, in fact I realize that I am not whole without my relationship to God through Christ.
He is healer, savior, friend, defender and so much more…and not just today when I’m hangin’ with the crud of sickness, but everyday.
Inspiration: I don’t want to be apart from Him…ever. It doesn’t mean that I there wont be days when I forget and try and reassume this role of superman, cape and all…what it does mean is that I’ve become more aware of this earthen vessel that is temporary and breakable…yet in my weakness He is strong.
So here I am today sick as a dog, yet feeling mighty blessed to know the one who has Saved and Redeemed me is unbreakable, mighty and everlasting. Do you still have a strong hold on your Superman cape today? Can I refer you to my Heavenly doctor? ;).
-Blessings on you today…keep reaching for Him, he’ll never let you fall!
Ok, it’s confession time. You know, that moment when you spill the proverbial beans, you spill your guts, the whole truth shall set you free…so here goes…
It happened yesterday. It was just another normal day of getting my two oldest boys off to school, and getting there on time. For me being on time is important, it’s a pet peeve of mine to be late for anything…yet somehow the rest of my family seems to think we can show up whenever we get there, which is not cool for school!
After about five minutes of looking for one of my son’s shoes, which must have been a part of Harry Houdini’s magic act, because I have found his shoes in the oddest places including outside and behind the toilet (I am not kidding). Finally we get into the minivan, I’m a little flustered, we’re a few minutes late now and the van is stone cold because we spent so much time looking for shoes that I neglected to start the van early enough to get it warmed up. I guess you could say it was my time to chill…literally. We get our seat belts buckled, and off we go to school. I take a few deep breaths to exhale the stress from my lungs and turn on the radio. It’s still set to my mp3 player, and so praise music begins to play in the van. I am finally finding my groove with now tepid coffee in hand, and soothing worship music playing in the background. At this point I am starting to feel the music, and I begin to sing along…oh don’t judge me, I bet you sing in the van too.
As I’m singing along to a song called “Love came down” I glance in my rearview mirror and notice a car is aggressively riding my rear bumper. I’m doing the speed limit…I’m not a slow driver. I’m still trying to sing this great worship song but I’m being distracted by the driver in the car behind me. It’s starting to stress me out again. Finally we come to one of those round-abouts that the city recently put in, and I expect him to slow down…instead he speeds up, and swerves into the next lane, then he darts ahead of me and proceeds to cut me off as he turns into my lane ahead of me… “Love came down” is still playing in the background…although I’m not feeling like I want to place any love down on this guy who I feel has just wronged me. In fact, I feel like speeding up, honking my horn, and if possible pass him up just like he did to me.
“Love came down to rescue me, love came down to set me free…”
Then these words hit me in the face, as I’m flustered, angry, and I’ve yelled at the guy as he cut me off…somehow I don’t feel so “set free” at the moment…I’m bound by this anger inside of me at this act that I understand to be injustice and inconsideration by some idiot in a car.
At the same moment that the lyrics of this song that I had just been singing hit me, I look over at my boys. It’s a double slap in the face. What am I teaching my children in this instance? Am I teaching them that you can sing about being set free by the love of God and at the same time curse man because of their ignorance and failure to yield to the rules of the road?
“Love came down to rescue me, love came down and set me free…and I am Yours, I’m forever Yours.” At that moment I didn’t feel like HIS…I felt guilty of being MINE. I felt guilty of being selfish and I was teaching my children how to be angry and selfish too. Was this the kind of legacy I was leaving for my kids? Did I want my boys to be angry at drivers, angry at the world and stressed out over something so temporary and silly? Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” I know this to be absolutely true…because in that moment of road rage, I lost my happiness and I lost a little bit of integrity that I had with my kids in that van.
I was convicted while singing a praise song, and instead of displaying that love that came down for me, I was displaying the wrath of my sinful state…my old self.
Okay, confession time is over. They say it’s good for the soul, but you know what’s better for the soul? Avoiding those trappings that lead us to confession in the first place. It’s much, much harder to do, but in the long run we would all be better off. This is a truth that I’ve learned, road rage and worship music make for very awkward road companions, let alone improper parental examples of godly living.
I guess what I’m trying to say is summed up in Ephesians 4:29; “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” I was singing one tune and letting sin lead me astray back into my old sinful ways…and my kids were in the van. I wasn’t building anyone up in that moment; I was letting my tongue destroy.
