The One That Got Away!

There is the old adage known far and wide by fishermen about “the one that got away.” As the saying goes the one that got away is always the biggest and the best, because all the other fishermen have is the lone fisherman’s word; and it is well known that all fishermen are liars. Well, at least most fishermen are liars, but then there is Michael and I, and of course we would always be painfully truthful, well most of the time anyway!!

I experienced a rather significant event yesterday that started me pondering on the things that get away from us in life, and why that happens:

As I left my office one of our counselors that I had hired several months back was walking my way. I stopped, gave her a big smile, friendly greeting, and a simple word of appreciation. By that time she had reached my door and we walked down the hallway together toward the exit. She paused and then reflected, “You know Mr. Ward that is what I like about you. You are always friendly, up, and have an encouraging word. You even find time to go from office to office and cubicle to cubicle to greet us and encourage us with appreciation.”

Quietly my mind quickly drifted back to a moment years before when a personal little revelation had come to me from an Old Testament story. It seems in I Kings 20 that King Ahab had been disobedient and the prophet, waiting for him alongside the path, chose a rather unique analogy or personally illustrated parable to show the king his guilt. He asked a friend nearby to hit him, give him a good old, as we say, “jack slap!” The friend refused so he enlisted another who was more willing. Perhaps he gave him a good haymaker and landed the prophet in the dust of the road rather mussing him up. The prophet then pulling his headband over his eyes was spied by the king as he came by. When asked what had happened the prophet explained he was in charge of a prisoner but that, “as thy servant was busy here and there he was gone.” (Verse 40) One translation simply says, “…He got away.” I explained to my counselor how that through this I was shown that we often in being “busy” allow the important things to get away! I just do not want to ever be so “busy” that I allow my staff to go unnoticed, unappreciated and “get away.”

Now if the prophet’s analogy had been true, he had allowed his busyness to interfere with his responsibility of the safe keeping of his prisoner. I personalized this to many things we allow to get away due to our being busy.
Have you ever had your child, or your spouse to ask something of you and you replied thoughtlessly, “I can’t, I’m too busy now.” Oops, say that often enough and at some point they will be gone emotionally, if not physically.

I remember many years ago hearing the great pulpiteer and missionary Harold Davis, tell of a pastor who had gone to his office on Saturday evening to finalize his message for the next day…he needed to cross the “T’s” and dot the “I’s” making sure all was in place. There came a frantic knock on the door, and a hysterical voice called for his help. A lad had fallen in the park pond just down the way and couldn’t get out. The pastor, so intent on his “busyness,” told them to get someone else. The next knock on his door was a policeman telling him his own son had just drowned in the pond. You see, in his zeal for his “busyness” he had lost his own son! He could say with the prophet, “As I was busy here and there, my son got away.”

May we never equate busyness with the real productivity of life! I’ve never been regretful for the times I spent with my children growing up! Memories of fishing, hunting, camping, ball games, band concerts, vacations, or just sitting around playing a game or munching popcorn with my kids still bring a warmly nostalgic smile to my face! I never regret now the times I say “no” to others and other “busy” issues of life to spend simple but hugely gratifying time with my sweet wife Nora!

I never regret the quiet times I spend in communing with my Creator and enjoying His presence in the “cool of the day.” I never regret just relaxing on the back patio and being enthralled by the frisky squirrels, birds, occasional deer, and even the old cows that sometimes graze along the fence line. Those times refresh my spirit and soul, and revitalize my mind!
John Bradshaw reminds us that we are created “Human Beings,” not “Human Doings.” May we all be reminded of that again today and just take time to “Be,” for our family, for our God, for ourselves!! Life will be richer, and oh yeah, there’ll be no regrets!!!

