Category: General

Life has a rhythm…sometimes it is felt in staccato…sometimes in the rest…but most of the time, the rhythm is most appreciated in the regular, seemingly mundane half and quarter notes of 4/4 time…even among the whole notes.  For it is in those notes our lives are composed.

I felt this rhythm or the lack of it on my first week out of routine.  I’m not in denial of a routine…it is part of me…  From the rising in the morning to the fuel for the day to the setting of the sun…it is my routine and it is beautiful.  It can’t always be as it is, though.  The song changes, the timing shifts, there is a turn of the page.  What happens when routine flow is no longer routine?  At first, confusion…seemingly scattered thoughts…incoherent ideas…the haphazard life that has been avoided through the routine…but the routine isn’t always possible.  Eventually a new song begins to form…a new work of art…a masterpiece of its own…a joyful set of notes that comes together when least expected and a new rhythm is set into motion.  Had the first not been interrupted, the new might have been missed.  This is the joy of the journey.

Sometimes changing rhythms is scary…turning the page can be unsettling…changing the pace can be unnerving… But if you are willing to move forward, the new song is also a gift.  There is gratefulness in the song, whether a deeper, more solemn tone or an uplifting, celebratory tune.  There is something to learn, something to enjoy, something to take hold of, something that becomes a part of your overall score…your life’s masterpiece…your music for the world to hear and experience that can change the landscape of those around you.  Your music can inspire and uplift…it can flow with those who are struggling…it can show love as it carries others away to another place and time.  Your music, your rhythm is important…God created this song, this score…he composed the notes.  We just have to trust that the composer is there…conducting, leading, turning the pages, traveling the journey…with…us.  Life has a beautiful rhythm…don’t miss the beat.

In the picture…do you see it?  It is just to the left of the large tomato plant.  It is small, almost not recognizable, but it is there.  It is a smaller tomato plant that is growing.  It all started with trimming.  The larger plant to the right of it had a section that needed some attention.  This part of the plant ended up breaking off.  The instant, logical answer would have been to throw it away.  It is, after all, nothing more than a mistake…an error…something that came off in the care of the plant.  The tomato plant itself would continue to grow without it.  It would go on to produce tomatoes and would not even notice that this part had been disconnected.  But…it wasn’t thrown away.

As my mom held it in her hand, she saw potential.  She saw a possibility in this.  So she simply stuck it in the garden next to the other plant.  There was nothing special done…just stuck it in the dirt so that it would get the same water and nutrients as everything else in the garden.  At first, it struggled.  It was in a new environment…on its own…not connected to the life source it had always known.  It shriveled and looked as if it would die.  It looked like nothing more than a weed.  We didn’t pull it.  We just let it adapt.  We just watched and watered.  And then we watched it start to grow.  I have been amazed to see this little stem…this little bit of seemingly insignificance start to grow and get stronger.  It is beginning to flourish.  Will it produce actual tomatoes?  I guess that is to be seen.  But it definitely is holding its own…well, with a little water and love like everything else in the garden needs.

In my small, limited view, I couldn’t help but think this might just be how God sees us sometimes.  The world may see us as small and insignificant, but God sees potential for fruit bearing in us.  We struggle to find out who we are.  We struggle to adapt to a new environment.  We can feel like nothing more than a little sprig in a great big garden.  It may seem as though we aren’t going to do what we were created to do.  And then we get it…we hear his voice…we feel his presence…we are overwhelmed by his love…and we begin to flourish.  We flourish because we are made by him and cared for by him.  We flourish in the hopes that we will too bear fruit as we are created.  We flourish to show others that what the world calls insignificant, God calls strong…loved…filled with purpose…valuable…his beloved.  In your struggles, keep growing and keep watching…God can do mighty things with just a little willingness.  Stand tall…for you have a purpose.

One of the joys for me over the last couple of months has been watching the garden grow.  What started as just a few little plants has blossomed into a beautiful garden that has already produced several dishes on a hot summer-like afternoon.  There is something unique and special about being able to cut up a vegetable that you planted and then watched grow.  I can’t quite describe the feeling of eating from my own garden – it is as if I was a partner with God in the growth of this crop.  I planted and watered – he took care of the rest.  It gives a new perspective on creation and the importance of being a good steward of the world God has given us.

Today, I had the opportunity for my morning visit and tending of the garden (something I really look forward to as the sun comes up).  Some of the garden is beginning to show signs of fatigue…we have been fighting pests that want to eat the collards and cabbage…and now the squash leaves are being attacked.  It is still a joy to tend the garden, but a little disheartening to see the slow destruction by little enemies I do not even see.  They eat away at the beauty of the garden when I don’t even know they are there.  Don’t get me wrong…I am grateful for the crop I have already been able to get from the garden.  I am grateful for the okra that are starting to appear, the tomatoes that are green but show delicious potential.  The zucchini continue to come along slowly with their massive overwhelming leaves.  It is not that I have missed the joy and the beauty.  It is more that I am amazed at the things that eat away at the creation that aren’t even seen.  Often they are there before you know it and you spend the rest of your time trying to combat what you didn’t even know was there in the first place.

