We have watched a lot of Christmas movies this year. Most I have already seen and a few I wished I hadn’t, (thanks Tim Allen). Every single one has the same theme, remember the true meaning of Christmas. So much so that it’s become a Christmas cliché like Rudolph or Rockefeller Center. Charlie Brown swears to us he wont let his Christmas become ruined by commercialism right before the network cuts to commercial so Old Navy can remind us to buy their clothes or how happy our wives will be with a gift from Kay Jewelers. It's barely past Halloween and our kids are inundated with ads for toys they must have. Even though we turned off the cable our 4 year still knows the hottest toys out there and where we can get them. “They have it at Target dad”. (I somewhat agree with Lucy, in her theory, that Christmas is run by a big Eastern conglomerate.) And still, throughout the ads, the songs and the countdowns were reminded, “Don’t forget the true meaning of Christmas...”
But I don’t think I have ever been moved by a Christmas movie like i was when i watched, Joyeux Noël. Throughout the busyness of the season, you will benefit from turning off “Jingle all the Way” and taking some time to watch this story of warring soldiers literally act out the meaning of Christmas. It will put some perspective on the season, especially since this story is based on real events.
On Christmas Eve, 1914 in France, warring French, German and Scottish soldiers declared an impromptu cease fire in honor of Christmas. These men, who were trying to kill each other the day before, left their trenches and joined together to play soccer, drink together and share stories about their families with one another. They experienced peace. They experienced the true meaning of Christmas. We celebrate Christmas to honor Christ’s birth and that’s often seen as the true meaning of Christmas, but beyond the birth there was a reason to why He came. The angle declared it to the Sheppard’s, in Luke, chapter 2, saying, and “…I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today….a savior has been born” and then in verse 14, “…and on earth peace to men…” Christ was born so that He could die for us so we don’t have to die.
These soldiers put down their arms and celebrated that gift; the gift of peace and life. It seems a fitting tribute to the meaning of Christmas. If, even just briefly, the absence of violence and war can honor Christ’s gift to us, then it’s a testament that it can be done in this world. If these men, ordered to kill one another, can forgive each other to share a few hours honoring God’s gift, than perhaps that parking spot you're sure was rightfully yours wasn’t that big of deal after all.
In the film, one of the German soldiers says that the killing will be “more meaningless now than it was yesterday”. The word meaningless triggered the words of Ecclesiastes in my head. And if our lives on this earth truly are meaningless; than the idea of killing each other seems an even more futile way to spend our days.
God created us to enjoy this earth but ultimately to love Him and to spend eternity with Him. But our time is often spent meaningless. It’s spent fighting and frustrated and desiring the physical instead of the spiritual. Not all of us will go to war. I have never been in the military and feel somewhat of a hypocrite as I write about war. I never have been close to knowing what it is like. Instead I have slept soundly within the quite blanket of suburban America. But I have seen the cost of war. The other night I watched my daughter jumping on her bed, laughing full of innocence and her heart filled with the excitement of Christmas. My daughter, whose namesake was born out of the cost of war.
I feel sad as my daughter grows older that the harsh reality of this life will ultimately try to twist her “true meaning” of Christmas into a watered down version that starts at Costco in August and then fades away to Valentines Day. I hope that her mother and I can instill in her a deeper meaning. That the peace and innocence she carries, (unaware of the harshness of the world around her), that it will somehow spill out and soften this world in someway.
At the end of the film the soldiers involved in their unauthorized cease-fire are reprimanded by men who carry leadership roles but who were not privy to witness the miracle of peace or the brutality of the previous fighting. It’s ironic that those who command the killing were not there to do the killing or enjoy the peace. But maybe most disturbing was the priest who sees the war as a cleansing of evil. He sees the enemy who deserves to die and whose death is, in the priests eyes, is justified by God, himself. How many of us as Christians justify our actions because we are on “God’s side”?
So tonight as you slumber, with warm Christmas thoughts dancing through your head…I would encourage you to consider the idea of “Peace on earth and goodwill towards men” And perhaps, like those soldiers, break rank for just few minutes and practice peace however you can. Those men experienced something that only they can relate too but if maybe we all try to experience what they had; the true meaning of Joyeux Noël will last a little longer than our tree. God sent his Son to save us and that’s what we celebrate this time of year. What better way to observe that act than with our own actions of love; peace on earth and goodwill to men.
