Shining Spirit

Dense black smoke filled the sky, billowing smoke, rolling and churning. The fire raged along both sides of the quiet Santa Cruz River. Old foliage, trimmed from tall, healthy trees, had been left to decompose along the river, and after many trimmings, a perfect fuel supply was waiting for the spark that started it all. It was painful to watch from a distance as fire fighters tried to contain the blaze in almost-100 degree weather. As soon as it seemed to calm, the fire would jump to another fuel source and off it would go.

Now, two days later, all that remains is scorched and scarred earth, the stronger and healthier trees, and the little river that continues to flow. A number of observations can be made about this potentially destructive blaze. Nature has a way of renewing and restoring life when something like this happens. The soil is now enriched with nutrients, there is room for new growth. It won’t be long before green shoots break through the black, hard surface. But the most encouraging thing about this rather sad sight is the river. The river. It flows through the center of the woundedness and everywhere it touches, it encourages new life.

I walked the shoreline path this morning, mourning the loss of the lovely green colors that were present two days ago, but also deeply aware of healing already happening. When I stopped in the silence, just as the sun was rising over the mountains, I could hear the river singing still. It bubbled and bounced over rocks, tickled the wounded shoreline and promised renewal. Two ducks stood on the path looking down over the river, a bright yellow bird skipped from one barren limb to another, a single dove fluttered above my head. It was as if they were all out looking for new trees to call home. And they will find them; the river will see to that. It is life-giving and life-sustaining.

“A river flows out of Eden to water the garden of creation.” Straight from the heart of God. Spend a few minutes today with Psalm 46. There you will find water for your spirit, refreshment for your soul. “God is our strength and our refuge, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear…there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. God is in the midst of the city; it will not be moved…come behold the works of the Lord. Be still and know that I am God.”

In the stillness of this morning, after billowing black smoke blotted the sky, the air is clear, the sun shines brightly, birds chirp and dance from limb to limb, and the river continues to sing. It is a song of hope that we all need.

I have an idea! Instead of bringing the flowers to her, bring her to the flowers! No, I’m not cheap, but, then, neither are store-bought bouquets. Do you know how much this one would cost from the local florist? But that’s not the point.

A handful of artificially sustained dead flowers wrapped in a plastic (plastic!) sleeve, or
an earth arrangement? Living, vibrant, begging to share a medley of sweet and musty fragrances? Look at them! Standing in full display because each flower is attached to life, not like those in the plastic shroud that are now drooping because they were left in the back seat of the car when you ran into the hardware store, bumped into Bob and talked for thirty minutes.

I may be the first to ever call God the Divine Designer of Delicate Daffodils, but if the shoe fits…so to speak. Do you realize the advantages of taking her to the flowers instead of the other way around? Fresh air! Time together! Enormous variety! Adventure! Relationship with the Earth! Keeping one more piece of plastic out of the trash dump! So, when Mothers’ Day rolls around early next month, take her to the flowers! What?

Never mind. Put him in the car and take him to the hardware store. Let him roam the aisles for an hour. It’s almost the same. Thank you, God, for beautiful flowers and for those wonderful aisles of paint brushes, drip-line spaghetti, and toilet tank flappers.

Life is good!

The route of my morning walk. To my far left is the Santa Cruz River, at this point in its journey, a singing, bubbling waterway lined by tall shade trees. Then to my immediate left, between me and the river, is the wonderful bike/walking loop that circles the entire city of Tucson. It has been very recently resurfaced and stripped so that it is even more appealing than it was in its original state. Cyclists whiz by and walkers stroll along. It is a great way to start the morning. But as lovely as those two features are, I am drawn to the dirt trail in the photo. I find it refreshing and more in keeping with my desire to experience the subtle relatedness of human and earth. I think it’s the crunch of the gravel. Planting my foot on the earth seems more satisfying than walking on asphalt. Try it sometime. Listen to the earth speak. You might even consider taking your boots off and walking barefoot through green grass in a nearby park. Of that I can only dream. Green grass in the Sonoran Desert is a contradiction in terms. And even if I found some, it would be a short walk.

Thanks be to God for the earth that sustains us, provides us joy, and talks to us in each step of a wonderful walk.

