Common Ground

It's a phrase I've heard often: Find common ground.

I was reminded of that late this afternoon. My wife and I were at the Home Remodeling/Lawn and Garden/Green Show at Kemper Arena. Big Place with lots of exhibits and walking.

Late in the day when we were both dead tired, Loralie saw a friend that she knew from several years ago. She and her husband were manning a booth at the show for her interior design business.

Loralie introduced me to her friend and her friend introduced me to her husband and soon the tow ladies were in conversation. At this point I had two options.

Option one was to stand there and feel my navel accumulate lint at a slow rate.

Option two was to engage the husband in conversation in an attempt to find some common ground between the two of us.

This starts by asking questions and listening. Its easy to start with the standard guy question: "What do you do for a living?" and then listening to the answers. This gentleman mentioned that he had worked in California. Since my wife grew up in California, this led to other avenues of conversation.

I was even able to find out that he had served in the Navy (who's sole purpose is to support the Marine Corps and carry them to the beach).

I am convinced that we can find common ground with just about anyone. This could be experiences, jobs, places lived, religions, sports, activities, kids, vacation activities, books read, movies seen, etc, etc, etc...

It takes being interested in the other person and really listening to their answers. I'll be honest, at times I don't feel like talking much. But I need to engage others around me. I am called to deal with whoever is in front of me at any given time.

And I need to remember that always. Even at the Home Remodeling/Lawn and Garden/Green Show.

Save a Life

I saved a life today. More likely it was at least two lives and maybe three.

I donated blood. So I saved a life today.

Didn't take too long. I was out of there in 45 minutes.

There are a lot reasons to donate.
One is that I can. I am healthy enough to donate. No HIV, no Hepatitis C (or A and B for that matter). Weight and Blood Pressure within the good limits.

Another reason is that there is a huge need for donated blood. For surgery and for emergencies the demand is high. And it can save a life.

Anther reason is that it helps me. Studies have shown that donors are healthier than non- donors. Doctors think it has to do with getting rid of excess iron in the system. Maybe those old bleeders (barbers) were on to something back in the 16th and 17th century.

Still another reason is that the person who gets my blood can do absolutely nothing to thank me. It is totally anonymous. I can do something for someone who I will probably never meet but who needs my help.

It's pretty cool.

I saved a life today.

Excuses

Excuses are like belly buttons, everybody has one.

But now I am seeing an epidemic of excuses.

We seem to grab at whatever we can to excuse our behavior.

Churches use the economy to excuse down giving and not face the reality of spiritual bankruptcy.

Business use the bad economy to excuse poor results and not face the reality of bad decisions and mismanagement.

Husbands use not having their needs taken care of as an excuse to leave their families and don't face the reality that they are selfish.

Politicians use I forgot to excuse not paying taxes and don't face the fact that they should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us as custodians of the public trust.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It is time that we face up to that and admit that we are less than perfect. The sooner we do that the sooner we will quit making excuses.

If we admit that we screwed up and are ready to take the consequences for our actions, it takes the wind out of those who accuse us.

Stepping Out in Faith?

What does that mean? Stepping out in faith.

I think the term comes from when the Israelites crossed the Jordan under the leadership of Joshua. The Jordan River was at flood stage and didn't stop flowing until the leaders feet hit the water.

Today we often hear the term used in connection with building projects or fundraising in the church. I think that all too often we are using the phrase to justify starting something that we want to do in our humanness and not something God has blessed.

The Israelites had forty years of wandering in the wilderness to come to grips with the fact that God wanted them to possess the land no matter what obstacles they may see in front of them. All too often today we spend an hour in prayer and then say that we know that God wants us to step out in faith.

I am not sure that stepping out in faith is the correct path unless we are 100% certain that God is directing us. When looking at building plans (where I most often hear this phrase) all the major building projects in the Bible were provided for in full before they began. This includes the tabernacle and Solomon's temple. Even with the rebuilding of the temple the timbers were arranged for from the King's Woodcutters prior to the rebuilding.

In Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter of the New Testament, the writer lists a bunch of people who step out in faith to do what God wants them to do. Almost without exception these men and women are moving out of their comfort zone through action. Not a building project is mentioned.

Stepping out in faith almost always comes done to an action of witness or of carrying God's will forward and expanding the Kingdom.

I have much to ponder on this. More later...

XBox

So I've taken a little grief from my friends since my post on playing Halo 3.

Not about the post.
About the fact that I have an XBox 360 at my age.

Simple reason: Its fun.

Complex reason: It connects me with my son off at college.

Last night we hooked up over the Internet (XBox Live) and played Gears of War together.
First time I have been able to do that. It was an absolute blast!
We played on my account and moved along pretty quick. It is a lot more fun playing with someone rather than playing a solo game.

Still had that sense of accomplishment that goes with moving along in the video games.
But I also had a good evening with my son who is off at college.

Well worth the investment for the game system.

Only one problem: He is quite a bit better than I am at this stuff.

I think that means that I will have to practice some more...

Meeting

So for the past thirty five years our small group has been meeting at the same restaurant at the same time on Tuesday mornings (no, I haven't been a member for that long).

We've missed a couple of days. They've closed for remodelling (twice) and every once in a while a holiday hits on a Tuesday. But other than that we've been in the same location every Tuesday that they've been open for a long time.

Except on Sunday, during the Super Bowl, there was a commercial stating that everyone gets a free Grand Slam on Tuesday at every Dennys in the country! How dare they! Don't they take us into account?

I can get my back up and get all upset but in the grand scheme of things this is a minor inconvenience. And of course the corporate marketing people don't take into account small groups that may be meeting in Dennys around the country.

But our Dennys did. They held a table for us. Some of the guys went past the 100 people waiting to eat and some did not. We'll pick up next week where with what we would have done otherwise.

So maybe God had other plans for us today. Or maybe His plans for other people crowded us out. It's OK.

Maybe one of these Tuesdays there will be a line of 100 people waiting at the door to join us in studying about Jesus Christ.

Something to consider...

Living Water: Forgiveness

Tomorrow at the Men's study we look at the third chapter of Living Water by Brother Yun: Forgiveness.

This book keeps driving me to my knees.

As I looked at the necessity of forgiving others for their injustices (real or imagined) against me, I came to the realization that I need to approach God for forgiveness for I often fall short. And there are others that I need to ask for forgiveness. This is the tough one to tackle.

Brother Yun points out that forgiveness takes one. Reconciliation takes two. I can forgive someone and they may not ever realize or acknowledge that they have hurt me. But I have to let go of the bitterness that I often want to hold on to and nurture. I can only do that if I really, truly forgive them.

"Unforgiveness would achieve only two things. First, it would harden
my heart and cause a root of bitterness to take hold and second, my
relationship with Jesus Christ would be damaged."

We seem to think that we have a special relationship with God. We do, but not in the way that we like to think. When we don't forgive we seem to be saying that: Everyone else should get what they deserve but I should get special grace.

That is the wrong way to think.

Forgiveness of others is an offer not a burden. In fact it releases us from the burden we carry around. Again, they may not even admit that they have done anything wrong. They may never know that we have forgiven them. But forgiveness turns them over to God and takes me out of the judgement business. Let God decide how He will deal with them.

Unforgiveness puts us in a spiritual prison. It sucks the joy out of our lives.

Forgiving someone else set us free.