THE AMAZING

With all of my years of writing this blog, I don't think I've ever disparaged my little sparrows.  They go about their short lifetimes flitting from place to place, chittering and chattering, without a clue that they are a source of entertainment for one little old man.  I never see their nests, but I know they have young.  I never know their names, but they seem to know one another.  They live out their lives without worry or fear of whether they will have enough to eat, or whether they have the latest...whatever is the latest in sparrow life.  Human beings seem to be the only creatures who concern themselves with the next moment in life.  No matter how many movies Hollywood tries to make showing animals talking or going about their lives, they are actually reflecting us.  We are amazing creatures! Apparently unique in our approach to life.  We are the only creatures that seem to demonstrate the amazing capacity for love.

The kind of love I'm talking about is not affection, devotion, lust, or loyalty.  These traits are commonly attributed to animals, and we see them at work every day in our pets.  My wife has a dog, I don't.  It's her dog, and I purposely let it imprint upon her.  We've given Bea  a home now for ten years, and she is a daily part of Glenda's life.  Bea brings Glenda joy, and a sense of purpose that disappeared when our children became adults and moved away from home.  Bea does funny things that I interpret through my human lens, but I do know one thing, she doesn't love Glenda the way that Glenda loves her.  Human love is amazing!

Love is THE amazing!  I'm often saddened when I see the word love misused in movies, and in music.  Love gets confused with lust, infatuation, interest, and host of other character traits in our modern society.  Even Christians who proclaim their belief in the embodiment of love in Christ miss the mark.  Our failure to understand love isn't because we don't have examples, it's because real love demands that WE die.  Real love stands above selfish concerns, and places the needs of another above ourselves.  Sadly, I know I haven't arrived there, yet.  No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, I never seem to move in 'The Amazing' as I see others do.  I know why, it's because of fear.  The bible tells us that 'perfect love casts out fear', but I watch myself become a victim to fear every day, even when I don't want to. 

Today, I see fear mongering in every aspect of our lives.  Fear dominates our politics, businesses, and most of our relationships.  One thing that alerts me to when love is not the main factor in someone's life is when they say; "But what about me?"  The minute I hear that statement in its many variations, I cringe.  They've lost sight of the amazing!  The minute we begin to wonder if someone around us got more than we did, or received something we didn't, then we've embraced fear and abandoned the amazing.  When we're worried that the guy next to us got a raise and we didn't, we've abandoned the amazing.  Fear is the thief that robs us of the amazing. 

When we are young hormonal animals, we often confuse love with lust.  The amazing gets replaced with passion, and passion becomes the driving force.  As the premarital counselor for our faith fellowship, I know that passion and lust are the operating factors in the choice of a spouse. As I counsel these young people I try to warn them that the passion they feel now will diminish.  I warn them that they shouldn't make the ordinary normal function of reproduction the measuring stick for the amazing.

There never seems to be a consequence for throwing ourselves at one another until it produces the fruit of our lusts.  For, while we are creatures capable of amazing love, we are also capable of reproducing that love in the form of children.  Then we truly discover The Amazing, and many like myself, realize that we were not prepared for the amazing gift of life entrusted to us.  It is from that point on, when we hold the consequences of our passions, that we realize we are looking at the amazing. 

Not long ago, I had a DNA test given to me for a Christmas present.  I did the test, and have had my eyes opened to the power of the amazing.  I won't say how many, and I won't say how they are connected to me, but I've been contacted by a lot of people wanting to know why my DNA showed up in their list of matches.  Most of the time, it is people who were given up for adoption looking for their parents.  One question I ask is if the adopted person had good adoptive parents, and almost all of the time the answer is yes.  I think the bigger question these people are asking is; 'Why wasn't I amazing enough to keep?'  'Why would they abandon me like that?'  See what I mean by fear stealing love.  It didn't matter that they were loved by complete strangers who chose to make them a part of their lives.  It seems to only matter why they were rejected.  No matter how I try to help them find whatever parent they are missing, I know they are looking for 'The Amazing.'   They are looking for love! 

Because this blog is always about the peace of God, let me say clearly that true love brings peace. I've only ever been at peace when I've been embraced in love, or giving love.  That is the power of the amazing!  Without love there can't be peace, because there is no fear in love.  Fear never has peace, but thankfully love will truly conquer all.  We just have to let it. 

