THINGS BREAK

I'm a fixer by trade.  I can't remember a time in my life when I haven't been fixing things.  From the time I was a youngster till now, I've only had two jobs where I didn't have to pick up a hand tool and repair something.  One of those two jobs was construction work, so even then I had to use tools.  Most of my life has revolved around a basic truth; things break.  How people react to something breaking speaks volumes about who they are, and their approach to life.
Because my trade is fixing broken things, I make a living off of other peoples...problems.  Auto mechanics do the same thing.  Actually if you think about it, doctors do the same thing.  Very little of medicine is preventative.  This amazing biological machine we call a body wears out and needs to be repaired once in a while.  Because...things break.
There was a time when if my car broke down, or an appliance stopped working, I would begin looking for some spiritual reason why the tragedy was happening to me. Then I figured out that things break. How I reacted to it was affecting my family.  Grow up time!!  Instead of flinging things across the room, shouting, and kicking things that were in my way, I learned to simply get out my tool bag and fix it.  Simple.  No blaming God, no blaming me, no blame period.  Things break.
Everything that is made by man has a point where it will break.  Metal can only be stressed so much before the molecular bonds begin to break down.  Plastics release their molecular bonds becoming either crystalline or liquid again.  Woods break down at the cellular level, giving way to one form of decay or another.  Things break.
Even our amazing universe is breaking.  Galaxies are speeding away from each other in great clusters to the point where someday we may not even be able to see their light.  Besides, whether science wants to admit it or not, we're told in the Bible that the heavens would be rolled up like a scroll.  It won't be needed.  Things break.
I said all of this because I happened upon a tree limb which had fallen during a thunderstorm the night before.  In the fork of the limb was a bird nest with only one egg still inside.  The rest of the eggs were laying shattered on the ground just outside of the nest. I felt sad as I looked at the hope of life spilled out on the dirt beneath the nest.  The limb broke, the eggs broke, things break.
I don't know what kind of bird laid the eggs, and I'm sure that the remaining egg would soon disappear as a meal for...something.  Still, it bothered me, because of my love for sparrows.  Do they know things break?  How do they handle grief?  Would they mourn?
Life is an amazing thing, and lately the discussion of when it begins has become a national issue.  I tend to be simplistic in my thinking.  Life begins at conception.  I've held this belief since I could first understand how babies came into this world.  Once I figured out that I was the product of a happy moment between two people, I looked at all human life as being special.  It was my own moment, influenced by scripture, and knowing how I felt about my own existence.
Why the argument has become about choice is beyond me.  The choice is simple, don't play around with reproduction unless you are willing to have life inside you.  That is the choice.  Yes, I'm aware of rape and incest.  These things happen, and they are terrible.  If you don't want what was created, then give the child up for adoption so that a couple somewhere who can't have a child, can. Instead of making it easier to abort, why don't we make it easier to adopt?  The hoops you have to jump through for adoption don't exist for couples who simply have sex and pop out a baby.  Every argument against easy adoption is as empty to me as the arguments for abortion. 

