Basic Is Basic

A while back, a friend of mine and I were discussing these writings which I have been posting on this blog site for the last four years. I said that of all of them, and others not yet published, none of them got into deep discussions of theology, religions, denominations, or beliefs. I said they are all just about God and the different ways he is in our lives and, from time to time, Satan and his wiles and dangers. My friend’s response is the title, “Basic Is Basic.”

What he said about these writings is true. They are all simple, uncomplicated things having to do with God and his ultimate creation, us. They have to do with the wonders of God and how he fits into our lives. I think this one is the 90th posting and there are recurring themes from time to time. I see his purpose being that different approaches will touch or appeal to some people and make sense, while some others will reach out and make sense to someone else.

There are all of the simple facts of the story of creation. We all known what God did, it is simply written in his book. What we don’t know is how he accomplished it and how long it really took. God did not punch a time clock, since the keeping of time is our invention, nor did he cross off days on some spiritual calendar. He simply did what he did and in his own way and time.

When he was finished and had created that first pair, he probably sat back and looked at all he had done. Just think how disappointing and insulting it must have been to have that first pair, created in his spiritual image and likeness, turn their backs on him and violate the single rule he gave to them. I can just imagine that when he confronted them, they pointed at each other and said, “He/she made me do it!” and there is that other excuse, “The devil made me do it.”

Did you ever think how God must have felt at that time? He must have certainly loved them even so. Instead, he could have just erased the whole project and started over. Rather than that, he loved them and, as redemption for their sin and all of the sins by all of us since then and for all time to come, he sent his one and only son to come into this world in the same manner we do. In just a few days, we will celebrate his birthday. He came with a mission, a goal, to suffer terribly and die as a common criminal, nailed to a wooden cross and, in that way, redeem us and open heaven’s gates so we could spend all of eternity in his presence.

It all goes back to the basics, doesn’t it? While there are differences, large or small, in how we worship, the basic bottom line is we know who God is and worship him.

As you celebrate the whole liturgical year, take an active part in the pomp and celebration of the whole cycle. But, remember throughout the whole cycle, the basic bottom line: there is a God and he loves us far beyond our widest understanding of what that really means.

Mission Statement

Most companies have a sign on a wall or a page in the employee handbook
that is titled “Mission Statement”. It lays out the company goals, ways they
treat customers or clients, and employees. It invites the employees to make it
a part of the way they work so it will be accomplished every day and
throughout the life of the company.

God also has a mission statement. His is written in a large book, expressed
through the divine inspiration of the men and women who wrote down his
words. God’s mission is to be with us and love us from conception to death in
this life and to welcome us home when this life is finished. He guides us and
is there for us at all times. He wants us to be successful in our material life
and in our spiritual life. He is there for us at all times, even when we are angry
at him or even deny him. His final mission goal is to have us with him for
eternity.

Satan has a mission statement as well. From Adam and Eve through today,
and all of the tomorrows yet to come, his mission statement is a simple one-liner:
steal as many souls from God as he can, using any and all means, fair or
foul, to have us turn away from God and follow him. Being with Satan also
lasts for eternity but the stay is far from pleasant, it is pure Hell beyond our
ability to begin imaging. He is a hard worker and we are the targets for his
efforts. Just as you have an alarm system in your house to prevent intruders,
you should have a very active and strong spiritual alarm, one that warns you of
any satanic intruders.

How about you? What is your mission statement? Is it a plaque on the wall
that you bought in a religious goods store? It is something you have
developed over time and modified for yourself and, if applicable, your family.
Maybe it isn’t formalized and written down, but you know what it is and you
expend your efforts to follow it. It should contain guidance for you in your work
life, play life, home life and, of course, your spiritual life. The bottom line is to
spend the rest of eternity with God. Take time to review your mission
statement and be certain it is in accordance with God’s, and revise where
necessary to lead you all the way to him.

Fuel

The photo on my monitor at work is of an S-3 Viking, the last plane I flew when
I was in the Navy. The photo shows it right after it was launched by the
carrier’s catapult. The wheels have not been retracted yet. It is full of fuel, a
crew of four, and heading out on its mission. This particular plane is
configured to refuel other aircraft in the air.

