How You Doin'?

If you’re an avid television watcher, you probably have watched several episodes of “Friends.”  Between Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and the oh-so-lovable Joey, many of us would spend our Thursday evenings with this group and imagine that we too had a special affinity with our own circle of peeps.

One of the most quoted lines from “Friends” would have to be Joey’s “How you doin’?”  These words would be uttered to women he found attractive and wanted to get to know better.  Usually they were combined with an interested smile and twinkle in Joey’s eyes.  The effect could be devastating or disastrous, depending on what the writers of the show were striving for in that episode.

Yesterday, I met my own Joey.  Sort of.  Okay, he really wasn’t anything like Joey except for his concern for his fellow man.  As our buggies met in the crafting aisle at Walmart, he immediately caught my attention.  Talk about a cutie!  Of course I had to initiate a conversation and I’ll summarize it here (otherwise this blog would get too wordy and we wouldn’t want that to happen, now would we?).

“Hello!  You sure are cute” I said.  “Are you getting that so you can paint some rocks?”  

He responded and then he asked me how I was.  I told him I was a little sleepy after having had lunch just a bit ago and wondered if he liked to take naps too.  Oh, now before your minds start going places they shouldn’t, let me clarify something:  this handsome fella was all of eighteen.  Months, that is.  Ha ha!  Got you!  Shame on you for thinking such illicit thoughts!

Anyway, as is customary for us Southerners, I returned his question to him and asked him how he was?  His response?  “I’m doin’.”

I’m doin’?!

What kind of response was that?  I wondered.  I pondered.  And then I appreciated.  After all, there was no pretense there.  No social niceties of saying that of course, I’m fine, while internally lying and hoping no one notices the falseness of the reply.  No whining, either, about how awful his life was, how his parents wouldn’t buy him this, nor that he felt like that.  Just two simple words:  I’m doin’.

He taught me a lesson.  Keep it simple.  Stick to the facts.  When someone asks about you and you don’t want to lie, don’t want attention, and don’t want pity, just use these words.  Because, quite frankly, sometimes that’s all that we are really capable of, isn’t it?  To just do.  To just be.  To just keep putting one foot in front of the other.  To stand when we are at our wits’ ends but still believing that somehow, somewhere, Someone is not going to let us fall.  

Thank You, Lord, for kids.  Thank You for simple truths that have such profound effects on my daily walk.  Thank You for keeping me upright and fixed when my eyes stay on You.  I’m doin’, Father.  I’m trying to do what You called me to do and yes, there are happy times when all seems well and sometimes there are sad times when I need all the help I can get but refuse to ask for.  

Thank You for providing others in my life for times when I need a little extra.  May I be a Joey, Lord, as I endeavor to befriend my fellow man and genuinely care about the responses to when I question about others’ well- being?  I want to be.  I want to be a doer, Father.  Will You help me?  I ask these things in the name of Christ Jesus, Who already did it all.  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!

Stand

What does it mean to stand and why are we commanded to do so--not just once, but several times in the scriptures?  According to Merriam-Webster, stand means “to be in or take an upright position on the feet,” as well as “to rest, remain, or set in a usually vertical position.”  It also means “an attitude toward a particular issue; a position taken in an argument.”  It is used 277 times in the King James Bible so it must be a pretty special word, huh?

I’m sure many of you have noticed the Colin Kaepernick escapade going on, where this football player has made a stance by not standing up for the National Anthem.  That’s his right and no, I don’t agree with it either.  However, when one has a strong conviction over an issue, this is what has been taught to us to do for years.  “Stand up for what is right, for what you believe in!”  Ever heard those words, friends?

Remember the whole armor of God commands about the weapons and protections we are to carry with us at all times?  When you read the last part in Ephesians 6:13, it says “having done all, to stand.”  

My question then to us all--including Colin--is did we do the first part of the verse first?  Did we “take... the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day” or did we just decide what we thought was the best thing to do?  Let me rephrase this:  was the battle one of spiritual proportions and if yes, did we seek God’s counsel first?  Did we suit up with our helmets of salvations, swords of truth, and most importantly, did we have our feet ready for the preparation of peace?  Sigh.  We tend to forget that the outcome is what matters, don’t we?  If our fights--whether they be about policies, carpet color, social issues, or who is right--are to be won, then shouldn’t the expected result be one that is a peaceful one?  Instead of stirring up more strife and division, ought we not to seek a peaceful resolution?  