Thots From Ruth

In today's religion page of the Longview News-Journal there was an AP article concerning Ruth Graham, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham. Ms. Graham shared her struggles through the years with various family and personal issues and spoke of the feeling of not being able to share her feelings and needs. She made a statement from which I cannot get away : "Once we're in the church, we pretend all the sinners are on the outside. We want to keep the rules, and when we can't, we become shameful and pretend we have it all together. The world is tired of plastic Christians, I was tired of being a plastic Christian. I told everybody I had it all together, and I was falling apart. And I was scared to death to tell somebody."
What a terribly sad indictment of the very fellowship that it's founder based on love, forgiveness, compassion, and understanding. He believed in these basic principles of relationship so much that He gave His life so that everyone might have forgiveness and share His love, compassion, and understanding!
How many more Ruth Grahams are there that sit on pews each Sunday and "pretend," when inside they are hurting, depressed, disappointed, and disillusioned? They are indeed plastic Christians. The article told of a book written by Ms. Graham entitled, "In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart." I can't wait to purchase and read it!
More times than I care to remember I have had individuals in my office who were struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction (mostly opiates) who would nervously look around and through tears say, "No one can know I'm here. I'm a Sunday School teacher, Deacon, etc. and if my church ever found out they would never have anything more to do with me." I cannot fathom the callousness of hearts that would treat a fellow, "Brother or Sister" in such a way!
Hurting and broken hearts come from many areas of life. Everything from family hurts, divorce, finances, addiction, depression, loneliness, pornography, and the list goes on. For these Christ died! His love and compassion should enable and empower the church to allow them to share their hurts and frustrations, and accept them in His name!
Another thought crossed my mind as I noted the title of Ms. Graham's book, "not only in every pew sits a broken heart, but often in the pulpit stands a broken heart." Too many times over the past few years ministers have told me how fortunate I was to have an education in another career. Far too many have said, "Len, if there were anything else I could do, I would." They feel barricaded behind the sacred desk, no one to confide in and feeling trapped in spirit and soul. Sunday after Sunday the plastic comes out and the amens and hallelujahs resound, and yet there is still a hollow aching and no one to tell.
There must be healing in both the pew and pulpit! It can only come when the facade of "plastic Christianity," is dropped and we are allowed to feel our feelings and open our hearts to each other for the healing balm of Christ to flow and bring peace and joy in the place of our desperation and personal griefs.
Larry Crabb wrote a book a number of years ago entitled, "The Safest Place on Earth." The church, the living body of Christ, must be the "Safe House," "The City of Refuge;" and open itself unconditionally so that truly, "whosoever will may come!!!!"
Whatever hurt or pain you are now suffering the true body of Christ is open to you. A very small, infinitesimal part of it resides in Kilgore, Tx. and if you ever need someone to talk with and just share in the love and compassion of Christ, feel free to drop me an email or give me a call. I will listen, I will pray, and I will love you unconditionally! The plastic can be broken away and the healing balm applied! There is life, joy, and happiness after the plastic is broken!!!

Now I Know!!!!!!!!!!

A huge question nowadays is, “What is wrong with our government?” Until yesterday I wasn’t quite sure. I had listened to what Obama said and to what McCain has said and their dire prognoses of doom if the other were elected, but I still wasn’t sure.

But now I know!!!! Back in April I had filed the automatic extension for filing our taxes as some of our medical payments in the past year were unavailable. Last weekend I pulled out all the records and filled out our tax return...Whew, we only owed them $99 more!! That was a relief. However in the midst of all the paperwork, figuring on the calculator, etc. it dawned on me, “Hey, we moved last year and we can write off moving expenses.” Rush to the cancelled checks and receipts again, and ahh, there it is...records of $1,545 to the movers!!! Now I see it says that in order to claim this deduction I must file a Form 3903. No problemo!! A quick trip to the internet will fix that. Sure enough right there at irs.gov is the form. I hit the print icon expecting this single page to spit out from the printer. Was I ever wrong!!! Before the printer was finished it had submitted to me 19 pages of instructions for filling out my name, social security number, and a whopping total of 8 lines of simple numbers!!!!!!

Apparently our government either thinks we are all morons, or they have too many people on payroll up there that need something to do!!!!! I don’t need 19 pages of instructions to fill in 8 lines on one page, thank you!!