NEW YEAR, NEW THOUGHTS

The holidays are over and I'm wondering what the new year is going to bring.  I've never been big on new year resolutions because they infer knowing that we have more than today.  None of us know how long we have left in this life.  I'm not morbid, or fatalistic, but there are some things that are simply the truth.  I don't care who you are, how rich, powerful, strong, or healthy you are, you have no promise of tomorrow.  So, New Years resolutions are a waste of energy. 
What is the promise of New Years day?  Why is it different than any other day?  I think we make a big deal about it because we as human beings like to believe there is hope for something better.  I used to view my days on this earth in terms of how old I am, and how many days I think I have left.  With this new year has come new thoughts.
All I have is the next heartbeat, the next breath, the next thought.  Everything I've framed my life in since I can remember has been focused on 'time.'  Even my relationship with Jesus Christ is focused on time.  Who I am is determined by time.  To wax biblical, my days on this earth are marked by my white hair, and the wrinkles upon my face, but they don't define who I am inside.  Still if someone were to see me, they would say I was 'old.'  For a vertically challenged person like me, looking old was all I wanted to do.  There was a day when it didn't matter how old I was, I was often viewed as being younger than 18.  So, being old isn't something I'm worried about.  Being at peace with God, myself, and others is.
Through faith in Christ, being at peace with God came a long time ago.  Through that faith in Christ I have been able to live at peace with almost everyone around me.  However, being at peace with myself is something that is a recent development.  Even within that peace, I've been going through a major conflict in my life that has challenged me in every aspect of my life, even in my faith.  I've alluded to it over the last few posts, but it seems to have come to a place where I don't think it will turn out the way I'd hoped.  Time moves on, putting it's stamp upon every millisecond, minute, hour without seeing the resolution I'd hoped for.  I wanted nothing but good in this situation, but it hasn't happened.  For a long time I was walking around gritting my teeth, feeling helpless, and wishing for love to rule the day.  Now I know I can only hope for this minute, this instant, this moment.  I can't change others around me.  I can only change me. 
The first time I mentioned this in my blog I said it would be something I would look back on with an assurance that God has been with me throughout the whole thing. Even then I knew I would be at peace with the situation, but I wanted to be honest with my feelings as I went 'through' it. 
It is time to reveal what I felt:  First and foremost is a sense of deep disappointment with people I thought I knew as well as I know myself.  I didn't feel betrayed, just disappointed.  It's hard to judge someone when they disappoint you, because I know I've disappointed so many people in my life.  I can't even be angry, just disappointed. Almost 60 years ago, someone I love made a fateful decision that has changed my life today.  Nothing can alter the consequences of that decision, but I am determined to live every moment celebrating the love those consequences has brought into my life. 
The other day I was discussing this with someone who is on the other side of the consequences, and they said something very profound that I'm going to hold onto for the rest of my moments.  "Fear destroys Peace."  I refuse to let fear, or disappointment control my life.  Love is the best thing I can do, and I am determined to let love rule my life. Why?  Because I don't have enough time to do anything else, I only have the next moment. 

TENDERNESS

The other day as I was going into one of our local stores I happened on a scene that brought tears to my eyes.  A young mother and father were going in as I was getting out of my truck.  The mother had a newborn she was carrying in her arms, and the father was holding the hand of his little toddler daughter.  The little girl seemed happy and full of joy as she reached out for her mother.  With her arms full, there was no way the mother could scoop up her daughter, at which point the little girl began to cry. The father quickly scooped up his daughter and swung her up onto his shoulders, at which I could hear her cry turn into giggles.
Tenderness, plain and simple.
The reason it brought tears to my eyes is because even in my best moments I don't remember being that tender with my own children.  I'm not saying I wasn't ever tender, but it wasn't as natural as I saw with that young father.
If you look up the term 'tenderness' it means gentleness, and kindness.  God's own description of His nature is that he is gentle, and compassionate.  Gentleness and tenderness implies that the one showing tenderness is able or capable of being hard and callous to others.  It also implies that the one being treated with tenderness is physically smaller, or weaker than the one demonstrating tenderness.  God in his immense power and strength is tender, compassionate, and infinitely kind to those he created.  It was and still is in His power to completely obliterate or manipulate our fragile lives.  Instead he holds us tenderly and gently in his hand.  When we are old enough to walk on our own He holds our hands until we reach too far or want something that could destroy us.  Then He throws us onto His shoulders.
This relationship with the creator of the universe has become clearer the older I've become.  Like adolescents and teenagers, we can rebel and move far away from our loving, tender, Father, but it doesn't change His love.  He will always be there waiting and willing to scoop us up when we decide to come back to Him.
I know God loves me because he gives me a choice to love him back.  The power of choice is His greatest gift of love to us. It is proof of His tenderness that he gives us the choices we have.  He's not afraid of our choices, and at the same time He tries to help us make good ones. 
I've had people try to tell me how cruel God is because He lets people die, or go through horrifying experiences.  They'll throw out some terrible cruelty done by people to other people and ask me how He could allow that to happen.  My question is usually; "How do you suggest He take care of it?"  What would you do?   We don't have the benefit of seeing time from one end to the other.  We don't know who would be a monster, or who would be a saint.  Yet, in His immense love, the choice is there.  I don't want to be God, because I know my flaws and my nature.  It would be easy to say 'kill the Hitlers of the world before they are even born.  How many people would you be willing to snuff out of existence simply because they would later be monsters.  Eventually, you would become as monstrous as the ones you were trying to prevent from becoming monsters.  If you were God, would you tap their mind and make them 'good' people before they become 'evil?'  When would you stop allowing choice?  There is a tendency today to try to control how people think, what they can say, and what they can do, all in the name of safety.  It is an experiment that will end in disaster.  What constitutes a criminal act?  We really don't know what someone is until they do an evil act.  Till then we must be tenderhearted, and learn from the creator how to step back from the precipice of judgment.
Tenderness is the control of great strength, and the ability to keep your strength from hurting someone.  I always love to watch big muscled men pick up a little baby.  You know that these hulking strong men could crush the little life in their hands, but instead they tenderly cradle the little life in their arms.  To me, this is the definition of the tenderness of God.  Tenderness defines God. 
Outside in my yard, fragile sparrows are beginning to do their usual morning ritual.  They know a loving, tender, creator who's heart is ever concerned.  Jesus said not even one sparrow can fall to the ground without the Father knowing.  If He cares so much for the sparrows, how much more does He care for us.  If we trust him as the sparrows do, we'll see His tenderness as we swing gleefully onto His broad shoulders. We'll feel his unfailing compassion when we are cradled in his love.  Help us all to be tenderhearted toward one another.

