I got a speeding ticket while on a business trip in Omaha the other day. I was clocked at 48 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone! Pretty dumb on my part! Pretty expensive, too ($244)! I was attempting to get a colleague of mine to the airport in a hurry so that he would not miss his flight to Salt Lake City. We were only about a mile or two away from the airport and deeply immersed in our conversation when I got pulled over. It was a shock! I had obviously not been paying any attention to the road and/or the speed limit for that road.
You know, I could probably protest the speeding ticket and try to wiggle my way out of it. It was obviously part of a "speed trap" the Omaha police had set up and it seemed a little unfair for it to be at this particular location. But, the fact of the matter is speeding is speeding. The law is the law. I was going over the posted speed limit so I deserved a ticket. There are many very good reasons for "limits" like this. Sometimes we just need to travel a little bit slower through life.
Earlier in the week when I had been "texting" while I was driving and/or checking e-mails at stop lights, I remember thinking to myself, "I probably shouldn't be doing this. It's probably not safe." What's the hurry anyway? Is it really necessary for me to be handling all of that stuff on the go? I think I'm ready to stop speeding through life...
Why is it that being on the move and always busy seems to be a higher value these days? What are we really accomplishing by traveling so many miles and doing so many things? Is it worth it? Have you (have I) even stopped our busy-ness long enough to think about it? Have you ever taken the time to assess what you are missing by speeding through life?
Since it is Memorial Day weekend, and a lot of us (at least in the USA) will have a day off (a "holiday") tomorrow, here's a list of things for you to consider instituting into your life to try and minimize the negative impacts of speeding through life:
- Take time to sit and think/pray over a good breakfast each morning.
- Slow down on your drive to work and smile at the people in the cars next to you.
- Put up some boundaries for how many hours you'll actually work in any one day.
- Take time to get to know your "neighbors" better (in the next office/cubicle at work, at home, wherever?).
- Compose a hand-written letter to someone special in your life telling them how much you love/admire them.
- Take a walk and really notice the flowers, birds, animals, other people along the way.
- Avoid the internet and social media for a week (or more!) and read a really good book (or two?) instead.
- Plan a vacation at home just to relax and let the time go by.
I'm going to try to take my own advice on this. It will be hard, but speeding through life creates some unintended hardships, too!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
A Downside to Being Random
I'll have to admit from the outset of this post that one of my least favorite words these days is random. I also really dislike the concept of being random. My angst for the word and/or the concept is that in today's culture being random is somehow being elevated to a preferred or elite status. It is as though if you aren't random or don't subscribe to being random, somehow that makes you very uncool. I know this may offend some of you out there because you use the word random a lot and/or you admire the concept of being random a great deal. But, let me explain where I'm coming from.
From the dictionary and Wikipedia, being random implies a lack of order, purpose or cause. It can also be described as a casual sense of a lack of predictability. Furthermore, being random suggests making a choice when there is no logical component by which to make that choice.
I believe that there is a huge downside to being random.
When a society begins to reward/admire a lack of order, purpose or cause, we are headed for trouble. Have you ever been in a totally chaotic situation where there was no order, purpose or cause? How did you feel in that situation? For a short time it can appear to be fun. But, if that totally chaotic situation is allowed to persist for the long term, you can get very confused, feel potentially unsafe and experience futility. No wonder a lot people in our society today (especially Millenials?) are increasingly confused, feeling unsafe and living lives of near futility. In my opinion, that's what happens when being random appears to be the ideal for one's life.
When there is a casual sense of (and/or an out-and-out lack of) predictability to our lives, what happens when you bump up against truths that are in fact very predictable and don't change? It causes further confusion and disillusionment among people (again, especially Millenials?). If you have been taught by the system that there are no absolutes and that in fact everything is just random and by chance, it can be very disheartening when you are confronted face-to-face with the realities that some things just are absolute and always will be and aren't going to change just because our pop culture society tells you that being random is the ideal.
When there are no logical reasons for the choices you make, you may make some choices that you will later desparately regret. For example, just because being random is our pop culture's current ideal and considered to be way cool, if you end up making choices based on that kind of a philosophy, you might totally disregard established laws of nature, historical precedent, biological facts, proven science and/or any other well-known truths. And when/if you do, those choices will be really, really wrong and may end up costing you a great deal.
This past week has been an interesting one. Seems like the weeks get more and more interesting all the time. As a society, we appear to be moving at a very rapid pace towards "randomness" and a form of anarchy, which could also be described as lawlessness. I'm concerned about that. And you should be, too.
There is a downside to being random. Think about it.