So what is wrong with our government?? At this point I would say it is both: They think we are all morons, and there are way too many people on payroll in Washington!!!!!
Now I take a bow to your applause, and step down off my soapbox!!!!!

To Retrieve or To Retreat

The following Journaling was originally written on January 27, 2007. For some reason I felt like pulling it out of the archieves, dusting it off, and posting it today.

A couple of evenings ago my stepson Chris, who is an avid outdoorsman, shared a story with me that has given me some great “food for thought.”
Chris shared that a friend of his raises and trains Labrador Retrievers. Of course the name, Retriever, tells what these beautiful animals are bred, born, and trained to do: Retrieve. They make the duck hunter’s life easy. The hunter sits in the blind, shoots the ducks, and the retriever goes out and brings them back to the hunter. On one occasion the friend had a young lab who he had trained in the artificial setting, then decided it was time to take him to the blind for the real thing. He also took an older mature dog with him to show the “young sprite” the ropes of retrieving. After the first shoot, the mature dog was released to “retrieve,” which he did in fine fashion. Then after the next shoot the young dog was released for the retrieve. He also did so in the well-bred, trained manner of the older dog.
Then the hunter noticed that the younger dog was sitting in the blind chewing on one of the ducks. He corrected him a couple of times, and when the pup continued chewing on what was to be the duck hunter’s supper, he popped the dog across the nose with the barrel of his shotgun. That did the trick and the duck was safe for the stewpot!
Some time later another duck flew over, the well-placed shot pattern brought him down, and again the young Lab was released. He swam to the duck, smelled of him, and then swam away. He refused to retrieve! Why would such a well-bred animal that had just a few moments earlier shown such positive response suddenly refuse to do the simple thing that was so natural to him? The hunter knew the answer. The last time that he had a duck in his mouth, he felt the hurt and sting of a gun barrel across his nose! One pop of the barrel and that was all of that kind of pain he wanted. In fact he feared the dog would never hunt again. However, with patience, continued training, and reinforcement he did indeed retrieve again. I’m sure the hunter never used the barrel of the shotgun again on the dog’s nose!
How often have I seen individuals that no longer would do that which had once come so easily for them, which was so naturally innate, and that which spoke to destiny of life? “I don’t attend church anymore…too many hypocrites, someone there hurt me, the pastor or board treated me wrong.” The list goes on. Isn’t it amazing how one, or maybe two or three hurts can drive us from that which our Creator intended? For sure it is normal for us to recoil from inflicted pain, and to not want to expose our selves to it again. It’s much easier to just swim away, as the dog did, rather than chance the pop of the barrel, not against our nose but against our esteem, ego, spirit, and feelings; our very soul! No one chooses pain! It is simpler to just get out of the hunt.
It is all too common in religious circles for the more “mature” Christians and leaders to use the gun barrel tactic against others with whom they disagree. The heart and soul of the person is hurt and wounded. No wonder so many today just finally and in frustration “swim away,” and search for meaning of life elsewhere. “If that is what it’s about, I want nothing to do with it. If that is the way God’s people act, they are hypocrites and I won’t be a part of that.”
It is an all too common fact that without a constant emphasis on our own frailty and humanity, we can become intolerant, judgmental, and harshly critical and corrective in our relationships with others. I remember hearing Pastor Michael Johnson of Springfield, Illinois tell of hearing General Superintendent Wesley Steelberg share his own shortcomings in this area shortly before his death. He related that the only thing in his life that he feared to face God with was the harsh and judgmental way that he had treated other ministers who were either taken in sin or otherwise had made mistakes in their ministries. Many, he said, were no longer in the ministry and were lost to the Kingdom. This loss to the church and the Kingdom haunted him as he was facing his own mortality. He realized he had popped the gun barrel across too many noses!
Perhaps, you as I, have felt the sting of the barrel once too often and have said, “That’s it, no more, never again.” Where do we go from here?
Is the answer in “retreating,” rather than “retrieving”? In searching for my answer I am reminded of three verses that I memorized from the book of Romans as a youth. Since I committed them to memory in the King James, that’s the way I’ll share them: (really messes up the mind of my spell check)
“Therefore thou art inexcusable, o man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”—Romans 2:1
“Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be held up: for God is able to make him stand.”---Romans 14: 4
And finally, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." ---Romans 8:1
From these words I learn some spiritual and life lessons. First of all I realize that ultimately no other person has the prerogative to pass judgment on me. Yes, there are lines of accountability, and as I have often remarked no one can truly be in authority, unless they have learned to be under authority. However authority does not automatically assume criticism, judgment, or condemnation. It carries with it the responsibility of understanding and support.
Secondly I see that no man is my master. “To his own master he standeth or falleth…” which is followed by, “God is able to make him stand,” which is more than a suggestion that God is our Master!!! It is to our Master that we answer and by Him we will be judged.
And finally if I am in Christ Jesus, and walk after the Spirit, I am under no condemnation! These realities free me from the bondage of man to the freedom of God!!!
I don’t know what you’ve experienced, my friend, or if it any of this has application to your life. But for me, I know that in the midst of my mistakes and
failures, God is not going to pop my nose with a gun barrel but He, “…is able to make ME stand!”
As for me, I’m back in the hunt, swimming the water, and ready to follow my Master’s command!! COME ON IN, THE WATER’S FINE!!!!
“To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.”---Ephesians 1:6 WE ARE ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plagiarism Smagiarism

