Simplicity

Do you remember being a child?

I don't mean a teenager or young adult. In those days, most of us thought we would never survive. We were always wondering what others thought about us or or ideas. We were always searching for where we belong. When I say we, I mean me of course.

What I mean is when you were much smaller. Many people can remember an enormous amount of their childhood. They can remember several details of when they were as young as 3. I am not one of those people. I have a hard time remembering if I glued my brain in this morning.

I get to remember things here and there through watching other kids.

I love children. I love to be around them and feel their energy even though, often, its more than my own. I love to see the trust that they shine in their eyes. I love the humility they have when they will hug you or kiss you no matter the gender with no more intention than to tell you that they love you.

To watch children means to remember the simplicity of how life used to be. Have you ever watched kids in a children's bible study? It is so cool. They answer questions so matter of fact about God's love. There is no doubt, no fear, no conditions. They just know God is there for them, that He loves them, and that He does not look down on them for their mistakes.

That sort of simplicity goes throughout them.

We were out at a diner the other day, with my girlfriend and her 3 year old son. A song came on the radio that had something to do with Christmas wishes. He stood up on the booth and told us it was about wishes. We half-hearted said that was nice and asked him what his wish was.

He raised his hands in the air and said, "this is it!!! This is what I always wanted!!!!"

He was telling us that going to lunch at a Coney Island was his biggest wish.

I try to remember the simple things and life and thank God for them. Something so simple as eating at a restaurant. Having clothes that need washing. Having a house that needs maintenance not requiring blocking the wind and rain from coming in.

We spend so much time asking God for things we want or think we need. Sometimes we even thank him for things such as health, friends, family, or other things. But, honestly, how many times do you do this absently? Do you really think about how important these things are and how lucky you are to have them?

Many of us, as adults, have to worry about the uncertainty of jobs(me included), whether we can buy that particular Christmas gift for the one we love, whether we can make it in a smaller or less appealing house.

We forget that we have been taken care of by God in that we have a job, no matter how meager, we have the one we love, no matter how far away or close they are, and we have that house, no matter how small or disheveled it may be.

Christmas can help us remember the simplicity of it all. Christ's birth is the simple truth of Christmas. All of the shopping, visiting, symbols, decorations, and carols - they all pale, even combined, to the simplicity of the idea that God sent us a savior to release us from our sins. God sent His only son for us..........

I pause here because it is the simplest of things. If only we could remember the awesomeness of this every minute of every day. If only we could remember that God takes care of us always just as any father would take care of their children. If only we could remember to be like children before God. If only we could always remember to allow God to guide us rather than to put our faith in ourselves which always seems to fail.

If only we could remember that Christ taught us God's will.....

....and He kept it simple.

Things

I make myself ill thinking about it sometimes.

Things

As the thanksgiving shopping weekend approaches, we see all of our American commercialism in its glory.

Things we want.
Things we want bigger.
Things we want bigger than the other guy.

I am as guilty as anyone.

My girlfriend and I each have a house. Between the 2, we average 6 TVs. And, because there is a deal, we consider buying a flat screen for Christmas this year.
Seriously!!

I am thankful for the things God has provided for me. Even though I have to remind myself once in a while, I know everything I have comes from God.

It occured to me the other day that I could give up half of my monetary worth and still be 5 times richer than many families less than 20 miles away - 500 times more than families watching American wealth burn brighter than the stars, in the form of lights, so close they could walk there in 10 minutes.

We, as Americans, are so caught up in things. We say we are a richer country.

I don't see us as richer unless we are remembering and being thankful to God always for the things we have every day.

I thank Him that I have an ability. I thank Him that I have a job for which to use this ability. I thank Him for being able to gain experiences. I thank Him for being able to go to school. I thank Him for my parents being able to get by with 5 boys. I thank Him that they had a decent job to use their talents and abilities.

I thank Him for being born into the life I was in this country.

For those born here, that is incredibly important to remember. Any time someone born here takes credit for their life and the "things" they have; any time they want the glory for their own accomplishments, remind them of the one thing that started it all that they couldn't have possibly had any control over - they were born in this country through God's will.

Just as if you are a builder, and you take credit for the whole house even though the foundation was already established and all of the supplies are provided - how can you take credit?

Even if you were not born here, God gave you all of the tools to build on his foundation.

You were born into a family that had means.
You were sent someone with means.
You were given a gift or talent.

God gave you THINGS.

Luke said, "real life is not measured by what we own"
Also, in Job, "You really know everything don't you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you!"

Please remember how rich you are in this Christmas season. Give thanks for the "things" you have. Give thanks for the THINGS God has given you.

Pray for those who have less "things" but also pray for those whom have been given God's THINGS and fail to recognize them.

