THE LONGEST LINE
The longest line that I ever stood in wasn’t in a store. It wasn’t to see a movie or a concert either. It wasn’t even in the Department of Motor Vehicles. The longest line I ever stood in was at my friend Tim’s wake. Tim had died a young man and his loss had shocked our small community. When I arrived at the wake I was amazed to see the line stretching from inside the small funeral home to down the street as far as the eye could see. People had come from hundreds of miles away to be there and to offer their love to Tim one last time. I saw people there that I hadn’t seen since high school and others whom I had thought I would never see again.
The line moved slowly forward as we waited and shared our memories of Tim. We talked about how funny he had always been without ever seeming mean-spirited once. He loved a good joke and would share them even in a football huddle during the middle of a game. We talked about how Tim was always kind and helpful to anyone in need. In his short but loving life his joyful spirit had touched a thousand people in a thousand different ways. We grieved about how he would never see his kids graduate from school, but also took comfort in knowing that a part of Tim lived on in each of them. We laughed, cried, remembered, and thanked God for the time we had Tim’s good soul with us. When his funeral was held later no indoor building could hold it. We had it on the junior high school football field that was later renamed after him.
In his short time here Tim had made his family, our community, and the world so much better. His loss left a hole in us all. Still, I think that we now laugh a little more, love a little deeper, and share joy a bit more often because of how he touched our hearts. Is there any more fitting tribute to a life well lived? May all of us live as well and love as much. May all of us too never wait in line when it comes to sharing God’s love and making the Earth a little more like Heaven. ---------------
THE BEST GIFTS
I had yet another birthday recently. It is strange how they keep popping up year after year. They must come from the same place as the grey hairs and wrinkles, because each year I seem to have more of them too. Still, as my body gets older and older my soul seems to get younger and younger, so I don’t mind celebrating a birthday now and then.
For some reason too this one seemed especially good. It may have been the chocolate cake and chocolate chip ice cream that made both my face and my stomach smile. It may have been the good natured teasing and hugs I got. It may have been seeing that childlike sparkle in my grown children’s eyes when they gave me my gifts. It may have even been the thoughtful gifts themselves picked out with such care. I think most of all, though, it was the gifts behind the gifts that filled my day with so much joy. You see, each gift was filled with the love of the person who gave it. Each gift was a package of love delivered from their heart to mine and each gift made my own love burn brighter.
The more birthdays I celebrate in this life, the more I see that love is really the only thing that matters. The parties you have, presents you get, or years you age aren’t important. All that counts is how much love you choose, share, and give in this world, because love itself is the greatest gift there is.
God in His loving wisdom has given each of us the two best gifts we can ever get: a life to live and the love to live it with. Let’s not waste them. Let’s not put them on a shelf and ignore them. Let’s use them instead. Let’s fill each of our birthdays and all the days in between with loving others, helping others, giving to others, teaching others, and sharing joy with others. Let’s truly enjoy these gifts God gives us from our first breath until our last sigh. -------------------
GOD’S GPS
I saw one of those new Global Positioning System units today. Those are the ones that hook up to satellites to tell you where you are and what turn to take to get where you are going. It wasn’t in my car of course. Like a lot of men I prefer to go where the road takes me even if I do get lost once in a while. Some of my best times too have come when I have taken my old car on a wrong turn or down a road less traveled. I find that the scenery is always a bit more exciting too when everything isn’t mapped out for you.
In fact, life itself is full of wrong turns, missing maps, and frequent potholes. That is what makes it such an interesting drive. Thankfully, there is one GPS that we all can use when we find ourselves lost on this road of life. This GPS won’t give us a lighted map or step by step directions. It will, however, help us to make the right choices to get where we need to go. This GPS will even let us make a wrong turn if we want to, but it will always gently nudge us back to the right highway to take us home. This GPS is God’s love.
God’s love is always there to nurture us and guide us as we travel on. It is there to help us make every choice and decide on every turn. It is there to help us drive our lives down the right road and to enjoy the scenery along the way. It may even guide us off the highway at times to help a stranded motorist or pick up a lost hitchhiker. One thing is sure though. God’s love will always lead you home in this life and in the next.
Dannion Brinkley said that: “When love alone acts as your compass, your life is always right on course.” I may never want a GPS telling me how to drive my car, but I will always welcome God and His love to guide me on how to drive my life. He may not always let me see the map, but I trust that He knows where we are going.----------------------
THE EYES THAT SEE
I have a blind friend who lives in New York City. Although we have never met face to face, we still write each other frequently. She is a remarkable lady and has become like a sister to me. Her optimistic and enthusiastic letters always lift my spirits and the inspiring poems she shares with the world always bring a smile to my face. She is all the more amazing due to the fact that she lost her sight halfway through her life. She had to give up her career and relearn to do everything that most of us take for granted. Many would have given up after such a loss but not her. Instead she embarked on a glorious new life full of award winning volunteer work. Her days are full of teaching English to new immigrants, counseling hurting hearts, writing, serving her religious community, and helping others in every way she can.
The light of my friend’s example is a beacon that I try to follow as well. Whenever I feel too challenged in my own life I look at the challenges that she has overcome in hers. She may have lost her sight but she never lost her soul. She knows that the eyes that really see are the eyes of the heart, and she does her best everyday to follow the loving vision that they give to her. I am sure too that the eyes of the angels watching over her are always filled with tears of joy and that their faces are always full of shining smiles.
I hope then that when you go through your own life you are not distracted by the murky view that this world so often gives you. I hope that you see it for the illusion it is and instead look at life with the clear vision of your heart’s eyes. God wants us to see this world and our lives through the eyes of love. It is only then that our sight will be pure. It is only then that our path will shine brightly before us. It is only then that we will see how we were meant to live and how we can best bring Heaven to Earth.--------------
CAKE WITH KAI
For the last several weeks my oldest son and I have been visiting our neighbor and friend, Kai every Wednesday afternoon. I always bring over my newest bit of writing to share with her and she always greets us with a hug, a smile, and a freshly baked cake. Each week she fills our bellies with another frosted delight. First it was chocolate, then lemon, strawberry, and vanilla. Everyone of them too melts in your mouth and makes your stomach sigh. After cake we all sit down for a long talk full of shared laughs and shared lives.
Kai’s name rhymes with Hi and that is fitting because her every greeting is full of love and kindness. It doesn’t matter if it is me, the delivery man, or the dog next door. Kai is always ready to give a little joy to everyone she meets. Since she and her husband Sean moved here a few years ago they have made our neighborhood, our community, and our lives so much better. This is all the more amazing considering that the whole time I have known her Kai has been racked by terminal illnesses that have battered every part of her except her spirit.
In the book "Tuesday’s With Morrie" author Mitch Albom writes about his visits to an old, college professor who is dying and how much he learned about living from him. I think that my Wednesday afternoons with Kai have done the same for me. Kai has taught me so much about how to be a more loving human being through her words and through her life. I couldn’t have asked for better knowledge or a greater gift than that.
I thank God everyday for Kai and Sean and all the wonderful people He has brought into my life over the years. I know too that even after Kai leaves us that we will see her again one day in Paradise. Then there will be plenty of time for sitting, smiles, laughter, love, happiness, hugs, long talks, and perhaps even a piece of cake. ---------------
TWO ARMS NO WAITING
I got to hug my Mom and my Grandma again today. It felt so good that for a moment my heart leapt for joy and my eyes filled with tears. In that second the whole world was full of love and the Earth felt like Heaven. Then it was over, because I awoke from my daydream.
You see, my Mom and my Grandma both died years ago. I enjoyed every hug we shared over the years they were alive, but now I see I didn’t hug them nearly enough. I don’t know why I kept my arms and my heart closed so many times over the years. I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that you can’t take love or life for granted. If I had it to do over I would have hugged them a dozen times a day, every single day they were with me. If I could have those moments back I would have followed the example of my own son who gives me more hugs everyday than I can count. I would have taken the lead of my son’s childhood friend too. She may be confined to a wheelchair but she can still hug your heart out with the squeeze of her hand or lift your spirits with a smile that is brighter than the noonday sun. If I could live those years again I would do so with my arms, my heart, and my soul wide open.