SOMEDAY IS HERE

There are two places I can never be, the past, and the future.  Yet, these two places rule our lives.  As I'm typing this, the NOW is unfolding with each keystroke, even as I attempt to frame the future of my words.  My written sentences, are nothing more than my fingers trying to keep up with the future my brain is speaking.  Somewhere in between the minute measurable moments, is the immeasurable NOW.  Living in the moment is what God intended for us at creation.  I know a lot of people point to the fairy tale idea of the Garden of Eden as being a time of naive existence without fear of death. Nothing is further from the truth.  Our first recorded human conversation proves that there was already knowledge of death.  Satan asks the woman; Did God say you could eat of every tree in the garden?
The woman replies; No, we can't eat of the one I'm looking at right now. If I do, I will die.  (David's paraphrase)  Satan didn't inform her of death (the future) and she understood what God had said, (the past).  The past is remembered for a purpose, to inform the now, and to shape the future.  Without the past, (our memories) we can't safely negotiate the now.  Someday (the future) beckons us forward, while at the same time, the past shapes our path to someday.  Because our days are numbered and our opportunities to affect change are limited by time, we often spend that time trying to live in the two places we can't be. 
Why am I saying all of this?   Because of the conflict I wrote about in my last blog.  As I go through this process, I'm trying to discover how to live in the now.  The situation I'm in was not of my creation.  I simply stepped into the echoes of the past.  That past, not of my own creation, holds the power to affect my future in a powerful way.  God placed that past in my hands, and inexorably the lives and loves of a great deal of people. That past threatens the future of many of those I love.  Finding the key to binding up the power of the past has been my struggle over the past few months.  Every day I ask God to help the people affected by this situation to find peace and enjoy love.  I stand outside the situation, but at the same time I'm like a little boat in the eye of a hurricane.  I can see the possibility of devastation, but seem to be in this place where all is calm.  Notice I didn't say I'm at peace.  The peace of God, is a place I have to stand in regardless of the storms around me.  I have to be like the writer of the song; "It is well."  Even though the waves are rolling and my little ship is being tossed, I can look out over the scene of my life and say; It is well.  At the same time, that little word IF is trying to control my future in a way I can't discern.  So, I choose to live in the now.  That place of peace where even though I can see the storm around me, it doesn't cause me to fear. 
The future is filled with 'if' and the past is filled with the residue of past choices, as well as the collisions with other people's choices.  I heard a person preach a sermon about consequences, and the power of our choices.  The tone of the message was entirely judgmental, and unforgiving.  Our choices, good or bad, do have consequences, but some bad choices can also lead to good things.  (I know that sounds almost heretical.)  Remember the story of Joseph?  His brothers planned to kill him, but sold him into slavery instead. (Bad choice.) They lied to their father and said Joseph was killed by an animal. (Bad choice.)  Through many trials and a lot of Godly intervention, Joseph eventually became the salvation of Egypt, and his brothers.  His statement to them is one of my favorite passages.  'What was meant for evil has been for good.'
The past doesn't always inform the future.  That is the secret of God's redemption and forgiveness.  What I've learned this week, that is different from my last blog, is that I was given this moment, this NOW, to live in regardless of the past, and without fear of the future.  What I am responsible for is doing the right thing, the good thing, even if it appears bad to others.  There are moments when doing the right thing will injure others, or cause them pain.  That is why God didn't want us to know the knowledge of good and evil.  We've made His laws and commandments about us, when the truth is the complete opposite.  The knowledge of good and evil is how we treat one another, and how we view the past and future. That is where GRACE comes in.  Grace is the doorway to peace.  Paul would often open or close his letters to the churches with the salutation of 'grace and peace be with you.'   Notice that grace had to come before peace.  God's grace, the ability to overcome in any situation, is sufficient for me.  Live RIGHT now, and neither the past nor the future can bind you. 

TRUTH

It's a wonderful Wednesday morning, and for those who know me well, Wednesday is like Friday in most peoples lives.  I look forward to Wednesday night services, because they are usually populated with people seeking to worship and grow in spiritual knowledge.  So, for that reason alone, I'm feeling excited about this day.   It's five in the morning, I'm sitting with my laptop in my recliner.  Glenda has left for work, and I have the house to myself.  This is my quiet time for writing emails, blogs, or editing my book I'm writing.  It's that wonderful time of year when I can open a window or a door and let the cool crisp air flow in from the outside.  It's just a little muggier than I like, but getting the stuffiness out of the room feels good.  

Sadly, the sparrows haven't awakened yet.  It's peaceful and calm outside.  

I don't usually use this blog to comment on political matters, because they are usually filled with the strife of people trying to exert influence over others through whatever means necessary.  Politics is the arena of human nature.  It is a place where peace rarely rests its hat.  Within the United States the two political forces can be summed up in simple ideology.  Those who claim to be liberal, want everyone to believe that all people are inherently good and that everyone has worth.  If you don't agree with their view, you are inherently evil, and have no worth.  They cling to a view that everyone will eventually grow into a cosmic whole of love, peace, and unity of purpose.  They (the left) are convinced that if we would all come to accept and believe what they believe, the world would be a better place. If you don't agree with that view, you are unworthy of human status.  

