My Haircut

Posted on November 25, 2009 by day1of1

This is the third and final posting connected to my reflections of the passing of my father.  Portions of this were written in September 2008…

I never knew my grandfathers.  Both men passed away while my parents were children, so the knowledge I have of them has come from stories – mostly from my mom and dad.  As a child, I always remembered the story dad used to tell of the last time he saw his father.  Dad was in the hospital visiting his father, who made a comment to my dad and his brothers that when he got home he’d have to give the boys a haircut.  I don’t know why that story stuck with me, but I always thought that it was an interesting thing to say.  It seems odd to make such a practical comment in a moment that had far deeper meaning in their lives.  I don’t know if my grandfather was saying it to make them feel better, or if he said it in order to stay optimistic.  In either event, it came to be a lasting link I’ve had to the previous generation – an anecdote to pass down in time.   Since hearing the news about my own father, I began to wonder what my “hair cut” statement would be – the last words I’d hear my father speak to me.

The next few days were difficult.  It was a holiday, but nobody felt festive.  Dad was noticeably weakening as his body began to shut down.  On Thursday, I was tasked with lifting him up so that his undergarment could be changed.  I held him steady yet gently, not wanting to hurt him, but my efforts were futile.  One of the muscles running down his leg cramped.  The look of excruciating pain streamed across his face.  In frustration, he looked into my eyes, cursed, and exclaimed, “you people need to pay attention to what you’re doing here.”  I set him down and stepped back.  The look on his face was the polar opposite of what I had seen the night before with Wesley.  I didn’t know what to say, didn’t want to make things worse, so I said nothing.  I went into another room and sat alone with my thoughts for a while.  I knew I didn’t intentionally hurt him, but I knew that I had.  I knew his words were out of frustration and pain, and were not intended to cut me down, but my mind replayed the scene over and over again – I couldn’t get that thought out of my head.  I promised myself that I would speak to him about it, offer my apology and get my promised “hair cut.” 

We spent the next few days with family members and friends who came to the house to say goodbye.  I held to the idea that I would speak to him and make things right, to take away from this painful experience a legacy moment that I would cling to for years to come.  I waited for a moment of privacy, I waited for a moment when he was coherent. I waited.

 I waited…

And now we arrive at Sunday morning.  November 25, 2007.  It was just before 7:00 a.m. when the peace of the morning was shattered by the sound of my mother’s shriek.  I sprung from my bed and went into the adjoining room to find my mother and sister sitting next to my father’s lifeless frame.  With two fingers pressed against his neck, I confirmed what I had already known.  I looked to his eyes, searching for one last look of love, pride, or joy.  But there was none – he was gone.  His eyes were closed, his body was still – he was gone.  I lifted my fingers from his neck and began to attend to the many tasks that needed to be done that morning; phone calls to make, people to notify, events to plan.  My fingers kept rolling, as did many other things that were happening in my life.  I pressed on, knowing full well that I’d no choice but to move forward without the hair cut I had so badly desired.

Life since then has had its share of ups and downs.  It wasn’t common knowledge at the time, but a number of decisions had been made that would signal a new direction for my life.  My struggling marriage was ending.  My career was changing as I had been led to leave the school where I had been a teacher and principal, but with no idea what I’d be doing for work at the end of the year.  The comfort and joy that I had found in writing had disappeared, and I couldn’t bring myself to write anything for months.  The foundations upon which I had built my life were being tested and most of the one’s I’d built were failing.

I am thankful that God had other plans for me.  Amidst the many changes, problems, mistakes and struggles, God has remained by my side – offering guidance, comfort, rebuke, direction, and love.  Consider the words of Isaiah 43:18-21…

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”

Through Him, impossible things have happened.  Through Him, the amazing has become the expectation.  Time and time again, God has made a way when times looked bleak.  His path has been made known, His way laid before me. I have prayerfully sought His will, listened to His word, and given my life over to Him.  I still face struggles, I do so with the strength of my Heavenly Father to see me though and to teach me the lessons I need to learn to grow my faith for the next level.

