Not to Be Taken Lightly

          I have come to the point where with everything that is going on in the world. I sit back and say, "What could getting upset solve?" We live in a country divided, where each side takes delight in pointing fingers, making mountains out of molehills, turning trivial matters and offhand comments into life and death situations, and pouring their energy into making sure the opposition gains no ground at any cost. We see it in our government, we see it in our traffic and other interpersonal relationships, and we even see it in our churches. The attitude is, "I may be wrong, but I'll do my damnedest to find anyone who is more in error. I may sin, but I'll search high and low to fins someone else whose sins are darker than mine, just to make myself look not as bad."
          I realize this is nothing new, but has seemed to have intensified lately. I've searched Scripture to see where it says we should undermine. discredit, and work to destroy those with whom we disagree, or don't even like.
          I follow a God of love AND justice, a Savior for all who claim Him, and a Spirit available to anyone who believes. Joshua 24:14-15 states: "Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and faithfulness; put away the gods your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now, if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your ancestors served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

Broken

Most good discussions or conversations usually begin with a question. Where are you going on vacation this year? What do you think of the new Transformers movie? What is the meaning of life? Why is there air? Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight? (Just wanted to see if you were listening, and who might get that obscure reference.) All these questions seem to rattle our minds and get us thinking about stuff. So, let me ask you a question today to get you started.

Have you ever been broken? I hear you saying, “Ron, now do you mean broken physically, emotionally, spiritually, economically….what?” I can only answer, “Yes.”

I’ve had personal experience in the broken department.

About fifteen months ago, I came to know what it means to be truly physically broken. My heart stopped, simple as that. What caused it? Who knows. But, then I found myself in the center of what I call a “perfect storm”. From the cardiologist who just happened to be at the scene, to the various people I knew along the process, to the life flight to Cleveland (they don’t have in-flight movies, by the way), to the speed in which I was put into surgery for stent placement……… all worked towards saving my life, and I’m convinced God made it all happen. Someone once said there are no coincidences, only God incidents. Now, whether God has more for me to do here beyond sharing my story has yet to be seen. But, I’m trying to stay open to any and all suggestions and guidance He sends my way.

But, I’ve also experienced heartbreak at the betrayal of friends, at the thought of the injustice of this world, and at the thought that I might not be able to finish what I have to do here, or even that maybe I already have finished it. In my brokenness, I’ve been angry, sad, frustrated, apathetic,  I’ve flown into rages, shown my contempt through sarcasm, and just about gave up on everything. All because I refused to see just how broken I was at those times.

And, while those times may appear to be sobering, I have found that having to rely on God to get me through them has helped change some of my attitudes and ways of dealing with the brokenness in my life.

To quote Henri Nouwen - “Our life is full of brokenness - broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God's faithful presence in our lives.”

Now, let’s look at some biblical examples of brokenness. Think of your favorite parable. What is it? Sheep and goats…… the widow’s mite…… the fig tree…… lost stuff…….. Mine has to be the prodigal son. It’s the story of two brothers and their dad who happen to be in a broken relationship. Well, really, two relationships. Okay, three. We have the youngest son wanting what he thinks he deserves right now, symbolically wishing his dad dead, and ignoring his older brother’s rights. We have the older brother who is so angry at his kid brother’s life style choices, that even when his sibling returns, he can’t bring himself to join in a party celebrating the younger’s coming home. Sure, he thinks his dad is ridiculous, too, for throwing such a shindig. Do they make up? Is their relationship restored? The story never tells, But the story is used to illustrate how we can be broken and not even realize it. It makes you think about your own selfishness and stubbornness and how it hurts you and others. I look at my own relationships, some I take for granted, some I ignore, and I see there is a certain amount of brokenness in some of them. In the prodigal son story, the father gives the sons a way to reconciliation. It is through including God; turning the process over to Him, and forgiving one another that they might be repaired.

And what about the beatitudes? Look at that list of people there. Can you see the potential for brokenness in each group? As you look at each, try to speculate, try to imagine what happened in their lives to bring about the need Jesus says they have. Then, think about the reward each will get at the hands of our Savior.

Matthew 5:1-12 -  When Jesus^a saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ² Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

In her book, Brokenness, the Heart God Revives, Nancy Leigh DeMoss states, “Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" - contrary to what we would expect, brokenness is the pathway to blessing! There are no alternative routes; there are no short-cuts. The very thing we dread and are tempted to resist is actually the means to God's greatest blessings in our lives.”

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” How many of us have experienced mourning and then found comfort in our faith, in the love and compassion of Jesus, and in the support of others in our Christian community?