FAITH

I've been watching the commercial space program with keen interest as visionaries like Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos shape the future of space flight.  Space flight is unlike any form of transportation mankind has embarked upon in our long rise from the dust. I don't know why it terrifies us more than any other means of getting from point A to point B, but it does.  I guess I don't fear space travel because I was born during the birth of the space age.  I was born in 1955 and have seen the explosive journey to space through eyes of childhood wonder, and a growing sense of awe.  Seeing rocket boosters fly to the upper reaches of the stratosphere and return to land on wisps of fire and smoke is something I used to dream of as I watched old 'B' Sci Fi movies as a child.  At 64 years of age, I wonder how much more progress I will get to see.  I would love to see humans land on Mars before I pass this vale. 
You see, I'm a devout Christian who isn't afraid of science.  A matter of fact I embrace science as a reflection of the beauty of the Creator.  I never missed a shuttle launch, and as a child I watched every rocket launch of the Gemini, and Apollo Programs.  Then we stopped.  It was stupid!  So many of the good technological things we enjoy today were developed because of the space programs.  We lost faith in ourselves, and our technical prowess.  I know what caused us to lose faith, and it wasn't to do with rockets blowing up or near disasters in space. 
I'm going to shamelessly put a plug in for a trilogy I've written about the future in space, and you can read it chapter by chapter on my blog RaderWriter.  At the same time I want to speak about faith.  I want to specifically talk about Space X and their awesome push toward their dream.  What they are doing requires not only immense technical skill, vast financial resources, but it requires a vast faith in the vision that drives them. 
I know many of the scientists, and engineers would disagree with me about the source of their faith, but it is a gift of God.  We are a species who do more than hope!  Hope is great, but it doesn't launch rockets.  Knowledge is great, but it doesn't vision rockets.  Skill is great, but it doesn't propel rockets.  Faith does all that and more.  My marriage of faith and science is unique to me.  I had to create it at the young age of 13 as I contemplated using Schroedinger's wave law equation to discover the mass of a Neutrino.  At 13 I didn't even know what the wave law equation was.  My Uncle Jerry, a graduate of MIT used it in his Doctorate Paper to propose finding oil deep within the earth.  I just figured it would be a good tool to use.  I wanted to go to New Mexico State University on a weekend science symposium.  To go, you had to write a science paper and my paper was on Neutrinos.  I studied them till I was blue in the face, wrote my paper suggesting that we could place detectors in the Antarctic.  It was only eight pages long, and poorly typewritten.  When I got selected to go I was in shock.  To this day whenever I see the word Neutrino I have to stop and read the article.  Why am I saying all of this?
Because I believe that there is a huge disconnect between science and faith that doesn't need to exist.  It's the same disconnect I see happening as we become more angry at one another because of race, sex, or gender.  Religions separate us, cultures push us away from one another, and even issues of life separate us.  I believe in life, and I believe in each person's liberty.  These things shouldn't separate us, but they do.  I ache with sorrow because of the separation.  We can be so much more together than we are right now.  Sadly, I don't see it getting any better before it gets worse.  My world view is framed by a book called the Bible.  It is more than a history, more than a guidebook, it is a revelation of wonder. 
I've often wondered how the world is going to react when they discover microbes on our nearest neighbor Mars.  It would not surprise me.  Why?  Because I know our planet has been slammed by huge space rocks that sent much of our planet heaving into space.  I know they will find microbes just like those on earth, because they came from earth.  It is the same way I knew that a Neutrino had mass at 13 years old.  Some things are intuitive, and that too is a gift from God. 
I wish with all of my heart that I could visit Mars and look upon the soil of a distant neighbor. I also wish I had a physical image of a Neutrino instead of the indicators of its passing.  The same is true of my desire to see God face to face.  I long to see more than just the indicators of His passing.  I see His hand in the simple things just as surely as my Uncle could see oil as he measured sound waves passing through the earth. Finding microbial life on Mars doesn't shake my faith in God any more than finding microbes on our planet.  We're an arrogant species, filled with ourselves, and unable to even deal with one another let alone, God. 
I am optimistic, but realistic at the same time.  I want to see the day when we finally break the barriers that divide us as peoples.  I'm one of the privileged white males that seem to be at the center of every bad thing going on today.  In every generation, as mankind is ready to step beyond the limits of their frail existence and explore new possibilities we also demonstrate the need to blame others for our woeful shortsightedness.  I pray we'll live beyond this time in history where the fabric of our existence is being threatened.  As a Christian I know how this will end, but as a child of God I want a better ending.  There is a growing sorrow about what I see happening around me.  I'm old enough to let go of this life should I be threatened.  On the other hand, I have children, and grandchildren whom I wish to see live in peace and hope.  As long as the strident voices of anger and hate are given media attention this world is in peril.  This isn't a future I wish to see.  I want to  see Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos duke it out peacefully and develop the means to escape this world.  I hope to see the day when all of mankind realizes they are the DNA of God instead of the garbage of hate.  Our species must have peace with itself if we are to go beyond ourselves.  I know this thought violates the revelations of our Bible, but like Abraham I am begging God to hold back the judgement prophesied against us.  I am willing to grow old and die to see Him, while at the same time asking that no one experience His wrath for our wanton desire to kill each other. 
As I write this, I have my front door open and I'm watching the little sparrows combing through the dew laden grass for something to eat.  I don't know if they have wars, nor do I know if they have hope or faith.  Do they live angrily?  Do they do battle with each other?  Are we better being than they are?  Dear God in heaven, I don't know.  I hope we are.  Sadly, my passion for science is tempered by the knowledge that with every new scientific discovery, we discover a more terrifying way to destroy each other.  Science isn't the panacea for our worst inclinations.  Love is!!!   Still I hope for the joy of science while being realistic about what I've seen us do with it.  I hope we can move away from the precipice of prejudice, greed, and fear that envelopes us at this point in life.  Is my faith enough to say LOVE? Do sparrows love?  The Apostle Paul when describing the summation of his existence in Christ, wrote that three things abide.  That means they will go on beyond us.  Those three things are; Faith, hope, and love.  And, the greatest of these is love.

