"I Forgive"

Remember those fateful words. You said you would never say them in your home. After all, you heard them so many times when you were young. They echo in your mischievous memory as if they had been verbalized just the other day or maybe a couple of hours ago. Your mom said them to you and if you’re a wife and a mother, you have said them to your children. “Wait ‘til your father gets home!”.
Stirring words. They were sharp and painful words especially if you had parents who believed in a punishment to fit the crime. In nineteen-sixty-three, our middle school put on the comic opera, “The Mikado.” If Miss Lovejoy had told us it was an opera, we probably wouldn’t have done it. It was light hearted and very much a romance in which one song rang true for most of us. No, it wasn’t those syrupy romance songs. Most of us were not into romance yet and it bothered us to see our parents kissing. How times have changed but I will leave that for another time. One of our favourite songs used those same words. “Let the punishment fit the crime.” Makes me think that Gilbert must have heard those words himself in the years of his youth in the 1840's.
I think these words are timeless. Can you imagine Eve saying them to young Cain. Just the other day I was reading about David and I realized that he may have not heard those exact words, he must have felt them in his mind and heart. Imagine with me. David arrives at the point of recognizing and admitting to himself, his own humanity and failure. Imagine if you will what it must have felt like knowing God knew and was there watching. David writes, “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me.” Ps 32.
But be reassured my friend, it is only His hand on your shoulder. God in His infinite wisdom stands there ready to help us. He is not there to punish but to help us learn. He wants us to recognize that sin hurts. It hurts Him, it hurts others and it hurts us. That is why David continues, “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said,’I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”
Deep down, many of us have sins that still burn a deep hole in our hearts. Our parents never found out, our families never knew, our loved ones never suspected. But God is still standing there waiting. Ready to forgive and put His hand on our shoulder and say, “I forgive you.” Are you looking for peace? Read all the words in this Psalm, especially, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.”
Go to Him now, His hand of forgiveness is reaching out to you. He is waiting to hear from us and to hear our words, “Father, I’m sorry........”
Something to think about.
Rob

Faith Is Part Of Our Tradition

Have you ever thought about the traditions that you used to engage in as a young adult? Or even as a child, if you can remember back that far. There have been lots of traditions that come and go through our lives. We have good ones, and there are some you would rather forgo. We remember ones that we wish were still there and we move forward to embrace new ones. Whether we like it or not, even traditions change over time.
Take for instance, Easter Sunday morning. As children we would get something new to wear for church. I remember one year, it was a blue shirt. But it was a tradition until life got in the way. Money was tight and the tradition was gone. I remember going to our uncles in the spring and going down to the creek in Stoney Creek and watching all the wildlife coming out to greet the world. I know. We should have never chased the pheasants. Now it doesn’t hold our attention as much. Then there are sunday dinners, the car rides, trips to the beach, gatherings at family reunions and kisses from Aunt Bea, going to church, birthday parties, wool socks from Aunt Cecile.
Woo! Going to church? Yes, for some, going to church was, and is a tradition. Like I said at the first, some we like and some we didn’t. When I was young, some boys I knew called church a drag. Not that it was bad but that the only way they came was, they were dragged. To them, they thought there were other things more important to do then sit still and listen to someone tell them they were wrong, or bad or sinful, or just not measuring up. Sorry, we just wanted to be kids, and do kid stuff. There would be lots of time in our life to do the church thing.
Well, time has marched on. We have started and abandoned lots of traditions. We left them behind due to situations and circumstances. Grandparents are gone, aunts and uncles are empty nesters and the cousins have families of their own. Now we have time. Time to create new traditions. Ones that relate to who we are now and what is most important in our lives. Just to let you know, there are only two things in life that are really, really important. And they are people, and things. No, they aren’t. People are the one and believe it or not, faith is the other. No pun intended.
We know the people thing. But have we rediscovered the faith tradition? Not the faith of our parents, but the faith that rests deep down in each one of us. They tell us that just over seven out of ten people are spiritually motivated. When you walk down the street this week, count the people you meet. When you get to seven, the next two will not be so inclined to spiritual matters. Don’t stop there. Go back to the first seven. Do you know which of them is spiritually motivated? Then of the next two, are they just taking up space and using oxygen in relations to knowing God?
If you think you have it right, you will have noticed something. That is only nine people. You are number ten. Where are you? Faith is not a tradition where we go through the motions. It is something most people search for all their lives. It is something that gives them purpose and direction. Ask yourself what you are doing this coming Sunday morning. Are you going to sit by the stoney creek watching the water run by or are you working on your faith tradition?
Something to think about.
Rob

Spring Ride!