From the dictionary and Wikipedia, being random implies a lack of order, purpose or cause. It can also be described as a casual sense of a lack of predictability. Furthermore, being random suggests making a choice when there is no logical component by which to make that choice.
I believe that there is a huge downside to being random.
When a society begins to reward/admire a lack of order, purpose or cause, we are headed for trouble. Have you ever been in a totally chaotic situation where there was no order, purpose or cause? How did you feel in that situation? For a short time it can appear to be fun. But, if that totally chaotic situation is allowed to persist for the long term, you can get very confused, feel potentially unsafe and experience futility. No wonder a lot people in our society today (especially Millenials?) are increasingly confused, feeling unsafe and living lives of near futility. In my opinion, that's what happens when being random appears to be the ideal for one's life.
When there is a casual sense of (and/or an out-and-out lack of) predictability to our lives, what happens when you bump up against truths that are in fact very predictable and don't change? It causes further confusion and disillusionment among people (again, especially Millenials?). If you have been taught by the system that there are no absolutes and that in fact everything is just random and by chance, it can be very disheartening when you are confronted face-to-face with the realities that some things just are absolute and always will be and aren't going to change just because our pop culture society tells you that being random is the ideal.
When there are no logical reasons for the choices you make, you may make some choices that you will later desparately regret. For example, just because being random is our pop culture's current ideal and considered to be way cool, if you end up making choices based on that kind of a philosophy, you might totally disregard established laws of nature, historical precedent, biological facts, proven science and/or any other well-known truths. And when/if you do, those choices will be really, really wrong and may end up costing you a great deal.
This past week has been an interesting one. Seems like the weeks get more and more interesting all the time. As a society, we appear to be moving at a very rapid pace towards "randomness" and a form of anarchy, which could also be described as lawlessness. I'm concerned about that. And you should be, too.
There is a downside to being random. Think about it.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Trust
Today is Mother's Day. What a wonderful family holiday! Our immediate family (minus the "newlyweds" who were out-of-town and greatly missed!), six of us in all, gathered together for a nice lunch at my daughter's house. We had a fabulous time! We ate together, played a game together and basically enjoyed each other's company for several hours! We celebrated our family and thanked Ellen for being "Mom" (and for doing that vital/significant role so well for so many years!). I feel particularly blessed by the day! It was really, really special to me.
Trust. The strength of a family relies on trust. Fortunately for my family, there appears to be a lot of trust amongst us. I am so grateful to God for that! I also want to personally acknowledge Ellen's part in helping to establish that trust in our family.
When a family is very accepting and loving, then everyone in that family will be more willing to extend trust to others outside their family. Ellen is one of the most accepting and loving people I know, and she has modeled that acceptance and love for me and our children over the years.
Trust is really a relationship of reliance. It is predicting what someone else will do based on what you know to be true about that other person.
Conversely, when acceptance and love is lacking in a family, it might be difficult for members of that family to develop trust with each other and/or among friends/acquaintances away from the family.
Trust is a very sacred and fragile thing. It is extremely hard to regain trust if it is ever lost.
I believe that a family is the basic building block of all societies. One man married (before the eyes of God) to one woman, and if fortunate, blessed with several children. It is so simple really. Families filled with trust make for great neighborhoods, great communities, great cities, great states and a great nation. Families lacking trust lead to enormous problems for neighborhoods, communities, cities, states and nations. If families aren't established as they were intended by God to be established, and if trust is broken between family members, is it any wonder that we have the problems we do in our neighborhoods, communities, cities, states and this nation?
Trust. It's what makes a family work well. Without it, we encounter lots and lots of issues/problems. If you enjoy trust in your family, thank God for it. It is a gift! If you lack trust in your family, do whatever you need to do to re-establish it, and then watch to see how much you will be blessed by doing so.
Happy Mother's Day, Ellen! Thanks for always being so accepting and loving of me and our children. Thanks for working so hard to establish and maintain trust in our immediate family.
Trust. The strength of a family relies on trust. Fortunately for my family, there appears to be a lot of trust amongst us. I am so grateful to God for that! I also want to personally acknowledge Ellen's part in helping to establish that trust in our family.
When a family is very accepting and loving, then everyone in that family will be more willing to extend trust to others outside their family. Ellen is one of the most accepting and loving people I know, and she has modeled that acceptance and love for me and our children over the years.
Trust is really a relationship of reliance. It is predicting what someone else will do based on what you know to be true about that other person.
Conversely, when acceptance and love is lacking in a family, it might be difficult for members of that family to develop trust with each other and/or among friends/acquaintances away from the family.
Trust is a very sacred and fragile thing. It is extremely hard to regain trust if it is ever lost.