On the other end of that spectrum is the view that everything has to stay as it is, without question, without variation, without a hint of change.  Nothing changes, all is as it was, and people who want to change are frightening.  The radical right is defined by castes, cliques, and clubs.  If you don't agree with us, you are subversive, and destructive.  It is predicated upon the view that all people are incapable of making proper choices and should be directed into purpose as they define it.  

Both extremes of the political spectrum have committed evil in the propagation of their beliefs.  

With that said, I'm going to dip my toe into the political firestorm of the Judge Kavanaugh affair.  I hope this will be the first and last time I do something like this with this blog.  Why?  Because, there is a need for something more valuable than political purposes here. With a view to transparency (Is there any really needed here?) I am an evangelical conservative Christian.  For me, Judge Kavanaugh is someone I can support.  Although, he is Catholic, his conservative views are in line with what I hold.  Yet, there is one value yet to be validated.  Truth!

As anyone who has read my blogs knows, I am all about peace.  Not peace as men know it, but peace as given by a loving creator.  That peace transcends spiritual matters into the affairs of men.  I could go through a long list of spiritual matters that will not transcend into human affairs, because without a relationship with God, they hold no import.  However, TRUTH is one of those things that determine justice, and in turn affects peace.  Without truth, their is conflict in every aspect of life.  I realize some cultures value cunning, and deception.  Without deception of one kind or another, I truly believe humans would obliterate one another.  As humans, we withhold truth in order to maintain relationship, and we believe we have peace.  At a personal level, if we knew what people really believed about us, we would become murderous, and isolated.  Perhaps, that is why God didn't give us His ability to know what another person is thinking.  So, when I say truth brings peace, I am saying truth in as far as people resolving conflict.

So, what do we as Christians do when we are confronted with what we see in the current state of affairs between a nominated Judge, and an accusing woman.  WE SEEK TRUTH.  

For one thing, we don't know what happened 36 years ago.  We don't know who is telling the truth.  I hate to say it, but just because the accuser is a woman, doesn't mean she deserves to be believed.  Just because she may not have a reason to falsely accuse Judge Kavanaugh doesn't mean she should be believed.  On the other hand, just because Judge Kavanaugh has led an exemplary adult life, doesn't mean he didn't do what he is accused of doing.  Somewhere in the midst of this struggle that is outside the arena of this present truth, there is another struggle going on that makes the truth of greater import.  

I want Judge Kavanaugh to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, but not at the expense of the truth.  If I am willing to sacrifice the truth for an expedient end, I am no better than those who distort the truth in both sides of the media circus surrounding this story.  So as a Christian what do I do?  

Answer, I will choose to cherish truth.  I will cry out to my loving creator to bring truth to the forefront.

I don't fear the mid-term elections, or a hypothetical outcome I can't see.  I don't sacrifice truth in the rush to put someone into a seat of power that God may not want them in.  If I can't trust God with the day to day existence of my life human life, then I should stop serving him completely.  He knows the truth, and as the Bible says, the truth will set you free.  Christians shouldn't become part of the feeding frenzy that is this current political battle.  We should be the calming voice calling for truth.  At the same time, the truth doesn't take forever.  IF it is the truth, Perhaps, nearly 36 years ago a little 15 year old girl should have told her parents that she'd gone to a party with older kids and in their drunken stupor she'd almost been raped. We're told by her own account that she feared her parents reactions. Now, the truth may be forever marred by human opinion.  That is the price of secrecy.  The truth is already compromised by fear. Courage is the bosom buddy of truth.  

I often tell the men I pastor of a time in my childhood when I was a serial liar.  As a toddler my Dad caught me with my hand in the cookie jar and I still declared 'I didn't do it.'  Throughout my adolescence I would lie all the time.  Then one day, my brother used one of my dad's tools to repair his bicycle and left it outside to be rained on.  Dad found it in the yard and immediately blamed me.  I denied it vehemently, but it was of no avail, in his mind I was a liar, and I was lying then.  I received one of the worst whippings of my childhood, not because of its severity, but because as each stroke of the belt fell on my body, I knew I hadn't done what I was accused of.  I was innocent of the crime.  As I sat in my room crying a truth hit me that affected the course of my life forever.  I would tell the truth to my dad no matter what.  If it meant I would be punished, at least I would be punished for what I did.  I would tell him when I'd violated his personal spaces, strayed beyond decency, and experimented with my growing sexual urges.  In short, he and my mother would be privy to the truth of my life, even in the embarrassing stuff.  Because of that, my father eventually began to trust me when I made my declination of events I didn't do. Since that time I haven't always told the truth, and I haven't always revealed my deepest darkest secrets.  I've done things I'm ashamed of to this day, and I believe they are better locked away in the past.  To many people, those 'crimes' would be laughable.  At the same time to others they would be horrifying. If asked, however, I would tell the truth.  I have to believe that Judge Kavanaugh has learned the same lessons as myself, or I would not want him on the highest court in our land.  

