For My Friend Gloria

 About six weeks ago my job came to an end. It was one of those moments which many people have experienced. One minute you are an intricate part of a fascinating work in progress and in the next your not.  However, that was not the toughest part of the day for me. The most difficult part was sitting in my office with the head of HR...a collegue...and a friend...Gloria...we call her Glo. She had the undesirable duty of standing watch as I packed my office and then escorting me from the building to my car. This part was so unexpected and carried with it a humiliation I had never experienced. She ask if she could help me carry anything...I said "If you could just carry my pride out of here."

She did not say much while I packed...the room was heavy with mixed emotions. She mostly tried to smile and direct me in what I had to do. When I finished packing I just sat there...she allowed me a moment...I was thinking...this was a walk I do not want to make. Then she said softly "You ready, Rick?". I nodded, picked up several stuffed briefcases, and we walked...her eyes full of tears...a slight quiver in her lips...she managed a professional composure as we passed the curious faces. The hallway which isn't that long seemed to have no end...but it did...we stepped out into the warm sunlight and she walked me all the way to my car. She was awesome that day as she walked  me to a place in my life that I did not want to go.

Just a few months before, this same lady walked me to another place I didn't want to go... an ambulance. After the EMT's had strapped an oxygen mask on me I proceeded to tell them that I did not want to go. I was really foggy and couldn't figure out all that was going on. As they rolled me toward the ambulance I realized that Glo was speaking to me. Her voice was reassuring and allowed me to calm down a bit. I could not see everything that was going on. I can't remember much that was said but the sound of her voice let me know that somone was with me. I later thought I had heard her voice the entire ambulance ride. But they tell me she met us at the emergency room. I have no memory of what happend for several hours. But I remember hearing her talk to doctors and nurses...I was not alone.

I think God places people in our lives for specific reasons. Looking back I see where God may have allowed Glo in my life to help me take two walks. It is truly a beautiful thing to have someone who can walk you to places in life where you don't want to go.

Thanks Glo

Rescue me

I have a friend that was a Game Warden in California. He once told me how part of his job was to patrol the canals that run for many miles through the desert in the Imperial Valley. Many of the canals have concrete sides. One day he saw a small deer had slipped into the canal and could not climb up the slippery concrete. He got a rope out of his truck and proceeded to try and lasso the the desperate little deer. But every time he threw the lasso the deer would duck and move thinking his rescuer was trying to hurt him. The little animal was in panic mode and could not grasp the situation. My friend tried and tried until the little deer ducked for the last time and did not surface. It had run out of strength to peddle and simply could not keep its head above the water any longer. As it disappeared into the water, my friend sat down on the side of the canal and wept. He was not just thinking of the deer that had not understood what was going on as somone tried to rescue it but he thought of the thousands of people who resist their rescuers...parents, friends, family, concerned people... in panic mode they could not comprehend the love and help that was available...and ultimately they go under...drowned by one of the many tough issues of this life.

Should you look through the archives of my articles you will find one called...A little Heaven Today...where I wrote this line..."Dancing and drowning it all looks the same...struggle to get nowhere....it looks so insane". Many times someones dance looks a little crazy to us but so does someones efforts when they are desperately trying to survive. Instead of standing on the banks and criticising their efforts or the fact that they got themselves into this mess...instead of waiting until they have no strength left...instead of waiting until it all makes sense or trying to make sure they understand how they got into this...maybe with love in your heart, hope in your eyes and intention in your actions...and with no conditions...just throw a lasso...save somebody who is in their own clumsy way crying..."Please rescue me."
"What you have done for the least of these you have done for me."
                                                                                          Jesus