Recently Christianity Today reported that a minister had been disciplined and requested to leave his church because he had been preaching sermons that had been written by someone else. Poor soul!! He had the audacity to use someone else’s thoughts! I suppose no one else has ever done such a dastardly deed. In 63 years of attending church, I just wonder how many sermons I have heard that were originally preached by someone other than the current speaker?? Oops, and I wonder how many I have preached?
Plagiarism is an age old dilemma. It seems I remember an often quote wise King as saying, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” (Ecc. 1:9) We are in a religious stupor today which seems to require the pulpitier to have stimulating, contemporary, “catchy” titles and contents, the which have never before been heard. Believe me; I’ve heard a few doozies! More than that, I’ve preached a few of those myself, and now look back “in awe of myself” and wonder where in the world I came up with that!!!
Probably more than 30 years ago now, my father shared with me a message he had preached the Sunday before. He was excitedly sharing with me his “new” message. You could hear the adrenalin rush in his voice as he begins telling me of this “brand new, never heard before” sermon that he had developed. I quietly reached over to my library and pulled out a book of messages preached over a hundred years ago by one of the great preachers of that day. I opened it and handed it to him, and there was his message, point by point, scripture by scripture, and thought by thought. He laughed, used his favorite bywords, “Oh good night,” and said, “Well, at least it was new to me.” I hated to burst his bubble, but truly there is nothing new under the sun.
The Word of God is ageless, timeless, and complete. It’s the same pie and there are only so many ways to cut a pie! Yes, perhaps the pastor could have or should have prefaced his remarks with, “as so and so said in his sermon, or, “I was reading so and so’s message on this subject and he said…” That possibly would have passed protocol. He didn’t, and I haven’t always either, and probably neither have 99% of all other preachers. Sometimes I wonder what really might be accomplished if no one cared who got the credit. Just because someone uses something that someone else has used, doesn’t necessarily mean he is dishonest, maybe he’s just honest enough to believe someone else has a better word or way of saying it than he.
As one radio personality in our area says, “You know what just burns me up??” I’m grateful for most of the contemporary music that we hear today, some of it though is of the stomach turning variety. I hear songwriters and musicians who have been made wealthy by their “ministries” say all teary eyed, “God gave me this song.” Okay God gave it; He should have the copyright, not them! However, if you use their song without their permission and paying them a fee, they will sue you for infringement. Now that’s just downright holy!! When I was growing up there were still hymnals in the racks at church that are now reserved for other things such as gum wrappers. I remember as a kid reading through them, I guess it was when the preacher was using someone else’s material to preach, and seeing the copyright notices. I recall one that stood out to me, as in the place of the copyright notice, it simply said, “Not copyrighted, and may this song never be. It is to the glory of God.” Now that writer has a reward in heaven. Perhaps others have their rewards now, in their bank account.
Through the years I have depended on the inspiration of the Almighty, and still do. However, I just wonder what I would have done without Pulpit Commentary, William Barclay, Vance Havner, Clovis Chappell, and the long list I have “plagiarized”. I thank God for them; they are my heroes and got me through many a Sunday morning!!
Incidentally, in the outside event anyone wants to quote anything here, it is not copyrighted and please don’t give me credit!!
As they say, “Use all of my ingredients you wish, just make your own chili!”