Thankfully, God in His love gives us a lifetime to learn from our mistakes. I can’t live those years again, but I can live today. I can love today. I can share a hug today. My Mom and Grandma may have left this world, but in my heart and soul my arms will always be around them.
I hope that you share a few hugs yourself today. I hope that you hang a sign on your heart that says, "two arms, no waiting." I hope that you give your love to all those around you. I hope that you shine a smile to everyone you meet. I hope that you fill your every phone call, letter, or e-mail with "heart hugs" as well. Life is short. Time flies. Our days here are brief. Don’t pass up a single chance then to love, to share, to help, and to hug. ----------------
THE LETTER
When I was a freshman in college I received a letter that forever opened a window in my soul. I had just started writing and the editor of my local county newspaper had been kind enough to publish some of my work. About a month later the letter arrived. Sadly, I lost it in the many moves I have made since then, but it’s essence still lives in my heart.
Here is what it said. "You may not remember me. We last saw each other in kindergarten and my family moved the next year. We still get the county paper in the mail, though, and when I saw your name I had to write you. You see that first year in school was very difficult for me. I was a tiny, sickly, and homely girl that the other children teased everyday. The thing I remember about you is that you never did. You were always kind to me. When we lined up to go out the teacher always put me beside you and you would hold my hand as we crossed the street. You talked to me and played with me. When you were around too the other kids didn’t tease me. You saw me as a person, not someone different and I will be forever grateful for that. My whole life was better because of how you treated me all those years ago."
I quickly wrote back to my kindergarten friend and we corresponded happily for several years before the illness that she had struggled with since childhood finally took her life. I will never forget, however, just how much that simple kindness I had shared meant to her. It made me see that kindness, goodness, love, and joy truly are the most important things in the world.
Every act of kindness we do touches another’s heart. Every bit of goodness we share makes the world a better place. Every choice for love we make brings us and those around us closer to God. God blessed us with the power to help, heal, love, and change this world forever. Let’s use that power and make both Earth and Heaven smile. ---------------
I ALREADY AM
When I was a teenager I was in a group of students who took a trip to Pittsburgh. Being a country boy, I found it exciting just being in such a big city. While most of the students headed for the mall then I decided to tour the streets alone. It was almost Christmastime and the store windows were filled with beautiful displays, full of joy and delight. I bought several cinnamon sticks to ward off the chill and spent a while just walking and looking at the sights.
At some point, however, the stores became less and less and the bars became more and more. I realized I had crossed into a not so good section of town. I saw a small bus stop and decided to sit and take a rest before walking back. The bus stop was just in front of a grocery store and before long an old woman in a tattered coat came out. She was carrying two large bags in one hand. Her other hand held a cane that steadied her slow, shaky walk. Her young, dark haired granddaughter clutched her coat as they made their way to the bench. I smiled at them both and we joked and laughed for a bit about how cold it was before the bus pulled up. When it arrived I picked up the old lady’s bags and carried them up the steps. Then I helped her cherub faced granddaughter up them while her grandma slowly climbed on behind us. I pulled out my last cinnamon stick and gave it to the sweet girl while her grandma smiled her thanks to me. I got off the bus and looked up to the window where the little, curly-haired Child of God was waving goodbye to me. Then I started back to meet the other students a little warmer at heart if not in body. As I was turning the corner, though, a voice called out from an alley. "Hey man! Want to get high?" I smiled without looking over and said, "No thanks. I already am."
No drug in the world can ever match the high that comes from one kind act, one shared laugh, one second of giving love, or one moment of making God smile. Kindness is Heaven’s high. --------
AUTUMN OF OUR LIVES
I love Autumn here in the mountains of West Virginia. The cool air and the hum of the heater in the morning soon gives way to the warm breezes flowing through the window fans in the afternoon. The delightful smell of dry leaves fills the air and in the evening I can sometimes catch glimpses of the deer feeding on the fallen apples from the apple tree in our backyard. The sound of happy children riding their bikes makes a sweet music for the ears as they play away the evening hours until darkness arrives. All of this wonderful joy takes place too under the brilliance of the mountains themselves. This time of the year they look like they were painted by Heaven’s hand. Bit by bit the leaves on the trees transform into glorious golds, radiant reds, and outrageous oranges. Beautiful burgundies and browns soon appear too, as well as yellows that shine like the sun itself. This time of the year always gives me a hint of what Paradise itself must be like.
It really amazes me then that the phrase "the Autumn of our lives" is always said with such fear. The very mention of it stirs up images of aging, illness, and approaching death. I guess so many are afraid of that last leaf falling that they fail to see the beautiful Spring that awaits them.
I think the Autumn of your life should instead be embraced with joy. It should be the peak of a beautiful, colorful, and well-lived life. It should be full of choosing love, sharing happiness, and helping others. It should be filled with making yourself a better person and the world a better place. It should be overflowing with peace, understanding, and oneness with God.
May the Autumn of your life then shine as brightly as the leaves on these mountains. May you live simply, love deeply, and grow daily. May your last days be your best days. And may you walk through the fallen leaves knowing that the journey leads not to death but to eternal life. ------------------------
FATHER ED
Father Ed, the priest of the church I attended as a child passed away this Summer. He will be missed by many including me. I can still see him so clearly in my heart and mind. Tall, thin, quiet, friendly, and smart with thinning hair and thick glasses, he always looked more like an engineer than a priest. He was a great lover of classical music. One of my most vibrant memories of him was a long trip we took together over curvy, mountainous roads. Father Ed was steering the car with one hand and directing with the other while Beethoven’s 9th symphony serenaded us from his cassette deck. Looking back now I can still feel his spirit swaying in his body while the music played.
Father Ed’s greatest love, however, was the tireless work he did for God. He preached, wrote columns and books, visited prisons, taught in schools, and ministered everywhere for the love of God from the streets of Indianapolis to the hills of West Virginia. It was these mountains and their people that touched his heart the most deeply, though, and I am happy that he was able to end his work on Earth here. He did the very best work he could every single day. Even though his body aged, wore down, and finally surrendered to death, his spirit never did.
Father Ed may have left us now, but his work goes on. The work we do for the love of God never ends, but thankfully God’s love for us never ends either. God’s love not only produces the best work but also the best people. Father Ed was one of them.
Thinking of Father Ed reminds me that we are more than just these bodies that carry us around. We are spirits dancing in the flesh. We are more than just the work we do. We are the love of God working inside of us. We are more than just these lives we live. We are the love we give and the joy we share every moment of them. God bless you Father Ed. We miss you. -------------
I’LL BE SHOPPING WITH YOU
I heard a story today that found a warm place in my heart. I don’t know if it is true or not, but if it isn’t then it should be. It seems a mother was recently approached by her teenage daughter who asked for a new $160 piece of electronics equipment to replace her old one. Her old one by the way was only a year old and was working fine. The wise mom said she would think about it but first could her daughter help her with some errands that afternoon.
That afternoon the mother and daughter climbed into their car and headed for the local grocery store. Once there the mom went straight to the bulk food section and started loading food in the carts. Soon two shopping carts were overflowing with bags of generic rice, sacks of potatoes, boxes of ramen noodles, cases of canned vegetables, jars of peanut butter and jelly, and loaves upon loaves of bread. Without a word the mom headed straight for the checkout lines, paid for the food, and loaded up the car. The daughter was curious but said nothing.
The mom then drove in silence straight to a local food bank. Without a sound she started to carry in the groceries while her startled daughter helped. Soon both of them were filling up the empty shelves while the workers and needy families looked on. After a few seconds, however, both of them were showered with teary eyes, crushed with hugs, and thanked with more "God bless you’s" than the daughter had ever heard before. As they were driving home the mom finally smiled and handed her daughter the receipt for the groceries. The total was $162 and change. "That is what $160 is really worth", the mom said. "Now next week we can buy you that gadget you want or we can make another trip to shop for the food bank that helped keep us alive and together when you were just a baby. It’s up to you."
