Thursday Thoughts (7/28/16) OK it's Tuesday the 26th

 Today’s thought comes from a conversation I had this week with a woman concerning a cat. Some of you may know the story, but I asked for permission to share. (Some of the details will be lost in translation, but the basic idea of the story is the same)

(The person who shared the story will be referred to as Neighbor just for clarity)

The story began with a woman who was dying. She was very concerned about her cat. The cat was an outdoor cat and had disappeared for quite some time. The neighbor went to visit the dying woman and she was asked if she had seen the cat. Sadly, she had not seen the poor woman’s cat. Not being a cat person she wasn’t really wanting to see the cat, but she knew it was important to the dying woman.

Over time the neighbor had visited an animal rescue and met this very cute cat. She wasn’t a cat person, but she liked to go to the shelter and visit the cat. In time her husband told her she should go ahead and get the cat, but she was not convinced, as she didn’t really want a cat. The shelter cat was adopted out and a new cat took its place. So, she continued to visit the shelter. Just enjoying the visits, never wanting to bring one home.

A few weeks before the woman across the street passed, this ugly cat showed up at the neighbor’s home. It was skinny, dirty, had something wrong with one eye, and its ear looked like it had been bit off by another cat. Yeah, it was ugly. But she knew the cat belonged to the neighbor lady. So she combed its fur and cleaned it up. It would disappear for a few days then it would return, all dirty, and beaten up. So, she began to feed it, pet it, and clean it.

In time, the lady across the street died, and the neighbor saw her family. They explained that they could not take the cat. Since it was an outdoor cat the neighbor said she would feed and take care of it. It was still ugly, and she still isn’t a cat person (so she says), but the cat now has someone who takes care for it. Of course her last words to me were that the little thing has grown on her.

As I listened to the story (probably missing the details), I couldn’t help but think how God looks at us. Dirty, weather beaten, even damaged by years of wandering and getting into who knows what kinds of trouble. Oh there are cleaner people, smarter people, even healthier people, yet God welcomes us into his presence, he combs out our knotted tangles of life, he washes us with his love, and offers to feed us from his table.

Oh, we may wander away at times, but when we return he welcomes us back into his family. He doesn’t go out and choose the best looking, or the brightest, nor the wealthiest. Instead, he goes to the poor, the infirm, the outcast, the slave, the sinner, and he reaches down with loving hands picks us up and says, “How would you like a new home!”

Just a thought this Thursday! (Well Tuesday but it will even out in the end).

Thursday Thoughts (7/21/16)

Well, we are in the deep heat of summer. Everyone (likely) is trying to find some cool place to hold up in while the temps do their thing. I have never wanted a pool, but yesterday would have been a great day to come home and jump in, clothes and all. Even the thought of going to Lake Huron and diving in seemed to be a good thing. Instead, we had to do shopping, visit a family for a funeral service today, and we didn’t get home until late. At least the car was cool, the store was cool, and the family’s backyard was…well it was hot but we were in the shade. Hopefully, you are all staying safe in this heat and drinking lots of fluids.

I had the joy of camping a couple of days with my niece from California. She is 9, and full of energy and questions. My she is full of questions. For 3 nights and 2 days I heard, “Uncle Drew…Why, Will, What?” Uncle Drew is changing his name to an unlisted name. I have forgotten what it is like to have a little kid running around asking all kinds of questions. I think the only time she stopped was when she was sleeping (sleep is good).

Ironically, she didn’t often care about the answer, as she would continue to ask the same question right after my giving an answer. She loves fishing with Uncle Drew (who wouldn’t, uncle Drew untangles the line, takes the fish off, reties the hook, etc.). I would encourage her to fish in the deeper water so she could catch bigger fish. She wanted so desperately to catch ones we could eat. But, she kept fishing the same spot because she liked catching little blue gill after little blue gill. Of course, with each one-inch fish she would ask, “can we eat this one?”

At some point in the fishing experience I stopped saying, “No, they are too small, you need to fish over there”. I got clever and took control of the rod and I cast to the spot I kept pointing at. And sure enough we caught a nice keeper. “Wow, Uncle Drew, can we keep that one?” “Yes, we can keep that one.” I gave her rod back and she went back to cast for the little ones. When we finished we had one fish, so we let it go back to swimming. “Uncle Drew, if we would have kept all the fish we caught, could we have eaten them?”. “No, they were to small”.

As we spent an exhausting two days together, I realized how old I am getting and how impatient I get when little 9-year-old girls ignore instruction. She would half-heartedly listen and then do it her way. Oh, she isn’t bad. She is a 9-year-old. I think for most of us we spend a great deal of time as spiritual 9-year-olds. We ask God all kinds of questions but we are not really interested in his answers. He tries to show us the best way to do things, yet we continue to try and do it our way.

