What You Lookin' At?

What do you see when you look at someone? Here you are, sitting in a mall, drinking your Tim’s, and watching people. I just love watching people. It’s a great pastime, so follow me into the mall. You see the mom dragging her young tired child on a shopping trip the child does not want to be on. And you think . . . An elderly couple slowly walks by one window after another eventually resting at the table beside you with one coffee between them. And you think . . .
Then there are the animated teens vying to be heard above the others, while having their cell phone glued to the other ear. The boys dressed to impress the girls, with what we older adults call, dumpy looking attire. The girls on the other hand are hoping to be noticed by dressing like Britney and Nicole. And you think . . .
There are many others tucked in between. It’s not difficult to discover the middle age couples who have just started dating after a long ago divorce. There really are people representing everyone from the less fortunate who come in out of the cold and those trying not to be notice, just get their business done and on their way. And you wonder . . .
And what do we wonder? Or do we just say; they look happy, they look determined, she seems focused, he looks as if he is lost, I would never wear that, do they realize how terrible they look? Seldom do we go past this point. We sit with the aroma of coffee about us, noticing people by what we see.
A long time ago I realize there are three things that tell us a lot about people. Those three things are, in order, eyes, hair and walk. These three things tell us more about a persons’ personality then any other. It takes a lot of looking and observing to perfect the interpretation of people through these items. Once you have it all figured out, you have only begun to know them. When a person walks a certain way you can tell if they are determined, agenda focused, confident or a number of other personality traits. The same goes for the hair and the eyes. Remember the most important part of this observation is the eyes. They are the windows to the heart, and they do not lie.
I repeat, what do you see when you look at someone? On one end of the spectrum, you see what they want you to see. At the other end, you see who they are and they like themselves. What we really see is the shell, the package. Even ourselves, we project a package we hope people will like.
A long time ago a very wise young women said to me, “You may look at the package but you seldom see the heart. Look into their eyes to find their hearts and then do something to touch it.” It’s been more than thirty years since I heard those words but they reverberate in my mind every time I walk through a crowd or join people at a church function. Only God sees the heart of a person. Only He and the person themselves know what is going on inside. God knows about the hurts and the disappointments. He knows about the struggles and the doubt and fears. He also knows how He can help them. And he does, through people like you and me who look beyond the facade and listen to the heart we noticed in their eyes.
Whom have you seen lately?
Rob

The Pencil I Am

Most of us go through life observing the great things around us. The BIG things get our attention and make a difference to us. Or maybe it is just that these things get the best press. Whatever it is in each of us, we glance over the small stuff, thinking it insignificant to remember and not worth even thinking about.
This past week, as I helped out with the grade 2-3 class at Drumbo School, I became distracted just for a moment on what I noticed. One of the students was using a pencil that was no longer then about one and one half inches. Here she was, quietly working away with a very small pencil.
Why would she do this? Couldn’t she just go to the teacher and ask for a new one? Maybe this was a sinister plot concocted by a journalistic child looking to get every last word out of this writing instrument. In all likelihood she was just being a child and enjoying a challenge that involved seeing how long they could go with just one lowly small pencil.
Looking around, I noticed all the other children had decent pencils. Some were long and new, others short with no eraser left and still other children had pencils with distinct teeth marks that showed everyone their territorial domain. “That one, it’s mine!”
During an activity that took the students from their desks I unsuspectedly went over to the desk and sharpened the little stump just to give it a clean look and fresh wood. What memories came to mind as I smelt the scent of fresh wood and graphite together. Took me back to . . . Another day.
And so I spent the drive home wondering about that pencil and thinking of its attributes. It has the ability to correct its own mistakes. (Unless the eraser is pulled or chewed off). The pencil suffers pain when sharpened ( That is if it has feelings). It can do amazing things when held by the right person. Even though a pencil is short and close to being replaced, it still preforms amiably as it leaves its mark. Lastly, it is not the colour or shape or length that makes the difference. It’s what is inside that counts.
A small thing that most in this world never think about. First mass produced in 1662, they now cost twelve for a dollar. A small thing that shadows who we are. In our lives we are shaped by the master who holds the sharpener and makes us ready for the task to which He has called us. It is in His hand that we create the Big things we remember. Even though we cannot erase the past we can take away the pain found in life and replace it with peace.
I remember back to grade school when one of the last of the Group of Seven came to our class. In the short time he was there we were fascinated by him and not just his work. One thing has stayed with me from those early childhood days was this line, “The best artist never uses an eraser.” The best pencil is not the one that is pristine and new but the one God uses until it is no more then the unused eraser.
Just like the pencil, we have the ability to leave our mark. We leave our mark every time we write or draw on the hearts of others. It may be in the way we help a child up after falling off a bike or in the pie we take to a neighbour when they need something to brighten their day or the conversation over a cup of tea.
As you work on the big things in life, ask yourself what mark are you making? Oh and watch that eraser.
Rob

