Feed My Sheep

This could be a strange day. I needed something to do since I woke up a few hours early. This story came to mind.

AI-Generated

For an explanation of the source, please see Allegory of the Long Spoons

Oppositional Compatibility

The title might point you to my ignorance, but believe it or not, it was intentional.

Let’s start with the issue of the week. At the bottom of this article, you’ll find links that apply.

I have not given up. I still want to see Everybody Deserves move forward. I have indeed invested a few hundred dollars in this idea. I seek not a return on investment dollars, but a Return On Relationships and Community. 

Starting Point

It begins with, 

• A bang. The pistol has been fired. The runners leave the blocks. The race is on.
• The scraping of metal on dirt. Earth is flung aside revealing a hole. Construction has begun.
• A key is turned (or a button pushed if you’ve got a newer vehicle). The engine turns over and the vacation begins.

Each small action triggers something new. We call them starting points. They are the first thing that turns a goal into reality. They begin a journey that eventually takes us to a finish line, an education, or a new home.

I’ve been getting stuck on that term, lately. More precisely, I’m getting stuck on the timeline for the entire process. 

Understanding that a point-in-time physical action creates momentum to move toward a goal, it seems difficult for me to discard the origin of an idea, the diligent research, and the painstaking preparation that precedes those actions as irrelevant to the phrase ‘starting point’. 

Jerry and Dryer Lint

Unrelated, both events took place on Saturday. 

For a while now, I have shared laundry appliances. But it’s the dryer that I will focus on today. More accurately, it’s the product of that dryer that haunts me.

It's that lint trap. I normally clean it before and after I dry my clothes. But over time, I’ve noticed that ‘others’ do not subscribe to the same procedures. Empirical evidence suggests that ‘others’ remove the lint only before drying their clothes. 

After realizing this, I decided this was quite unfair. As a result, I resolved that I too would become a one-and-done participant. That will teach them. And so, with that mindset, I prepared to do laundry.

With the last turn of the drum, the final load was dry. All packed up and ready to go, my feet stuck to the floor. Perhaps this is the physical manifestation of guilt. At that moment, I hated guilt. Putting the hamper on the floor, I grabbed a paper towel, emptied the trap (again), cleaned off the top of the dryer, and left.

Easter Stories

Decades ago, I spent every waking moment as a Real Estate Broker. “Full-time job” does not come close to explaining what is required. Those who doubt can ask my daughter. Although this occupation gave me the flexibility I needed as a single parent, there were untold numbers of times when the cost of this flexibility was pointed directly in her direction. I can only say that I’m sorry.

But today is Easter Sunday and I have a story to tell.

I remembered an Easter sermon from several years ago. The details are a bit sketchy, but I believe that it went something like this.

Captured on Video

I grew up in an age where it was possible to hide. No video cameras recorded your every act and no GPS tracking devices broadcast your location. A simpler time, perhaps.

Although we’ve made a lot of noise about privacy, we have adjusted to the normalization of ‘visibility’ which has become very prevalent.

This week, I read an article describing one person’s experience with video surveillance. The highlights are briefly described in the bullet points below. The full article is here.

Stop, Stoop, and Serve

 

 I read this quote from Donald Barnhouse, and it has been on my mind all week.

I am convinced that God stoops for each one of us. The evidence is clear. From a divine place to a human baby and from eternal life to death on a cross, God's love knows no bounds. We follow this example of grace when we stop, stoop, and serve others. 

Short Term vs Long Term

Think. 

Find one example that found you blown away when witnessing kindness bestowed on another person. Think about your reaction.

• Were you touched so deeply that you found your eyes watering? 
• Did you wonder, “Why isn’t it normal for the world and its people to be like this – all the time?”
• Do you remember a similar time when you made a difference for someone else?
• Remember a time when you might have, with the best of intentions, tried to make a difference but were rejected or manipulated. Did it leave a bitterness that proclaimed, “Never again!”? 
• Did you find yourself recalling a time when you could have acted kindly, you could have made a difference, and yet did not? 

Not Just About Me

As I work on this concept of hope, I’ve been coming across blogs, sermons, and discussions about hope everywhere. A reference to a similar situation; someone you know buys a new car and you suddenly notice that model at every intersection.

The basis for today was another HuffPost article. Please consider waiting to read the linked article until you're in a good place as it mixes great sorrow with a couple of impactful points that matter to us as we walk through this life.

Look Where You're Going

For most of my life, I’ve thought that the advice given with today’s title makes perfect sense. The phrase reminds us to watch out for hazards. At least that’s what I think when I hear it. 