Dance, Crazy Moves, Freedom

My 21 year old daughter came up grabbed my hand and started pulling me to the dance floor. I stuttered "Uh...maybe we should wait for a slow song." Fear was rising in my chest. What happened next would not exactly be called dancing...unless just quick movements in succession is considered dancing...regardless of how awkward it looks. But whatever you call it...I did it and my daughter freed me up with her crazy moves...and I just started moving...of course the difference is she looks really good being crazy.
And you know.., as badly as I may have done...I am certain there are those that just wished someone would have grabbed them by the hand...taken them to the floor...made some crazy moves...enjoyed the freedom of being able to let go of themselves....for at least one evening.
You have heard the saying "Dance like no ones watching." Children have no such thoughts. They know nothing of the latest and greatest dance moves and they dance as if everyone is watching. They believe that everyone that looks at them is watching and thinking "Wow look at those moves." And we are thinking just that....it doesn't matter if they are completely out of sequence or can't really keep a beat....as we watch their beaming faces we think this is life at its best...freedom of all worry...no grade is being given on technique....smiles and crazy laughter are being shared...we give grand kisses on little soft cheeks that are dripping in sweat from the freedom that was produced on that dance floor.
There is someone who needs a dance...some moments of being free of themselves and the many expectations of getting everything right...take them by the hand....pull them to life's dance floor and enjoy the awkward movements...it does not matter if there is no smooth technique or if the rhythm is off...just smile and laugh with them....make some crazy moves. We will be watching...and thinking..."Wow...look at those moves."
 

A Wedding...in Black and White

 The colors the Bride chose included a lot of deep red and blue…the crowd was black and white. It appeared odd to me when I first realized that the groom’s side of the sanctuary was mostly black and the bride’s side was mostly white. I became strangely uncomfortable. I would have felt better if we had not been so separated. I wanted to believe that America is just not like that anymore...that we are not so separate. But I don’t have to look very far into my own life to see that we still have long way to go.
The Bride had taken things into consideration when she planned the reception…she had assigned seating….Okay I just thought I was uncomfortable before and wanted things more mixed. Now I am about to sit down and try to enjoy the food and festivities with a bunch of people I don’t even know…they had to feel the same way when they realized the last empty seat at their table was for…well…me…but what happened was great conversation and an entertaining evening with some wonderful people and pretty soon I began to forget the black and whiteness of this crowd.
I remember sitting back and looking at all the tables and thinking this is what God had in mind all along…His children… “Red and yellow black and white they are precious in His sight Jesus loves the little children of the world”.
However, I know there were people in this group that never imagined a day where white and black men would socialize on an equal level. But tonight they would get to know each others families, serve each other drinks, hug each others children, and watch as two young people, whose brave stand and relentless love for each other, caused our uniquely black and white worlds to collide…things will never be the same…family gatherings will be different than anyone ever imagined. An opportunity has been given for new ways of thinking to emerge…for reason to take its place over inherited faulty logic…a new way of being is available.
I couldn’t help but laugh a little as I thought of the strain that some of the adults in this room must be feeling…while the children…both black and white…seemed unaffected…they just laughed and danced…they were at a wedding…yea…food and punch and dancing…yea… for them…the children…they did not have the moment of uncomfortableness I had…the contrast in color had not affected them…and hopefully… in their future…color will have less distinction…the uniting of color and spirits will be normal life for them…maybe…if we continue to work at it… our children and grandchildren can be free of the limiting power of prejudice. It has separated us for too long…caused us to miss out on the incredible beauty of different cultures…kept us from being our best as human beings.
Maybe…When Martin Luther King said “Free at last,..Free at last…thank God Almighty we are Free at last”…maybe…he meant everyone…both black and white.

Dream Center

Today I visited the Dream Center. A church building over fifty years old
had gone almost completely empty
is now filled with people
some needed a ride to get there...provided
some needed something to eat...provided
some needed someone to be glad to see them...provided
some needed to be reminded that God has not given up on them...provided
food for the hungry
counsel for the broken
teaching for guidance
worship for the soul
music that moves the spirit
hugs...smiles...encouragement...prayers

I was moved beyond words...