TRUST

Spring is in full bloom now.  My roses are beginning to be heavy with flowers, and most of the early bulbs and lilies are finished.  The trees are almost fully leafed out.  I have a tulip tree that still has blossoms all over it, and the sparrows are going crazy feasting on whatever feasts on the tulip tree blossoms.  We've had a wonderful mid-April through early May rain season as well as wonderful temperatures. Spring is already my favorite season of the year (my wife loves Fall more), but this year Spring has been a joy.  Every year I look forward to it, but sometimes winter hangs on too long and we end up with no fruit on the trees or the vines.  So, I am always grateful for this kind of Spring. 
Who am I grateful to?   God, of course!!  I trust He knows what we need, even if sometimes His plan doesn't quite fulfill my idea of what He should do.  As someone who grew up in the southwestern city of El Paso, Texas, I appreciate the full on green of Harrison, Arkansas.  Everything, everyone, and yes, even everyplace, has good things about them, and bad.  Growing up in El Paso, the daily paper kept a small little corner of the front page reserved for the "Sunshine Report".   The report simply kept a tabulation of how many days the sun shined over the city.  It didn't matter if the sun only came out for just a few minutes, it was still enough to add to the total.  I don't remember what year it was, but I do remember reading on one particular day that the sun had shone for 3,242 days.  I remember it because that day I went to school and wrote it on the chalkboard.  It impressed me that in just under ten years, the sun had shone that many days in a row.  During the day, my remark got the most remarks I'd ever got from anything I'd ever wrote. (My English teacher gave me a small corner in which to write my musings, and poetry.  Blame her for this blog.) The remarks went from "understated wow!", to "The sun is always shining, dummy!"   Reading those remarks left me a little hurt.  Was I truly the only one who thought it was amazing that this city had been blessed with a glimpse of the sun every day for over nine years?  It wasn't miraculous, nor was it even momentous, it was simply noteworthy. 
Since that time, I've lived in different parts of the country where the weather can hide the sun for as long as fourteen days in a row. (Talk about cabin fever.)  I remember a winter in Mtn Home, Idaho where thanks to the ash from Mt. St. Helens, we had a winter with so much snow that I had to cross country ski to work for a week.  Which even as bad as that was, is not as bad as I've heard about in different areas of the country.  One thing I've learned as I've grown up, is that even as dark or stormy as the weather may be, I have to trust that somewhere above the storm, the sun is shining.  So, my High School critic was really correct, just insensitive. 
I trust God, that this lovely blue marble is still spinning as it should, and that it is still orbiting the sun as it should.  I have to trust that even though I may not see it happening visibly with my eyes, I know it is happening.
The march of seasons is what allows this planet to support the mass of human beings living on its surface.  I know from what I've seen in the historical record, that there have been times on this planet where seasons weren't that pronounced.  There may come a day when through some amazing event, we may not see the sun, and this world will be thrown into chaos.  If that day were to come, I would still trust God's plan because I know Him.  I trust Him to continue to guide this amazing planet in its path through the solar system.  The only other alternative is to live in fear. 
As I watch the little sparrows going about their daily life, I wonder if they even have a clue as to how precarious the perch is that we all share on this amazing course through space?   Do they have an innate knowledge of God's provision?  Do they even care?  Do they trust?  These question often come to me while I watch their antics.  My heart tells me they don't, but then I wonder how I do? 
Lucky sparrows. 

TIME AND SPARROWS

I've often wondered if the little sparrows out in my yard are aware of time.  Do they mark their days by how long they have lived, or how many days they have left?   Do they mark their days at all?  Are we the only creatures on this planet who are aware of time?  We are obsessed with time, and it influences every aspect of our lives.  Almost midway through my sixth generation on this earth, I'm keenly aware of time. Both of my male grandparents died in their early sixties, and I've lived longer than both of them.  Do I have enough time left on this vale to do the things I dreamed of doing as a young man?  As I watch the sparrows flitting around in my front yard, I find myself wondering how old each one is.  I've learned to tell the difference between male and females by the coloration of their heads, but I don't have a clue as to how old a sparrow is.  I did some research and found out that sparrows have a life expectancy of three to five years in the wild.  I was shocked when I found that out.  Then again, I don't think they are concerned about it.  You never see bird sized Mylar balloons tied to a limb above the nest declaring the residents birthday.  Is time only important to us?

