Alright or...all wrong?

Social media is great.  It keeps me informed on who did what, when they did, where it happened, what was so great about it, and...sometimes it tells me why something happened.  Other times it leaves me subject to either believing what is being fed to me or making up my own mind.

Case in point:  Matthew McConaugheyheyhey.  Okay, I hear your collective rapturous sighs (ahem Gloria).  Yes, he is a cutie and that southern drawl of his has melted many a heart.  He's a man's man and a woman's dream.  His celebrity has risen extensively over the years and with his Oscar win for his role in "Dallas Buyers Club" he is now taken very seriously as an actor and not just a man with a pretty face.

One of Matthew's trademark quotes is "Alright alright alright!"  It usually brings a smile to my face as I envision his mischievous smile and that voice, gravelly, as he grins into the camera.  Usually but...but not today.  Today, as I read Max Lucado's devotion, those three words took on another meaning.  

They come from the Book of Jeremiah and read like this:  “They treat my people's wounds as though they were not serious, saying, 'Everything is alright! Everything is alright!' But it's not alright."  (6:14)

Ouch, right?  

So many of us just want to brush aside another's pain, kiss it and make it better, and then forget about the lasting bruises, broken bones, and hurting spirits.  Most of it's our own fault, for we are too quick to respond that we are okay because we don't want others to feel sorry for us.  Or don't want them to try to fix us--as in quick fix rather than a complete excision of the object that needs to be removed so that it can stop pricking us.  Either way, it’s not alright.  We’re not alright.

Maybe it’s time to stop being superficial, friends.  Maybe it’s time to stop saying we’re fine when our wounds ache, when our sores aren’t healing as well as they could because we keep picking at them.  Maybe it’s time to call on The Great Physician and allow Him to let others balm us.  Our wounds are serious and they need treated, not ignored.  

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, as I ponder this verse and the significance of it, thank You.  Thank Your for once again reminding me to stop accepting pat answers from folks when I can sense more is going on.  Help me to be bold but not pushy.  Help me to see behind the pretense and seek the heart of the matter.  Help me, Lord, I earnestly pray, to show others that they matter and that their pain is validated--in spite of their best efforts to convince me (themselves?) that they’re all right.  “The greatest is love” Paul said, when discussing Christians’ best attributes.  May I love better than ever before through Christ Jesus is my prayer this evening.  Amen.

Stand

Steve once asked me why I love sunflowers so much.  My answers came swiftly and without deliberation.

“I love sunflowers because they are so bright.  They bloom and they give much beauty.  They don’t need much attention:  you basically plant the seed and every once in a while, water it.  They don’t require weeding or coddling.  They grow tall and firm without need of anything to support them.”

I went on.  “They just stand there, faces bowed to the sun.  The winds and rain beat against them and yet, they don’t falter.  Oh sure, they might sway a little but basically?  No matter what life throws at them, they stand.  And when their season is over, they still stand.  They still drop their seeds and feed the birds.  They bow in the presence of the sun when it shines on them.  They know their place and they know their duty.  They stand-- and they do it beautifully.”

As children of the Lord, that is our job too.  Paul tell us in Ephesians 6 that we are in a battle but it’s not against flesh and blood.  Oh that we could see this!  All the fights and skirmishes and misplaced aggression that could be eliminated.  All the hurt feelings that could be avoided.  All the lies that weren’t listened to.  All the joy that would not have been stolen.

Friends, we are not promised tomorrow.  We aren’t even promised our next breaths.  Do we really want to waste them on ugly words, on hateful actions, or on negative thoughts that take us down roads of bitterness?  Why not choose today to be a sunflower?  Think on the whatsoevers that are true, right, holy, honest, pure, and lovely.  Stand, basking in the Son, heads held high when the storms of life rage.  Bear seeds that will feed the birds of the air and the appetites of those who are specially endowed with the taste of sunflower seeds.  Rely on Christ to nourish you, to sustain you, and to keep you upright.

You are the light of the world.  Rise like the sunflowers and shine.  Stand with your face toward the Son.  He’s there for you.  Be there for Him!

Thumbs Up!

In 2007, a movie came out called “Wild Hogs.” It featured a cantankerous bunch of middle-aged fellas who liked to ride Harleys and wanted to take a road trip to get away from reality and the cares of this world.  These four fellas decided to go on a road trip and try to recapture a little of the glory days they once had.

One of them, Dudley Frank, was quite the lovable guy.  His sunny disposition and ability to look for the good when things weren’t always going great endeared himself to the audience.  For instance, Dudley often found himself in scrapes or had things happen to him that most of us would have cried over.  But not Dudley.  He’d call out “I’m okay,” rub his tender part that had been jabbed, smile, and just keep going.

