GENTLE REMINDERS

A particular week had been one of those "downer" weeks for me. I had been feeling somewhat complacent with life in general, finding fault with a myriad of circumstances and situations.  My past and current relationships seemed to be in an upheaval, changes taking place at work made me cautious, my financial situation brought worry and fear to my mind and my struggles in finding my purpose in life was frustrating.  I just didn't know who Bud was anymore.  I didn't know what Bud wanted or where Bud was headed and worse yet, I didn't know if God really cared about Bud and any of those things I was dealing with.  So I become somewhat withdrawn from the world and those around me.  I found myself wanting to sleep a lot and not have to talk to anyone.  I wanted to be alone, so once Friday rolled around I made it clear to those who know me that I just needed time for myself.  Time to not have to answer to anyone.  Time to just do whatever I wanted to do whenever I wanted to do it.

 

I started this therapeutic self-searching weekend by spending part of my Saturday morning going through a few boxes that I have stored in my garage. What I ended up doing most of Saturday and part of Sunday was more loads of laundry than I ever imagined I would be doing!!   I came across a lot of clothing that I had forgotten about since my two moves to where I now live.  Some of it I had wished I had never found. You may be wondering how I got any answers to my depressive state by doing all of that laundry, and I am going to have to admit that it wasn't the laundry that helped me at all.  You see, as I went through box after box of "stuff" I came upon things from my past.  A photo of my grandfather and grandmother. Another photo of my first father who died when I was three years old.  I found drawings I had done as a child, poetry I had written as a teen.  I came across POW/MIA badges that I had picked up at the recruiters office right before I joined the military at 18 years of age.  I came across my Boy Scout pins, an old belt buckle that I wore as a youth, the Bible that I carried when I was in the Army Reserves and a bag full of tokens and old coins that I had found with a metal detector. I found greeting cards that my children had made me and cards from people dear to my heart that expressed their love for me.  I found pictures of me with my girlfriend, my children and my family. With every item that I picked up, I found a sense of belonging.  I received a sense of remembrance and a feeling of warmth and love.  All of those momentos were small parts of my life, and just pieces of who I am today and the kind of man that I have turned out to be. Yes, some of those items have intangible memories with them. My father, grand parents, girlfriend are no longer a viable part of my life. All have past on in one way or another yet what they left behind will remain with me forever. Other items are much more tangible.  My kid's drawings and cards, pictures of my brothers and sisters, my own drawings and of course, my Bible.  All of those items I can still experience today.  I can still go there and witness the love and comfort and more importantly, see first hand why I am here and what my purpose truly is.

 

That Saturday morning going through boxes of old "stuff", was a morning filled with gentle reminders of my life and the vast amount of love and wonderful experiences I have been blessed with.  It gave me comfort about my past and gave me encouragement for my future.

God is just like that in our walk with Him.  Sometimes we become complacent in our faith and in our walk as Christians.  Sometimes we forget who God is and how personal He desires to be with us, but he sends us a gentle reminder in the form of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said in John 14; 25-27; "All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will REMIND you of all things and will REMIND you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid."

Just like all those little pieces of my life that I came across reminded me of those who have loved and cared for me, the Holy Spirit reminds us all of how much God loves us.  Jesus promises to send us a Counselor in our time of need and to give us the Peace that we need to live in this earthly world.  He promises us a Comforter when our hearts are troubled and afraid.

I do not think my Saturday morning experience was happenstance at all.  I believe with all my heart that it was God revealing His love for me and giving me back my assurance for my life.  I want to encourage you today, right now, that if you find yourself worried or troubled or afraid about life to turn it over to God, and to ask for the Holy Spirit to comfort you in your time of need.  God is faithful to meet you wherever you find yourself today.

A FATHER’S MOLDING

My father has been gone for a number of years now.  He had quadruple by-pass surgery back in 1975 and had actually lived years longer than expected. Although we all knew his health was poor, his passing was still a painful shock to myself, my four siblings and of course to his wife, our mother.  The thing that most of us as children experience when a parent passes on, whether its a father or a mother, is the sudden realization of the enormous impact that they had in our lives.  Their input on us was more than just clean clothes to wear, food to eat and a roof over our heads.  It was more than buying our school supplies and making sure we actually went to school.  It went beyond making sure we had our baths, brushed our teeth and did our homework.  What is imparted to us by our parents runs much deeper, more personal and intimate, more lasting, helpful and useful.

This came to me not long after my father had been laid to rest when I had to go jump-start the battery to someone's vehicle.  As I began the process of connecting "black to ground and red to hot", my eyes could not help but tear up as I remembered back to when I first learned how to do this simple task. Back to the time when my father tossed me the keys to the trunk, told me to bring out the jumper cables and then slowly talked me through the task, step by step, explaining the do's and don'ts and the why's.  My father had molded a part of my life that will be with me forever.