Why is time important to us? Everything we do on this earth is measured in time.  I love to ask pre-schoolers how old they are.  They usually respond with a corresponding number of fingers and then for some inexplicable reason they will add a fraction to their declaration.  "I'm three and a half!" With the half being important in a way that I don't understand.  I probably did when I was three and a half, but not now.  Time moves so quickly now at this point in my life, I quickly add the next year just a couple of months after my birthday.  So much of how we live on this planet is governed by time.  We are paid for a combination of our skills and time, with the true value being time.  Without fail, I've watched those who are paid a salary eventually do the math to discover what their time is worth.  Even doctors and lawyers measure their services in time.  At the end of our days, the march of time has been the measure of worth. 

As Christians we have a unique view of time.  We are keenly aware of the history that proceeded us, and we are hopeful of the eternity that will follow our departure from this vale.  We even have mental imagery of our eternal home framed from a few words in a book that very few seem to believe in any more.  Yet, at the end of our days I've watched Christians cling to this life as if it were the only existence they'll ever know.  It isn't an accident that the best medical treatments, and hospitals are in predominantly Christian nations.  Christians value life, and for some strange reason we are focused on making it last as long as possible. Whether the scientists, and doctors who practice medicine believe in God or not, the people they treat do. 

I had a good friend in the Lord present a graphic that has ministered to me time and again.  He used our video projector to show a small dot in the center of the screen.  He made the statement that he wanted that dot to represent a lifetime of 90 years.  If he zoomed in, the dot soon filled the screen.  At first you could see the pixels at the edge of the dot, and then nothing but a black screen.  Then as he zoomed out, the dot completely disappeared.  Zooming out is the same as viewing our lives through eternity.  Of the billions and billions of lives that have filled this earth, there are very few who have achieved immortality by being remembered throughout the eons of time.  Yet, for the Christian we believe in immortality even if we aren't remembered by those who follow us. This life should be measured by how we love in the few short days we have on this vale.  Our mistakes, successes, and our dreams have but a few moments to shine in this tent we live in.  I believe that in the long run, love is the only thing that conquers time.  It was God's love for us that brought us into existence, and it is His love that takes us into the future.  Time is not a captor, jailer, or measure of our value.   We look for the day when time is of no consequence to us and all the good we did will be revealed.  That is our hope.

I have no great feats that I've done upon this vale.  As far as I know, I've not saved one life through my actions.  I can count on the fingers of two hands the number of souls that I've personally led to a knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Sure I've preached and seen people come up and give their lives to serve Jesus, but there is a difference.  If I'm remembered at all after I'm gone, I want to be remembered as a teacher of men.  I want to someday be walking on whatever heavenly street I live on and have someone come up to me and say; 'because of you, I know Jesus.'  That will be worth it for me. 

You see, from the moment I was conceived, I was dying.  Time came to me, and when I leave, time will go on.  I have no desire to live forever upon this ragged earth.  This vale is too cruel, and of late, it appears to be more so.  I am weary of the killing, and cruelty I see.  I'm weary of the hatred toward one another just because of where you were born.  I am weary of the anger, and struggle between ideas that we all want to enforce upon another.  Despite my weariness, I'm happy to be alive.  I'm thrilled to still have a choice.  That is why I believe in Christianity, it is a choice.  You don't have to agree with me, because you don't have to believe.  It may insult you that I believe in a better place for those who believe in Jesus Christ, but in the end why does it offend you?  Is it because you're not sure eternity awaits you?  There's the rub!!!! 
No one can be sure.  Even the most devout atheist has to believe there isn't a God, and because it is a belief, it also means, you aren't sure.  You don't have empirical evidence.  Sad isn't it?  Time marches on, and in the end the lingering question is; "is there more to life than this?" Once I pass this vale, why would I care enough to come back and prove there is more?  Can I come back?  Christians have those answers, but they require faith.  It's almost laughable, if it wasn't so sad.  I don't believe this life is all there is, I can't even do a 'what if'.  When I lay this mortal tent aside, I will have lived well, and loved as well as I could.  I have done nothing worthy of eternal remembrance, but this earth isn't immortal.  It too will be rolled up like a scroll and our dying sun will destroy it in a fiery death throe.  Still the universe will go on.  My life will be just another small breath in billions breathed upon this doomed planet. Eternity will be a celebration of lives lived, yes even mine.  My dot in the frame of eternity will be happy.  I will go to my grave, happy, and wake happy. 