Tomorrow, Judge Kavanaugh, and his accuser will both tell their stories to a nation in political turmoil.  In the wings of that chamber of human endeavors will be truth.  Believe me, there is truth out there, and that truth will win, no matter the outcome.  I can say that because I believe in a loving, and just God who judges above the will and and whims of humankind.  When this is all over with, the question for Christians isn't whether truth won out or not.  Truth doesn't always win out in the court of human affairs. My brother never got a whipping for leaving that wrench outside.  Everyday, innocent people die, the weak suffer, the poor get overridden, and despots continue to subdue. Yet, in the affairs of God, truth will be revealed.  All will be revealed.  When humans fail to believe that, the truth is of no value.  Without the truth, peace becomes elusive, and tyranny prevails.  These are things I know from my short 63 years on this earth.  I've seen the price of half-truths, outright lies, and hidden truth first hand.  I've seen what happens when we value secrecy more than transparency.  

So, I will try my hardest to watch the full Senate hearings, not the encapsulated reports of either side of the media.  I will pray that the truth prevails, no matter the political outcome, because I know a just judge is presiding over tomorrows proceedings.  I will ask Him to reveal the truth, because I know He values truth.  I will lay aside my anxious heart, my dubious musings, and my preconceptions for a moment of peace.  I will ask Holy Spirit to remove my prejudice and replace it with wisdom from His throne.  Like Solomon of old, I will ask for the means to know who is telling the truth.  I urge all of my Christian brothers and sisters to trust God and believe that He will reveal the truth.  Why?  

Because only the truth can bring peace.  

As a final word, the horizon is beginning to turn a beautiful deep blue as this world spins its daily course around our lovely sun.  I am beginning to hear the faint chirps of sparrows in the tree outside my eastern window.  They are waking up to a new day, unconcerned with the mess of human events, and the political wranglings I am focused on.  They will spend their day looking for food, seeking shelter, and living out their day trusting in the one who provides them with this awesome universe in which we live.  Tomorrow will come whether they live to see it or not.  Tomorrow will come, and that is all the truth they need to know.  

IF

There is a word in my vocabulary that isn't very big, but has an immense power beyond its size.  That word is 'IF'.  

Try going more than five minutes without using the word.  I doubt seriously any english speaking person can go that long.  I looked up the word 'if' in as many languages as I could and found out that it is a small word in almost all languages.  Yet, as small as the word is, it signifies a profound understanding of the universe around us.  'IF' forms the basis of most computational programs across the globe.  'IF' forms the basis of most of our decisions as humans.  It is common to almost all cultures, and people groups.  IF is also the basis for most religions across our globe.  As a Christian, though, the word IF has come to be a symbol of doubt.  Within the word IF you find uncertainty and to some degree ignorance.  This weekend I made a statement concerning an action I wished to occur and used the word IF.  I was immediately rebuked for doubting and expressing negativity.  After much thought, I came to accept the rebuke, but at the same time I hold the same thought in mind to measure the degree of uncertainty with which I do not know the will of God for the situation I was speaking about.  In other words, God's plan may not be my will.  That is the danger of 'Word of Faith.'  Even when we know God's expressed will about general things in this life, we are often confronted with instances where His plan circumvents or overrides his will.  The problem with 'if' is that it can be presumptuous or it can be fearful.  IF is always a question.  A question implies choices and sometimes we don't do choices well.  We especially don't do choices well when it comes to the will of God.   We know from scripture that it is not God's will that anyone should perish, but that all should come to eternal life.  We also know that there will be those that won't.  Every day people die without repenting or accepting the saving grace of God. This is not God's will, but it is the truth.  The reason for this, is that God loves us so much, He gives us choices.  It is a loving God that allows us to have free will, even when that will brings Him pain, and even when it ends in separation from Him.  God gave us the 'if' so we could be uniquely able to accept or reject Him.  Anyone who looks beyond the next moment is confronted with 'if'.  Our choices determine not only our future, but the future of those we touch everyday, as well as unborn generations to follow.  In my own life, I've come face to face with a bad choice made many years ago by someone I love greatly.  That choice now has the energy to bring great love, or great disaster  to our family.  It was not that person's desire, nor their intent at the time to do harm, but it can.  It also can bring great joy to all affected IF those affected by the decision choose to let go of fear.  That choice so many years ago brought a great goodness into this earth, but the cost could be inestimable if forgiveness isn't offered.  I've seen in my short 63 years upon this earth that when we make decisions or choices that were wrong at the moment, God affords us an opportunity to make it right somewhere along the line.  Giving someone the opportunity to be forgiven is what God is all about. IF can color our days with joy, or sadness.  IF can shade us with peace, or burn us with fear.  Eternity hangs on IF. 

Humankind has immortalized IF in so many ways.  "If only,"  "If he/she,"  "if they", "if I,"  and a host of other variations filled with regret.  We often couch our regrets in "if I could do it all over again," then we fill in the blanks.  The thing with regrets, is that they do nothing to change what happened.  "I'm sorry" is nice as a sentiment, but it reveals a failure to value the 'if' choice.  Sometimes our 'IF' choices result in the death of another, or great bodily injury to another, and the apology that follows rings small in comparison to the harm done.  There are also many 'if' choices that we'll never see the results of, but down the road will play out in future generations.  "I'm sorry," will not remove or ease the sting of those choices.  That is why God gave us two laws to 'live' by.  His commandments should guide us at that point where IF connects with action.  Living by the greater law of love moves us into a higher threshold of IF.  The law of love removes selfish consideration from the 'if/then' equation.  Once that happens, love conquers fear, and peace becomes the expression of that love.  Love makes our choices clearer and less cluttered with IF.  Love is the word of faith we should all live by.  That is why the Apostle Paul could say in 1st Corinthians 13: 13 (KJV)  and NOW abideth faith, hope, and charity (love), but the greatest of these is charity. 

