Peace at any cost is not peace at all . . .

"Yes...

I can’t believe the news today
Oh, I can’t close my eyes and make it go away
How long...
How long must we sing this song?
How long? how long..."

U2 lyrics: Sunday Bloody Sunday


I'm not sure what has cracked in me or in my heart recently, but at a recent church service, I saw an elderly couple give an interview in which they recounted how they had knit a remembrance shawl for a neighbor lady who was recently widowed by the "war" (conflict, police action, whatever) in Iraq. I watched, listened, and bawled. How may more must die? What is our plan for withdrawal? I realize the irresponsibility in total troop removal, but does the administration have any concept of what it will take to start relieving the burden on this country's families? If you can't give us "when," Mr. President, give us the benchmarks to reach that will signal force reduction and deliver some reassurance that our presence in Iraq really isn't interminable.
I'm sick of the body count. We've overstayed our welcome at a party to which we weren't invited. Some have talked about sending even more troops? Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister responds to this idea of an increased troop presence, "I think more troops in Iraq would make more casuaties. . . I think the way to go forward is to arm the Iraqi army in a way that it can deal with the insurgency and the violence." No! Let Iraq 's army fight its own battles? Let the U.S. take a step back and let countries have some autonomy? Now, why would we ever do that?

When things get 'harry'

I'm not a huge sci-fi, magical-whatevers-are-terrorizing-the-world, supernatural villains vs. geeky heroes-type movie fan, ordinarily. "War of the Worlds" was pretty decent, but once was enough. I did see "Batman Begins" and "Revenge of the Sith" multiple times, though. I like those two films not only for the action and impressive effects, but also for the feelings and emotions they aroused in me. I could watch "B.B." weekly because I need the kick in the a** it gave me to want to fight against injustice. Granted, you won't find me in black lycra (you can thank God now) trying to beat anybody up to give an old lady her purse back, but I do need to practice greater vigilance in looking for ways to practically combat poverty and discrimination.
My wife has a great saying, "It ain't easy being easy." Our choice to do the tough things to help out, coupled with an effort to be gracious in allowing for, and overlooking, others' faults is often overwhelming and certainly not the path of least resistance by any stretch. (See entry on 'acceptance' below.) However, what is a hero? Is it always some person with supernatural ability and a mysterious alter-ego? I think heroes are those who decide what their central life-mission is, and then say, "Nothing will stop me from accomplishing this; so help me God." They pick a cause they deem worthy, and then get after it as if their life depended on it. Obviously, there have been plenty of people throughout history whose choices of cause were anything but altruistic: Hitler, for instance, but generally, those that are willing to sacrifice and to serve consistently reach the end of their days with a life deemed heroic.
Towards the end of the latest movie installment of "Harry Potter," Professor Somebody-or-Other (dude has a long, gray beard and funny hat?) prophetically states that the time is approaching when "we all must make a choice between what is right and what is easy." Every day life presents numerous little "battles of the will" that will ultimately reveal our character, or lack thereof. Will we do the right thing? Will we put someone else on our back and carry them through whatever is their struggle? Opportunities for heroism are all around each of us. We needn't prowl the night like Batman to find injustice and evil lurking in plain view. The AIDS pandemic and the plight of the poor grow worse everyday, or if you are not ready to tackle world-view issues such as these just yet, try taking on a few local "villains": stocking the neighborhood food pantry, visiting a nursing home (bring your pet, too.), or simply being a better, less-selfish friend.
We can all be heroes and leave a lasting legacy. We can all look for ways to help; however, don't expect your new and courageous endeavor to be easy--the right things rarely are.

The clue-phone is ringing, and it's for me!

Sometimes my wife and I will play-fight, and she’ll always go for the low-blow hit—you know: ‘south of the border?’ She’s doesn’t fight fairly, but she is effective. Or, sometimes we’ll head-butt each other (I have the obvious advantage with this one), but no matter how we get started wrestling around, she’ll always kid me about my needing an attitude adjustment. She always adds, “And I’m just the one to give it to you!” In reality, however, I’ve come to realize that I’m the only one who can truly adjust my ‘tude. Lisa can prompt me, but she can’t really accomplish what needs to be done inside of me to align my thoughts, feelings, and words with a more positive outlook.
If I don’t choose to ‘check myself’ regularly and do any necessary adjustments, my day goes south in a hurry. I need my wife, close friends, family members, and, most importantly, the Holy Spirit to urge me to undergo some diagnostics. I often need their help in determining what’s out of focus with my perspective and how I can recalibrate. See, that’s where all the traps lie. My first instinct is to blame other people, circumstances, and agencies for my headaches and hardships. My stress has to be someone else’s fault, doesn’t it? There’s so much I can’t control and change. My anxiety has resulted from little else. However, lately, I’m beginning to find freedom in that. I believe there’s solace available in knowing that what I can’t change doesn’t have to change me, but I can change my attitude in response to the situations in which I find myself. In other words, if I let go of what I never had a grasp on anyway, maybe I’ll end up possessing much more than I ever thought possible. If I begin to accept the unchangeable, perhaps I can focus my mental and physical energy into more worthwhile causes and accomplishable achievements. (My priorities are beginning to become more well-grounded also.) I love this quotation my friend shared with me the other night. It’s from an A.A. book: “And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation—some fact of my life—unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitude.” My wife has another great saying, “Get a real problem and call me back!” So often, the real problem is me and my attitude. I can begin to focus on what can be changed (me) and relieve so much stress from my life because I’ve ceased banging my head against the wall of the immovable. I can begin to give and receive grace. Maybe I can grow as a person. I could fall down and learn how to get up. I should give without expecting anything in return. I might find myself in helping others. Maybe I can just let go and end up with so much: real life and reckless love. Just maybe . . . Well, I have to go and call my wife now.

