Focus

I use to have a dog named Greta. We lived on a cotton ranch in Bakersfield at the time. Greta fast became my best friend. Working the fields of cotton and alfalfa was perfect for bonding with a new pup. The long hours of working outside. the long nights of watering hay made for the need of a good companion. Greta learned to play catch with a Frisbee, hunt gofers and ride on farm equipment. I think she loved spending time with me as much as I loved spending time with her.

 As I mentioned, Greta loved to play catch with her Frisbee. My wife and I would joke about her carrying the Frisbee everywhere she went. It was as if she had developed a growth from the side of her mouth, her Frisbee was always with her every where she went, just in case someone might want to play. Greta had an intense unwavering focus on her Frisbee. I use to laugh and make fun of her but the more she focused on her love of Frisbee the better she got at the art of catching it. Jumping, actually flipping backwards in mid air if necessary to catch it.

 My dear friend Greta was hit by a car some years ago. This morning I was thinking about Greta and how faithful she was, what fun we had. I thought of her tenacity and desire to play catch with her Frisbee. The Lord quickened my heart and caused me to realize how he longs for this kind of tenacity and focus on him to be in my heart and daily actions, for my desire to be only for his presence and his purpose.  The busier I get with life; distraction free time alone with my Heavenly Father seems to become more difficult. Quietness before him is a struggle to find, keeping my thoughts and focus intent on him. I have no problem running to him with my needs, talking to him throughout my day. Waiting in the quietness of my soul for his voice is a discipline that takes a working effort on my part. The constant distraction of the needs of life fights for my attention and quietness is a commodity that is in high demand that goes against everything that the world around me fights for and have the greatest need of with my Father in Heaven.

 I love Hebrews 4:16 NAS

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.

 As I touch hearts with my Dad in Heaven, the sound of his voice quiets my soul giving comfort and calmness to my heart, offering peace from the demands life imposes on me. His expression of love and strength toward me, gives me confidence that alongside him nothing is impossible regardless of what happens outside of his presence he is always with me and always for me.

In his presence I am made whole. 

Made a difference to that one

On a recent trip to San Francisco, with a group of men from the church I worship at, I encountered an interesting set of emotions not expected.

About three years ago my wife and I were talking about the problem with people who have closed themselves off to life. The term “Shut-in’s” came to mind. Quite a few years ago I remember watching a news program, I think it may have been “60 minutes” or “2020” the report was about children whose parents or single parent worked most of the day and into the evening while not making enough money for child care. These children, usually grammar school or Jr. High school age kids were known as “shut-in’s”.

Today the term Shut-in’s affords certain pictures in our minds of the elderly or victims of some terrible accident that has left them unable to function the way they use to.

There is another member of the shut in community. Those who for some reason aren’t connected with life. The shut-in community I met on my visit to the City by the Bay was due to financial restraints, along with ailments of some sort.  Today I saw a commercial that related to getting older. It was for some drug dealing with sore muscles. The message went something like this…”inactivity leads to more inactivity and mobility leads to increased mobility” That's a very real statement. A typical Thanks Giving Day for most of us consists of a day of  eating too much food then watching football the remainder of the day. The feeling of being drained of energy the rest of the day. Now think about not having a full belly and no TV to watch football on with no family or friends to spend the day with. That loneliness and empty feeling only leads to a spiral down into a dark pit. Separation leads to more separation and the pit of despair is deep. The desire to see anyone or think anyone wants to see you grows like the darkness of the room you live in 24/7. These are the shut-in’s I am talking about. These are the shut-in’s that I wonder about. The Gospel goes out to all people at one time or another. When you live as a shut-in it is never too late to experience the love of God. The question is who will make the effort to go to find the shut-ins to make the difference, how will the shut-in's be found? 

I wonder, my mind can only imagine. We all have days that we really don’t want to be bothered, or days where if we have to go somewhere we really don’t want anyone to see us, the days where if you could turn into the invisible man all would be fantastic. But what if that feeling was an everyday emotion that now after several months or even years was fed by fear and insecurity that was so overwhelming that leaving your dark, even smelling dungeon of a room was too extreme to even go out to wash your clothes or get the basic necessities to exist on.

I remember knocking on one door of a room on the 6^th floor of an old beat up hotel last Saturday in San Francisco; I knocked and announced loudly “free food”! “Rescue Mission’ Free Food”! Knocking three times, four times. Ready to walk away a tall guy sheepishly opened the door a crack, he reached out to grab the small bag of groceries we were toting with us for each room. The appearance of his uncombed graying hair and pasty white complexion with the heavy black circles under his eyes struck my heart like a dagger. As I handed him the bag of food. I asked, "can I pray for you? Is there anything you need a touch from God for right now"? He looked at me as if the request was foreign to him like no one asked him before. His look was one of shock and surprise. I could see his thoughts racing." I am in no hurry" I told him. He looked at me and with a painful look in his face he said I need prayer for everything. As I began to pray there was a sense of comfort and ease that came to us standing at that doorway. There was no sound from inside the room. As our prayer came to an end I looked at the man known to me only as Dan, the look on his face had now turned to one of gratitude, there was a sense of calm in his eyes. He took my hand and shook it and said thank you. In a short space if time I know The Spirit of God touched a lonely spot in Dan’s life as we parted company.

 There is a story called “The Star Thrower” Written by Loren Eliseley T It goes like this:

There was a man who was walking along a sandy beach where thousands of

A man walking on a beach noticed a lot of starfish had been washed up on the shore. He saw a boy picking the starfish up one by one and throwing them back into the ocean. The man observed the boy for a few minutes and then asked what he was doing. The boy replied that he was returning the starfish to the sea, otherwise they would die. The man asked how saving a few, when so many were doomed, would make any difference whatsoever? The boy picked up a starfish and threw it back into the sea and said” Made a difference to that one…” The man left the boy and went home, deep in thought of what the boy had said. He soon returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day helping the boy throw starfish into the sea.

So did my day taking food to shut-in’s in San Francisco and praying for Dan and other people make a difference with such insurmountable odds? Yes, it made a difference to Dan.