More or Less

"Give me miles and miles of mountains and I’ll ask for the sea..."

                                                                                       in a song by Damien Rice

I am reminded of a friend from years past, from a time before either of us had families.  She confided in me that she wished she had what I had, I looked at her incredulous, because I had been wishing that I had what she had.  It happened to me again, just the other day and I was again taken aback.  A different friend, a different time, each of us wanting what the other had, wanting what the other has.  Mind you, neither exchange had anything to do with money, material gain or things, but they had to do with life, issues of the heart and soul, wanting less, wanting more.  These friends had the sea but wanted mountains and I...I had mountains but wanted the sea.

Here is the truth, we have so much, yet we want more, we want what is on the other side of the fence, we want to walk in the greener grass that lays there, sways there, beautiful, dotted with flowers and stirring with lovely birds and butterflies who want to live there.  We want that.  We fail to see that what we have is just as beautiful, just as green and lush and fragrant...just different.

I read a quote the other day, I was struck by it, it affected my thoughts and hung in my mind...it is there still.  This quote speaks to what the Bible talks about, you can find it in Matthew and Luke, and Paul talks about it in Phillipians. We talked a bit about the quote today during our coffee time...

 

“Everyone thinks life is about getting things and getting more money, but it’s not 

– life is about losing everything”

                                                                                    

I love that, it quiets the soul, it takes the pressure off, it gives permission to just be, to accept our losses, because that is what life is about, not more, not greener or more lush but about less, living with less, loving with less, accepting loss and surviving it, climbing the mountains and surfing the sea, despite the loss.  Life is about losing everything.

We are all different, some with more, some with less, some have mountains, others have the sea. 

Yes, I have miles and miles of mountains, but now and then, I find myself asking for the sea.

Sixty Years

When the hour is upon us and our beauty surely gone

you will not be forgotten

No, you will not be alone

My parents just celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary!  

Sixty years of marriage.  S  I  X  T  Y    Y  E  A  R  S.  Husband and wife...a  l o n g  life, together.

They can’t do everything they used to do, Dad sometimes...Dad often, gets frustrated that he can’t do the things that he used to do, the things that he loved to do, the things that he lived to do.  Mom is always nearby encouraging him to simply enjoy the fact that his time for doing is done, that now is the time for loving, not doing.

They are both still good looking, Mom always wears a classic sweater, accessorised with her favourite jewellery, earrings dangling, hair curled and combed just so.  Dad still impresses those that meet up with him, thick toussled white hair and a big, big grin...yes, still good looking.

They are always together, playing a game of cards, watching curling or the news...watching. Together, talking.  Listening to music, together, soulful country classics, even though Mom doesn't like it, she tries not to say so. Mom likes to do crossword puzzles, but Dad doesn't like that...and he says so.  Dad often talks about moving to Herbert, Mom refuses to go. They are often arguing about any one thing that has come about in the day, or that happened yesterday.  They are just as often laughing together at some old joke or at each other for some failed attempt at something, maybe even because of something they have accomplished. Really, you did it!  Surprise and pride at accomplishments.

They have struggled with health issues, heart and soul issues.  Blood, sweat and tears. They have overcome their trials and have continued on, encouraging one another and trying hard to survive, to just live.  To live with integrity and grace and peace...living life is hard.

They are enjoying the fruits of their labour, family dinners once a week, good food, love and laughter.  They love their children, their grandchildren and their great grandchildren...these children that came all because they fell in love.  They are honoured to know this family tree they have planted...to feel it, to water and to taste from it.

They have reached an amazing accomplishment, sixty years together.  They are a testament to love, joy, perseverance, patience, cooperation, consideration and survival.  When all else failed they showed persistence to love and dedication to one another.

We gathered, as many of us who could, this past weekend to share their accomplishment and to joy in one another,  it was beautiful...joy, from sixty years of labour and love...it was a celebration, it was an honour.

And when the day has all but ended and our echo starts to fade

you will not be alone...Let us hold to each other till the end of our days

S  I  X  T  Y    Y  E  A  R  S    with love, God Bless

The Blame Game

I have just finished reading a little book by Gene Edwards. A little book, but a powerful message, a message that will stir you to a new way of thinking or will confirm what you already think.  The Prisoner in the Third Cell, a telling of John the Baptist, his life, to his death; his life, served up on a platter.  The story telling gives way to a simple, quick and powerful read. John is the prisoner in cell three.

 

One of the threads in the story that stood out to me were the prisoners in cell one and cell two.  The one blames men for the fact that he is in prison, he blames his circumstance on Herod and he blames the others who conspired against him to take everything he had, he shouts “there is no end to the wickedness of the human heart”

The one in cell two blames God, he raised his face and spat curses at God “What kind of a God is it that will allow such things as we suffer now!  Is this the end for men who have loved God and obeyed Him? Has God no pity?”

