Fits Right

October 15, 2017

Grandma Helwig was right. Nearly fifty years ago when she first met Linda, she said she just knew Linda was the right girl for me. Although I don’t remember it, grandma said that once when I was a little boy, she took me shopping for a toy. I chose a firetruck, but not just any firetruck. Apparently, I tried them out one at a time, putting each one under my arm until I found the one that fit right. She took one look at Linda standing by my side and said, “She fits right, under your arm.” 

This afternoon, I was talking with a couple. He stands taller than I, while she is tiny. If he held his arm out parallel to the ground, she would fit easily under it, which made me think of grandma’s comment so many years ago. I’ve been away from Linda for three days; when I walked in the door this evening, we embraced, and she fit. Not just under my arm, but also in my heart.

Sleep Tight

October 14, 2017

Psalm 127 is one of the shortest of the Psalms, consisting of only five verses, but touching upon three different subjects. It begins by talking about how God’s house is built not merely with human labor, but only with the Lord’s activity in the building. It ends with speaking about children being a gift from God, and how blessed is the man who has lots of them. Sandwiched between these two topics (which BTW, are related; the building of God’s house is never accomplished apart from the building of a godly family) is this solitary verse that seems to be a digression. Verse 2 says, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” 

The connection between the first verse which talks about building God’s house, and the second which talks of sleep, may not be immediately apparent, but it is there. God’s house, and families, for that matter, are not well built by worry or even by long labor, but by trusting God enough to know when to call it quits for the day and simply get a good night’s rest. Those who study such things tell us that the average American is getting less sleep than previous generations. We thought labor-saving devices would give us more time for stuff we want to do, but apparently sleep is not one of them. If it isn’t worry keeping us awake, the advent of computers, smart phones, and tablets has countless numbers of us staring bleary-eyed at the dancing pixels into the wee hours of the morning. 

Christians often have felt that there is so much work to be done that we don’t have time for rest. We imagine that God cannot possibly survive without our efforts, our wisdom, our help. Sometimes, we just need to sleep, as Jesus did, even in the back of a storm-tossed boat filled with frightened disciples. Or Elijah, running for his life into the desert, where God twice tells him simply to take a nap. 

It has been a long and busy day following a late night. I don’t do late very well any more, and I am tired. It might seem more spiritual to read my Bible and pray, but I think right now, the most godly thing I can do is to turn out the lights and sleep, thankful that God will do just fine while I slumber. Another Psalm (121:4) says, “he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” As long as God is going to stay awake, there’s no need for both of us to be up all night, so I’m going to bed. Goodnight.

Solitude

October 13, 2017

It’s quiet out back. The trees etch the sky with jagged tendrils that reach in vain for the clouds, while the geese honk their way from behind the brow of the hill across the road to the tree line opposite. Far above is the faint trail of an almost invisible jet. The leaves slowly twist their way through the air to join their companions that litter the deck and chairs and grass. A few land in the creek to float their way downstream where they will eventually sink to become one with the muck that feeds the cattails and arrowroot down at Redbird Corners.

Only a half dozen steps separate this little corner of solitude out back from the sounds of the road out front, the comings and goings of people who have places to go and things to do, while little thinking of why they are going and doing. A falling leaf doesn’t question why it tumbles through the air, and the creek bubbles and gurgles its way over the shale and gravel beds as it has done for perhaps thousands of years, insensate yet fulfilling a destiny written in gravity and hydrodynamics. The scene holds a beauty that cannot be fully expressed in words; it must be seen and smelled, felt on the skin, heard in the crinkly crackle of leaves and twigs underfoot. 

It was only a few moments snatched from the grasp of a busy day and full calendar, but when one stops completely enough, inhales deeply enough, looking and listening not only with eyes and ears, but also with the soul, those few moments yield nourishment that has its own unique satisfaction. The day is good, as is the God who brought it to me, and I give thanks.

Morning Smiles

October 12, 2017

After the MRI this morning, Linda and I were ready for breakfast. She had had an English muffin and coffee before we left home at 6:00 am, but my instructions were clear: no food; just plenty of water. So we hit the Galleria Mall at 9:00. Of course, the stores weren’t open, but after a bit of walking, we did locate a Timmy Ho’s. There was a short line, but in a couple minutes we were at the counter, ordering. The young man on the other side had a big smile, and was bantering with the customers, expressing his hopes that the Bills would make it to the playoffs. He hadn’t seen them even close to the Super Bowl in his lifetime, and was hoping that he might, before he died. 

All the time, he was laughing and joking, making life a little better for those in line, who by the looks on most of their faces, weren’t too happy about going to work. One lady in particular, testy because she thought someone had cut into line ahead of her, took out her frustration on him. He took it all in stride. Her criticism dimmed the light in his eyes for a few moments, but before long, he was right back at it. 

On the way out, I tipped him, thanking him for making peoples’ mornings a bit better. It wasn’t much; it certainly won’t put him through school, but I hope he realizes the influence he is having on people, even if some of them don’t know it. It isn’t always the big things that make a difference; sometimes a kind word, or even a positive outlook can be just what someone needs when their own outlook has become overgrown with worries and cares. And maybe; just maybe even that grumpy woman will pause long enough to realize she has received grace, and be a better person for it. I hope that I will be, simply by witnessing it in the smile and joviality of a young man working for minimum wage at a fast-food coffee shop.