Faith and hope are 'IF's, love is certain.  When you live LOVE, you solidify faith, and strengthen hope.  Without LOVE, faith and hope are empty vessels, heavy weights, and tormenting burdens.  It is LOVE that shapes peace.  

This is where we are greater than the sparrows.  As I'm writing this the eastern horizon is beginning to glow with the promise of the sunrise.  I can see thin clouds in the grey blue sky, but they can't hide the fact that above them the sun will shine whether I see it our not.  don't worry that the sun isn't shining on me, because I know that somewhere it is shining.  I may not live another day to see the sun shine again, but I know the sun will shine.  As long as I can awaken to God's grace, and love, I will not fear. In that way the sparrow has me beat.   I can hear a dog barking, and yes my gentle sparrows are already chirping and playing outside my office window.  As much as I enjoy the sparrows perch, there is one thing I know... they can't know the love I know in Christ Jesus.  This is the power of 'if' in my life.  When I fulfill the law of Christ, my regrets are fewer, I have less apologies to make, and IF doesn't rule my life.  I can then live in Peace.  

SUFFERING WITH OTHERS

As a handyman, I'm often called out to inspect damage, and give estimates for fixing the situation.  Most of the time, I'm satisfied that what I tell the prospective customer is valid and affordable.  I tend to lean more toward the affordable solution than one that is costly.  I know what it is like to have something break down or stop working without having the funds to fix it.  So, I tend to be just a little sensitive to people's financial needs.  Sometimes I will have a customer tell me that money is not an issue, but you know it is. 
There are times I go out to look at a job and find myself wishing I'd never gone out to look at it.  Such was the case for me this last week.  I was asked to go make a bid for putting a deck up around a double wide modular home way out in the country.  The couple had bought the home and were in the process of getting it moved when the husband died from a massive heart attack.  AS anyone knows who's gone through the death of a loved one, it can take well over a year before you get your feet back on the ground.  Such was the case with this customer.  When I drove out to the location of the home, I discovered that the two halves of the home were never fully joined together and that the ridge cap on the roof was never installed.  In simple terms, the home had sat open to the elements for over a year.  The movers had brought over the decking and materials only to throw them in heaps. 
I grew up in the mobile home industry from the time I was six or seven years old, and I can tell you that double-wides left open to the elements rarely go back together well.  As I looked at the home in shambles, my heart broke for the woman who'd called me out to look at it.   I had nothing but bad news to give her, and she didn't have a husband to help her bear the brunt of the bad news.  Even putting up the deck would be a disaster, and cost much more than I'd 'primed' her for before I went out. 
So, you might be wondering what if anything this has to do with the Sparrow's Perch and the peace of God.  Let me tell you.
The peace of God is ours even in the midst of tragedy.  As this week has unfolded, I've watched with great sorrow the slow and methodical approach of hurricane Florence.  As I write this, I know it will slam North Carolina like a freight train.  It will be a miracle if no one is killed, and an even greater miracle if there is no great property damage.  Just the predicted rain amounts alone are catastrophic.  Sometime this week, someone will be faced with death and destruction.  What do you say to console, or offer comfort?  What do you do? 
This brought the situation with my customer into even greater focus.  I'm on point with the customer.  They are part of my faith family, and someone I want to bless.  Sadly, I don't have the means to bless them.  I will continue to worship with her, and will shake her hand every time she comes to church, but I'll also know that I could not do anything to change her situation.  It is in God's hands. 
And that is the purpose of this blog.  Being in God's hands means that we can face the discouragements and the joys with the same trust in God.  There is an old Hebrew tradition called two pockets.  In one pocket you carry a note that says: "The Universe was created for me."  In the other is the statement; "I am but dust."  It is the essence of finding peace in God.  I know that God's peace is found both in the joys and the sorrows of this life. 
There is another Hebrew story that says King Solomon was tasked to provide a statement that would be applicable in all situations of life.  Solomon had his craftsman forge a ring with the inscription "and this too shall pass away."  Whether we are overcome with great joy, giddy happiness, pride from great achievements, or just the fruits of our labors, we know that it will pass amidst the inevitability of death, sickness, disaster, and even failure.  What is true of these things is that the terrors that beset us by night will soon fade and pass away into greater joy, happiness, and yes, peace. 
The sparrows have already begun to sing outside in my front yard.  The majestic silver maple that had been their perch for many years was cut down last week because the ants had devoured it from the inside out.  They have now taken up residence in the smaller pin oak on the corner of my lot.  They didn't lose faith in God because the maple was gone, no, they moved on to another tree.  I felt sorry for them when I had to cut the tree down, but soon realized that they weren't destroyed by the situation. 
I grieved all last week for my beloved sister in the Lord because I knew that I didn't have a solution for her.  I wanted to make it better for her, but it isn't in my power to do so.  Just the materials alone are beyond my financial ability to repair her home.  Could she sue the people who left her home open to the elements?  I don't know.  Would that even help?   What is the answer?  I know I'm not.  I grieve with her, and feel compassion for her.  I was ready to try and get the men of our fellowship to help me put the house right, but it would be a process that would take weeks.  I cried when I told her how much I thought it would cost to fix the home.  She doesn't have it.  What will be the story after Florence hits North Carolina?  Will someone like me have to tell a customer that their home of many years is destroyed beyond repair.  Do we miss the entire point to this? 
At least you are alive to be told the bad news.  The good news is that this too shall pass. 