I Didn't See That

Last week our world had opportunity to witness something it will not see again for approximately a million years. Passing by us was a meteor. They didn’t give us much information. The news item gave times and places in the sky to look. Here I was, prepared to see something I will never live long enough to see again. The night before, people had not only seen it, but they photographed it.
Next morning, up early as I mentioned last week, I looked out the window only to be greeted by overcast skies. Disappointed with this I turned on the tv to see if I had opportunity to see it that evening. Again, they spoke of overcast skies. The forecast even said it will be the same the next day, the last day we would be able to see it.
I was crushed. I felt just like the fellow cleaning his lenses in the commercial for eyeglass lenses, missed it! Not really. It would have been wonderful to see another evidence of God’s handiwork. We missed it. So what. This was not earth shattering and the world would not come to end just because we did not see it. And those who did see it the previous night were given a memory and pictures that were amazing to say the least.If you think about it for a moment, that’s all the time it takes, you can remember more then enough times where you miss seeing something. Someone calls out, “Did you see that.” Your answer seems to be a repeat of the day before, and the week before and every other before, “Nope, missed it.” Almost seems like a way of life for some of us.
Some reasons we miss things can be due to timing and at other times it relates to our ability to see. Maybe there is something in that campfire song, “mine eyes are dim I cannot see.”
I am again reminded of the early hours of my day. At five in the morning it is usually dark out. I can only see so much of the world from this side of the window. There are faint lines where I can distinguish what I already know is there. Once a month the moon helps the stars with our night vision and we can see more. I ask, isn’t life like this?
In those dark times of life, God supplies us with two things to guide us. First, there is just enough light from the stars and moon. Just enough light to see what we need to see. God does know best. He knows what we can take and He tells us all we need to know. We may think we need to know, or should I say, see more. This is where trust comes in. We must trust God with our lives. Every bit of our lives. God’s vision is not limited by lack of light. He sees everything, even those things behind closed doors. He also can see our heart. He knows where we are and with a loving hand He guides us to safety and where we need to be. We don’t need to see more if God can see the whole thing.
God also supplies us with just enough vision to allow us to see what we need to see. My vision is no longer what it used to be. Age does that to most of us. You reach 40-45 years old and the doctor tells you, “You are at that age you know.” Again our vision is dependant on a God who has 20/20 vision and we trust Him as we see with our heart. Over the years, we learn more and more about who we are, who God is and how we are dependant on Him. This is a good thing. In life we depend on others as children and we depend on others as senior adults. In the middle, we think we can go it alone. Maybe this is a male thing. We feel our way through life and we tell ourselves we are good, and we can make it on my own. Let me reassure you. You haven’t. All along the way, God is there. He knows, and He sees for us.
If you feel like you are in the dark, let the light of Jesus Shine for you. And like Robert Frost writes;
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
As you lay your head down tonight, remember the words of Isaiah, “Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. Rob