I believe that a family is the basic building block of all societies. One man married (before the eyes of God) to one woman, and if fortunate, blessed with several children. It is so simple really. Families filled with trust make for great neighborhoods, great communities, great cities, great states and a great nation. Families lacking trust lead to enormous problems for neighborhoods, communities, cities, states and nations. If families aren't established as they were intended by God to be established, and if trust is broken between family members, is it any wonder that we have the problems we do in our neighborhoods, communities, cities, states and this nation?
Trust. It's what makes a family work well. Without it, we encounter lots and lots of issues/problems. If you enjoy trust in your family, thank God for it. It is a gift! If you lack trust in your family, do whatever you need to do to re-establish it, and then watch to see how much you will be blessed by doing so.
Happy Mother's Day, Ellen! Thanks for always being so accepting and loving of me and our children. Thanks for working so hard to establish and maintain trust in our immediate family.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Violent Storms and Black Crud
Last night we had some incredibly violent storms roll through the Dallas area. I mean to tell you that these storms (and the accompanying super-charged lightning bolts) were the type that cause you to either think about "running for cover" or even possibly doing so. They were fierce! Fortunately, I'm not aware of anyone in my immediate circle of family or friends who got hurt or experienced life-changing damages to their health or their property (although our 14 year old, Nathan, was out tent camping with a bunch of his friends from church!). I'm sure that many people unknown to me were affected by the violent storms, however. That's the way storms are. Sometimes you get hurt or life changes for you after them, and sometimes you escape their negative impacts completely.
This morning while getting ready to go to church, I noticed that our shower was not draining properly. It was all backed up and the soapy water from my shower was just standing there, not draining away. I told myself that I would have to take care of that problem (if it was still there) when we got home from church. Well, it was wishful thinking on my part to imagine that the clog wouldn't be there when we got home from church (I seem to do that a lot with home projects; that is, ignore them and just hope they go away). The same soapy water was still there when I returned, and it wasn't going anywhere too fast!
The following thoughts immediately popped into my head. "Did the violent storms and torrential downpours last night cause this clog to happen? Did the violent storms wash a bunch of trash/junk into the sewer systems, thereby creating a back-up in our sewage/drain pipes?" It seemed too coincidental to me that the storms and clog occurred nearly simultaneously.
So, I did what every happy homeowner does when you resign yourself to the fact that you have a clogged drain in your house. I got out the trusty ol' plunger and began rapidly pushing it up and down over the drain, hoping that by doing so the clog would be removed and the drain would run freely again. Pretty simple stuff. Clogged drains (and toilets) happen from time to time. It's basic Homeowners 101.
What happened next can only be described as shocking (and maybe even gross!). While plunging the clogged drain covered with the soapy water, more and more black crud got sucked up out of the drain and into our shower after each plunge. As a matter of fact, the harder I plunged, the total quantity of black crud increased greatly, emerging from unknown depths below that clogged drain. Yuck!
So, what's the point of me writing about this? Why would I take the time to tell you all about our gross clogged shower drain? Well, fortunately or unfortunately, God seems to frequently give me spiritual applications to life's common situations. And He chose to give me one for this situation today.
You see, sometimes in all of our lives we can just be going along fine and everything appears to be O.K. on the surface. Then a violent storm hits our life and we may experience some sort of "clog." It could be a major health issue, a sensitive relationship issue, a personal spiritual issue or something else altogether different having to do with family or our jobs, etc. When this happens, we may try to ignore it and hope that the clogged part of our life just goes away. It rarely does. No, it usually takes some really deep plunging to discover what's going on below the surface. And when we do, sometimes a bunch of black crud emerges and it can be gross and embarrassing, not to mention frustrating and humbling. But, it was all that gross stuff below the surface that caused the problem. Until we take the time to get rid of it, our lives really can't get back to normal any time soon. In the long run, it's really worth the delay and trouble to extract the black crud from our lives and get things flowing freely once again.
Tomorrow we call the plumber. He'll bring out his long snake and go after the clog and all the other junk that has built up over time in our sewer lines. Hopefully after he is finished with his work, we'll have a free flowing drain once again and life can get back to normal. Hopefully...
This morning while getting ready to go to church, I noticed that our shower was not draining properly. It was all backed up and the soapy water from my shower was just standing there, not draining away. I told myself that I would have to take care of that problem (if it was still there) when we got home from church. Well, it was wishful thinking on my part to imagine that the clog wouldn't be there when we got home from church (I seem to do that a lot with home projects; that is, ignore them and just hope they go away). The same soapy water was still there when I returned, and it wasn't going anywhere too fast!
