40 Days of Embracing Uncertainty - Day 2 (for Thursday, February 27)

It occurred to me that I am being a little unfair to the family cat (who rules in our home – really, I’m not kidding).  Yes, the family cat does have a name.  In fairness, I should use that name when I speak of it.  Nancy gave the family cat the name Ruby Tuesday, named after one of our favorite restaurants.  We were just at the Ruby Tuesdays Restaurant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last week and noticed that they had done a complete makeover.  The place had a more modern feel to it and seemed roomier.  We had a nice time at Ruby’s namesake restaurant.

I don’t want to make this Lenten journey all about the family cat – oh, sorry - Ruby.  The primary theme I’m working with is "Embracing the Uncertain", not embracing your cat when it bugs you.  The devotional for today focused on prayer – that prayer is essentially simple, but is not that easy.  The devotion relates a story of two football players who were in separate accidents.  One perished as a result of his injuries, the other survived.  But it’s what happened during the crash of the one who survived that makes this topic on prayer more difficult to understand.

The surviving football player was being interviewed after his recovery and he said that when the car was flipping over, he threw his hands off the wheel and called out Jesus’ name.  In essence, he was praying for Jesus to be with him in this most horrific moment.   The interviewer (from Sports Illustrated) wanted to know if God would have saved the other football player had he called on Jesus’ name.  Or would God have saved professional golfer Payne Stewart (whose plane crashed in South Dakota), or even with any one of the victims at Columbine High School had any one of them called out in prayer.  The football player didn’t really have a good answer for that question.

These are tough situations and there are no simple answers to these or any other tragic events that have taken place over the years.  I can’t even imagine.  On some levels, it doesn’t make sense that God would select one situation over another if persons have been praying for a quick response for safety and security from God.  Then again, we aren’t in on the wider plan that God has for us as humanity.  The best thing we can do is to remember that when life gets difficult, we need to call on God’s name in prayer and trust that we will be heard.  We do not have to go it alone.

I’m grateful that even though I might have an unwillingness to call out the family cat’s name, I am more than willing to call upon God’s name for grace in times of need.

40 Days of Embracing Uncertainty - Day 1 (for Wednesday, February 26)

Here's the usual mode of operation at our house when I come home after being at the office all day... the cat that occupies space will sit in the kitchen and watch me.  The cat will just sit there and stare.  I can make eye contact, but I don't really want to.  After a few moments, when I've settled in the kitchen stool to talk with Nancy about her and my day, the cat will always (and I mean always) get up and walk underneath my feet, swishing the tail across my lower legs.  I realize that the cat knows this annoys me to no end, but it matters little.  This cat loves to - lives to - bug me.  It's the cat's mission in life.

This routine happens every day without fail.  Every... single... day.   It must be a part of the cat's rhythm of life.  

As I begin this Lenten series and stating that I would blog each day for forty days during Lent, I am very aware that this hope of blogging every day and the success of it will depend upon my own ability to sustain a rhythm... to develop the routine of blogging every... single... day.  I've heard it said that if you want to change your behavior for any one thing you need to repeat it successfully for 21 days.  Makes sense.  I plan on doing this for 40 days.  

The resource I am using is the Lenten devotional booklet called "Embracing the Uncertain".  The first day of the devotional is focused on the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop, there with three of his disciples.  It was anything but a routine event.  The main point of the devotion is that we are invited to watch and wait upon God for direction and purpose and not be so bent on moving forward all the time.  Watch and wait for God to give the direction for movement and see what happens.  

It's solid advice.  It's also harder to follow than we might think.  Generally, I am a person of action.  I want to see results much quicker than they often come.  I can get impatient.  Sometimes, I will break the ranks and make mistakes when I rely only on my impulses to carry me through.  Does that resonate with you?  Jesus told the disciples that they were not to share the story of what happened on the mountaintop until after the Son of Man was raised from the dead.  In short, keep watching me - Jesus seems to be saying - keep following, keep learning and when the resurrection happened, then they could act and tell the world.

