Real Manhood...

My studies recently have been in the book of John, and one prominent character in the book is John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus. Jesus said that if we want to see a real man, a man that God honors, look no further than John B. As a matter of fact, in Luke 7:28 Jesus says, "I tell you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John..." In looking at John B Stuart Briscoe lists six characteristics of a real man, all exemplified in the life of John B. Those six characteristics are: sincerity, simplicity, conviction, courage, vision, and vulnerability. He then goes on to list the five most difficult statements for men to make today. They are:

1. I don't know.

2. I was wrong.

3. I need help.

4. I'm afraid.

5. I'm sorry.

There is so much truth to these statements, for today society pushes men to be "macho", and to be sensitive or vulnerable is viewed as signs of weakness. And yet, to be sensitive, or vulnerable, is not weak, but proportionally strength of character. It is much harder to admit failure or weakness, to display honesty and humility, than to attempt to bluff our way through, in essence, to live the lie...

Personally, my goal, these past few years especially, is to try to attune myself to God, to try and understand my example Jesus Christ and emulate him, and ultimately move toward becoming the man that is pleasing to God, my Father. I know I'm sadly flawed, and need work in many of these areas, but every now and then I'm rewarded with a comment, or compliment that shows me I'm beginning to reflect some of these traits. Just recently, one who is very special in my life told me she appreciated my sincerity. It was like receiving an "A" on a mid-term or something. What a great feeling, and I so appreciate her sensitivity to say it. (She also reminds me often to keep things simple, so I'm working on simplicity, not my strong suit!). And I know that often I limit my vision...

I also find great difficulty asking for help, for I am terribly self-sufficient in my mind, yet delight in doing things with another... Learning to allow others to help me is a constant struggle, as is admitting fear. So I am a work in progress, but one day, God willing, (and if he allows me a real long life), I may just evolve into a "God's man", rather than being a "man's man"... I think the the neatest reference to walking with God, to pleasing God, is found in the reference to Enoch, where it is written, "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." And, "By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God." (Gen. 5:24 and Heb. 11:5). How cool would that be, to live so pleasing to the Father that we don't have to experience the ultimate penalty for our sin- the pain of death...

I'll Be There...

What's the best way to show you

Just how much I care

When the chips are down

Don't worry, I'll be there.

When life loads you up with burdens

More than you can bear

How can I best help you?

Lean on me for I'll be there.

When your heart is full

And you feel you need to share

Just call out my name,

For you I will be there.

When nighttime noises magnify

And shadows cause a scare

Rest in the safety of my arms,

All night I will be there.

Atheists...

I'm struggling tonight with the whole idea that there is no God. My struggle isn't with my unbelief, rather my struggle lies with trying to understand the mentality of the atheist. In a word, it is depressing. As a believer in God, and Jesus Christ, my life has eternal meaning, and there is a hope after I die and leave this world. I have purpose and direction. But take God out of the equation, and substitute chance, and there is no hope everafter. Purpose is limited to this lifetime, and it's focus becomes very selfish.

As a Christ-follower my focus is to become more Christ-like. He embodied perfect love, he was selfless, and merciful. And he was a man's man. He was intellegent; he was physical. He was Merrill-Lynch before Merrill-Lynch was thought of, because when he spoke the world listened. Time after time he faced down the most noted scholars of his day, those religious authorities that fed their sanctimonius legalism down the throats of the people; he overturned the money-changers' tables and chased them out of the Temple for their dishonest and legalistic practices- drove them out all by himself. He was fun. His first miracle was while attending a party. He was a force. He is my example. My purpose is to love selflessly, and to stand as Protector against those who try to lead the innocent astray... It is my purpose to live here on earth for Him and be united with Him when my time on this earth is over.

But take him out of the equation and what is there? Then, this life is all there is. Our life ends with death. There is no more. So what happens? This life becomes one big "grab all you can" session while here, because there is nothing else. No eternal hope, no eternal purpose. This is all there is, and that sucks. Life becomes selfish and self-centered, because doing for others is a waste of your time... That is depressing...

How can atheists deny the existence of God? If the majestic granduer of nature isn't enough to validate the existence of a higher Being, of a Creator, then certainly they can't deny the natural laws that science, not religion, has established, which disprove the very theories of chance, or evolution. The very laws of Thermodynamics (specifically the second law) disproves the evolutionary process as a viable theory. Therefore, if an environment doesn't evolve up then we didn't start out as a single-cell aemeba which finally crawled out of the sea... We must have been created as intelligent beings in the first place, as is recorded in Scripture, the Word of God, who must exist despite any unbelief... With all the enormity of the cosmos, the vastness of creation, man must be incredibly arrogant to think it's only about him, that something so grand, so majestic could be left to chance. Personally, it takes a greater leap of faith not to believe in God than to accept the evidence of Creation and acknowledge Him... I think I'd have to be an idiot not to believe...

