Yeah, I Know!

Proverbs 26:12    Do you see people who consider themselves wise? There is more hope for a fool than for them.

I had the opportunity to have a front row seat to a conversation between a a teenage girl and her mother. They were discussing a project the young lady was attempting to complete for school. The mother made a recommendation on the best way to complete the task and the girl snapped back “I know!”.

At first I was outraged at how the girl spoke to her parent, but there were a few other emotions that quickly bounced into my head. I was embarrassed, because I could still look back and hear a similar conversation with my mom, and then I was amused because I knew what the outcome would be – similar to what mine was, similar to some of the outcomes I’ve seen my teenage son go through. After a few seconds of contemplation, I walked past and quietly reassured the mother that her daughter will learn, we all did – and do.

It can be a very monumental task to be given domain over a project at work, school, or church. The success or failure of the project is squarely on your shoulders. The human side comes out, and thoughts of success and your reputation come into the picture. An agenda is developed – your agenda – and before you know it, God’s plans are forgotten.  Your plans have grown out of control to the point that when He does try to give you direction through friends, family, or other church members, you can no longer hear His voice.

When given a responsibility, remember it is God who has entrusted you with its completion. It is God who has the ultimate plan for its success or failure. Never find yourself so wise you can’t hear His voice from even the tiniest of mouths.

“Father, it is so easy to forget it is You who directs us all. Never let me loose sight of You and if I do, I pray that I hear Your voice to guide me back to Your plan. Amen”

A Day of Fishing

“There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot” Steven Wright

I can’t tell you the times I’ve stood on the shore and thought myself an idiot for fishing in the rain, cold, or several hours of blazing hot sun. I can remember this one time that I faced all three throughout the day.

A couple of my friends and I had gone down to the river and grabbed a couple of campsites so that Saturday morning we’d be ready to go at the break of dawn. They’d called for some rain overnight but it didn’t wind up moving in until just about the time we were getting up and dressed. After a brief discussion, we decided to head on out – it wasn’t that bad, all things considered.

We drove down to the lake, donned our rain gear, and started to walk out on the shore and casting out. With each cast, the wind seemed to pick up a bit, the rain grew a little harder, and any flaws in the “rain proof” gear became much more evident. Within 30 minutes, we’d not had but maybe 4 nibbles among us.  We were soaked and the wind had a biting chill.   I was about to make the suggestion that we should find a warmer and much dryer spot when the rain slowed and then stopped.

It didn’t take long for it to go from a rain-chilled sunrise to an ever increasingly steamy morning. By noon, the cold rain from the morning would have been a refreshing break. We’d had a little luck, but I was quite sure there wasn’t going to be a big enough catch to avoid going to the local grocery store. We finally gave in after a long day of Missouri weather and fish more stubborn than we were.

That night, sitting around the fire, we talked about our adventure. We all agreed that to many we surely looked like idiots – and maybe we were – but then again…In life, aren’t there times that we feel like idiots – whether it’s spending the day fishing, or blindly believing in our heavenly Father?

You’re not being honest if you cannot admit that there have been times where you question His existence. That you think, or even say, “I don’t know why I bother…..if only I could hear Him or see Him.” The apostle Thomas was one who required proof, and in John 20:29 Jesus said to him in their final interaction “Do you believe because you see me? Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe.”

There are times when we sit around the “campfire” that we can feel foolish for blindly following Him when we can’t see Him, hear Him or touch Him… or can we? I think we can – in the love shared by a friend, the lovingly wise words given us by a child, or by the embrace of a brother or sister at church. It is easy to let those doubts drive us from His grace, but He is with us each and every day. In the most difficult times we must somehow find a way to hold on tighter. “Father I believe. I believe, I do believe…Amen.”

Forget the Last or You’ll Miss the Next

Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand up to pray, if you have something against anyone forgive so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your wrongdoings.

As I reel in anticipation, I feel a slight tug and then another and the rod tip bends a bit. I pull up on the rod to set the hook and begin to reel in what, from every indication, is the biggest catch of the day – if not the season.

Over the next 2 or 3 minutes I let it take a little line, then reel it in a bit. I honestly think I have something big enough that my wife will someday let me put it up on the wall of my man cave (by the way, I hate that phrase, the entire house is mine and my wife’s, so to say I have a cave, well, anyway).

All of a sudden, I feel something a bit different, my rod tip levels out and there’s no tension on my life. The biggest fish (in my mind) I’ve ever hooked into is gone! I reel in my line, and sure enough, nothing – nothing but my lure.  Somehow, I must not have set that hook right and now I’m totally frustrated at myself.  Looking out into the water trying to see the fish and mumbling under my breath, I look at the lure. It’s fine and the knot’s fine.  Dang IT!