Maybe I can learn something from the cat and the rhythm of a cat's life.  Watch, wait, then act when ready.  This is going to require some discipline and a lot or prayer.

It might be the only thing I might ever learn from this cat.

40 Days of Embracing Uncertainty

It's a lovely 36 degree day here in Worthington, Minnesota - we must be nearing the advent of spring because this is still February.  We do get warm spells sometimes here in the frozen tundra, but the cold weather usually finds a way to continue its icy grip upon our beloved Northland.    

I've decided that I would try to blog during the upcoming Lenten season.  I know - it's crazy, right?  But before I change my mind, let me share the reasoning behind my decision.  First of all, I have been very sporadic when it comes to posting something on my blog.  Yeah, it's been a busy portion of my life, but that really isn't a very good excuse.  All of us are busy, so I can't use that as any rational reason for not posting a thought or two during the week.

Secondly, I have a lot of thoughts running through my mind that need to be written down - I can't hold them in any longer.  I think it will be healthy for me to share them.  Think about everything that is going on that I've been concerned about that I have deliberately chosen not to say anything about - the United Methodist denominational crisis and the proposed split that is being talked about is just one issue that has been heavy on my heart.  Sticking with a religion focus, one of the churches I am serving has voted to close at the end of June - this has been a topic that has me up nights, my heart breaking for the long time members and the heritage of that beloved Emmanuel Church in Worthington.

Of course our national political arena has had news story after news story - most of them difficult to hear and divisive.  It's been difficult to ignore the stories coming out of Washington D.C..  Then there is the usual - the state of our world, family matters, the economy, nature's changing landscape, aging gracefully, planning for retirement (wait, how did those last two get in there?).  All of these things have been like layers of chocolate cake that I cannot partake of because I am trying to lose weight (oops, there's another one!).

So I'm going to begin in earnest starting on Ash Wednesday, February 26th.  I'm going to be using a devotional resource called "Embracing the Uncertain" - a 40 day devotional that walks us through some of the challenges that come across our lives that cause us to be uneasy because we didn't expect them to happen (click on the link above to order your copy through Amazon or Kindle - we also have some copies available at the church, if you are in the area).  My plan is to read the devotional and then respond to what I read.  That sounds simple enough.

I like the challenge.  Perhaps you might be persuaded to join with me.  After all, aren't there a number of things you might be dealing with right now that are troubling or even overwhelming?  Let's do this together - I'm certain we will learn something!
  

Time's Fun When You're Having Flies

On Saturday, August 24th, 2019, Nancy and I will be celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary.  I know, right?  45 years with me... she deserves a medal!  I actually am amazed that these years have accumulated so quickly - it seems to have happened overnight and here we are.  

I have heard others talk about how time gets away from them.  People who say those things aren't kidding.  Those words have a large degree of truth to them.  Time flies when you are having fun (a fellow co-worker Dwight Kessler once told me that the frogs say it differently: "Time's fun when you're having flies" - nice, Dwight!)  

I would invite any of you not to squander any moment of your life, but live the fullness of life each day because it is so fleeting.  

Easier said than done because time has its own measure.  It depends upon your activities.  Sometimes time does fly by when things are going good.  Other moments drag on endlessly, so much so that even the tick.... tock.... tick.... of the clock on the wall seems to slog its way toward the top of the hour.  Some moments speak to time standing still (something I'd like to see happen in the aging process).  Still other moments require patience in waiting for a desired result - the third time's a charm.  We can try to make up for lost time, arrive in the nick of time, or believe that there is no time like the present.  We can't turn back the hands of time, but we can be in crunch time.  Time has so many faces to it.  