It is an angry world I wake up to every morning.  As with all things human, I'm sure it is no more angry now than at any other time in history. We just have the ability to express that anger to a wider audience.  Our computers, our smartphones, and tablets become the vehicle of our anger, giving it greater distance than ever before.  The plumber who used to gripe to one or two people, go home, and live in relative anonymity can take their 140 character rants to a far ranging public and at least feel significant.  Instead of being some kind of cathartic release, though, it becomes the fuel for an ever increasing fire.  No one is spared the righteous indignation, nor is any fire too small to fan into a raging inferno. 
I've been writing these blogs as a release for my own need to be significant and relevant to a world that seems to be spinning out of control into chaos.  Finding the peace of God in the midst of an angry world is simply a matter of turning off the noise.  I no longer watch broadcast news of any persuasion. I did this a few years ago, and found my attitude became much better.  As an admitted christian conservative I found myself grinding my teeth, yelling at the TV, and despising people I didn't even know.  I could pick and choose what I wanted to read, or watch through the internet, so I became very selective.  Then came the 2016 elections!    I had to stop reading everything.   Then the campaigns found Facebook.  There was no place safe from the vitriol coming from both parties of our government.  So, two weeks ago I completely closed down my Facebook account. 
That doesn't stop me from being concerned about the direction our nation is headed.  While the 'left' would have us believe that there is a 'white supremacist' behind every corner, I see more evidence for an energized Anti-fa than I do for a sleeping KKK. 
Probably the greatest sorrow I feel is for the educators in our colleges, universities, and even high schools.  For being so highly educated, they have forgotten what happened to the educators in Russia, and China during their respective purges.  I mean, it's only minor history.  Something like the teachers being the first ones to be killed.  Anarchy is a monster that devours its own.  So, I pray.  I pray for love and compassion to once again rule the hearts and lives of Americans.  Will I see it?  I don't know.  Right now, as I'm writing this, I can see a squirrel scampering across the top of our fence toward a tree.  He is carrying a huge walnut in his mouth and looking for rival squirrels.  He isn't feeling the love at the moment.  This is the attitude I'm afraid will lead our young people to greater anger.  I can only pray I will be found worthy of the truth within me when the time comes. 

Oh For Grace To Trust Him More

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you already know the quiet hours of the morning are my favorite time to read the Bible and pray. Right now, my office at the church is probably an oven, so I don't even bother going there. During the cold of winter, and the dead of summer, I have to avoid my office, mainly because it costs so much to heat and cool the church just for me to sit in an office. Putting in a window air conditioner works against the beauty of opening the window and hearing the sparrows as they flutter just outside of it. So, I'm writing this from the confines of my office at home.  I can't see or hear the sparrows, but I know they are still trusting God for their daily provision.  

Oh Yeah, I was talking about bible reading and prayer time. I thank God for His word, and the presence of His Holy Spirit. Without them, I don't know if I would be able to be writing this right now. It's been a tumultuous couple of months. Actually it's been a trying, and painful, and painful, and . . . well painful couple of months. It's alright for a Christian to say that. I don't know how it became unfashionable to admit to being in adverse situations, but I do know most Christians today feel as if it is sinful to admit you're in a trial. I've been in a trial for the last two months. If that's sinful, then, I've sinned. Actually, I've longed for the sparrow's perch, if for no other reason than to find those moments of peace I find there. All around me things have sped out of control. These last two months have been the leanest for work that I've had since I began being a handyman. The biggest struggle I have with that, is not being able to support the ministries I've made pledges to. If one more person tells me to have faith, I think I'm going to scream. I've been living by faith for the last eight years. Every job I get is the provision of God. Not just in some obscure way, but purely by the direction of the Holy Spirit. I don't advertise. The signs on my truck are the only advertisement I have. So, when the phone rings, I know it is a direct result of the Holy Spirit prompting someone's heart. Before the end of May, I had work scheduled through the beginning of August. Then came the cancellations. I went around shaking my head in disbelief. If the phone rang, I hesitated to answer it for fear it was another cancellation. I have to admit, my trust, and faith were tested. I was ready to go back into the job market, but I kept getting just enough work to keep afloat, even being able to go to Corpus Christi for our family reunion.

During this last two months, I've also had to endure some things I'd rather not ever deal with. Just the fact that I'm able to type once again is exciting to me. While working on a roof about two weeks ago, I tripped on my own two feet and fell while holding my tape measure. The belt clip sliced through my ring finger on my right hand. NOT FUNNY. Thankfully, I didn't fall off the roof. If I had, Glenda would have killed me. I'm only now getting full movement back in my pinky and ring finger. Praise God. It could have been worse. I thought of Psalm 91 as I climbed down the ladder.