The daughter smiled and with tears in her eyes said, "I’ll be shopping with you, Mom!" -----------------------
A DOG’S LOVE
It was raining on the day I took my St. Bernard, Buddy to the vet for the last time. It was raining on my windshield, it was raining in my eyes, and it was raining in my soul. My heart was heavy with the sadness of knowing that I would soon be losing a friend who had always touched my soul with his sad face and sweet personality. When he was a puppy I used to carry him around in one arm. Now his 170 lb body was ancient and ailing. Throughout all his life he had protected us with his strength and loved us with his gentleness. He was a part of our family and taking him on this last ride was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.
My voice like my spirit felt broken as I told the vet that it was best to end Buddy’s suffering now. I had watched over the last year as he slowed down. He was in a lot of pain. He seemed more and more irritable and uncomfortable with each passing day. Finally there came a point when I knew it was time to let him go. His days here on Earth may have been short by our standards, but every single one of them was full of love.
A person who didn’t own dogs once asked me why I would put myself through such pain. Why would I bring dogs into my home knowing that eight, ten, or fifteen years later I would be losing them to death? I couldn’t answer him at the time, but looking back on Buddy’s years with us I think I can now. A dog’s love is unconditional. It is pure. It is strong. It is blessed. It gives us such great happiness. It reminds us of what God’s love for us must be like. It shows us what our own love is capable of becoming. A dog’s love makes us better. If I have to suffer this pain then to have that love then I will do so gladly.
Take care dear Buddy until I see you again. You made me better. You helped me to love. You gave me so much joy. I will forever cherish in my heart the years we had here together. ---------------------------
THREE CELL PHONES
I saw something that both amused me and saddened me the other day. Three teenage girls were walking up the street together, but they didn’t seem together at all. Even though they walked side by side, they weren’t talking to each other. They weren’t laughing together. They weren’t even looking at each other. Instead each girl’s eyes rested firmly on their hands outstretched in front of them because in each girl’s palm was a cell phone. I am not sure why they weren’t talking to each other. Perhaps they were. With today’s technology it is hard to tell. Still, it made me shake my head to think that something as small as a cell phone could put so much distance between girls who were so close together.
Since the beginning of time ideas and inventions have flowed from the mind of God to the minds of people. Since the beginning of time too, however, people have used these ideas and inventions to both help and hurt themselves. The person who first cast metal saw their idea turned into plowshares that helped feed thousands and swords that killed thousands more. Nobel saw his invention of dynamite used to blow apart mountains, to build roads for the benefit of everyone. He also saw it used to blow apart bodies and end countless lives in war. Albert Einstein saw the fruit of his genius used to create abundant power that helps millions of people everyday. He saw as well it used to build bombs that could kill us all a hundred times over.
Every invention and every piece of technology can be used to help us grow better and closer together or it can be used to distance us and destroy us. The choice is in how we use it. The key I feel is love. God’s greatest wish is for us to love each other. I hope you make all of your calls and e-mails joyous gifts of love then. But if there is someone right beside you who needs your love don’t be afraid to turn off the electronics, look them in the eye, and give them a hug. --------------------------
SUNRISES AND WALKING STICKS
When I was a boy our church sent some of us on a youth retreat. I had a great time although I didn’t realize it then. Being a teenager I was far more interested in talking to the other teens and joking around than I was in the experiences our youth counselors had planned for us. It is only now many years later that I remember and cherish the lessons they taught.
I remember moaning and groaning when they got us up early to watch the sun rise over the mountains. Then I only wanted a few more hours of sleep instead of the breathtaking sight I was seeing. Now, however, I watch every sunrise and sunset that I can. It is the best way I know to share a joyous "Good morning" and "Good night" with the loving God who made me.
I remember too a counselor of somewhat generous proportions wearing out a group of us fit, young teens as he led us on a hike up the side of a mountain. He carried two walking sticks with him. One of them was in his hand and he used it to help himself up even the steepest parts of the path. The other was in his heart, soul, and mind and he used it to point out every beautiful thing there was to see along the walk from a single flower blooming in a bush, to a nest of robins living in a tree, to the wonderful view that awaited us at the end. Then I only wanted to head back down the hill and play basketball. Now, though, I try to see the beautiful in everything just as he did. He showed me that God gives us all a wonderful walking stick called our thoughts and that we all can use it to help us travel joyously through this journey called life. Either that or we can beat ourselves over the head with it. The choice is ours.
That retreat remains the most fun I ever had 30 years after the fact. I guess sometimes it just takes us a bit longer to get what people, life, and God are trying to teach us. I hope you use your walking stick well, live your life with love, and watch the sunrise every chance you get. -------------------------------
CONNIE
Is it possible to mourn someone you’ve never even met? Is it possible to cry for someone you have never even seen? My friend Connie passed away recently. She was just 68 years old. I had never met her face to face or even seen her picture. I had never heard her voice on the phone. I had never had the chance to give her a hug. She and her husband Charlie lived several states away from me and we never were able to visit each other although we had hoped to one day.
Connie and Charlie ran a newsletter about angel stories online and wrote me an e-mail once asking to use one of my articles. I agreed and with most people that would have been the end of it. Connie, however, had a joyous, youthful, laughing, loving, and playful spirit that found its way into everything from her marriage, to her friendships, to her work, and even to her letters. She and Charlie then quickly became my online friends. Soon they were sharing my writings with their readers every month. With each thing I wrote and shared I would get a letter of encouragement from Connie and Charlie. They were a gift sent by God above and I cherished their friendship. They touched my heart, uplifted my spirits, lightened my soul, and helped me to be a better person with just their simple e-mails.
When their e-mail address stopped working a few weeks ago I feared that their old computer had crashed. Sadly, it was something far worse. Connie has now passed into paradise, but the pain and loss lingers on for Charlie and all of us who knew her. Her love, her joy, and her light will outlast the pain, though. It will live on in all of us who knew her, forever.
Is it possible to mourn someone you’ve never even met? Is it possible to cry for someone you have never even seen? Yes it is. God bless you, Connie. Thank you so much for blessing all of us with your life. --------------------------
GLUED GLASSES AND SEWED JACKETS
The longer I live the more I see that our souls’ eyes and the world’s eyes aren’t the same. Just today, for instance, I was sitting at my kitchen table when suddenly my soul’s memories took me back 13 years in an instant. I remembered sitting at that same table getting out a needle and thread to sew a rip in my jacket. It was one of many gotten from years of working in a lumber mill. That day, however, was my day off and I was enjoying every moment of it with my kids.
Suddenly my toddler climbed on my knee for a game of "blow on my belly". His giggles tickled my soul but his arm also accidently knocked off my glasses, breaking the frames for the hundredth time that year. At that time money was tight, miracle glue was cheap, and new glasses were not. I put my son down then, glued and reset the frames, and set them on the table to dry. Sewing the jacket without my glasses, though, was no easy task. On my thirtieth try at threading the needle my little daughter came in the room. I asked her if she could put the thread through the eye for me. She did on the first try and handed it back to me with a smile. "There you go, Daddy!", she said with sparkling eyes before heading back to her room to play.
I often wondered back then why I was having to struggle so hard just to get by. I wondered why I didn’t have the money to buy the new clothes and glasses that others took for granted. Now thirteen years later I think that maybe God was having my soul spend that time learning what the true riches in life really are. That giggling toddler in my arms was one of them. That loving daughter with the sparkling eyes was another. Compared to them all the money in the world was just worthless paper. Nowadays money doesn’t seem quite so important, but every loving hug I get from one of my children remains priceless. These lessons in love sometimes take a lifetime to learn, but what’s a lifetime when seen from the eternal eyes of your soul. -----------------------------
PART OF THE CHOIR
When I was a boy our church didn’t have a choir so everyone was expected to sing. That didn’t bother me since I was an enthusiastic singer to say the least. Still, my talent didn’t quite match my zest for singing. More often than not I was too loud and off key. Many times my singing would get me a nudge and a look from my older brother. In time, though, I learned to sing more softly and found that even my less than perfect voice blended in beautifully with the choir of joyous singers that was our church.