As for my hair cut moment, I found it earlier this year.  Minister Lashun Franklin has been invaluable to me over the past two years.  Her counseling has helped me through difficult days and has served as a tremendous conduit to the voice of God speaking into my life.  Earlier this year, she shared with me a word that God had spoken to her about me…

“You are different than your family and the men in your family.  Cut from a supernatural cloth.  Your father is more pleased with you now than he was with you while he was here.  God has allowed him to see and find comfort in watching you and realizing that what he was promised/shown has come to pass.”

Thank you Father, and thank you dad.  I love you both, and I will to spend the rest of my life serving you well. 

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Well Done Good and Faithful Servant

Posted on November 22, 2009 by day1of1

Originally written in November, 2008

I arrived at my parents’ house on Wednesday night and was fortunate enough to have the chance to sit and briefly visit with my father.  He looked tired and frail but his spirits were up as he welcomed us home.  He was particularly happy to see my children.  This wasn’t uncommon.  If you ever heard Bill Cosby talk about the way his parents changed when they became grandparents, you’ll understand what I mean.  Emma was only two, and the amount of time he was able to spend with her was limited due to his illness, but he still managed to love on her as much as he could.  But it was Wesley, my nine year old son, who was unapologetically grandpa’s favorite.  From the moment he first laid eyes upon Wesley in the hospital, a previously undeveloped part of my father’s heart opened up.  It was a look I had never seen in his eyes before – a look of total, complete, and unconditional love.  This isn’t to say that my dad didn’t feel that way about me – I know he did.  But you never quite see it the same way when it’s directed at yourself.  That night in the maternity ward marked an incredible change in his life, and it was summarized by a simple look.

That wasn’t the last time I would see that look.  For nearly a decade, it was a permanent fixture on my father’s face, present every time he was with Wesley.  And the love from which it flowed was definitely returned.  They loved the time they spent together.  They would go for drives looking for boats and trains.  They’d go for walks, take fishing trips, and sit in grandpa’s chair together, snuggling under a blanket as they napped away more than one afternoon.  Theirs was an amazing bond; a deeply shared love for one another that I had never known.  Both of my grandfathers had passed away while my parents were children.  I never knew what that unique relationship shared between a boy and his grandfather was like.  I always held a level of excitement and a bit of envy whenever I watched my father and my son interact.  And now as Wesley carefully climbed for the last time into the chair he had shared with grandpa for all those years, that look was still firmly fixed on my father’s face.

Dad & Wes

But this time, there was a difference.  I detected an additional element to the familiar gleam in my father’s eyes.  I can only describe it as a look of finality.  I noticed it, but I didn’t identify it until sometime later.  Dad knew that this would be the last time he’d get to hold his grandson – and he basked in the moment for as long as his weakened body would allow.  What an incredible contrast!  Never before had I seen so much pain accompanied by so much joy. Once Wesley climbed down, I helped dad get out of his chair and laid him into his bed, unaware that I was laying him down into a bed from which he’d never rise again.

Some might describe the scene by using the term “mixed emotions,” offering the opinion that my father was battling between the pleasures of looking into the face of his grandson while also looking into the face of his own mortality.  I’ve thought about what that moment was, and after careful consideration, I disagree with those who look at it in this manner.  To say that his emotions were mixed might suggest that there was a level of uncertainty or confusion.  That simply wasn’t the case.  My father knew what was happening – he understood the magnitude of it.  It was a moment where pure love was being given and received.  Wesley will spend the rest of his life knowing that his grandfather loved him deeply, just as my father spent the rest of his life knowing his grandson loved him.

The cliché says that you can’t take it with you – and we all know it to be true.  The only thing we can take with us as we go from this life to eternity is our faith in God.  But even if the memory of that love was left behind upon his death, I like to think that as he endured the final moments of his life, dad had with him the memory of that, and many other encounters to provide a measure of peace and comfort.