The following thoughts immediately popped into my head. "Did the violent storms and torrential downpours last night cause this clog to happen? Did the violent storms wash a bunch of trash/junk into the sewer systems, thereby creating a back-up in our sewage/drain pipes?" It seemed too coincidental to me that the storms and clog occurred nearly simultaneously.
So, I did what every happy homeowner does when you resign yourself to the fact that you have a clogged drain in your house. I got out the trusty ol' plunger and began rapidly pushing it up and down over the drain, hoping that by doing so the clog would be removed and the drain would run freely again. Pretty simple stuff. Clogged drains (and toilets) happen from time to time. It's basic Homeowners 101.
What happened next can only be described as shocking (and maybe even gross!). While plunging the clogged drain covered with the soapy water, more and more black crud got sucked up out of the drain and into our shower after each plunge. As a matter of fact, the harder I plunged, the total quantity of black crud increased greatly, emerging from unknown depths below that clogged drain. Yuck!
So, what's the point of me writing about this? Why would I take the time to tell you all about our gross clogged shower drain? Well, fortunately or unfortunately, God seems to frequently give me spiritual applications to life's common situations. And He chose to give me one for this situation today.
You see, sometimes in all of our lives we can just be going along fine and everything appears to be O.K. on the surface. Then a violent storm hits our life and we may experience some sort of "clog." It could be a major health issue, a sensitive relationship issue, a personal spiritual issue or something else altogether different having to do with family or our jobs, etc. When this happens, we may try to ignore it and hope that the clogged part of our life just goes away. It rarely does. No, it usually takes some really deep plunging to discover what's going on below the surface. And when we do, sometimes a bunch of black crud emerges and it can be gross and embarrassing, not to mention frustrating and humbling. But, it was all that gross stuff below the surface that caused the problem. Until we take the time to get rid of it, our lives really can't get back to normal any time soon. In the long run, it's really worth the delay and trouble to extract the black crud from our lives and get things flowing freely once again.
Tomorrow we call the plumber. He'll bring out his long snake and go after the clog and all the other junk that has built up over time in our sewer lines. Hopefully after he is finished with his work, we'll have a free flowing drain once again and life can get back to normal. Hopefully...
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Wanna Get Away?
Southwest Airlines has some of the best advertisements! One of my favorites (and one of the funniest ever) is their Wanna Get Away? campaign. You've probably seen one of these ads and laughed at it yourself. But, in case you haven't, the premise is this. Someone in the ad does something really stupid and/or embarrassing, to which the announcer for the ad acknowledges (along with everyone else watching the ad) that the only thing that person can/should do is get away from that situation. Southwest Airlines just happens to provide a lot of places for you to get away to. It is really an effective campaign (as well as extremely humorous). We've all been there...
Lately I have been thinking a lot about wanting to get away. As a matter of fact, my sweet wife and I did get away last weekend for a wonderful "Weekend to Remember" in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was wonderful! Really wonderful!
But, what is it about a lot of us that we sometimes persistently feel the need to get away? What are we trying to get away from, and why?
Well, just like in the advertisements, sometimes we have done something really stupid and/or embarrassing and we think that getting away is the only answer to our situation. Just pack it up, move out of (or away from) the situation and start all over again. Sometimes it is just too painful and humiliating to stay in that particular situation and deal with the consequences and/or comments people make regarding our stupid and/or embarrassing mistake. Like I said earlier, if we are honest with each other, we've all been there...
Lately I've had the urge/idea to get away from our country. There are so many things going on in the politics/government of this land that I don't agree with and really don't like. I can't begin to tell you how much I don't like some of these things! So, it seems very logical to me to want to get away. But, where am I going to get away to? There have even been urges to get away from our city, our neighborhood, and/or our house. Sometimes it seems like starting all over with a clean slate would solve a lot of problems. But, would it really?
Since I am going to hit the ripe old age of double nickels (55) this September, I have also been giving a lot of thought to getting away from my job/career (and some of the incredible responsibilities that go along with that job/career). How much longer am I supposed to do this anyway? How much longer do I work at this job/career that I've been so fortunate to enjoy for more than 31 years? What's the next thing on the horizon for me from a job/career standpoint? Somedays I really, really enjoy my job/career. And then there are other days when I really want to get away.
Sadly, there are even some days (and I really hate to admit it, but I'm just being painfully honest here) when I want to get away from some of the people and relationships in my life. Maybe it is the people that I work with who don't seem to understand me or who are moving away from me? Or maybe it is some of my friendships that are different now and I am just ready to move on to someone/something new? That is when I scare myself about wanting to get away.
In pondering this subject the last couple of days leading up to writing this blog, I have narrowed it down to the following three things I REALLY want to get away from.
