November 25, 2018

Living a Thankful Life

“Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” – Psalm 50:14-15

The news was awful. A shooting at a mall in a Birmingham suburb. A 12-year-old girl was an innocent victim. She could have been anyone’s daughter, anyone’s friend. Shock waves echoed.

But what was so amazing is how her mom wrote nothing but positive on a Facebook post that was shared repeatedly. Rather those focusing on the scary, the painful, the awful thing that happened to her daughter, she used the post to thank those who helped her daughter and reached out to her. I wonder how many of us would have done the same thing?

She thanked the strangers who rushed forward to tend to her daughter’s wound. She thanked the nearby store clerk who snatched a new shirt from the rack so it could be used to help stop the bleeding. She thanked first responders, medical staff and all those who reached out. She saw the good in an awful situation.

Her daughter should be fine. We are thankful for that. It surely could have ended differently. And we’d be naïve to think there won’t be trauma that lingers for her daughter, herself and the grandmother that was there when it happened. We are all learning to be fearful, watchful, careful in places that once felt so safe.

I don’t have any answers. I’m not diving into the gun control debate. I own guns. I am trained and prepared to defend myself against a threat. But, gosh, I wish we lived in a world where it wasn’t necessary. Don’t you?

But I am thankful for good people who come forward in the midst of chaos. Think about it. Shots were ringing out and yet people rushed forward to help an injured child. No one would have blamed them if they’d fled to safety. But they stayed to help. That’s good making a difference in the midst of bad.

Today several people showed up at a friends’ house and built a ramp. Her elderly parents certainly need it. And last week she fell and broke one ankle and severely sprained the other. She needs it too. Good in the midst of a horrible situation.

I have been the recipient of kindness and I have tried to extend kindness to others. It doesn’t take much to bake an extra cake, drop off a few magazines, or make a phone call. But it means the world to someone else. It matters.

When we learn to be thankful first, it’s easy to extend grace and kindness. We become aware of all that we have. We know that in the midst of awful there is good and we are thankful for it. We cling to the rock, our Savior, the One who never leaves us to face anything alone.

No matter what today or the days that come might bring, be thankful. Find the good. Remember to thank God for His Presence. Don’t ever take your blessings for granted. There’s always something to be thankful for if you open your heart and look.

April 3, 2018

Love With Action

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:12-13

It was enough to send normally rational people into a tizzy. They were ready to come to blows over their “rights”. How dare someone, anyone, but especially teens, question them!

Yet, how bold and courageous were those young people to stand up and voice their concerns and opinions. They defied the establishment. They demanded accountability and change.

It all started with a school shooting. It wasn’t the first time. But nothing had been done by the adults who should have rushed to make changes long before now. They were too busy pointing fingers while kids were dying just for being at school.

Instead of reducing the violence, it seemed to be escalating. Were school shootings becoming normal? That’s just unacceptable. Something has to be done.

So these teens, these survivors, marched in order to be heard. They descended on Washington and demanded answers and change. They were within their rights to do so. This is a democracy. Everyone heard them. And for that they were attacked and condemned.

I believe strongly in the Second Amendment. I own guns and I know how to use them. That would probably shock a few people. I am not a hunter. I use those guns to kill snakes and varmints on the farm. And I use those guns for protection. I have been trained by law enforcement officers. I hope I never have to shoot another human being but, if I must, I will.

I don’t want to take away guns from law abiding citizens. But we’ve got a problem. Agencies aren’t communicating and reporting issues in a way that alerts authorities when someone who is unstable or has a history of violence is purchasing a gun. We have serious issues with mental health. The time to act is before something happens but our system doesn’t allow for that. We’ve got to change it.

And regular folks don’t need AK-15s or other combat guns. We don’t need them for defending ourselves, for hunting, even for collecting. Those in the military who use those types of weapons train and train and train. They aren’t meant for amateurs. They aren’t intended for people who have no business using  them.

I don’t know how to stop school shootings. I wish I did. I do believe it’s going to take everyone talking – not pointing fingers and passing blame – to make a difference. I admire those kids for stepping up and doing what we adults should have done after the first shooting – demand change.

It would have been easier for them to soldier on, getting through the days until graduation. They could have filled their time with normal teen activities and tried to forget the horror they’d witnessed. They chose to step up and step forward, enduring criticism that was at times unfair and unkind. They chose to make sure that no other school would ever have to endure that kind of terror and that kind of heartbreak.

They loved with action those who no longer have a voice.

February 23, 2018

Love God and Love Each Other

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:37-39

We are all still reeling from the latest school shooting. Another 17 students and teachers dead. Hundreds, if not thousands, of students traumatized. Let the finger pointing begin.

Why? We ask ourselves that again and again. This is the 18^th school shooting this year, and we aren’t even done with February yet. What has happened to our nation that such horrific violence has entered our schools?

Everyone has an answer. We need tougher gun laws. We need to enforce the gun laws we already have. The FBI didn’t do its job. The mental health system is broken. Agencies need to be more vigilant in reporting unstable behavior. It’s those violent video games kids have these days. Violence is everywhere on television and in movies. Kids don’t understand that death is final. Parents aren’t taking responsibility for discipling their kids. They don’t control their children so children never learn about responsibility and consequences.

The list could go on and on. The truth is every one of those excuses is probably partially true and the whole makes for a broken culture.

How do we fix it? Jesus. Oh, I know. There are those who don’t want to hear that. How could Jesus fix this? Jesus can fix anything and anyone.

And before those conservative Christians start the battle cry, let me quickly add that the beginning should come with the hypocrites keeping their hatred to themselves. I am sickened by the so-called Christians who use the gospel to promote their own political views.

Have you ever seen the movie Woodlawn? It’s the true story of racial strife in Birmingham, AL, and what happens when Jesus shows up. It took one man with a true faith to step forward and allow the Holy Spirit to use him. He could have fueled the flames of unrest. He could have used the violence and discord to further his own agenda. He didn’t. He turned his message to Jesus and that made all the difference.

We are at a crossroads in our nation. The young are rising up and we have a prime opportunity to turn tragedy into a call for genuine faith. I don’t have the answers but Jesus does. He is the only One who can minister to this deep hurt and create a change that brings healing to all of us.

I want to live in a world where our children can attend school without fear of unstable people killing them. I want them to know the peace and security that comes when Jesus is at the helm of all our lives.

Jesus told us what to do. Get rid of the hate and meanness that dot this country. Love God and love each other. Period.