Friday, November 25, 2011

Being a firefighter

WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE

I actually lived back in an age before everybody had electronics. I remember a time when homes did not have televisions, but on Peaks Island where I grew up the fire station had a television. On Saturday and Sunday evenings we grammar school kids used to go to the fire station and watch those new exciting shows starring people like Steve Allen, Ed Sullivan, and Jackie Gleason. We sat on the trucks and around the trucks of the fire station being fascinated but the comedy and excitement of television. .

I remember those trucks. They were bright red, new and shiny. I also remember the excitement of the fire station. When the whistle blew everyone ran. They ran for their hats and boot. The put on their heavy coats, grabbed their ax and jumped on their trucks. Then with bells ringing and sirens screaming they took off from the station to go fight the fire. It was really exciting, and I remember thinking in those days that when I grew up I wanted to be a fireman.

When I was about 30 years old my wish came true. I got the chance to be a fireman as I joined the volunteer firefighters of Wilton, New Hampshire. I went to meetings, did exercises, studied about firefighting and looked forward to the time when the call would come and we would go off to fight the blazes. Early one morning I woke up at 6:45 to hear the fire alarm ringing. I jumped out of bed, noticed that it had been snowing and as much as eight new inches of snow was in the driveway, I was determined to do a good “fireman” job as I threw on my coat, ran out to the door and preceded to get my car stuck in a snowbank.

Quickly I jumped out of the car and grabbed my shovel to shovel and shovel and shovel until the car was free and I drove down the road. I slid down the hill to the highway, made a right turn preceded down the highway to make a left turn, went around a huge curve and drove into town. I went all the way to the fire station, and when I arrived the doors were closed, the trucks were inside, and not one person had answered the fire alarm which was sounded that morning to let people know there was no school. Very quietly I drove down the street, turned around and drove home hoping nobody noticed my dedication to answer the no school alarm.

Sometimes we are like that in life. We have passion, We have drive. We have interest to do things to help others and to make the world a better place, but we need to realize that not all the roads will get us to the place we want to be. Jesus did say once, “Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves." In other words know we you are and know how to get there. Learn the rules of the game before you begin to play it. Think it out before you jump in. Don’t only want to do the right thing - also make sure that the thing you are doing is right..

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

HOPE IN THE SEEDS

I really get discouraged living in this world today. I listen to conversations about the problems we face as people. I hear about unemployment and how this will become worse in the future. I listen to people talk about global warming. Some say it is nothing to worry about, and others say if we don't do something about it the world will be consumed by its devastation. I do not know who to believe, and even less I do not know what I can do to fix it. I am disgusted with wars that go on and on without end. I hear the talk about the future bankruptcy which will be caused by Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, but I also know the dignity and possibility of living which these programs create. I hear the arguments about raising taxes, and I hear the discussion about cutting back programs of the government.

Then I wonder who is going to be hurt the most by the solutions that our political leaders will put forth in the laws they create.

I look at the great problems, and I know that I can do very little about them. President Obama does not call me for advice. Susan Collins does not write to me for any answers. Paul LaPage, and the editor of the Portland Press Herald do not ask me if I have any solutions. If I mention some of these issues to my friends those who agree with me nod their heads,"Yes," and those who do not agree shake their heads, "No." My voice in this world is so small, I hardly see it as being effectual at all to make any difference in great problems of our democracy.

Small. Small. Small. How small is a tiny baby born in a barn in Bethlehem? How small is a country preacher with the congregation of 12 people who do not seem to understand him? How insignificant are three crosses on a hill far away? How small is a mustard seed?

I planted a garden this year. I planted a couple packages of carrot seeds, and a couple packages of bean seeds. I put a dozen small tomato plants in the ground, six small cucumber plants, and six zucchini seeds in three small hills. I planted peppers, broccoli, squash and some lettuce which grew spontaneously from last year. Not all of the seeds grew. Some of the plants which sprang up died. Some of the plants grew leaves, but no fruit.

I quickly forgot the seeds which died, but for 2 1/2 months I have taken great joy in the seeds which did lived. I made salads with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers which came from my garden. I cooked zucchini slices and made zucchini bread with vegetable of my garden. I've eaten several wonderful meals with broccoli from my garden, and as the special holiday of Thanksgiving will soon be upon us I am keeping butternut squash from my garden to cook with the turkey that I will have to celebrate the wonderful, abundant bounty which God has provided me.

In the spring as I thought about my garden I could holds the seeds that I would plant in one hand, and I could put the plants that I would place in the ground in the other, and out of this little supply I have enjoyed a summertime feast. One day in my church I held up an apple, an orange, and a few grains of wheat. I told the congregation that in my hands on that day with those gifts I had a supply of food which over time could be used to feed the world. What good is a seed?