In Matthew 21, Jesus tells the parable of the talents.  As the master returns to see what his servants did with the talents they had been given, he finds out from the first servant that he had increased them by 100%.  The master, pleased with what his servant had accomplished said to him, “Well done good and faithful servant.”  I wasn’t there.  I have no knowledge of what it must have been like.  But with the knowledge that I have of both of my Fathers and the faith that I have in the promises of God, I believe that when they finally came face to face, dad was greeted with those same words as he received his ultimate victory.

“Well done good and faithful servant.”

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Today, Tomorrow, and Forever

Posted on November 19, 2009 by day1of1

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O LORD God.  – 1 Chronicles 17:16-17

Two years ago today, November 19, 2007, I received a phone call that I will never forget.   The rest of this was written on November 24, only a few hours before my father passed away.  As the anniversary of his passing draws near, I feel compelled to share these words once again.  In a few days, I will add to this in an additional post…

 

I was sitting at the desk in my classroom, listening to my sister inform me of the results of my father’s doctor’s appointment from earlier in the day.  He had just completed his latest round of radiation, but was experiencing a great deal of pain.  Other indicators were pointing toward myeloma – a fairly treatable cancer.  This, coupled with the knowledge that the radiation and chemo had successfully destroyed the cancer cells found earlier this year gave us all great hope about the future.  However, the news was far from what we had expected.  There was no myeloma.  The cancer, which we had been told throughout the past several months had not metastasized, did.  There were now tumors throughout his body.  Chemo was no longer an option.  He had been prescribed hospice care.  The timeline was weeks to months.  However, as I sit and write this morning with my father lying just a few feet away in the hospital bed they brought to his house, it is obvious that his body is shutting down and his life here on earth is coming to an end.

 

The phone call was only five days ago, but it feels like an eternity since then.  It seems like the hands of time have started spinning at a slower pace for me then they are for the rest of the world.  This doesn’t mean that the other parts of life have ceased to happen.  I am still faced with the occupational, financial, relationship, and health issues that I had last week.  But what I am feeling now, more than ever before, is the overwhelming need to trust and rely upon God in this time where nothing else is strong enough. 

 

But don’t think for a minute that this is a consolation prize or a measure of last resort.  For months, we have prayed that God would do miraculous things in the life of my father – to bring healing where the doctors thought healing was not possible, and God was true to His promise.  The doctors were baffled – these things were not supposed to happen according to medical science.  God is bigger than that.  So while my emotions ride the roller coaster, my faith is on solid ground.  Because now, as the time I’ve been given to spend with my earthly father comes to a close, I am led to cling to the strength I find in the my relationship with my Heavenly Father. 

 

A major goal of the Day 1 of 1 concept was to focus our attention upon the relationship that we strive to have with God every day of our lives.  So once again, when the hands of time return to their normal speed and I move back to the life God has called me to live, I must bring that same level of faith to play in my life.  My trust remains in God to lead, guide, and protect me through the joys and struggles of the coming days.  Just as God delivered David time and time again: facing a giant, the threats and attacks of Saul, the  numerous battles, his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, the overthrow of his throne, and the death of Absalom, He too will remain true to His promises to me, today, tomorrow, and forever.  By focusing on being faithful to Him today, He will return blessings that will provide peace, power, and prosperity now and for years to come.

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I Will Hold On

Posted on November 15, 2009 by day1of1

ThornhillTen years ago, one of my favorite bands came out with what would be their last full length album.  Thornhill by Moxy Fruvous is by no means one of the top 10 albums of all-time, and for that matter maybe not even one of the top 10 albums released by Canadians in 1999.  But despite the relative lack of notoriety, I like the group and the album.  I am especially drawn to one song on the album – I Will Hold On.  I have provided the song’s lyrics and a link to watch the music video via You Tube (sorry – it’s not the best picture quality).

