Happy Thanksgiving!

. . . How can it be if it's not?  For thanksgiving only comes from being happy about something.  "But," you say, "thankfulness doesn't mean you have to be happy.  We're told to be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  How can you be happy about bad circumstances?"  Ah, but watch your prepositions -- it's in all circumstances, not about all circumstances.  Just two verses before, we are told to "rejoice always," and that includes bad times.  Now, joy is an emotion -- you can't work it up if you honestly don't believe you have anything to be joyful about.  Thankfulness is the same -- you must really have something to be thankful about.  You can't, and shouldn't, be happy about the hurts and problems of life.  They are the result of sin, and they don't make God happy either.  But even amidst trouble, we can still be thankful, that is, happy, about something, indeed, many things.  God loves us, and that in itself is enough to make us happy forever!

In the same way, lasting happiness only comes from thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is not a mere feeling, but an action born out of our recognition of good, and from that action comes the emotion of joy.  Even if life were perfect, without thanksgiving we would lose the enjoyment of it.  And since it's not, the only way we can be happy is to recognize our abundant blessings and give God the thanks for them that He deserves.  The natural and appropriate response to good things is thankfulness -- indeed, their purpose is to direct our attention to their Giver.  Failure to do so is disregarding His goodness.  Express it to Him -- a warm, fuzzy feeling of general gratitude is not enough.  What will you thank Him for today?

Yourself

“Tell me, who are you, alone, yourself and nameless?”

~Tom Bombadil to Frodo, The Lord of the Rings

As humans, we base much of our identity on our relationships. Consciously or not, the value of our lives is determined largely by the quality of our relationships – to be alone is the most dreaded evil. We introduce ourselves to others as “friend, sister, cousin, etc. of so-and-so”, and indeed our very existence is defined by what family we have come from and what group(s) of people we belong to. Rightly so, for we could not exist apart from them. But our souls, our selves, are descended from and ultimately dependent on no other human. Were all others stripped away and your whole life boiled down to nothing but your own self, what would be left?
 

What is the essence of your self, completely aside from the names others gave you, the reputation you have gained, your part in society? Is your soul an empty slate, made what it is only by the influence of the world around you? The answer, I suppose, would depend on one’s view of the existence of man – if an individual is simply a passing expression of the great organism called Mankind, then he can have little meaning beyond his role in connection with it. But if each individual is rather intended to be an expression of Something greater, and his identification with Mankind is first of all dependent on his relation to that Something, then each individual must have some significance of his own. Of course, I propose the latter.

Every soul possesses something unique, totally independent of the influence of other human beings. That great Something is the Image of God, bestowed on each of us (Genesis 1:26). Now, God is infinite, and He certainly did not entrust His infinity to us, so it follows that every soul has been given some different aspect of that infinite image to display. God fashions our hearts individually (Psalm 33:15), taking utmost care in the details of each one. Now, does this imply that we don't need other humans? Quite the contrary – since we each bear the image of God in a way that no one else can, it is our duty first to know and love Him, then to share His image with Mankind. And we can learn much from others who bear God's image in a way that we do not. It is only when our identity is not dependent on our relationships that we will truly find value in them.

Applied Thinking

Thinking has become a lost art.  In times past, there were people -- great scientists, composers, theologians, politicians -- who, it seems, spent their entire lives thinking, and today we enjoy the benefits of their minds' labors.  But in these times, to sit down in some quiet place and apply one's mind to a particular subject for even several minutes is excruciatingly difficult.  What has changed?

Is our generation (save a select few) just less capable of great thoughts than the men of old?  I say no, at least not by nature -- the greatest thinkers of years past only used a tiny percentage of their brains' capacity, and even if the human race has deteriorated in the last few hundred years, our brains still have capacity for even more than the musings of our ancestors.  Indeed, in our time, we have far more opportunities to learn and study than they had.  But on the whole, our advantages have crippled us.  In today's culture, computers, cell phones, or a few especially brainy people will think for us -- we don't have to, so we don't.  Our fast-paced lives don't give us time for it anyway.

Clearly, it will take work to rebuild a thriving mind.  But the ability to focus, understand, and think worthwhile thoughts is a reward well worth the training.  Thoughts matter, because they are the foundation of our lives.  So what can be done?  Here I pose a few suggestions, as much for myself as anyone (if you know me, you may hold me to it) -- for as the recent lack of life on my blog will testify, I myself too often succumb to apathy of the mind, a most frustrating ailment.