Here's all I want to say about time today... these past 45 years - time spent with the love of my life - have been filled with time honored moments.  After being married for five years we experienced the birth of our three children over the span of four years time.  Being with them as parents, watching them grow up has been timeless.  Now, they have families of their own - its their time to watch their own children in those precious times.  As for Nancy and I, we try to balance our time together.  We both spend a lot of time in what we enjoy doing - which is spending time at work, helping others a time or two along the way.  With assurance, I can say that the past 45 years has been the time of my life!  Time waits for no one, but i'm glad I took the time to tell you how important these times have been for me. 

Perhaps now is a good time for you to take a closer look at time - before time runs out...  

The Decision

Today, I came to a potentially life changing decision.  It wasn't an easy one to make, but after years of frustration and falling short of the mark, I feel that this decision was required.  Not only required, but necessary, for my own mental health, if nothing else.

What could be such an important decision?  Relax.  For some of you, this is going to seem very trivial.  But I have to tell you, I am steadfastly resolved to follow through on it.  Here's the Big Reveal and then I will share with you the Decision: I have come to the conclusion that I am just an average golfer.  I cannot hit the ball as far as I used to, nor can I hit it as straight as I desire.  I have spent countless numbers of minutes trying to figure out how I can get my score down to what is the basic standard in golf, normally called "par".   

Here's some background on the Big Reveal: I've been keeping some stats - if you are a numbers person, you'll love this.  I have recorded 15 rounds of golf since the start of this season.  That translates into 270 possible pars this year.  I have recorded exactly 64 pars during those 15 rounds - which is about 24%.  There is one hole on the course I play which I have not parred this year!  Not once.  Haven't even come close.  

I hate that hole.

Now, to my credit, I have birdied exactly one hole.  Exactly one.  The rest of the time has been spent in bogeys, double bogeys and others (which are larger than the first two).  My average score for 18 holes is a 91.  I counted up all of my strokes and if I were to have entered into a 15 round tournament, I would be a whopping 301 strokes over par.  That's an average of 20 over par each time I step on the first tee.  No wonder I'm so tired after a round of golf!  I'm hitting the ball too many times!

So that's my reality.  Here's the Decision: I have decided that since I am an average golfer, I am arbitrarily moving the standard of par by adding one stroke to every hole.  I will be a much happier camper knowing that if I shoot my average (which is about 91) I will only be two over par!  

This could change the way I look at golf for the rest of my life!  No longer do I need to fret over the fact that I'm never going to be good enough to break 80 (which by the new standard of par, would be nine under par.  Can you imagine what that would sound like if someone asked me how I shot today and I told them I was nine under?  I know I am going to be much happier with this decision.

I couldn't help but pause for a moment and think about the standards that we sometimes set in life.  Sometimes, they are impossibly too high for some of us to measure up to.  We work so hard to bring our "A" game to our work places, our school work, our family relationships, our marriages, our children, our communities.  What would it look like to not be so concerned about reaching a level of par that very few can attain?  

It's true that we are all equal in God's sight.  And God's grace is the great equalizer.  When we are not up to par spiritually, God's grace tells us we are still loved.  When we fall into the sand traps and water hazards of life, God's grace tells us we are still valued.  When we struggle to keep on the straight and narrow fairways, God's grace is always there, waiting for us to turn around and find shelter. 

Of course I cannot equate my golf challenges with our lives - it's just a game.  But it is nice to know that with God's grace, I can break par every time I stand on the first tee of the morning.  There's a chance because God's grace is a standard that I can hit every time because it was made especially for me and for you - persons who are just average people trying to make their lives count.

God's grace helps me know that I can always be up to par.

Bucket List

I really don't have a bucket list.  I've never really thought about sitting down and making up such a list.  The term bucket list is interesting because of the natural reference to dying or to "kick the bucket".  One might naturally want to have done some things or set some goals before that day happens.  The movie with the same name starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman popularized the phrase and gave it some context.  Older people have been jumping out of airplanes ever since the movie came out... almost always with parachutes on.

