I work overnights and when I came home Wednesday morning, I parked in the front of the house because I wanted to be in the shade. Well that was a pipedream, but I was too lazy to go park behind the house. Anywho, as I was leaving to go my friend Tim’s house for the 4th, I saw what I can only guess was a baby squirrel in the gutter in front of passenger side front tire.
When I say a baby squirrel, I mean a ‘baby’. This thing had no hair , and it’s eyes weren’t fully developed and it was all gross. I couldn’t find a nest anywhere, so I have no idea where it came from and how long it had been crawling through the gutter. There was a pebble stuck in the skin on the back of its head, and I did not want to risk pulling it out.
Not really knowing what I could do for it, I grabbed a napkin from the car and picked it up from the gutter. As many of us know, the more fragile something is, the harder it is to pick it up without breaking it. The squirrel did not want to be picked up; it kept trying to crawl out of my hands, and I didn’t want to hold it too tightly for fear of doing more damage. In the end, I placed it under a plant growing in the yard so at least it would be in the shade. The squirrel immediately began to crawl away from where I had placed it.
I was struck by how similar this is to life, because we are all like that squirrel. We are vulnerable, gross, and really don’t know what’s best for us. We spend so much time blindly crawling around, trying to find a safe place, all the while trying to keep hidden the things we are ashamed of. We hate the situations we are in but can’t seem to change them, and so we blunder forward into who knows what, doing the same things we were doing before.
God sees us as we are, where we have been, where we are going, and where we can go if we go with him. He did not simply turn his back on us when he ejected us from the Garden of Eden, but stayed alongside us and is continually making a way for us to be with him.
But we fight and scrape and move in the opposite direction, not accepting God’s grace. We confuse obedience for slavery, and the chains of sin for freedom. And God goes nowhere, waiting patiently, but not forcing his will upon us.
I don’t know what happened to that squirrel; I looked for it after I got home, and again the next morning without finding it. I don’t know if it would have been more merciful to just kill it. But I do know that I tried to help it and it didn’t want my help, that I was trying to something good and it couldn’t tell because it was just a hairless baby rodent. It had an excuse to fight against compassion, and in that way I envy him.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Living in the Twin Cities
Here are a few things that I have seen or experienced since I moved from Alexandria to Minneapolis.
-A man drinking from a paper bag while walking down the sidewalk.
-Somebody getting arrested in the parking lot of the Brookdale branch of the Hennepin County Library.
-Somebody getting arrested on the side of Highway 100 North late at night on the 4th of July, forcing me to do some fancy driving to not miss the exit.
-A man walking in to a Holiday gas station dressed as a sultan. I would have taken a picture, but I didn’t want to offend him in case he was a genie. He might have been a nice genie, like Robin Williams in ‘Aladdin’, but would probably be like the evil genie from the ‘Wishmaster’ movies.
-An entire family gathered in the men’s bathroom at Target while a baby’s diaper is being changed. Try doing your business with a couple little kids running around outside the stall.
-Going to the movies in a discount theater that gives me an idea what going to the movies in a post-apocalyptic wasteland would be like.
This list has a lot of random and odd things that have happened to me since October 2011, but one might notice that I didn’t mention anything about God. Two reasons for that-One: I wanted to share some of these weird moments. Two: The moments where God makes himself evident and shows his goodness to me are too numerous to list here, and frankly deserve their own posts and shouldn’t be sandwiched in with some crap about genies and post apocalyptic movie theaters. That, however, will not stop me from mixing these things together.
-A man drinking from a paper bag while walking down the sidewalk.
-Somebody getting arrested in the parking lot of the Brookdale branch of the Hennepin County Library.
-Somebody getting arrested on the side of Highway 100 North late at night on the 4th of July, forcing me to do some fancy driving to not miss the exit.
-A man walking in to a Holiday gas station dressed as a sultan. I would have taken a picture, but I didn’t want to offend him in case he was a genie. He might have been a nice genie, like Robin Williams in ‘Aladdin’, but would probably be like the evil genie from the ‘Wishmaster’ movies.
