As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;  for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children                                                                                                                 Psalm 103:13-17

 

Is it just me, or does it seem like a lot of people have anger just below the surface these days?  You know, there is just a sense that there is a collective irritability that gets played out in social media, and even mainstream media for that matter. Maybe a loss of civility is a better explanation, but I think the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for it.

I call it collective frustration.

I think this is the formula: Helplessness + Anger = Frustration. In so many ways, we have felt helpless in the battle against the Coronavirus. We have not yet developed a vaccine, so there is still need for caution. We desperately want a normal economy and lifestyle, but the virus still stymies those efforts, even as the economy opens back up.

So, we express this sense of helplessness as anger. It is much more acceptable to get angry than to admit to feeling helpless. Anger is sort of a default emotion. It is always there, lurking. Some access this emotion more easily than others. Usually though, there is something below the anger. Something deeper in our soul and mind. Sometimes it is unexpressed sadness. Very often it is fear. However, anger seems to be the workhorse of our emotions that is most easily accessed- our default mode if you will.

Deeper reflection will often give us the opportunity to identify what is really going on, but if we have very few margins- that is, if stress has built up and we feel that we have no good outlets, and no available solutions, we express this initially as anger.

I am frustrated too. I feel helpless in so many ways about the restrictions of my lifestyle brought on by this pandemic. Indeed, I am angry at the Coronavirus, but how can you really play that out?

Then I realize my limitations and the fact that God understands me. I think the verses from my favorite Psalm are appropriate today. This is Father’s Day (Happy Father’s Day, by the way to you dads). I take comfort that my heavenly Father knows how we are made, sees us as little children, and will care for us, even when we may feel that his presence is distant or gone.

Prayer: Thank you Father for your love for us, and your understanding that we are like little children. We take comfort in your care as loving parent, Amen.

 

 

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.                                                                                                                        Romans 8:24-25

 

Hope by definition is future oriented. We do not know the future, but we like to think that we can prepare for it. We have hope that the future will bring us what we need or desire. We like to have predictability and control, and if we don’t have that, we get anxious. The antidote to anxiety is control. The more we can control, the better handle on anxiety we feel we have. But, is that true? Well, we never really have control, just the illusion of it.

The results of hope are not seen. Those results lie in the future, and we count on the future being just a little better than what we currently have. People joke about the year 2020, and how this anticipated year has, so far, essentially brought us the misery of Coronavirus and racial strife.

It is not 2020’s “fault”, but we are ready for the hope of next year already. And it is only June. Next year might bring a vaccine for this dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. Next year might bring economic recovery. Next year might bring a return to what we came to see as normal living.

Whatever next year brings, we can HOPE that it is a relief from this year’s pain. The year 2021 will bring its own troubles, but our hope is that it will not be like 2020. It will be better.

The passage from Romans tells us that we must wait for it patiently. Indeed, we are anything but patient. However, we still must live in the present. Savor it for the moments of peace and pleasure that we derive from friends and family, as disrupted as that has been this year.

Be grateful for the blessings that we have right now. Hope for the future is good and helpful, but don’t let the present escape in the longing for the future.

Prayer: Lord, we are impatient people, always hoping for something different. Help us to live in the moment you have created, and be thankful for it.

 

Whoever was still alive had reason for hope                                                                                                    Viktor Frankl

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms- to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way                                                     Viktor Frankl

But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.                                 Psalm 9:18

 

I trust that many of my readers are familiar with Viktor Frankl. He was an Austrian psychiatrist, and a prisoner of Nazi concentration camps during World War II. He was a prisoner because he was Jewish.

During his time in the concentration camps, he witnessed the hopelessness and despair among many of the prisoners that one might naturally expect in such dreadful conditions. Frankl noted that those prisoners who gave up hope, those who did not see any meaning in life anymore, tended to die quickly. They had given up.

Those like Frankl, and the ones he tried to help in the camps, were able to see that, even in the most debasing of circumstances, there was something that could not be taken from them. They had a choice to hope.

Frankl survived the concentration camp experience, however his father and his wife did not. But Frankl’s story, tragic as it appears, was one of hope for many, because from it came his works about therapy and treatment of emotional problems. His ability to marry the concepts of human suffering with the remedy of hope and choice, gave rise to logotherapy. He infused psychiatry with a spiritual dimension framed in a positive light hitherto unseen in the field.

Hope is where we find it. Unfortunately, we might stop looking. Frankl endured terrible suffering, but he never completely lost hope because he found meaning in his suffering. He found that the Nazis could never imprison his mind, even if they had his body in prison.

We have been promised that God will never forget us in our time of need, even when we see no provision in front of us. The hope of his promises remains. 

Prayer: Thank you Father for infusing us with a spirit of hope, a spirit beyond us, resting in you, Amen.

To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future  

-Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

 

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.                                                                    Isaiah 40:31 

There are multiple ways to look at the concept of hope. The definition above conveys several of those aspects of hope. It is one thing to “wait for” an event with anticipation. It is quite another to trust in that event happening. Then there is the concept of expecting something beneficial, as opposed to wishing that something bad does NOT happen.