Give it Away

October 11, 2017

While working out this morning, I had T.D. Jakes on tv via the Youtube channel through Apple TV. If you have no idea what that sentence means, it’s OK; it just means that you are even less tech savvy than I am. Anyway, T.D. Jakes in the morning is a much better way to start the day than listening to the news, and I don’t actually have to see him to build my soul while I’m building my body.

If you’ve never listened to T.D. Jakes, you’re missing a real treat. That man can PREACH! In this morning’s sermon, he talked about giving. Quoting Malachi 3:10, he reminded us that God promises a blessing to those who tithe and give generously. He then said something I had never considered before. “When we’re poor, we give to have the blessing. When we’re rich, we give so the blessing doesn’t have us.” I have to chew on that for awhile, but I understand where he’s coming from. There was a time when we were barely making it financially, but we never missed our tithe. I’m not bragging; it’s how we were raised. I’ve talked incredulously with pastors who don’t tithe; how can they speak with integrity when they are clearly disobedient in this basic Christian discipline? I suspect that in many cases, it’s why their churches are failing.

Linda and I are at a point in our lives now where God’s blessing is overflowing. We aren’t rich by our society’s measurement, but we have all we need, and more. There is no way to explain it other than God honors those who even imperfectly, try to honor him. The second sentence of Jakes’ declaration is what is grabbing at my heart tonight. I give now so the blessing doesn’t have me. If I stop giving, or even if I fail to give proportionately to his blessing on me, the very things God has given can become a trap, holding me in a grip that is deadly tight. God is not afraid to bless those he can trust with wealth, but those folks are few in number. It is too easy for the stuff God has given to have such a grip on our hearts that we are unable to hear and follow the voice of the Master.

Years ago I heard a story about a wealthy man who lost his fortune in the Crash of 1929. He had been known for his generosity in giving to various charities and needy individuals. When asked if he regretted having given so much away that he had no cushion to carry him through, his response was, “What I gave away, I still have; what I kept, I lost forever.” 

Tonight I am thankful for the blessings we have been given, and for the even greater blessing of being able to give much of it away. If the day comes when God takes it all away, I hope I have the grace and wisdom to still praise him. But until then, the best way to show gratitude is to hold the blessings of this life with a gentle grip.

Hello Espanol!

October 10, 2017

It started out as a Swiss steak dinner, and ended as a Puerto Rican blessing. As a fund raiser, our congregation sponsors a monthly dinner with a different entree each time. Tonight’s was Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a choice of pies. For the good of everyone, I stayed out of the kitchen until it came time to clean up. Instead, I slowly wound my way between the tables, greeting people, making new friends. 

As we were wrapping up, one of the members approached and almost whispered, “There are some people looking over your motorcycle. Maybe you should check on them.” So I went out and as I was about to introduce myself, one of them, a young woman said, “You must be the new pastor! I just KNEW it as you came.” 

“Nuts!” I thought. If it’s that obvious, I must be doing something wrong. I introduced myself to the five of them, three women and two men, one of whom was Alberto Martinez, the pastor of the small Puerto Rican congregation that meets in the chapel of our church. Ten minutes later, I was “back in Cuba,” worshipping with my Dunkirk Hispanic brothers and sisters as they praised Jesus in a language both lyrical and strange to me, but familiar to God. 

When I was asked to do pulpit supply at the Dunkirk church, the tipping point that clinched my decision was that Dunkirk is almost 50% Puerto Rican, and the best way to learn Spanish for our Cuban mission work is to immerse myself as much as possible in the Hispanic community. Tonight, I was baptized in it, meeting brothers and sisters in Christ who are going to be my teachers as we worship and work together. God is good, and I am grateful!

More Than We Imagine

October 9, 2017

Too often we Christians have a truncated view of what God wants to do through us. We think of salvation as merely personal, overlooking the Scriptures that tell us of his overall plan to completely redeem the entirety of Creation (see Romans 8:19-23). We see the present evil more clearly than we do God’s vision of a new heavens and a new earth. Sometimes our theology sabotages us. We believe in Augustine’s Original Sin while failing to see that sin isn’t original at all; it is an interloper that invaded all that God created and called good. Years ago, I heard someone say, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.” There was great truth in that statement, but also great danger. If we see ourselves primarily as sinners, the grace part of it becomes almost an afterthought or a footnote to the narrative of our lives. 

When Jesus told the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), he said something interesting that we often miss, especially if we use one or more of the modern translations. The old King James Version has the translation spot-on. In Luke 15:17, Jesus tells us that there was a moment in time when this young man “came to himself.” He didn’t say (as some of the modern translations have it) that he came to his senses. In telling us literally that “he came to himself,” Jesus is paying us a great compliment. He is saying that we are our truest selves when we realize that our wandering doesn’t define us; our longing for home does. When we allow our sin to define us, we are believing what the devil says about us more than what God says about us.

In Isaiah 51: 16, God says, 

“I have put my words in your mouth;

I have covered you with the shadow of my hand,’

That I may plant the heavens, 

Lay the foundations of the earth,

And say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

God puts his words in our mouths, shelters us with his hand, not merely for our own benefit, but to accomplish great things through us. The Revelation of St. John shows us the vision God has for a new heavens and earth. What Isaiah tells us us that he wants to use us to accomplish this. “All things new” is the promise of salvation. God’s people are the means of it. That is Good News; something for which to be thankful tonight.