-dave
Friday, December 5, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Giving Back: How Grace Changed Me to Serve
My Favorite Meal (repost from 2012)
I love thanksgiving. Hands down it’s my favorite day of the year. Mostly I love the idea of a feast. Not the glutinous feast of old world kings overeating turkey legs and goblets of wine while peasants outside starve; but the idea of eating a well prepared meal with loved ones. I have had the privilege of traveling to Haiti a few times to spend time and work in an orphanage there. Each time we commemorated the end of the stay with a feast. We bought the orphanage chickens, a goat, vegies, rice, beans and a cake. Then together, Americans and Haitian feasted, (well, we served and the Haitians ate). Watching those kids enjoy a meal they rarely get was a high point in my life.
Someone once asked me what my favorite meal was. A meal that was better than any other I’d had. I was sitting in The Tribeca Grill in New York with a co-worker when he asked me. I didn’t have much of a reply back then. I remember naming a couple of my favorite foods but I didn’t have a significant meal, a time and place that I could recall. But looking back, if my long lost friend asked me that question today, I would have an answer.
A few years ago, recession in full swing, I found myself in a new sales job and completely broke. I woke up one morning and I knew what I had to do. I looked through the folder of unopened mail and bills and found my IRA statement. I had already depleted it of almost everything and now I had $3000 left in it. My mom had told me to not pull anymore out. That she and my dad would loan me some money. But I didn’t want to borrow any more money, (at least more than I already had). So I pulled out the statement, checked to make sure the customer service phone was on there and stuffed it in my pocket. I was 28 days past due on my car payment, a month past due on my cell phone.... and the calls were starting to come in. I had just enough to get me through December until some deals closed in January and those commission checks came in.
That morning I dropped off my daughter about 15 minutes late to her preschool. As I slipped back through the gate, towards the parking lot, I passed the director’s office. Her door was open and I as I walked by I heard her exclaim, “Oh , wait…!” I stopped and my heart stopped; I was filled with shame. It was December 14th which meant I was now 14 days late paying my daughter’s tuition. We were sending my daughter to a Lutheran preschool and she loved it. Despite our money problems I didn’t want to pull her out. I gathered myself and popped my head in to say hi, to quickly explain that I would be dropping off a check soon. But I didn’t get a chance to talk first. She had me come in and she said, “I have something for your family. Do you have time to take it now?” I was surprised and told her I did.
She smiled and said “I will be right back”. I waited a few minutes and then she came back and asked me where I parked. I walked out to my car and when I saw her again, she was rolling a cart filled with boxes. The top box said “Family #7” on it in black marker. “This one’s heavy” she said and I as picked it up and I looked inside to see it filled with food. Stuffing, pancake mix, soup, cake mix, rice, a whole frozen chicken….I couldn’t believe it. I gratefully put the box of food in my car. When you’re broke, the gift of food is tremendous. Because it’s the one thing you have to buy. You can put off your kid's pre-school tuition, the HOA bill, the mortgage, the cell phone, the car payment…you learn to hold off collection calls and to stall the monthly bills. But food – hunger, is not something you can put off till next paycheck. So when someone buys you food it opens up the ability to pay other bills you’d normally skip.
That Christmas day, I made a feast. While my kids napped after Christmas morning, I cooked. I roasted the chicken, made the stuffing, the green bean casserole, the potatoes and I even baked the cake. We opened a bottle of wine someone gave us. And there, my wife and kids and my wife’s sister had a feast; a well prepared meal with loved ones. And looking back, that meal was hands down my favorite meal I have ever had.
That time in my life changed me. It’s the reason I’ve gone to Haiti to help the kids there. I learned what it was like to need, to want, and to receive help. A few years later now, our family is recovering. Even though we don’t have any kids in that pre-school, we’ve made it a tradition to drop off food there. In fact, I dropped off two grocery bags to them this week in hopes another family can enjoy for Thanksgiving. I love this day, I love that we can celebrate with a meal, with a prayer and with family; that despite what’s on the table, we can feast.
dc
I love thanksgiving. Hands down it’s my favorite day of the year. Mostly I love the idea of a feast. Not the glutinous feast of old world kings overeating turkey legs and goblets of wine while peasants outside starve; but the idea of eating a well prepared meal with loved ones. I have had the privilege of traveling to Haiti a few times to spend time and work in an orphanage there. Each time we commemorated the end of the stay with a feast. We bought the orphanage chickens, a goat, vegies, rice, beans and a cake. Then together, Americans and Haitian feasted, (well, we served and the Haitians ate). Watching those kids enjoy a meal they rarely get was a high point in my life.
