Seeing Jesus

Can you imagine anything more splendid than seeing Jesus? Can you imagine staring into the manger of Bethlehem? Can you imagine peeking into the empty tomb? Can you imagine staring into the clouds at the resurrected and ascending Jesus? Can you imagine? What would it be like to see Jesus?

In the Spring of 2006, Newill and Colleen Cerak of Gaylord, Michigan received the phone call that every parent dreads: Their 18 year old daughter Whitney had been killed in an automobile accident. The Cerak's grieved, and received comfort and peace from the truths of God's Word and grace: Whitney was with Jesus in heaven. But nothing could have prepared them, then, for the phone call they received some 5 weeks later. It was believed that there had been a mistaken identity at the accident site and that Whitney was not dead, but alive. Can you imagine? What would it be like to see your daughter after believing her dead? Colleen Cerak couldn't believe her eyes. After the making the excruciating 3 hour drive to the care facility where Whitney was recuperating, Colleen Cerak walked into her daughter's room to see her daughter face to face. "It was the most beautiful moment of my life." Perhaps in that moment Colleen could see Jesus.

I wonder if that is what Simeon experienced when seeing the infant Jesus? In Luke chapter 2 we read of Mary and Joseph taking their infant son Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to consecrate him to the Lord. This took place 40 days after Jesus' birth, according to the Laws of Moses. Simeon had lived his entire life waiting on the Lord -- waiting to see the consolation of Israel; waiting to see the promised Messiah. What would that be like to wait all of your life for something; to have nothing else on your heart or mind; can you imagine.

Psalm 130 says, "My soul waits on the Lord. More than watchman wait for the morning; more than watchman wait for the morning. My soul waits on the Lord."

Then, in one miraculous, beautiful moment Mary and Joseph enter the temple with their infant son and the Holy Spirit reveals to Simeon, "This is Jesus." What must Simeon felt in that moment? What must have been on his mind and heart? Do you suppose that in that moment nothing else mattered? Do you think in the purity of that moment Simeon no longer cared about the political and economic climate of Jerusalem; no longer cared about beggars and scoundrels; no longer cared about anything or anyone.

Simeon broke into sponateous song, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace for my eyes have seen your salvattion which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." Simeon's life was complete. There was nothing else really to experience. With prophet Isaiah Simeon could say, "My soul delights greatly in the Lord...and He has adorned me in robes of righteousness and crowned my head with jewels."

From time to time our hearts can be broken. We can be disappointed by ummet expectations. People, who are people, are prone to fail us, just as we sometimes fail others. We can become overwhelmed with politics and the economy, our children's school, and even our church from time to time. When we look to long and hard at our disappointments we can become consumed.

It is good to have a different point of view. It can be good to see something new. When Colleen Cerak saw her daughter come back to life I imagine that there was nothing else on her heart or mind, and the same thing when Simeon saw the infant Jesus. When you see Jesus nothing else really matters.

Let's climb Mt. Zion together. Take a peek in the manger. Look up at the cross. Gaze into the empty tomb. Stare into the clouds and see the resurrected and ascended Jesus. How does everything in your life take on a gracious place in view of Jesus? Can you see yourself a little more at peace? A little less anxious? A little more forgiven -- and forgiving? Rope up with Jesus. Let Jesus take the lead for a while. Allow Jesus to carry the load. You are doing great. You really are. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes your hurts are great. Sometimes we can worry and be overwhelmed for those we love. Take a breath. Quiet your heart. Look at Jesus again.

I love you very much. There is no one I would rather climb with than you. I am praying for you today. I am praying you see Jesus today.

Jeff on the mountains.

The Legend of the Starfish

Dedicated to Sally, a friend I met for the first time just last week. She was kind -- not even knowing me -- and it made a difference.

Perhaps you have heard The Legend of the Starfish before. It is always worth hearing again.

According to the Legend, a man walked along the seashore. With each step he encountered starfish stranded on the beach by the outgoing tide. The starfish were dying in the sun.

The man bent down, picked up a starfish, and returned it to the surf and to life. Then he did the same with another starfish, and then another, and another and another. The man was determined.

