Have you noticed, people just don't pay attention!

               More and more accounts of distracted driving are reported with increasing property damage, personal injury and death. We are distracted by almost anything these days. So much so that we don’t really pay attention to what is going on right in front of our faces. Our hurry plays an important role in our distraction. You might think people who travel through the 21 I-95 interchange daily with its 30-60 minute waits would arrive at work calm, cool and collected having sat in their cars waiting but not so much. We could be chilling, meditating or jamin’ but no we are tensed up with ever increasing levels of hostility and yet unaware of the opportunity presented.

Conversations, real ones face to face and NOT text to text, suffer the most. Almost all of us enter a conversation and listen to the point where we can formulate what we will say next instead of listening to hear and understand what the other is saying. Family takes the greatest beating in this area. We talk but never listen to the ideas, hurts, concerns or delight behind the words. We are too busy thinking about what we will say or how we can “tell them off” that we fail to listen, really listen. People are hurting to be really heard. Recently an individual asked how we were in light of Mom and Dad’s deaths. We shared a few words and then our questioner told us of all of their woes from their parents’ passing several years ago. They wanted to be heard but they failed to listen.

Our attention lacks in what we read as well. I often don’t want to read every word so I scan the piece. But that means I have not read every word and probably missed a step or two. With Christmas so close there may indeed be more than one parent late at night trying desperately to assemble a gift frustrated it is not turning out well who failed to complete one step or to execute the steps in the proper order. Could that be you? This is probably more genetic to the male of the species although I do know of a few females who suffer the same fate. SO, how do we fix our attention deficit?

Recently as a friend and I talked we agreed that regarding instructions and Bible reading we needed to slow down and carefully read the story. Slow down and take the words in not trying to fit them in or get ready to respond but take them in first. It’s like a wide receiver who misses the ball because he got ready to run before he caught the pass. Let’s “catch the pass” and then see what we can do with it. This is especially true of Christmas.

Christmas is all about traditions. How about we start a new tradition? Let’s plan to slow down. At least once a day, read some scripture, pray a bit and then listen. Be still and take God in for a few! Since time began God has been speaking trying to get our attention. He is still at it. Yet, we’re not listening. Life is so about us. Christmas is about us as well. It's all about God becoming human so that we could see and hear him and his message of love.

Come on people let’s focus on Jesus.

It’s Christmas!    

In HIS Service and Yours.

BroG

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

               I read this week a question posed on Facebook regarding Christmas. The question was, what makes Christmas for you or something to that effect. In other words what helps you move to the spirit of Christmas? It’s a good question. We are to our detriment people motivated by our environment. This time of year the sights, sounds and smells are a huge motivator.

In my family we have a cookie recipe that we only make at Christmas. The recipe calls for the dough to be mixed and to sit 3 days to 3 weeks in a covered bowl before baking. It makes a dark gingerbread like cookie that is topped with a pecan half and a glaze. I think they are delicious just by the smell in the bowl. By the way we have a bowl in our kitchen just waiting to be baked and consumed. Maybe it is the smell of sugar in the house as candy is made and piles up on the counter plate by delicious plate. The season of Christmas has a lot to do with food. Well at least with me and my house.

Christmas is not the same without sound. This week I hurt my knee requiring a trip to the orthopedist. This was my first time seeing this doctor. As the conversation went he said he loved the Christmas season because of the music. Everyone in his family is musical except him but he loves music and the abundance of music at Christmas from orchestra to children’s choirs. Bells ring and people sing even folks who would never sing any other time sing a little at Christmas. Sacred or secular it doesn’t matter at Christmas people like the sounds of the season.

The sight of lights is what sets me in the season. Since I was a small boy I have loved looking at the lights of Christmas. We would get in the car and drive through neighborhoods to see the lights and comment on how beautiful each home was. Thursday night I was coming south through Guyton when I was struck by a light display. There on Central Avenue was a home brightly lit with a cross, nativity and other colors of the rainbow all in lights. I was dazzled. I have decided to go back Friday night to get some pictures it is that good.

Sights, sounds and smells are powerful motivators of this season but they are external. The real motivator of the season is Jesus. He is an internal kind of guy. He is transforming us form the inside out. It is his light that needs to shine not into but out of us every season of the year. Yet all too often for me his light is shrouded by other external factors. It is sad that I have to be coerced into the Christmas spirit. Why is Christ in me not enough? Why is his grace alone insufficient for me to shout “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased?”

I’m not sure I know the answer but I am taking it all in to prepare me once again this year for Christmas.

What about you?

How are you preparing for Christ this Christmas?

It is Advent! The season of preparation!

              

In HIS Service and Yours.

BroG

In the mail this week!

               I opened a card from an address I did not recognize. No, I was not worried about a virus because it came in the snail mail. Yes, a real card with real ink and a real stamp affixed to the corner. Yes, people do still use this archaic form of communication. I pulled the card from the envelope and the cover is a Christmas greetings scene. As I began to read, it was a thank you card from a family we had helped with food and a meal before Thanksgiving. Others collected the goods for the box and I delivered it to a common contact who then took it on to the intended recipient. So, I had not direct contact although I do know who they are. It began as most thank you notes do with gratitude for the gift and genuine appreciation. That’s where we took a turn.

The second paragraph started with, “We were able to feed twelve people on Thanksgiving Day and ten more on Saturday and we still have some left.” Those words shocked me. One because I did not think there was that much food in the box. What more profoundly struck me was they shared their gift with 22 people. My understanding is life is difficult right now for them and they can use all that comes their way yet they chose to share their blessing with others. In my almost 30 years of vocational ministry I have never had a Thank You card like this. Why would they do this? The key was in the third paragraph.

“My husband and I have been in the ministry for over thirty-five years and have given many baskets of food away, so it was nice to be on the receiving end for a change.” They were on the receiving end this time but they were giving as always. They have been faithful for all of those years and so they continued to be faithful. What a blessing. People who are thankful then giving what they have. God will respond to their generosity and faithfulness.

Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” Luke 6:38 MSG

Recently a friend wished me a blessed day. I replied I am blessed I just need to live like it. Today I am having a difficult time with that. All I can focus on is some pain in one of my knees. Maybe you are focused on one or two issues in your life. That is all you can see. To your sight there is yet to be a blessing there. Let me ask, what about other areas of your life? Are you blessed there? I you will look I think you can answer yes.

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:33 MSG        

                

In HIS Service and Yours.

BroG