The question then is who will John blame; man? God? Or perhaps his cousin?  Jesus could have saved John, He could have done something to ease Johns plight.  He performed many miracles, He healed many.  Who will John the Baptist blame?

A few months ago I read through Job.  The story of a man’s suffering, satan makes a deal with God, and God gives him permission to torment Job.  It is the telling of the powerful faith of a man who suffers greatly but never gives up on God.  His faith stands firm just as God told satan he would.  Job never blames satan. I love that.  

Satan doesn’t need any glory by any of us talking about the power he has over us...I’m sure you’ve heard people give the blame to satan for the troubles they are in.  Satan loves that, it puffs him up; he feeds on it, the fact that we are giving him any credit, he loves that.

This last week in our final study we talked a bit about trials and challenges and suffering, how these are inevitable...we will have troubles.  We went on to read examples of others who persevered through their troubles, they did not blame satan.  In fact through their troubles they gave the glory to God.  Their faith stood firm and God was given the credit, He loves that.

The blame game...who will you blame?

  

Who is going to get the credit; man? satan? Or will you give the credit to God?

"To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen"

1Peter 5:11

Washing feet

“What does the thing about you that annoys me say about me?”

I heard a sermon the other day and the pastor asked that question.  Profound, don’t you think?

It is so easy to be annoyed with what other people do and then think badly of them, even go so far as to tell others what annoys us about them.  We are really saying ‘Don’t you agree?’ ‘Wouldn’t this drive you crazy too?’ ‘I’m right, aren’t I right?’ ‘That is so annoying?’  We want others to agree to see our view but really, and I think this is true, although I don’t like to realize it; what actually happens is how we are seen.  These kinds of discussions usually end up showing what kind of person we are.  Easily annoyed, quick to judge, heartless, puffed up with pride, altogether righteous, without grace and without mercy.  Regardless of what the thing really is...it ends up being about us.

Yikes, I have been easily annoyed by some people, maybe not easily annoyed so much as being rubbed the wrong way, well, it’s all the same.  But the truth is there are some people I do not fit well with.  This is all well and good, how could we possibly get along with everyone, see eye to eye with everyone, be on the same playing field with everyone,  be compatible with everyone?  Right?

This same pastor said another thing, ‘righteousness is about ‘right relationship’ ‘right relatedness’.  Yes, with Christ but also with one another, showing the right kind of righteousness.  I get that, I do.  I want to be that kind of person, showing the right kind of relatedness.

I don’t know about you but I want to be less annoyed.  I am really going to try hard to not let anyone see that I am annoyed.  I want to show grace and mercy and not tell anyone that I am annoyed.  Not tell anyone that I have been annoyed or that I am prone to feel that way.  I want to try hard to be 'right related'.  I want to try not to point out the annoyances of others because it will come back to me; it will end up being about me.  Like the old saying ‘what goes around comes around.’

In this past week’s study, a particular fact stood out to me. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples.  He washed the feet of all the disciples.  He washed the feet of Judas, his betrayer.  Judas, the one who was easily annoyed, quick to judge, heartless, puffed up with pride, altogether righteous, without grace and without mercy.  Jesus washed his feet.  

What does that say about Jesus?

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."

John 13:15

Sharing Words

“I wanted words but all I heard was nothing” 

                                                                                           ...in a song by The Script

I’m reading a book right now called “WORDS” written by Ginny Yttrup.  It is the story of a girl who has lost her voice but collects words; she keeps them in an imaginary box in her mind.  These words help her to understand things that happen to her, they help her to understand how she feels. Eventually she will say them and she will be freed to own them and to share them.

After having shared words with someone have you ever gotten nothing in return, no, nothing?

I have.   To me, that is so sad, I love words, sharing them is important.  I love saying them and I love hearing them.  I love hearing them said in ways that have meaning, depth and power. I love hearing them said soft and slow, whispered.  I love hearing a word and realizing it means something else to someone else; a different way of knowing a word, a different way of understanding that person.

Word …the dictionary definition:

Word (wurd) n 1. A sound or a combination of sounds or its representation in print. 

2. Something said; an utterance, a comment

3. An assurance or a promise

4. A command or direction

5. A verbal signal or a password

6. a. News. b. Rumor

7. a. see Logos. b. The Scriptures, the Bible

That is a lot of ways to understand Word; it is the spoken word, something said. It is how it sounds and how it is written, printed on a page. It is a promise, it is commanded, spoken, rumored. It is a password to life. It is proclaiming news and it is sacred.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"

Psalm 119:105

Words are meant to be shared.  Words describe things, they help to understand what is happening, they let me know how to feel.  Words can be measured too. Finding the right words, measuring them, knowing how to say them and being careful how I hear them.

Words mean more than you know, know them, read them, share them; if they are said to you they can lift your soul, if they are said by you they can lift another soul…

“Sometimes someone says something really small 

and it fits just right into this empty place in your heart."  

                                                                                                          words I heard somewhere...

and it fits just right...I love that.