I think the thing that rocked me the most was losing a long time friend this week to a tragic car accident. He was a loving, caring, and generous man, who I will miss greatly. He helped me to get my feet on the ground in the handyman business. The circumstances of his death were senseless. It sucked my breath away when I heard about it. There are very few men I will drop what I'm doing and go help them out, but Terry Stambaugh was one of those men. When I was starting out, and I would wonder where my next job was going to come from, Terry would call. I knew he was listening to the Holy Spirit. I look forward to meeting him on the other side of this vale.

Then to add insult to injury, one of the young ladies of our church family was in a terrible car accident yesterday morning. She survived, but with terrible injuries. To make matters worse, I have no way to go visit the family. Her father is the reason I launched out into being God-employed. Her surgery went well, and I believe God for her full recovery. Still, my prayers are with her and the family.

Then I get a phone call from Glenda telling me her dad fell last night. He's going blind, and he needs to come home with her. LONG PAUSE! Our home is not blind friendly. We have numerous steps into the house, in the house, and we live in the country. Panic!!!!!! For about five minutes. Then it happened. God's grace came over me. I won't bore you with every thing the Holy Spirit spoke into my heart, but I will share with you my Sparrow moment. Without adversity, trial, or conflict, grace can't be released into our lives. There can't be a miracle without something that demands a miracle be done. There can't be peace without a trial to make it's presence known, and we can't know trust if we don't have a reason to trust. Happiness can come from anything, but joy is the triumphant exultation of faith over the adverse circumstances of life. When grace is released into our lives, we no longer care about what brought us there, but only about Christ being THERE with us.

I don't know if tomorrow I will have another job, I don't even have the promise of tomorrow, but I do know in whom I believe, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep everything I've given to him. (Dave's paraphrase.) The big question is: What have I given him? I believe He will see me through anything that I trust him with. Nearly eight years ago, I gave him my income. My livelihood is in his hands. My health is in his hands. My dreams for tomorrow are in his hands. My father-in-law is in his hands. Like the old hymn says, “Oh for grace to trust him more.” Thank you sweet Holy Spirit for your abiding presence.   

Do You Not Care That We Perish?

As I'm writing this, storm clouds are brewing, the wind is whipping, and my weather radar is showing a broad band of thunderstorms racing across the state. It reminded me of one of my favorite stories in the bible. In Matthew chapter eight, and verse 25, Jesus had finished teaching, and needed to get away.  What better place than to hop in a boat, and cast off.  The rocking of the waves, the warm sun, and suddenly your asleep.  While the Son of God slept within the fragile bowels of a tiny boat, a fierce storm comes up, and before you know it, the boat is about to sink.  I love the reaction of the disciples, "Master, Master, we perish."   Jesus slams them for their lack of faith, and calms the storm.  End of story, Jesus is God, rules the sea, and commands the winds.  What I love about the story is the unsaid dialogue.

Jesus never invited, nor demanded the disciples to get in the boat with Him, they followed Him.  We who follow Christ, seek always to be in His presence, that is why we FOLLOW Him.  I love the Presence of God.  He is everything I long for.  What we often don't take into consideration is the price of following Him.

I've heard many sermons on this passage, most dealing with the issue of faith. That would be my logical choice for teaching about faith.  I've heard it taught, He was rebuking them for not rebuking the storm themselves.  I've heard it taught, He was rebuking them for waking Him.  I've heard it taught, He was rebuking them for not having faith in Him.

It's hard for us from our vantage point to see the unsaid language that was happening.

Jesus got in the boat to be alone, to get away.
The storm arose while He was sleeping.
HE WAS IN THE SAME BOAT, THEY WERE IN!!!!!!!!
He was sleeping through the storm, but it was such a fierce storm, seasoned fishermen feared for their lives.
They had to wake HIM in order to save themselves.

In the midst of our storms, there is a tendency to forget that Jesus is in our tiny ship.  He is inside of us.  The storms that buffet us, buffet Him.  Still, the overriding point is; Jesus is in the midst of the storm with us.  We are going to be in storms in our lives.  These mortal frames, temporary tents, tiny ships, are subject to the storms around us.  Still, in the midst of them, we can have the peace of God.  Why?   Because, we have the Presence of God, His precious Spirit abiding in us.  It is our natural tendency to find a reason for the things that happen in our lives.  As Christians we especially want to make our trials, and tribulations have some kind of purpose.  We'll evaluate the storm, look at what came out of it, and then proclaim the lesson we learned.

LIFE ISN'T ALWAYS ABOUT LESSONS!  Sometimes it's jumping in a boat, and following this guy named Jesus even when it takes us to the point of physical death.  We miss the entire point of the voyage, we wanted to be with Jesus, so we followed Him.  Death is death, financial ruin is financial ruin, illness is illness, life is life.  The only difference between how a Christian goes through it, is that Christians have Jesus in the boat. What you do with that knowledge is what determines what your life will feel like.

The Presence of God is all that I long for, so I would jump in the boat with him, I'd probably be just like the disciples when the storm came, except hind sight being 20/20, I'd have at least stood upon the prow of the ship, raised one arm toward the storm, pointed toward the bowels of the ship with the other, and yelled out: "Hey, shut up you silly storm, don't you know the Master is trying to sleep."