Today as you examine yourselves--as we examine ourselves--let’s take a few moments and consider if the things we are fighting for and fighting about are things we really want to change or if instead we are just wanting some attention and being tools used for harm instead of for good.  Some things just aren’t worth the hassle, are they?  Some things we need to let go of.  Some things we just need to sit down and be quiet about.  

Open letter to Governor McCrory

Dear Governor McCrory:

I started to write “Hi.  You don’t know me” but I think that perhaps you might, actually.  No, our paths haven’t ever crossed but...But you are my governor and I feel pretty sure there’s a reason you have been put into such a place as this.

I pondered that yesterday, while sitting in church.  I wondered “Did Pat McCrory have any idea what momentous part of history he would be playing when he signed the HB2 law?”  I also pondered the verse from Ephesians 6:12, which states:  

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.   

Did you know, Governor?  Did God give you any fair warning that you were about to embark on changing history, on being ridiculed, mocked, scorned, and put through the fire?  Like Esther, you were put in this time for this story, and maybe you are an unwilling pawn.  But again, I don’t think so.  It takes a lot to show a man’s character and I think you are doing an excellent job.

Now I have a request for you.  Will you continue to stand?  Will you be strong in this battle to which you have been thrust into?  Will you not cave into the pressures of those who are out to continue to destroy this world with their proclivities and madnesses?  For you see, they have been blinded.  Their eyes have been closed to truth and they are just wandering about, seeking any cause to follow that helps them to feel better about their own sins.  I don’t mean that to sound judgmental but here’s the thing:  we are all sinners and in need of a Saviour.  When we can get our eyes off of ourselves, they tend to wander to those who we perceive as being worse than us and therefore, we don’t have to deal with our sins.  Misery loves company, right?

I want you to know that I am so proud of you for not rallying back with hatred, but instead you are showing compassion, offering understanding for what has been twisted, and staying gentle in this fight.  Gentle as a dove and wise as a serpent.  I commend you, Governor, and just wanted you to know that you are not in this fight alone.  While my reputation at my house with my grandsons is that “Granny is a lover, not a fighter” this situation has really gotten out of control.  While I won’t go out onto the battlefield and fight fire with fire, I will support you, my state, my kid and grandkids, and those I love with my prayers, with the small podium I have on my blog site, and with whatever else God lays on my heart to do.

Thank you for your time and again:  keep standing.  We need you.  

Charles Barkley recently made a comment that sounded like something I heard from the movie “A Few Good Men” where he stated it was his responsibility to “stand up for the people who can’t stand up for themselves.”  Just as he is entitled to stand, Governor, we are too.  It’s still America.  We still have our First Amendment rights of free speech and I appreciate you letting me state mine.

Sincerely,

Stefanie Hutcheson

Might as well jump!

This may be one of the shortest blogs I will ever write. Got a minute? Great!

Today I saw a post from an old friend of mine that supports the rights of those who are against this LGBT fluff that is going on here in North Carolina. Proudly, I shared it but now, as I sit here and ponder the implications of that, I wonder: will this woman stay on the verge of expressing her beliefs, will she jump forth with all she has, or will she cower and back down? No offense towards her, because I wonder the same things about myself.

When on the verge, friends, of taking a stand, will we be bold and stand or will we cower and/or crawl backwards, letting our fears (of society, of the wrath of others, or of being labeled as fanatics) override our senses? It's easy to do things when only a few are looking but when we are in the spotlight, put to the test, and asked to prove our beliefs, will we? Will we do the right thing in the eyes of Jesus or will we continue on blindly in the world's views?

Let's pray!

Dear Lord, thank You for those who are unafraid and unashamed to walk with You. Not behind You, nor from afar as the disciples did when You were arrested and sent to trial but with You, Jesus. Help us all to be bold, to be fearless but with sense, and mostly, Lord Jesus, to reflect You in all that we do. In Your holy name I ask this. Amen.