As I grew up too I found many other ways to sing my soul’s song without using my throat’s voice. One way was by putting a pen to paper and later my fingers to a keyboard. In this way I was able to share the inspiring thoughts, words, and experiences that my Heavenly Father so often gave me. In this way I was able to encourage others as well to choose love, share joy, and grow in oneness with God even as I learned to do so more and more in my own life.
As the years have gone by too I have realized something. I am only one voice in millions out there writing, speaking, and singing out the beautiful truth for all the world to hear. I often see the others online, in newspapers, on television, in books, and even on the street. Some have become rich and famous for the work they have done, but most like me are just delighting in freely sharing the wisdom, joy, love, and light that God has given them.
Now I find myself happy to be a part of a new choir that is doing all it can to bring the glorious music of love to this world. I hope that you will join it as well. You may be just one voice among many, but if you share your soul’s song you can add so much to the choir. It doesn’t matter either if your voice or life is less than perfect. If you sing your song and live your life with love, you can help to make the Earth sound a lot more like Heaven. ------------------------------
CRAZY WEATHER
We have been having some crazy weather here in the mountains of my home this summer. The other day, for instance, started out beautifully with a sunrise that could make the heavens' sing. The air was warm and the breezes gently kissed your cheek as you walked outside. The shining sun filtered through the leaves and lit up the world in a thousand different places. Just being outside lit up my own soul as well and I thanked God for another great day to be alive.
By afternoon, however, the weather had turned hot and muggy. The skies had become partly cloudy and the distant roar of thunder was in the air. As I went to run an errand it started to rain. Driving down the road I could still see the sun behind me but thick, grey clouds lay ahead. After only a few miles a gentle sprinkling of rain became a torrent that rolled down the roads and turned every pothole into a puddle. I stopped to go into a store but was drenched before I got three feet. Lightening flashes could be seen over the hills and I wondered if the storm would ever end. As I drove back home, though, the clouds parted and the sunshine reappeared. I arrived home soaked but safe and looked up to see the most glorious rainbow bridging the sky. I stopped in my dripping clothes to take in the sight and store it safely in the memories of my soul.
Life too can give us some crazy weather at times. Clear days can suddenly turn stormy in an instant. Sunny skies and gentle breezes can give way to pounding rains and lightening for no reason. Problems, troubles, and frustrations can soak you to the skin and you can find yourself wondering if the storm will ever end. When this happens take heart in knowing that God loves you through every type of weather and that you have enough sunlight in your soul to ride out any storm that life throws at you. Let that rain help you to grow and remember that the storms always end, the clouds always part, and sometimes you even get blessed with a rainbow. ------------------------
WORK AND LOVE
My daughter was having trouble recently deciding on what to major in at college, so she asked my advice. I told her the one thing I wish that I had been told at her age: "Find a career that you love and you will never work a day." She caught me off guard, though, when she next asked what she should do if she couldn’t get that career right away. What should she do if she had to take a job that she hated?
That question brought back a lot of memories of jobs that I had worked at over the years. I remembered one in particular. My young family was struggling. We had no money and there were no good jobs to be had in the area. My brother, however, was able to get me a job at a local lumber mill. The work was hard and meant constant pain for my back. Hours were spent loading and stacking lumber. The pay was just above minimum wage. In the winter the skin on my fingers split and bled from the cold, dry air. The job turnover was high. In the several years I worked there only the four of us supporting families didn’t leave to look for something better.
Still, I also remembered singing hymns to myself while I stacked and loaded that lumber. I remembered the jokes and laughter we all shared during lunch and on breaks. I remembered as I pushed the lumber carts, glancing out the window and joyously watching the leaves changing in the Fall. I remembered how a simple sandwich tasted like the greatest gourmet meal in the world after 4 hours of hard work. I remembered thanking God for this job so I could feed my family. Remembering all this gave me the answer I needed for my daughter. "Just bring your love to your job then sweetheart," I said. "If you can’t do what you love then love what you do."
In this life we work to live, but we live to love. Without love work is drudgery. Yet, with love work is joy. May all of your working days then be full of love, joy, goodness, and God. ---------------------------------
PARADISE WITHIN
My good friend and neighbor is dying. She has battled more health problems through the years than anyone should have to endure. Now as she approaches her 57th birthday she knows that it will probably be her last. She has started giving away a lot of her things so her loving husband won’t be stuck with her "Junk" as she says. She has already given me several books, containers, clothes for my daughter, and a beautiful Hawaiian shirt to add to my collection.
She has given all of us around her much more than just her stuff, though. She has also given us her friendship, her kindness, and her joyous smile. She has given us her wit, wisdom, and sweet laughter. She has given us her shining spirit that has made all of our lives so much brighter. When my daughter turned 19 my friend made her a red velvet cake and talked with her about what is important in life. When a local dog was nearly killed by a bear my friend welcomed it into her home and nursed it back to health. When any of us needed anything she was there doing all that she could with a heart full of love and a soul full of goodness.
She did all of this too while her health continued to grow worse and worse. My friend, however, is not afraid of death. She has told me several times that she believes it will only be like a brief sleep and then she will awaken in Paradise. I am sure as well that she will fit right in there, because she already has a lot of paradise within herself. It is the paradise within her that she has so freely and beautifully given to us all.
I thank God for giving me a chance to get to know her. She has shown me that we all have a bit of paradise within ourselves. She has shown me too that the best way to enjoy that paradise is to share it with everyone you meet. I wish my friend only joy in her remaining days here and endless love and life in her coming days in Paradise. --------------------------------------------------------
SUMMER LIGHT SHOW
It is going to feel like Christmas in July in the field behind my home for the next few weeks. My backyard buddies, the fireflies have finally returned to put on another Summer light show every evening for all of us to enjoy. It is such a delight seeing their little, golden lights blinking on and off just like the lights on a Christmas tree. It brings me such joy watching my whole backyard and the woods around it twinkle like it is Christmastime while the warm, summer breezes tickle my face. It reminds me that anytime of the year can feel like Christmas if you have love in your heart and light in your soul.
Still, there are times I feel a bit sorry for my firefly friends. They shine for only a brief time each Summer and their lights while beautiful last only a moment before fading again. In fact, I sometimes feel like a firefly myself. I try my best to shine long and bright with love, joy, and oneness with God, but it seems at times the most I can do is flicker. I am working hard, though, to leave my light on a bit longer each time and trying my best to make my moments of darkness less and less. I am asking God to help me everyday too and hope to one day shine more like a star and less like a blinker.
I hope that you are doing your best as well to shine bright and leave your light on in this life. I pray too that if you can’t keep your light on all the time then you are at least blinking as much light, love, joy, kindness, goodness, peace, happiness, helpfulness, laughter, and caring as you can. Perhaps one day all of us will shine together and with God’s help will create a summer light show that never ends. Perhaps we will not just help make everyday feel more like Christmas, but make everyday be Christmas. Perhaps one day we all will work together to help the fireflies chase the darkness away forever. -----------------------------------------------------
WHERE THE LIGHT IS
There is a delightful, old story that always brings a smile to my face. One day a man was walking down the street and saw his friend crawling around on his hands and knees looking for something. The man asks his friend what he is looking for on the ground. His friend says, "I lost my key." The man feels sorry for his friend and gets down to help look for it. After a long time of looking without success the man asks his friend where he was standing when he lost his key. The friend replies, "Oh, I lost it in my house." Outraged by this the man asks why they are looking on the street then. His friend says, "Because there is more light here."