Someone once asked me what my favorite meal was. A meal that was better than any other I’d had. I was sitting in The Tribeca Grill in New York with a co-worker when he asked me. I didn’t have much of a reply back then. I remember naming a couple of my favorite foods but I didn’t have a significant meal, a time and place that I could recall. But looking back, if my long lost friend asked me that question today, I would have an answer.
A few years ago, recession in full swing, I found myself in a new sales job and completely broke. I woke up one morning and I knew what I had to do. I looked through the folder of unopened mail and bills and found my IRA statement. I had already depleted it of almost everything and now I had $3000 left in it. My mom had told me to not pull anymore out. That she and my dad would loan me some money. But I didn’t want to borrow any more money, (at least more than I already had). So I pulled out the statement, checked to make sure the customer service phone was on there and stuffed it in my pocket. I was 28 days past due on my car payment, a month past due on my cell phone.... and the calls were starting to come in. I had just enough to get me through December until some deals closed in January and those commission checks came in.
That morning I dropped off my daughter about 15 minutes late to her preschool. As I slipped back through the gate, towards the parking lot, I passed the director’s office. Her door was open and I as I walked by I heard her exclaim, “Oh , wait…!” I stopped and my heart stopped; I was filled with shame. It was December 14th which meant I was now 14 days late paying my daughter’s tuition. We were sending my daughter to a Lutheran preschool and she loved it. Despite our money problems I didn’t want to pull her out. I gathered myself and popped my head in to say hi, to quickly explain that I would be dropping off a check soon. But I didn’t get a chance to talk first. She had me come in and she said, “I have something for your family. Do you have time to take it now?” I was surprised and told her I did.
She smiled and said “I will be right back”. I waited a few minutes and then she came back and asked me where I parked. I walked out to my car and when I saw her again, she was rolling a cart filled with boxes. The top box said “Family #7” on it in black marker. “This one’s heavy” she said and I as picked it up and I looked inside to see it filled with food. Stuffing, pancake mix, soup, cake mix, rice, a whole frozen chicken….I couldn’t believe it. I gratefully put the box of food in my car. When you’re broke, the gift of food is tremendous. Because it’s the one thing you have to buy. You can put off your kid's pre-school tuition, the HOA bill, the mortgage, the cell phone, the car payment…you learn to hold off collection calls and to stall the monthly bills. But food – hunger, is not something you can put off till next paycheck. So when someone buys you food it opens up the ability to pay other bills you’d normally skip.
That Christmas day, I made a feast. While my kids napped after Christmas morning, I cooked. I roasted the chicken, made the stuffing, the green bean casserole, the potatoes and I even baked the cake. We opened a bottle of wine someone gave us. And there, my wife and kids and my wife’s sister had a feast; a well prepared meal with loved ones. And looking back, that meal was hands down my favorite meal I have ever had.
That time in my life changed me. It’s the reason I’ve gone to Haiti to help the kids there. I learned what it was like to need, to want, and to receive help. A few years later now, our family is recovering. Even though we don’t have any kids in that pre-school, we’ve made it a tradition to drop off food there. In fact, I dropped off two grocery bags to them this week in hopes another family can enjoy for Thanksgiving. I love this day, I love that we can celebrate with a meal, with a prayer and with family; that despite what’s on the table, we can feast.
dc
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Back in Haiti
As we approached the descent into the Port Au Prince
airport I looked over at the elderly Haitian woman sitting next to me. She was staring
at the airplane's small TV screen hanging above our seats. The silent screen flashed clips from
various NBC TV shows. I wondered what she thought of Americans. At the same time I felt embarrassed to be one - at least the TV version of one. Do
we really need another vampire show? The promo of blood sucking romance ends and
Jay Leno comes on the small screen, doing his two-bit, phoned in version of comedy. I mock it all my
head to try to mentally distance
myself from, who the TV depicts us
as. Maybe it was guilt. We were about to descend into a land of
poverty and destruction while the screen, hanging above us, portrays extravagance
and useless faux entertainment as a projected lifestyle. I thought about our culture and I realized that I too have become what I hate.