Sunrise

This has to be the best time of the day. It’s early morning right now. It is still very dark and so peacefully quiet. I get up early most days. Some have said that I get up before God. Let me reassure you, He doesn’t go to sleep so I know He is here somewhere. But this time of day avails me of many things the rest of the day does not. And especially one.
The only sounds I hear are the occasional car and the creaking of this old house. For some reason, the quietness of this time of the morning has a calming effect. Nowhere to be, no one to see right away, no axe to grind and definitely no deadlines to meet. Funny word, deadline. Think about it for a minute and you may be asking yourself, “What is the dead part?”
For some wonderful reason I live for this time of the day. The day usually starts with the daily paper and then check the computer for emails. Usually no personal emails, just jokes, advertisements, and spam. I guess no one loves me today, no personal emails. It doesn’t take long to get rid of the junk. The tv is not on and no inane drivel emulating from the radio dial. There are no phone calls for at least another four hours. Nothing. Just peace and quiet.
So what can you do at this time of day? Well, you can accomplish all those jobs that only take one person with peace and quit. You can smell the wonderful aroma of the coffee fresh brewed or you can meet with God. You can look out the window and watch the sun rise, and even look for the first bird of the morning.
I knew a person a number of years ago who was full of love and life. Over a number of months we talked at length about the beautiful things in life. I was amazed one day when they mentioned they had never experienced a sunrise. After more then forty-seven years, it didn’t take long to set a time and date. Just before five a.m. that warm hazy spring morning I was picking up my friend. Just so happens that I knew the best place to watch this amazing sight. The beauty of that morning was not just in that sunrise, but watching their eyes see the sun break over the morning haze and turn the dew into a myriad of sparkling stars on their first morning broken. And in my mind I sang along with Cat Stevens, the lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the world

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

You see, it is this time of the day that my Lord and I can walk and talk with no interruption. It was just Him and I reliving the experience of Adam. Walking in the garden and feeling the wet grass under foot. Opening my bible to the next page, God speaks to me and I gaze out over His creation as He touches my soul. In these very peaceful moments, I recognize beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is predominantly in the quietness of the morning, when the noise of life is absent, that I can hear God speak in His still small voice.
Can you hear Him? Rob

A Fresh Page to Write On

Well, we made it. We are now into 2007. If you are like me, it will take a few weeks to get used to writing the ‘7' instead of a ‘6'. What a ride this past year has been. Some of us will have experienced doubt and disappointment while other will remember 2006 as a year of determination and delight. But we are all here.
I am not one for new years’ resolutions. I think we should make changes all year long. Every chance we get, do it! All the time and especially when we see something that is not right but can be right. For you who know anything about car companies you will know that the auto industry makes mechanical changes to their vehicles all year long. Maybe that is an example we can emulate. And wouldn’t it be just peachy keen if we could just wipe the slate clean and start all over again. Can’t be done, but it is a great idea to think on.
We start another year and nothing is on the slate. There is nothing on the paper. Just a fresh clean life on which to write. The mistakes of yesterday are just that. That was another page, another book, and this is new and fresh. At the school I am always encouraging the students to print the best they can. Some children are always in a hurry and they scribble. Lucky for them the teacher can read hieroglyphics. Others take their time and diligently transform the page into a work of art. I was a strange kid in school. Didn’t study much, didn’t get great marks with the exception of printing. I would practice and practice. I perfected the art of writing in my class. Hour after hour, I laboured to get it just right. Little did I realize at the time, what I was writing was wrong. “F” in composition but “A+” in writing.
I realized too late that it is not the way we write, it is what we write that is most important. What will you write this coming year? How you write is important but not as important as what you write. Will it be an adventure or will it be an appendage? To digress a little, we did not get one Christmas Letter this year. I guess no one had anything to brag about. In life we make our lives into what they are. We sculp them just as an artist will do with clay. In the field, clay is of little value but in the potter’s hand clay takes on beauty and grace.
We each have the ability to make something of our lives. I am not talking about taking stock of our life because that has a negative connotation. What I mean is looking at the great life God has given us and living it better. In His word he tells us to leave what is behind and press onto His high calling. This happens daily. On Sunday I shared with a few people that the most important way to start 2007 is on our knees. A quote I used was, “Prayer will keep us from sin or sin will keep us from prayer.” That is how a new year begins every morning.
As those of faith we need to realize that we are an endorsement of God. We are the bulletin board if you will, that God writes on. As people see us walking through life, what will they read? Will they read you as a poster and say to themselves, “I want that, I need that!” When God puts up a new poster each and every day, will we be on them? That is our new page.
Then there are our churches. What would they look like if all the churches were to wipe the page clean, no members, no adherents and the only way to be back on the role would be to attend? How long would the list be and how long would it take for your name to appear for the first time?
A new pastor went to visit a member of the church who had not been to church for a while. Sitting quietly in his livingroom watching the fire, little was said. After a while the pastor took one of the coals from the fire and set it down by itself. Soon, the glow diminished and then it went out. Taking it again he placed it back in the middle of the fire. The glow returned again. The next week, the gentleman was back in church.
Now, it’s your turn. Start writing.
Happy New Year! Rob