We can’t possibly do both at the same time as children of God. We either let love come down and be a part of who we are igniting others with this joy, love and hope; or we let sin in and we treat others through selfish intentions and shameful acts. Perhaps you’ve also been there a time or two…it’s a slap in the face, conviction follows and we need to confess and modify that behavior if we are to truly live as children of God bringing that love and freedom into this world.
Take it from a guy who sang a song of praise while my actions were singing a song of wrath…it’s time to change.
Their hands and feet are in chains. The scenery begins with the misery of deplorable labor camp conditions; and if a prisoner dies, another takes their place. Life is expendable and short lived in this hell on earth. Their words echo and resound in our hearts: “Look down, look down don’t look ’em in the eye. Look down, look down, you’re here until you die…The sun is strong It’s hot as hell below, Look down, look down, there’s twenty years to go. I’ve done no wrong! Sweet Jesus, hear my prayer! Look down look down, Sweet Jesus doesn’t care.”
Spoiler Alert…
This is the opening scene of Les Miserables, a book by Victor Hugo, transformed into a world renown musical and now a soon to be academy award winning movie. The content of this story pulls at our heart strings, makes us weep at the human condition and lament the loss of love, life and hope. But within the narration of this classical tale dwells a redemptive element that is personified in the character of Jean Valjean. At the beginning of this tale, Valjean is a prisoner because he broke into a bakery and stole a loaf of bread for his sister’s children who are starving. He is convicted and sent to work in this labor camp prison and now identified by the law as prisoner 24601, his life is a perpetual hell…until he is paroled. The story picks up following his release and his trouble only continues because of his identity as a convicted felon with his yellow identification card – indicating his post prison status. He is taken in by a Bishop only to give into temptation and steals some valuable silverware, but Valjean is caught and brought back to the bishop. At this point a first time reader might assume Valjean is doomed by his guilt, but the Bishop does something remarkable, he tells the police that he gave Jean Valjean the valuable silverware. Following the departure of the police, the Bishop tells Valjean to take the valuable treasure of silverware and use it for good. Jean Valjean is amazed, conflicted and broken by this gift of generosity and forgiveness. He vows to use this gift for good and within this amazing story He keeps his promise by redeeming and saving others.
This is more than just a story of hope and salvation in humanity; this is our own redemptive story of grace and reconciliation given to us by God through His Son Jesus Christ. We can identify with the character of Jean Valjean in many ways. We too have been a prisoner, our prison is sin, condemned to live a life of hell without the hope of true salvation. Living in our fallen world, we have all seen the evidence of the hopeless condition in humanity by just watching the news and witnessing horrific acts of violence, selfishness, greed, envy and so much more. Conditions in parts of our world are deplorable and it even infects the very communities in which we live…there is no place on earth that we can escape these effects of sin. Many, even those who have resources and are affluent, feel the weight and burden of such hopelessness. Henry David Thoreau once said; “rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” The truth is this: we are hopelessly shackled to this life of depravity and sin without an external intervention breaking through and saving us. The character of Jean Valjean is you and me. What would have happened if that Bishop had not intervened? He was the very hand of God in Valjean’s life. We too need an external intervention. Jesus was that intervention for you and for me. When He came to this world He took upon Himself our sin and our shame…He took our place…that execution on the cross – should have been ours. Can you feel the shackles breaking yet? We have been given hope, a release from our death sentence; we’ve been taken in, cleaned up and restored in right relationship with God himself…because of Jesus’ intervention. So what do we do with this grace, this forgiveness? I think Victor Hugo had it right in Les Miserables! His character Valjean doesn’t disappear never to be heard of again, instead he extends that hand of God, grace, hope and love in his intervention to others. That is the essence of Redemption! First it comes to us from an external intervention, and then we in turn extend that intervention to other…we become the very hands and feet of God. Mark 16:15 says; “He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” We become God’s intervention to the world…we don’t become God, but rather we are used by God to spread this good news!
So how about it, is it time of an intervention in our world? Do you want to be a part of God’s redemptive plan in your life as well as the lives of others? It begins with accepting this gift of redemption and grace that Christ gives to us all, then from there be a part of spreading that good news of His redemptive love to those around you! This tale of Valjean is you and me…and we have been redeemed for a purpose…so do something about it!
As these bones gather dust
Of one kind or another
Drawn to the magic
Of my youth
And the jubilation
Of my children’s laughter
We find ourselves at the
Rollercoaster.
