. . . and a little bit rock-n-roll.
When I say I'm a little bit country, please don't picture a scene from Deliverance. I am not inbred Jed. However, I do enjoy sittin' on the porch.
My mom was born in a cabin in West Virginia. She has a very simple life and is never in a hurry to do anything. God, family and friends always come first. I guess in that way, I am a little bit country. Maybe I shoulda been born slightly south of the Mason-Dixon line. I think being "country" is a good thing.
I was thinking of this because I went to a memorial service this week. He was only 57 years old. He was a good man. Last year, I went to another memorial service. He too was a good man. And what did these two men have in common? They had a faith in God, they were always ready to help those in need, they had a welcoming spirit, they were fast friends with everyone they met, and they were both "country".
In times like these, it causes one to reflect, "what will people say about me when I am gone?" More importantly, "what will God say about me when I am gone?" I don't think it's ever too early to start working on your eulogy, not literally, but relationally. My sister gave me a plaque years ago, it reads, "When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live you life in such a way that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice". I also love the quote from Shawshank Redemption, "No good thing ever dies".
It's never too early to start working on your eulogy, but at the same time, it's not too late either. When my father was in the hospital, he was a little "snippy" with the staff, if you know what I mean. When he saw the disappointment in my eyes, he answered, "that's just the way I am. I'm a grouchy old man. If I were 20 years younger, I would try to change. But at my age, I figure, what's the use. It's too late for me". The truth is, it's never too late to make a change. And, it's never too early to start working on your eulogy, not literally, but relationally and spiritually.
When I stop and consider the life of Jesus, I think He was "country". He was rarely in a hurry, he liked hanging out with friends, he was always ready to share a meal, and he was approachable. If Jesus had a home, I'll bet it would have had a big porch, a place for neighbors and friends to gather.
My bride and I are doing a remodel later this year. We're gonna add a big porch, a place for friends and neighbors. If you make it out our way, come and set a spell.
Mt 25:21
Friday, February 15, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Do something . . . make a difference
Our church sets aside the first Sunday of the month to create a rhythm of worship, fasting and community. It is an awesome experience. I recommend it highly.
This month's "solo" material was somewhat focused on "doing the work" and "bringing justice". I came away with numerous insights, and I was once again reminded of Edmund Burke's quote, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing".
I was also reminded of an article that I read a while back. The following is an excerpt from that article. The article is entitled "It Made a Difference To That One".
It was written by Richard J. Bauman
Two men were walking toward each other on an otherwise deserted beach. One man was in his early 20s, the other obviously much older. The smooth damp sand was littered with starfish, washed onto the land during high tide. They were stranded there when the tide ebbed. Thousands of starfish were doomed to die in the warm morning sun. The younger man watched the older man pick up starfish one at a time and toss them back into the ocean, giving them a chance to survive. The young man thought, “Why is he doing that? How foolish. He can’t save them all.” As they came near one another, the younger one felt compelled to point out to the older man the futility in his action. “You know,” he said, “you can’t save them all. Most of them will die here on the sand. What you are doing really won’t make any difference.” The older man studied the young man for a moment. Then he bent down, picked up a starfish and tossed it into the water. He smiled at the young man and said, “It made a difference to that one.” Then he walked on, picking up starfish and tossing them back into the sea.
What we do for others who are less fortunate: the ill, the infirmed, the grieving, the poor, probably won’t wipe out poverty, illness, pain or disabilities. Nonetheless it is a mistake not to act because we think that what we can do is insignificant and won’t make a difference. Because it does make a difference—it makes a difference to that person.
A friend, Jerry, is often called by the local blood bank to donate blood. He has a common blood type and there is a consistent need for it. He always says yes to the request. He says it isn’t a big deal to take an hour from his schedule every couple of months to donate a pint of blood. “What difference does it make,” he says. The last time he donated he got an idea of the difference it makes. A nurse looked at his record and commented that he’d donated thirty-four pints of blood—more that four gallons—since he started donating some years ago. His blood donations have made a difference to more than one hundred people, since each pint of blood is divided into three or four units, and a recipient typically gets one unit at a time. Without question, his “no big deal” blood donations have saved accident victims from death, and helped other recover from surgery and even life-threatening illnesses. And that’s a mighty difference.