As funny as that sounds it is the way a lot of people think. They want to know the purpose of their lives. They want to figure out the secret to their own happiness. They want to find the key to living a loving and joyous life. Yet, they look everywhere except inside of themselves. Perhaps they think it is too dark and frightening to look within for these answers. They keep looking on the outside instead because they think the light is better there.
The truth is if they were willing to look within they would find a light far brighter and more illuminating than any on the outside. They would find the glorious glow of their own souls that have been patiently waiting for their arrival. They would find the love of God that lights up the world and the light of their own love as well. They would find a beautiful fire that would warm their hearts and that they could give to everyone everywhere.
Don’t be afraid to look on the inside. The light on the outside is nowhere near as magnificent and golden as the loving light that shines from your own soul. God’s loving light lives within each of us. That is the light you should seek. That is the light that will guide you to a joyous life and that is the light that you should share with the whole world. ------------------------------------------------------------
A FATHER’S FORGIVENESS
When I was a boy I always wanted to be a cowboy. I remember my Mom worrying about me getting sick from the heat in the summer, because I wore a thick blue sweater all the time. No respectable cowboy, however, would wear short sleeves so I sweated while I played.
I was overjoyed too when one day my parents gave me a bb gun. It looked just like a lever action rifle that all the cowboys used in the movies. I spent hours each day during those summer months shooting at stumps and pretending to be John Wayne. I even mastered the one-handed, swing, cock and shoot move I had seen him do in a movie once. At least that is what I thought. As I was coming into the house one afternoon, though, I tried it one time too many. The gun that I thought was empty let out a soft pop and a bb flew across the room and parted the hair of my Dad who was asleep on the couch. My Dad took one look at the bb hole a half inch above his head, walked over to me, took my gun, walked outside, and calmly broke it in half.
I didn’t cry too much over this. I knew how close I had come to hurting my Dad with my stupidity. I didn’t expect to ever get another bb gun either. That is why I was so surprised when my Dad bought me another one the next year. I guess he thought I had wised up enough to know how to use it this time. I never put a single bb in the new gun, but in my imagination John Wayne rode again.
I eventually outgrew my cowboy stage, but I never did outgrow my appreciation for my Father’s forgiveness. He showed me that even when I messed up in the worse way I was still loved. He gave me another chance and let me know that I was forgiven whether I deserved it or not. He shared with me some of the unconditional love and forgiveness that our Father in Heaven has for us all. May we always embrace and share that love and forgiveness as well. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
SWEET MORNING MUSIC
I love the sweet morning music that comes to the woodlands here in the Springtime. As I go out to walk my dogs at daybreak I can literally hear dozens of birds singing songs of love, joy, and delight. Often I pause our walk to just listen to the beautiful music of these feathered angels. The dozens of different songs float through the cool morning air to form a Heavenly symphony for my happy ears. They bring a smile to my face and a song to my own heart as well. They awaken the sweet morning music in my own soul as I watch the sun climb over the mountains, tell God how much I love Him, and thank Him again for my life here.
Of course, not all of the music in this world is so sweet. There are lyrics of loneliness in this world. There are notes of pain that can pierce your heart. There are songs of discord and disharmony that poison the air of our lives everyday. One thing that I have learned, however, is that while we can’t always control the music we hear in this world we can always control the songs that we sing.
What song is going to come from your spirit today? What lyrics are you going to sing? What notes are you going to play? Are you going to add to the sweet morning music that is so often around you or are you going to lend your voice to the disharmony that often comes your way?
The choice is yours. You can start your mornings with prayerful lyrics of love and thanks to your Heavenly Father who made you. You can fill your days with a melody of kind words for family, friends, and strangers alike. You can send a silent chorus of well wishes to every soul you pass on the street. You can share the harmony of help and happiness with your neighbors and the whole world. You can make your entire life such a sweet song of love that every angel in Heaven will want to sing along. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
GUARDIAN ANGELS
I believe in guardian angels. Since I was a boy I have felt watched over, loved, and protected by my unseen friends and I am so thankful to God for them. I have had far too many near misses with hurt and harm over the years for it to be mere luck. I guess my guardian angels are keeping me around for a reason and I will do my best not to make their work too hard in the future.
I also believe in guardian angels because I have seen one in action over the years. My oldest son graduates from high school this Spring. Through all of his years in school he has struggled with Autism. It has made it difficult for him to learn, to relate to others, and to function in this world. Thankfully, though, he has had a guardian angel with him every step of the way. His aide has been there with him through all the difficulties, through all the triumphs, through all the pains, and through all the joys. She was there when he first started to speak in sentences. She was there when he first started to read. She was there when he first started to make friends and play with the other children. She helped him through every frustration he faced and comforted him through every bit of sadness he had to endure. She helped him to become the happy and loving soul that he is today. She loved him, cared for him, guided him, encouraged him, and watched over him. She has been his aide, his friend, his second mother, and his guardian angel. Words can never express all the good that she has done for him. All I can say to her is "Thank you so much for being such an angel in my son’s life."
There are many guardian angels in our lives. Some are unseen, but some walk with us and help us everyday. Take the time then to thank God for all the guardian angels in this world. Take the time as well to thank all the guardian angels that touch your own life. But most of all take the time to be a loving, joyous guardian angel yourself to every hurting heart that needs you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
THE WALK
Did you ever have one of those dreams that seemed to go on forever? I had one like that last night. I was walking down an old, side road that I used to walk along as a teenager. I wasn’t quite sure where I was headed, but I felt very determined to get there. Like in many dreams time seemed fluid and people seemed ageless. As I walked along I kept meeting people from both my past and my present. I saw both my Mom and my Grandma who have passed away and was able to give them both one more hug. I ran into many childhood friends and we talked, joked, and laughed just like we were kids again.
Still, I kept walking hoping to reach wherever I was headed. Around every curve, though, there was something new. I saw strangers in need and stopped to help them. I found ancient books and gemstones along the side of the road and shared them with others. I met a smiling, old man who happily shared his life’s wisdom with me and then I lovingly passed it on to young children further down the road. With every few steps it seemed there was a fresh adventure in learning and love. I never did get where I was going and woke up feeling like I had lived a lifetime in a single night. It bothered me for a bit that I never did reach where I was headed but then I realized that this dream was a lot like our years here. Maybe we are not supposed to reach where we are going, at least not in this life. Maybe it is the walk that matters.
As you walk through this life don’t keep your eyes so far down the road that you miss what is right in front of you. Life is a journey of joy. Life is a journey of learning. Life is a journey of love. Take God’s hand then and delight in every step you take. You will meet a lot of wonderful people and go through a lot of interesting experiences. And you might just want to reach out your hand and help up a few hurting hearts who stumble along the way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOOKS
My dear friend and neighbor gave me some new books recently. As I looked through them I decided to follow the advice of one of my favorite authors, Leo Buscaglia. Taking Leo’s lead then I ignored the covers, skipped the introductions, and dived right into the middle of them. Opening each book halfway through I started to read. I have found that this is often the best way to see if a book can grab your mind, speak to your heart, and touch your soul. In the best books a few lines can say more to you than a chapter and a single page can enlighten you more than a dozen volumes. Both of my friend’s books did just this and I look forward to reading them from end to end.
Whether we know it or not each of us is writing a book right now. It is called our life story and we pen it every day we live and with every choice we make. Some people spend a lot of time working on their covers. They throw all their efforts into making them as attractive as possible. Other people spend their time writing and rewriting their introductions. They hope that a great introduction will lead to a great life. What all of these people don’t realize is that life is the pages that follow. Life is the thoughts we think, the love we share, and the good we do everyday. Life is the joyous times we create as well as the pains and trials we learn from. Life is work, play, kindness, laughter, family, and friendships. Life is living.