But, like most of these musings, there’s no direct line from the stories to the point. 

Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours in the halls of a high school for a very cool event. Sponsored by the Iowa High School Speech Association, individuals competed in various categories. These included;

• Radio News Announcing
• Storytelling
• Solo Music Theatre
• Improvisation

As time was a factor, I attended only a few performances, but each was excellent.

I Want to Believe

 I want to believe . . . 

• That the people in our cities and towns would stay on the same side of the road as the Good Samaritan when coming across those experiencing pain and suffering.
• That a choice between a donut and a hungry child would never really be a choice.
• That a voice speaking with a tone of “love your neighbors as yourself” would be our first inclination rather than the murmur of condemnation and judgment. 
• That a delay in our plans would be ‘disruption ignored’ if it meant helping someone through a crisis.
• That the vast majority of us would reject hate-filled speech and self-justified echo chambers in favor of camaraderie, laughter, acceptance, and a peace that surpasses all understanding.
• That an offering friendship could be accepted and embraced without the need for suspicion.
• That all judgment could be withheld until we have stepped into the shoes of our brothers and sisters.
• That lives of gratitude and generosity continue to grow when we consider that where our treasure is, our heart will also be.
• That Simon of Cyrene’s story would lead us to act in the same way when someone’s burden exceeds their ability to carry it.
• And, that these beliefs can be held in my heart and mind with the help of the Spirit of Hope who substantiates my faith in a good and loving God. 

Amen.

The Next Seven Days

Sure. I will hit the “publish” button. But this will happen today (Friday) which is unlike most ‘send now’ events. This is because the “Next Seven Days” starts tomorrow. You won’t receive the email notification until Sunday, but I wanted to keep the integrity of the title. 

The standard procedure is to try noticing God in the week’s events, experiences, thoughts, conversations, and feelings. At this point, I will normally begin to write a lot of words about one of these items and how it might further help me understand what it might look like to live a Jesus-centered life.

What’s different this time? 

Not Once Upon a Time

If you have seen the online Sandals and a Stick blog site, you’ll notice the “Insightful Advice” header. For one reason or another, these bloggers seem to hit the nail on the head for me more often than most. 

Over the years, I’ve noticed numerous articles written about stories. They’re not the once-upon-a-time stories you might be thinking of. A phrase I read often starts with, “The story we tell ourselves.”

After all this time, I am convinced we live by these internal narratives. These ‘stories’ confirm our beliefs and our values. They guide our reactions and they ground us in our comfort zone. I would guess that, to a large degree, they decide who will be a friend or foe. 

dum spiro, spero

OUCH!

Breath quickens as frustration takes hold. It’s just for a second as I examine the damage. Although it was violently clipped, the foot and its toes will be okay. There is no permanent damage. Nothing is broken. 

The remnants of this event are clear. A new landscape has been created in the living room. Rolling hills of black dirt sporting green stems and leaves cover the floor. At center stage in this new scenery sits an upended ceramic pot spilling its contents in a large mound. What was an ancient Spider Plant has crashed and will be in dire need of intensive care. 

I took a deep breath. Not so bad. I can deal. 

Consider The Q and The A

Conversation starters are used to provide the other with a topic to open common dialogue. Generally speaking, these are questions.

I was reading an article that provided, in the writer’s opinion, good questions to be lobbed at someone to initiate a response and continued discussion.

Here are a few.

1. Did you listen to anything interesting today?
2. How much coffee did you drink today?
3. What app did you open most today?
4. Did you give anyone a side-eye today? What did they do to deserve it?

Cold Perspective

You might be expecting something specific with that title. But in a way, it’s a play on words. 

According to the social science of Psychology, decision-making can be hot or cold. Cold perspective decisions are made using only facts and are completely divorced from any emotional influence. “All we want are the facts, ma’am,” says Dragnet’s Joe Friday. (Links below)

A couple of years ago, I flirted with the idea of a series called Perspectives. I still have all the notes, and maybe someday, these articles will find your inbox. I considered things like age, pain, cultural status, the Grand Canyon, viewpoints, and a few more. 

But today, the play on words mentioned above refers directly to the temperature and current weather conditions.

It's Beyond Hope

It's late already today. I am finally getting to this task. I have usually published by now. But up until this moment, I was finding it impossible to decide on today's topic, let alone how I might flesh it out.

My weekly commitment felt beyond hope.

And then I started thinking about that term. The one in the last sentence. The one in the subject line. The one that can be translated as hopelessness.

"Not true", the voice in my head firmly declared.