On those days when I need a good laugh, I know where to go. Or wisdom, same place. Or direction in the face of a problem, right there. Many of us head for the local bookstore and peruse the “Self Help” section. There must be a book that will offer positive suggestions. And there is. It might be on your bookshelf already. Actually it is a book within a book; a collection of wisdom that is timeless. It’s called Proverbs: The Wise Sayings of Solomon, and it’s tucked in between the beauty the Psalms and the rather sad observation of life’s futility in the book called Ecclesiastes. Mixed in with ancient wisdom that has been modified by time and circumstances, you will find little nuggets of truth that are eternally relevant and rewarding. For instance: who can argue with this statement…”Don’t be greedy, merciless and cruel as wolves, tearing into the poor and feasting on them, shredding the needy to pieces only to discard them.” Or, this one that most parents should memorize: “Four things amaze me; no, four things I’ll never understand: how an eagle flies so high in the sky, how a snake glides over a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, and why adolescents act the way they do.”

The Book of Proverbs is a potpourri of ancient wisdom and practical truth. Have a look for yourself, but when you do remember this: there are several translations of the Old and New Testaments, so the exact wording might vary. The ones I’ve shared are from Eugene Peterson’s “The Message.”

One more that has a very contemporary ring, one that reminds me of the teaching and demand of Jesus when people wanted to know the essence of his message: “Speak up for the poor who have no voice, for the rights of all the misfits. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!”

It’s in the book. It ought to be engraved on our hearts.

I know today is not Memorial Day; it’s about four days away. On that day, you and I will remember and honor men and women who died while serving in the Armed Forces of our nation. We will wave a flag, say a prayer, watch a parade and think about a family member or a neighbor who rests beneath a white marble marker. It’s a very special day, as it should be. This is called ultimate sacrifice.

When I looked at the photo this morning, my mind went first to Memorial Day and then to a jarring reality: those precisely placed markers are there 364 other days. Is the depth of my appreciation measured by one day on the calendar? Is the depth of my faith measured by my attendance weekly at a place of worship? These were not one day warriors. People of faith are not one day observers. The people resting on this hillside gave hearts and souls and lives for the sake of a history and a hope. People who follow The Way of genuine faith give hearts and souls to a memory and a man. Intentionally. All day. Every day.

I hope you will wave a flag and say a prayer on Memorial Day. They made great sacrifices. And I hope people of faith, regardless of how you express it, will dedicate every day of every week to the One who made a personal sacrifice to teach us how to live as caring human beings, how to serve each other in peace and justice, and how to follow the daily guidance of an Eternal Spirit.

Not one day. Every day. May it be so. Amen.

I wait upon the morning, the dawn that reminds me of your constancy, Holy Presence; light that follows darkness that follows light. And in my waiting, I know gratitude for sleep and rest, for waking to a new experience of life, for the encounters of the new day, for glimpses here and there of your faithful, abiding presence in everything. May I have courage today to face the things I know to be contrary to the life-giving message of Jesus, compassion for the suffering I will surely meet, and courage to “press on” beyond the limits life will impose. I pray for peace in this fractured world and for those who could make it happen if they would summon the will to follow the principles and values of The Way. I pray for leaders of all nations…all nations, the ones I call good and the ones I call bad. Why is it, God, that we know how to describe peace, make speeches about it, urge others to exhibit it, pray for it when we are not willing to actually do it? I feel the highway to cynicism is wide and the traffic is heavy. Please, Lord, don’t let me get lost in this maze of self-centeredness, greed and thirst for power. I declare, with confident faith, that Jesus is Lord and no one else. Now help me be strong enough to actually live those words into life.

Forgive me, God, for the things I have done that I don’t want to face, for the things I have left undone because I am afraid of the outcomes or consequences, and for my tendencies to look the other way when my sister or brother holds their hands out to me in suffering or need. And for thinking so often in “I or Me or My” words more than “you or us or we,” especially in my prayers. How are you today, God? How do you feel about the drama played out before you among the people and creation that you love so much? Don’t forget me, God, if I forget you during this day. I meant “us.” Amen

I had an idea that I wanted to write about this morning. It was as good idea. It went something like this: when hard times come and you feel like you have been buried by circumstances, maybe you’ve been planted by God. And I remembered the biblical character who faced some major decisions, some very challenging, even frightening. She wrestled with the confusion and uncertainty until a wise friend told her: perhaps you are here “for such as time as this.” Maybe this is the calling of your life. See it not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity.

As I was letting that thought take root, I picked up a book titled “The Little Book of Love Letters To The World.” When I opened it at random, I found this: “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.” There is was again! “…for such a time as this.”
Maybe I’m supposed to think about that today. Maybe?

So, I invite you to join me as I walk through this day on the side of opportunity rather than obstacle. I believe that sometime(s) today challenge will come and I will think “for such a time as this.” Maybe the point of this particular day is to speak, do, or be kindness or forgiveness or hope for someone. Let’s look challenge in the face today and extend the hand of creative compassion. In the shadow of Christ, you and I are never buried; we are planted.
“…for such as time as this.”