Anyone who holds on to this life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.
John 12:25 (THE MESSAGE VERSION)

God grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change; COURAGE to change the things I can; and WISDOM to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it: trusting that He will make things right is I surrender to His will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him in the next. Amen.

. . . from dad

"Failure is not measured by mistakes but in the refusal to deal with pride, anger, and pain"

-Terry Wilcox, June 1993

Safe AND effective????

I guess I don't know how to be both safe (comfortable) and effective (trusting) while serving God. Also, I've found recently that I often neglect knowing Jesus for trying to do things for him. As I venture into some unknown water during the next few years, which state of being will I choose? Safety or effectiveness? I listened to a great speaker the other day say that he hated the expression, "The safest place to be is in the center of God's will." His assertion was that God doesn't call us to be safe, nor is he overly concerned with our comfort. The speaker went on to use the life of the Apostle Paul as an example of someone living in the center of God's will, but his life was far from comfortable. It was dangerous wherever Paul went. He wrote that he had been beaten, robbed, stoned, and so. Paul became arguably the greatest apostle by living on the edge of danger--unafraid of suffering for Christ. My faith will take me places I may not want to go. I won't be comfortable or pampered. I like the expression I heard recently, "I don't know where I'm going; I just know what I'm going to do when I get there." I never want to neglect the main thing: loving, and being loved by, Jesus. Keep the first thing first. I want it to be dangerous wherever I go because I've got the Holy Spirit whispering in my ear constantly, and I'm too busy complying with the whisper to worry about the threat level. I've been comfortable for far too long.
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a little while,
'He who is coming will come and will not delay.
But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him.'
But we not those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."
Hebrews 10:35-39

Inside Out

“The choice before us is rather stark: either live to be comfortable (both internally and externally) or live to know God. We can’t have it both ways. One choice excludes the other.” --Dr. Larry Crabb, Inside Out

When Hollywood makes a movie out of a book, they rarely get it right. There a lot of reasons for this. Among these are the limited amounts of time they have to: tell the story, develop characters, and set up the climax. Often, the screen version of a story doesn’t ring as true as the printed one due to lack of integrity in holding to the author’s originally intended message. Sometimes, though, for whatever reason, a movie made from a good book just stinks. Maybe it’s the change of medium, selection of actors, or a director’s hangover. Regardless, sometimes you wish they had left well enough alone.
A recent exception is “The Shawshank Redemption.” In wonderful adaptation of a Stephen King short story, “Redemption” portrays a tale of wrongful imprisonment involving a crooked warden, life-sentence inmates, and sadistic guards. The main character Andy, after a long stretch of time ‘inside’, decides to take matters into his own hands. We see Andy concoct an elaborate escape route and emerge outside the walls of the prison raising his arms skyward in exuberant celebration of sweet release.
The choices presented to Andy in the penitentiary grew to be unacceptable to him. He no longer wanted to endure the monotonous drudgery of prison life. He had tired of the abuse, and knowing that he didn’t belong there in the first place, he took matters into his own hands. He got out. Andy found the courage and resolve to set a course of action and follow through. He took great risk—his own life included, but he stayed the course. The moral question of prison escape aside, Andy displayed great determination, patience, and resolve in the face of daunting circumstance and hopeless situation.
Both King’s original story that I read as a teen and Hollywood’s rendition of this tale challenge me to engage in some serious self-reflection and assessment. Have I constructed a prison with my choices? Or, do I constantly chip away at the wall of present circumstances in patient assurance that light will break through at any time and guide the way to freedom? Am I submitting to the ‘warden’ of comfortable lifestyle? Who have I left in charge of guarding me? What’s on the other side of confinement? Can I trust God enough to see me through? In the midst of enormous frustration with my current situation, will I concede control to the One who knows what’s best for me? Will I trust His love enough to make up for all the disappointment I face in me and in others? (The perfect peace of Jesus making the rounds in the cellblock of my mind and heart)
At some point, we must face the reality of where our lives have taken us. Whether in desperation or abundance, we are presented with turning points of decision as to what our lives will amount to. Will I pursue success, or will I strive for significance instead? Will I leave a mark?
In the movie, Andy is talking to his closest friend and relating the conclusions he’s drawn. Andy has reached his ‘point of no return’ and with remarkable clarity summarizing the alternatives as he sees them with this statement, “Time to get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’.” The road to self-protection and self-fulfillment leads straight inside a prison constructed with the four walls of frustrating routine, empty depression, selfish longing, and shallow relationships. I’m there. It’s time to tunnel out. It’ll take time, patience, and determination. I’ll have to ‘dig’ at night-after my regular working hours. But, Jesus is keeping watch for me. I guess I’ll have to listen attentively for his whisper, and wait for that small speck of light to start shining through. There’s freedom on the other side. On the other side is life: passionately pursuing a life of knowing God and trusting his love enough to truly love others.

“In every situation, there’s a way to respond that pleases God. And that must be our goal: to please God rather than to relieve all distress.” --Dr. Crabb

Would you that I could?

It’s a rap . . .

Should I – write another story?
Could I – change the one I got?
Would I – need another lifetime?
Will you – gimme one more shot?

Can I - feel like this forever?
Should I – just pick up & go?
Would I - need more time to get ready?
Will you – please let me know?

Could I – really be useful to you?
Would I – make you proud of me?
Can I – call myself your dear son?
Will you – truly set me free?

Cause I’m running to you, daddy.