First, I want to get away from being a quitter when it comes to our country, our city, our neighborhood and even our house. What good does quitting do? Would anything get better if I quit? Who is going to turn our country and city and neighborhood around if not me? Why would I even consider abandoning my part in all of this? So what if it requires a lot more work and a lot more hassle and a lot more prayer? I need to hang in there and influence our future in a positive and godly way. That is what I am called to do as a Christ follower.
Second, I want to get away from fantasizing about leaving a terrific job/career (and the responsibilities that go with it). I have been so blessed by my job/career for many years. Until I am called to the next thing, why not be faithful to the situation God currently has me in? There is still a lot more work to be done where I am. Who's going to do that work if I check out and abandon my post? I need to give it my best effort and make a difference where I am until God moves me to that next place, wherever that may be.
Third, I want to get away from a selfishness/self-centeredness that causes me to even think about leaving certain friendships/relationships. I believe that God brings certain people my way for an express purpose, and He put me in this specific family for His kingdom and His purposes. Who am I to even consider abandoning that just because it is at times difficult, uncomfortable, challenging and perhaps even unpleasant? God is sovereign. He knows just where I am and who I am with. He has me here in these relationships and this family for His well-defined purposes. Why not live into those purposes so that He can take me to the next assignments He has planned in advance for me?
What about you? Are there times when you wanna get away, too? In spite of what the Southwest Airlines ads say, just a quick get away to another city/country doesn't solve anything. Sometimes the best thing you can do when you find yourself in a situation where you wanna get away is to look up and ask God, "What are you expecting me to do in the place You have placed me right now?" Following His plan for your life is much more satisfying and long-lasting than a weekend or month long escape from your current situation.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about wanting to get away. As a matter of fact, my sweet wife and I did get away last weekend for a wonderful "Weekend to Remember" in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was wonderful! Really wonderful!
But, what is it about a lot of us that we sometimes persistently feel the need to get away? What are we trying to get away from, and why?
Well, just like in the advertisements, sometimes we have done something really stupid and/or embarrassing and we think that getting away is the only answer to our situation. Just pack it up, move out of (or away from) the situation and start all over again. Sometimes it is just too painful and humiliating to stay in that particular situation and deal with the consequences and/or comments people make regarding our stupid and/or embarrassing mistake. Like I said earlier, if we are honest with each other, we've all been there...
Lately I've had the urge/idea to get away from our country. There are so many things going on in the politics/government of this land that I don't agree with and really don't like. I can't begin to tell you how much I don't like some of these things! So, it seems very logical to me to want to get away. But, where am I going to get away to? There have even been urges to get away from our city, our neighborhood, and/or our house. Sometimes it seems like starting all over with a clean slate would solve a lot of problems. But, would it really?
Since I am going to hit the ripe old age of double nickels (55) this September, I have also been giving a lot of thought to getting away from my job/career (and some of the incredible responsibilities that go along with that job/career). How much longer am I supposed to do this anyway? How much longer do I work at this job/career that I've been so fortunate to enjoy for more than 31 years? What's the next thing on the horizon for me from a job/career standpoint? Somedays I really, really enjoy my job/career. And then there are other days when I really want to get away.
Sadly, there are even some days (and I really hate to admit it, but I'm just being painfully honest here) when I want to get away from some of the people and relationships in my life. Maybe it is the people that I work with who don't seem to understand me or who are moving away from me? Or maybe it is some of my friendships that are different now and I am just ready to move on to someone/something new? That is when I scare myself about wanting to get away.
In pondering this subject the last couple of days leading up to writing this blog, I have narrowed it down to the following three things I REALLY want to get away from.
First, I want to get away from being a quitter when it comes to our country, our city, our neighborhood and even our house. What good does quitting do? Would anything get better if I quit? Who is going to turn our country and city and neighborhood around if not me? Why would I even consider abandoning my part in all of this? So what if it requires a lot more work and a lot more hassle and a lot more prayer? I need to hang in there and influence our future in a positive and godly way. That is what I am called to do as a Christ follower.
Second, I want to get away from fantasizing about leaving a terrific job/career (and the responsibilities that go with it). I have been so blessed by my job/career for many years. Until I am called to the next thing, why not be faithful to the situation God currently has me in? There is still a lot more work to be done where I am. Who's going to do that work if I check out and abandon my post? I need to give it my best effort and make a difference where I am until God moves me to that next place, wherever that may be.
Third, I want to get away from a selfishness/self-centeredness that causes me to even think about leaving certain friendships/relationships. I believe that God brings certain people my way for an express purpose, and He put me in this specific family for His kingdom and His purposes. Who am I to even consider abandoning that just because it is at times difficult, uncomfortable, challenging and perhaps even unpleasant? God is sovereign. He knows just where I am and who I am with. He has me here in these relationships and this family for His well-defined purposes. Why not live into those purposes so that He can take me to the next assignments He has planned in advance for me?
