Don't Sweat It

     With my entire anatomy covered in grease and sweat…I had to ask myself why didn’t I pay more attention in class…why didn’t I study harder and become a brain surgeon.  If I had done less daydreaming…I could have been in a nice, clean, air-conditioned operating room wearing a white coat with nurses at my beckoned command.  But…no…here I am, all by myself, in a dirty, hot warehouse trying to repair an old worn out tire-changing machine that should have been junked years ago.

     Wait a minute, I can’t stand the sight of blood and I have a terrible bedside manner.  As air fills the bellows, the old apparatus wheezes and comes back to life.  What a feeling of accomplishment…maybe my job isn’t so bad after all.  Besides the patient did not die and no blood was lost during this operation. 

Dear Lord Jesus…

For the talent you gave

I need not put in a grave

Over the fence, is for the dreamer

Only perception makes it greener

Upon me it did not dawn

To just water my own lawn

For it shows no class

To ogle the neighbor’s grass

Thanks for the gifts YOU bestow

There’s no reason for me to woe

For YOU know what’s best

After all…it is just a test.

Amen.

Goose Bumps

As a youngster I did not understand why I had to go to church…because…and I quote “I don’t get anything out of it.”  Now, when I hear that same response from my children and grandchildren, it disturbs me and I can’t come up with a good retort.  I’m not sure when or why I changed. But now church feeds a hunger in me that yearns for more.  There is something mysterious about Mass.   Even though I daydream, fidget and fumble with the prayer book and lose my place…during Mass I always have a goose bump moment that convicts me, a moment of reassurance, reassurance that Jesus loves me no matter what.  It’s just an ephemeral feeling that holds some unexplainable truth that I can’t put into words nor put my finger on…but I know it’s real.  So I just want to be there…in church...I think that’s pretty much the answer my parents gave me “you just HAVE to be there”. They gave me no other option.

God will put you in your place

When His grace is in your face

You can hide and you can run

You can say you’re having fun

But

There will be no reason to frown

When

The hound of heaven tracks you down.

Amen

I Saw Stars

While making a simple repair to a customer’s material handling conveyor, I was feeling quite smug and thinking how smart I was.  The problem seemed simple to me yet the customer had no clue.  That’s about the time I saw stars.  The wrench slipped off and I hit myself in the face…what a rookie mistake…putting my mug directly in front of the action.  In an effort to hide my stupidity I dobbed the blood onto my shirtsleeve and after I regained my composure I could not help but chuckle at the thought that God has His ways of keeping me humble.

So as I place the band-aid of humility to my upper lip I thank God for the little reminders of who is in charge and who should get the credit for whatever gifts I may or may not have.

Thank you Lord Jesus,

A slap in the face has its place

When I could not be much 'blinder'

And so it seems to be the case

For sometimes I need a little reminder.

Amen.

Life

My life did not turn out the way I envisioned it as a child or even as an immature adult. I had some pretty egotistical ideas.  Now, I have to chuckle at all those grandiose dreams of fame and fortune.  For it…life, that is…turned out better than all of my selfish delusions. 

Trial and error is one way to figure life out, or you can just follow God’s rules to achieve the peace and joy that is our real goal.  From experience I can unequivocally say the latter method is easier than the former method.  For instance…I can remember all the self-centered reasons I had for getting married.  Fortunately God talks to me and He straightened out my thinking on that issue.  The difficult part is that God uses my wife’s voice most of the time when he talks to me.  And as much as I hate to hear the truth somewhere deep down inside I know…I know it’s the truth. 

Personally, I prefer my truth sugarcoated and easy on the nagging.   But I have to reassure myself that God knows what he is doing and I need to just listen and comply.

Thank you, Lord Jesus;

For my guardian angel mate,

Who knows what’s best for my fate.

Thanks for telling me before it’s too late.

And for so much more, I can’t ignore.

I thank you each night before I snore.

Hoping we will meet on that celestial shore.

You came to save me from myself.

Even though I am a spiritual elf.

This is a truth I cannot shelf.

Nailed to a tree just for me,

So this should be my only plea,

Which I make on bended knee.

Now when it comes to eternity,

It would fill my heart with glee

That I should spent the time with Thee

Amen.