I am sure that you can understand and can relate to this parent/child molding.  Stop and think of the things that you do today as adults that are a direct result of your father or mother.  The way you bait your fish hook. How to change a flat tire. How to do your laundry. Proper use of hand tools. How to tie your tie or shine your shoes or balance a checkbook or fold your clothes or any number of other things that you were shown how to do by your parent.  Not only did they impart so much into your life, but their life continues to live in you and through you, as you take all those things that they freely, lovingly and wisely gave, and pass them right on along to your very own children.  Why do our parents do this for us??  Why do they take the time to show us by example, to teach us personally?  Simply because they love us, and that's why you do the same for your own children.  It's a wise thing to learn, apply and pass it a long.

Ephesians Chapter 5, Verse 1 says; "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Here in Ephesians, the Apostle Paul is telling us that we too should be imitators of God.  Jesus is God revealed to us, and Jesus showed us by example and taught us in person the ways of God the Father. Jesus said in John 13:15, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." What is it that we are to do then?  Live a life of love. We are to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger.  We are to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave and forgives you.

If you find yourself today not living a life of love, if you find yourself holding on to bitterness and resentments, if you find yourself dealing with bouts of rage, anger and unwilling to forgive, then let me encourage you to put an end to those things, for they are not what your Father has taught you. Living your life in those things is not what Jesus gave himself up for. I encourage you to do as Christ has done, to follow his example, and to live a life of love.

The Ultimate Vacation

Not long ago, my wife and I took a wonderful vacation back to her home state.  For me, it was a vacation that I never thought that I'd ever get to take.  Being a resident of Ohio, the west coast of the United States seemed to far a distance for me to ever reach, yet there in the state of Washington was where I found myself, writing this article.

 

This particular destination came about due to the fact that my wife is from Seattle and her parents live on Puget Sound in the town of Sequim, so we began discussing us going "home" for a visit.  In the course of that discussion, Barbara told me a lot about Seattle, Sequim, Rialto Beach, Hurricane Ridge, Mount St. Helens and many other wonderful sounding places.  Her words painted a beautiful state with lots to do and to see.  Of course, we had a small collection of brochures to peruse along with several web sites that we had bookmarked.  It all looked and sounded great, but I found myself silently wondering if it really was as nice as I had been told.

 

Months of planning finally came to fruition with our airplane landing in Seattle, Washington.  There to meet us at the airport was Barbara's mother and father. It was a nice feeling to see familiar faces welcoming us in!  After a few more hours of driving and ferrying, we were finely "home".  Not long afterwards, we had a great day spending time with Barbara's two brothers, their wives and children.  Then on Sunday we met more "family" by attending the Sequim Vineyard Church.  Pastor Jonathan Simonson and his congregation made us feel right at home. It's funny, but as believers in Jesus, no matter where we go the brothers and sisters in Christ are a fresh air of familiarity.  It was all very nice.

 

Now, as far as the state of Washington, let me be the first to say that everything I had been told, everything I had read about it and everything I imagined about it was so wonderfully true!  The snow-capped mountains, the tall, huge fir trees, the majestic Bald Eagles and the rugged Pacific Ocean shoreline was everything I had hoped it would be!  I am, to say the least, having a very enjoyable vacation!

 

What a comfort it was to finally find out for myself that everything I had hoped about this great place was true, and I think that as believers in Christ we can stand on that very same hope about our home in Heaven that Jesus has went to prepare for us. Jesus said in John 14, verses 1-3; "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

 

Yes, no one has ever gone to Heaven and came back with eye-witness accounts. No one has ever printed out slick brochures filled with photos of Heaven, but it's there and it's waiting for us to enter in. God gave the Apostle John a vision of what Heaven is like. John described some it like this; "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb." (Rev. 21:21 & 22)  

 

I encourage you as believers in Christ, to find comfort in knowing that God's Word is true and that everything he has revealed to us about our final destination is all and more he has said it to be.  Jesus will be at the gate of Heaven when we land to meet us, as will all the other saints who have made the journey before us; grand parents, parents, children and friends, all waiting for us to come "home" and experience the true ultimate vacation for eternity.

SNEAKY SNICKERS

When my son was in the 5th grade, he took a route job for our local newspaper.  As he made his daily rounds, Monday through Sunday, 7 days a week, he got to know most of his customers.  He'd come home each afternoon and tell a story or two about what was going on with people in our neighborhood.  One particular evening he came home all excited with the news that Mrs. Brown's cat was going to have babies and she said that he could have his pick of the litter!  I'll never forget how excited he was. The only downside to his excitement was that I, his father and man of the house, was not a cat lover.  I never liked cats, my mother and father never liked cats, so I soundly and firmly stated that no smelly, shedding cat was ever coming into our house and that was that.

Seven weeks later, a little grey-striped kitten invaded the sanctity of our household.  I may not have liked cats, but I loved my son.

Everyone took a shine to this little purring puff ball that quickly became known as Snickers.  Everyone that is except me.  I refused to have anything to do with her.  Actually, I never referred to her as "her" nor by her name.  She was always an "it" to me, at best.  A bundle of adjectives and insult laden nicknames were in there also.