My brain says yes
But these bones
Protest, decry injustice
Demand a refund
And refuse to
Propel me forward…
Grinding this enjoyment
To a halt, I sit next
To the old men, sipping
Coffee, snapping pictures
Of grandchildren on this ride
And the realization hits me
I have a toe firmly
Planted in the grave…
I hope my foot isn’t next 😉
Don’t be ashamed to admit it. Being restless can be a real motivator to get on with something that you’ve been putting off for years. It is the belief of many that after the close of a year and the beginning of a new one this sense of restlessness increases in frequency in the population of our country. But let me ask the important question…why? Why do we experience such feelings of uneasiness, discontent and restlessness? Sometimes this occurs all at once, and other times these feelings incrementally increase, building until sleepless night occur, stress is induced and we find ourselves questioning our occupations, general happiness and a other facets of our lives. If left unchecked this once innocuous emotion can rule our lives leading us into depression and in the need of professional counseling.
So why does restlessness occur?
Here are a couple of reasons:
1) Complacency (An Internal Struggle): just living to get by isn’t living at all. Sometimes as humans we settle into a comfortable routine, and what I’ve learned in life about routines is that if there isn’t an element of challenge attached to those routines what begins to form is uneasiness, then restlessness soon takes its place and either it spurs one to change or an emotion of lost identity ensues taking the individual into depression. Complacency is dangerous, its more than pure laziness its in a real sense a relinquishing of humanity, in other words its giving up and assuming an apathetic response to all areas of living.
The Remedy:
Change your routine. Find things to challenge you. Read books that not only encourages but pushes you to live better, healthier lives both physically and spiritually.
2) Disillusionment (An External source) Perhaps its in your work place and or your boss/employer. Perhaps its found in your financial state, you feel slighted or wronged. Maybe its in your government, or local communities.
Disillusionment can cause us to assume an identity of restlessness out of our own sense of injustice or betrayal. We feel nothing we can do will change our circumstances because we have no power to change anything in “our world” and our environment. Discontent gives way again to restlessness and soon we are in that apathetic response to the world us and we just don’t care anymore.
The Remedy: Perhaps a different line of work. I realize the economy and current market doesn’t bode well for this suggestion, but a sense of ownership can renew our world view and our role in it. Self worth is attached to our sense of achievement whether we like it or not. If we don’t feel we can contribute to a specific problem or challenge the natural instinct is to withdraw from that problem and our powerless view of ourselves only lends itself to furthering this sense of restlessness.
Another remedy would be to focus on problems or challenges that you can change or accomplish something positive. Sometimes we have this grandiose idea that we can change the world and so we attempt to take on more than we are capable of at that time…its also known as “biting off more than you can chew”. Instead we need to focus on the smaller victories and take smaller bites, so to speak. This is an incremental change in our world view, life is a journey that requires us to pace ourselves like a marathon instead of a sprint.
Are you restless at the start of 2013? Is it an internal type of restlessness, or an external type? Sometimes it can be both too. These are just a few remedy’s that are common sense and maybe will eliminate that restless spirit in you. It is understood that there are more ways to confront and address restlessness…these are just a few suggestions.
Lastly: take a vacation, get away for a weekend, or sleep a little more. Try eating a low fat diet, and exercise which has been known to increase the “good” emotions firing in your brain. Realize that restlessness relates to both your physical body as well as your emotional and spiritual side as well.
Where ever you are today, I hope that you may find rest.
When the winter winds
Howl beneath the
Bluster of the moonlight
And the snow forms
Sand dunes upon
The frosty plains below
Across the alabaster fields
Dormant and solemn
The little farm house
Stands tall beneath
The dancing pines
Caught by the songs
Of the solstice hour
As they whistle along
To the nameless yet
Ancient tune.
Alone in the forest of snow
And ice
The little farm house
Paint, peeling timeless
Victorian white
Now drab and dingy
After countless harvests,
Famine, the lean years
And the farming family
From birth to empty nest
Not silent after
Seventy years
Orphaned in a potter’s field
Muted against a world
In constant motion
Seeking ever forward
As the old farm house
Has nothing but its past
And old measurements
Of growing children
Long departed
Deep in their heavenly
Sleep on other plots
In other fields miles away
But on this blustery night
A single curtain
Blows in a broken window
Frame…waving
To long lost souls
Under a solstice moon
Of winter.
Pastor's Ponderings 