If I were going to make such a list, I'd have to think about what things I might want to put on that list.  Right off the bat, one thing I'd put on that list is to play a round of golf at Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia.  When I really think about that, I realize that hope is beyond any bucket list request because I think a bucket list is supposed to have things on the list that you can actually do in reality.  Playing a round of golf where The Masters is played would be beyond my dreams.  So it will have to remain a dream.  Just like the Vikings winning the Super Bowl.  It happens only in my dreams.  

I imagine that seeing some parts of the world (and our country included) could be on that list.  Traveling and sightseeing sounds a bit more attainable than standing on the course that Bobby Jones built.  Places like London, Paris, Hawaii, the Grand Canyon, and a few other locations appeal to my sense of curiosity.  I've been to a number of locations across the world that have been a complete joy to visit (Israel; Rome; New York City; Niagara Falls; Orlando; Calumet, Minnesota).  Certainly this item on a bucket list could be realistically attained.

I don't have any desire to do anything wild and crazy (like jumping out of an airplane strapped to someone's midsection and wondering why in the world I would ever do such a thing).  But I would include on that list learning how to play a guitar or learning how to play the piano.  At least, those things sound prettier and make me feel a lot safer than hurtling toward earth at breakneck speed.

I wouldn't mind hitting a hole-in-one.  Sometime.  Anytime.  At any course.  Anywhere.  With any club.  I'm about ready to settle for a mini-putt hole-in-one and call it good.

I thought about putting losing weight on the bucket list, but quickly realized that is already on my current to-do-list.  It wouldn't make any sense to transfer it to a list that I'm hoping to see happen when it is already on a list that I hope to see happen.

I were to distill it down to one thing that must be on my bucket list that I'd like to see before this journey of life ends it would have to be this: I really want to be the kind of person that God wants me to be - every day in every way.  Perhaps that sounds self righteous in some ways.  It really isn't meant to sound that way.  I just want to be the best that God is calling me to be.  

Wait, that's on my current to-do-list as well.  Shoot.  I'll have to keep thinking on it.  I'll get back to you on that.  

So, what would you include on your bucket list?

Enough Is Enough

Enough is enough.  I've sat on the sidelines for the past few months not wanting to blog anything - mostly because I don't want any more divisiveness.  I experienced something like that in one of my previous posts before I took a self-imposed exile from blogging.  I had written something that I was passionate about and several persons took me to task for my perspective - so I removed the article.  I just figured that there is enough division in the world today that I don't need to add to it.  Enough is enough.

Now, that being said, I know that we cannot escape the lines that divide us.  In fact, I've always appreciated hearing another perspective on any topic upon which someone might disagree with me.  Goodness, I'm certainly not the final authority, nor do I think I have the market cornered on any particular topic.  The thing that troubles me is when labels are attached to that point of view when labels don't need to be attached.  If someone disagrees, then why not just leave it at that?  Why can't someone just disagree without pigeonholing them into some category?

Think about it - we have so many huge issues in this nation that everyone is wrestling with: random senseless violent acts against innocent people, political divisions, religious splits over difficult issues, disagreements over immigration policies - I could go on and on.  I'm not offering any solution or critique on any one of these items.  The issues are not my point.

Here's what I am thinking about: we are always going to have different viewpoints on these matters.  It's one of the things that makes us wonderfully human.  I believe we can learn from those different viewpoints - perhaps not always agree, maybe sometimes agree to disagree, and maybe even debate the position we hold dear.  There isn't anything wrong with those actions.  When the conversation goes beyond that into calling someone a name or attaching some kind of label, well, as I said, enough is enough.

You are free to disagree with me.  I'm okay with that.  Just leave it at that.  In the final analysis, I am responsible to measure my own understanding of what I believe to be true with God's way - with God's truth (I'm not imposing that on anyone either - it's how I look at my own life - I am responsible to balance God's view into my equation of life).  

Even if we hold issues in disagreement, God will weigh in on the topic.  God always has something important to say about any issues we might disagree upon.  And if we choose to disagree with God...

...well, I wonder if (and when) God might say to us "Enough is enough".