Proud Americans

"Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends." ~ John 15:13

Jeremy arrived early to pick up his friend; actually his former Lieutenant of E Company, 1st Cavalry Division while serving in Vietnam.  Lt. Franklin had been larger than life: 6 feet 5 inches tall, 220 pounds, fearless, intelligent, college educated, athletic - a warrior who’d earned 2 Silver Stars.

On any other day Franklin sat in the nursing home playing checkers, moving only when necessary.  His joints ached and his muscles burned; he no longer made too many trips outdoor.  But today he dressed sharply; a poppy pinned to his chest.

While he waited, Jeremy thought about the friends with whom he’d served and offered a silent tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in combat and who still battle in life.

As Franklin ambled languidly toward his friend, Jeremy hurried forward with a wheel chair.  Seeing the look of reproach and hurt in his Lieutenant’s formerly sparkling eyes, Jeremy pretended he was just parking it.  Franklin gave him a stiff nod and continued his door-bound marathon.  He’ll stand to honor them, the ones who died so brutally in the service of others until his legs cannot bear his weight.

He always offered to pay for Jeremy’s flight to come visit but Jeremy never took him up on it.  He never missed a Memorial Day with his friend.  LT had been there for his command back in Vietnam; Jeremy would be there for him now.

One time during a stand-down, the Lieutenant wanted to visit the Officers Club - but not without some of his men.  He dug into his footlocker and retrieved five “Lieutenant Franklin” shirt fatigues for them to wear.  They were instantly promoted.

By the time they got to the parade route, it was raining so hard that the crowd had largely vanished.  Franklin, however, stood stoically throughout the event.  He didn’t relish the pain but endured it without complaint.

As the parade wound down, Franklin looked up at Jeremy. “You know, we’re prisoners of war,” he confided.

“What do you mean, LT?” Jeremy responded.

Franklin whispered, “Emotionally, we’re all prisoners of war.  It’s the price we pay for serving our country.  If I could again, I’d pay double the price,” he said before stiffening his gaze.

Jeremy realized that under this once-exuberant personality now lived someone more vulnerable than he could’ve guessed.  As a soldier - he understood!

They each knew how fortunate they’d been to serve our great nation.  And he’d personally been privileged to serve with Lt. Franklin.

On this Memorial Day, be blessed and remember.  They’ve all suffered the hell of PTSD in some form before it even had a name.  This is a day to say "thank you, we’re in your eternal debt."

Hear our prayer Lord, for those who gave their lives in the service of others, and accept the gift of their sacrifice.  And comfort those who grieve the loss of their loved ones and let Your healing bring hope to our hearts.  Amen

Daddy's Care

“Trust in Me and you will be unshakeable, assure and deeply at peace." ~ John 16:33

Gunshots cracked into the cool air as loud as thunder; like the raw power of a raging storm.  In the distance, Joynisha (Joy for short) heard the squeal of sirens; a calm to the violence that interrupted her sleep.  In her neighborhood, fear was as common as sunlight on those fractured sidewalks.  But while her body trembled sometimes at the lawless commotion, she wasn’t terrified.  Her daddy was protecting her.

Now that Joy was 9, she could walk to school by herself.  This morning a dog hastened toward her.  Dark gray in color with a pointed muzzle, he roamed the streets unleashed.  The mere sight of him wasn’t so scary, but he was big enough to be threatening if he got angry.  As Joy walked peacefully past him, she closed her eyes as if willing herself to another place and thanked her Daddy for keeping her safe.

On the playground this afternoon, someone said something very mean to Joy.  The words stung like an angry hornet.  She wondered why some girls her age used others as tools to vent their frustrations; to ridicule and feel superior to them.  But then she smiled.  Her Daddy continually wrapped his loving arms around her and filled her with kind words of reassurance.

At home while helping set the table, Joy dropped an antique glass.  It shattered into dozens of glittering fragments.  She felt like such a klutz.  Joy was seldom without scrapes or bruises; always finding a new way to trip, stumble, or spill.  But her heart relaxed when she remembered that even so, her daddy always forgave her.

Tucked under the warmth of her blanket tonight, sleep pooled in Joy’s chocolate brown eyelids.  Falling asleep was like a carousel of the day’s thoughts.  Every idea, notion and event from her day would replay in her mind before being released from the worries of the world.  She had no cause to fear.  Her daddy was still awake and He couldn't love this girl more if He tried.

Have no fear … God’s always near!  No matter what you’re going to face this week, you’re not going to face it alone.  God is with you, He is in you, and He is for you.

He doesn’t promise everything will go our way or we won’t suffer.  In fact, He warns that we’ll have troubles and tribulations (John 16:33), but He does promise to watch over us night and day, working all things for good (Romans 8:28).  And despite how confident we are sometimes that we know what’s best, only God knows.  He sees with infinite clarity your life’s eternity’s storyline and He’s in charge of everything.  We can be at peace in Him.