All these concepts seem to be embodied in the word “hope”. All of them are true depending on how we use the word.

I like to think that hope is more about a mindset than just a fleeting thought of the moment.

A mindset of hope is based upon our belief in God’s provision and love for us. In that sense, hope is more like the “trust in” part of the definition above.

Isaiah wrote that those “who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”

So, we see that hope is not just a desire, but it is our source of energy, no matter the circumstances we face.

In the next couple of days, I want to expand on the idea of “hope”.

Hope you stick with me! (OK, bad pun, I will try to do better!)

 

Prayer: Father, you have given us hope, no matter the circumstances. Thank you for this lifeline of how to look at the world, Amen.

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’  But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one                                 Matthew 5:33-37

 

As I was reading this passage this morning, I was struck by the dramatic emphasis Jesus used as he delivered the “Sermon on the Mount”.  This teaching, captured in several chapters of Matthew  is a high point of Jesus explaining the law, and how it was meant to be carried out- the Spirit of it.

We routinely ask people to swear an oath, such as in court, to ensure that they are going to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God”. People would at times ask others to “swear on your mother’s grave” or “swear on your children” to somehow extract the real truth that otherwise might be covered up if not accompanied by the oath -that is, that if it were not the truth, terrible things would befall the liar and those he swore upon.

Jesus said, “All you need is a simple “Yes” or “No”. “He went on to say that anything beyond that is from the evil one. Jesus knew that if one needed to attach some kind of oath to their statement, that would not change the underlying motives or attitude if that person were inclined to be lying. It would simply make the lie look different, be more subtle and deceptive- the stuff of Satan.

Jesus is always seeking after a person’s heart, which is not always played out in how we behave. That is the essence of the stark contrast he made between how people tried to convolute the law to fit their own desires, or to judge another person.

In convoluting the law, people had found ways of doing something worse than lying to others- they lied to themselves and convinced themselves of their “goodness” by adhering to the law.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your truth, and help us to seek it simply and humbly, Amen.

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:11

 

In this passage we see the reaction of Moses, a gifted man of God who did not really see his gifts. Why not? Why didn’t Moses see his obvious gifts and talents which could be used for God? Well, many of us fail to see in ourselves the gifts with which God has endowed us. We tend to be oblivious to such gifts, sort of saying, “this (our talent) comes so easily to me, it can’t be that big a deal- anybody could do this”.

This is compounded when we carry around guilt over some past behaviors. Guilt can render us ineffective. Moses had killed an Egyptian in a fit of righteous anger, and he had been caught in the act. I think that this lingered in his mind, making him feel that, having done such an awful thing, God could no longer use him. He seemed to judge himself as unworthy, and told himself that even the God of creation could not forgive such an act. Certainly, he felt that he could not be a powerful instrument of God.

Remember Paul? He talked about his “thorn in the flesh”, which, to my way of thinking, was the memory of his past of having killed Christians.  Paul was painfully aware of this past for the rest of his life, and he continued to call himself “the least of the brethren”, even as he led the church in so many ways later in life.

I think that we often “disqualify” ourselves from God’s service by our own standards- not using God’s standards of forgiveness and restoration. Remember, whatever sins we have committed, God has allowed grace to “much more abound”. We are more than qualified for service, we are commanded to serve with whatever God has given us to bring forth.

 

Prayer: Father, thank you for the calling you give to each of us. Remind us that we are not the judges of our worth, but you, the merciful One, are. Amen 

 

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children like olive plants
around your table. Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.                                 Psalm 128:3-4

 

The family is all together this week on vacation. We do this once a year, and this week is something we all long for and look forward to. How blessed we are to have an intact family, and one that really wants to be together!

All the grandchildren are here and there is interaction among the cousins with the older ones helping out with the younger ones. One of my grandsons is especially interested in all things electronic, and he helped his Poppa figure out one of the normal “Poppa mistakes” when using the internet. We play cards and board games, and we laugh. A lot.

Sitting around the table at dinner, celebrating my son-in-law’s birthday, there was joy and laughter and good conversation. I could experience how the verse from Psalms about celebrating family was compared in terms reflecting the richest blessings of the land.

I am blessed with an amazing loving wife, and two great children. They have married loving and strong, and talented spouses, and have produced six children of their own – my grandkids. The grandkids, of course, are the dearest prizes- but I don’t need to explain that to the grandparents reading this today!

Not all families are this fortunate. Many people have had losses, or possibly estrangement. I see this daily in clients who grieve losses of family. I grieve with them, and I encourage reconciliation where possible, acceptance when it is not.

So, a simple message today of cherishing family -gratitude for their presence, blessings for their future, and continued family gatherings for their coming generations!

Prayer: Thank you Father for the plan of family, and the joy of their presence, Amen.