When it comes to your life story then don’t spend too much time on the cover and let the introduction write itself. Concentrate instead on filling the rest of your pages with living, loving, and learning and always let God be your co-writer. If you do your book will grab a lot of minds, speak to a lot of hearts, and touch a lot of souls with its wisdom and light. It may just end up being a classic both on Earth and in Heaven. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
FLYING HIGH
I was driving down the road on a warm, Spring day recently with my windows rolled down. I wanted to feel the wind on my face and smell the wonderfully sweet scent of the flowers in the air. It was my ears, however, that were blessed with sweetness as I slowed down for a school zone. The laughter of dozens of children filled the air as they ran and played on the playground. I heard several of them yelling with delight as they swung on the swing set. With each pass they flew higher and higher. It brought a smile to my lips, a warmth to my heart, and a flood of memories to my mind.
I remembered being their age. Us boys would always give the girls a push and then jump in the empty swings next to them and try to catch up. With our legs pumping we would soon be soaring through the air. We laughed at the thrill of freedom, at the joy of flight, and at the feeling that at any moment we could zoom into the heavens. I remembered later being a young father and pushing my own children on the swings. Watching their happiness was a bit of Heaven itself. I remembered as well one time my five year old daughter saying, "You swing too, Daddy!" I was embarrassed at first but once I saw my feet headed towards the clouds again all those wonderful feelings of childhood came rushing back. I was flying high once more. After that I always swung with my kids no matter who was there to see me.
I think that sometimes we forget that we were meant to fly and we need the children to remind us. God didn’t put us in this world to sit and suffer with our feet in a mud puddle and our eyes on the ground. He wants us to fly higher and higher in love, joy, and wonderful oneness with Him. He wants our spirits to soar into Heaven while still here on Earth. And most of all He wants us to give a push skyward to anyone who needs it. May you love well and fly high always. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU
I stopped at a local convenience store the other day to fill up my gas tank before heading back home. After pumping the gas I headed in, grabbed a pack of gum, and got in line to pay. In the front of the line was a tired looking woman, holding a toddler in her arms. Behind her and just in front of me was an older man with white hair and a white shirt. He smiled kindly at me and patiently waited while the woman struggled to hold her child while she counted out change with her free hand. She searched twice in her pocket book but still didn’t have enough money to pay for the two gallons of milk she had brought to the counter. I could see her lips tremble and her eyes moisten as she apologized and picked up one of the gallons to take back.
It was then that the older man stopped her. With a gentle smile he told the cashier that he would pay for the milk. The look of relief on the poor woman’s face touched my heart. She thanked the older man while he smiled again and said not to worry about it. As she exited the store I could see that her eyes were still moist, but this time the tears were for a different reason. As he paid for her milk and his own items the white haired angel in disguise smiled at me one last time. Then as he was walking out of the store he gave me a wink and said, "You can’t take it with you, you know."
What he said is true. You won’t need any pockets for the clothes you are buried in. Every dime you have made in this world has only been a loan for you to use for a short time. Still, there are a few things that the white haired gentleman and all of us will be taking with us when we do go to our final home. Every look of relief that we bring to another will go with us as will every bit of love we share and kindness we do. Every moment of learning and joy will come with us as well. And every smile that we bring to God’s face will be waiting for us when we get there. --------------------------------------------------------------------
YOU DON’T HAVE TO TELL ME TWICE
An early April snow had caught us by surprise here in the mountains of my home. Flowers that had just popped out of the ground a week before were now drowning in a sea of white. It felt like someone had turned back the clock two months. Slowly it grew warm enough for the snow to begin to melt in the late afternoon but soon the temperatures dipped again as the cold, evening air turned the melted snow into ice.
Early the next morning I walked out to my cars. I needed to take my sons to school and then had a 30 mile round trip to make after that. I wondered which car to take. My little one had the better gas mileage, but the tires on my bigger one were less worn. Just as I took a step towards my little car, however, my foot slipped on a patch of black ice and I felt my body hitting the driveway. I got up slowly and smiled. "You don’t have to tell me twice God!", I said before heading over to start the car with the better tires. After dropping off my boys at school I made the round trip safely. I felt my car hit patches of black ice several times, but each time the tires gripped and adjusted well. I found myself laughing and grinning even with my still sore left hip and shoulder. I was happy I had followed God’s guidance and I felt loved and watched over.
God’s loving guidance comes in many ways. You can hear its gentle whisper in your heart. You can listen to it come out in the touching lyrics of a beautiful song. You can see it in the wise passage of a book. You can notice it in an overheard scrap of conversation. You can feel it in the quietness of nature. You can even get it when you fall to the pavement of your driveway. However it comes to you, though, don’t turn away from it. Don’t make God have to tell you twice. Listen to Him the first time. Trust Him, love Him, and follow Him. He will take you to ever greater love, joy, and learning. He will keep you safe and lead you home. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A LOVING THOUGHT
George Macdonald wrote that "If instead of a gem or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give." I can remember one of the first loving thoughts that was cast into my own heart and the angel who placed it there. I was a young boy and my parents, brothers, and I were spending the afternoon at the home of a family friend. This friend was the hymn leader at our church as well as the music teacher at my grade school. I remember I used to sit and listen to her play songs on her guitar for hours at a time. On this day my dad was outside once again working his mechanic magic or her ailing, old car. My mom was setting up a picnic for everyone and my brothers were in the yard playing. I was inside talking with our friend and listening to her sweet music. I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about, but I do remember at one point her saying, "Joe, for someone so young you already understand a lot about life."
That loving thought made a home in my heart that day. Before it I never cared much about understanding life, but just as a seed grows into a flower those kind words by that caring angel awakened a desire in me to understand as much as I could about life and living. It helped me start a journey that is still going on today. That gem of an idea that I could really understand what life was all about and that I could live my life as it was meant to be lived shined in my soul and kept me searching, learning, and growing.
That loving thought led me through pain, sorrow, and back home to God again. It led me to writing, sharing, and who I am today. It led me to the knowledge that God is love, that life is joy, and that we are all here to love and help each other. I hope you cast the gift of a few loving thoughts yourself today then. Why let the angels have all the fun? ----------------------------------------------------------------
THE HITCHHIKER
It was the middle of Winter and I was just getting out of a training for my job. The drive home was 25 miles and I needed to get on the road quick so I could get back in time to pick up my sons from school. I pulled my coat on and headed out to my car. The temperatures were below freezing, the snow was steadily falling, and the wind felt like a punch in the face. I hurried into my car and pulled out. I had only been driving a few minutes, though, when I saw him. He was dressed in an old, thin coat. His long hair and grey bread looked frosted from the air. In one hand he held 3 grocery bags. The other hand was up, hitchhiking in the swirling snowstorm.
I don’t usually pick up hitchhikers because with 3 grown kids and one small car there usually isn’t room. This time, however, I pulled over fast and opened the door for the shivering man. He wasn’t headed to the same town I was but I agreed to give him a ride halfway home. For the next 12 miles then we rode and talked. It was one of the most enjoyable and enlightening conversations I’d had in a long time. We talked of education, money, my children, the kindness of strangers, and even touched on spirituality. My passenger was a retired school teacher living on a fixed income, but he didn’t let having little money and no car keep him from experiencing life to the fullest. In fact, only one of his 3 bags had actual groceries. Another was full of books and the third carried a new plant for his home. He reminded me again that appearances can be deceiving and that the brightest souls often come in disguise.
I felt sorry for all the other drivers who passed by this fine man. They missed out on a great talk full of wisdom and joy. They missed out on meeting a shining soul still sharing his light. They chose fear and lost. May you always choose love instead. May you help your neighbor whenever you can. And may you treat everyone you meet as God in disguise. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
FOUR-LEGGED COMEDIANS
Here is a riddle for you. What is black, white and brown, has eight legs, and can do 60 miles an hour down a carpeted hallway? Do you give up? The answer is two puppies playing together. Yes, we have a new puppy in the house named Lemmy. He came about when I mistakenly assumed that our male Saint Bernard was way too big to ever get our little female mixed-breed pregnant. Now at two months old Lemmy is living proof I was wrong. He is already as big as our six month old beagle pup, Snoopy and I am sure he will one day be as big as his dad too.
