Friday Musings

I'm going to try something different for Friday's blog. I believe there are voices out there that can say what I want to say better than I ever could in the form of poems or quotes or short stories. I'm going to try and find a few of these voices to wrap up what has come to me through the lectionary.

I hope you enjoy this.

When The Storm Comes Around © Hunter Dasten

Should you find yourself at the captain's helm,

as everyone around you is jumping ship.

Do not lose your stride.

Do not miss a step.

Because I will be right beside you,

braving the storm.

As the cruel dark clouds loom just above the bow,

and the torrential rains begin to fall.

Your nerves may get the best of you,

but that is perfectly natural.

All you must do is reach out and take my hand.

I will calm those panicked thoughts

causing your mind to spin.

I will stand at your side through hurricane force winds,

and together we'll be able to keep our footing.

Life may attempt to send us to the ocean depths,

but together we will survive this hellish night

to see the sun again.

His Voice Cries Out - Jerry Bouey

When this world loudly screams at you

And steals away your song

God's gentle voice whispers deep within,

"To Me, My child, you belong."

When you're overwhelmed by the things you've done

And are haunted by your past

A tender voice cries out and shelters you,

"Mine is a love that will last."

When it seems your heart is hardening

And you sense that there's a blindness

Remember the Lord Himself has called you

And drawn you with loving kindness.

When the hurting is so very real

And the pain seems to touch your soul

Jesus is beckoning so softly,

"Come to Me. I will make you whole."

When the aching inside overwhelms you

And you need a friend who's near

The voice of Heaven keeps on calling out,

"Oh My child, I am here."

When you feel that you're left all alone

And through these tears you can't even see

God's voice still cries out to comfort you,

"My dear child, you are precious to Me."

It Wasn't Me (OK, Maybe It Was)

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

I can't tell you the number of times I had been part of a group that succeeded beyond all expectations a task it was assigned. A few of those times I have even been in charge of the group. I also can't tell you the number of times the opposite has happened. Epic success is always a better feeling than epic failure.

What I can tell you is how many times I took full credit for the results of our group - zero if we did good, all of them if I was in charge and we failed. I can also tell you how many times the group let me take full credit for failing - zero.

I have always been blessed to be part of groups who honestly believe that we were all in it together. However, I'm not so naive to know that all groups and/or people are the same. I know of several incidents in which the group failed and the leader took responsibility and nobody backed her/him up. I also know of several leaders who take all the credit, leaving their group with no recognition at all.

I've always liked John the Baptizer because he reminds me of the one who shouts success without shouting his own name. John was surrounded by people hailing him as the messiah. People came from all corners of the land to listen to him preach and be baptized in this new spirit he was talking about. Yet, through all that John never took credit for being "the one". John always said there would be another, one greater than he who will do far better things.

It takes a lot of humility to not get caught up in the whirlwind that success can bring. Today's society almost begs us to take full credit for all things successful, whether we are the responsible ones or not. Sometimes the person taking the credit wasn't the one in the group who really brought success to the project. Imagine if John had given in to the pressures around him and claimed himself the messiah.

John knew his role. John also knew that his success wasn't achieved alone and was only possible because of those around him and his God. I ask that today, tomorrow, and from this day forward you find ways to be successful for those around you. The blessings are truly rewarding.

Pause For A Moment

Acts 8:14-17

Yesterday was a long day. It was an expected long day, meaning I was prepared for it to be a long day, still it felt longer than what I thought it would be. Let me clarify a little, it's not so much the day that was long as much as it was the drive home. Those of you who live in areas where traffic tops the list of things that stress you out will understand.

On my 1 1/2 hour drive home (to go less than 20 miles, by the way) I found myself becoming restless. I began to fidget in my seat, pick up my phone and quickly putting it down, changing radio stations every few (very few) minutes or so, and constantly look at my mirrors.

My restlessness became most challenging at a merge where the freeway was made more effective by re-striping the road. I have traveled that way on many occasions and at the same time of the day in similar traffic and can tell you there was absolutely no change in the travel time for the positive. As I thought about how the state and city seem to be failing us, my thoughts went to, "at least they're trying."

And to be honest, they are trying. Not only at the city/state level, but also at the federal level. I will be the first to tell you I'm not satisfied with where we are in certain areas of government responsibilities, especially infrastructure. I will also be the first to tell you the problems we face as a nation are many and I can't even begin to imagine how we can best solve our issues; except that government alone cannot do the job.

It was in this pause from my restlessness that another thought came to me, "Why can't we all find a way to work together?" Whether we are the government or the governed, public or private industries, small, medium large, lower, middle, upper, haves, have-nots, have-somes, or anywhere in-between we - no, WE - need to find a way to work together.

The next time you find yourself in a situation that's beginning to challenge you might I suggest you take a pause, maybe say a prayer, then with a new-born spirit find a way to make the situation better for not only yourself but for those around you as well.

Uniting As One

Isaiah 43:1-7

The schedule for school system in Hawaii had most of us going back to school last week. Some of the schools began on Wednesday (yes, the day after New Years Day), a vast majority began on Thursday and the remaining schools began yesterday.