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” My thesaurus tells me I can use humble or patient instead of meek. Think of the times you’ve rushed into something, thought you had it all figured out, only to have it blow up and cause pain and discomfort. Patience and humility are valuable assets, but sometimes come at a great price.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Those are the ones who see the injustice in their own lives and in this world, then try to make some sense of it to try to find solutions.

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” They recognize their own hurting and need for forgiveness, extending it to others instead of seeking revenge and restitution.

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Ah, the pure in heart. Too often they find themselves as the targets of ridicule and sarcasm, misunderstood as they are seen as being full of themselves, and holier than thou.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” We can only imagine what they have experienced so that they seek out an equitable, just compromise when trouble arises.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely^b on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” These are the ones who suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous treatment, slanderous words, and being excluded from society due to their commitment to God and His will.

Again, quoting Nancy Leigh DeMoss - “True brokenness is a lifestyle - a moment-by-moment lifestyle of agreeing with God about the true condition of my heart and life - not as everyone else thinks it is but as He knows it to be.”

“Being broken isn't the worst thing. We can be mended and put together again. We don’t have to be ashamed of our past. We can embrace the history that gives us value, and see our cracks as beautiful.” That comes from Anna White, in her book Mended: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Leaps of Faith

How do you make an omelet? You need eggs, seasoning, and some sort of filling. The only way the eggs can be useful is to break them, to get at the stuff inside, to use it to create something in a different form. This is how God uses us in our brokenness. He takes what we offer, as imperfect as it is, and He uses it for building character through our brokenness.

Vance Havner has this to say about God’s using us. “God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever.”

Before my heart attack, I was doing 5K races and averaging around 40 minutes. In fact, it was about a mile into one that the heart attack happened. But, that may have delayed my running and walking, but it didn’t stop it completely. Within a couple of months, I was back training, eventually working my way into racing again. But in the “fixing” of my heart, even though I’ve had improved blood flow, I am a bit slower. God is using that to keep me grounded, keep me focused on what a miracle this life is, keep me appreciating each day as a gift. Getting faster is not such a priority now. Finishing each race is. Paul even had something to say about that.

In Hebrews 12:1-2, we find these words:

“12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,^[a] and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of^[b] the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” We are to keep at it, keep going, even when our brokenness slows us down, even when we get frustrated and start questioning the wisdom of the race, for, as Paul says, it is the race that is set before us. It is part of God’s plan for our lives. You might even say it is our destiny.

It’s okay to be broken, for it is when we are in that state we realize our dependence on God to fill in and help us move on. Just because you’re broken doesn’t mean you have to be fixed. In fact, I think trying to go back to being as good as new can be a source of wasted effort and frustration. You’ll never be “good as new” in this life. One of my favorite authors, Brennan Manning, puts it this way -  “God loves you unconditionally, as you are and not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be.”

In Psalms 34:18, we are given these words of comfort, of encouragement.

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” We can find safe haven in His love, knowing that He accepts us, and will work to bring about healing, if we only let Him.

In ancient Roman days, craftsmen used to boast about how fine their work in wood was. In order to fool people into thinking the material was top notch, they would coat the wood with wax, which would fill in any imperfections. The word for wax was “cere”. Customers would look over the products, then ask if the wood was without wax, the word for without being “Sine”. If the craftsman told the truth when he assured the work was sine cere – without wax- he gained the reputation of being honest and worthy of trust. In other words, he was sincere. This is where we get that word, from this practice, and I think it is what God looks for when we sees us. Are we sincere, are we without wax, are we without filler? Do we show ourselves, giving ourselves to Him, imperfections and all, broken people who offer the best we have?

Consider this point. When Christ greets you in the next life, He won’t be looking for your rewards and medals. He’ll be more interested in your scars. They serve as reminders of what has hurt us, what has caused doubt, what has made us feel unworthy. But, they also tell of the healing found in the arms of our Savior, who fully understands what it means to be broken.

It’s okay to be broken.

I'm Not Burying My Head in the Sand

I've listened and I've tried to learn to think for myself. The facts presented are but mere shadows of the truth, hung out on a line of logic that serves whatever hidden agenda is possessed by the speaker or the source. It boggles the mind and makes my head hurt trying to sort it all out, but that sorting is necessary in order to get a more accurate picture. My opinions come few and far between sometimes because I simply don't take the time and effort to formulate them. There are too many topics to worry about, and too many voices competing for my energy, and by expressing how one feels about each has a tendency to limit flexibility, especially if your opinion changes in any way down the line. "But, you said..." are powerful words that can be used to build a prison which can hard to escape. Really, there are only a few key concepts with which we need to concern ourselves.