Start small.
Grab a colorful leaf and get to know its every detail.  Marvel at a spider's web.  Ponder the little things, for in them God has hidden great secrets.
Memorize.
A chapter of the Bible, a poem, a song . . . something you can think about all day and all night.  Know it intimately, at face value and beyond.
Read.
Take advantage of the thoughts of the great thinkers, even if you're not "a reader."  Pick up the train of thought where they left off, and keep going!
Be specific.
If you don't give it an assignment, your mind will wander off into trouble like a naughty child.  Choose a passion, a particular subject, and study it.
Take time.
Just do it -- think!  Meditate on one topic, no interruptions, for more than sixty seconds.  Be alert, and take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Share.
Talk about what's on your mind, big or small.  Write about it.  You have not learned something until you can teach it.  Think to impact other lives.

And I could go on.  It's just discipline, so simple, yet so hard to do.  We get bored far too easily, when there is so much truth to be explored.  God gave you a brain -- use it!  It must be exercised to be strong.  Let us strive for applied thinking, and applied thinking -- applying our minds to worthwhile thoughts, then applying those thoughts to our daily lives.

"As nothing is more easy than to think, so nothing is more difficult than to think well."
~Thomas Traherne

Until He Comes Out

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Luke 19:10

Sitting outside, two friends waited.  Inside, another was blissfully unaware that he had been stalked for three days.  Stalked, I say, not with malicious intent, but sought out for the privilege of seeing his face and hearing his voice.  Somehow, he had unwittingly, forgetfully, evaded this meeting several times, leading his pursuers in search of him to places they would not otherwise have gone.  Now, all other possibilities exhausted, they were camped on his very doorstep, unwilling to give up this encounter they had set their minds on.  When at last he appeared, they fairly ran to meet him.  How little did he know what energy was spent on his behalf!

Outside the human heart, Jesus, the Friend of sinners, waits.  Shut inside, surrounded by the cares of life, the lost soul is unaware of His presence, perhaps choosing rather to believe that God is a stalker, only wanting to take him prisoner and rob him of the good life.  Too busy for Him, the soul has forgotten the times He has called.  But the Savior has gone to great lengths, even leaving His heavenly home to meet mankind in his own domain -- He will never give up what He has set out to redeem.  And when at last the heart is opened to Him, He will meet the one He has pursued without the slightest hesitation.  Wandering heart, though He may be a stranger to you now, He is seeking you!  Have you come out of your hiding in your self to see Him waiting there?

And, my praying friends, if our God refuses to give up on one who runs from Him, what excuse have we for doing so?  Let the ambassadors be as faithful and patient as the One who sends them!

First Meeting of Old Friends

Last Friday was a monumental day for me – after more than seven years of being pen pals, I met one of my dearest friends face to face.  Though I'd never before been able to share with her the simplest things like a hug or a meal, our relationship had grown deep and solid through written words and phone calls across three time zones.  There was no need to get acquainted once we were actually together – we're old friends.

It seems to me that our relationship with Jesus may be something like this.  We’ve read His Word.  We’ve seen His artistry.  We’ve heard His voice.  And someday soon, we’ll see His face.  And when we do, we’ll know without a doubt that this is the Person we’ve loved for all these years.  No awkward first meeting, no wondering how to respond.  It will be a reunion of old friends, picking up with a new dimension of a relationship that we’ve been building for so long already.  He’ll show us everything He’s told us about, and we’ll understand what we’ve been trying to picture.  We’ll meet more of His friends, ones we’ve heard of and ones we haven’t, and we’ll love them all.  Life with Him will seem perfectly normal, since we already know Him.

This is why we invest in our relationship with Jesus on this earth – the better we know Him here and now, the better foundation our face-to-face relationship will have.  It's hard to get excited about meeting someone unfamiliar, but think how thrilling it will be to finally meet Him if you already have a strong bond!  It takes work to build – no relationship comes without effort, especially one with someone you've never seen in person.  But the joy of meeting our Savior will be affected by the depth of the friendship we've built before that moment comes.  Will you know Him as a mere acquaintance, or will He already be your best Friend?

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him . . .

1 Peter 1:8

Sweet Sixteen

Sixteen years ago, I was riding home with my dad when he saw a garage sale.  Now, my dad can pick up some good stuff at garage sales -- he stopped at this one of course, and I stayed in the car while he hunted for a bargain.  He found one: a little-used Precious Moments Bible for a dime.  He hopped in and handed it to me, and as we drove off, I decided it was time . . . time to make Jesus my Savior, ask Him to forgive my sins.