I remember a song from a man named Joe Wise. The song was called, “A seed,” and the words went like this:
Is there anything at all as little as a seed?
Is there anything at all as little as a seed?
And yet it grows, grows, grows,
Yes it grows until it gives you all you need, need, need.


From a seed comes the solutions of life.

I think my country where I live, and my country which I love is in terrible, terrible trouble. I think nationally and internationally we are facing problems whose dimensions are huge. I believe these problems will only be solved when nationally we as a people come together with love to support and work for solutions to heal us, but we are not ready to do that yet. Individuals want to help, but nationally we are too divided to find cures. We are too angry to reach out to help. We are too entrenched in our little view to be inspired by larger views to solve our great problems, and before we change as a nation we will need to suffer more. Answers for the common good will only come after our hearts are broken. Why do I feel this way?

I have been to meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. I have met people who have been drunk and who got sober. I have walked their pathway to experience the pain of their addiction and the joy of their restoration. One of the truths I have learned on that road is before people are able to change for the better they often need to bottom out at the worst. Look around. How many people are destroying their bodies with obesity, and still we eat like hogs? How many people die of addiction and yet we continue to take the drugs of doctors and dealers? We speed and crash our cars. We gamble and lose our wealth. We lust and abuse our families. We ridicule and lose our friends. In front of us is a huge pit of anguish, and we keep walking into it. Like the Prodigal Son in the bible story Jesus told we need to lose our wealth and wind up feeding the pigs in a pen before we learn that actions have consequences.

One of the worst times of bottoming out for our nation was the depression of the 1930's which extended into the 1940's. It was created by the greed of those who took all they could until all was lost. This became a period of extreme suffering which then created a new national mood to improve the lives of people. I have a difficult time trying to find hope when I believe we are still rolling down the hill in a cart with no brakes until we reach the bottom. Sometimes I feel like I am on the Titanic after it hit the iceberg and I don't know what I will do. Will I try to push myself into one of the lifeboats even though my presence on that boat will mean that another person will die, or do I join the band and sing “Nearer My God to thee” as I sink beneath the waves? What can I do in this world in the last few days and years of my life to make a difference? Where do I find my hope? Do I just sit and curse the darkness, or can I stand up to light a candle? Can I hope to make any difference at all?

My soul answers, “Yes.” In my heart I want to have the faith of a mustard seed which Jesus said is the smallest of seeds yet when it grows, it grows to be a great bush so that the birds of the air can come and make their nests within it. I want to help someone in the hope that that person will help someone else and those people will help someone else so one by one we will continue to help someone else until the whole world can know and feel the wonder of love. I want to be a seed which grows, and I want to believe the miracle of Bethlehem can still happen today.

I know who I will vote for in 2012. I do not know if that person will win, and even if the one I vote for wins I do not know if that person will have the solutions to make this country and world a better place to live in. If that person does not win I do not know if the other winner I vote against will make things better or worse. No one seems to really know what the future will bring, but I do believe we will have a hand in what will happen, I believe that in the whole collection of the universe whenever we give a cup of cold water to someone in need, whenever we give a coat to keep someone warm, whenever we speak a word of love to a lonely and discouraged heart our words and deeds will not be lost.

My hope is in seeds because I know that seeds will grow. My faith is in seeds because I know good deeds done are little victories for life won. My hope is the belief that in the struggle, not only to survive but to live in peace with love, God touches the hearts of many to do good deeds for all. I do get discouraged with what I see happening in the world, but then a friend touches me with joy and I believe that what is happening in the world brings good to us and will create goodness within us. The problems of living are great but I believe in faith, hope, love, peace, joy, goodwill and self control and what gives me a confident hope is:

I know I am not alone in this. I know as we live in the crucifixion of Calvary we will also come to see the resurrection of Easter, and out of the pain of death we will find hope in the seeds of life. In the end of the struggling of my soul with God I do remain an optimist who looks to the future to see a new heaven and a new earth coming for us to receive.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

To Be Perfect

I have been lying on my bed unable to sleep for over an hour. When this happens my mind races, and if my thoughts were on wheels they would beat any car in any race at any time. I hate laying there in the dark thinking all kinds of thoughts. Such an activity creates a multitude of feelings - depending on what happened in my daily living. This morning in the wandering of my mind I begin to reflect on hurtful words and actions and as I did some words of Scripture came to mind.

For me, Scriptures, the Holy Book, the Words of the Lord are the source of knowledge and inspiration for my faith. This morning as my mind was so active thinking about mistakes in my life one little passages of scripture came to my mind. The passage is from the gospel of Matthew, chapter five, verse 48. It reads, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect.” To someone like myself these are terrible words of condemnation to hear.

I am a perfectionist. I see to be perfect in everything. I wanted to be the perfect child to my parents so that I would have their love. I wanted to be the perfect student getting excellent grades in everything I do. I wanted to be perfect in my work never making a mistake always doing everything right. I wanted to be the perfect husband, absolutely loving to my wife and love by her. I wanted to be the perfect father who always did right for his children. I wanted to be the perfect citizen. I wanted to be the perfect friend. I wanted to be perfect in every way.