There’s another fella I know that has this type of personality.  When life hits him, he doesn’t rant and rail in response.  Nope.  Instead, he calls out “I’m okay” before the words “Are you alright?!” can even be spoken.  He even takes it one step further.  He holds up the universal thumbs up finger to let all know that he is indeed fine.

Oh sure.  He hurts.  He has scrapes, scars, and quite a few bruises.  He probably in all honesty has landed on his rear more times than Dudley did (remember this quote from him:  “It’s okay.  I hit my butt!”).  He also has been attacked more times from his brothers (whether blood ones or spiritual ones, I’ll let you ponder on that one) but because he has grown up in this atmosphere, this type of behaviour is not unusual for him.  Rather, it’s the norm.  He is used to being battered about, pushed aside, knocked over when he’s in the way (even though he had no clue he was impeding another’s progress).  Because his exposure to the ways of the world often include physical pain and unfair treatment, he goes on.  With a smile.  With a thumbs up gesture to let us know he’s okay.  It’s what he knows and while that does not make it right, he doesn’t know differently--yet.  

His response is such a testimony to me.  He doesn’t realize how his acceptance of bad things happening to good people touches my soul.  He has no clue that his happy demeanor makes me look inwardly and question my own often poor choice of responses when I am getting walked on and stomped on and kicked around.  I’m more of a milker; more of one who cries and lets the whole world know I hurt, that I’ve been done wrong, and that this situation is unjust and unfair.  Hopefully I’ll get to tell him one day.

In conclusion, our attitude determines our outlook.  We can cry over spilt milk or clean it up and get some more.  We can misuse the Golden Rule and do unto others as they first did to us and seek retribution and tell ourselves it’s the right thing to do.  We can burrow in our self-pity and make others beg for forgiveness for the slightest slight.  Or...or we can go on.  We can accept their poor behaviours.  We can acknowledge the pain we feel with a muttered “Ouch!” in disgust as my muse for today’s blog does.  And then, with our thumbs proudly held high, we can go on, determined to not let this thing get us down, to show before being asked that we’re fine, that we’re not defeated, not going down over a little infraction.  We can.  Will we?

Let’s pray!

2 Corinthians 4:17 tells me “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”  Father?  Thank You for the reminders You send my way, the examples You show me through people that exhibit Your words.  Yes, life can hurt and some things are harder to get over than others.  Sometimes the hits just keep coming and it’s hard to stand, hard to not cry out, hard to not demand justice.  

Lord?  When those times come--especially out of nowhere!!--remind us that they are indeed temporary.  They won’t last.  They might leave their marks and yes, they might hurt for a while.  But just a while, Lord.  In the grand scheme of things, this life is a vapor.  May we Your children leave a sweet aroma behind rather than a stench of bitterness is my prayer for us all today.  In the sweet name of Jesus Christ I pray this.  Amen.

"God Bless You!" or "God Bless You?"

Good morning!  I wonder:  if I sneezed, what would you say to me?  Typically, the words “God bless you” or--so as to not offend anyone (ahem)--one might just hear “Bless you!”  in response to an explulsion of air.

A lot of times when sneezing is prevalent, these words are expressed sincerely and without thought:  they just seem to be a natural response to the situation at hand.  I mean, seriously, have you ever really heard anyone not be solicitous to the soul in need of a quick blessing as the body is wreaked with an uninvited attack on its senses?  

Why then is it when someone is asking on behalf of another for prayer, for blessings from the Lord, that so many of us stub up and instantly become defensive?  “Unh uh, Lord.  I’m not going to pray for her.  You know what she did!  There’s no way I am going to ask You to bless her life.  Why, Lord, she’s not even living for You or she wouldn’t be blatantly living her life in sin.”  

This recently happened to me.  Someone asked me to pray for a situation concerning their family.  My first reaction was embarrassing.  Though I didn’t say these words out loud, I thought them.  “Why should He?  Why should God bless them when they are only applying His Words to the parts of their lives that they need Him to?  Why, they’re making a mockery out of this whole religion thing when they expect God to bless them when they clearly have no immediate plan to live for Him first.”  Something to that effect.  Something natural?

But then, my thoughts almost immediately turned back to me.  “Why should He bless you, Stefanie?  Are your sins any less:  any less wicked, any less blasphemous, any less needy?”  See the progression there, folks?  Ugly, bad...helpless.  Those fingers weren’t pointing to someone else this time.  They were pointing at me.

Helpless.  

Yeah.  

That’s what I am.

What they are.

What we all are.  

Helpless.

Needy.

Lord, I cry out to You.  Forgive my intolerance.  My critical attitude.  My...me.

I am helpless.  I am needy.  Bless this lowly woman who often doubts, often fears, dreads, and wonders and wanders.

For Jesus’ sake--surely not for mine.  But for Christ’s sake, Father, so His sacrifice is not in vain.  Would You bless me, us, again?  

"There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!" John 9:25