Yesterday I went out to the garage and looked at it. I thought to myself, spring is coming! Sure it is, but not of a while. Christmas is coming to but I’m not going to get excited about that for a while. What I was looking at was my motorcycle all tucked in under the cover. We have a little while for the spring thing but so many people are already thinking about it due to the great weather we have had over the last two weeks.
Retailers are great at help us look forward. Two months before Christmas, they are ready. The day after New Years the store had the Christmas stuff down and the Valentine stuff up. And just days later, along came those chocolate bunnies. Don’t worry, I have not purchased one. Yet. Maybe that is part of being human and anticipating. We look forward to all the wonderful things we anticipate in the future.
Now back to life or should I say, back to the ride. Bike people look forward to riding their motorcycles. There is just something about cruising along at speed with the wind in your face and the bugs at the back of your throat. For those of you that know what I mean, you get it. For those who don’t, let me reassure you it has a feeling like no other.
I could do it every day. And as great as it is there are other things to be considered in the drive to arrive alive on two wheels. Some people will tell you the best place to ride is through the country where the roads wind around going up, down, around and through. Yes, ups and downs, as well as detours and diversions. There is gravel to be avoided, other drives to shy away from and potholes that will swallow you in one mouth full.
Riding is much like life. All of our lives are filled with things that take us on those wonderful journeys where we climb hills and suffer through valleys, road work and unexpected gravel roads. The more we go through life the better we get at it. Just like getting better at riding by getting out and going.
Life is a ride that we all enjoy most of the time. When the sun is up and the temperature is good it is amazing. I remember one ride I was on last year. Everything was going well. I stopped at my daughters for a few minutes until the clouds started to roll in. I thought I could make it home before the storm, so off I went. Just over half way home the heavens opened and I found myself sitting under an overpass waiting out the storm. Another image of life. After a while, the rain stopped, and the sun was not too far ahead.
What an amazing reflection of my life. There have been storms in my life and yours. Even though I do not look forward to riding in the rain, I can ride better then before because I have been there. I look forward as you do to what is ahead of us. With all the inconvenience we experience in life, it’s still worth it. So let’s keep enjoying the ride and the company we have on the journey. Spring is on its way. Something to look forward to.
Rob

Looking Up - Into His Face

As I sat with our grandchildren these last few weeks, memories of another time drifted into my mind as a fog rolls over the hills and into the valley. I remember the time when I was this child. A time when my grandfather would come over to the house or we would venture over to his home for a visit. He was one of my heros. A real live hero. Not someone from a cartoon or inside the world of cyber space. A real live, flesh and blood, touch me kind of hero. The memory of sitting beside him, just looking up into his face, flooded back as if it was only a few short moments ago.
To me, a four year old, he was the most amazing person I had ever known. I would sit there patiently knowing he would eventually turn to me and I would dance with excitement as I shared my young mind with him. He would turn and say, “Now, Robin, how are you?” Finally there was someone to hear me, listen to me and hold me in my fears and delight in my excitement.
All of this came back to me most vividly over the last few months. It came when I put together my past, the experience of the present and looking forward to heaven. Looking back I realized grandpa was a reflection of something greater. Maybe without knowing it, grandpa was a reflection of the God he worshiped and adored to this young child. His life reflected his heavenly Father, who he himself looked up to.
It gently nudged me out of my complacence when I realized that I may be the same to my grandchildren and all those young minds that so desperately want to connect with a real live, flesh and blood, touch me kind of person.
But what really struck me came with the words of a song sung by the group, Mercy Me.

I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk by Your side . . .
I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when Your Face is before me!
I can only imagine. I can only imagine.

Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!

We are all that child. Looking up into the face of God our Father we must ask, how will we react on that day when we see Him? What a day that will be!
As our mind races about trying to answer that question we are left in the reality of today. The most important question of all is, do the people who look up into our face, see a reflection of God there? Something to think about.