-An entire family gathered in the men’s bathroom at Target while a baby’s diaper is being changed. Try doing your business with a couple little kids running around outside the stall.
-Going to the movies in a discount theater that gives me an idea what going to the movies in a post-apocalyptic wasteland would be like.
This list has a lot of random and odd things that have happened to me since October 2011, but one might notice that I didn’t mention anything about God. Two reasons for that-One: I wanted to share some of these weird moments. Two: The moments where God makes himself evident and shows his goodness to me are too numerous to list here, and frankly deserve their own posts and shouldn’t be sandwiched in with some crap about genies and post apocalyptic movie theaters. That, however, will not stop me from mixing these things together.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Becoming Like the Paparazzi
The optometrist or ophthalmologist or whatever it’s called at the Alexandria Wal-Mart is named Dr. Derek Bonaci. I think that’s how you spell his name. Anywho, he’s the eye doctor at Wal-Mart. I see his name and his picture just every time I am there (some weeks it was been almost every day ).
So I get a lot of face time with Dr. Bonaci…’s photograph. So I had this idea that it would be kind of funny some time to go up to him and say ‘Are you Derek Bonaci? The Derek Bonaci?’ And maybe ask him for his autograph, and say how great it was to actually meet him.
And if I felt like lying, I would claim that I had actually done that, that Dr. Bonaci was deeply moved in some profound way, and not just thinking I was some wiseacre up to some tomfoolery. Which it would be, the type of tomfoolery you would expect from some who uses the word ‘tomfoolery’.
But, I wonder what would happen if we started to treat other people like the paparazzi treat celebrities. I do not mean getting into car chases, just to get a ‘casual’ shot. I do not mean going through your neighbors’ garbage, or looking for ‘baby bumps’, or any of that stuff you see in the check out line or on the E! network.
I am talking about making a big deal out of other people. I am talking about giving people your full attention, no matter who they are or what that interchange will get you.
Why? Because each and every person you came into contact with today is someone that God is passionately in love with. Because if Jesus was physically in this room with me right now, I believe that I would have his undivided attention. Because no matter the level of humility or modesty, everybody wants somebody to pay attention to them at some point. Because I believe it is a great way to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
P.S. I don't know if this will show up as a repost. According to the site, this was only a draft and never posted.
More Funny Thoughts That I Forgot Yesterday/Hadn’t Had Yet
-I heard Coldplay on the radio a couple days ago and I decided that they should put out a rap album, because it would be extremely awful and then maybe they wouldn’t play them on the radio 14 times an hour.
-I don’t have a lot of romantic experience with women, but I bet if I were writing a love poem, referring to a woman as ‘the Kanye West of my heart’ would be a bad idea.
-Monkeys probably wouldn’t make good babysitters, but I won’t know for sure unless I have children of my own.
-While Dove chocolates are delicious, they are so obviously designed for women. I know this because of the messages on the inside of the wrappers. I had one last week at work and the message inside said ‘Explore yourself’. It might as well have had ‘girlfriend’ or ‘diva’ on the end of it. I am waiting for one to just say ‘You go girl’.
-The name ‘Kanye’ is now in my computer’s dictionary.
-We know that crooked cops take bribes and work as freelance muscle, but I think a crooked dentist probably just gives out lots of candy at Halloween and other candy appropriate holidays.
-A good way to take up space in a document is a size 14 font, accompanied with dashes at the beginning of the sentence and a space between each statement.
-I don’t have a lot of romantic experience with women, but I bet if I were writing a love poem, referring to a woman as ‘the Kanye West of my heart’ would be a bad idea.
-Monkeys probably wouldn’t make good babysitters, but I won’t know for sure unless I have children of my own.
-While Dove chocolates are delicious, they are so obviously designed for women. I know this because of the messages on the inside of the wrappers. I had one last week at work and the message inside said ‘Explore yourself’. It might as well have had ‘girlfriend’ or ‘diva’ on the end of it. I am waiting for one to just say ‘You go girl’.