Father's Day thoughts...

I had an opportunity to digress a bit yesterday, to amble a bit down Memory Lane, and at one point found myself at a quaint little place that housed those memories I had from my early twenties. I think it was there, at that point in my life, that I came to a realization that I fear kids sometimes take way too long, if ever, to come to. And it is specifically about my parents.

I had always thought of my parents as just Mom and Dad and up to this point didn't think of them as "people" like me, with hopes, and dreams, and fears, and insecurities. They were always "there" and I think I expected them to always be there. My dad was successful, accomplished, sure of himself. Mom was always wise and loving, and comforting. But one day I saw my dad as a person, just like me. He was worried about the future, about his future- almost to the point of being afraid. It profoundly shocked me and rocked those previously unshakable foundations of my world...

I was unsure of myself- I was young, I was facing the world on my own, with a young wife, a baby on the way, and I kept wondering, "Do I have what it takes? Can I provide for my family? Will I be successful, or will I fail?" I felt like I lived at a point of constant crisis... Then I saw my dad, who'd quit a stable job to go into business for himself, facing these same fears, these same questions. That day my dad lost some of that "superhero" status in my mind, that "Dad isn't afraid of anything" status, but he became real, and it allowed me to appreciate so much more how much he'd accomplished in the face of such fears. That day was the beginning of a whole new level of appreciation, and a whole new chapter in our relationship began to unfold- my dad became real, and in becoming real, he became my friend.

I can only pray that one day, hopefully sooner than later, my kids (especially my boys) will come to that realization that I'm human too, filled with my own hopes and dreams and longings and desires. I can only hope that they stop measuring me against the impossible standards for parents we tend to set in our adolescence and allow me to be human, to err, to live as one of them. Perhaps then they might discover I'm more than a dad- I can be a pretty good friend too...

Truth vs Lie...

Some random thoughts ...

One of those things I pondered yesterday, during a time of solitude out on the lake, was what I considered to be the greatest builder of relationships, and then the greatest destroyer of relationships as well. The two are polar opposites, dreaded enemies- they cannot coexist... I believe truth, with its counterpart trust, is the greatest building block of relationships. With truth you know exactly where you stand, and with truth trust grows. Trust is the adhesive that binds two people together.

The other side of the coin, however, is that malicious, intentional, destroyer of love and life- the lie. The intentional act or words to decieve. Deception- the destroyer of trust, destroyer of love, for love is not enough to sustain a relationship. It must have trust, and trust is only found in truth, never in deception. I think one aspect of unfaithfulness within the context of a relationship is that it is the lie being acted out, the physical incarnation of the mental deception. It is usually the death knell of a relationship...

So why is truth so difficult for us? Why is doing or being what is ultimately good so hard to grasp? Why is the concept of the "little white lie" accepted so universally as okay? Why do we feel the need to "twist" the truth, or play reckless with it, as some are fond of saying? Why is it easier to lie than to be honest? It comes down to our very nature, flawed and sinful, though we don't want to recognize ourselves as such, so the first lie is to ourselves, that we are not that way... And every lie gets easier after that...

I think often lying is recognized as wrong, but is the action of choice because we justify it in our minds by thinking that to tell the truth could ultimately hurt another, so we lie for their benefit. I propose that we offer an answer that simply says, for whatever reason I choose not to make my opinion known, or choose not to commit myself at this time. Or say nothing! If we learn to respect the rights and opinions of others and they respect ours the "need" for lying is gone...

I think this deserves some more thought...

Solitude...

Yesterday the canoe hit the water for the first time this year... There's nothing so grand as getting out on the water, even if it's only for an hour or two, and letting the peacefulness of nature permeate the soul... Have you ever noticed how peaceful nature is? It seems to be almost always at rest. Those times of occassional violent expolsions within the heirarchy of nature are always followed by rest and serenity. The aberant to the serenity of nature is the infusion of man. We are not peaceful or serene by nature at all.