At the end of this day,
may you look back and say:
I tried my best and I leave the rest
in the hands of my strength and my hope.

Then let it all go,
for surely you know
that unless you release, God can’t increase
the strength that you need each day.

I once knew a man
whose daily plan
was to fall on his knees and tearfully plead
for the Lord to transform his life.

But then he’d rise
and to his surprise
he still felt the grief, there was no relief.
The clouds were as dark as before.

“Where is the joy
I knew as a boy
I do not live now; help me somehow
to regain the meaning of life.”

Then his heart grew warm,
like the end of a storm,
when he heard a voice say, “I’ll show you the way,
but you have to let it all go.”

“The strength you find,
like sight to the blind,
is the gift I bestow, but you need to know
that you can’t take it back every time.”

“Once you offer in prayer
your grief or despair,
leave it all in my hands and then you can stand
transformed in my strength and love.”

Why so hard
to release to the Lord
the suffering we carry; why are we wary
of trusting His way and His word?

This thought is for you;
think it all through.
Leave it all behind, and then you will find
the strength to live and press on.

Never having made a prayer resource like this before, when the instructor handed me a box of colorful stones, a small silver cross and a piece of common wire and said: “Ok, here’s all you need,” I thought: Where do I start? With instruction and time, this was the result. I think it’s rather pretty, but what makes it a resource of personal prayer is the unseen wire that holds it all together. Without the wire, it falls apart.

Over the years I’ve done a lot of counseling, individuals and families. And, of course, I’ve seen how human beings can love tenderly and hate viciously. Some of those counseling times resulted in love discovered or renewed. Some people, though, left in the same way they arrived: broken and still suffering. Those were the sad people whose anger was stronger than their love, whose pride would not allow them to say: “I’m sorry” or “I love you, too.” For the most part, the people who benefitted from the conversations did so because they agreed on a common bond that was stronger than their divisions. Without honest love, the family fell apart.

I love most types of music…most. And even though I don’t know much about notes and flats and sharps (whatever that means), I do know that all those funny looking black shapes on the music sheet don’t produce beautiful music on their own. The only thing that keeps them from tumbling all over each other and producing a horrible sound is something you don’t see….because it isn’t there. Empty space. Empty space between the notes. The space between the notes is as important as the musical notes themselves. Without the empty spaces linking the notes, we would never know Beethoven or The Beatles.

What causes friendships to grow and develop? Two people meet, strike up a conversation, find a few commonalities, enjoy each other’s company, and before you know it, they are friends. Why? It’s not because they are the same height or drive the same kind of car. Go deeper. It’s trust and respect and the joy of the other that makes the friendship lasting, maybe life-long.

A simple strand of wire, love that is willing to sacrifice for the other, empty spaces between musical notes, respect and trust…our lives would be a mess without all the linkages, the connectors that help us find meaning, purpose, and joy. You’ve heard it said: “Everything is connected.” That’s absolutely true, and it all starts here: “He is the image of the invisible God…in him, all things hold together. In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” Christ holds all things together. Check it out. Paul wrote it in our Colossians, chapter 1. Christ is the linkage that turns existing into living, bridges the gap between brokenness and wholeness, binds up our wounds and binds us together. So, the obvious question: what holds your life together? Worth thinking about today in your time of prayer and reflection.

If I give a little and get a little back,
that’s perfectly fine by me.
Some people give it all away
so their nosey neighbors can see
what appears to be a generous act,
but look closer and you’ll see

that from their abundance they gave what amounts
to a nickel, maybe a dime.
That’s how most people show they care,
and it happens all the time.
They feel the need to be praised and adored.
It should be a federal crime.

I guess, someday, they will stand before God,
two nickels, two dimes in hand
ready to move to the Penthouse floor
where all is lovely and grand.
But both will be stunned, speechless, in shock
when they learn that God is aware of their plan.

Sad to say, just yesterday
God called them for a quick walk-through,
but I’m happy to say that as of today
new arrivals got rooms with views.
Well, forgive me; that’s not quite true.
Let me try to explain it to you.

Our stingy friends with their nickels and dimes,
dissatisfied through and through,
complained to God that they would not live
in a basement that had no view.
“Dear ones,” said God, “I want you to see
that generosity applied to you.

Your nickels and dimes have bought you a place
that has the perfect view…for you.
Be grateful for Grace that is greater than greed;
by the way, there’s a sub-basement, too.”
So, the saying is true; take it to heart:
be generous in all you do

or, you might be assigned a new address:
the basement that has no view.
A word of advice? If I were you,
I’d avoid that sub-basement, too.