As I shoved my empty $4 Starbucks cup, into the seat pocket in front of me and tucked away my copy of Bon Appetite magazine into my bag...the
irony was not lost on me. We’re leaving a world of comfort and luxury and
depression and entering a world of poverty. But joy is what I
see at the tiny orphanage in Coix de Boutique, Haiti I’m heading to.
Despite the awful living conditions (and make no mistake these kids need
help), there is joy.
Entering the streets of Haiti from the airport is like a
scene in a movie where they take you out of the tranquil setting to an era before,
when it was the wild west. As we leave the airport we turn into the chaos that
is Port au Prince. It's like a self- governed anarchy of trucks, motorcycles
and brightly painted tap taps. Everyone is sharing a two lane road like the finale in musical chairs; by pushing each other out of the way.
When we get to our project I learn my fate for the next few days. It will be tying rebar on a plywood laden roof. Side by side with Haitian men our team of Americans dives in. Right away I feel resistance. I know these Haitian workers are much more interested in the tools we brought than our actual help. But, we jumped in without hesitation. There is a dichotomy on the roof top. There are workers that are being paid to be there and workers that paid to be there. And, I wondered if they see us as a threat to their jobs. They are paid by the day and our contribution is cutting that pay. But this job is about helping. And the task is to help our friends finish their house not further the employment of strangers.The Haitian boy’s laughter makes me smirk as I pick out quick phrases of their Creole, referring to "blahs" and "blancs". Its an expression or slang derived from French for a white person but beyond that, more explicitly in Creole, it means a foreigner.
When we get to our project I learn my fate for the next few days. It will be tying rebar on a plywood laden roof. Side by side with Haitian men our team of Americans dives in. Right away I feel resistance. I know these Haitian workers are much more interested in the tools we brought than our actual help. But, we jumped in without hesitation. There is a dichotomy on the roof top. There are workers that are being paid to be there and workers that paid to be there. And, I wondered if they see us as a threat to their jobs. They are paid by the day and our contribution is cutting that pay. But this job is about helping. And the task is to help our friends finish their house not further the employment of strangers.The Haitian boy’s laughter makes me smirk as I pick out quick phrases of their Creole, referring to "blahs" and "blancs". Its an expression or slang derived from French for a white person but beyond that, more explicitly in Creole, it means a foreigner.
I wondered about my purpose of being there. It’s something I struggle with on every trip. Am I invading? Am I making a difference? Its strange, when I'm in Haiti, amongst the chaos, I always feel peace. But, despite the joy and peace I feel the obvious fact is, there is an overwhelming abundance of poverty and destruction. And I know a week and a pair of work gloves isn’t going to fix that. So why did I come? There must be a reason. I search back to past trips and one memory is still strong. It was my first time in Haiti. I was at the orphanage and our supplies didn’t show up so we were filling in where we could. As I walked across the grounds, a small child walked towards me crying. I scooped him up instinctively. I held him close and I tried to soothe him like I would my own son. As I comforted him I realized one thing….I was not there to rebuild walls or dig, I was there to serve. That child needed parental love at that minute and I happened to be there; walking his way. That boy’s name is Clarence and my wife and I now sponsor him and his twin sister Clara.
To serve; I
remind myself that’s why I am there. That’s why I am tying rebar on a roof
under the hot Haitian sun. Our Haitian friend
Shirley, who has given so much to take care of the orphanage, needs a home for
her and her husband. We are there to
help build it. And we are there not as
Americans, but as Christians. And as
Christians; we are taught to serve. (Its something we struggle with in America.) On the roof, we
work hard, we take in the Haitian workers' instructions and stay on the rooftop
side by side. On day two, when we show back up, the dynamic has
changed. We’re greeted with handshakes and fist bumps and most importantly
smiles from the workers. We start out again working and this time we work together like friends
with a common goal; to finish this roof. The workers are there as their job and
we are there to help our friend. We work together.
There's more than just a house to be built though. We are there to see the kids. These orphaned children, who have touched our lives. On day three I am at the orphanage. But our work is cut short. The sweltering heat has been softened by low hanging dark gray clouds. They opened up and poured down rain on us. We ran for shelter into a small building used for storage. We are crammed in a room with excited kids watching the rain.