Watching Lemmy and Snoopy charging down the hall always brings a smile to my face. They chase, pant, and chew on each other. They bounce, roll, and run. They go faster and faster until their legs tangle and they end up in a pile of fur at the foot of the couch. I delight so much in the joy they bring. They remind me that the greatest happiness comes from a playful spirit and a loving heart. They remind me too that fur-filled carpets and teeth marked shoes are a small price to pay for a laughing soul.
The theologian Karl Barth once said that "Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God." I thank God then for giving me so many four-legged comedians to grace my life. My house may be small and crowded but I always have a lot of furry heads to pet on. My furniture may be worn and fur covered but I can get a warm snuggle or slurp on the chin whenever I need one. My home may not be the neatest place but it is full of playful puppies and lots of laughter.
I think God knew what He was doing when He brought dogs into the lives of people. Dogs help us to see that life is meant for joy. They help us to see that play can be just as important as work. They help us to see that happiness comes from within. And they help us to see that love and laughter are the greatest gifts of all. May you share them always with dogs and people alike. ----------------------------------------------------------------
EMBRACING SPRING
After a long, cold, and rough Winter I am patiently counting the days now until Spring arrives here in the mountains of my home. It will be so glorious to see the rebirth of the world once again. Soon the first dandelion will cautiously poke its head through the ground to delight in the newly warm air. Soon the Apple, Dogwood, and Cherry trees will awaken and fill their limbs with brilliant and fragrant blossoms. Soon the mountains will turn a thousand shades of green as the leaves appear and every glance at them will bring a smile to my face. Soon the meadows will be full of fresh, new grass that will an inviting carpet for any barefoot child to walk on. Soon the skies will be full of returning birds and their Heavenly songs will make my heart sing as well. Soon the gentle breezes will carry the dance of the butterflies as they float happily from flower to flower. Soon the beautiful sounds of talking neighbors, laughing teenagers, and playing children will fill the air as everyone ventures out to enjoy the mild temperatures and golden sunshine.
When those days get here I will embrace them with all of my heart, soul, and mind. I will look to the Heavens as well and thank God for once again bringing new life to this world. Most of all, though, I will seek out the Springtime within myself and continue to share it with everyone I meet.
You see, God blesses the world with Spring once a year but blesses us with Spring everyday of our lives. Each time we pray, share our love, spread our joy, stop to help another, or do a single act of kindness it is once again Springtime in our souls. Embrace the Springtime in within you then no matter what the season. Live from the eternal Spring of life, goodness, and love that God gives you and help Him renew this world each and everyday. Spring is the season of new life. May your Springtime last forever. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FAITH
"What does faith feel like?" That was the question a friend sent me in a letter the other day. As I was thinking about how to answer him a single memory kept coming back into my mind. I was 5 years old and very sick. The doctors told my Mom that my tonsils were swollen, infected, and needed to come out. Surgery was scheduled for the next day and I spent the night in the hospital with my Mom sitting at my bedside. She told me gently not to be scared, that she was there for me and would be right here when I woke up after the operation.
The next morning the nurses gave me something to sleep before surgery and the last thing I remembered before going under was seeing my Mom’s smiling face. That is until I suddenly woke up to find myself surrounded by strange adults wearing masks. I had come to just before the operation was to begin. My young heart was filled with terror and I sat straight up and screamed "Mommy!" as loud as my painful throat possibly could. The next thing I remembered was seeing my Mom’s loving smile again in the recovery room. She held my hand, whispered words of comfort, and brought me a bowl of ice cream. Even though my throat still hurt I wasn’t scared anymore. I felt loved and everything seemed right with the world again.
That is what faith feels like to me. It is feeling loved, cared for, and watched over. It is knowing that no matter how painful or scary life gets you need only to call out to God and He will be there for you. It is having the gentle touch of His hand on your spirit and the loving whisper of His voice in your heart. It is even enjoying the delicious, ice cream filled days of happiness that He gives you here. Most of all, though, it is knowing that you are His Child. Your Heavenly Father loves you joyously, powerfully, and perfectly. Have faith in His love then. Rejoice in your birthright. And share your love with the world. --------------------------------------------------------------------
SOMEBODY LOVES YOU
When my children were young I used to read to them every evening before bed. One of their favorite stories was called, "Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch." Mr. Hatch was a lonely man living a lonely life. He never smiled. He walked alone to work everyday and ate his lunch alone in a corner. He never talked to anyone on his way home either. In the evening he would buy a newspaper, read it after supper, and go to bed early.
His life changed, however, on Valentine’s Day when he got a heart shaped box in the mail full of candy and a note that said, "Somebody loves you." At first he couldn’t believe it but as he let the message sink in he began to laugh and dance around. That single message had opened his heart to the power of love. Soon he found himself sharing his smile and laughter with others. He became a joy at work and began to help out people in the neighborhood. As the days and weeks went by his laughter, smiles, kindness, caring, happiness and love touched the hearts of everyone in his community.
Later Mr. Hatch found out that the candy heart had been delivered to him by mistake. He felt crushed and began again to withdraw from the world. When his neighbors found out, however, they were determined not to lose the light he shared. They surprised him with a party and a huge banner that read: "Everybody Loves Mr. Hatch." Mr. Hatch cried when he realized that somebody loved him after all. Then he laughed, smiled, and rejoined his friends.
I think that we all have a tiny bit of Mr. Hatch in us. At times we all feel unloved and unlovable. Somebody does love us, though. God loves us. He loves us with a powerful, unconditional, and life-changing love and He wants us to love each other as well. It is what we are here for. It is what we were meant for. May the pages of your life story be full of love then. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
PAUSE FOR A MOMENT
Do you ever wish that life came with a pause button? Do you ever wish that you could just take a moment from your life and stay there forever? I was remembering a moment like that from my own life recently. It was the night I brought my newborn, baby son home from the hospital. My son was 3 weeks late in arriving and my wife needed an emergency Caesarian section to bring him into the world. She was still in a lot of pain and sleeping when I heard him wake up during the night. Gently I picked him up and carried him into the living room so my wife could sleep. Rocking him in my arms I told him how much I loved him and how I would always be there for him no matter what. Then I saw his sweet eyes gazing up at me and the smallest of smiles form on his lips. It was a moment of pure joy that I wished would never end.
Over the next 21 years I watched my son grow into a wonderful young man. In spite of having to deal with Autism he has still spread more joy, shared more love, and shined more light than I could ever hope to. He has brightened up every room he has ever walked into and he has filled my life with so many happy moments. My only regret is that I let far too many of them go by without cherishing them as I should have.
Still, no matter how much we may wish it life doesn’t come with a rewind or a pause button and can only be lived moment by moment. Do your best then to embrace each moment as it comes. Celebrate each and everyone of them as a gift from God. Cherish the moments of love you give and the moments of joy you share. Learn from your moments of pain and grow from your moments of failure. Most of all, though, take the time to pause for a moment right now and give thanks to God for your life and all the moments of happiness it has brought you. Life may be momentary but the love it gives you lasts forever. ------------------------------------------------------------------
THE YOUNG MAN AND THE LEPER
There is a story from the Middle Ages that has always touched my heart. The grown son of a rich merchant was walking down the road towards his home after visiting friends. As he neared a curb he heard the ring of a leper’s bell coming from the other way. At that time Leprosy was a highly contagious and incurable disease. Lepers were not allowed in the towns and were forced to ring bells and warn others of their approach as they walked the roads. Before the young man could leave the road the leper rounded the curb and was suddenly face to face with him.
The leper’s face and body had become horribly disfigured by the disease and when the young man saw him he drew back in disgust. As the leper lowered his head and began to walk on, however, the young man felt his heart breaking for the man. He quickly caught up to the leper and apologized for how he had acted. Then he gave the leper all the money he was carrying and hugged him. The leper looked at the young man with tears in his eyes and said that was the first time anyone had touched him in many years. That blessed moment began a change in the young man’s heart and started him on a different path that would also affect the whole world. You see, that young man would later become Saint Francis of Assisi.