I don't know if there is an eternity for sparrows.  Now that I know they have short life spans, my heart breaks for them.  How old is the plump little guy who's working his way beneath my Clematis right now?   Will he be here next spring?   Will I?     

Time will tell.

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. 

The Secret to Happiness

There is a secret to being happy.    It isn't free health care, free college, free lunches, free houses, or anything politicians try to tell you will make you happy.  The secret to happiness isn't in money, things, or even in great power.  The secret to happiness is being content.  Personally, I believe if more of us subscribed to contentment, it cold help improve the lives of people everywhere.  Happiness isn't found just in Christianity, although I believe it goes a long way to making a difference. 
Though I profess Christ, and live for my faith,  the happiness that comes from contentment isn't in Christ either. I've seen too many people live happily without a faith in Christ to make it a prerequisite for happiness. At the same time I've seen far too many Christians living lives devoid of contentment, and wracked with despair.  So, why am I writing about the secret to happiness in a blog dedicated to a profession in Jesus Christ?
The answer to that question is simple; I don't want to see my brothers and sisters in Christ looking for happiness in places that will not bring them any joy. 
If you use a clinical description of happiness, you will discover it is fleeting in it's duration, but so powerful in it's force, that it makes everyone of us seek to be happy for but just a moment.  Happiness is such a powerful emotion we look for ways to induce it.  Within this need for happiness is the root of almost all of our addictions.  Our bodies betray us because the 'high' from being happy is like nothing else we experience. The need to be happy whether through artificial means, or through natural means, can lead us into the depths of despair if we aren't careful.  That doesn't mean our need for happiness is completely destructive.  The 'arts' are born out of happiness.  Games, comedies, jokes, hobbies, and yes, even storytelling in its many varied forms are a means to happiness.  Sadly, the flood of hormones that accompanies true happiness is limited in its ability to be sustained for long periods of time. The greatest sorrow is when we live our lives in search of happiness instead of yielding to the joy found in every moment.  When jobs, marriages, homes, cars, and the accessories of life become the driving force for satisfaction we miss the moments within ourselves that bring true happiness.  This opens the door for disappointment, sorrow, and grief, which are far more easily sustained. Somehow, in the rush for a new 'happy' high, we leave the real source of happiness behind.  This is true whether we are rich or poor, Christian or non-Christian.  When contentment eludes us, happiness quickly flees. 
Over my lifetime I've seen great men and women of God become lost and empty vessels devoid of joy, peace or happiness.  Christians can easily be fooled into believing that a ministry, study, or even a cause will bring them happiness.  Ministries can push you beyond your purpose in Christ into fears of failure fueled by the minister's comparison of their life with those of more successful ministries. People who feel bible study, or the search for spiritual truth can bring  happiness often fail to discover that happiness, allowing the study itself to rob them of the joy found in living in the joy of the moment.  Probably the worst thief of happiness among Christians is the need to defend their faith or advance that faith into secular causes.  I've seen too many good Christians become enslaved to the angrier side of their passions to the point they hate the very people God has called us to reach.
Happiness is found in being content with forgiveness, and forgiving.  This is the simple power we all carry within us, but it is the springboard for more joy than you can contain.  So much of what I'm seeing in the news media today is driven by a failure to forgive, and let go.  Then again, I know we can become consumed by our passions to the point where happiness is driven far from us.  Political, cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity are important things when it comes to aligning ourselves in tribes. Belonging to a tribe can be a great source of joy and happiness, but if we allow them to exclude us from tolerance, and contentment,  they can suck the happiness out of our lives.  You hear a lot these days about 'diversity' but it seems the more diverse we attempt to be as a nation, the more unhappy we become.  Diversity robs us of happiness by building walls of 'difference,' and before you know it, you don't have the happiness that comes from tolerating people who are different from you.  "Intersectionality" is a word you hear a lot about lately because of the 'diversity' craze.  It's the moment when the goals of one 'diverse' group conflicts with the goals of another.  Someday, when the dust settles from this crazy need to be unique, we'll wonder how we allowed ourselves to be so overcome with the celebration of diversity. Instead of celebrating our humanity, we become obsessed with defending our uniqueness.  At one point or another 'diversity' will bring you into conflict with another diverse person.  This is why I said that many Christians aren't happy.  Tolerance, which is simply forgiving another person for being different from you, is rarely practiced among denominations.  It's the result of hundreds of years of conditioning, and is often based on tribalism, and in that alone, the fear of losing a unique identity. 
Contentment speaks of true faith.  I've seen it in the lives of those in foreign countries less prosperous than the United States.  I've seen happiness in children's laughter everywhere I've been.  That is why I can say that happiness isn't found in things, money, or power.  Happiness is found in any moment you choose to savor and enjoy.   I see it in my simple enjoyment of the sparrows that are carrying on outside my front door.  I don't know why it brings me so much joy to look out my storm door and watch the antics of these tiny little creatures who inhabit my front yard.  All I know is that they bring a smile to my face, which is usually a clue that I'm happy.  It won't last for long, I'll have to close the door because it's getting colder, and they'll have to carry on without my observing them, but they will carry on.  That brings another smile to my face. 

