Racist!

Just a quick thought:
Hollering "Racist" is so typical, intended to smear one's reputation and good name. Understand the source, understand their fear.

A Different View of Death

This is an exchange between my cousin and me:

Becky: I made myself laugh ruefully the other day. I tried to run across the road with traffic oncoming to my right. I looked exactly like Tim Conway's old man. My feet felt like they were really running rapidly, but, unfortunately, my forward motion was very minimal. Since I made it to the other side without getting squashed, I can only assume that raucous laughter caused the driver to step on the brake.

Me: I used to run wherever I went. I'd park at the opposite end of the parking lot just to run to the store. I couldn't run far, but I could run fast. That all stopped when I managed to sprain both ankles and one wrist in one fall. Now when I run, it feels like I have wooden legs. That spring in my step is more like a 'clunk'... I guess it beats the alternative (making the family go through another funeral while we unite with our Lord face to face.)

Becky: Good outlook!

The Book's Cover

Several years ago I was in a situation where I had a chance to talk to someone who would frighten me in a dark alley. By appearance, he wasn't the kind of person I was comfortable with, but when I had a chance to talk with him, I was amazed! He was just like anyone else! I had been judging the book by its cover without realizing that people are people. It changed the way I look at and interact with others.

So often we judge folks by the clothes they wear. Cowboy boots, jeans and a black leather jacket conveys a different impression than shorts and a t-shirt.

For my 40th birthday, I bought a wide brimmed brown leather hat. It was just a hat, but it changed the way people responded to me. And it changed the way I acted. A little boy looked up at me with his mouth agape. I think I scared him. Other people looked nervous around me. As for me, I walked taller and felt more confident.

The point, the cover of the book doesn't always tell you what the book is all about.

The Circle of Life

When I was growing up, my parents were young. They chose to have their kids early in their life. I remember being surrounded by my aunts and uncles, all of whom didn't seem very old either. I mean, they still played football and baseball with vigor. They would still dive for the ball in volleyball and jump to spike it over the net. They were young. It was my grandparents that were old.

It's called the circle of life, but in reality, it is linear. We are all growing older together. It's just that the grandparents are further along than we are. We were the kids and didn't realize that our parents were the kids to our grandparents. But things change; roles change. Our grandparents die off and our parents become the old folks. Our aunts and uncles, also, are suddenly the old folks. I'm sure they wondered how that happened, how time somehow shifted that they were now regarded as the old folks.

Now, it's happened again. Where once we were the kids, then the parents, we are now the old folks. Our parents, aunts and uncles are passing away. Time has once again shifted and we are in the spotlight of the old folks. It seems like just yesterday the six year old neighbor boy was riding by on his bike and stopping to chat with us. And now, we hear that dear boy is a father himself, married with two kids. What has happened? It's the circle of life.

Tough Hides

Sometimes we just have to have tough hides. If we look to 'man' we are always going to be disappointed, let down or hurt. It is in our nature (as the old man) to hurt even those whom we love. I'm sure you know, even within your own family, how we can hurt one another unintentionally, or intentionally. This is true as well in our church family. The answer is to keep your eyes on the Lord. That is the way to navigate through challenging times.