What about you? Are there times when you wanna get away, too? In spite of what the Southwest Airlines ads say, just a quick get away to another city/country doesn't solve anything. Sometimes the best thing you can do when you find yourself in a situation where you wanna get away is to look up and ask God, "What are you expecting me to do in the place You have placed me right now?" Following His plan for your life is much more satisfying and long-lasting than a weekend or month long escape from your current situation.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Taking Credit
A good friend challenged me this week for not taking credit for something she felt I deserved recognition for. Then this morning, we discussed the whole issue even further. Consequently, this post...
How do you respond when someone else takes credit for something you feel you deserve credit for? How do you react when someone takes credit for something you are pretty sure they really didn't have much involvement in?
Falsely taking credit seems to happen in a lot of places these days, doesn't it? The most prevalent might be in politics and our workplaces. But, this same problem occurs in several other places as well. For example, it happens in our homes, and in our friendships, and sadly, even in our churches.
Where's the balance? Are we banned then from taking credit for something? Is there an appropriate time and place for taking credit, almost fighting for the rights to that credit? Sure.
For example, my son Andy is in sales. A portion of his income is determined by the actual sales that he gets credit for. He should take credit for the sales that he is primarily responsible for bringing in to his company. Also, if you have genuinely written or composed something, you should be recognized and take credit for what you have uniquely developed.
Those are the easy ones.
But, what about when you are part of a much larger team, and the whole team accomplishes something noteworthy? How much credit do you deserve then? What happens when the whole team gets recognition and you are specifically left off of the list of contributors? Kind of makes you mad, doesn't it? But, should it?
I am reminded of a saying that's been around awhile. I have quoted this phrase many times over the years. It goes something like this: "If you have to ask for respect, you really don't deserve it." In other words, if you have done something noteworthy, and have given it your best effort, try to let that be enough. Don't worry about taking credit (or getting respect) for what you've done. If you really deserve it, at some point in time it will be yours. Just wait.
In our human condition, that is so hard to do, however. We want the credit we deserve, and we want it now!
This weekend, if you are like me you are trying to focus your time, attention and "spirit" on the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
He came so that we might know how to live. He died so that our sins would be forgiven. He rose from the dead so that we might have eternal life. He lives to guide us in what we need to do to honor and serve Him. He deserves all the credit.
Read the following verses from an old hymn written by Lowell Mason back in 1824:
"When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God.
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down:
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all."
After that, fussing about taking credit seems pretty unimportant, doesn't it?
How do you respond when someone else takes credit for something you feel you deserve credit for? How do you react when someone takes credit for something you are pretty sure they really didn't have much involvement in?
Falsely taking credit seems to happen in a lot of places these days, doesn't it? The most prevalent might be in politics and our workplaces. But, this same problem occurs in several other places as well. For example, it happens in our homes, and in our friendships, and sadly, even in our churches.
Where's the balance? Are we banned then from taking credit for something? Is there an appropriate time and place for taking credit, almost fighting for the rights to that credit? Sure.
For example, my son Andy is in sales. A portion of his income is determined by the actual sales that he gets credit for. He should take credit for the sales that he is primarily responsible for bringing in to his company. Also, if you have genuinely written or composed something, you should be recognized and take credit for what you have uniquely developed.
Those are the easy ones.
But, what about when you are part of a much larger team, and the whole team accomplishes something noteworthy? How much credit do you deserve then? What happens when the whole team gets recognition and you are specifically left off of the list of contributors? Kind of makes you mad, doesn't it? But, should it?
I am reminded of a saying that's been around awhile. I have quoted this phrase many times over the years. It goes something like this: "If you have to ask for respect, you really don't deserve it." In other words, if you have done something noteworthy, and have given it your best effort, try to let that be enough. Don't worry about taking credit (or getting respect) for what you've done. If you really deserve it, at some point in time it will be yours. Just wait.
In our human condition, that is so hard to do, however. We want the credit we deserve, and we want it now!
This weekend, if you are like me you are trying to focus your time, attention and "spirit" on the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
He came so that we might know how to live. He died so that our sins would be forgiven. He rose from the dead so that we might have eternal life. He lives to guide us in what we need to do to honor and serve Him. He deserves all the credit.
Read the following verses from an old hymn written by Lowell Mason back in 1824:
"When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God.
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down:
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all."
After that, fussing about taking credit seems pretty unimportant, doesn't it?