The school I work at began last week Thursday. A few of our kids didn't come until yesterday, mostly due to needing to get over a cold. I always notice when some of our kids are missing, especially those who call me "uncle", and was happy to see them. It felt as though we were finally complete as a community.

I was honored by a few of these kids in their telling me of what their breaks were like; what they did for Christmas, how quiet New Year's Eve was, family gatherings. Most of these kids, even though they are happy for the most parts, do not have happy home lives, so I also listened as they told me how they just tried their best to get through the almost 3 weeks of not being in school.

As these kids went through their school day, I watched as they ran towards friends, hugged and held each other, went to their quiet corners, and got caught up with one another as though they had been separated for years instead of weeks. I must admit it gave me a smile and strength to get through my day.

These kids, the ones who have storms in their lives, came together with one purpose; to love and be loved. It is a blessing to be around that kind of honesty.

Through the Storm

Psalm 29

Hawaii has been experiencing high winds the last few days. The sustained wind speeds were upwards of 30-35 mph with gusts sometimes exceeding 55 mph. We've also been experiencing non-stop rain. At times the rain was nothing more than a light drizzle and at other times it was a heavy down pour. Mixed with the wind and the rain was a cold  feel in the air (for Hawaii). Suffice it to say we all wore jackets, carried umbrellas, and stayed indoors as much as possible.

With this kind of weather it's common to see roofs blown off homes and trees become uprooted. As we drove between here and there, my wife and I saw many tree branches on the side of the road and we spoke with reverence about the power of nature. Both of us were witness to two hurricanes in our lifetime and remember how devastated the communities who were hardest hit were.

What we also remembered was how the people within those communities pulled together to help one another. Those with homes still standing invited their neighbor to sleep with them. People cooked on a gas grill while neighbors brought other food to share. Space in large ice coolers was made for the essentials of others. Anyone who needed the help found it among those around them.

Such is the true power of our God. When we witness the storms around us sometimes we forget to look past the devastation and destruction. Sometimes we think those storms have destroyed all that is important to us. Nothing can be further from the truth because we still have each other.

In this new year we are being asked to recognize that change is an inevitable and necessary thing. Whether we like it or not, the change we go through may be similar to that of a tree whose roots have been pulled from the ground because of a wet and windy storm. Please know that you never go through the storm alone. There will always be people around you willing to help and there will always be a God who offers you comfort in your times of deepest distress. 

In God and those around us we find the umbrellas and jackets we need to keep ourselves warm and dry from the storm.

Back to Reality

Some of you may know I work full time at a local high school as an Educational Assistant, a job which allows me to work with students who may need a little extra help in their classes. Also, as most of you know I really enjoy being around the energy of youth and young adults. I can't explain it, there's just an honesty which comes through them once they accept you into their communities. This honesty is a blessing to be around.

Yesterday was my first day back to work after about 2 1/2 weeks of vacation and I have to say that it was great to be back at school. Yesterday was the beginning of a new semester, the final one before the end of this school year. Last semester we had our challenges with a few students in helping them understand that they are responsible for everything that happens to them. Yesterday, these students, or at least some of them, showed up on time and ready to work. We even had one of those students come after school to do some work in order not to fall behind, and with the help of a few around her, she did more in one afternoon than she did in almost an entire month last semester.

It's a new year, a time to re-invent yourself. What you become is up to you. Change happens regardless of your decisions, where you stand among that change is up to you. What I can tell you is that you will not journey on the road of change alone - ever. There are people around you who are waiting to help guide you, or just travel with you. Let them in, let them walk with you, and together maybe you will be able to do more this year than you have ever done in all the years of your life so far.

We are put in this world to help maintain the life which has been given to us. Not just our lives, but the lives of those around us as well as the life of the earth itself. Let this be the year we do that which we were meant to do; live in balance with all of creation.

I believe it can happen. Do you?

Happy New Year

It feels as though an entire month has gone by since I last wrote my thoughts here. In fact it's only been 10 days, and what a ten days it has been.

The song "12 Days of Christmas" (which is what we're currently in) hails today as the tenth day as well. On this day a true lover is giving a loved one ten lords-a-leaping. What a wonderful gift! Could you imagine ten grown men leaping through your life at this very moment. As I sit here, close my eyes, and think about it I can't help but smile widely, on the brink of a laugh.Maybe that's what the days after Christmas are supposed to be - joyous, peaceful, and filled with love.

As I sit here writing I also have the morning news on the television (some things don't change). According to them there isn't too much joy or peace going on. However, I do see hope and glimpses of love. The children from Sandy Hook are back in school, a new United States Congress is being sworn in, and, more importantly, it feels like more people are paying attention to what is going on around us.

In this new year I pray that we find ways to live as one people, united in one love. It isn't a difficult thing to do if we really want it. Like the song says: Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. Peace begins with you and lives through your words and actions. This year, let's begin to speak the language and live a life of peace and begin to bring the hope of joy through love to those around us.

We may not be able to give ten lords, but we can give the gift of joyous leaping.