Smile More

He was smiling from ear to ear.  The journey home from Akron and the UMC Jurisdictional Conference was a two hour layover in Chicago on Saturday night.  The airport was busy, even packed in places.  It was jammed right in front of F4B, the departing gate for the last leg home to Des Moines arriving at 11:30 PM.  Alone in the crowd, I looked around for a friendly face among the people.  Most were anxious, some were quite angry about a Kansas City flight which had boarded and backed away only to find a mechanical problem.  The crew had brought the plane back to the gate and the people were de-boarded. 

Flight crews seem particularly unwilling to visit or be cordial while waiting for new instructions in the midst of a crowded airport.  That must be why he stood out.  He had unusual round glasses, ears that generously held up the spectacles, and a goofy smile that seemed to brighten the crowded hallway.  He was wearing a flight suit of some kind.  Without hesitation, I immediately walked over to the group and said, “Where are you guys flying tonight?”

The fellow with stripes on his sleeve downed the last half of a McDonald’s hamburger and impatiently motioned to the video board of departures.  Not surprised by the expected brush off I remember thinking, “Pilots eat at McDonald’s before they fly across the country?”  Not sure why that seemed funny to me, then a little scary, but it did. 

Undeterred, I turned to the young man with the smile and he began to talk.  First one topic and then another.  He asked me questions and seemed to be really interested in my response.  I quickly found he was the ring leader and everyone was in his conversation pit.  After a few minutes I realized I was in the midst of the flight crew with a discussion about where the new gate for their flight was going to be with all kinds of jokes and wise cracks one might expect.  I thought things like, “How did I get into this circle?  Why was I invited in? Why do these folks feel comfortable with me?”

In that conversation I found the young man with the big smile, which never left his face, was from Council Bluffs where I had served the church for ten years.  We had places and people in common.  I did not know his family directly, but I knew where he grew up and those kinds of things which engage people to one another.  We remarked that it was a small world after all.  He was not a pilot, but a highly regarded flight attendant.  It was easy to see everyone enjoyed flying with him.  And it was his smile that engaged and would not let go. 

As the crew got their new orders we said good bye and they left the area laughing and singing.  I shook my head pondering, “Could it be that easy?  Is a smile all it takes to engage even an unwilling anxious crowd?”  Freedman calls this a non-anxious presence.  I call it grace, and peace, and light all rolled into one.  I think the church needs to smile more.  Where and when do you imagine Jesus smiled? 

Matthew 28:16-20 The Message

^16-17Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.

^18-20Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."

Things Change in March

Things change in March.  Just as the seasons find new direction and purpose in March, so our lives have the capacity and possibility of change every year through the season of Lent.

We find as we mature that change is a constant partner in life.   Attempts to mitigate and minimize change is perhaps or first reaction. However, a time of reflection can be helpful to calm our hearts and help us realize that this new development in our lives, once we are acclimated, may lead us to an even better path.  Lent can be just such a time or season.  Lent, this time of waiting before Easter arrives, mirrors our lives in waiting for Christ to return. Lent offers a perspective, a time to heal, a time consider the past and the future.  Lent is valuable for those who are serious about reflecting the kingdom of God in their daily lives. 

My grandmother Ruth always said March is the month of mud. And so it is, and with Lent as well.  Clear as mud at times, our path forward through the 40 days of Lent can be difficult and tiring.  And yet to stay put, hunkered down in fear of what might happen, is to live devoid of faith and hope.  The greatest of gifts; faith and hope.  They are the wonder-workers of Lent.  Let us gather in faith and look forward with hope, letting go of all fear, knowing Christ Jesus, our goal and partner, will not disappoint, will not leave us orphaned in the cold mud of March.  Things change in March.  John 14.

Ode to My Teacher

My best teacher had it right; Love first, then take attendance.

I saw the girl with holes in the soles of her shoes. So did my teacher.

I saw the boy with a bruised cheek.  So did my teacher.

I saw the bus-driver with the jar of Rolaids. So did my teacher.

I saw the coach with the bloodshot eyes. So did my teacher.

I saw the janitor cleaning toilets, not looking me in the eye.  So did my teacher.

I saw the lunch lady’s rosary clutched in her hand. So did my teacher.

I saw the administrator’s cuffs worn thin on their best suit.  So did my teacher.

I saw my teacher’s best gift for each student; and I am reminded...

Love first, then take attendance.