Peace

I once had a friend in high school who had a severe skin condition. He had to apply lotion, by prescription, all of the time. If he had forgotten on some specific day, he would itch, constantly and feverishly. He used to avoid anything that may irritate his condition-wools, sun, even certain foods.
In general conversation one day around the holidays, I had asked him what he would like for Christmas.


He said, "one entire day of peace".


I am so often baffled by the way the word 'peace' is thrown around so much today. . All of these with the right intentions, can be a great and honorable thing. The question is, how many folks actually think about what they are saying? Do you say these things as matter of factly as hello? Is it politically motivated? What does peace actually mean to you?



"So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding" (Romans 14:19 NLT)



So many of us complain about how busy and occupied our lives have become. Maybe we have a job, kids, and other things that take much of our time. Maybe we have an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or other things that envelop our day and have little time for other things. Maybe we go to school and spend an enormous amount of time either in class or doing the homework it requires. And through it all we scream, "I need peace!!"

Many of us pick up causes. We stand against the war in Iraq. We speak out against the violence and conflict in Israel. We complain of the police actions in Juarez. And through it all we scream, "We need peace!!"


It seems to me that many people can't seem to discern between rest and peace. True peace comes from God. It is an inner calm and joy that comes from Him. You find it by knowing Christ. You find it by continuing to grow with Him. You find it when you share in His goodness and share it with others. You find it when you put everything before God and trust that He will guide you.

The danger in mistaking rest for peace is that it becomes subjective.

A man will say that with his busy business life, 3 kids, and his wife, with family pressures, maybe making dinners, maybe doing laundry - "I need peace!"

Ask the man in a retirement home who has lost all of his friends over the years, no longer has a job to occupy him, and sits lonely every day because any family that he does have can't find the time to visit him if this is his definition of peace.

Ask the families of underdeveloped areas of the world if this is their definition of peace.

I have seen men with families of 4-6 kids, a wife, a job, be involved in charities, visit with friends - the while gamut - and they are completely at peace. Their peace is in their faith and trust in God.

I have seen men in their golden years, ailing, alone, and seemingly nothing left to live for live their life so completely because they know God.

I have seen families of underdeveloped areas of the world hold on to each other so tight that no technological advances would be a worthy trade. They share in each other and in God so much that they glow with the peace of God.

Do you need peace or rest?
Are you looking in the right place to find your peace?
Do you ask for help from those whom have found the peace you seek?

I pray for peace.

Truth

My girlfriend's son was eating a sandwich the other day. He sat in the living room for a while as he munched on his salami and cheese. At one point, when my attention was elsewhere, he took his napkin, bundled it up, and carried it to the garbage can like he is supposed to do. After my attention was back, I asked him,"did you eat all of your sandwich?" Our little three year old took off running, which he does sometimes when he thinks he is in trouble. I called him back and asked him again. He very reluctantly told me "no." I went to the garbage and removed the wadded napkin. Inside of it I found only three 1 inch strips of crust.

Truth. He knows what it is. We all know what it is. However, in order to give it a title, we must also know its counterpart. Don't get me wrong, that little boy knows how to lie too. But how does he know what either one is? Me. His mother. His friends. Is this the correct answer? Or does it just come naturally to us all?

As a child we all lie for various reasons. We feel guilty because we did something wrong. Or, maybe because we want something ("no, I didn't already have a piece of candy!"). There are two simple ways to go: truth or lie. Adults make a whole other catagory.

We create a whole other area to make ourselves feel better about our reasons for lying. We may call it a grey area, "white lie," or maybe an omission of the truth. The funny thing about it is that the motives for the lies are the same as when we were little children.

Jesus only had one category.

Truth is incredibly powerful. If you have ever had a friend that you have never had to lie to each other, you know that. Sadly, the reality of things is that, if you are lucky, you may have only one of those people in a lifetime. Having someone that you can tell the bad things to even though you know its going to hurt-admitting that you made an incredible mistake and knowing that, though it may take some time, they will forgive you-being able to tell someone the whole truth without omitting the unfavorable parts-loving someone so much that you are able to do the same for them. How many, honestly, have you had in your life?

The truly great part of this realization is that no matter what your answer is, you get to add one more. God is the ultimate best friend, the perfect companion, the reliable partner.

I look around sometimes and amazed at how hard it is for some people to see that. They spend their lives so full of lies and deceit because that do not trust anyone. Folks who lie to their friends because they want so much for what they are doing to be the right thing, all the while ignoring that it isn't God's way so it can't be right. People of faith trying to cover up their own weaknesses by inventing a new truth.

I do my best to forgive, ask for forgiveness, and love those around me, but I am not perfect either. But I know God knows my weaknesses, I confess them to him and thank him for his grace and forgiveness.

Because he IS truth.




P.S. If you are reading this, be patient--this is my first blog and I am long winded. I am working on making my thoughts more concise. God Bless.