As a pilot, I can honestly tell you there is nothing more useless than altitude
above you and air in the fuel tanks. The more you have of the former means
you are closer to the surface of the water or land. The more you have of the
latter means you are getting closer to the point when it is all air and no fuel.
That’s when the aircraft becomes a pretty, streamlined rock.

That initial picture of the takeoff is like the start of our lives. We start out all full
of dreams and goals and the promise of good things in the future. At the start,
it is our parents who have those things for us. When we have matured, they
become an active part of us. They may be the same ones our parents had for
us or totally our own. It is as if we have landed from our mission of growing up
and have now taken off on our mission of being an adult.

How high can we go, how fast? Part of the answer is our natural abilities, part
training, part drive or ambition, and part of the goals we have set. That’s like
the various parts that make up that plane, all coming together to make up the whole.
How about fuel? That is the special part because it is God’s love and grace.                                      The wonderful thing about it is the supply is unlimited.

It is what we do with God’s fuel that determines our lives and where we
ultimately land. There are many who follow God’s flight plan and when it
comes time for that final landing, he is there to welcome us home.

Most of us sometimes run into foul weather when life turns against us. We let
the fuel level drop and struggle trying to get out of the storm ourselves,
blaming God for the problems and perhaps even turning away from him.
Some people turn that around and refuel themselves with what God has to
offer. Sadly, some do not and they turn away, refusing to allow God’s love to
fuel their lives. When they allow that fuel tank to totally run dry, then they
crash and burn and the fire is unending.

What kind of life are you flying? When life turns bad and your fuel level runs
low, do you turn back to God to be refueled? The supply is limitless, you can
refuel as often as you like. The only cost is to love God and follow his plan.
Or, sadly, are you headed for dry tanks and that fatal crash? If the latter
describes you, then reverse course and refill your tanks. God is waiting to
welcome you to his home. It is, however, your choice.

Choose!

Running In Place

Back in my high school days, we had gym class to go with all of the scholastic
classes. We did a wide variety of things and activities but every once in a
while the coach would decide we needed to exercise. One of those exercises
was running in place. While our arms and legs were pumping as if we were
running, we did not go anywhere. It’s a lot more tiring than actually running
outside and putting distance behind you. What the coach got was a bunch of
sweating teenage boys who were creating a thunder of shoes hitting the gym’s
wood floor. It may have been good for us, so he said, but all I got from it was
sweat and tiredness.

Many years later I upgraded to a higher tech form of running in place. I bought
a treadmill. It didn’t have the video screens and interaction available today,
but it did have a few scenarios. I could run on a flat surface or it would rise up
and go down to simulate running on hills. It was good exercise, but it wasn’t
RUNNING! Running to me means going outside to run. Whether it is around
the block or several miles, it was a run. Over the years I put some miles
behind me and wore out some shoes.

A lot of us practice out faith the same way as running in place. We do the
same things in the same ways. We say our prayers by rote and go to a
service or Mass on Sunday because it is just the way we do things, by rote
and by habit. Those who read the Bible daily fall into two categories: the ones
who read intensely, getting as much as they can from God’s word, and then
there are those who set the timer for 15 minutes and read the words, but don’t
get the WORD.

Are you one of those who are running in place with your faith and belief, doing
it by habit and rote? Or, are you out there running through your faith and
belief, getting the maximum benefit from your efforts? If you are in the first
group, then you should open the door and run through God’s world. It will
build your spiritual muscle.

Touch

Touch. It is how we connect physically with someone else. It may be a
handshake of two people meeting for the first time. It may be an intense embrace
between a husband and wife. Or, it may take the form of hugs between family
members or close friends. Whether it is a form of greeting or an expression of
love or affection, it is a physical reaching out to make contact with another
person.

A long time ago when I was in college, one of my psychology professors said
that babies who, for whatever reason, were not touched became listless and
did not interact with their surroundings and the people who were nearby. I
remember he said that he knew of cases where babies were left untouched for
two years except for feeding and changing and a few even died.