I still have that Bible, near tatters now, and I still have my faith, no longer so simple, but richer for its years of practice.  It's been a long journey since that day, walking with Him and learning what it means to be His.  I have let Him down more times than I care to think, but He has been faithful every moment.  I have doubted, pouted, and complained, but never once have I regretted my childhood decision.  And I never will, for I know the Author of truth, my Father, my Friend, my Lover and my King!

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,

 and you will be saved . . ."

Acts 16:31

Wedding Announcement

So, the secret's out -- in case you hadn't heard, I'm getting married! We've been going together for a long while, actually, though we've just had a long-distance relationship so far. He's an amazing letter writer, though, way better than I am! He's working on our home, and often sends me pictures of what it's going to be like. We're so madly in love, it's beyond words! I've been working on my wedding dress ever since we got together, and I can't wait for the big day. He's coming to get me soon! And you're all invited to the wedding, of course.

When is it, and where, and who's the lucky guy? you ask. Well, I'm not exactly sure when, but He has a date in mind. Be ready! The wedding will be at His home. All right, have you guessed by now who my Man is? It's Jesus, of course!

Seriously, we who know Jesus are His Bride -- how much do we think about that amazing, absolutely romantic concept? He is the greatest Lover the universe has ever seen! Every verse of the Bible is His love letter, every blessing is a clue from Him to what our eternal home will be like. He's building a grand place for us, and our job is just to get ready, to be as beautiful for Him as we possibly can. He's ridiculously in love with us, and He's coming soon to take us home to be His forever! His wedding invitation, indeed, His proposal, is for all -- have you said yes?

"Let us rejoice and be glad

and give Him glory, for the marriage

of the Lamb has come, and

His wife has made herself ready."

 Revelation 19:7

A Week to Live

For all our "living in the moment," the thought of the future is never far from our minds -- almost everything we do is connected in some way to being richer or happier or more comfortable tomorrow, or next week, or next year, than we are today.  But what if you knew that you would leave behind all your saving and planning by the time a week was up? Most of our endeavors would immediately become pointless, because they look beyond the next seven days.  Now, having long-term vision and goals is very much a good thing, but let us not be so busy looking ahead that we would be sorry to see our time limited.  Is the profit of your life, your treasure in heaven, building up day after day, or are you banking everything on a great "someday" that you may never see?  Make today count as if it were the last Tuesday you have to influence your world!

Overcompensation

A canoe trip is a great opportunity to study people's personalities -- I noticed a few things about mine while paddling down the Santiam and Willamette rivers last weekend.  I was in the steering position, and facilitated some impressive log dodging, I have to say, but my little ship seemed to do a fair share of zig-zagging, too.  If we drifted a bit too far to the right, I'd rudder deep, and we'd find ourselves headed left of center . . . and so on.  Granted, sometimes quick turns are necessary to save you from a nasty dunk in cold water, but swinging continually from one extreme to the other only takes more energy to cover the same distance.  It shows a lack of skill.

This observation was no surprise to me, because such action seems to be my habit in all of life.  Knowing I'm off course brings a strong reaction from me.  I head the other way, only to find that I'm still off course, just in a different direction.  Perhaps one way may be preferable for the present, but either will sooner or later have me running aground.  Only a straight and centered course, with turns where necessary, will get me to my destination most efficiently.  The best way of doing things can seem so evasive, but there is indeed a best way, God's perfect way.  It takes faithful practice and constant looking ahead to find it, but let us not just settle for floating along and wildly dodging the worst dangers!

Only be strong and very courageous, that you may

observe to do according to all the law

which Moses My servant commanded you;

do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left,

that you may prosper wherever you go.

Joshua 1:7

Act, Speak, Think, Live

Be sober-minded and joyful-hearted
And heavenly-aimed in all you do;
Don't wait for later, this moment get started
To live out God's purpose and plan for you.

Speak only truth with loving intention
Give glory to God in all you say;
Have a right reason for what you mention
When you tell others the news of the day.

With every idea and recollection
Strive for purity in all you think;
Consider the end of your mind's direction
And if you would care to see it in ink.

Be thinking wisely and speaking rightly
And acting kindly in how you live
So you may be a light shining brightly
And know the rich blessing that God can give.