Sing

 

"The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." (Zeph. 3:17 NIV)

I had a very quiet Friday morning. Deb had assumed the role of Florence Nightingale to her sister that week and would be quickly enroute for Logansport. I conscripted her usual morning space for devotions in her absence - her desk faces the eastern sunrise. 

I started my bible reading this year with the major prophets along with the gospels: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Mathew, Luke, and into Mark. Today: Lamentations or as some commentators rename it: the book of Lacerations, given its focus on the Fall of Jerusalem and depressing nature.

Lamentations...yes, it's a hard one to digest but it also has some great passages of hope. Lamentations 3:19-24.

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love [mercies], we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.'" (Lam. 3:19-24 NIV)

So, here I sit reading a very difficult book early in the morning. Eleven degrees outside. Being reminded of God's love and faithfulness in the midst of hardship and what does God bring to me? A bright red, male cardinal beautifully placed in the midst of glistening, frosted branches.

He sat at the top of a cherry tree that is right outside the office window. I couldn't ignore him. He sang...and he sang. I'm sure he was calling for some female company, but he reminded me of the words of Zephaniah (yes, dust that old one off): "[God] rejoices over me with singing." It's the only place in the scripture that describes God singing and it's in the context of those he loves. This, too, is a letter written to those about ready to go into judgment. 

I was talking with my neighbor, Ron, who knows all things neighbory and seems to be an expert on birds (birdologist) and he was telling me that during mating season the male actually feeds the female. He breaks open the husk of seeds and then feeds them to her. Then she kills him. Whoops, that's Black Widows and Drone Bees and Praying Mantis, and Bachelor Midges (appropriately named)...wow...girls are mean. From what I gather there is a fine line between flirting and fighting. I'm a guy. I keep telling Deb that I need clarification sometimes. 

The female cardinal is ministered to as she feeds and is serenaded by the male. A subtle reminder of God today. Singing in the midst of sadness. Hope in the midst of heartache. Thankfully, not in my current context but something always to be learned from the Word about God's character. 

He provides for me in ways that I'll probably never know, and he does something that, in the eyes of most, has nothing to do with my survival - He rejoices over me with singing. 

And He graces me with a songbird to remind me. 

15

"You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless."

 (Eccl. 11:9-10 NIV) 

Kamila Valieva. 15. Can't drive yet. Can't sign a legal contract of any sort yet. And yet one of the biggest sport controversies of the last week outside of the face-masking call that didn't happen at the Superbowl that led to a touchdown. 

Kamila Valieva. 15. Doping female figure skater poised to win gold for the already penalized "Russian" or ROC neutral flag. 

Kamila Valieva. 15. Accused of taking heart enhancement drugs that improve oxygen levels and endurance in long programs. Guilty. 15. 

I watched her skate in the short team program and was wowed by her skill and her artistry. 15. I don't know about the drug stuff, but it can't get you to do triple sow cows and flying camels and other animal shapes. There is some talent going on here or I'd be in the Olympics. Curler or Snow Cone Design. 

But as my two favorite female commentators [Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir] said, "Cheating is cheating. Anything that gives you an edge chemically that enhances you physically is cheating. She shouldn't be allowed to compete." 

I don't understand the sport of ice skating or the immense pressure of competing at that level. I don't understand the pressure of representing your country on a world stage. I don't understand what it means to be a female in that world. But I do remember being 15 (vaguely). 

Saving for a car. Working on the farm or with dad in his painting business. Mowing grass. Working the garden. Babysitting my sisters. Figuring out the world of girls and my single action BB gun. Trying to remember my locker combination. Still depending on mom and dad for transportation, for life's provision, and most importantly, for guidance, for safety. 15. 

Makes you wonder. 

Breaks my heart. 

Kamila Valieva. 

15.

Puffer Fish

 "Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!'" (Lev. 13:45 NIV)

I had my annual physical in December. You know the appointment that you're supposed to have every year but ends up being every two or three or five. You know the one where the doctor says, "Anything wrong or concerning?" And you say, "No" even though you could do a full organ recital of complaints about the aches and pains you're experiencing. You know that one where she listens to your heart and says, "Yep. It's still beating" and then charges you almost $400. And you have a heart attack when you get the bill. Yes, that appointment. 

So, all the numbers were good. Everything was in the right place and the right size (and all God's men said, "Amen"). Then she springs it on me. "You know...you really should have those capillaries addressed on your face before they become problematic. I'm guessing... farm kid, 1960's and 70's. No sunscreen. Multiple sunburns." 

I'm glad she went to medical school, or I would have never guessed that was the reason for my very red (or as they say about handsome men in the Bible - ruddy), bloodvesseled (my spell check is fighting me but overriding), often swollen cheeks and nose. I was well-aware of my negligent youth and consequences. 

"Easy solution. Face transplant. They just did one in France and he's doing fine." I giggled uncomfortably not knowing if she was joking as she grabbed her Magic Marker. I was thinking more like that old show Quantum Leap where he comes back and goes into this chamber and gets zapped by infrared light which literally kills the entire outside layer of his skin which he just wipes off like a layer of dust. So cool! Nope. Laser. 

Now that sounds cool at first but then you begin to think about laser beams that cut through steel or kill alien invaders. She's probably going to tie me to a chair. I'll be brave. 

The day arrived. A Friday. Two days before a public appearance preaching before the masses and a family funeral in the afternoon. What could go wrong. At worse I'll be a little red. 