We live in a physical world. People who are deaf and blind use touch as their
means to communicate with the people in their lives. Certainly one of the
most famous was Helen Keller. When she was 19 months old she contracted
an unknown illness that left her blind and deaf. She was eventually taught to
speak by Anne Sullivan and went on to become a world renowned public
speaker and author. Anne Sullivan started out by spelling words in the palm of
Helen’s hand. Teaching and learning by touch.

Touch. One of the criticisms that non-believers have about God is how can we
love someone we cannot see, cannot touch. Those of us who do believe
know that God does touch us. Not in the physical way but in our heart and
soul. We are told, in turn, to love him with our whole heart, whole mind, whole
soul and whole strength. And God loves us at a level far beyond our ability to
comprehend. He is the Infinite and his love for us knows no limit. It is his gift
to us, the “us” he created in his own image. His touch is on our hearts and
souls and this is how we can feel him and know him. Even those who turn
away from him or deny him are touched by him and loved by him.

How about you? Have you touched God? You can’t do it physically, of
course, but you can with your belief, your prayers, your words and actions that
follow his wishes. Has God touched you? Yes, of course he has by
answering your prayers, by the little things that come into your life that are
good and unexpected. To touch is to love and your touch and God’s touch are
the real love connection.

Focus, Focus, Focus

I was recently talking to a lady I work with from time to time and she said something interesting. She said she was talking to her boyfriend and when he said, “I love you”, she responded with, “I love you, too.” He told her she was changing the subject. His point was that he was talking about his feelings for her and instead of focusing on that, she changed the subject and focused on her feelings for him. He said that her attitude at that point was that she heard his statement about his feelings and brushed them aside and, basically, told him that her feelings were more important.

That exchange of feelings is common. We all do it. In fact, we sometimes get our feelings hurt when we tell someone we love them and we don’t get the expected response back. When that is the case, we are again focusing on our wants and not the other person. We say something and what we really want is not to express our feelings for the other person, but to have them validate our needs

It doesn’t have to be a declaration of love, it can be anything that we say to someone else and we want them to hear the message, not change the direction to them or to negate the feeling we have stated. It is like having two people vote for the opposing political candidate; they cancel each other out. When you change the direction of an expressed feeling or thought, you are really canceling the other person out.

Do you do the same thing in your relationship with God? When God is speaking to you or sending a message your way, he wants you to listen and act on what he says. Whether you are seeing the message in the Bible, some phrase that jumps off of the page at you or it is something you hear or feel, what do you do? Of course, what you should do is listen to the message and do, or not do, whatever he is asking of you or just accepting his words. Or, do you take the opportunity to remind God of what YOU want or need? That is akin to saying, “I hear what you are saying, God, but what about me and what I want?” If you treated your best friend that way all of the time, how long would that friendship last? Who is a better best friend than God? Fortunately, he has infinite patience with us and forgives us our self-centered responses.

We don’t always know what God wants of us, that is why he has many ways and people that he puts in our path to get our attention and get the message. He already knows what we want and, if it is good for us, then he will make sure we get it “in due time.” In the meantime, it is up to us to focus on his needs for us so we can do what he needs us to do.

So, where are you focused? Is it internally to take care of your needs first? Should you not be turning your focus on what God wants and let him take care of you and your needs? It certainly works better that way.

Twisty Roads

In the past, I have written about icy roads and Roman roads. This one is going to be about those roads that are not even close to straight and narrow. I recently had an assignment to work in the area of a state where many of the roads do not have the word “straight” in their description. They are narrow however. They twisted left and right and back again. The advisory speed limit signs were pretty accurate as to the speed you want to be doing as you make the turn, and 10 MPH was not unusual. On top of the twists, there were hills and when I’d get to the top, I never knew whether it would go straight, right or left or whether there was another car coming at me from the opposite direction. These were not the roads you would want to take for a relaxing Sunday drive in the country. There were times when I wished I still had my Porsche 944 instead of my Jeep. It would have been a lot more fun.

