Many good people pray some variation of these three words every day, often at the start of the day so as to allow no other thing to come before. The intent for most is to dedicate each day and all that is done that day to the will of Our Lord. We have not the imagination of Our Lord and that leads us to difficulty, at times, discerning just how our workings in life promote the will of His Kingdom. We ponder the decisions to be made when faced with multiple paths in our life, not to mention the small daily choices we make from seemingly endless offers that present themselves. The challenge then becomes ours, to look into what life offers us and determine if our choices will or will not bring glory to the Kingdom of God.
Now repeat the same three words as a statement. As a statement, "will be done." takes on a whole new resonance, doesn't it? These are words of action. And as a statement of faith, who do you think is to carry out that will here on earth? That's right, as Christians, you and I, him and her, them and us, we are all to be doing his will in our everyday actions. If what we do each day is good and true, it will only bring glory to God's Kingdom. However, if our actions have become something that we have to defend to others and explain to our own conscience, perhaps they are no longer bringing glory to God. Will was freely given to us by Him, along with an honest measure of reason, and it is put upon us to utilize both of them to promote His Kingdom. If, by chance, we are not seeing His Glory reflected back in the works we do, maybe it's time to ask if there is other work to be done elsewhere.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
He Leads Me
I suppose there are a lot of people who wander through life often wondering, as I have, how they came to find themselves in their particular circumstances. How do good people sometimes end up in bad places? I used to say that if I were left to my own devices, every day would be a good and happy day. Forever the optimist, I realized that other people played a major factor in how my day turned out. But still I wondered why I seemed to go 'against the grain' of most of my surroundings. The obvious reason, I surmised at a young age, was that I didn't chase the almighty dollar as hard as many do. But now I'm beginning to understand that it has been something much deeper than that. It has been more the fact that I value human life and existence above money and the things it enables us to acquire. My Lord and Savior graciously made me as I am and has attempted to lead me every day of my life since. The trouble I and a lot of others have seen has been when the will of mankind has interfered with the will of God, and led us elsewhere.
Since coming to this awareness, I have made it a point of only going where God sends me each day. Sometimes that still leads me 'against the grain' and makes me stand out, but so be it. As He leads me, I'm sure He attempts to lead others around me also. However, when this fails and I am not accepted, I am learning to more easily shake that dust from my sandals and move on, for there is always work to be done.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Too Much Credit
It would appear that I have been given too much personal credit. No, I do not refer to my financial credit score, but rather to the credit mistakenly given to me by some when their well laid plans go awry. Not everything is my fault. The funny thing is that I often feel as though I have pretty much stumbled my way through this life in much the same way as the character Forrest Gump did in the movie of the same name, without much direction, yet a person of the times regardless. Again, like Forrest, my mere presence at certain times and events in the history of life does not make me solely responsible for each and every outcome that arises from an event. Indeed, I can tell you that I have tried on occasion to change the course of some things, only to be shown how powerless I am.
However, I have learned that those things that I truly give up to God, He does wonderful work with. He has the power and ability to move the obstacles that I cannot even see before me. He demolishes walls that I previously struggled to cut a window into in my sometimes feeble attempts to shed light into darkness. I find that I am now content to move through my life with Him in charge, for my trust in the Lord's ways is reflected back to me in the security of His love.
However, I have learned that those things that I truly give up to God, He does wonderful work with. He has the power and ability to move the obstacles that I cannot even see before me. He demolishes walls that I previously struggled to cut a window into in my sometimes feeble attempts to shed light into darkness. I find that I am now content to move through my life with Him in charge, for my trust in the Lord's ways is reflected back to me in the security of His love.
Friday, June 10, 2016
The First Thanks
On this eve of local events to commemorate the twenty years since Miller's Reach Wildfire, it is appropriate to give thanks where thanks is due. When writing of those past events I must give the first thanks to God, for with his mercy alone there was no loss of human life, despite the fact that in excess of 300 structure did burn.