Easter Soul

What if a soul, your soul, was somehow separated from you.  Sort of like it was lost from you.  Oh you still had a soul but it was difficult for you to put a handle on the thing.  Every once in a while you and your soul would connect and it would be wonderful, or not so wonderful, but in any case for just a bit you would know you were more.   You would feel something stirring in you and know things unknowable; unexplainable.  Think previenent here; something happening on our behalf before we are even aware.


What if Easter, the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, was is fact a celebration of the restoration of your soul back to you.  What if along with the Christ, you also came alive in a way unexplainable unthinkable.  I think this may be exactly what Easter is for us.  Think justification here; a being put right even though we are not even close to perfect.

I also believe that as we regain our souls we eventually find they are too much for us to bear, too difficult to carry, too complex to maintain for any human.  We can only offer them back to God, but not in defeat, rather in celebration, because God will hold them for us and allow us contact with our souls at any time we chose.  Kind of like working on the cloud; literally.  Prayer and mediation do this work for us of reconnecting ourselves to ourselves.  I believe in prayer which molds us further into who we are, not the kind which gives us something we think we may want.  Think sanctification here; a going on to perfection by the grace of God, we are reconnected and molded to be our created selves.

I like thinking of my soul as being in God's presence even while I know I am not yet fully.  Someday will be soon enough, however in the days until then, we get a soul which can lead, confound, and direct our steps.  Sounds like grace; sounds like Easter.

Picture in this Blog post is titled: A Soul to Heaven by William - Adolphe Bouguereau

Communication

She is a student at Simpson College.  We shared lunch last week while the Simpson College Trustees met. 
The young woman lowered her voice as if asking a very difficult question, "So what are your personal goals with your job?"  "Well, umm," I said as I searched my thoughts for a goal worthy of the earnetness of the inquirey.  Sometimes I like to joke around and play off the moment, but not this time.  So I motioned her to come closer and I spoke in a low and solomn tone.  "I am a subversive; my goal is to make disciples for Jesus Christ.  Most of the time I just do stuff that looks like I am doing church work, pays the bills, you know." 
She physically backed away as if I had some smelling salts in my pocket.  Then she smiled and offered a glimmer of understanding.  Then came her next question, "How do you communicate that with the people you work with?"  My answer was honest and lacking, "Not very well."  She encouraged me to continue to blog, tweet, and facebook.  "It is the way we communicate these days."  It was good to focus on one thing and know it is of ultimate importance for me and this young woman.
 Everyone is so busy and on thier way someplace.Where are you headed?  What are your personal goals?  Are you following the crowd or going the wrong way?

O Foggy Night!

Let me clear the air a bit of the Advent/Christmas fog.  I am consistently hearing from good Christian folks that Advent, these precious days leading toward Christmas, are special days to get busy by preparing ourselves.  While I understand the logic, too often feels like a “Santa Clause religion.”  You know the drill, Santa is going to find out who is naughty and nice and then there will be sort of judgment day on Christmas Eve, so you better be good.  I hear the church echoing some of the same insights such as; you better get busy and be productive for Christ, you better prepare the way of the Lord, you better forgive, attend, witness, and offer or else you might miss the “real” Christmas.  In a strange humorous way, as a superintendent for the church, I can appreciate the guilt path of “you better be good,” because many times it works. 

However, as a theologian and child of God, I am here to proclaim it just isn’t so.  Christmas doesn’t need our good works, our good gifts, or our good anything.  Truth is you/we do not deserve Christmas, not a bit.  Truth is we cannot seem to do much of anything worthy of God’s love, never have.  And this is the power of the season.  Christmas is something God is doing and we cannot change a single thing about it.  It will be what God wants it to be.  Period.  And that is grace so large my eyes begin to leak water.

I do not give myself to the season because God needs me to do so.  I give myself because I believe in Jesus Christ as the Lord of the entire world.  My faith is secure that Jesus came to save all people, those who care and those who do not; those who sing in choirs and those who curse in darkness; those who give with all their hearts and those who have yet to find their hearts, let alone their ability to give.

My heart tells me to sit quietly and listen for the voice of God during this season.  My soul wants to sing praise to God, not of my need to act.  “Get busy or miss the season”; sounds like more Santa talk to me.