Still irritated at myself and mumbling, I cast out to almost the exact spot as the previous cast. As I begin to reel, I stare at the spot where it got off.  Slam! Another strike, but I miss it.  What’s going on? So I quickly reel in and BAM another one, but I miss it too.  By now I’m ready to jump in after them. My hands are shaking a bit, and my focus is torn between what’s happened before and what’s going on now.  Needless to say, while I had some great hits, I didn’t have a successful trip.

If you think about it, there are a lot of things that go like that. I am far from a perfect man and even farther away from being a perfect husband.  There have been times that what’s gone on at work has impacted my relationship with my wife.  I remember a time, not long ago, the drive home from work hadn’t gone very well.  I’d gotten cut off, causing me to run onto the shoulder.  Tired from a busy day at work and what had just happened, I was not in a good mood when I got home.  My wife, not knowing what happened, hit me with a question; I don’t even remember what it was about.  That was it – I snapped off an answer and immediately I knew I’d hurt her feelings.

I tried to apologize, but my frame of mind and tone did not sound apologetic, let alone sincere. You see, I’d not let go of the long day at work or the incident on the way home.  How can I ask for forgiveness until I’ve set my mind right and forgiven those who may have done something to me?  You see, just like when I was out fishing, my focus was torn and not truly on the situation in front of me.  My energy was more on what had happened than what was currently happening. It’s time to move on – forgive and be forgiven.  “Father, help me to move on, to forgive, and as I do, forgive me. Amen”

A Friday Afternoon

Ephesians 5:15-16   So be careful to live your life wisely, not foolishly. Take advantage of every opportunity because these are evil times

It was a warm September day, about 2:05 pm and I heard the TV change over and a familiar voice fill the air. Harry Caray was giving the line-up as the Cubs took the field at Wrigley.

I finished making a glass of tea, grabbed another drink, walked to the living room and handed it to my mom. She wasn’t a huge baseball fan, but she could relate with Harry, and while Harry could drive me crazy, I loved (and still do) the Cubs.  It was a way Mom and I could share some time together making a memory that now, 18 years later, still makes me smile.  We didn’t have a chance to share a moment like this again but it is one that I’ll always cherish.

Recently, because of some things that have happened to some people near me and things going on in my life, I’ve come to once again realize that time is so precious and goes by so fast.   With this realization and re-focus, I will look at things a bit differently.   What’s your focus in life?  Is it the things or is it the people?

“Father, open my eyes to the things that matter – my spouse, my children, my family, my friends and most importantly Father, You.  Amen”

It’s Not Fair

I overheard a conversation while I was waiting in line the other day and it made me think a bit. It was a husband and wife talking about an experience at work.  He was talking about someone at his office, “Every day she comes in just a few minutes before 9 in a huff making sure we all know she’s there.  She sets her purse and everything down – all but dropping them.  She goes off about how this driver wouldn’t get out of her way, or that person wouldn’t do this…  then she goes and get her breakfast from the cafeteria.”

Sounding quite frustrated, he continued, “She claims to work through her lunch, but right at noon she heads to the cafeteria again. She grabs her lunch and brings it back to her desk, where she proceeds to have her lunch with a couple of girlfriends laughing and discussing their children and husbands.  After about an hour of them at the table, she will finally get back to work.  She’ll put in a couple of more hours, but she easily is out of the office by 4:30 every day.  I just don’t get how she can get away with it!  I work my rear off, I’m early every day and usually give them 10-15 minutes extra each day.  Still, she’s treated just as well as I am, and I know based on her comments, her pay and raises are just as good as what mine are.”

I think we’ve all experienced this inequity, or perceived inequity. It can absolutely eat you alive.  Why is it some people seem to get the same (or more) even though you work just as hard and do all the right things?  It’s not a problem that’s new to this generation, decade, or even millennium.

“…These who were hired last worked one hour, and they received the same pay as we did even though we had to work the whole day in the hot sun” Matthew 20:12

I can’t tell you how many times I heard it growing up, and I’m sure, if asked, my son would say the same thing – Life is not fair! We can react in a couple of ways to this. We can let it work us up and spend countless hours and energy focused on, and complaining about it, or we can accept it (a little complaint is fine now and again) and enjoy and cherish what we do have.  Here’s an example – I think it would be amazing to have 2 brand new cars, a new house and money to go wherever I want, but honestly, having my son and my wife doing whatever (except stripping wallpaper), wherever, is a much greater gift to me.

Today, really focus and be thankful for what you DO have. God has given us all so very much to be thankful.  “Father, open my eyes to the gifts in my life and let me be thankful and filled with joy. Let all those around me hear me praise You!  Amen”