Shining Spirit

My friend said: “I wonder why these damaged and dead plants aren’t pulled out of here? Such an eyesore.” She said that at the same time I was thinking to myself: “Life lessons are everywhere. Look at this one. Even in its damaged state, it sends us a message.” Do you see it?

Strength is inside, most often unseen. Watch a new building under construction. First the foundation, then the framing, both hidden sources of structural strength, then the decorative exterior. Strength is within. And, many times the interior is more beautiful than the exterior. This little plant in the photo is an example. The work of the artist is inside…texture, pattern, color. Lovely.

Spiritual strength is not in muscle and sinew. It is what resides within, planted there by The Source of all strength. A suggestion: spend as much time developing inner spiritual strength as you do walking, cycling, working out. Take a lesson from the earth. On second thought, spend more time working on the inside than you do on the outside. Better payoff.

At just the right moment, when the sun is saying goodbye, just before night arrives, the mountains speak. You can hear them only if you stop what you’re doing and pay attention. They don’t speak for a long time, just briefly. But their message is powerful.

On this particular day, long shadows and dwindling light encouraged this small section of the Catalinas to demonstrate the importance of foundations in life. It looks like a cross-section procedure in the high school lab. Slice off a piece of the mountain and what do you see? What lies below the surface? And the revealed answer is Solid Rock. Scrape away the layers of soil and you find magnificent strength.

The earth declares the glory of God, and one element of that declaration is foundational strength. When all else fails, the rock holds. When things are just fine, the rock supports. When exposed, even for moment as the sun sets, the rock is beautiful. Soil comes and goes according to the wishes of the wind, but The Rock is immovable. So it is with the promises and the presence of God’s Spirit. Beneath the surface of joys and sorrows, successes and failures lies Rock, the Rock of Ages.

And when The Rock glows in the setting sun, it is well with my soul. May it be so with you. Amen

It is so simple,
so profoundly simple.

Be kind to your neighbor;
Tell the truth.

Just two things.
Do you hear them in
the Psalmist’s voice?
But how can I be kind to my “neighbor?”
He is mean-spirited.
She is hard to like.

You choose to.
You choose.

And how can I tell truth in this
time of expanding, intentional
deception?

You choose to.
You choose.

Kindness and truth speaking
are not contingent upon
any aspect of life.

We make the choices.
We choose for or against
kindness and truth every day.
Every day.

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1
Just one at a time.
Choices are not conditional.
I am accountable.
I choose.

The voice inside me must be
stronger than the collective
voices that surround us.
There is one Voice.
One choice.
His way.

I had a train set when I was a little boy. Nothing like the one you see in the photograph. Not even close. My train ran on snap-together track laid out through the living room, through the dining room, and back to the starting mark. It was human powered; if it moved, it was because of the little boy, on his hands and knees, pushing the plastic train along. No whistle. No tooting horn. It was “beginner’s level” all the way, but, you know what: I enjoyed every minute of that childhood time. It never occurred to me to compare my plastic push train to the sleek, electric models, like the huge set in the Sanger-Harris department store window just before Christmas.

I conclude that comparing things can lead to catastrophe. There is and will always be a train better than the one I have. But it’s not really the train, is it? It’s me. It’s the measure of my appreciation, my gratitude for having any train set at all. It’s following the dictates of our culture more faithfully than the directions of Christ. It’s hard to be grateful for something you consider inferior by the commercial standards when you are surrounded by ads for “the best train set” that every child should have. “Best?” That’s the conclusion of the guy who wants to sell you that “best” ever choo-choo.

Be content with what you have is another way of saying “use your energy on things that really matter.” If the goal of my life is the best electric train on the block, I’ll never find contentment. Grown-ups do the same thing, don’t they? Better toy? There’s always one somewhere. Be grateful for the many, many things you have, instead of grumpy because of the one thing you don’t have. One measure of the quality of life is your score on the gratitude scale. What’s yours?

I live under a willow tree in the park by the river. I know you've seen me.  I've seen you, and I waved
once but you looked the other way.  I used to work at the grocery store on Grant, assistant manager; always just one paycheck away from poverty.  Bad choices, bad luck, call it what you will, and here I am.
I know times are tough for a lot of people, but, I wonder, do you have an extra piece of
bread?  Maybe an apple?  I'd be grateful.  Sure, I understand.  Yes, next time.
That's right, under the willow by the river.
Thanks, anyway.  
God bless.

I overheard a little boy say to his mother: “Mommy, let’s go see the fish.” We were visiting the Tucson Botanical Gardens, enjoying the scenery and the good company of friends. Hearing the little boy, I thought, “why, that would be a nice, relaxing sight. I’ll do that, too.” What I didn’t understand was what he meant when he said “the fish.” I watched him round the corner and catch his first glimpse of “the fish.” He squealed with delight, and so I hurried my steps a little in order to enjoy the same refreshing sight.

