Memorial Day

Remember the fallen and the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedoms!

Perspective

Recent tornadoes and flooding in the South and Midwest remind us that life is indeed fragile, precious and fleeting. Nature has violently interrupted the "normal routine" of thousands and taken the lives of hundreds of others. It's much more than an inconvenience when you lose your home, possessions and town or neighborhood.

Those of us unscathed by these recent disasters simply because of geography need to take stock in our lives. The least we can do is make a financial donation to a relief agency and pray for our sisters and brothers who've been victimized by these natural disasters. The pictures from these locations should be a sobering reminder of the things we often take for granted. Things like:

• A place to live and hold all our "stuff"
• Loved ones whose quirks can drive us crazy
  
• Shingled roof
• Clean and safe water to drink
• Yards, houses and streets without standing, or raging water
• Sitting in traffic in our cars instead of salvaging stuff from debris filled yards and streets
  
• Having a job and a place to work, even one we may not like
  
• Being able to enter our neighborhood that IS NOT blocked off by authorities
• Going to a restaurant of our choice
• Doing laundry in a washing machine that isn't 4 blocks away, or under water
• Going through life and our "normal" routine that is rarely appreciated but often lamented
• Mowing the yard, or tending to flowers and plants that haven't been destroyed
  
• Washing a car
• Reading in your favorite chair
  
• Laughing with a friend, or family member

Too many of us whine, complain, criticize, and lament about life, people, things and situations that victims of disaster would welcome with open arms. When your life is violently disrupted you are grateful for a job you previously hated, a house that needed to be cleaned, or a neighbor's crazy lawn art you disliked. Crisis, tragedy, and trouble tend to frame perspective in ways we previously overlooked, missed, or took for granted.

May God grant us patience and gratitude for the lives we live. And may He fill us with compassion and mercy for those who are hurting, wounded and simply trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. Remind me Lord, every day, even the bad ones is a gift from you!

Words Are Powerful

Have you ever noticed how hard it is for certain words, or phrases to come to us? Think about it. When’s the last time you said to someone:

•I’m sorry
•I was wrong
•It’s my fault
•What can I do to make this right?
•You go first
•I dropped the ball

While these words have grow faint in our culture others seem to be growing:

•I want….
•I won’t bend until she does
•I deserve…..
•He had better apologize
•She is a……
•I hear he has………
•They hurt me…..

Pronouns can help, heal, or hurt:

• I love you
• We hate her
• They are a blessing
• He’s a jerk
• You are amazing
• She is a class act

Words can bless and words can tear down. People with a critical spirit are fluent in poison-tipped words. Humble people use words laced with the love of God. Some words come too easy and others are held hostage by pride and insecurity. I am responsible for my words, but many times my words are irresponsible and lacking in grace. Christ-followers should use words that build up, encourage, support, help and demonstrate humility and grace.

I find it interesting that Jesus’ words in the gospels, even the tough ones bring glory to God and were never self-serving. According to Jesus we had better think twice about the words we use: I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak (Matt. 12:36 ESV).

May God help us with every word we speak, or fail to say!

A Helping Hand

It was late and the waitress had just let out the last customers. I was cleaning up the kitchen and just itching to finish so I could head across the street to see the young blonde waitress who made my heart skip. She still does.

It happened so fast, like those stories you hear from people who survive an earthquake, or a plane crash. Before I knew it, there was a very tall and imposing man pointing a pistol at the waitresses face as she was starting to count out the cash drawer. If you’ve never been confronted at gunpoint it’s hard to explain how you feel. Violated is a good word and a good start.

She started shaking uncontrollably and he was just as nervous. The gun started wobbling as his hand shook. I was only 19, and had been around guns, but nothing like this. Back then there weren’t video games, or television shows with powerful graphics or violent images to anesthetize you to crime like today. Carol Burnette was still making us laugh on the weekends and Jim Rockford was about as violent as it got. So you can imagine what it felt like to have a big, black pistol shoved in your face.

I moved forward to move the frozen waitress, who by this point had lost control of some of her bodily functions and was now standing in a puddle. I wasn’t thinking about the consequences of moving. I just knew that she needed to be moved out of the way if he was going to get what he wanted. As I moved forward, he pointed the gun at me. I explained that I had to move her out of the way to open the cash drawer. Standing on the floor safe I opened the cash drawer as he jumped over the cash register and began to grab one’s, five’s, ten’s and twenty’s. He flew out the door as quickly as he entered.

It wasn’t until a Sheriff’s deputy arrived that we felt safe. I remember seeing his uniform and badge as he came through the door. Victims of natural disasters must feel that way when they see Red Cross volunteers, trucks and helicopters. Your world has been violently interrupted and you need something to restore your faith in humanity. It’s hard to explain if you have never experienced something like it, but a helping hand in crisis is like water in the desert.

We would learn later that four other Pizza Hut's in our city had been hit the same night. We weren’t alone. Crews at other restaurants had experienced the same kind of violation we had. Thankfully, no one decided to play hero and all the employees were safe.

Every day people around the world have their life interrupted by events beyond their control. The people of Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia have had their interrupted by storms. People along the Mississippi River in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky are battling rising flood waters. And people in Libya and Syria are facing the gunfire of their own military! It may not be that dramatic, but still a car wreck, house fire, cancer, divorce, the death of a loved one, or a job loss can leave us searching for answers and in need of a helping hand.

Hurting, scared, broken, wounded, victimized people everywhere are looking for relief, hope, help and peace. Could it be that each of us has the ability to be the "Sheriff deputy" in the life of someone who is hurting, like the one that entered our restaurant on that scary night? Is there someone your presence can provide calm, confidence, help and hope? Can you be a helping hand? Jesus gives us a role model in Luke 10:

³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ ³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” ³⁷ The expert in the
law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Blog Break!

Taking a break from blogging for the first week of May. Check back the week of the 9th!