Father God, thank You for Your amazing power and work in our lives.  Thank You for bringing hope through even the toughest of times, strengthening us for Your purposes. Thank you for always being with us and will never leaving us.  Amen

Jesus Loves Me

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you." ~ John 15-9

After a warm introduction and as the applause quieted down, the old Pastor rose from his high back chair and walked slowly to the podium as if it were his last sermon.  Frankly, it probably was.  After decades of preaching, time had come for him to retire, at least from the pulpit.

His real age was on the older side of utterly-unspecified.  If you picked a number at random, he was probably a little older than that.  He struggled at times for the right words, yet his voice always projected carried an uplifting and inspiring message.

When he spoke, congregants were instantly transported to another place and time.    Sometimes he was overtaken by emotions that had been buried for decades and he’d have to pause.  He radiated all that was good and holy about the love of Jesus.

Without a single note or paper of any kind, he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak.

"Your Senior Pastor asked me to talk with you this morning about the greatest lesson I’ve learned in my pastoral career.  At my age, I’ve had a lot of time to think about that (polite chuckles).

The thing that made the most difference in my life” he began, “and comforted me when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear paralyzed me was this simple verse: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.  Little ones to Him belong, we are weak but He is strong.”

The hymn was first written by Anna Warner as a poem.  Anna's sister Susan had asked her to write a song for a Sunday School teacher who wanted to cheer a dying boy.

Their uncle, the Rev. Thomas Warner, had been the US Military Academy at West Point’s Chaplain, and the sisters had taught Sunday school classes for cadets for a number of years.  It’s believed that General Eisenhower was one of the last cadets to attend their classes.  When the sisters died, the Academy honored them by allowing them to be buried at the Academy cemetery — an unusual exception to the rules.

The song became popular among both intellectuals and children for its humble message of Jesus.  But it was always the adults who chose the song 'Jesus Loves Me' during a Hymn Sing.  And the adults sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best.

So, for all of you white or no-hairs out there, this verse if for you:

‘Jesus loves me, this I know, though my hair is white as snow.  Though my sight is growing dim, still He bids me trust in Him.  YES, JESUS LOVES ME.  YES, JESUS LOVES ME.’

Silence embraced the church like a cool summer breeze, smoothing souls and delivering hope, as the old man shuffled back to his chair.

Almighty Father, “When my work on earth is done, and life's victories have been won.  Take me home with You above, then I'll understand Your love.”  ~ Bob Wilson

All Moms are Working Moms

“A mother can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take." ~ Cardinal Mermillod

My mother was a “Working Mom.”  But her work never resulted in a paycheck or any extra income.  Her payment came in the form of tantrums, runny noses, occasional hugs, errands to run, meals to prepare, and activities to plan.  Her “bonus” was a few moments of privacy in the bathroom.

Mom was a skilled arbiter, driver, nurse, seamstress, tutor and so much more.  She had an amazing ability to erase bad dream, find lost items, and clean up stuff that "nobody else saw" (like boogers on walls, skid-marked undies, or unflushed toilets).

My parents were watching TV one night when Mom said, "It's getting late.  I think I'll go to bed."  I listened in awe as Mom took a long detour.

After straightening the magazines on the coffee table, she went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for tomorrow’s lunches.

She rinsed out the ice cream bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, prepared the coffee pot for brewing and set the table for breakfast the next morning.

Then Mom put some wet clothes in the dryer, a load of dirty clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and fastened a loose button.  She picked up the game-pieces left on the table, watered the plants, and emptied a waste basket.

Yawning, she stretched before stopping by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and located an overdue library book.

Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed."  Mom replied "I’m on my way."  She filled the dog’s water dish and made sure the doors were locked.  Then she had a brief chat with my brother who was still doing homework.

In her own room, she set the alarm and laid out clothing for the next day.  Mom then said her prayers and replayed the day’s accomplishments.

Only then did she crawl into bed noting that Dad was already sleeping like a log.  Somewhere in the early hours her thoughts became disorganized enough to release her mind into sleep.

Before long, her alarm would sound and for a few glorious minutes, she enjoyed a respite of time before her family burst to the forefront of her mind.

Whether your office is in a professional building or in the comfort of your own home, I've been thinking about you.  Whether you're a married mom or a single mom, whether you dress up in a suit to go into the city or slide on your yoga pants in the morning to take care of your kids for the day, you’re all working moms. That’s just one of the things that make you special.

Thank God for all working Moms – those whose office is outside or in the comfort of their own homes.  Whether you're a married mom or a single mom, God bless you for all you do, especially that which goes unnoticed and underappreciated.  Amen

Mother's Day for Real

“(Mothers are) clothed with strength and dignity." ~ Proverbs 31:25

Mother’s Day - a time for flowers, fancy brunches, and thanking your Mom for putting up with all your crap.  But its earliest form took roots in the early 20^th century, thanks to Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis and her daughter Anna.