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
James 1:27

Dreams do come true
Baton Rouge Dream Center
http://servolution.org/hpc/?page_id=3

Searching

I recently had a great weekend eating and laying around the pool at my sister’s house.
While lying out by the pool I decided to catch up on my daily Bible reading and with my wet fingers began to turn those thin Bible pages. They of course started sticking together. I quickly learned…dry hands before reading Bible at pool…I’m really quick like that.
I had taken my hearing device (also know as a hearing aid…I just can’t use that term) out and laid it on the table before I went in for a swim and when I was ready to go in the house I grabbed all my things and headed upstairs. Once there, I realized I did not have my hearing device. So I went back down to get it from the table. It was not there. I searched all around the table and could not find it. Went back upstairs and checked all my clothing….nothing. My sister and brother-in-law both spent considerable time in the blazing hot sun searching the grass around the edge of the decking…nothing. I went to an event…came back and searched more…nothing….except frustration and disappointment. We worked hard to find that thing and we were earnest in our search but …nothing.
So I left and drove four hours to my home feeling pretty upset that I had lost a three thousand dollar ear piece and that tomorrow I would be back at working saying things like “I’m sorry can you repeat that?” What? I’m sorry what?” etc. etc.
The next morning I sat down with my cup of coffee and my Bible to start my day with my daily reading. When I opened my Bible the hearing device fell out…I was shocked relieved and very thankful. Because I had read it with wet sticky hands the device got stuck between the pages. I had even thumbed through it kind of quickly to see if it might be there. But I had not seen it.
I see a parallel to life in this story. Everything I was looking for was hidden in God’s word. A really diligent look in His word and I would have found exactly what I needed. I was just looking, diligently, in the wrong place.
No matter how diligently we search for things that will make our life better…no matter how sincerely we exert our efforts…and no matter how often we go searching or how long we search…we will not find real peace, happiness or contentment…our search can leave us feeling frustrated and disappointed with life. When in fact, all the answers, everything we are looking for has been securely tucked away in His word…just waiting to be discovered.
Look there….a quick thumb through and you will miss it… take your time...search...find...what you are looking for.

If you look for me, really search for me, you will find me”
                                                                               God

Stories

Sometimes people don’t misinterpret what you say…they just reinterpret what you said…they tell a story…about what was said or done or not done…and we people of the human race love our stories. They are not lies…not to the person telling the story anyway…they are just repeating the event in sort of a…parable…you know…like Jesus told parables…only…not really. We use stories to make us feel good…. to look good...to gain allies….Jesus stories were to illustrate truth.

There is this fear that people will not totally get how badly we have been wronged if we just repeat exactly what was said or done …. so we parableize...no that's not actually a word. Don’t get me wrong…we do have the facts to back our story…just not always in the best context… and we even add our “knowledge” of the real intent of what was said or done. We say things like “I just know”… as though we are truly mind and heart readers. And the problem with these stories is that they can bind us up...they can actually put our own life on a sort of pause......keep us ineffective until we let the story go.
Sometimes people have a story so fixed in their minds that even the facts, no matter how well presented, will not change what they are saying. They believe it…it’s a kind of faith…a substance or an evidence of things not seen.…only…not really
And we all know it’s not an easy thing to just up and decide to let go of a story we have been telling. After all , think of the personal adjustments we have had to make to keep the story alive and believable…and if we have told enough people...we have supporters…a sympathy team…believers…it would be hard to let them down now. And, not only that, but the sympathizers have been getting pretty juiced on the story themselves and have probably repeated it, with a few alterations and additions of their own.
The feelings associated with our stories are powerful and the entire process of storytelling has a tremendous emotional pay off…sympathy for sure, perhaps some superiority, and maybe even a little martyrdom. But stories...parables of partial truths...will not bring us what we are looking for…true peace….joy...lasting happiness…dreams fulfilled.
Its not that the event didn't happen to us or that the words were not spoken or that the deed was done or that something was not done. And it is certainly not that we were not hurt.  Its the story that we make up about it that is not a reliable reflection of what actually took place. We are not mind or heart readers. We don't really know why anyone does anything....but we make up great stories. And for many, holding on to their story is not serving them well in life. Play a bigger game...create a story thats worth living.
Free yourself...forgive...forget...end the story.