“Come and sit here by me Mary.  Sit and listen to what your heart is telling you.  Martha, come quickly and join your sister Mary.  She has chosen the better path which will never be taken away from her.”   My paraphrase of Luke 10:38 FF

"Season of Holy Moley"

“Holy Moley,” she exclaimed as she poked her eyes over the edge of the mixing bowl.  Cheryl and a granddaughter were busy making cookies last week.  I can only wonder at the comment made by the 3 yr old as the beaters began to stir the batter.  Was she surprised, perhaps even amazed, by what she was seeing.  Or was she just being a three year old who has a flair for the dramatic at times.

I have experienced Moley, even Holy Moley, at times in my life.  Feels like less as I get older.  However, I often wonder if that is because of my inattentiveness or because I am not as easily shocked.  A few of my experiences of  Holy Moley are, seeing my wife walking down the isle toward me at our wedding, experiencing the birth of our children, and seeing natural wonders like the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, and the Ocean.

Wouldn’t that be the same reaction of the women and the disciples when they encountered the risen Christ?  Holy Moley!  Maybe a brief season following Easter should be called the season of Holy Moley.  Works for me.

Is Moley even a word? I do not think so.  Still communicates, just the same.  

"New for Easter"

New!

I am thinking: What do I really know about New?

I know the Smell of New.

New plastic swimming pool,

New leather boots,

New hay stacked in a barn.

I know the Feel of New

New haircut on a Saturday night,

New dollar bill, stiff and crisp,

New skin over an old scar.

I know the Look of New

New moon in the sky,

New car in the showroom,

New tooth just breaking the skin.

I know the Sound of New.

New calf’s First gargling breath,

New guitar strings stretching into tune,

New gravel on the road home.

Maybe new is not really altogether new.  Not always.

Maybe new is new for today, new only to us, or new for just a season.

Maybe why something is new is more important than how.

What do I really know about New?

Maybe, Easter.

Bury Me With the Remote

Several of our pastors in the district have been quite busy with funerals the last few weeks, which is not unusual for January.  It can be difficult to keep up with all the day to day and provide for the needs of hurting families, as we also attempt to deal with our own grief.

Funerals and the grief work surrounding them can also be surprisingly humorous at times.  I offer this personal experience from a few years ago.

As the pastor, I was in the lead car of the funeral procession.  We had to stop before entering the cemetery gates because of oncoming traffic leaving the cemetery.  As a work-van sped past us to make room in the gateway I noticed the business logo in colorful bold type. It simply read, “Cable TV.” 

Now I am sure there was a valid reason for that crew to be in the cemetery during the middle of the day, but to tell you the truth, I chuckled and wondered aloud that some things in life are probably not as they appear.  To this day I smile thinking about that work van driving past a mile of cars and all those folks who were thinking the same thing. 

What Will We Look Like?

I recently answered a number of questions as part of the Program Review process.  One, in particular, struck me and I share both the question and my response here:

The mission of the United Methodist Church is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

The mission of the Iowa Annual Conference is “to make disciples, develop leaders and transform the world.” 

What will the Annual  Conference look like if this mission is accomplished?

We cannot know how the Iowa Annual Conference might look when the mission is accomplished.  Some believe the Annual Conference would look more like a powerful political party with strength and leadership taking center stage. This view engages the idea that the Annual Conference would be the center of life for the disciples called United Methodist and all would act and work together in concert with no little ability to make change for the good within our area of influence.  Some believe the Annual Conference would look much less robust, even somewhat ordinary or pedestrian.  This view understands the transformation of the world could make the work of the Annual Conference obsolete or at the very least diminished. 

The view from the Central District is that, regardless of the direction the wind may blow, making Disciples is and will be a continuing process as new people come to the church, others grow in their relationship to the church, and still others come of age within the church.

We cannot know the future, but we can understand this vital point, we shall be changed.  What we shall be has not yet been revealed, but we know we will be like Christ.  Perhaps our humble willingness to be changed, transformed, or born again, is as close to an answer as we are able to provide.  In hope, in truth, in love we shall be changed.  We shall all be changed to offer grace and peace in ways which defend and reconcile all persons.  We shall be changed to hold together in tension the very best of truth and love.

And we believe this must be done with an incredible sense of urgency and must include addressing the four areas of focus identified by the denomination:

•              Initiating new faith communities and revitalizing existing congregations

•              Leadership Development

•              Alleviating Poverty, particularly for Children      

•              Eradicating Killer Diseases

 Central District Leadership will work toward setting specific goals in these areas of focus.