Practiced Focus

Our minds travel in so many directions at one time that it is difficult to choose one into which we should pour our energy. And, even though there are times that focus occurs, there is still a plethora of distractions battling for our short attention spans. Discipline is needed, but the increments of that that we introduce into our lives must be obtainable and manageable, lest we find ourselves overwhelmed. Instant compliance to standards we set is nigh unto impossible. Best to view our growth in these areas as the processes they are, then strive, counting on divine guidance, to become closer in our obedience.

At What Price?

Every week we receive notices of new books, new music, new movies, and the like being unleashed on the general public (as well as those intended for niche markets, of which fewer are aware.) This steady outpouring begs a question: Is all creativity, or what we call creativity, a good thing? What are the parameters of acceptability when it comes to this? Have we nurtured a culture of acceptance of quirky being genius, mediocrity disguised as ability? Then, do we rely on the mass marketing machine to inform us what is good, and what should fall by the wayside (although it seems little does)? What has brought this about? Have we become so desperate to fill any perceived emptiness with the trite and unpolished? All I ask is a little discernment when it comes to this stuff.

Truth Be Told

I may have touched on this topic before, but I have been thinking about it for the past couple of days.

How true to life are the stories we tell about ourselves? Do we add minor details in order to "punch them up" and make these stories more interesting? Do we embellish them, honing the vocabulary each time we tell them, working on them to turn them into a polished routine? If we were to return to the original events, would they pale by comparison?
Or do we go in the opposite direction, playing things down, reducing and simplifying to the point of dismissal? Seems to be a fine line somewhere as to how much or how little we should tell.
Our story is our story, and, truth be told, it can have an impact on others. Like so many tales, the effect is in the content, surely, but what really "sells" it is the delivery. Tell your tale, and be true to yourself. Sincerity of heart trumps acting any day of the week.

Random - Part One

- If your only food is anger,
and your only drink is pain
An you're not allowed to sohw it,
how can we expect a change?

- NE Ohio in the dead of winter with snow and cold and more snow, yet people complain about the weather, even though it's NE Ohio in the dead of winter.......

- We follow those who make grand pronouncements, yet have little or no substance.

- The ability to take something small and blow it up into a weapon that can be used to browbeat others does not show cleverness, but a wounded, mean spirit.

- Our time here is so short and fleeting, why do we insist on filling it with petty jealousy and a lust for vengeance that is neither deserved by us or ours

- Just how widespread is our DNA trail? Think about it..... if our skin cells carry our DNA, and we lose skin cells whenever we brush up against something, what does that say about leaving our mark?

- We really think we're something, don't we?

Well Played, God, Well Played

I was in a meeting last night listening to men talk about how God has been working in their lives, the difference it has made to them, and how they have become more aware of His Presence daily. All it takes is focusing and paying attention.
But let me put it to you that there are forces which act on us for our good of which we aren't always aware. I go back once more to last Memorial Day when, unbeknownst to me, an angel in human form put the effort into CPR to keep me from becoming unreachable. I did not ask for this, nor did I know it was happening at the time, but it was for my benefit. So, one more lesson has come out of that experience, an example that shows how God does things, then stands back sometimes and lets us figure out the meaning of the blessing. Well played, God, well played.

Encouragement

In the new year, and the quiet of an almost empty house, there have been plenty of opportunities to reflect, review, and reconfigure the events of 2013. But I feel enough has been said about them, so it is time to move on and look ahead to the coming year with excitement and baited breath. We have twelve months looming large on the distant, and not so distant, horizon, with potential around every corner, and things for which we will try to prepare. Planning is one thing, but there needs to be built in flexibility as a safeguard against disappointments and frustrations. With each new turn and moment, we are smart to take a lesson from our GPS's and recalculate the journey ahead.
So, all that being said, let me suggest you develop a "bucket list" for the year. Make them as diverse as your dreams. Include small things, as well as big ones. Guarantee success, and also grasp at the barely possible. Give something to someone every day, whether it be materialistic or emotional, spiritual guidance, to simple a kind word or gesture. Giving isn't as hard as you may think, and the littlest things can usually produce something huge in the life of another.
Get closer to your family, especially if relationships have been strained in the past. Hurts and slights, and wounds long ago healed over need not be opened every time you meet. Old roles and attitudes should be put aside, and the commonality of family should be shared.
Live love. It's what Jesus would want you to do.