I Don't Have To Be Nice Anymore

It dawned on me today that I don't have to me nice anymore. Having retired from vocational ministry I don't have to worry about people's spiritual well being. I don't have to care whether they go to church, read their bible, or pray.  I don't have to be concerned about what peopel think of me anymore. I can go where I want, say what I want, and drink what I want. YAAAAAAAAAAAY....Yeah.

Then there is Rick. He is my next door neighbor. A down to earth, blue collar, welder with a terrier named Rambo (the dog was his wife's who passed away two years ago). I was watering my front yard with a hand spray and he was doing the same next door. I asked him if he had anything planned for the weekend and he said no because he didn't have a place for his dog, and he wasn't going to kennel him. He laughed and said his wife would probably do something to him. At one point he said the F word and quickly tried to pull it back (I don't know why). Rick told me the people who use to live in our house were Christians, but not very good ones (that came out of the blue). Not sure what that meant. He seems lonely and cares for his yard with the tenderness I am sure his wife displayed. There is the lady across the street whose husband is in prison and is struggling to raise two girls. The neibghbors on the other side are active with lots of different people who are nice, but not too talkative. 

You see, I don't have to be nice, but I am compelled to. The love of Christ constrains me and I would be remiss if I did not care. As a believer it is built into my DNA. I am to love like Jesus loved me. I am to reach out as God reached out to me. I am be an example of a "good" Christian, whatever that means. 

It is much more difficult on this side of the cloth, but that's ok. My vocation may not be pastor, but my calling is to bear witness to Christ. It's the same for all of us. I'm just saying....

Frustrated Waiter

I am not a waiter, at least not the kind who works for tips. I am a waiter in lines, traffic, for appointments, on my wife, and a sundry other long and arduous situations. The key to a good waiter is patience, of which I have little. I am a last minute want it now kind of guy. I like fast food and fast cars. I can tell when my patience is running thin. My concentration wanes, I have a hard time focusing, my legs get antsy, and a feeling of angst ripples through my body. In fact, I have that feeling right now, because, well, I am waiting.

One of the fruits of the Spirit is patience, and though it is an attractive fruit it often tastes bitter when something or someone has kept me waiting. Patience is difficult. We are to be patient in suffering, parptient for the Lord's return, patient with sinners, patient with children, and patient with one another. Ahhhhh, all this patience. 

Yet, there is reward for those who wait patiently. God's patient kindness leads me to repentance. Eternal life comes to those who are patient in doing good and seek God's glory and immortality. Our future inheritance comes through patient hope. God endured patiently on me, withholding His wrath, bringing about my salvation. I am a perfect example of God's enduring patience.

Therefore, I must learn patience, which only comes through being exposed to situations where my patience is tried. In seeking patience I learn to trust in God's goodness, providence, and sovereignty. In finding patience I will learn contentment and peace.

I have to go, the guy behind me is honking his horn. Sheesh! Be patient!   I'm just saying.....

Thoughts Of A New Author

Writing and speaking are fraught with peril. As the scripture says, "Many words mark the speech of a fool," and "The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint." (Ecc. 5:3 and Prov. 17:27). Not encouraging when one puts pen to paper, but apt is its warning. 

I have been asked by a few if I would start blogging again. My hesitation is obvious, but my inclination is to express what God lays in my heart. So, with trepidation I venture again into the eddies of thought and peer into the recess of my own mind to share with you what I find. Sometimes it may be interesting other times a little frightening, and in lucid moments, perhaps a inspiring. 

Today I venture to reflect on the question, " Why do I write at all?" In each of us there is a story, a tale of redemption that must be shared. We pass them on to our children and grandchildren in hope they too will be inspired by God's work and retell their own story. They are stories of love and loss, anger and forgiveness, of pain and sorrow and the bud of hope that opens to drink in the son. 

Some stories are thrillers keeping us on the edge of our seats. There are stories that are funny and sad; tragic comedies that cause our emotions to rise and fall, leaving us exhausted at the telling. Some tales are full of drama, stories rich with detail and color. They are stories of the every day man and strive for a happy ending. These are the stories of our lives.

Writing fiction is an avenue to wrestle with issues in an creatively and helps me to struggle with uncomfortable topics in a real way. My hope is that my characters won't be trite or stereotypical. I strive to give them depth from an unusual perspective. I want their dialogue to be real, their questions to be meaningful and the conclusions unpredictable. Not an easy task and not always achieved. 

The art of story telling is fun and challenging. To begin with a blank piece of paper and fill it with words that move, motivate, and surprise. Though there is an outline it sometimes changes as unexpected characters appear and change the course of the story. The challenge is not to follow a minor character into their own story. 

God has written and is writing his story in our hearts, and I find the creative process and expression of His heart. I hope that all my stories are redemptive in some fashion, and if not overtly at least lead in the right direction. 

So I will blog of everyday events, reflections of the scripture, and at time some insight into on of my books. And to the two people who will read these many words --- enjoy.