Step Away then Step Back

Living in close proximity to our neighbors, what they do rubs off on us and moves us ever so slightly toward a new understanding of the world.  This works both ways.  

The church universal is called to be a pinch of leaven in the whole loaf.  We accomplish this task through our faithfulness, regardless of season or position.  We may believe our meager gifts are of no real account, but the church has always taught that the Kingdom of God has a whole different way of promoting what is right and true.

In God’s Kingdom you are a difference maker when you offer peace.  In God’s kingdom you are somebody when you settle your dispute with justice.  In God’s kingdom you have accomplished great things when you share your possessions with love.  The kingdom is full of persons who are faithful and kind.  But so is the church full of persons who know all the words, but suffer short with their application.  We in the church tend to watch the nightly news a little too closely and believe all that is offered a little too easily.  We turn away too quickly, we focus on ourselves a little too faithfully. 

A friend offered a prayer that we should, “Step away from the world for a little bit.”  I have pondered this idea.  And we can gain to separate ourselves from our neighbors for a time to enable our heaven connection to become functional.  I wonder how do you step away from the world?  Can you find the presence of God in a TV show or Internet site?  Do you work hard at stepping away or would yours be more like tripping away or falling away?  Is this stepping away more like a tango, barn dance, or a ballet or does it even matter as long as one moves within the arms of God.  To step away from the world for a time, feels like a good thing for ones who are called by God to offer love and grace to a hurting and angry world.

If stepping away to gather perspective and strength for tomorrow is important, so is the re-engaging of the world.  I have long suspected that the church has stepped away and wants no part of the stepping back.  We rather like our little nest and are cozy here.  Yet, the gospel calls us to go into the world and offer the world grace.  Surely our God will be strong enough, present enough, and mighty enough to accompany you and me on our stepping back into our neighborly relationships. 

So yes, sisters and brothers, step away from the world for a time of refreshment and retooling.  This may be your Sunday worship time, or mid-week study time, a small accountability or prayer group.  But, then step back into relationship with the world and begin again to be the neighbor your neighbor needs, the neighbor Jesus talked about.  Trust and let the Holy Spirit lead you. 

Thinking Baseball on a Snowy Day

 

Baseball.  Life is like baseball. 

We may be retired from the game, but we can still remember the excitement of the late inning victory and the pain of a one run loss.   We may be active in coaching or umpiring and assist others to gain knowledge and discipline from the structure imbedded in the contest.  Or we may be an active participant in the game on a regular basis finding new ways to express our ability with a ball, bat and glove. 

At any age, at any level, baseball is a lesson in life.  At first glace, the game appears to be so very easy, and in fact it is possible to gain a fair amount of competence with just a little practice and courage.  And yet as we grow in our achievement we find the game is beyond complex.  We soon find perfection to be a thing strived for and yet not likely to be attained beyond a fleeting moment of our breath in the midst of a lifetime. 

The elements are basic to life: Dirt, Sweat, Wood, Leather, a little Spit.  God used some dirt early in creation.  Noah used some wood to make a boat.  Jesus used some spit to heal a blind man.  The rules are straightforward: Strike or Ball, Out or Safe.  It takes a human judgment to discern the authority, but isn’t that just like life. 

And just as the book telling of our life is not complete until the last chapter has been written, so the game is not over until the last out.

The ballplayers come and go and every season is new and full of promise.  To win the championship is to achieve a relative greatness.  Ahh, but to love the game is to win an even greater reward.   Every summer teams find themselves standing in awe while in the midst of the long line of players before them who played, “just for the love of the game.” 

Remember the feel of the wood in your hands and the crack of the ball as it leaves the yard.  Remember the walk back to the dugout after strike three. 

Remember ice cream for the whole team, win or lose. 

Yeah, baseball is like life, big time.

Fall Softly Snow

Snow does not always fall softly.

One of my mother-in-laws favorite songs is a classic Christmas song titled, "Fall Softly Snow." 

Fall Softly Snow

The verses tell the story of the Christ child born on a cold winter night and all the surrounding effects combine to tell the story.  Even the snow falls softly around the young family as the night wears on into the morning of a new day. 

Living in a new home for the first winter we have experinced many new and strange noises.  While expected, the banging and cracking noises related to wood and vinyl sideing expanding and contracting have been a surprise.  But I have to say that the wind the other evening with the snow pelting the North side of the house was not silent.  The snow was not falling softly.