I rounded the corner and saw this. Or, I should say: THIS. The little boy didn’t want to see “the fish,” he wanted to see THE FISH. I admit that I’ve never seen anything like this before. I would try to describe it to you, but it would take a book-long description. Made of just about everything people have thrown away, THE FISH is at first shocking, then puzzling, then interesting, then intriguing, and then quite nice. I rather like THE FISH, although I don’t want one in my backyard.

Ponderings: Be ready for surprises today. And, don’t make a snap judgement. And, appreciate wonderful colors and shapes all around you. And, be grateful for the talent of the artist who created THE FISH. And, assume nothing. Remember: “This is the day the Lord has made…” Be astonished!

I took a walk down Memory Lane the other day, lovely walk, beautiful walk, down Memory Lane and I got lost and couldn’t find my way home. It happens, maybe to you, too. I must admit, and perhaps I’ve said this before, I don’t remember…I must admit that I’ve been lost in some wonderful places. I would go back in a heartbeat, if I could remember where they were. Fortunately, I married a woman who has a built in GPS program and a memory that shows no signs of becoming brittle. I’m reminded of her amazing recall when I happen to hear her in conversation with a friend: “O, I remember that. There’s a little cafe with a red roof on the corner where you make the turn. It opens at 7 a.m. but across the street, next to the gas station, there’s another little cafe that opens at 6. We were there 20 years so and I remember it like it was yesterday. Ask for Sarah, by the way; she’s a wonderful waitress.”

Sometimes I forget to take my daily dosage of meds, or return the email that came in the middle of a conversation I had with someone about something that must have been important, or the recorded phone message that says: “I’ll call you right back.” My definition of “right back” is very generous.

But I amaze myself almost daily by praying The Lord’s Prayer; I don’t miss a word, or reciting the Apostles” Creed, or singing one old hymn after another; I know the words. They are etched in my memory. Now, why those things? And the answer is “repetition.” After you’ve sung Amazing Grace 976 times, you know it. I just made up that number, 976; I don’t remember. It was a lot, though.

Time for the good news: I may forget appointments, phone calls to make or return, or even the little cafe on an obscure corner in a small town near Waxahachie, TX; yes, I may forget but I am not forgotten. I am remembered by the God of my ancestors, by that great cloud of witnesses, by The Christ who keeps dropping in to say “Hello” and by The Holy Spirit who moved into my heart and mind a long time ago. In fact, that Spirit just told me that I’ve written enough and should stop. It’s so good to have a friend like The Holy Spirit who is loving, caring, and speaks truth all the time. Maybe you know The Spirit, too.

So, I’m stopping. I’m going to take a walk on a lovely pathway near our home. I’ve enjoyed it so many times, and now that the air is cooling even a little bit, the walk will be wonder-filled. “Hey, honey: how do you get to that trailhead?” By the way, I meant to mention that you are loved, too, by the same Creator, the same Christ, the same Spirit. Sorry, I forgot. You are.

In the Spring of 2013, I introduced you to my friend Tephrocactus Diadematus, a prickly sort of guy. Remember? Because he has such a strange name, I decided to call him “TD.” As I write this 1,000th post on Shining Spirit, I think of the cactus named TD and how its central characteristic is unchangeable and unchanging. TD loves light and the cactus will literally shift positions in order to find the best light source. TD “leans toward the light,” that’s the phrase used eleven years ago.

Still a great phrase, don’t you think? What a wonderful description of how a person grows spiritually over the years. You just “lean toward The Light,” stay in The Light, follow The Light, the man who is described in sacred writings as “the Light of the world.” Leaning toward The Light doesn’t promise a smooth road or a problem-free life, but it does provide strength, courage, and sacred companionship in order to push through those times. The Light of the world is our life source. Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” I encourage you today to check how, which way, you are leaning. Toward and into The Light?

Do you remember the old hymn “Leaning On The Everlasting Arms”? If you can remember the tune to that classic hymn, try these words: “leaning on The Light that guides our way.” TD, the cactus plant, is still around and still following the life-giving resources of sunlight. Perhaps in your meditations today you will remember TD and be grateful for all the remarkable reminders of God’s purposes, power, and presence. May you find your way, bravely and faithfully, as you lean into The Light. Press on.

Just let me walk by yellow flowers on an immaculate sunny day.
I will be happy.

Let me speak to the stones about adventures and origins.
I will be happy.

Let me feel the sun tempered by a soft southern breeze.
I will be happy.

Let my first expression of the day and the last be a smile.
I will be happy.

Let all of this be my bread of life from the hand of My Friend
who walks with me.
I will be happy.

Personal note: I just noticed that this ShiningSpirit posting is number 999. One more to 1,000. That makes me happy, too.

In the garden of your heart, plant beauty and gratitude. If nourished by acts of kindness, in time both will burst into bloom. How wonderful to sit on the garden bench and watch the flowers grow. Be at peace today. Be with peace. Be peace.