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it                                  Hebrews 13:1-2

 

While traveling this week, we encountered car trouble on the interstate in North Carolina. The car lost power and I limped it to the first exit which, fortunately, was close. There is actually a thing called “limp mode” in Hondas- who knew? We found a little tire store/repair shop right off the ramp and took it in there at about 4:55PM. The shop was to close at 5:00PM, but I talked with a guy in the lot and explained our problem. He told me to “go inside and check with Randy”. Randy called over to Steve who put the computer scanner on the car, then drove it around the block just to check on the performance. By this time, the check engine light had gone off, and the car seemed to be running a little rough, but sufficient to move us down the road to our hotel. Steve said that he thought we could get down the road, spend the night, and get to a Honda dealer in the morning.

Once again, fortunately, there was a Honda dealer that got us in first thing that next morning. They hooked the car up, checked it out, and said that it was probably a glitch in the system that detected a minor problem, and it had corrected itself. They had the car for an hour, did all the testing, and, finding no problem, said that he wouldn’t charge us because they had found nothing wrong. He gave me a bill for $0, and also gave me the code for a free car wash.

By the way, the guy at the little shop from the night before refused to take money for their time, even after working past their closing time.

These people were strangers- rather, I was a stranger to them. They treated me with compassion, kindness and understanding, and also great generosity. I got to thinking about the instruction we have about treating strangers with kindness. Really, we count on this every day. People we do not know do things for us, and we for them, without actually knowing them.

It was a good reminder to me. I was treated with great kindness when in a vulnerable situation. How often do we get to “entertain angels?” Maybe every day.

 

Prayer: Father, thank you for the angels you sent to me and my wife this week. Protect all us travelers as we go about our life every day, Amen.

 

I hope today’s reflection, a bit different than usual, doe not offend the reader with its casual tone toward God. I think prayer is just a conversation with God, and that he relishes it when we talk with him. Agreeing with God, ultimately, is the way we have peace and how we prosper.

So, I had this imaginary conversation with God, and it went something like this…

Me: God, you know I have asked you a bunch of times to curse this Coronavirus to hell, and it still has not happened. This is getting really annoying for folks, and I know that you know it.

God: It doesn’t work that way.

Me: David used to put a curse on his enemies all the time and you seemed to be OK with that. How come you let the Coronavirus hang around. It is killing people, and freaking everybody else out!

God: Well, it’s not that simple. For example, if I gave you the power to curse stuff to hell, there would be no end to it. You’d find something else that you were mad at and try to curse it to hell too. And you know David. He was a bit of a hothead, but I always called him my friend. In the end he had great trust in me, and great dependence. I liked that.

Me: So, we don’t get to curse the virus?

God: No, you will have to use it as a learning experience. I have formed the human race to be able to solve problems, and to grow from disasters. You know the rules. Trust me, even when you don’t see the outcome, and I will do the things you cannot possibly do.

Me: Yes, I know, but that is so hard. People are hurting. And we are really pretty mad too.

God: Yes, I know. And you also know that I love you all. Don’t you think your pain doesn’t hurt me? It was not my intent that humankind decided to stray away from the original plans. But I gave you all free will to make your own decisions. I had to pay a high price, the suffering of my son, to save you all from your bad decisions, your sins.

Me: Yes, I know, and we deeply appreciate Jesus! It’s just that Coronavirus has made life so… abnormal!

God: Yes, but you will be OK. I have given you all not only free will, but an amazing capacity to solve problems and to be resilient in the face of terrible danger. When you all work together to solve problems, to help each other, sacrificing for one another, it is just so gratifying to me as your heavenly father. You’re a father, you know what I mean.

Me: Yes, true, you are right, as always. Thanks for listening.

God: Believe me, it is my pleasure. I love it when you talk with me.

Me: Good talk dad.

God: Just keep it up!

“Make Level Paths for your Feet”

Hebrews 12:12-13 

In reading today’s passage, the part that seemed to just jump out at me was the last two verses-“Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed”.

I was struck by these final sentences because it seems so practical. The author had been making the point about being disciplined in order to run a good race. We are indeed in a race, each of us given our lane to run in. My belief is that if we spend a lot of time looking into the other lanes to see how others are running, it will hinder our own race. We tend to run in the direction that we face with our eyes. If we spend too much time worrying about how someone in the other lane is doing, we are not going to run our best race.

At the same time, we are called upon to pay attention to those who are running behind us. Consider a relay race. We each run a leg of the race, then we hand the baton to a teammate who is running up behind us. Our job is to run a good race, at a good pace, so that those who follow us have a better chance of winning. We have to “strengthen ourselves” to give those who follow us an edge. We need to make a “level path” (i.e. have no obstacles in the way) so that those who follow may not be hindered or hurt, but rather healed by following a good strong example.

We first need to strengthen ourselves, by disciplined training, to be in the best shape for our journey. We then need to care for those whom we are discipling, so that their race may be the best for them as well. Repeat this time after time and you have the formula for a successful Kingdom!

Prayer: Father, thank you for the ability to run the race! You have given us the gift of life and the gift of loving others. We trust your provision for us, Amen.”