Snowflakes, like our individual lives, are unique.  Each one is different, but also essentially the same.  Yes, some snow falls quiet, like a whisper, like a dream.  However other times, snow falls loud, stinging everything it touches.     Yes, maybe snow is more like people than we might think. 

To enjoy a look at some amazing snowflakes click on the link:  SnowCrystals.com

In the meantime, enjoy the snow.  It's the cold temperatures I could do without.

The Path More Traveled

Robert Frost said something like this: Two paths diverged into the woods, and I took the one less traveled and it has made all the difference."  These words have inspired me and instructed me to do things like take a light plane ride to fly around the top of Denali, to ride my bicycle across the state of Iowa, and even to follow a call into ministry.  Many times I have taken a path less traveled and found something inspiration and renewal just around the bend or rise beyond my vision.

 

However, as of late I have been thinking about the fact that for all the hoopla about these private and personal paths, I always seem to find myself ending up in the midst of community.  It is like the path I think is less traveled is actually the path everyone else is on as well, it just seems less frequented somehow until the community is revealed.  Or perhaps all paths lead home or at least back to the main road and before I know it, I am in the midst of the well worn path again moving along with fellowship and new responsibilities. 

We Americans are a fragile bunch, we need to think we are rugged indivudulalist even when we are not.  I sold my Jeep when we moved to Des Moines.  I miss it.  Even more, I miss the idea I can just cut across any old beanfield if I really needed.  Don't think the Prius rental ..., well, never mind.  The point is that I very seldom ever used the very freedom I seemed to think I needed.  Every Jeep comercial I see reminds me, as I watch a 60K SUV bounce through rivers and across rocks as if.  It is just an illusion I tell you, this need for my personal independence.  I do not need the road less taken.  Never did.

Maybe I am just getting older and this is all a part of that maturing thing.  Or maybe I am on to something and we all need to get off our rocking horses and begin to walk with each other for a mile or two.  We really need to begin to rethink the power of the connection. Being alone is never a word of creation.  The relationship is transformative.

No, these days I am into taking the road more traveled.   In the midst of the well traveled road is where life happens.  This is not about comfort, or even ease of travel.  Rather this is about being with other people.  Hard as this is to consider, even harder to believe, I need other people.  As pretty as a mountian view may be, I must find ways to share it with fellow travelers; and that has made all the diference.

What Are You Waiting For?

Waiting for the President On the Steps of the White House

Advent begins and I wonder who cares.

The word advent does not mean to wait, rather it means the begining of something. However the tradition of the church offers as we begin a new year, the first proper thing to do, is to do nothing, but wait a while.

We are instructed to pause and ponder, to consider and let the magnitude of the thing which is about to take place find it's proper rank in our to do lists. Thus the question, "What are you waiting for."

If I have considered and discerned that for which I wait, for which I hope and yearn, then I will also likely know how to best respond and which paths to choose as the year moves forward. If however, I am consumed by the events without perpective, my life may be swallowed by impuse responses with little or no connecton to anything I truely value. If the couple in the garden would have paused to consider the question and the source of the questions, I doubt they would have been so easily beguiled. I find this still true for us today. For what are you waiting? I believe the answer is a key to your happiness and your relationship with the world around you.

Are you waiting for a savior? Are you waiting for a king? Or perhaps a new Queen or princess? Are you waiting to grow? Are you waiting to survive? Are you waiting to eat or get warm. Are you waiting for shelter, or for yor ship to come in? Are you waiting on someone else, something beyond your control? Are you waiting with others or by yourself? Are you waiting in pain, in boredom, or celebration? Are you waiting for something more, something less, or perhaps just something, anything; Beuhler... .

http://www.old-picture.com/defining-moments.htm

Waiting is work. Not doing can also be understood as doing something. Waiting is doing something, and for me personally is usually quite productive. Pausing to reflect as a new season begins is a mature response to the world. And hard as this may sound, to stay young forever is not our goal, rather it is to mature, and to do so gracefully.

So I ask you, for what are you waiting? The answer defines our days.

I am Wondering

Do you eat the ice cream stuck to the bottom of the lid of the carton?
I call it lid cream.
What is it: yes or no?

"I say no way.  There is something a little strange about the ice cream stuck to the lid.  I am not touching it."

