Seen and heard along I-80

I was driving to Des Moines and back today for a regional church meeting. That was pretty much a yawner. Not much accomplished at that gathering, from what I could tell.

The drive down the interstate is usually interesting to me. Even that wasn't so great today. I saw some cars in the ditches and wondered how they got there. After the first half hour, I ran out of KVNO's radio range and realized I'd forgotten to pack music. So, I spent my time pushing the 'seek' button on the radio dial. What I found was station after station of noisy commercials, bad country music, small-town school announcements and obituaries. Pretty bad. Mostly, it was just NOISE. Where was the public radio station when I needed it?

I was pushing the seek button as I passed Casey. I heard "Trivia for Travellers and Truckers." (At least it wasn't noisy.) What is Iowa's state bird? State flower? State rock? Then it moved to trivia about the town of Adair and statements about Iowa's good educational opportunities, job opportunities, and quality of life. Next was the traffic report and the announcement that there were no problems today. As I heard these same things repeated again and again, I realized that I had found the travel info radio station -- you know, the one that the IDOT posts for weather info and that sort of thing. I'd never listened to it before..... and I see why. It had accurate and valuable info, but it was boring. If the weather conditions were bad, I might be more inclined to continue to listen to it.

I wonder if the Church passes on its message to life travelers the same way. The music is sometimes ho-hum. The message seems to be trivial and unrelated to modern-day situations, even tho it has meaning for Christians. During the times of our lives when things are going well, it's easy to turn off the message and listen to the noise of the world instead. When life becomes difficult, we are more attentive to the message of the Church.

As a member of the Church, I have a responsibility to pass on the message of God's love to all of life's travelers -- to all of those on a spiritual journey. I don't want other travelers to hear this message as trivia. I wonder if that's what others hear from me...... or do they hear my enthusiastic thanksgiving for God's love? Does the Church proclaim Jesus as Savior in a way that causes others to pay attention? I wonder what we can do as a Church to make other travelers stop and take notice........

Ash Wednesday

Lent started yesterday. This is my favorite season of the church year. For me, it presents opportunities for introspection. Lent invites me to consider my motives, my actions, my relationships with God and with one another.

Yet, it is not enough for me to sit alone and contemplate. For some folks, this is a time of giving up a habit or a favorite pleasure. That's not me. I find myself called to action -- tho not necessarily anything spectacular. I find myself drawn to new ways of establishing relationship with God.

And so yesterday - Ash Wednesday - I attended a noontime service. It is good to gather with other believers in Christ. Then for those who come for supper at church, I helped set up a prayer station in the sanctuary and assisted in blessing people and praying with them. The ashes remind us that we come from dust and will return to dust when this earthly life is over.

Each Wednesday at Broadway Christian, we feed people to keep their bodies going a little longer. Last night, we offered those same people food for their souls. Those who accepted the ashes and asked for prayers blessed me in ways they cannot imagine. I am honored to be on this lenten journey with them.

Sharing

Listen to these words from Nehmiah 8:10-- "Then he [Ezra] said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink your sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

What does it mean to me? In these days following the earthquake in Haiti and the blizzards here at home, it is easy for me to feel guilty about my abundance of material wealth. Yet, the prophet Ezra helps to put it in perspective. It's not that we are to feel guilty about our wealth, but that we must not forget to help those people who are without. It all goes back to that simple thing that I was taught as a child -- Sharing.

I am to share what I have with those who don't have. When I was a child, I shared grudgingly. It got easier the more I practiced it. Today, I still am tempted to complain when I pay taxes or make my tithe to the church. I'm tempted to think more highly of myself for doing what is required and right. I sometimes think that I should have greater privilege to say how the shared money is spent. But that's not so. I'm called to share of my wealth for the greater good of all.

Our God is a God of abundance. Our God gives us more than we can ever want. Our God entrusts us to distribute that wealth equitably so that all have enough. Help me, O God, to do my part and to do it with a smile on my face and without self-righteousness.

I wonder if I can do this...... I can, with God's help.

Snow - continued........

The snow started at noon on Thursday Christmas eve..... and it snowed and snowed and snowed.... Then it blew and blew..... and drifted and snowed and........ Well, you get the idea. The snow didn't stop until Saturday morning. Christmas eve church services were cancelled. Andy, Seika and Kei came early and stayed over, but Carrie's family was snowed in.

Our plans were interrupted and changed for us. Maybe it was for the best. Sometimes our Christmas seems so hurried. This year it was quiet, because we had no choice but to stay home. God had a different plan for us it seems. Perhaps this is one of the ways God stops us to get our attention? I don't know....

Christmas

"I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year.
- David Grayson
American author and journalist (1870-1946)"

Blessings

Here's something I read: "When you are blessed, you feel obliged to bless others."

More later........

Snow

It seems appropriate that I make some mention of the recent snowfall. I think we've probably gotten a foot or more of the white stuff since last Sunday. It's very cold this morning and the winds are blowing all around. We didn't try to get out and go to work til the snow plow came down the street and now that Rand has the shoveling done, we are going to make a try to get to the office.

I've had a warm dry place to weather the storm. I have plenty of food in the pantry and spent this morning making a hot cereal for Rand and making a casserole for tonight's supper. I hope to take this casserole to the church for the potluck supper there tonight.

I wonder how many people did not have warm places to spend the night. How many people are wondering when their next meal is? Maybe I can help out just a little bit to make the world better for even one more person today. That's my goal. That's my hope. Maybe someone will recognize Christ because of my actions. Dear God, make it so.