In Need of a Dose of Wonder

We are restless and tired....

                                      weary and worried....

                                                                    conflicted and confused. 

I look at this growing list of descriptive words of the feelings friends are sharing with me and realize not one of them is a physical symptom - something easily remedied by a dose of medication.  No, these are heart and soul issues that each one of us is having to come to terms with as the days of pandemic and political unrest continue in our world. 

Is it our uncertainty? Well, that's one thing we can be certain of - there will be uncertainty.  John 16:63 reminds us that "in this world, we will have trouble." But for many of us it is hard to get our minds around the fact that there is so much trouble - people are dying, cities are burning, and evil seems to be rampant. We feel so helpless as we "stand in our watchtower of prayer and wait" trying really hard to trust that God will ultimately take charge of His world and make it right. We watch and wait.

I try to stay busy with little things I can do to make my world better - feeding the homeless, writing notes of encouragement and blog posts, loving my neighbors, checking on family, studying the Bible, praying for delivery. There are times though when I just have to stop and mentally transport myself away to another world - either through music or a book or a memory of better days.

Today I found myself rereading a section of When God Comes Near. Megan had been ill for several months and as I sat by her side, I found myself reading in her journal about her travels from Salzburg to Interlaken on a train in June of 2003. Her words were like music.

"The scenery is so beautiful. The mountains - oh, I could look at them all day. We pass through farmland - by churches with bell towers and clouds reaching high above the little towns. The streams running alongside us are vivid blue.  With my faced pressed upon the glass I am reminded of my favorite song:

This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears

all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world; I rest me in the thought

of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; his hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world. O let me n'er forget

that thought the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father's world: why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad.

This is my Father's world; He shines in all that's fair; 

In the rustling grass I hear him pass; he speaks to me everywhere."

She went on to write." I am sure many people I encounter don't recognize  the world they live in - whether Prague, Munich, or the USA - is their Father's world. Some might not even recognize God as a part of their world. What an amazing privilege to have a God who speaks to me everywhere. I am so thankful for all the ways God communicates goodness, faithfulness,and love to me."  

I remember smiling as I closed her journal, grateful and a little surprised I did not feel sad, but through her words from a trip long ago, I had been given this dose of wonder.

 We are all in need of a dose of the wonder these days. 

The author, Madeleine L'Engle wrote:"When I need a dose of wonder I wait for a clear night and go look for the stars.....in the country the great river of the Milky Way streams across the sky and I know that our planet is a small part of that river of stars....Often the wonder of the stars is enough to return me to God's loving grace."

A dose of wonder, taken daily - as often as needed.

Watchtower Waiting

Someone reminded me about Habakkuk. You know, the little (only three chapters) Old Testament book hidden between Nahum and Zephaniah. Assuming I haven't already lost you, Habakkuk was a prophet who asked questions and got answers from God.

It's what we all want as we cross off these pandemic days, marching to the end of summer. Answers to our questions. How long? Why? What is the cure? Will there be a vaccine? How can I cope? Will my family make it through? It seems that none of our questions can be answered in a simple way, and the unanswered uncertainties just lead to more nagging doubt about who we can trust in our community, our country and our world.

As opposed to taking a passive approach to his situation (which I am often inclined to do), Habakkuk was full of questions for God. Troubled by the evil of his times, he was burdened with the chaos of life and had no hesitation in filing his complaints.

"How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?" (1:2)

"Why do you make me watch this injustice?" (1:3)

"Why do you tolerate wrong?"(1:3)

And God proceeds to tell his prophet that he wants him to look beyond the present. Yes, things were miserable. And they were going to get much worse.  But God was working behind the scenes to bring about "something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told (1:5).

Habakkuk climbs up on the watchtower to wait, expecting God to answer him in the midst of all the ruins around him. And God gives Habakkuk a vision of power and destruction that truly was hard for him to believe. I suppose it took a little time to process, but Habakkuk then responds with a song. His prophesy closes with those famous lines from 3:17-18 - "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord...The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights."

And I could mirror that by saying:

 though the summer is too hot, and the garden is wilting,

    though there is no slowing down of this pandemic and no cure in sight,

      though none of know what is best for schools and churches and businesses,

       though we are a country in a mess, yet I will rejoice in the Lord who is working behind the scenes

            in our cities, in our medical world, in our political world, and over our beautiful world.

               He enables me to keep on going. It is enough.