"Now you're going to feel a little prick like a little needle stick." I noted the word "little" twice. That means it's really going to hurt. The laser will actually explode each capillary and the blood flow will find another route deeper into the skin. It won't come back again, and you'll have nice clean skin. The problem:  I had about a thousand capillaries. 

"Doing okay?" she said after explosion 100. Only 900 more to go. She handed me a nice cold roller. Oh, man, did that feel good. "Look, Deb, look how nice that looks. Sometimes it's painful to look beautiful," Doctor Mangala said.  Not what I wanted to hear at that point. I was looking for "all done." But that wouldn't come for another half an hour of pure torture. 

"How's the pain level - 1-10?" I'm beyond numbers. Let's just get this over with so I don't have to confess that I cried in front of women. 

Over. Can't feel my face. 1:30. Hungry. Cracker Barrell. Sitting at the table. "Deb...I think my face is leaking." The water blisters started to emerge. Not a pretty sight. Couldn't wait to get home. Worse on the cheeks and nose where I scabbed up. But I'll be alright tomorrow. Nope. Looks like I skidded on my face in the driveway...multiple times. Swollen like one of those Puffer Fishes. Maybe no one will notice. 

Sunday. Left eye swollen. Water pockets under both. Scabs. Water retention all over my face. I looked like a pumpkin. I will never make fun of women who complain about retaining water again. Deb was prepared to be the brunt of my explanations, but I spared her the humiliation of suspected spousal abuse and just went to the vanity/precancer answer. I spent the day "explaining." First at church and then to total strangers who thought I went through the windshield of something. Nope. Just laser surgery. And everyone over 60 said, "Yep. Had that done a few years ago myself. Had this cut off and this cut off and...I was not encouraged but thankful that mine was treatable, a preventable non-cancer issue. 

Today, I still look like I was in a street fight, but things are healing. I'm hoping there won't be a round two, but if needed it won't be as extensive and I'll know what to expect. 

In times like these I read the scriptures a bit differently. "Unclean! Unclean!" said the leper when encountering another person. The sense of rejection. The sense of shame. Embarrassment. The memory of not being this way. Wondering if it will ever end. No wonder they sought out Jesus. Hope. No wonder they were surprised when he touched them. He saw them. Beyond the skin issues. He saw them. Persons. Valued. Loved. Full of potential. Beautiful inside. 

I was reminded of that as people observed this beat up guy in a nice suit. I was still Pastor Dan. Danny. Loved. "We don't care what you look like - we're just glad you're here." "Pastor, we're not here to see you. Just show us Jesus through your words today." Humbled. Thankful. Revealing. 

A gracious reminder that sometimes it does take pain to be beautiful - inside.  

I close with a wise and truthful saying from a family member, "You can change ugly, but you can't change stupid."  For what it's worth...

Insanity

 "As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." (Proverbs 26:11)

Someone asked me what my favorite holiday was. I quickly replied, "Groundhog Day." Blank stare. Not Christmas? Goodness, "no." Exhausting. Commercial. Pagan. Fourth of July? Absolutely not. Too many drunk people with explosives. Halloween? I won't admit it. Washington or Lincoln's birthday? Nope. No mail and the banks are closed. I could go on and on, but I won't bore you or open doors of personal criticism with my reasoning. 

In 1887 a newspaper editor in Punxsutawney, PA., latched on to the old Pennsylvania Dutch lore of "Badger Day." This is the day where the farmers would watch the badger come out from hibernation to see if he would come out and stay or go back into its den for an extended hibernation. Come and stay...6 more weeks of winter. Go back to bed...snow until June. He seized upon the old story and made it into a fun community event which now is celebrated around the world in its differing forms. 

Many of you remember the film, "Groundhog Day" with actor/comedian, Bill Murray. Bill plays a Pittsburg weatherman who is given the assignment to go and cover the Punxsutawney Phil prediction. He reluctantly goes with a very bad attitude and gets caught in a blizzard after the unveiling. He wakes up and finds that he is reliving February 2nd again...and again...and again. The original writers had him doing this for 10,000 years but it was reduced to 10. Ten years in the same day loop. Wow! 

Phil, (Bill) was only able to escape the loop by being mindful and making a difference in the moment - to appreciate the day - to make a difference in the day without any expectations that tomorrow will come. Great lesson. How can I make a difference today? 

It is a reminder for us to be in the moment. Pay attention to those you're speaking with, resisting thinking about what comes later in the day. Jesus said, "Don't worry about tomorrow. Today has enough problems of its own." Not sure that was encouraging but truthful. 

You've heard it said- I'm sure, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." What a truth for us to consider on this Groundhog Day celebration. Don't get stuck in the day - look for something different, do something different. Shake it up a bit. Find God moving, the Spirit working. Don't return to the folly of yesterday or the week before or the year before. Don't get stuck in the,"it's Monday and this is what I do," "it's Tuesday and this is what I do." You may not be able to change your responsibilities and deadlines, but you can certainly look for something new in them. How can I make a difference for the Kingdom today? To be different as a citizen of the Kingdom today?

Statistically the weathermen and women are only 50% on an extended forecast over 10 days. The Groundhog is at 40%. I'm going with the Groundhog this year and taking the straight jacket off.  If you're feeling a bit insane today like I am, join me in the support of your local groundhog and give up on watching the news for the weather. Today has enough trouble of its own.