-The name ‘Kanye’ is now in my computer’s dictionary.
-We know that crooked cops take bribes and work as freelance muscle, but I think a crooked dentist probably just gives out lots of candy at Halloween and other candy appropriate holidays.
-A good way to take up space in a document is a size 14 font, accompanied with dashes at the beginning of the sentence and a space between each statement.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Funny Thoughts to Brighten or Darken Your Day
Here is a collection of random thoughts for you to ponder as you make a better use of your time than I do.
-Whenever I see a discarded shoe on the side of the road, I say a little prayer that there isn’t a foot in that thing.
-If I see the word ‘bronies’ on the Internet, I ignore it and hope that someone misspelled brownies.
-If I could grow a beard, I would have an instant Zach Galifanakis costume.
-When life gives you lemons, thank the Lord that life didn’t give you Brussels sprouts. You can’t make any delicious beverages with Brussels sprouts, whereas lemons afford you multiple options.
-Yesterday I saw a non-fiction library book entitled ‘Medieval Elves’. I was super excited to tell people this, until a second look told me it said ‘Medieval Lives’.
-Often times the only thing that separates man from the apes is a tall fence. Also we’re not apes.
-When someone asks ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’, you should ask if anyone has checked on the farmer recently. If his chickens are running around willy-nilly, maybe it means the farmer died.
-I think a good business idea would be suits of armor for babies.
-Whenever I see a discarded shoe on the side of the road, I say a little prayer that there isn’t a foot in that thing.
-If I see the word ‘bronies’ on the Internet, I ignore it and hope that someone misspelled brownies.
-If I could grow a beard, I would have an instant Zach Galifanakis costume.
-When life gives you lemons, thank the Lord that life didn’t give you Brussels sprouts. You can’t make any delicious beverages with Brussels sprouts, whereas lemons afford you multiple options.
-Yesterday I saw a non-fiction library book entitled ‘Medieval Elves’. I was super excited to tell people this, until a second look told me it said ‘Medieval Lives’.
-Often times the only thing that separates man from the apes is a tall fence. Also we’re not apes.
-When someone asks ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’, you should ask if anyone has checked on the farmer recently. If his chickens are running around willy-nilly, maybe it means the farmer died.
-I think a good business idea would be suits of armor for babies.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Fiddle Dee Dee, It’s a Small World After All
Recently I find myself experiencing an interesting phenomenon: It seems as if everybody I know knows everybody else I know. The couple from high school who are friends with the brother of an old college friend. That guy from college who leads youth group with one of my younger brother’s high school friends.
And it’s not just that; I’m coming across people who know people who know people. A friend’s friend’s mother-in-law who knows a random guy I went to college with for a year. Odd little things like that. People who met and found out they both knew me, only to find out they knew a lot more of the same people than they had previously been aware.
This is the kind of thing that would happen to every once in a while, but has been happening a lot more recently. Not because I talk to people like a human being, but because I peep on their random thoughts through Facebook. I have two thoughts on this: One, I wish that I was a bit more of the connecting factor between these people and not just finding these things out randomly; I could use an ego boost right now.
Thought number two: Despite how big our world is, no matter what its population size, or what your background is, we are all connected to one another as human beings. If we take it to a larger perspective, despite the size, population, and diversity of our world, there is one God who fashioned it together and knows all who live upon it.
All these people who I come across that know each other, even though I wouldn’t expect them to, are not just a part of the human family, but a part of God’s family. This family is not bound together by geography, ethnicity, or human bloodlines, but by the blood of Jesus Christ. And if I make no other point in this writing, let it be that we are never alone: Not only is our God with us, but His children are everywhere, willing to cry or laugh with you. It’s true, even when it doesn’t feel that way.
It is a small world after all, held in the hands of a God who does all things well.
And it’s not just that; I’m coming across people who know people who know people. A friend’s friend’s mother-in-law who knows a random guy I went to college with for a year. Odd little things like that. People who met and found out they both knew me, only to find out they knew a lot more of the same people than they had previously been aware.