It took time, and practice, and dedication, but I've come to learn to love solitude. It is incredible how allowing the mind and body to just stop- no worrying, no fretting, just getting away for a time and allowing the peace of nature to permeate, to allow the peace of God to soothe the soul can so totally recharge my life batteries. My ability to focus, to zone in and concentrate on the task at hand has dramatically increased as I've learned to let go of worry and fretting through those times of solitude. My ability to problem-solve as well, is much more acute since learning to appreciate the benefits of solitude.

Solitude is beneficial for everyone, but not everyone is capable of the experience. It takes a willingness to let go of the busyness of life, if for just a while, and a commitment to try and understand the precepts of mental release- or more plainly, learning to just let go of life's worries for a designated time and tap into the underlying peace that always surrounds us, though we are often unaware of its presence...

Yet in solitude we sometimes find more than we desire, for when alone we find only God and ourselves present, and as much as some may not want to face or acknowledge God having to face ourselves can be an even scarier proposition. It is in times of solitude we recognize our weaknesses, our deficiencies, and most do not want to handle that. And yet, when we are willing to face ourselves, we can find our strengths, and learn to maximize our potential while learning to deal with our deficiencies in a healthy manner...

Solitude is a discipline of God, often practiced by Jesus when he walked this Earth, and for that alone it is worth learning and exploring. The greater good is in learning to slow down and recognize and enjoy the peace and serenity of creation, and the majesty of God...

Memory Building...

You know, sometimes we are so blessed and just are too busy to slow down and appreciate it. I spent this past weekend with my extended family- twenty four out of twenty seven were there. My brother and three sisters, their spouses and kids, mom and dad, and my daughter and I all rented a lodge up near Devil's Lake, Wisconsin and just hung together. How rich the memories are, how they will warm the heart in days and years to come. That's what "now" is about, it's all about capturing those unforgettable moments in our hearts and minds so when we cannot any longer we still can through our memories...
There is another in my life now with whom I am beginning to build memories; laughing and enjoying each other's company while we learn to enjoy the mundane together. That's so important- learning to enjoy the mundane with another, for when the mundane becomes fun then everything in life can hold the promise of a good memory. We pull weeds together, and while weed pulling isn't necessarily fun doing it with another and enjoying the company makes it fun. Working around the house, putzing around the kitchen together (well, she cooks- I get in the way; but one day I'll cook for her- don't want to scare her off too soon!), going out and doing silly things, all today's memories to fuel the warmth of yesterdays in a life of tomorrows... Memories are beautiful, family is beautiful, my friend is beautiful- life is beautiful if we just slow down enough to recognize it...

Majesty...

I'm briefly back from my self imposed exile, for tonight my heart has experienced enough to either share or explode... First some background; I tend to delude myself into believing I'm still a pretty good athlete, but the reality is that the last few years I've had to recognize my ever-increasing limitations and play within myself... I don't play organized basketball anymore, but I can still bury the jumper and go a few pickup games occasionally. I can still play tennis without embarassment, but have adopted softball as my game of choice. And, ever deluded, I feel I still play as well at almost 50 as most the 20-somethings I play against...
Well, in last week's game I tried to expand those limitations and ended up straining an oblique muscle... This week I thought I'd play, even though it was still sore and tender. Well, true to form, I re-aggrevated it, which turned out to be a real blessing, despite the ongoing pain...
I came home from this week's game and popped a Vicodin and climbed in the hot tub out on the deck. And then it happened. It began to rain. I figured I'm sitting in a tub of water so why not stay out? And I sat back and watched an incredible storm blow in. Suddenly, the skies were filled with lightning- not just a flash or two, but bolt after bolt, some low below the clouds, some within or above the stratas, illuminating the multi-layers overhead. And then the thunder started, low and rumbling, a continuous roll that built in cresendo until the very air vibrated against my wet face. The wind was constant, whipping the trees into a frenzy, snapping the air with cracks not unlike a cattail snapping against the hide of a bull. The sheer, raw power of the storm dwarfed me, magnified my insignificance in the scheme of nature. I was awestruck by the majesty and ferocity of the storm. It seemed to take on it's own persona, like a prizefighter landing blow after blow to it's victim Earth... I couldn't help but sing out "Majesty, worship His majesty..."
It came to me that God could create such a storm by merely speaking it into existence. Just as he created the Earth, the heavens, the entire cosmos by merely saying, "Let there be..." There is the source of true and awesome power. But that isn't the most amazing thing. The most amazing thing is that this God of awesome power, the creator of the entire universe, loves me enough to adopt me into his family and call me son... As insignificant as I am in the entire scheme of things I am most important to my Creator, my God, my Father...