I've often heard that animals can tell when someone doesn't care for them. Some kind of innate sense that they have and this must be true because I am almost positive that Snickers knew my feelings for her were feelings of disgust and mistrust.  Cats are sneaky and conniving, you know.  Anyway, no matter where I was in the house, Snickers would find me.  It's as if she was looking for me on purpose just to antagonize me. When found, she'd begin her soft little purring and start nuzzl'in up against my feet. If I was standing, she'd do this little "figure eight" routine between my legs, weaving in and out and purring all the while.  Man, I hated that cat. 

Once, as I rested in my recliner with my arm dangling over the side, I felt her cool little nose press against my palm and she quickly buried her face into it, rubbing against me and yes, purring right along.  That stupid cat sure was persistent.  I scratched between her ears a bit then muttered something about a dumb cat, got up and walked down the hall, Snickers bounding right along after me.  Another time while stretched out in my recliner, my favorite place if you haven't figured that out yet, I was suddenly jolted awake by a little "thud" on my lap.  I opened my eyes and looked down at Snickers as she slowly and methodically made her way up my chest, buried her little face into my beard and then, just to ice the cake, wrapped her little front leg around my neck, her paw giving me a gentle hug as she purred herself to sleep.  Family members took photos of that event, so no matter what I'd say otherwise, there was proof that could be shown.

Persistent love. Undeserved love.  Why I'll never know.  But that's how God is with each and every one of us.  He has said that his love for us is unending and never changing, and that he would never leave us nor forsake us. In fact, the Bible teaches us in John, chapter 3 verse 16 that "God so LOVED the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  Now that's persistent and undeserved Love, that while we were yet sinners God still loved us enough to sacrifice his only Son for the remission of our own sins.  Love conquers all things, even death.

At 15 years of age, Snickers passed away. Her persistent love that she showed me, and desired of me, softened my heart and made me look at her kind in a new light.  Not with hatred or disgust, but with compassion and caring. And I give thanks to God for showing me an example of undeserved love through our sneaky little Snickers.

The Uninvited Guest

My wife and I live in a very nice suburban development and our house is approximately 15 years old. It is nestled in-between two other well managed and kept homes of similar age and our backyards butt up against a small tree-lined ridge overlooking Alum Creek.  Our home is well built, tightly constructed, dry and well maintained. It's a peaceful place to live and for now we are both content to spend the next couple of years here.  With that said, this is where our family and friends can find us.  Our doors are open to them and we welcome their visits. We like to think of ourselves as a pretty hospitable couple.  The only thing we prefer that they do is let us know in advance when they plan to stop by for a visit.  After all, most of them live over an hour away and my wife and I keep a pretty busy and active lifestyle.  Other than that, no stipulations.  We welcome them whole heartedly.

It's the unexpected visitors that I don't care for, especially like the one that called on me one recent Friday evening.

My den is the finished basement of our home and more often than not that is where anyone stopping by will find me.  I am usually down there either watching the Cleveland Indians or at my computer doing any number of tasks.  That's exactly where I was that Friday, at my computer searching Ebay.  At 12:30 a.m., the long day finally caught up with me so I shut my computer down, strolled across the room and began to place my foot on the first stair-step when my unexpected visitor made his presence known.  With a loud yell, I bolted back away from the steps and actually shivered at the sight of an eighteen inch snake, wiggling and struggling to find shelter in the corner of the carpet!

Once my pounding heart was back in it's rightful place, I regained my composure and found my walking stick. With it, I pinned his head down, grabbed him gently and carried him out back.  There I tossed him over into the woods and hoped he wouldn't find his way back.  Even though it was a snake, I couldn't help but talk to him as I carried him away.  "Where did YOU come from?!"  "How did you get into my house?"  "You know, you're real lucky that I don't end your little life right now!"  Of course, he didn't answer me but still I had to ask.  Once back inside, I nervously started looking around my den and thought on those questions.  Just where did he come from and how did he get into my house?

Satan or the Devil or the Deceiver or whatever other name you put on him is a lot like that. He shows up when we least expect him to.  Often, we're so caught up in the daily activities of life that we aren't even aware the enemy is lurking by, especially if everything has been going smoothly.  1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be "Self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."  Self-controlled and alert.  Obviously that night I was neither!  I hadn't been alert to what was going on around me.  I was feeling overly safe and secure in the comfort of my own home.  After all, this was my domain, my space, my place of shelter and refuge.  And our spiritual life is like that as well.  When things are going great in our relationship with God, it is easy to let our guard down to the ways of the devil. That's how he wants it to be, so that he can quietly and slowly slither back in and hang around the nooks and crannies and crevices of our lives. That old adversary knows, if left undetected, he can wreak havoc and fear.

The good news is, we as believers have the power through Christ to shake off that fear and become self-controlled when we do become aware of the danger.  Ephesians 6:10 and 11 says "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." 

Once I recognized that snake beneath my feet for what it really was, I was able to muster the courage and take authority of the situation.  Let me encourage you to do the same in your own life when you recognize the enemy moving in to wreak havoc in your life.  Let me encourage you to stand firm on Ephesians 6:10 and 11, to stand strong in the Lord and in HIS power so that you can take your stand against the great adversary.