The daughter of Methodist Minister, Jarvis became a social activist whose goal was to lower infant mortality rates by teaching women how to properly care for their children, improve sanitary conditions, and fight disease.  Her Mother's Work Clubs raised money for medicine and helped moms suffering from tuberculosis.

The Work Clubs evolved further when the Civil War erupted, providing food, clothing, and medical care to both armies.  Jarvis lost 4 of her 12 children to the diseases that had spread rapidly during the War.  Despite her personal tragedies, she never stopped her community service.  After the War, she transformed the Clubs into groups promoting peace and reconciliation in their war-torn communities.

Jarvis justified her activism in the name of ‘motherhood.’  It was never about honoring mothers for all they did.

But after her mother’s death in 1905, her daughter Anna made it her mission to make Mother's Day a holiday - not only to honor her mother, but all mothers.   She quit her job and started a national letter-writing campaign aimed at government officials.  Supporters wore white carnations representing the purity of a mother's heart.

It worked!  Towns and churches in several states soon adopted Mother’s Day as a local holiday.  By 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday.

Soon, however, Anna began to loath its exploitation.  She couldn't stand the idea of people spending so much money on extravagant flower arrangements, sappy greeting cards and overly priced chocolates.

She spent the rest of her life promoting her founding vision for the day while fighting the floral, confectionary, and greeting card industries (“schemers, profiteers, and  charlatans” as she called them) who were "ripping people off" from her holiday.  To combat the commodification of carnations, Anna handed out free buttons so people wouldn't have to buy such high-priced flowers.

She didn't stop there.

She even went after first lady Eleanor Roosevelt for using Mother's Day in fundraising material for charities combating high maternal and infant mortality rates (the very type of work her own mother did during her lifetime).  She called those charities "Christian Pirates."  

Despite her best efforts, Mother's Day lives on.  Spending will top $23 billion this year.

Mother’s Day may be over-commercialized, much to Anna’s chagrin, but it’s still thoughtful to send your Mother a loving message of appreciation on her special day.  Spend time with her if you can, if even only in prayer.  Gifts are fine, but don’t forget to show her some real love with your sentiments.

Loving God, thank You for all the women who’ve brought forth new life.  Grant them the courage needed to face the uncertainties that life with children brings.  Give them the strength to live and to be loved in return, not perfectly, but humanly.  Amen

Unity ≠ Uniformity

“In Christ, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Jew or Gentile, slave or free, man or woman." ~ Galatians 3:28

Hollywood loves a great story, no matter its exaggeration.  If movies weren’t inflated far beyond real life, many people wouldn’t understand or catch on.  Embellishment incites emotion, conveys certain narratives, and seduces patrons.

So what if I told you that the myth of the slaves building pyramids is the stuff of tabloids; that the world simply couldn’t believe they were built without oppression?

The pyramids of the Giza Plateau are possibly the most famous structures in the world.  Much more than just royal tombs, research shows they had a socially-unifying meaning as well.

The image that Hollywood portrayed was one of slaves, working under the cruelty of Pharaoh’s whip, building the pyramids.  But recent archaeological findings suggest that their construction may have involved the entire country; every Egyptian household sent workers, grain, and food to contribute to this national project.

Though not slaves, laborers led hard lives and were paid and rewarded for their work.  Those who died during project, for example, were given the honor of being buried in tombs near the sacred pyramids.  That proximity and the manner of burial preparation supports this theory.

Once completed, a capstone encased in gold was placed atop the pyramid.  Then it was time for dancing and singing as the entire nation celebrated completion of their enormous achievement.

The mission of building the Pyramids served to unify the Egyptian state.  One might say that the people rallied round the Pharaoh to help bring to fruition his dream of eternal life.

Modern Christians can learn from that experience.

Like the early Egyptians, unity derives from a shared vision and common purpose.  Just as there were great differences among all those Egyptian workers; so there may be great differences among us.  But when we focus on a common task, the successes can be monumental.

It’s possible to have unity within the church … only if we give up on uniformity.  Unity is a Godly goal achieved when we are of one mind, purpose, mission, and goal.

Generally, we Christians have one Spirit, the Spirit of God.  We have a single purpose, to glorify God.  We have one mission, to spread the good news about Jesus Christ.  Our earthly goal is to live like Jesus - whose love is inclusive.

It’s our quest for uniformity that tends to divide us.

Uniformity requires belief in the same things practiced the same way.  Despite this unity, there’s no uniformity whatsoever on how to do these things, what it looks like, or where and when to do them.  There should be room among us for all kinds of Christians.  This sort of inclusive, loving unity goes a long way in glorifying God.

God of love, whose grace sustains us, help others feel that same love, even if it’s been revealed to them in different ways.  Give all those of faith a special place in your heart, demonstrated by the compassion of Your Son as an example for us.  Amen