As Christians we are advised to follow the “straight and narrow” road to get to our destination. The advice really means don’t take any side trips that may lead to some other place instead of where we want to go. But straight? I don’t have a problem with narrow, but where is the challenge in a straight road? Life is not just an easy drive from beginning to end. There are all kinds of hazards and dangers and surprises and setbacks. Sometimes life is nice and straight and easy. All too often, however, life jumps up and tosses us a sharp curve when we least expect it or maybe that blind hill, not knowing what is on the other side. That is when you need to pay attention to the guideposts that direct you how to get through it safely. Where do you find the guideposts for life? Where you will find God’s words and guidance, of course. But how about those times you run into a curve too tight to navigate? How about the hills that are really mountains? There is an old Elvis Presley song, “You Gave Me A Mountain” (on YouTube, of course) that tells us of those possibilities. When we can’t make the turn or climb the mountain, then we have to reach out our hands for help … as in lifted in prayer. God is there to help, whether the road of life is straight and easy or a driver’s nightmare.

How about the way you are driving life’s road? Are you thinking that you can do this on your own, handling the curves and hills yourself? If you don’t pay attention to the guideposts, you may well crash. On the other hand, if you are willing to accept God’s help, his assistance, then you will arrive at that final destination we all seek, an eternity in God’s presence. Are YOU willing to let God be the faithful navigator, the one who will guide you to his home?

The Chapel By The Side Of The Road

I do a lot of traveling as part of my job and I get to see strange, wonderful and different things wherever I go. There is a rest area in Ohio that has a small chapel over on the far side away from the visitors’ center. It is a small white chapel and the sign out front says it is “The Healing Chapel – Ohio’s Smallest Church”. It is just a simple country church, seating for eight, and has a large painting of the crucified Christ at the front. There is no pastor, no services, no music. It is just a place for people to pause in their journey and spend a few quiet moments talking to God. If you search on the Internet, you can find the story of how it came to be as a result of the faith of a Christian couple.

What makes it unique is that it is just a plain white chapel, nothing fancy. We are so used to our large churches, with a priest or minister, rousing, motivational sermons, and good music, that the idea of something quiet and peaceful as a place to pray and talk to God seems very strange. It is also a welcome change from all of the normal. It is a chance to sit or kneel and just spend time praying or just being in God’s presence. Yes, I know you can take time out of your day and find a quiet corner of your house or drop into your church for a few minutes. The problem with that is there is the reality of all of the distractions in your house to interrupt you. As for finding your church or any church during the day when services are not being held, good luck. Most of the time the doors are locked and there is no way to get in to pray. Instead of spending a few minutes praying, you will most likely spend them checking each of the doors to see if they are all locked and then walking away in frustration.

Do you need to find a small white country chapel by the side of the road to get away from everything and have a simple few minutes with God? No, you don’t. Look for a small park or something similar where there is peace and quiet. Leave your cell phone in the car and walk or sit or kneel in the grass and just talk to God as you would a best friend. You do know that is exactly who he is, right? Take the time, make the time, and find a little peace in the middle of your day. May God’s peace be with you and follow you always.

Roman Roads

A couple of thousand years ago, the Roman Empire controlled much of Europe, including Britain, the Middle East and part of North Africa. In order to facilitate the control of this far-flung empire, the Romans built a network of roads that connected the conquored lands. They were a powerful force throughout the land under their control and believed themselves to be unconquorable. That attitude is easily summed up in the words of Julius Caesar in his book on the Gallic wars, "Veni, vidi, vici". As any Latin student can tell you, this translates to, "I came, I saw, I conquored." If you don't know, Gaul was the name of country which is France today.

That wonderful engineering feat, the Roman road network, was built by hand. They did not have any of the equipment we have today. Yet, despite that, or maybe because of it, many of those ancient roads still exist today. In its heyday, the saying was that all roads lead to Rome, not just in terms of geography, but as an expression of the awesome power the Romans wielded.

Today, in this country, we have the interstate highway system, properly known as the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System, for the president who had the vision and drive to have the legislation passed and funded. They do not all lead to one place like the old Roman roads, but they do allow us to drive from coast to coast and border to border with a minimum of delay...other than a few speed limit signs.