There are many types of "lepers" in our modern world that could use our love, help, and hugs. The homeless, sick, poor, disabled, elderly, and mentally handicapped often have to wear the "bells" that society forces on them. Many of them go through life either avoided or looked down upon. Like that young man, though, we can make a difference in their lives with just one gesture of caring and love. Like him we can let God’s love shine through us to touch their hearts and souls. And we may also find as he did that their love can touch and change us for the better as well. Remember, in God’s eyes there are no lepers only children needing and deserving love. -----------------------------------------------------------------
THE WHISPER
There is a whisper that comes to us all in countless ways everyday. Sometimes it is soft and sometimes it is loud. Sometimes it echoes in our mind, sometimes it tickles our ears, but it can always be heard most clearly in our hearts no matter what form it takes.
This whisper came to me in a lot of ways today. It started out with a thump and a slurp as my beeping alarm clock inspired my beagle pup to jump on my chest and lick my face until I sat up in bed. Next it came to me with a purr and a nuzzle as my big, gray cat refused to eat her breakfast until she had gotten her morning head scratch. The whisper came down the hall with a "good morning" and a hug from my son too. Then as I went out to get the morning newspaper it came through loud and clear with a dazzling sunrise and a chorus of birdsong. Later in the day I also heard it hiding in the sweet music coming from the radio and the not so sweet sound of my own voice singing along. As I was bringing my boys home from school it came to me once more this time in the smile and wave of my friend and neighbor who lives down the hill from me.
This whisper was the gentle voice of God saying, "I love you my child", and every time I heard it I could feel my heart grow warmer and my soul shine brighter. It took me a long time to see just how much, how often, and in how many ways God whispers His love for us everyday. His love for us is everywhere, in everything, and flows through all of us as well. His love is what created the universe and His love is what can help us to become who we were meant to be.
Open your ears, eyes, mind, and heart. Listen carefully with them all, each day of your life. Hear the gentle voice of our Father telling you just how much He loves you. Then joyously say, "I love you too God and I thank you for my life." God’s love whispers on the winds of everything in this world. Let it whisper through your voice and your life as well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
A SHINING MOMENT
I was never a starter for my high school football team. No matter how much I trained and how hard I practiced I was always on the second string. A few of us backups even jokingly called ourselves the bench boys and gave each other nicknames. Mine was "Splinter."
During one of the last games of the year, though, there came a point when I finally made it onto the field with the starters. It was my big chance and I was determined to prove myself. It wasn’t long either before a fumble miraculously bounced its way into my hands. I saw the end zone and turned to run down the field for a touchdown. It was my shining moment and it felt so good. It lasted for about one second. That is when the shoulder pads of three opposing players crashed into my knees, stomach, and back all at once. It was Splinter’s first and last hurrah before heading back to the bench.
Since that time I have had a lot of shining moments in my life although most of them probably didn’t look that bright in the eyes of the world. I have come to see, however, that Heaven looks at life from a different viewpoint. Heaven sees life through God’s eyes and God’s eyes are always the eyes of love. When I open a door for someone, share a smile with a stranger, and laugh with my children then I know that I am glowing bright. When I stop to help another, pass on a kind word, and do a loving act then I know that I am shining in Heaven’s sight. I have come to learn too that it is these shining moments that make up our lives here. When we finally meet God face to face we aren’t going to be asked how many touchdowns we scored but rather how many lives we touched.
May all of your moments here shine with joy. May you glow with Heaven’s goodness and light every single day. And may your entire life be a touchdown of love in God’s eyes. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COINCIDENCE
When I was a boy I was always amazed by what a heavy sleeper my Grandma was. I knew this mainly because her bedroom was right next to the one my brother and I shared. When I would wake up in the morning I would hear her steady snoring echoing through the thin walls. She rarely if ever got up during the night and when she napped in her chair the television and record player never woke her up.
It seemed a strange coincidence then that during the middle of one night she would suddenly awake the moment that frayed wiring in her room caught fire. Her screams awoke my brother who then rushed through the house waking up the rest of the family. The house was made of old, dry timbers and the fire raced through it in a matter of minutes. Smoke filled every room. None of us could see anything. We were all filled with fear and confusion. Still, thanks to my Grandma waking up at just that moment we all made it out safely. My Mom even found our small dog cowering at her feet and picked him up just as we ran out the front door.
Doris Lessing once said that "Coincidences are God’s way of remaining anonymous." I fully believe that to be true. Without the coincidence of my Grandma waking up at just the right second that fire would have cost us our lives as well as our home. Without that coincidence my Grandma, Mom, and Dad would never have touched the lives they did over the years that followed. Without it my brother would never have become a teacher and I would never have written a word. Without it my brothers and I would never have raised seven wonderful children. Without it all the love, learning, and joy my family has shared with others would have been lost.
The next time a coincidence blesses your life then embrace it for the gift from God that it is. We are all watched over with so much love. May we make our lives a gift of love as well. --------------------------------------------------------------
WATCHING WHAT YOU DRINK
When I began my first semester of college I am sorry to say that I didn’t get off to a good start. My friends and I excited with our new found freedom from parental supervision spent far too many hours in the campus pub and far too few in the campus library. Thankfully, three things helped to shock me off the drunken path I was taking and back onto the right one. The first of these was having people telling me about all of the stupid things I had done while drinking that I didn’t even remember doing. The second was seeing my first semester grades and realizing just how low my beer powered brain had made them.
The straw that broke the camel’s back, though, happened on an evening when I decided to stay in my dorm room and go to bed early. I had only been asleep a few hours when my roommate came in from a night at a local bar. Heartbroken over a breakup with a girlfriend he had drowned his sorrows in 13 shots of whiskey. Stumbling over to our bunk beds he stepped on me as he struggled his way up to his top one. Then laying down he let out a sad moan and proceeded to throw up. After stripping off his dripping, vomit soaked sheets and helping him back into bed I decided that it would probably be best if I didn’t drink alcohol anymore.
I still carry the wisdom of that lesson with me even now. I know that whatever we drink into our hearts and minds will sooner or later come back out of us. If we are always drinking down shots of anger, frustration, jealousy, envy, fear, and hate then sooner or later that is what is going to come spewing out of us as well. If we watch what we drink, however, and gulp down glasses of love, peace, prayer, kindness, goodness, and closeness with God everyday then that is what will pour out of our souls and bless all those around us. May all of your drinks then be divine ones that bring you only joy and wonderful oneness with God. Cheers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
A YOUNG PUP
My aging Saint Bernard, Buddy and six month old Beagle puppy, Snoopy Girl are doing their morning wrestling match as I write this. It is always such a joy to watch. Snoopy will stand on her hind legs to nibble on the hanging jowls of old Buddy and run in circles around him while he tries to pin her down with his big head and long legs. There is a lot of barking, playful growling, jumping, and bouncing around too. Sometimes the whole house will shake as they have their morning fun. It makes me laugh seeing the carefree happiness in them. It delights my soul as well seeing my little Beagle bring out the puppy that still lives inside my senior citizen Saint Bernard.
Watching the two of them helps me see again that we really aren’t these aging bodies that carry us around but rather the shining souls that live within them. Never let yourself be fooled by that person in the mirror. Our bodies may wrinkle and shrink and our hair may gray and thin out, but on the inside we are as vibrant and beautiful as we ever were. Our souls are eternal. They may grow wiser and more loving in this life, but they will remain forever young. And while our bodies will all one day return to dust the souls within them will go on to an even greater life beyond this one.
Don’t let yourself become an old dog in this life then. Let that young pup that still lives within you come out to play instead. Live from your soul and love from your heart. You were put here to learn, grow, and become. You were put here to create, enjoy, and delight in your life. You were put here to be the most loving, giving, caring, joyous, and beautiful person you can be. And you were put here to share that person with everyone you meet. Have the time of your life doing so and always remember that God love