This is the kind of thing that would happen to every once in a while, but has been happening a lot more recently. Not because I talk to people like a human being, but because I peep on their random thoughts through Facebook. I have two thoughts on this: One, I wish that I was a bit more of the connecting factor between these people and not just finding these things out randomly; I could use an ego boost right now.
Thought number two: Despite how big our world is, no matter what its population size, or what your background is, we are all connected to one another as human beings. If we take it to a larger perspective, despite the size, population, and diversity of our world, there is one God who fashioned it together and knows all who live upon it.
All these people who I come across that know each other, even though I wouldn’t expect them to, are not just a part of the human family, but a part of God’s family. This family is not bound together by geography, ethnicity, or human bloodlines, but by the blood of Jesus Christ. And if I make no other point in this writing, let it be that we are never alone: Not only is our God with us, but His children are everywhere, willing to cry or laugh with you. It’s true, even when it doesn’t feel that way.
It is a small world after all, held in the hands of a God who does all things well.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Apathetic Like Jesus
As one who attended a Bible college, I encountered a lot of people falling in love and getting married. Some couples were good friends, others merely acquaintances. One year, one such couple got married about halfway through the first semester.
I am not exaggerating when I say that almost everyone one from school went to that wedding (don’t pee your pants with disbelief-it’s a small Bible college). Several faculty members had gone, and every one of the R.A.s went-except for me. I was the only authority on campus that weekend. That in itself is terrifying.
Later on, when talking with a friend about why I had not gone, I expressed that in the most Christ like way possible, I just didn’t care. That phrase would resurface every once in a while in my vocabulary in the following years.
When I would say this about someone or something, I meant nothing vicious or mean-spirited. I wished people the best in a very general way, but if we weren’t friends the subject in question wasn’t that important to me. It just wasn’t.
In the past year or so, I have made a conscious effort to never say that again, for the simple reason that there is no such thing as Christ like apathy. I don’t believe that I will ever be friends with every person, much less good friends. That’s okay, because I don’t have to be.
But I don’t think not giving a crap is alright either. And it is certainly not right to try to tag on godly attributes to an ungodly attitude. If I don’t care about someone or something very much, I need to own that and leave Jesus out of that, because I know he is not apathetic.
Thank you, Jesus, that you do not share the attitude that I sometimes have. If Jesus was ever apathetic, there would not be a life, a ministry, a death, and a resurrection to celebrate, something that is not to be celebrated only this weekend, but in every second that we are given. Jesus, I’m sorry for tagging you onto my lameness; you deserve better.
I don’t necessarily know how to change this, but I know I need to, and that my savior hasn’t given up on me.
I am not exaggerating when I say that almost everyone one from school went to that wedding (don’t pee your pants with disbelief-it’s a small Bible college). Several faculty members had gone, and every one of the R.A.s went-except for me. I was the only authority on campus that weekend. That in itself is terrifying.
Later on, when talking with a friend about why I had not gone, I expressed that in the most Christ like way possible, I just didn’t care. That phrase would resurface every once in a while in my vocabulary in the following years.
When I would say this about someone or something, I meant nothing vicious or mean-spirited. I wished people the best in a very general way, but if we weren’t friends the subject in question wasn’t that important to me. It just wasn’t.
In the past year or so, I have made a conscious effort to never say that again, for the simple reason that there is no such thing as Christ like apathy. I don’t believe that I will ever be friends with every person, much less good friends. That’s okay, because I don’t have to be.
But I don’t think not giving a crap is alright either. And it is certainly not right to try to tag on godly attributes to an ungodly attitude. If I don’t care about someone or something very much, I need to own that and leave Jesus out of that, because I know he is not apathetic.
Thank you, Jesus, that you do not share the attitude that I sometimes have. If Jesus was ever apathetic, there would not be a life, a ministry, a death, and a resurrection to celebrate, something that is not to be celebrated only this weekend, but in every second that we are given. Jesus, I’m sorry for tagging you onto my lameness; you deserve better.
I don’t necessarily know how to change this, but I know I need to, and that my savior hasn’t given up on me.
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