The orphanage has an interesting dynamic. It’s filled not just with kids who live there but neighborhood kids that walk over and the spend the day there. As the rain pours down the excitement grows. First, the kids begin to sing. It grows louder and louder and then they begin to dance. Someone opens a plastic storage bin and inside there are tons of art and craft supplies. Within minutes all the kids are donning colorful hats, headbands and masks made from pipe cleaners. Its chaos and fun and joy while 40 days worth of rain empties from the Caribbean sky above.
Finally, the rain subsides. I have been holding a young, scared child for a while. He is maybe 2 years old. Throughout the gathering I have been trying to get him to smile. But I get nothing. Now the rain has stopped and I walk out to the grounds, holding him, and find a dry seat under the gazebo. I looked at him again and realize he is asleep in my arms. So I sat there, held him, and watched the water drip off the edges of the roof. Suddenly another kid, maybe 7 or 8 walks up and begins to take the child from my arms. I relent and hand over the sleeping baby to who I am guessing is his brother. He is one of the neighborhood kids and its time to go home. Maybe it was the break in the rain or dinner time perhaps, as there are no streetlamps signaling a curfew….just instinct. The rain had become a drizzle. I got up and watched them walk away. The young child was sleeping on his brother’s shoulder as they head home before dark. That is love I think to myself. Every trip I take, I bring home an image engrained in my mind that summarizes my visit. That is my picture. This young child as he carried another child down a lonely muddy road in the light rain. It’s a picture of obedience, of nurturing and of love.
And so we serve, we feed and we play. The kids have huge smiles on their cake stained faces scraping their plates clean. Of all the work that gets done, the sweat and the tools I think maybe the feast is the most appreciated. It’s symbiotic and it is relational. We show these kids they matter and we love them. Then, the joy they bring us, in return, teaches us so much about God’s love. It’s a feeling that can get lost in a world back home of Starbucks and bad vampire TV shows. But we take some home and we are better for it.
DC
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Fast / Coffee
I walked into the lab at my doctor’s office and got in
line. The TV was playing The Price is Right. I had a twinge on pseudo nausea. Only because as a kid I only watched the Price is Right when I was sick and home
from school. So things like 7Up and daytime game shows sometimes regurgitate those childhood memories of lying sick, on the couch,
staring at a 13 inch black and white.
DC
Once at the front desk I find out that “fasting” includes
coffee and now I can’t do my lab tests.
Despite the fact that I’m starving I haven’t technically fasted. Frustrated, I head up the elevator to my
doctor’s office to see if I can reschedule my appointment for my physical as
now the lab results won’t be back in time.
Once there, I’m in line again. A
man behind me, in the waiting room, is staring at the TV and talking. He’s also watching The Price is Right. He’s bald, with a ponytail in the back. He has a long beard and he’s holding a giant
soft drink cup from McDonalds. I guess
he’s not fasting either. He’s talking to
the TV. At first I think he’s talking on
a Bluetooth. It’s funny how a few years have changed that perception. I remember seeing my first “guy on a Bluetooth”. We were in a restaurant and I was sure he was
crazy and talking to himself….now I’m assuming this guy is on a Bluetooth, but
no, he may be crazy. He’s turns around
and he’s definitely talking to himself.
Maybe he’s talking to the Price is
Right contestant. I watch him, slyly
until it’s my turn at the reception desk. Once there, I learn I should not reschedule
my dr. appointment, relearn that drinking coffee isn’t fasting and get instructions
to go back to the lab another time. I really
threw a monkey wrench in my doctor’s plan to read me my cholesterol results in
person.
On the way out of the building I stopped at the coffee
kiosk. Now that I wasn’t fasting I could have food. I ordered a Danish. They required a $5 minimum to use a card and since I was without cash I had to upgrade my selection, (more
coffee) just so I could feed myself (and caffeinate myself further). I was really frustrated. I was frustrated, because I had to buy more
than I wanted just so I could have “something”, because I was an hour late to
work, because I had spent more time in an elevator with strangers than I ever wanted
too and now had to go back and re-fast again. The
morning put me in a bad place. But then,
I remembered something else.