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Thank You, Erma Bombeck (and Katie, too!)
It was going to be a great Saturday for me to work in the yard, do some landscaping and catch up on some projects around the house. You see, the previous weekend had been the wedding of our son, Peter, and his lovely bride, Kristen, and a lot of things just had to wait until that wonderful event was over. Also, my fantastic wife, Ellen, was out-of-town sight-seeing in Arizona with our friend, Karin (from Denmark; here for the wedding). It would just be Nathan and me at home. We could get a lot done. I could get some much needed exercise and maybe sweat off some of the unwanted weight that had shown up on the scale recently. It was going to be perfect!
Then my incredible daughter, Katie, e-mailed Nathan, Andy and me and asked us to be spontaneous. "Since everyone else in the family is out-of-town, how about if the rest of of us do something crazy fun out-of-town, too?" You see, Peter and Kristen were still on their honeymoon, Andy's wonderful girlfriend, Annie, was in New York City conducting a tour.
At first my gut reaction was "I have yard work to do. You guys go on ahead without me and have fun." Then, the voice of Erma Bombeck spoke to me and said, "Really? Are you sure that's the response you really want to give to your precious daughter?"
By now, some of you reading this are asking, "Who in the world is Erma Bombeck?" Erma Bombeck was an American humorist who wrote a syndicated newspaper column from the mid 60's to the mid 90's. Unfortunately, she contracted a kidney disease in 1996 and died following an unsuccessful kidney transplant. But, one of the famous writings she penned after learning that she was sick was "If I Had My Life To Live Over." In this piece (which you can find on Google, by the way), she voices some of the things that probably all of us have done at one time or another, but maybe lived to regret? She closed with this:
"But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back."
Well, that's why I want to thank Erma Bombeck! Because yesterday I think I seized every minute, looked at it, really saw it, lived it, and I'm never giving it back! Thank you, Katie! Thank you, Southwest Airlines! Thank you, Andy! Thank you, Nathan! And thank you, Phoebe, for meeting us in St. Louis!
It was CRAZY from the beginning! The four of us met at 8 a.m. at Andy's apartment. We then drove to Love Field (where Katie works and has fantastic "privileges" as a Southwest Airlines employee for non-rev travel), parked the car, and caught a direct flight to St. Louis. Now I travel for a living (not really, but there are times when it seems like it!). It was so weird for me to not have anything but a newspaper with me on the flight! No briefcase, no laptop, no concerns about the meeting I was about to attend, etc. Yes!
When we landed in St. Louis, we bought day passes on their Metro Rail and embarked on our St. Louis adventure. First stop? My old stomping grounds - University City, Missouri! Yes! When I graduated from college, this is where I lived and worked. We went to one of the places I remembered from the late 70's for lunch - Blueberry Hill - and my niece, Phoebe, met us there! Yes! Did I tell you that we were all wearing matching t-shirts (Andy's idea, sort of) - the Ellwood Pancake Breakfast ones we had printed last year for our 30th annual New Year's Day feed? Phoebe got one, too. It was great!
After lunch we walked a mile or so to the next train stop and just missed that train heading to the St. Louis Arch. Oh well. Another one was coming in 15-20 minutes. But, that meant that our tickets to the 1:30 p.m. boat cruise would be compromised. Rats! So, thanks again to my resourceful daughter, Katie, we called and got the tickets changed to the 3:00 p.m. cruise on the Tom Sawyer instead. Yes!
When we got to the Arch, there were over 200 people there having a pillow fight! Ha. It was CRAZY! We went to the river, the 1840's cathedral there, and just lounged around awhile enjoying the sweetness of the moment under the Arch. Then we got on the boat and took a one-hour cruise on the Mississippi. I got really sunburned! I loved every minute of it.
Did I tell you that our flight back was at 4:40 p.m. and we didn't step off the boat until 4 o'clock? Not to worry. Once again, my sweet daughter, Katie, got on her cell phone and determined that we could probably go stand-by on the 5:15 flight. We were still about 45 minutes from the airport.
After a great train ride with a stop to part ways with Phoebe and say good-bye, after which she called out, "See you next weekend?" (since she had been to Texas the weekend before for the wedding!), we headed for the airport.
Now, I mean to tell you, I have made mad dashes to catch planes in my lifetime, but none quite as CRAZY as this one. We stepped off the train at 5 o'clock and RAN!!! We made the 5:15 flight by continuing to run and by not putting our shoes on after going through Security, and were taxi-ing out to the runway at 5:13 p.m. Yes!
Is that crazy or what? Did we have a great time? You bet. Did it cost me a Saturday working in the yard and around the house? Yeah. Was it worth it? Heck, yeah!