Isn’t that often what happens to us?  We are going along great…feeling joyful…enjoying life.  We are being productive, feeling good about our small but significant contribution to the world.  But if we are not careful…if we are not alert…if we are not paying attention…little things can be destroying us and we not recognize it.  For me, I am most alert to this when I am still and silent.  I am most aware of those little things that are going on when I am listening…when I stop the hectic pace of the day.  I am awakened to my disease when I read God’s Word.  I realize that I have a life that is wonderful and I am grateful.  I have a life that needs to be tended to and watched carefully so that I can grow and develop into what God has created.  I have to be aware that there is an enemy that wants to destroy but I have a God that is bigger than the enemy.  If I want to flourish and produce and be all that I am created, I have to be aware of the things that may be trying to take me away from my purpose.  What may be distracting you today?  What is it that may be eating away at you this morning that you haven’t considered?

Growing up, I was an easy target for being picked on.  I was a really skinny, quiet, short boy who would have preferred to disappear in the background.  I liked to do things my way which was different than most – which brought even more harassment.  I wasn’t just picked on by the kids at school…there were those adults who felt that harassing me and calling me names would make me a stronger person.  All it really did was make a promise to myself to never be like them.  As for the kids, they left a vivid imprint in my memory that shows back up every now and then.  I mostly hear their voices when things aren’t going so well.  It has taken me a while to quiet those voices and choose to hear voices that remind me that I am who God made me to be and that’s better than okay.  And I am thankful for those who were willing to stand up for me, defend me, be my voice and help me when I couldn’t do that for myself.  They kept me moving forward when I wasn’t sure I could.

I did eventually grow up and begin to find my own voice.  It at first appeared as a harsh, snide sarcasm.  That was probably from years of saying nothing at all when I really wanted to punch someone – sorry I was a bit bitter.  The problem (as if it needs to be stated) is that I was a really small wimpy kid – and at the core of me, I don’t really believe violence solves anything.  I don’t believe it solves anything, not because I am a small guy – but because I haven’t seen it work well for the “stronger” folks either.  It just seems to be anger misdirected.  And, I am working to curb the sarcasm – that doesn’t always come off well either.

I write this as an adult with many years separating my school days and now.  Yet, I hear and see this type of stuff all the time…as I look around, hear the news, or read social media…I still see people “picking on” others.  It seems that intimidation, name calling, pointing out weakness… is the name of the game.  The way to make it is to belittle someone else so that you can feel better.  I’m not even talking about kids…I’m talking about grown folks…people who SHOULD know better.  And I’m not talking about uneducated people…I’m talking about educated, intelligent people – some of them we have been elected to represent us in various places.  Some of them even claim to follow Jesus or feel they are representing him.

The Jesus I read about and try to follow – he shook up a whole host of “established” institutions – and often shook up those who felt that they were following God but really looking out for themselves.  He reminded the religious that they were to be the voice of those who had no voice.  He reminded those in power to take care of the widows, the orphans, and those who were being treated unjustly.  He took the time to get to know those who were tossed out of the temples and weren’t allowed in the gates of worship.  He took the time to heal those who had been long forgotten and were thought to be useless.  I see and hear quite a bit of name calling…finger pointing…arguing…fighting…selfish greed (and I bet you see and hear it too).  And we wonder why we have trouble with kids picking on other kids?

What I don’t see enough of is people working together…despite their differences.  I don’t see enough people loving others, encouraging, lifting up…caring for those who can’t care for themselves.  What might happen if some of this energy fighting were put to good use collaborating?  Are we so stuck in our own ways and our own ideas that we have lost sight of what is really important?

I’m not a pessimist – all is not lost.  There are really good things going on around our world.  There are people who are banding together and making a difference.  There are people standing up for those who can’t stand.  There are those who are being the voice of those who have no voice.  But they seem to be too few – or at least not those with the loudest voice…or at least not yet.  That’s why I think it is the optimal time for Christians and those of faith to stand up – despite our differences – and be the example of what it means to love, lift up, encourage, stand with, and be the voice of those who have no voice.  What kind of example might we be for those who come after us?  What are we really showing with our actions, our words, and even our social media posts?  How might our voices be heard…the voices of kindness, love, peace…and even collaboration?  May our voices be heard loudly, clearly, and with unity.

Normally when something is broken, we evaluate whether or not it is worth it to be fixed. Should it just be replaced?  How much will it cost to repair versus buying a new one?  Can duct tape hold it together?  Can we make do for just another week or month…or to the next paycheck? Should we just trash it and forget it?

But lives aren’t like that. We don’t get to evaluate worth.  And…in my opinion…Every life has worth.  We don’t get to decide if a broken life is worth repair. That isn’t our decision.   That is especially the case because we are all broken in some way. None of us are without some problems, pains or issues. Broken. We all are. Divorce, addiction, abuse, anger, selfishness. Broken.  Pain, fears, regrets, lies.  Broken.

On the other hand, we aren’t responsible for fixing or repairing the brokenness in others either. Because we are all broken in some way, we may share our “duct tape” and we may talk about our own scars and wounds. But we can’t put anyone else back together. God can. We cannot.