 

 I Will Hold On by Moxy Fruvous (Click Here for Video)

                                                                                                                

I’ll hold you if you feel you’ll fall
I’ll hold your hand if you just need a friend
I’ll hold the line so you can call
I’ll hold the feelings you don’t want to end

You know that it’s true
When I hold you
There’ll be no secrets
I believe it

I’ll your tears if you must cry
I’ll hold your breath if that won’t make you blue
I’ll hold the truth if you must lie
I’ll hold your joys till you know what to do

You know that it’s true
When I hold you
There are no secrets
I believe it

So I will hold on
And if that’s not what you’re used to
Then I may refuse to hold on
Well maybe that’s not what you’re used to
How can I refuse you?

I’ll hold the train till you get on
I’ll hold the mirror so you can fix your hair
I’ll hold the pain till it is gone
And I’ll hold my ground when people stop and stare

You know that it’s true
When I held you
There are no secrets
You must believe it

I’ll hold the beating of my heart
I’ll hold my breath if you will tell me to
I’ll hold the hope that we won’t part
I’ll hold our deaths so I can live with you

You knew it was true
When I held you
There were no secrets
I believed it

So I will hold on
And if that’s not what you’re used to
Then I may refuse to hold on
Well maybe that’s not what you’re used to
How can I refuse you?

So I will hold on
And if that’s not what you’re used to
Then I may refuse to hold on
Well maybe that’s not what you’re used to
How can I refuse you?

 

What I like most about the song is its simplicity.  The singer is speaking to someone he loves – telling her about all of the things that he will do for her – in the multiple forms of what he will hold for her.  Some of these things are simple, some are noble, and some would be quite difficult.  Through all of this, he demonstrates the deep love he holds for her – explaining to her that there is nothing he won’t do for her – even if those things cause him pain.  In many ways, I think this captures the true essence of love.

 

For many, love is that romantic, flower and candy emotion that sweeps us off our feet.  Others look at love as a physical act – something we seek for pleasure and satisfaction.  These elements only scratch the surface.  Words mean nothing when merely spoken.  Actions have limited meaning when they are self-serving.  Love is about giving.  When two people love one another, both strive to outdo the other in what they give.  When it works, both receive more than they could ever imagine, further fueling their desires to love even more.  There is nothing in all of the human experience that can compare to this.  People living without would do anything to know it.  People living with it will do anything to maintain it.  This is why we hold on to love, even the slightest hope of love, when given the chance.

 

As the only true source of love in the world, our Heavenly Father knows about holding on to what He loves.  From the moment we fell into sin, God knew what He would do to restore us.  Never did He desire to let us go, to give up on the love that he has for us.  Through Him, we find a love that will last forever.  In fact, Scripture offers us one more thing to hold onto…

 

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” – John 8:31-32

 

Seek God.  Hold fast to the promises that can only come from the creator of love and know that in love, He will never let you go.

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Patience Made Perfect

Posted on November 10, 2009 by day1of1

For quite some time now, God has been working with me when it comes to developing patience.  For those of you who have known me since my childhood, you are no doubt chuckling at this statement and will undoubtedly consider using the comments feature to share stories – feel free, just remember I have a blog and a good memory! 

 

As I had said, God is actively working with me in building up my levels of patience in most every arena of my life.  For better or for worse I am a visionary.  I like to look at what is possible and to dream about ways to get there.  I feel that everyone, every family, every organization must have vision in order to bring about positive change.  Leading without vision is like sailing without a compass or a means of locomotion.  You’ll eventually go somewhere, but you have no opportunity to set the course, pick the destination or the speed with which you get there.  Traveling and treading water are two entirely different things.

 

This isn’t a bad thing in and of itself.  Having a life driven by purpose is a good thing – hmmm “purpose driven life” – that’s a catchy phrase, but it would never sell books.  Anyway, my problem isn’t having a vision of where I want to go.  It’s about having the patience to go through the many steps needed to get to that point.  Once I see it, I want it – now.  As a result, I have struggled with being able to bring my great ideas to fruition.  When I go through the necessary processes, I find success.  When I impatiently race and skip steps, I fail.  That may seem a harsh assessment, but remember, take away enough ingredients from chocolate chip cookies and you’re left with wallpaper paste.