Thank You, Erma Bombeck (and Katie, too!). I am so grateful to God for spontaneity and fun with family! If I had my life to live over, I'd do it all again. You can do yardwork, exercise, lose weight, and things around the house anytime. But, a CRAZY trip to St. Louis for the day may only come along once in your life...
Then my incredible daughter, Katie, e-mailed Nathan, Andy and me and asked us to be spontaneous. "Since everyone else in the family is out-of-town, how about if the rest of of us do something crazy fun out-of-town, too?" You see, Peter and Kristen were still on their honeymoon, Andy's wonderful girlfriend, Annie, was in New York City conducting a tour.
At first my gut reaction was "I have yard work to do. You guys go on ahead without me and have fun." Then, the voice of Erma Bombeck spoke to me and said, "Really? Are you sure that's the response you really want to give to your precious daughter?"
By now, some of you reading this are asking, "Who in the world is Erma Bombeck?" Erma Bombeck was an American humorist who wrote a syndicated newspaper column from the mid 60's to the mid 90's. Unfortunately, she contracted a kidney disease in 1996 and died following an unsuccessful kidney transplant. But, one of the famous writings she penned after learning that she was sick was "If I Had My Life To Live Over." In this piece (which you can find on Google, by the way), she voices some of the things that probably all of us have done at one time or another, but maybe lived to regret? She closed with this:
"But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back."
Well, that's why I want to thank Erma Bombeck! Because yesterday I think I seized every minute, looked at it, really saw it, lived it, and I'm never giving it back! Thank you, Katie! Thank you, Southwest Airlines! Thank you, Andy! Thank you, Nathan! And thank you, Phoebe, for meeting us in St. Louis!
It was CRAZY from the beginning! The four of us met at 8 a.m. at Andy's apartment. We then drove to Love Field (where Katie works and has fantastic "privileges" as a Southwest Airlines employee for non-rev travel), parked the car, and caught a direct flight to St. Louis. Now I travel for a living (not really, but there are times when it seems like it!). It was so weird for me to not have anything but a newspaper with me on the flight! No briefcase, no laptop, no concerns about the meeting I was about to attend, etc. Yes!
When we landed in St. Louis, we bought day passes on their Metro Rail and embarked on our St. Louis adventure. First stop? My old stomping grounds - University City, Missouri! Yes! When I graduated from college, this is where I lived and worked. We went to one of the places I remembered from the late 70's for lunch - Blueberry Hill - and my niece, Phoebe, met us there! Yes! Did I tell you that we were all wearing matching t-shirts (Andy's idea, sort of) - the Ellwood Pancake Breakfast ones we had printed last year for our 30th annual New Year's Day feed? Phoebe got one, too. It was great!
After lunch we walked a mile or so to the next train stop and just missed that train heading to the St. Louis Arch. Oh well. Another one was coming in 15-20 minutes. But, that meant that our tickets to the 1:30 p.m. boat cruise would be compromised. Rats! So, thanks again to my resourceful daughter, Katie, we called and got the tickets changed to the 3:00 p.m. cruise on the Tom Sawyer instead. Yes!
When we got to the Arch, there were over 200 people there having a pillow fight! Ha. It was CRAZY! We went to the river, the 1840's cathedral there, and just lounged around awhile enjoying the sweetness of the moment under the Arch. Then we got on the boat and took a one-hour cruise on the Mississippi. I got really sunburned! I loved every minute of it.
Did I tell you that our flight back was at 4:40 p.m. and we didn't step off the boat until 4 o'clock? Not to worry. Once again, my sweet daughter, Katie, got on her cell phone and determined that we could probably go stand-by on the 5:15 flight. We were still about 45 minutes from the airport.
After a great train ride with a stop to part ways with Phoebe and say good-bye, after which she called out, "See you next weekend?" (since she had been to Texas the weekend before for the wedding!), we headed for the airport.
Now, I mean to tell you, I have made mad dashes to catch planes in my lifetime, but none quite as CRAZY as this one. We stepped off the train at 5 o'clock and RAN!!! We made the 5:15 flight by continuing to run and by not putting our shoes on after going through Security, and were taxi-ing out to the runway at 5:13 p.m. Yes!
Is that crazy or what? Did we have a great time? You bet. Did it cost me a Saturday working in the yard and around the house? Yeah. Was it worth it? Heck, yeah!
Thank You, Erma Bombeck (and Katie, too!). I am so grateful to God for spontaneity and fun with family! If I had my life to live over, I'd do it all again. You can do yardwork, exercise, lose weight, and things around the house anytime. But, a CRAZY trip to St. Louis for the day may only come along once in your life...
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