ALIVE

There are times I say things out of habit I wish I wouldn't say.  Most of my habitual speech is a product of over fifty years of being a Christian.  A good portion of that speech isn't found in the bible, but grew in Christian circles because it sounded good.  The other day I was talking to a friend of over 20 years when I suddenly realized how cliche I'd become.  Out of habit, he asked me how I was doing.  I have a small group of answers I use based upon who I'm talking to.  Some of them are cute, some of them are dull, and some of them are MEANT to be spiritual. 
"Praise God, I woke up alive and breathing, so I guess I'm doing good."  I replied. 
As soon as I said it I felt pricked in my heart.  Don't get me wrong, I've said something like this for a good portion of my life.  I remember hearing it for the first time as a teenager from an evangelist who said that anytime you wake up in the morning, you are blessed.  So, I've wrapped it up in my own special flavoring and done many different variations on that theme.  This time, I was stopped in my tracks.  There was so much wrong with what I'd said.  I stumbled around for a few seconds trying to figure out what I'd just done, and mostly to listen to Holy Spirit to tell me why He'd elbowed me in my spirit.  It only took a few more seconds, by which time I'm sure my friend was mystified by the look of confusion on my face.  My banter is usually fluid, easy, and quick.  Occasionally, I'll stumble around, but never over a greeting.  Suddenly I knew what I'd said glorified this life, and not the eternal life to which I place my hope. 
At 64 years of age, I am at the point in my life where my parents are nearing the end of their days.  Both of my wife's parents have passed on.  At one time, I had over thirteen aunts and uncles, now that list is down to four.  Three of my older cousins have passed this vale, and I don't know how long I have.  I'm not eager to die, nor do I believe this life is dreary enough to warrant departing by my own hand.  Yet, within me is the knowledge that I have a ticket to a better life, a different home, a brighter place, and a love greater than any I can ever know on this earth, and I've known love!
As Christians, I believe we can worship this life to the point that it becomes an idol.  We accumulate things that won't go in our coffins, we boast of our achievements that will be forgotten the moment we pass, and our money is more often spent on comfort than the needs of others.  These are the things that Christ warned us about.  We weren't supposed to make this place our home. 
A few years back someone I know lost their grandfather.  This simple man of God would go out every morning and walk about two miles out and then head back to his rural home.  This was his time of prayer.  It was when he chose to talk to Jesus.  One morning as he walked, and prayed, a vehicle struck him and he passed from life to life.  One moment he was talking with Jesus, and the next he was with Jesus.  While people were stunned by the suddenness of his death, and brokenhearted by their loss, he was celebrated for his life, and applauded into his glorious life. 
Another breath is simply more time to do the work I was purposed to do.  So, as my friend sat there wondering where I went in my brain, I remembered what my purpose was, and why my glib reply bugged me.
"I'm sorry for what I said."  I replied.  "I'm doing well, praise God, but someday, I'll be doing better."
I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad for hanging on to this life.  It is our nature to survive, and for our bodies to cling to life.  I begrudge no one the battle to live another day.  On the other hand, moving on isn't the end.  That is where the peace of God is. 
Sadly this morning, my lawn is quiet.  The chatter of sparrows hasn't started because the sun hasn't even turned the horizon a dark blue yet.  It won't rise for another hour and I am about to go to church.  I'll worship God for the life he's given me, and the eternal life I have through His Son, Jesus.  If I pass this vale today, then I'll wait for all of you who are my friends.  Well, maybe I won't wait.  I'll just see you there.