 

Think of the patience that Jacob had to demonstrate as he waited to win the hand of his beloved Rachel.  Laban required that he work for seven years.  The Bible says that the love he had for her made the time fly.  That’s a good thing, because as I see it seven years is a VERY LONG TIME to wait.  2,556 days to be precise.  Need more perspective?  Think about what was happening in the world in 2002.  The New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl.  The movie Chicago won the Oscar as best movie of the year.  The Mozilla Firefox web browser was initially launched.  Alicia Keys won the Grammy for best new music artist.  The TV show Friends was #1 in the ratings while Politically Incorrect was cancelled.  THe DC Sniper terrorized motorists around the nation’s capitol.  Average retail price for a gallon of gas: $1.35.  Celebrity deaths:  Ann Landers, Dudley Moore, Johnny Unitas, Milton Berle, and Ted Williams. 

 

 

Needless to say, the world has changed a great deal since then.  Over seven years, it would be very easy to change our minds on what we desire, to lose focus.  Depending upon the circumstances of your life, think of the number of jobs you’ve held,  the number of people you’ve dated, the places you’ve lived, the cars you’ve owned, the things you’ve experienced since then.  Many life changing things can happen in 2,556 days.  How then to stay firmly fixed on just one?  For Jacob, it came down to trust in God.  His love for Rachel was strong, but it took trust in God’s promise to him to help him to make the commitments, to do the work, and to maintain the focus he needed to attain the goal of his heart.  I’m sure he would have loved for God to make that 7 years into 7 months, maybe even 7 minutes – but he never lost sight of what God had promised him, and that blessing was sufficient to sustain him until he received what his heart desired.

 

Patience is important for our success in our lives not simply because we need to give ourselves checklists, but because God’s plan for us sometimes includes steps in order to reach the goals that He has placed before us.  Luke 5:37-39 is a parable Christ shares about wineskins.  He reminds us that people would never put new wine into an old wineskin – to do so would risk the wineskin breaking and the wine being lost.  Before the wine can be deposited into the skin, work must be done to ensure that the skin into which it is going is ready.  Like the wineskin, we too must ready ourselves for the blessings that God plans to bring us.  Like Jacob, that requires work on our part, but we must remain mindful that it also requires a level of patience and trust that God’s timing is perfect – no matter how long it takes.

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Jars of Clay

Posted on November 5, 2009 by day1of1

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. – 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

 

Good morning. How great the gifts of God are in our lives. We receive from Him amazing blessings that are designed to uplift and sustain us. But what a great image Paul provides us in how we receive this gift. Clay jars are fragile and not exactly the first place you’d consider to store treasure. But what we see once again that the lack of worldly wisdom only goes to further show the greatness of God in giving us the gift. The absurdity of storing treasure in clay jars shows how great the gift and the giver of the gift truly are. It’s not about us – it’s all about Him.

 

And this is good for us! We could never match the gift God gives us. He gives us His strength to persevere through the most difficult of times. The world can challenge, tempt, and damage us, but our victory is assured through Him. Our lives are not void of struggle, but our struggles are never in vain. God guides us through every situation without fear or worry about the end result. God is all powerful and Christ has assured our victory on Calvary’s cross.

 

May you know the fullness of the strength of the Lord in everything you do. I pray that when you begin to feel the crush of the world around you, you will turn to the Lord and find comfort, peace, and increase. I thank God for the victory that He has won on your behalf and I stand in agreement with you in the hope that you are able to enjoy the spoils of Christ’s win in their entirety.

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Right Sizing

Posted on October 31, 2009 by day1of1

David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. – 1 Chronicles 29:10-13

As a people, we like convenience. One stop shopping, one size fits all, the one place for all of your needs. Why complicate things needlessly when we can have everything that we want simply and easily in only one place. Of course this can create some issues. Some stores try to carry everything, but in the process become so large that they become a nightmare to manage and operate. Furthermore, the people who work there become less helpful – having to try and have knowledge of too many things. How fortunate we are to not have the same worry with our Father in heaven.
While worldly entities can become too big, we take comfort in knowing that we have a very big God. We join David in celebrating this fact. Because of God’s greatness, we have nothing to worry about and everything comes to our benefit through His power and might. He is big enough to manage everything. What may appear insurmountable to us is nothing to Him. God simply isn’t ruled or controlled by things in the natural world because He is above all of those things. What’s more, because we serve a supernatural God, we too can operate in that place where the world and its struggles need not control or define us. No matter how difficult things may be in your life, you refuse to allow any other thoughts or struggles to lure you away from the power and strength of the Father. You know Him to be the one true source of power in your life and the only one you need to rely upon to live.