I recently came across the phrase “first world
problems”. I’m not sure if it’s a new
catch phrase or hashtag but I understood its meaning instantly. These were my first world problems; too much
coffee, rescheduled blood test, having to buy more food than I wanted...Really? That’s it?
Too much food and too much health care?
What the hell had I become?
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and someone coined the term, "First World Problems" because there are far worse, Third World Problems out there to deal with. To put us in our place so we'd realize the comparison. I'm not even sure if its still ok to use the term, "third world". But, a first world problem is a luxury in a land where we label other countries third world. As I was writing this I was trying to explain to my daughter, the idea behind 1st world and 3rd world. We spoke about "third world problems". I explained to her as “real problems” like poverty, sickness, bad water, even homelessness….she said, “dad, for those people, that’s just life”. She was right.
There are far worse things in life than needing to add a
large coffee to my order so I can spend $5 on food. But still, I’m conditioned to my surroundings
and my emotions. My frustrations and joy
are derived from those situations. I go
crazy at Costco, trying to work through a traffic jam of shopping carts driven
by people eating chicken wing samples and loading up on an overabundance of
food. I criticize them in my head. I come down on myself as well. How can we
have so much and be so miserable?For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and someone coined the term, "First World Problems" because there are far worse, Third World Problems out there to deal with. To put us in our place so we'd realize the comparison. I'm not even sure if its still ok to use the term, "third world". But, a first world problem is a luxury in a land where we label other countries third world. As I was writing this I was trying to explain to my daughter, the idea behind 1st world and 3rd world. We spoke about "third world problems". I explained to her as “real problems” like poverty, sickness, bad water, even homelessness….she said, “dad, for those people, that’s just life”. She was right.
The reality is, for most us, it’s simply the zip code we
were born into. Not that were rich, by
American standards, but that curve is thrown off by global standards. If I was born in Tijuana or Haiti would I
have such luxurious first world problems?
Elsewhere, a $5 minimum is a daily wage not a bump up to use electronic
currency. So what’s the answer? I don’t know.
I can’t live in my bubble life never getting upset by people or
situations. But, perhaps, I can realize
my reality. I can recognize my blessings
more and in turn, build patience, add service and praise to my daily routine.
DC
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
2014 Word of the Year
A few years ago my wife introduced me to the “word of the year”
idea. Instead of resolutions that you don’t
keep, you take one word and make that your goal for the upcoming year. In the past I have done “patience”, “give”
and last year was "Time". So as 2013
began to exit I looked back to see what my word of the year should be going
forward. I decided on “Happy”.
Despite my past year being filled with blessings, I can’t
say that I have been an incredibly happy person the last 12 months. And to be honest, I can’t tell you why. My family is healthy, work has been steady, I had the opportunity to go back to Haiti, and
my baby son, despite his rocky start is doing great. So, why, am I struggling to realize those things
and be joyful? It’s not that I’m in some
deep depression or in a pit of despair….but generally, for all God has blessed
me with, I’ve been seeing only my own shortcomings instead.
A few months ago my pastor did a series on the “comparison
trap”. (Have you ever noticed when you
buy a new car that suddenly everyone around you is driving the same car? Do you know how many “champagne colored Odysseys”
are out there? That’s how I felt when I started
that series.) For months prior, I felt
like I was distracted by comparing myself to others….and then I started seeing it
everywhere. The main culprits were work
and Facebook. No matter how busy I was
at work one of my colleagues was doing more.
Then, when I was doing more, someone was on vacation. (Perhaps the only thing better than being
busy when you’re self-employed, is being able to take a vacation). But then came Facebook; a daily reminder of
how much better someone else’s day is compared to mine. My friends were in Hawaii when I was at the
office, they are eating sushi when I’m reheating leftovers, they’re on date nights with their spouses
while I’m watching “My Little Pony”. No
matter how great my day is – someone out there is having better one, and they
have pictures to prove it.
Was I so shallow that I couldn’t appreciate catching up with
my friends and instead looked on with envy?
Maybe. But what I need to do is either
disconnect or appreciate what I have. I
need to look at my wife’s beautiful face and kind heart and realize how blessed
I am. I need to watch my kids watch “My
Little Pony” and know that their time, content with me sitting next to them, is
limited and precious. I need to go to
work, do the best I can and be happy that I can come home, (and despite how bad
that day sucked know that I am blessed to have the job I do). It’s not all going to be, “Sushi date nights
in Hawaii with my wife”. But, each day that
I am alive, God is blessing me.