It’s possible to make a mighty difference in someone’s life and not know it until many years later. A teacher (in a Caribbean country) once had a little girl in her class who had no shoes. One weekend the teacher bought the child a pair of shoes. The next year the teacher moved to a different school and taught there for over 30 years. Shortly after retiring she became ill and was hospitalized. In the hospital she was treated like royalty, and when she recovered she wanted to thank the person responsible for the special care. She was told it was the hospital director who ordered the VIP treatment. When she went to the director’s office, she was surprised that the director was a young woman in her early forties. When she thanked the doctor, the doctor interrupted her. “I wanted to thank you,” she said. Her words bewildered the teacher. “You don’t remember me, do you?” said the director. “You bought me a pair of shoes many years ago. You cared for me, and you inspired me to want to care for others, so I became a doctor. And finally, I was able to thank you for the shoes.”
The young man was right, of course. We can’t save all the starfish that wash up on the shore, but he was wrong to say that the old man’s efforts made no difference. When there is an obvious need, then doing something is better than doing nothing—and doing something makes a difference.
This month's "solo" material was somewhat focused on "doing the work" and "bringing justice". I came away with numerous insights, and I was once again reminded of Edmund Burke's quote, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing".
I was also reminded of an article that I read a while back. The following is an excerpt from that article. The article is entitled "It Made a Difference To That One".
It was written by Richard J. Bauman
Two men were walking toward each other on an otherwise deserted beach. One man was in his early 20s, the other obviously much older. The smooth damp sand was littered with starfish, washed onto the land during high tide. They were stranded there when the tide ebbed. Thousands of starfish were doomed to die in the warm morning sun. The younger man watched the older man pick up starfish one at a time and toss them back into the ocean, giving them a chance to survive. The young man thought, “Why is he doing that? How foolish. He can’t save them all.” As they came near one another, the younger one felt compelled to point out to the older man the futility in his action. “You know,” he said, “you can’t save them all. Most of them will die here on the sand. What you are doing really won’t make any difference.” The older man studied the young man for a moment. Then he bent down, picked up a starfish and tossed it into the water. He smiled at the young man and said, “It made a difference to that one.” Then he walked on, picking up starfish and tossing them back into the sea.
What we do for others who are less fortunate: the ill, the infirmed, the grieving, the poor, probably won’t wipe out poverty, illness, pain or disabilities. Nonetheless it is a mistake not to act because we think that what we can do is insignificant and won’t make a difference. Because it does make a difference—it makes a difference to that person.
A friend, Jerry, is often called by the local blood bank to donate blood. He has a common blood type and there is a consistent need for it. He always says yes to the request. He says it isn’t a big deal to take an hour from his schedule every couple of months to donate a pint of blood. “What difference does it make,” he says. The last time he donated he got an idea of the difference it makes. A nurse looked at his record and commented that he’d donated thirty-four pints of blood—more that four gallons—since he started donating some years ago. His blood donations have made a difference to more than one hundred people, since each pint of blood is divided into three or four units, and a recipient typically gets one unit at a time. Without question, his “no big deal” blood donations have saved accident victims from death, and helped other recover from surgery and even life-threatening illnesses. And that’s a mighty difference.
It’s possible to make a mighty difference in someone’s life and not know it until many years later. A teacher (in a Caribbean country) once had a little girl in her class who had no shoes. One weekend the teacher bought the child a pair of shoes. The next year the teacher moved to a different school and taught there for over 30 years. Shortly after retiring she became ill and was hospitalized. In the hospital she was treated like royalty, and when she recovered she wanted to thank the person responsible for the special care. She was told it was the hospital director who ordered the VIP treatment. When she went to the director’s office, she was surprised that the director was a young woman in her early forties. When she thanked the doctor, the doctor interrupted her. “I wanted to thank you,” she said. Her words bewildered the teacher. “You don’t remember me, do you?” said the director. “You bought me a pair of shoes many years ago. You cared for me, and you inspired me to want to care for others, so I became a doctor. And finally, I was able to thank you for the shoes.”
The young man was right, of course. We can’t save all the starfish that wash up on the shore, but he was wrong to say that the old man’s efforts made no difference. When there is an obvious need, then doing something is better than doing nothing—and doing something makes a difference.
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