 

 

I pray that you will be blessed in every way as you look to the Lord today. May His love surround you. May His wisdom fill your mind. Be emboldened to make decisions and to create products knowing that God is the source of your creativity and success. God knows you, desires to build you up and to make you the woman He has always desired you to be. It is my prayer that you will make great strides toward achieving these things in every area of your life today. Know that you serve an amazing God.

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Clearing the Air

Posted on October 27, 2009 by day1of1

Having recently completed sanding and refinishing my hardwood floors, I learned a number of little tricks that were important to making sure I did everything right.  One thing that I spent a great deal of time on had very little to do with the floors specifically.  They were the steps I took to minimize the spread of dust throughout the house.  I had to hang plastic in doorways, to tape coverings over all of the heat vents and cold air returns, to stuff towels under doors – all in the name of clean air.  When the sanding was finished, the room looked good, but the air was thick with sawdust.  It was stuck to the walls, the ceiling, the windows, the plastic and especially on me.  In spite of my best efforts to reduce it, the entire house was filled with dust. 

Before anything could continue, I had to clean everything.  Thankfully, the tape on the vents kept the dust out of the heating system, but it pretty much penetrated all of my other defenses.  So began the systematic process of cleaning the house from top to bottom.  It was time consuming, difficult, and a frustrating delay in getting to the finish line – but removing the dust, clearing the air, was totally necessary to make sure that the end result would be the best it could be.

It’s not often that we hear the phrase “clearing the air” in a work sense.  The cliché is more prominently used in conversation.  Figuratively, clearing the air means to eliminate the problems that exist between two people to gain understanding and to return back to the relationship that had previously existed before the offending incident.  Like removing the dust, it is time consuming, difficult, and frustrating.  It would be so much easier to ignore the dust, to just go on and hope for the best.  Many people do that very thing – ignoring issues and avoiding arguments in an attempt to keep the peace or in the hopes that the situation will just work itself out by going away.  Of course, experience will tell you that this simply is not the case.  Problems don’t evaporate over time.  Instead, they behave just like the sawdust in my house; they linger, filling the atmosphere until finally they permeate everything within their reach.  If it isn’t ever dealt with, they grow, making it more difficult to resolve or restore.  Finally, enough filth collects that the things they have covered are now unsalvageable.  It would have been a shame to throw away a chair, or a photograph on the wall because I didn’t clean them effectively.  How much more devastating would it be to throw away a person or a relationship for failing to clear the air?

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 sets us straight on how we ought to respond to one another when it comes to clearing the air.  Paul writes, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God cleared the air between you and I that had been previously been polluted by our sin.  The clouds have been lifted and God is worshiped, praised, and glorified.  And once the dust and the dirt is removed, then the finishing touches can be added – maximizing our lives for service in the kingdom of the Lord.  We have been called to reconcile not only our lives to God, but also with one another.  So take the time and make the effort to reconcile with one another.  Find solace in the power of the Lord in our lives, because through Him, we are tremendously well-equipped to restore every relationship that sin has broken.