We read in James, to take joy in our troubles. And when I feel like a failure as a parent,
or when everything is crashing down around me, I will look forward to the quiet times
that God offers. Moments when I can go
to Him in quite prayer and say, “I need your help”. And like a parent, comforting a child, I feel
His presence and know He is there. Maybe that is His way of reminding me, “I am here.”
When we forget to rely on God, I think sometimes He allows us to enter
situations where we need Him. So instead
of distress, I’m looking to those moments for peace and security this year. When you get to the point where there is
nothing more you can do, all control is out the window and you have to rely
100% on God that’s when peace comes in.
I stop what I’m doing, take a walk and be quiet. I listen and then I pray. In those quiet moments (and sometimes pleading
moments) I find joy. That’s my goal for
2014.
I know I won’t achieve some nirvana like utopia this year. I don't want that. But instead I want to
be happy with what God has given me and not compare it to what I don’t have. And, when faced with hardships, look to God
to find that joy and use that time to grow closer with Him.
When I select a “Word of the Year” I try to make some physical
reminder to keep with me. I had a 3X5 card
in my car with the word “patience” on it.
My wife stenciled the word “Give” above my desk in our home office. So, for “happy” I made this, (below). I listed out reasons, that despite my day, I
should be happy for these blessings. I
listed my past words on the bottom to remind me. As unlike a resolution, I spend a year
working on that word so hopefully by the time January rolls around again that
word is engrained as part of my daily life.
When I get in the up in the morning, pour that cup of coffee and begin
my quiet time with God ,I hope to remember to thank him and to feel blessed each
day.
dc
dc
2014 Word of the Year
Happy
- You have a God that loves you AND knows you
- And even though at times He feels absent; He’s not. And even though His timing doesn’t feel right; it is.
- You have a wife that loves and cares for you
- And even though sometimes we’re cranky or too busy, at the end of the day when all you can do is sit on the couch next to each other and catch up on email…it’s still good.
- You have three amazing children that want to spend time with you
- And even though, at times, it feels like you’re a riot cop…those three count on YOU and they prefer it that way
- You have a home and warm bed and He takes care of you
- And even though at times it’s messy and chaotic…at night your kids and family are safe asleep in bed.
- You have friends
- And even though you haven’t spoken to some of them in months maybe…if you call them they will answer the phone.
- You have the opportunity to serve others everyday
- And even though you’re over-focused on your own shortcomings or life, each day God gives you the opportunity to make someone else happy too.
Rejoice always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Patience / Give / Time / Happy
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Oh, Christmas "Tree"
A few years ago, before we had any kids my wife and I had a
serious talk about Christmas future. It
was uncomfortable but we had to do it.
It just wasn’t the same anymore and convenience seemed like a bigger
factor than tradition. We weighed our
pros and cons, discussed the financial angle and made a decision I never
thought I would ever make. We bought a
fake tree.
I remember the day well.
In a final search for that “prefect Christmas tree” we went out; one
last time. But, instead of a back
mountain lot in the chilly winter air, it was 4 aisles in at Target. (And to our luck, it was 20% off.) We looked at each one, and went with an 8
foot, pre-lit, beauty. Over the years we’ve
bought cars, moved homes, invested a little money…but perhaps no investment has
brought a better return than when that fake tree comes out of the garage at
Christmas time.
Yesterday I saw a tree, strapped to the roof of a car, pine
needles flying off and I thought, “Wow, Im so glad I don’t do that anymore.” There's no
more tying, netting, vacuuming or water spilling. But still, I wonder if my kids are missing
out….on a great Christmas tradition; picking out the tree. I think they would be missing something if we could actually go to a tree
lot and cut down a tree. When I was a
kid we used to chop down our own tree. We’d drive up to the mountains, cut the tree down and bring it home. But
since then, about eight Wal-Marts have opened up on the way to that Christmas Tree lot. Now, as a result, that tree lot has since closed. So are my kids missing tradition with a
fake tree? Not really. Because, what they are actually missing out on is
a drive to the Home Depot parking lot watching some 17 year old kid, in an orange
apron, throw my tree on the car roof and then throw me a “hang loose” as he
walks away.
