Moments

Self concept is important and I see in pictures. So, I have pictures in my mind and on my computer of the people I like best. Below is a photo of my swim exit; all in pushing toward transition to "run the race set before me." I like this guy. He is purposeful, committed, and all in for life. The other picture in my mind is of myself in an attitude of thankfulness, humility, and reverence to the God who has allowed me these moments of purpose, commitment, and high points in life. In this photo the race has been completed and I am complete; all in for life with God, now and forevermore.

Have you ever had some event or behavior put distance between you and a friend, a spouse, or family member. Conversation is tentative and strained. Communication is rigid, almost formal, lacking substance and real meaning. What if that kind distance has become between you and God? What is you can't pray and stay focused? What if you pray with no faith in that prayer? What if prayer seems to "echo empty down the hall?" What if you know your prayer went nowhere? What went wrong between God and I? Where is the unconfessed sin, the sinful habit I am unwilling to acknowledge and give up? Why can't I clear the communication lines between me and God? Why do I feel like I have been forsaken? Now I sense a small piece of the agony Jesus felt on the cross when He said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" But that thought turned me around and started to bring me back. It was not God that moved. I had. With a dying mother and prayers that were ...

Luke 5:4 No when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught." Jesus had been talking to the crowd by the seaside. The crowd pressed upon Him so that he entered into a fishing boat, thrust out a little from land, and taught from there. But, when He was finished talking, things happened. The fishermen had caught no fish after fishing all night. Jesus told them to do two things: launch out into the deep, and let down the nets. Isn't He telling us that as well. Reading His Word, hearing His message, and being a follower will reach a maturity point where Jesus tells us to step up our game. The nice warm fuzzies of fellowship, comfortable pews, inspiring music, and the accumulation of Biblical knowledge are expanded when Jesus tells us to launch our faith out into deeper water. Nodding ascent, raised hands, and loud amens will now be accompanied by higher personal risk. All we have tried to accomplish o...

Cool evening, beautiful sunset, orange through the tree, the evening still: Peace outside. Peace inside. It is well with my soul. After all the ups and downs, the trials, the successes, and the pain, tonight, I praise God for all of it and for bringing me to this place with myself; this place with Him: It is well with my soul. This moment is one of those I think I always seek for, and I know the noise of the world will pollute this connection and it won't be as clear any longer. Tonight I could die and just move from here to there. It is well with my soul. I will sleep well tonight because all the days headaches and heartaches, all the meanness the world can throw at me, has had this peace thrown over it like a blanket. I can't truly explain it. I surely cannot define or adequately describe this closeness with God I feel at this moment. What else can I say but, it is well with my soul.

Visits to my aged mother are tough duty now. One factor is that it drives me out of feel-good, rah, rah and forces me to confront the truth about the realities of life - not just those of an aged mother, but those of my own as well. Confrontation with truth could be one of the reasons there are not a lot of visitors of residents in a nursing home. Another may be that when we experience our loved one baffled, confused, half aware, blind, deaf, and fumbling for words she can't remember, we want to fix it. But we cant'. Again, our own limitations, our own mortality, our own feeble humanness becomes painfully apparently. Oh yes, I have it all together yet my mother is laying there, a mental and physical invalid, and my poor powers cannot help. I am not able to fix it. "I want to go to my home," my mother said. "You are home. You are not at the hospital anymore." "I know, but I don't like it here. I want to go home." "Mo...

My mother will be one hundred and two in July. She is in a nursing home. She is losing her mind - something that she has always hoped wouldn't happen. But, it is. And I don't like it that she can't walk, has a broken ankle, is bedridden, sleeps all the time. I wish it wasn't so; but it is. That is the way things really are - a bitter pill to swallow at the end of it all. But, it just is. End of it all? Yesterday, I was sitting by her bed, trying my best to carry on a conversation with her. She mumbled sounds that were unintelligible, and I smiled and nodded in agreement. Conversations with her are real work now. She said she had sandwiches for breakfast, and that she had heard a wonderful sermon that morning. Where did she hear a sermon: she has no TV. She doesn't go down to the lunch room when they have Sunday services in the home. Besides, it was Saturday. No services were scheduled. Where did she hear a sermon? She didn't say it was on the telev...

At the pool where I sometimes swim, there is often a man there who is, what may be considered, morbidly obese. One day he just sat in the chair on the side of the pool and watched me swim lap after lap. The next time that we were both there H did a sort of dog paddle to one end of the pool, then rested and dog peddled back. He did this a few times before quitting. That is what he did every time we were there together, but each time he did more laps. I did my best to encourage him, and he seemed to appreciate it and take it in the spirit it was offered. Just the other day he dog paddled many more laps than he had ever done before. When he finally got out of the pool, I stopped to compliment him on his long workout. He said he was trying; doing the best he could. Then he said, "I want to look like you." I was sort of taken aback, not knowing what to say but thanks. I didn't think I really looked all that good, so I felt especially honored by the compliment....