But there are more thanks to go around on this earth. We thank the firefighters who were so patient as they awaited their orders to move, so many of them staged right up the road in a large parking lot. Patient they were, even as we screamed at them from our vehicles as we passed by during evacuation, not understanding in our trauma why they were waiting to start. For them we owe both a thanks and an apology. I was not alone on that one, so I said we. Nor am I alone in the thanks I have for the trooper who directed a large group of families to take shelter in an empty but relatively safe residence across the water from our burning neighborhood.
However, I do personally thank those who did what they had to do to move some of us toward the eventual lifesaving exit out of Big Lake and on to further refuge. Thanks not only to the operator of the inn up the road, who freely gave shelter until we were able to return to what what we had left, but for the refuge and goods provided our families from schools and churches throughout Wasilla.
For me, much thanks must go to my boss at the time, Mr. K., for not until he began to make phone calls on Tuesday morning to advise his employees of the proximity of the fire was I aware of the danger. Again, no thanks would be complete at this time without a thank you to those of you who commandeered the fire truck nearest my home, previously garaged due to mechanical issues, and kept most of an entire community of homes from burning out. There a special thanks goes to the local musher who took the fall later for the act of 'breaking out' that truck for community use.
I have many thanks for God that resources available at the time were allotted to our area, even though someone in authority balked at the idea, believing the area was "nothing but pot smokers" who possibly did not deserve the help. Our children thank those that did not listen to her to this day, often with their vote.
My last thanks also goes to God for not allowing violence to break out between neighbors in our situation, especially in front of the children, tense as the moments got sometimes. It was His mercy that carried all of us safely through the times.
But there are more thanks to go around on this earth. We thank the firefighters who were so patient as they awaited their orders to move, so many of them staged right up the road in a large parking lot. Patient they were, even as we screamed at them from our vehicles as we passed by during evacuation, not understanding in our trauma why they were waiting to start. For them we owe both a thanks and an apology. I was not alone on that one, so I said we. Nor am I alone in the thanks I have for the trooper who directed a large group of families to take shelter in an empty but relatively safe residence across the water from our burning neighborhood.
However, I do personally thank those who did what they had to do to move some of us toward the eventual lifesaving exit out of Big Lake and on to further refuge. Thanks not only to the operator of the inn up the road, who freely gave shelter until we were able to return to what what we had left, but for the refuge and goods provided our families from schools and churches throughout Wasilla.
For me, much thanks must go to my boss at the time, Mr. K., for not until he began to make phone calls on Tuesday morning to advise his employees of the proximity of the fire was I aware of the danger. Again, no thanks would be complete at this time without a thank you to those of you who commandeered the fire truck nearest my home, previously garaged due to mechanical issues, and kept most of an entire community of homes from burning out. There a special thanks goes to the local musher who took the fall later for the act of 'breaking out' that truck for community use.
I have many thanks for God that resources available at the time were allotted to our area, even though someone in authority balked at the idea, believing the area was "nothing but pot smokers" who possibly did not deserve the help. Our children thank those that did not listen to her to this day, often with their vote.
My last thanks also goes to God for not allowing violence to break out between neighbors in our situation, especially in front of the children, tense as the moments got sometimes. It was His mercy that carried all of us safely through the times.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
"Say goodnight, Hazel."
As I recall, it was twenty years ago today, the first Saturday in that June, when my friend and fellow bartender, Hazel passed away. I'm sure I probably thought what I so often do when I hear a loved one has passed, that we can be thankful that their pain has ended and they will suffer no more in this life. Never has that thought been shown to me to be more true, more quickly than when Hazel died. Her death that Saturday meant that she did not witness the events of the days which followed, for it was just the next day that what soon became known as the Miller's Reach Wildfire got it's start. Hazel just missed out on the sight of fifty foot flames devouring her community, neighbors put in handcuffs in the enforcement of forced evacuation, shelter which was denied to families being then given over to a family wedding dress. I simply use three of my own memories from the experience as example, I'm certain Hazel would have had her own.
The timing also meant that Hazel's death did not garner its proper respect at the time. If there was a service held in a timely manner, I was unaware of it. So, as was custom to me at the time, for one last time, I do say "Say goodnight, Hazel.".
The timing also meant that Hazel's death did not garner its proper respect at the time. If there was a service held in a timely manner, I was unaware of it. So, as was custom to me at the time, for one last time, I do say "Say goodnight, Hazel.".
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