When it comes to our approach to God, we also have a path. Some people say we have to keep to the "straight and narrow" to get where we want to go, namely Heaven and an eternity with God. No highway, no matter how well constructed and maintained is truly straight and without its delays. Just as we can drive from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida on Interstate 10, so too can we get to God. That highway, I-10, has its turns and curves and delays. There are times when we have to stop for fuel, both for the body and for the car. We can't just drive the 3,000 miles non-stop on our own; we need help to get there.

So it is with our journey to God. We don’t just get born and follow a marked path, all smooth and straight, to get there. That path is just like any highway you have ever driven. There are curves and hills and valleys, detours and rough spots. There are distractors, just like the billboards along the highway, that tempt you to take off in a different direction. While the detours along the highway usually lead to someplace that has a touristic interest, which often will cost some money, the detours along the road to God may have more serious consequences.

Before the advent of the GPS, we had to study road maps and written directions in order to get from one place to another place we had never been before. For our journey to God, we do have written directions, the Bible. The directions are there, just waiting for you to read and study them. Just like the old Roman roads are still there today, still leading back to Rome, so is the Bible still leading us to God. Pick it up or download it onto your smartphone or tablet. Follow what it says and you will get where you, and God, want you to go. Ignore what it says and you will not like the destination of that detour you will be tempted to take. What is your choice of destination?

The Pulse

A pulse is the sign of life in all of us. Sometimes it is slow, sometimes rapid, or irregular, or
thready. It is something that is checked by medical personnel, EMT’s, and mom’s. It’s strength
and regularity, or the lack of, is a measurement of our health. You can’t go through a day
without seeing someone on a television program grabbing a wrist or touching the side of a
neck to measure it, or find that it has stopped. As long as your heart beats, you have a pulse.

Writers often talk about the pulse of a nation, a group of people, of the feelings of life around
us. It may be a feeling of pleasure of your surroundings, of excitement during a sporting event,
or of the rising tide of anger of a mob of people.

It has been said that when two people hold hands, their hearts will soon synchronize and beat
the same rhythm. This mysterious merging of the hearts’ rhythms is a sign of the feelings the
two people share with each other, even when unspoken.

If our pulse is a sign of our life, and often with other people, then there should be a pulse that
shows our relationship with God. Where would we find it? On the knees when we kneel to
pray, or, our hands when they are joined together? Perhaps it is in the heart where we have
the love God gives to us and we to him. Wherever it is, or isn’t, we know there has to be a
pulse that shows us the strength of our relationship with him. Is it a strong, steady beat that
tells us that is the nature of our relationship? Or, is it rapid and irregular when we are having
problems in our connection to him. Perhaps it is very weak and almost undetectable when we
have turned our backs to him and followed a wrong path. The one thing it will never be in this
life is totally gone. Regardless of how bad a connection we have, it will never not be there.
God is always there to give us his own version of CPR to bring us back to life with him. Of
course, our pulse with him will be strongest when we leave this mortal life behind and spend
eternity with him in his home.

Just as we can put our fingers on our wrist or neck to check our physical pulse, so too can we
take our spiritual pulse. It is merely connecting with God and sensing the strength of that
connection. Does it feel strong and alive and full? Is it mediocre and dull, kind of just “there”?
Or is it weak, distant, almost undetectable? God is constant. He never changes. He can fill
our lives with almost more than we can hold or stand. So, if God is a constant, then it must be
us who creates the different pulses, be they strong, or medium or weak.

What is your Godly pulse? Which is it, the strong, the medium, or the weak? How do you
want it to be? YOU have the control. How close or distant you are is all up to you. You know
what to do, what it takes to either maintain the level you have now or change it. Do you want
the closest relationship, where the pulse is the strongest? Then you must be doing all of the
things he has asked of you, and will continue to ask. Is your pulse less than full? Then you
know what you need to do, don’t you? If you need help to focus, to get there, then there is
help, in the form of a minister, priest, or other spiritual leader. If you aren’t where you want to
be, it is only because you have chosen to be where you are today. Make a new choice. You
have that control.