I remember the words to the song,
Oh, Lord, it is hard to be humble,
When you’re perfect in every way,
Can’t stand to look in the mirror,
I keep getting better each day.” I remember the song, and constantly realize how those words can never refer to me.

I am a perfectionist, but my life is full of sins, mistakes and hurts. Even if I never hurt anyone else, I still hurt myself in so many ways. Rather than being able to hit the home run to win the game, I struck out and lost the game. I was not the perfect child, and I know I disappointed my parents. I got divorced. I frustrate my children and get them angry at me. I screw up on the job. I am lazy. I say stupid things wherever I go and I live a life of total imperfection.

The sins of my imperfections tear me apart inside and out. I have deep feelings of guilt in my heart, and if I sit in quiet just thinking of things weighs heavily unpon me. I know I am not a winner. I screw up terribly with family and friends. I get them angry. I feel stupid around them, and feel inadequate and helpless. As much as I want to share love, I missed the boat. Jealousy, fear, prejudice, anger and lust fill my heart with guilt.

I feel inferior and unable to do the right things. I no longer want to try. I am ashamed of being discovered, so I hide my talents under rock to stay safe and avoid reaching out one more time for fear of being slapped down again. I read the Bible verse which tells me to be perfect, and rather than being helpful to me in any way the verse judges me in every way as the desire for perfection defeats me. At that point and I am lost without any hope at all. Then I seek to find comfort.

As I continue to look around the scriptures I do discover other words to offset the need of perfection. The other words speak of forgiveness. I read the story where some friends lower a paralyzed man before Jesus. The only way they could get Jesus to see this man was to cut a hole in the roof and bring him down through it. When Jesus saw their faith he took the man by the hand and said, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” In my sick soul I hear those words as if they are spoken to me, and in them I discover a bit of hope.

I read other words found in the of the Letter of I John which say, “If we confess our sins God is faithful and just, and he will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” All unrighteousness. I hear these words and I think of God's forgiveness as being unlimited. I hear words from an old song which I remember which say, “All my sins have been forgiven, God is wonderful to me."

I believe this idea - God's love is unlimited and he offers us total forgiveness. Everything in the past, and the present and in the future is forgiven by him. It is total, complete, absolute, and almost impossible to receive and understand. Almost impossible, but when I think of the depth of this thought I believe t is true.

His love is unlimited, His forgiveness is total, and I find in him confidence to live with myself. I remember an old saying I once saw in a Christian Bible Store which reads, “I am not perfect, only forgiven.” It was such meaningful words and I have never forgotten them. I once spent a long time trying to think of what eh word forgiveness means, and I have come to understand it this way.

When wrong is done we no longer give. Our love is taken away and replaced with a barrier that becomes a wall between us. We lose communion and sharing. We lose our togetherness. The act of forgiving breaks the barrier and removes the wall to reestablish our relationship of love once again. We are for giving - in favor of giving and we desire giving. We give to each other our time and person in a spirit of joy.

I do not try to be perfect anymore. I try to accept forgiveness, and I seek to give forgiveness for myself when I am wrong and to others who do wrong to me. I seek to live a life of spirit which is free from a life of judgment, condemnation and self defeat. I see to extract freedom and live a positive life of hope. I want to have an optimistic vision of the good which can be and the good which will overcome the hurt which surrounds us all. It is not an easy goal to achieve. but as I seek to live in hope I do discover a sense of love which makes forgiveness possible. In the long run it is this possibility which makes hope real and love strong for living in the moments God gives us to enjoy.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Tonight I went to Jeanne's 50th high school reunion. It was nice. I watched all the old classmates greeting each other, took lots of pictures, listened to conversations, had a great meal to eat, (too much) and felt quite comfortable.

Then we danced. They had hired a good band which played a lot of soft, easy music from the late 50's and early 60's, and it was fun. At first only a few got up, but as the night wore on more and more got on the dance floor. Then the "old feeling" got to people who began to jump around and it was wonderful to see - 70 year olds dancing like they were in "Footloose."

I watched a group on the floor dancing, and for a few seconds I saw what used to be - not old people talking about being old, but energized people being themselves. It really sucks as to what age does to us, but it is beautiful to have all our memories, and it warms the heart when the pictures of years goine by press into the present and we see love again - the love of youth and sharing - community and spirit. As Martha would say - "It is a good thing," and for tonight it was. So I conclude by quoting Cyndi's lisence plate - "Thankugod" for this night
A PRAYER




Lord, sometimes I get so pissed off and angry taht I can no longer function. I can't see what to do, and my whole body screams in frustration. In those moments I need to go away and hide - even for only a moment to refocus. Help me in frustration to be faithful. Amen