There's Always a Light in the House

Today I am intrigued with an Old Testament story with which most are familar. Jacob and his family had been relocated to Egypt due a great famine. As the story goes Jacob died, Joseph died, Pharoah died, and we are told that there arose another Pharoah. This Pharoah saw the Israelites as a way to cheap, no slave, labor. You know the story, over time there was extreme hard times for these people and they cried out to their God for deliverance...and along came Moses, after his visit with the burning bush.

Moses and his brother Aaron visited Pharoah, and this resulted in a series of plagues on the land. There were 10 of these plagues in all, intended to get Pharoah's attention, and cause him to release the children of Israel. It is the ninth plague that catches my attention today. It was the plague of darkness. For 3 days darkness enveloped the land of Egypt, it was so dark that it was a darkness that could "be felt." Can you imagine it being so dark that striking a match, flipping the light switch, or nothing else could penetrate it?? The Egyptians lived in this incredible darkness...yet there is a note in the story that I can't overlook. Exodus 11:23 says, "No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. YET ALL THE ISRAELITES HAD LIGHT IN THE PLACES WHERE THEY LIVED." Incredible, but while all their known world was shrouded in complete, devastating darkness, they had light in their homes!!!

There is darkness about us today, not literal of course, but darkness just the same. There is a darkness of war, depression (how many commericals do you see daily for anti-depressant medications?), distrust, disease, malady, and evil in the streets. In many ways it appears to be a darkness that prevades all areas of life and can cause us to wonder if there is any hope. That is the position that these people were in...yet we are told that IN THEIR HOMES, the places where they lived, there was light!!! It was a Divine provision and it sustained them. It does not appear that this light was a lamp, but an absence of the darkness on the outside.

In the midst of darkness, there is is light where I live!!! It is a light of faith, confidence, calmness, and assurance. It is a light of love, compassion, caring, and belief there is nothing that can come our way that can extinguish the beautiful light of God's day!

Is the light on where you live? No matter if you are sick with disease, aching in pain, depressed with family situations, worried over the economy, or whatever; there is a provision! The real light switch is just an humble prayer away!!!! The way you say it is up to you.

Hoover Hogs

It's been many years since the term "Hoover Hog," has crossed my mind. Many would not have a clue what I'm speaking about, "Hoover Hog, what the heck is that??" Well, I will tell you about the Hoover Hog, but just let me preface by saying that hearing the President speak last night, listening to all the prognostications of financial gloom, as well as checking my 401K all brought up the old Hoover Hog image.

In 1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower was running for president as the Republican candidate and Adlai Stevenson was running for the Democrats. At the ripe old age of 7 I was introduced to political scare tactics. One day on the school bus one of the kids asked me, "who are you for, for president?" I had no clue but I did know the names of the guys running so I said, "Eisenhower." My response was met with immediate howls and squeals of my classmates. "Don't you know if he's elected we'll be eating Hoover Hogs?" they chided. I didn't dare ask what a Hoover Hog was because I didn't want to sound stupid, but I did ask them who told them that. They said that's what their parents were saying.