I once quoted a writer who said to pray for God to make us who and what we should be while in the midst of these tough times. She said to pray that we can live within our many afflictions for however long they last,  knowing we are held and sheltered by the Lord who protects us. (LB Cowan)

Find a watchtower............and wait.  It's so hard.

Why Does Our Service Matter?

While writing the previous article "Reaching Out" my memory traveled back a few years when a group of women from my church visited Nicaragua. I wrote about our experience and remember the devastation of visiting one ill-equipped and understaffed hospital. Now in the news it appears many of the dedicated medical professionals are being randomly dismissed from their jobs because of requesting Covid support from the government. Pray today for the kind people of Nicaragua.

From my journal, I wrote:

     "Sleep is troubled. I leave the cabin to the sound of a faint morning rooster and blowing palm fronds. For the tropical night to be so still it is filled with voices of the patients in the Nicaraguan hospital, crying out for comfort. What could we as mission trip rookies offer these people who were in such great need?

 No linens.

No food service. 

Barely a doctor or nurse.

Family members who have arrived by bus and dirt roads provide meager supplies as they wait and wonder if healing help will ever come. We wonder too. It is hard to take in such hopeless conditions.

Those of us who can manage words offer simple words of faith and comfort. These faith-filled, gentle people hold tightly to the crosses we give them. Their smiles keep us going. And the eye contact. If we are brave and can maintain eye contact with these poor, under-cared for friends, we recognize the Divine Presence connecting us all. We see Jesus. And our hearts burst with the reminder of Matthew 25:40 telling us, "In as much as you have done to the least of these, you have done onto me."

Maybe their spirits are lifted, and we leave them with a sparkle of hope. A glimpse of a Savior.

Why does service matter? While we might think we are doing something good just to make ourselves feel better about the world, service for a Christian is an expression of our search for God and not just the desire to bring about individual or social change. It is when we serve others, this beautiful divine presence of Christ himself becomes visible and a gift is offered from God to both the server and the served."

At the beginning of our service trip to Nicaragua, we were asked to look for places where we could see God. At first, we could only cry out as the psalmist in Psalms 22 "My God, why have you forsaken these people?" While it was hard to look beyond the enormous needs of a forgotten country, we discovered it was looking into the eyes where we met with the heart of God.

Sometimes it is easier to love those forgotten and far away people than it is to love someone down the street or on the other side of town. I am going to work on making eye-contact.

"I AM AMERICA" told by Don Harp

For years Don Harp, my former pastor, wrote an article , “I AM AMERICA.” He would stand before the congregation and give his patriotic address the Sunday before the Fourth. Treat yourself this 4th of July and sit down, put on some patriotic music, laugh, remember, and celebrate. If you don't live in Georgia you won't get all his references, but you can replace them with your own. Enjoy!

I AM AMERICA

I am the voice of Patrick Henry, the pen of Francis Scott Key, the artistic needle of Betsy Ross and the midnight ride of Paul Revere.

I am the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, the Spirit of St. Louis, Amelia Earhart giving women an early vision of what one can accomplish, The Kennedy Space Center, and Delta being ready ready when you are and now is number 1 on time airline.

I have a sense of humor in that a pizza can be delivered to your door quicker than an ambulance can reach your house, where banks leave both doors open and chain cheap pens to the counter, where hot dogs are sold in packs of ten and buns in packs of eight, and where drug stores make the sick walk to back to pick up prescriptions and cigarettes are sold up front. Go figure!

I am back country dirt roads, interstates that cross-cross my vast country , the curving streets of San Francisco , the narrow streets of Boston , the moving parking lot called Georgia 400 and the mess called Spaghetti Junction.

I am flag of red white and blue hanging from the front on many of my homes, the pageantry of my flag being presented at events from business to sporting events, reminding all of the price paid by so many who never returned home in order for my freedom to continue so when presented PLEASE STAND TO GIVE HONOR TO THOSE WHO PAID SUCH A PRICE. ANYTHING LESS IS LACK OF GRATITUDE FOR WHAT THEY GAVE.

I am America and currently in conversations of who can and cannot use what bathroom, little boys settled for themselves long time ago by finding a a tree for relief not sure that works for all, but if you end up in a ladies room remember to put the lid down.

I have always stood for freedom and the real worth of a country is the test of how many want to come and how many want to leave and the many who want to come understand that AMERICA IS THE LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME IF THE BRAVE.