And so, instead of an axe and a bow saw, I pull out a red
body bag from the garage. I unzip it,
pullout three pieces, and assemble my tree.
I can bend the Gumby-like branches anyway I want and then plug it
in. And like the electric glow of a warm
leg lamp in the window my tree is up and lit and Christmas has arrived. Then all we need is a pine tree air freshener
shoved in the side and it’s an old fashioned holiday.
dc
dc
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Taking Black Friday: An underground coup d’état to take back Thanksgiving
I’m calling for a revolution; a conspiracy to sabotage greed with service. For once I want to see them riot instead of us. I want to take down Black Friday. Its an idea that came into my head in September while shopping at Costco. My 5 year old son asked me why all the Christmas decorations were out. Jokingly, I told him that it was December and we had forgotten to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving. I soon learned, by his face, that he believed me….and in an effort to stop the tears I spent the rest of the shopping trip back pedaling, apologizing and explaining.
But it was a valid question. Why were the Christmas
decorations out in September? The answer
is to commemorate a countdown. It was to
begin a backwards counting time bomb leading up to the mother of all shopping
days…Black Friday. In the big corporate
axis of evil - the big chain stores are foaming at the mouth; waiting for this
day to arrive. The turkey isn’t even in
the oven and they’re gunning for the customer to get in the door. And, they are taking us all down with them. Why are
we sucked in? And why are we abandoning
Thanksgiving in the process? We are
turning a day of thanks into a day of greed.
We are literally walking out on our friends and family for a sale.
The Friday after Thanksgiving is seen as the start of the Christmas
“shopping” season but really, it’s the start of the actual Christmas season. The season of good tidings and the
celebration of Christ’s birth is now kicked off with a maddening sale, ensuing
panic, anger, rudeness, debt, frustration, pushing, shoving, anxiety…and for
what? Discounted TVs and toasters….cheap
perfume and toys? How many 11:00 newscasts
will kick off leading with a story of people being trampled by a mob of hungry
shoppers with 50% off tags burned
into their eyes?
Enough is enough. I
say lets boycott Black Friday. Let’s
make them suffer for what they’ve done.
They’ve turned, what should be a time of thanks and giving into greed
and gimmies. (Let me interject, briefly- I’m all for businesses being successful - especially
small business - but I’m simply calling out the big ones….the ones who have
created this monster. The giants making
their employees come in on Thanksgiving for an extra day of holiday
shopping.) I realize that for many, myself
included, the only way we can afford to get a holiday shopping list completed
is by taking advantage of these sales.
My complaint is that the more we shop – the more these monsters want. They open earlier, and through their
marketing, they instigate panic. How is it that so many can get drawn in by
commercial after commercial telling them their only chance to please their kids
or spouse will take place on a Friday morning, (or worse – on Thanksgiving Day)? There is a better way to kick off the
Christmas season than by succumbing.
So here’s what I purpose:
Turn black Friday into a day of giving.
Give your family, time. Give yourself,
rest. And give to others that need
help. Make some meals and drive them
downtown to some homeless. Gather
blankets and hats and gloves and hand them out.
Begin Christmas doing what God sent his son to teach us to do. Turn this day back into a day of joy.
Will this stop Black Friday?
No way. Will it dip into
Wal-Marts fourth quarter sales? Not a
chance. Will it make a difference when
your weary neighbor, (who’s pulling bag after bag from his car, with the weight
of January’s Visa bill already on his mind) asks, you what you did and you tell him you fed a man? Maybe.
But it will it bring joy to that man you fed? Absolutely.
And bringing joy to others…isn’t that what we keep telling ourselves
Christmas is about?
The day changes people. People, who just hours before were
being “thankful” over gravy and pie, are wreaking havoc on one another. The riot was created by big business. They have turned the day into chaos by
instigating fear that all savings
will be lost if you don’t act now.
But more important than avoiding the chaos is showing love to
others. That love does not need to be
reflected via discounted items. It can
be simply be shown by offering someone a hand.
That is what we were taught to do.
So I will get off my soapbox and leave you with this. However you celebrate is up to you. But before you hit the stores and the join
the fun of the Christmas season, take an extra day and remember why you were
thankful on Thanksgiving. Then, make
someone, else thankful for you.
dc
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