I couldn't wait to get home and run to my Dad and ask him what in the world was a Hoover Hog. The first words out of my breathless little mouth as I rushed into the house was, "Daddy, what is a Hoover Hog?" With a big smile and a robust laugh he responded, "Son that's an armadillo." I immediately burst into tears and through sobs cried, "But I don't want to eat armadillo!" "Who said you were going to eat armadillo," he asked, and appeared still not taking my dilemma too seriously. My continued sobs did get his attention though when I told him my schoolmates said if Eisenhower was elected that's what we would be eating. He called me to his side and explained that back in 1929 when he was a boy just older than me there had been a great depression, nobody had any money, and people had to get by the best they could. He told me a man named Herbert Hoover was president and everybody blamed the depression on him and called armadillos Hoover Hogs because they said that was all they had to eat. He then gave me a big hug, told me that things would never be that bad and that he would make sure I didn't ever have to eat a Hoover Hog. There was something about the hug and reassurance that dried my tears, and I was off outside to play.

Today I tell you after more than 56 years since I was introduced to the term, I've never had to eat a Hoover Hog!! Yep, plenty of peanut butter sandwiches, but never a HH! It's not that there have not been trying times in life, but always my family and I have been sustained!

One might think that with the financial/political prognostications as they are we might be eating Hoover Hogs, the new name is "Roadkill," soon. Well, I dunno about that but I take comfort in the old King David who reminisced, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." I'm not exactly sure what David meant when he said, "the righteous," but I do know that entails having a healthy fear of God, faith, and always trying to do the right thing.

Therefore, I won't do much worrying today, or tomorrow, or any day over eating Hoover Hogs! But Pshaw, who knows they might not taste so bad in some Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce!!!!

The Simple Life

As of today I have lived 63 years, 7 months, and 10 days. Those are the days of my life, although not ALL the days of my life. Well, at least that's my plan! None of those days can be recalled or relived. One can only reminisce the past, and relish the pleasant memories not allowing the unpleasant memories cloud the present. The future, well that's just what it is: uncertain, unknown, yet at least loosely planned for.

As I write I hear the news channel in the living room speaking of economic despair as the stock market plummets again. They speak of the venomous words of world leaders, and tell of man's injustice to man. The funeral of a young American/Pakistani soldier killed in action is flashed on the screen. He came to America at the age of 8, and enlisted in the military to serve the country that had become his own. He served loyally, yet his father spoke of the paranoid questioning that he endured because his name was Arabic. Just yesterday a teen was arrested here in our home town high school for carrying a loaded hand gun on the campus. Despair would come easily if one is not rooted in something "far from the madding crowd." I call it the simple life.

Life has become complicated, frustrating, and to a great degree fatalistic. I remember my Dad, who lived through the great depression, speaking of those days as the son of a black land farmer. Life was simple. Grandfather had cows, pigs, and chickens which provided the family table with meat. Grandmother grew an acre garden for not only fresh veggies, but to can and jar for the winter. Dad walked to the little wooden country school for his education. I still here him say, "People were jumping out of skyscrapers because they had lost everything. No one was jumping off barns where we lived in the country, because we hadn't lost anything!"

I suppose it is true that we do not miss what we have never had. If we see life as a series of accomplishments, a list of gains and accolades, and money out the kazoo, there will always be anxiety and fear. Why? Because without those things we lose the meaning of life as we know and understand it.

However, if we practice contentment in whatever state we are in, learn that the really good things in life can't be purchased or earned, and express gratitude daily, then we approach the simple life!

My son Michael, and I traveled to Beavers Bend, OK. last weekend to get away and try our hand at a little trout fishing. (By the way, the trout weren't too impressed with our spinners and rooster tail lures.) Along the way we both pondered life and shared our thoughts. Michael spoke of readings that he had been perusing of an ancient philospher. He spoke of man striving and trying to make good and prosperous things happen for himself. Yet the philosopher saw life as a moving stream or river and declared that one should stand in the stream as it moved past and allow the things of life to come to him. Whew, standing still doesn't come so natural to us, does it? Yet, most of the good and blessed things of life come to us at that moment, still quietly in the stream as we allow ourselves the simple life. It reminds me of the great leader who declared thousands of years ago to a panicky people, "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." A great proverb simply says, "In quietness and confidence is our strength."

I looked across the stream and there was Michael, fishing rod high and waist deep in the rapids, with a huge grin on his face! He was in the stream waiting for that which was to come, yet totally content in the moment! Ah yes, the simple life!