Everything Changes
The Bishop called, invited Cheryl and me to Dinner. Everything changes. "Would you accept a new appointment as a Conference Superintendent assigned to the Iowa Central District." After a sleepless night I said "yes." That was late in February 2010.

I have been off the blog since, not because I have not noticed anything new or have nothing to say, rather it has been a time of learning a new place and of being quiet if not careful.

In my first few months I have learned humility is still the best ministry path; I must not take myself too seriously. Even as others do.
Because when I visit a church or sit and chat with a pastor I do so as an extension of our Bishop. What you say to me you say to the Bishop, whatever you offer me in word or action you offer to the Bishop. Some understand this. Others seem to think I am a paper pusher, someone to be tolerated, and little more. Our Book of Discipline offers the description about the important role of the Superintendent; yes it is almost beyond words, both in purpose and detail.
To represent the Bishop and bring a holy greeting from our "encourager" is a vital task.
And yet humility is the key which still unlocks the door for ministry. It always has.
And so maybe that is one thing which does not change.
Like I always say, "Not everything changes."

The Purpose of Lent

Could it be that many of us Christians accept the Christ into our lives, but not the new life Christ brings? Could it be that we make Christ a prisioner in our hearts, never releasing the fullness of the grace and glory? Could it be that being "born again" has more to do with our way of living and less to do with our outward confessions?

Perhaps Christ is always larger than we imagine or have room to accept. Perhaps as we grow in our love toward others Christ continues to enlarge as well. Perhaps we are never done growing and enlarging our hearts to contain the fullness Christ.

Maybe this is what the season of Lent it all about. Growing and allowing Christ to increase.

When Difficult Situations Arise…

Seven of my thoughts I keep by my desk. Some days they can be a life saver.

1. Realize, this is not new, just the same old stuff in the world revisiting us. Do not flinch.

2. Consider that Now is required the utmost professionalism. We never gossip. We never talk outside this confidence about personal situations for which our position offers us access. Be careful with e-mail as it is easily misunderstood.

3. Recognize everyone involved will be a victim sooner or later. This includes the church. Consider the persons most at risk in this particular situation and what might be our best response for them. Pray for these persons and also the ones who may be the cause of much of the stress. Pray like God is our only hope.

4. Feel and Know the power of God at work and be assured the Holy Spirit will offer a path. That path may not always be happy or even pleasant, but will be life-giving for all who choose to travel the path.

5. Whatever the issue: this is not our problem to fix or solve by ourselves. Our task is to offer the compassion and understanding of the Christ into a broken world. Think Gardeners.

6. Jesus Always forgives repentance. 70 X 7

7. Notice how every point invites us to pause and think. Do not immediately react, think.

What is the big deal with Valentine’s Day?

I am fortunate to have a wonderful valentine in my spouse. She loves to celebrate birthdays and holidays. Valentine’s Day is no exception. I have been trained well over the years to know how to think ahead and find something nice, something thoughtful, which cannot be purchased at a gas station. Yes, I tried that and it does not work. Anyway, this is a fun little holiday which is tailor made for couples like us who do not need a lot of fuss to care for one another. We make it fun and focus our attention on the other.
However, as I look around, I see a whole lot of folks for whom this quirky little holiday is anything but fun and easy. I see folks who are in the midst of grieving the loss of a loved one. I see folks who are waiting for Mr. or Ms. Right and the only people they seem to run into are Wrongs. I see folks who are in relationship, but just barely. And the stress, or pressure, from such a holiday as this drives a wedge further between their feelings of hope and despair. I wonder about this Valentine’s Day stuff and think about ways to change things up.
One thing we can all do is to stop and think for a moment about the lives of the people around us. The people we live with, work with, and play with. Why not include them in the celebration by dropping by with a card, or flipping a carton of candy hearts on to their desk. Ok, be careful to not go overboard and be miss-understood, but you can do this with an open heart and thoughtfulness. If a conversation about loneliness or brokenness opens between you, then you have an opportunity to share your faith in a graceful and hopeful manner. And if laughter breaks out then you have won a great battle. If you are gifted in return with an opportunity to just listen, you are most blessed.
Maybe the big deal about Valentines Day is not about love as much as it is about friendships and relationships. Maybe the day is less about a dozen roses costing eighty bucks to get me out of the doghouse for something stupid I did which I do not remember and more about the sweet taste of a heartfelt thank you or a simple nod of encouragement, Either way, in my experience, chocolate also works pretty good. Now if they only sold that at the gas station.