How's Your Day?

We Canadians talk about one subject more often than anything else. We talk about weather. And with spring in the air, well almost, we again are talking about its arrival. Okay, that was last week and now we are again talking about winter coming back. It’s part of not only who we are as Canadians, but what moves us here in the frigid north. That is too bad.

Here is another line or subject we talk about but it’s doesn’t really touch us or say much either. Think about it for a minute and say, “Nice day?” It can also be interpreted “Nice day.” or “Nice day!”. Depending on whom you are talking to and what is on your mind. Almost like going through a check-out line and hearing those words Walmart made famous, “Have a nice day”. I get all kinds of reactions when I reply, “No, I have other plans”. Try it, you have my permission. You will see.

I tried an experiment of late. Something I have taken a while to think through. It probably arose out of my connection to people at the old folk’s home. Instead of saying something like, “How are you?” I have changed it a little. Most of the time I say; “How’s your day so far?” Believe it or not, I get totally different responses beyond the one word answer, “fine”. I guess it’s a line that disarms most people and they can then actually say what’s happening or even what’s on their minds.

As we approach Palm Sunday I have been wondering about the conversations in the crowd that day. What was on the minds of the people that came out of Jerusalem that day. Just for a minute, put yourself in the situation, in the crowd. What would we have heard from the people around us that warm, Jerusalem morning? We definitely would have heard the Hosannas. But what if, what if we had actually been there and turned to the person beside us and asked, “How is your day so far?” Would the excitement be punctuated by lines like, “This is awesome!” “I can’t believe I’m this close to Jesus”. Or would it be, “What’s all the excitement about, who is this guy?” By the way, I don’t think anyone would have made any reference to the weather.

In the quietness of this morning, I have been thinking about this. I have even been introspective. Would I have asked questions of others or just moved with the throng and only answered what was asked of me. How would I have answered the people around me if they had asked, “How’s your day, what do you think?” I have to ask myself, what would I have said to the person with the palm branch beside me? Would I be saying things like, “What’s the fuss all about?” or “Is this the new king?” or, “It’s a good day for me, how about you?” On the other hand maybe we would say, “It’s Jesus, and I know Him.” What would you say?

Something to think about.

Rob

No Time!

There is never enough time. You know it and I know it. And the older you get, the faster the time seems to go. Might have something to do with, once over the hill, I’m picking up speed going downhill. My dad warned me about this. He was retired for over thirty years and he kept saying that his days never lasted long enough to get done all he planned each day.

Or it could be other things that go on in our lives. Like watching too much tv. I noticed that recently when I had my to do list in front of me and the tv was on with no one at the controls. I thought someone should be. So I picked up the remote and proceeded to sit down just to catch the end of one program that lead to another and another and. . . You get the picture. You might even have seen yourself in that picture.

Then there is that wonderful past time of reading. “But it’s so good I can’t put it down”. I even know someone who gets so enthralled in a book she goes to bed after she turns the last page at 1 or 2 in the morning. Wouldn’t it be something to hear of someone doing that as they read their bible? Could happen. Well, might happen. Okay, not likely.

But our bible is full of stories about relationships between the God we worship and the people who look to get closer and closer to Him. And there all about real people in real life situations. How about the guy who cut off a person’s ear? Or the fellow who wandered with a bunch of people for 40 years never stopping to get directions? There is the rub.

We do have enough time each day to take care of all the things we have to do. I believe our problem is found in setting priorities. We always have time to do the things that are important for us. Time to work on hobbies. Time to garden or wash the car of just go for a long relaxing walk. Even go to Horton’s for coffee.

There is time. There is even time for God. Time to turn off the tv, close the book, and any other number of things that invade our life and lifestyle. When God is our priority, there is lots of time for Him as well.

Something to think about.

RB

We knew it was coming. But we didn’t expect it this early. After all, March Break, or Spring Break as it is also know, usually comes when the weather is a wee bit cooler. Then again, winter never really arrived in this part of the world. Didn’t arrive is an understatement. It went from late fall and moved right into spring. And to think, the Robins are already here. No, not just me. And they are telling us that this past Sunday had record temperatures & maybe as you are reading this, we could be even enjoying early summer like weather.

You already know, if you have been reading my column for the last ten years, that winter is not my favourite time of year. I look at the beautiful colours of fall and then start my traditional morning prayers for spring to come just after New Year. Most years that prayer never gets answered. Well, until this year. What an amazing break the teachers and students will be getting. And the parents? They can chase the kids outside and relish in the thought of having children seen (through the window) and not heard…..

Sometimes life is like this. Not always, but sometimes. During most of our journey through life we have to live through the winter storms of life. You and me, wrapped up in layers, hunkered down in our contemplative existence just waiting for the winter or the storm to pass. It does pass, it really does. And we greet the great and wonderful beauty that calls to us as the storm clouds break and the sun comes shinning bright and beautiful as on any joyous spring morning.

God does that you know. Most times He is not looking for a thank you or even credit. He just does it because He loves us. Just like a father greeting his child with an unexpected gift. He knows. A man wiser then I once said that: There is no such thing as coincidence. Coincidence is the time God does something and doesn’t take credit for it.

That’s my God and He just gave us a gift.

Something to think about

Rob

Something New Every Day!

The line is, or should I say, the old proverb reads, ‘Old habits die hard’. Yes I know the other one, Can’t teach old dogs new tricks. What we are saying is, people find it difficult to change their accustomed behaviour. And I don’t care who you are or how long you have lived, it’s true. It’s true for you and it’s true for me. But. And you knew there would be a but. But, some of us accept change and work with it more easily than others. Our world is changing quickly. Technology and electronic gadgetry come at us constantly and most, if not all of us, are left in the dust. That is unless that is your expertise or profession. I don’t know how an iphone works. Well I do but I don’t personally know how to make it work.

Last week as I sat at the airport, I decided to go on the internet with my ipad. First time getting this thing going. Only had it 5 months. Well, I tried what I knew and nothing. Finally I saw a pilot sitting doing his emails on his iphone and thought he might know. He didn’t have a clue. So, I played around for some time and finally figured it out on my own. My next thought was, can I do this again? Just so you know, I have mastered that part of the ipad but now I have to learn how to impute all my hard copy stuff in my day planner over to the ipad. Maybe another 6 months.

I just read an important article this morning that was produced by MIT. It tells why old habits die hard. In a nutshell it has something to do with the electron/neutron connections in the brain that have to be re-routed when we move from one way of doing things to another. And the memory bank of our mind will revert to the default or original path when something rekindles the original habit. The article ends with saying it’s similar to running on autopilot. Simple, right?

The outcome of this research, in my own mind is, Do something new every day and stay away for forming many habits. Not easy for any of us because, the reasons we form habits in the first place is because it makes us feel good and it gets us through our days where we don’t have to analyze our every move we make.

Now we get to church. It too can become a habit. Sometimes good and sometimes not so good. We never want to be in the habit of just going to church and going through the motions. Meeting God face to face on autopilot cannot be good. We want every encounter with our great and loving God to be fresh and new each and every time we encounter Him. How about we start this journey together by making our coming to God in prayer first thing in the morning the habit part? Something we do each and every day. But then, change how we talk to our Father and what we talk to Him about. And do it as something new, something dynamic and something fresh and exciting. Are you with me? Remember, this is just the start of something new with Jesus.

Something to think about.

Rob