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Just One Thing

Posted on October 23, 2009 by day1of1

I try to vary what I write about, but for some reason I keep going back to movies.  I don’t really know why that is – I truly don’t watch a lot of movies.  But in spite of that, I guess the ones that I do watch leave an impression – or I just latch onto a thought and let it marinade in my mind more than most.  Either way, those scenes often stick and drive many of the thoughts that I have.  So with a preface like that, here we go with another one…

Today we take a trip in the “Way Back Machine” to 1991 and the movie City Slickers starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance.  Crystal plays Mitch Robbins, a middle aged man who has lost sight of himself and his purpose who goes on a cattle drive vacation with two buddies.  While on the trip, he meets Curly, a rugged old cowboy played by Palance.  Curly’s job it is to lead the drive and keep the people safe (or maybe it was to keep the cows safe from the people).  Either way, Mitch gains a great deal of life perspective from his brief interaction with Curly.  In particular, there is one conversation which I copied off of www.imdb.com that stands out (Note: I took the liberty of editing this.  My apologies to the purists but this is my blog).

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? one thing
[holds up one finger]
Curly: This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean {a thing}.
Mitch: But, what is the “one thing?”
Curly: [smiles] That’s what *you* have to find out.

The secret of life is one thing.  This was of critical importance to Mitch, and I dare say that we can take a lesson from the wisdom within that statement.  How many of us run from thing to thing at breakneck speed without ever gaining a real handle on the things we’re doing?  It isn’t that we can’t do it all – but what’s the breaking point between doing it all and doing it well?  From time to time, we find ourselves put into these types of situations: overworked with more to do, not enough time to match all of our interests.  If you described these people’s lives in terms of a swimming pool, it would be a mile wide but only an inch deep.

So what does it take to bring depth to our lives – to give us a stronger focus, a clearer perspective, and a more purposeful direction?  Christ’s words in John 15:5 say it simply:  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  So our one thing is Him – the one who created us, delivered us, and destined us for great things.  Now don’t confuse this to mean that life cannot bring other pursuits.  Just understand that for those pursuits to reach their maximum potential, to bring about the fullness of God’s intended blessings for us, we must align our thoughts, decisions, and actions with the will of God.  Or as Paul stated it in his letter to the Colossians,  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Consider the many things that create your life: your history, your job, your family and the obligations you have to them, the hobbies that help define you and give you balance, the man or woman you love – everything that contributes and completes you.  Now approach all of these things by moving your focus in meeting those needs into your relationship with God.  What’s the result?  Strength, focus, contentment, and depth manifested in the blessings of God alive in all that we do.

The secret of life is just one thing.  Stick with it and watch God do the rest.

 

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Pack Your Bags

Posted on October 21, 2009 by day1of1

Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. – Psalm 147:1-3

Ever wonder where certain clichés and phrases came from?  For example, when a person is struggling with an issue from their past they are described as carrying baggage.  It seems an odd connection.  What does a suitcase have to do with problems?  I’m sure Samsonite and American Tourister are terribly pleased to promote their products with that link.  But in spite of that, the more I began to meditate on this, I began to see an interesting connection.

Suitcases get used when we are leaving – when we are going away.  There really isn’t another time in life when we need them.  Emotional baggage has a way of symbolizing people who leave – not necessarily on a trip, but to leave something, someone, or somewhere because of what they are harboring inside of themselves.  People leave jobs because they get fed up.  People leave relationships because they are afraid.  People leave homes to escape what they feel.  People leave situations because they don’t know how to face them head on.  And for each trip they pack their bags of hurt, fear, bitterness, shame, and guilt – making sure that they have those feelings with them for the next time so that the cycle is destined to repeat itself.

Notice how God does not find himself in those suitcases.  Bitterness, shame, guilt, hurt, and fear are not the type of company He keeps.  He tends to work more directly.  Matthew 18 is the template that God gives us for problems.  It doesn’t provide baggage because it doesn’t tell us to leave.  It bids us stay, talk, work, and seek Him to resolve problems and to heal injuries – even old ones that we’ve borne for years.  As the psalm says, He heals broken hearts, he binds wounds.  But notice what comes before:  “He gathers the exiles of Israel.”  The bags are no longer needed – it’s time to come home.

May God bless you today and heal you.  May He bring you comfort and help you to unpack your bags – whatever they may be.  Know that I stand in agreement with you, and that I pray every day for you to know the fullness of God’s amazing love in your life.

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