What we are called to do is love. And love is often the hardest choice of all. Because to love someone, sometimes you have to let them break. To love someone sometimes you have to let them go so they can realize their brokenness and begin to put their own pieces back together. Sometimes love looks like letting them find their own duct tape for life, even as painful as that is.  Sometimes love doesn’t look like picking up the pieces, but loving them in their broken state, praying fiercely for direction, and letting God handle the rest.

I’m a fixer. I like to think that I can, in some small way, make a difference. And sometimes God allows me to do just that…be a part of something that does make a difference. But not always. I’m not called to fix anything or anyone really. I’m called to love. And love is often the most difficult yet beautiful thing of all.  May we, in our brokenness, learn to love as never before.  And may it begin with me.

I always find it interesting how the holidays – the times that are meant to bring joy and excitement – often bring the most anxiety.  Do we have the right gift?  Have we remembered everyone?  When will we put up the decorations?  How many Christmas parties do I have this week?  How much more do I have to cook?  How much can I eat and still fit into my clothes?

All of these questions and more bring us to a place of anxiety and prevent us from really enjoying this time.  Christmas should be a time of joy.  It should be a time of celebration and a time with the family.  It should even be a time of giving.  But we seem to be missing something in it all.  How did it become so stressful?  When did we get so caught up in all of the commercialism that we forget how to really even enjoy Christmas?

Maybe it begins with a shift.  Maybe we begin to shift how WE celebrate Christmas.  Maybe we don’t wait for someone else to change, but we begin to change.  How about this Christmas, instead of buying for those who already have, and cooking for those who are full…we instead give to those who do not have and cook for those who are hungry?  Maybe the key is that we stop trying to make those who have plenty happy and start trying to help those who do not have at all.  It could be that our giving is misplaced and we should consider how to give differently.

Now I understand this isn’t a new thought or concept.  Yet, I don’t really see anything change.  When I study the life of Jesus, he reached out to those who were the outcasts of society.  He loved those who were considered unlovable.  He touched those who were forgotten.  He fed those who were hungry.  He didn’t give to those who already had.  And yet when we celebrate his birthday, we give to those who already have?  Something seems out of sorts.  And that may be why holidays bring so much anxiety.

This Christmas, may we begin to live as Christ – celebrate his birth doing what he did…Loving, feeding, giving…all to those who had none.

It is the day after the Presidential Election.  We are a nation divided.  The narrow victory certainly tells many stories about how our country feels.  There has been so much divisiveness and dissension.  It has been a time of turmoil as we have watched candidates debate, argue, and even fist fight.  With such a narrow victory, the next president certainly has his work cut out for him to unite this country.  That is all stating the obvious.

What is also obvious is the underlying current of hate and anger that has been simmering and occasionally spewing to the top.  There has been name calling and people made to feel belittled for supporting one candidate or the other.  There have been phrases like…if you vote for ____, then you are just stupid (or an idiot or whatever other negative connotation you can come up with).  Phrases like…you can’t possibly be a Christian and vote for _____.  Or, who in their right mind would vote for _____.  Honestly, it has felt more like being on the playground in middle school than being adults “debating” the issues for the future of our country.  It definitely is a sign that many Americans lack the basic skill of effective communication and instead, lean towards bullying and fear mongering.

The most disheartening of it all for me is that much of this hate, anger, belittling, and casting of fear has come from my Christian brothers and sisters.  On social media, on the TV, in ads, and in person, one cannot tell if a person is a Christian or not by actions or by their love.  I have heard just as many negative comments and hateful spewing from Christians as from anyone else.  And since Jesus wasn’t running (or anyone who even resembles his actions or values), there should not have been a “Christian vote.”  Since the vote was nearly 50/50, that would suggest that there are Christians who love the Lord with all their heart on BOTH sides.  What a concept.  It has been difficult to see the love of Christ show up in anything that has been done over the last few months.  Apparently when the heat is turned up, Christians don’t seem to react any different than anyone else…and that is painful and sad.

So, the election is over (and we all say a collective THANK GOD).  But damage has been done.  Christians, it is time for us to drop the stones that we have been casting and find unity.  We must find a way to come together as God’s people to do God’s work REGARDLESS of who is president or whether or not we voted for him.  For me, it starts with humility, looking to Christ as my guide.  We must seek forgiveness, both from God for the way we have acted, and from our neighbors for the stones that have been cast.  We must turn our hearts and minds to Christ and to LOVING OTHERS.   We cannot join hands in this world while holding stones.  We cannot offer a helping hand or help a brother or sister up while carrying the stones.  We cannot be the hands and feet of Christ while burdened down with our anger and fear and hatred.  We have to drop it all in surrender to the ONE that can bring us together.  Regardless of whether or not this country unites, Christians are called to be different, to act different, and to love different.

Brothers and Sisters, may we drop our stones today seeking forgiveness, joining hands with our neighbors in love and unity, and moving forward doing the work of Christ.  If you are looking for a change in this country…this is where it really begins…

And may it begin with me.