I am politics and none more revealing in my capitol city of D C where the tweets of Trump, the fading memory of Biden, and the frustration of the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice trying time decide if he is conservative or liberal.

I am famous people and places, Washington’s Mount Vernon, Jefferson’s Monticello, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, George Washington Carver’s Tuskegee Institute, San Francisco’s Chinatown, and the Little White House in Warm Springs, Ga.

I am ribs in Chicago, grilled veggies in California, Turnip Greens in Ludawici , fried green tomatoes in Social Circle’s Blue Willow,

And two dogs walking with onion rings at Atlanta’s world famous Varsity.

I am a nation that loves to laugh and I have lost some of my best, George Burns, Johnny Carson, Erma Bombeck, and Lewis Grizzard just to name a few, but keep laughing it is one of my treasured resources .

I am bar b q and among some of my best include, Tops in Memphis, Franklin’s in Austin,

Big Bob Gibson in Decatur, Alabama, Dirt Road Bar b Q near Valley , Alabama and the best in Ga Fresh Air in Jackson, Ga.

I have some unusual names, Accident Maryland, Santa Claus Indiana, Ding Dong Texas, Cabin Creek W. V., and French Lick , Indiana.

I am East and West, North and South, and this writer loves South best cause fixing to, tote, y’all, and bless your pea picking heart are understood to be good grammar. In our great state of Georgia Elvis was not ours, but Ray Charles, Brenda Lee, Trisha Yearwood , and Alan Jackson are. We have had some pretty good Athletes as well, Ty Cobb, Walt Frazier,

Wilma Rudolph , Luke Appling, Johnny Mize, Davis Love, Bobby Jones, The Yates Golfing Family, Cecil Travis, and Herschel Walker just time name a few.

I am a nation built on a faith in God. That is how I got started. My first President said,

“We cannot expect national morality to prevail if we exclude religious principle”. Ben Franklin said, “He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of the Christian faith will change the face of the world “

If we have any chance of emerging from this trilogy of our current a better nation it must be as we move the nation to a faith in God relationship. We have fallen prey to the secular progressives and look where we have ended up. “There is a Balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole.” We have been wounded and by the Grace if God we can become whole again. Let us begin the journey on this national Birthday weekend.

It was by dawn’s early light where proof was given that my flag was still there. The RED, WHITE, AND BLUE has stood for freedom for all the world to see and never, never ever forget those who have stood up for, fought for, and far too many gave their very life that this freedom shall not pass from the face of the earth. Always say thank you to a veteran and any one wearing the uniform of our USA.

GIF BLESS AMERICA ON THIS BIRTHDAY WEEKEND.

Reaching Out

It's  easy for me to become complacent, sequestered in the comfort of my home. I have everything I need and more. So far in this pandemic, our family has been protected from illness. There is food on the table and flowers in the garden. Exercise, music, books and projects, along with the occasional "porch drink" with friends fills in the weekly calendar. 

And we're doing it over...and over... and over.   

Last night, my date asked me if I was getting bored with our simple life. I quickly lied and said, "of course not!" We laughed and moved on in conversation, but the thought haunted me later. Was I bored? And why? From past experience, I seem to know when those "bored" feelings begin. It's always when I have been thinking mostly (no, entirely)  of myself in my little corner of the world. Having introvert tendencies, I can go for days with little or no contact outside my home. Then one day I start to feel it - a restless need, a little claustrophobic and maybe, yes, a little bored with self. 

Some might call this a God-nudge. I know it is time to reach out.

First, I start with phone calls to check on family and friends. I enjoy my chatty sister, a neighbor, and a friend who lives across town. I think they have enjoyed being thought of, and I certainly have had my spirits lifted. I'm energized through our conversations. 

Second, the ripe bananas on the counter remind me that it's time to make the bread. And the making of banana bread is always in preparation for the give away. Who needs the gesture of a small gift - one that just says, "I'm thinking of you"?

Finally, my spirit reminds me of those who need a touch today - from me. And off I go, sanitized and mask adorned, to reach out and love on those I care about. By the end of the day, my restless boredom has vanished and I am rich in possibilities for tomorrow.

These gestures are very small in the big picture of our world situation today. They are small, but what if we all made three phone calls today to people we know to show them we care? What if we shared something with our neighbor who has lost a loved one or who might be lonely?  What if we reached out to our local police department with a gesture of kindness? And what if, in the midst of our little efforts, we find ourselves reaching out more and more? We probably wouldn't have time for boredom.