Unlike Uncle Drew, God does not lose his patience with us very quickly. (For the record I was impatient in my head not openly, well maybe a little). When I read the Old Testament and see God dealing with Israel it makes sense after hanging out with a 9-year-old. God loses his patience, not all of it, but he gets frustrated with the people. I want quail, I want Egypt, I want a God like other people have, I… well you get the point. Even the disciples struggled to get the lessons Jesus was teaching. They were spiritual 9-year-olds. A million questions to be asked, but no ears to listen for the good answer, or eyes to see just what Jesus was trying to show them.

Perhaps, it is time for us all to grow up a little. Time to turn 10… well 20… well maybe we just need to show some sign of maturing. There is nothing wrong with asking questions, but some questions are irrelevant. Will we fly when we get to heaven? Will my dog or cat be there? Why did it have to rain on my birthday? Perhaps we don’t’ get answers from God when our focus is on the things that do not matter, or when we are not really listening anyway.

I am glad God still likes to hang out with 9-year-olds, because I go there all too often. Nevertheless, today I want to grow up a little bit more. I need to pay attention to what he is doing, what he is asking, and what he is thinking. I need him to ask me the important questions, because the questions he asks of me will determine my understanding of who he is revealing himself to be. Try reading your bible with this in mind, “God what are you asking of me in this passage?”

Perhaps when I am spending time with my 9-year-old niece God is trying to show this 9-year-old where to fish, how to cast, and how to listen to his instruction.

Just a thought for a Hot Thursday.

God Bless.

Thursday Thoughts (7/15/16 - well on Friday)

Well, Thursday slipped by me. I was a bit under my allergies all day. Not that you would care but I am a nose breather. So, allergies mess me up quite badly. I woke up, unable to breathe. I quickly went to the medicine drawer and took my Zyrtec. That did not help, so I took a Benadryl. That didn’t help either, so I took Flonase. Nothing! Sudafed was my next option. Not-a-thing. However, this morning I woke up and I can at least breathe through my nose again. Thank you Lord!

As I thought about all my attempts for healing yesterday I was reminded of how many people in our world keep running from promised relief to promised relief. They find themselves in a miserable situation and they start searching for answers. If marriage is not working they sometimes run to the arms of another, they checkout, or eventually file for divorce in hopes that the pain will go away.

People quit jobs, drop out of school, jump from church to church, always looking for what will make them feel better. Some will turn to drugs, alcohol, even suicide seems to be a good answer to getting out of misery. Oh, there are Tarot cards, zodiac readings, new age philosophies, yoga, and all kinds of cures that promise hope, peace, and inner happiness. Sadly, we often look at Jesus as just another cure to our inner misery.

We keep trying to breathe, but nothing seems to help. If we were honest we would admit that Jesus doesn’t even make it go away. Well, not in the way we want. You see, just as I was searching for an immediate cure to all my sinus trouble, I never really believed any one thing would work. Why else would I over medicate myself?

I wonder if there are times when we over medicate ourselves on Jesus “things”, because we actually lack faith to trust Jesus to bring the healing his way and in his time. Bible verses can become our Benadryl, Zyrtec, Sudafed, and Flonase. We try a little prayer, we grab ahold of some catchy verses, but we still don’t find the depth of healing that Jesus wants to give us through true intimacy with the Great Physician.

I believe, that Jesus might want something more personal than just snippets of Biblical cliché’s. The sickness we bear in this life needs radical surgery. Sin, is not something we can self-help our way out of. There are no twelve step plans, nor 10 commandments that will eradicate our disease. No, we can only be cured when we lay ourselves on the surgeons table and let him perform the surgery that is necessary.

In surgery, the surgeon does not ask for us to assist her in removing the damaged organs. No, we must fully trust that once she has placed us under the anesthesia that she will keep us alive and bring us through. So it is with Jesus. We must fully trust the genuine person. Scripture was not intended to be a self-help manual. It is a book that is to bring us into an intimate relationship with our God (Jesus).

Are you still suffering? Seek the Great Physician, Jesus. I would encourage you to daily lay yourself on his surgical table and allow him to perform in you what you cannot do for yourself. Luke 9:23 encourages us to pick up our cross daily. You see, the cross is the ultimate symbol of trusting God and letting him perform his mighty work in and through us. Remember, the cross is the symbol of hope and healing. Oh, the cross is painful, but those who follow Jesus will trust that even if death takes us, resurrection is only a few hours away. Don’t settle for an over the counter symptom relief Christianity. Have the surgery! Trust Jesus, he is able to do what he says he will do.

Just a thought on Thursday (Well Friday)