Another beach comber came his way and was perplexed by what the man casting the starfish was doing. "Sir," he inquired. "What are you doing?"

The man casting the starfish explained the plight of these stranded creatures. He went on to explain that he would walk the length of the beach and cast his little friends to a fresh start in life.

"But sir," the newfound companion objected again. "This beach is miles long and there are countless starfish stranded here. It will hardly make a difference at all!"

With that the man casting starfish bent down, picked up a starfish, and threw it into the surf. "It made a differenc to that one," he said.

The world can be a cynicle and sarcastic place. People can object to even the kindest of gestures and attempts of another person. We can conclude that our modest and feable attempts at kindness do not make a difference.

Don't give up. Don't lose hope. Don't second guess the actions that are cast from your heart of love. And don't let the cynical and sarcastic steal your joy, either. Smile. Love. And keep making a difference.

• Give an extra tip to the waitress you have learned is a single mother of two.
• Walk up to children at church before and after the servcie and ask about their school, or their sports, or the things they enjoy. You don't have to know them to be kind.
• Always take extra money with you when you go shoppoing and always put it in the Salvation Army bucket -- it does make a difference!
• Seek out the food shelters and shelters for the homeless and hungry of your community and donate regularly. Whenever you buy groceries for yourself make it a practice of getting exra for the needy.
• Remember when gas was over $3 a gallon? Now it is almost half that. The next time you fill up at the gas station, consider a portion or all of your savings to be given to someone else in need.
• Resist and reject every temptation of "being negative" that surfaces in your heart. Being critical is NOT the same as critical thinking.
• Adopt a family -- a newly married couple; a young family with a new baby; an elderly couple you know. How can you be a blessing today? Stop by to visit. Keep them in your prayers. Inquire of them -- and listen!
• Say something kind -- always! Get up in the morning with something kind to say about others. Not mere flattery or something superficial. But genuinely kind things to say.
• Show interest in people. Don't be easily bothered by others. Don't allow impatience and disappointment to steal your joy. People are people. You, on the other hand, climb mountains. You blaze the trail. You are strong. You bear the weaknesses of the weak and you make a differnce. cf. Galatians 6:1-2

You make a huge difference! You make a difference in my life. I appreciate you spending this time with me here today...this coffee in hand....your model....your example....your roping up with me. You make my load lighter. You make my trail easier. You make the summit seem a little closer.

God bless you richly. You make a difference to me. I love you very much.

Jeff on the mountains.

Safe and Secure

You know me to be a moutain man even if I live at sea level. Mountains, for me, are metaphors of the new and never been done before. Every trail above sea leavel offers new views and challenges even if you have hiked it before. As Bear Grylls, of "Man Vs. Wild" fame, said of climbing Everest at age 23, "I did not conquer Everest; Rather, Everest allowed me to crawl up one side and stay on the peak for a few minutes." We never conquer mountains, and we would never presume to. This is what I love about the new and never been done before either. When you do something for the first time you are free and forgiven. It is like the first words and the first steps of a baby. No one has any judgement or expectation and they cheer even the most modest of accomplishments. If you miss a golf shot, no big deal. But Tiger Woods? You get what I mean. This is the way of mountains, the new, and the never been done before.

Recently, I climbed a mountain with my nephew though really we barely took a step.

I had gone home to the great north west to visit home and family and to breathe the mountain air of the Cascades. Ah, home. That we would hunger so much for each other! While there, my nephew, Ryan, took me skeet shooting.

What a fine young man and so gifted at making me (others?) to feel so at home. Ryan is affectionate and affirming. He is also accepting and unassuming. You will forgive the alliteration; it is just the way he is. And I am the better for it.

I had never been skeet shooting before and Ryan, well, Ryan has. He was great and I wasn't. He was the teacher and coach and I was there to learn. And Ryan did such a good job of keeping me safe and secure.

Isn't it marvelous when someone your younger is now charged with your care? Isn't it marvelous to have someone else so meticulously guide and direct you so that you are "at home" and so "at ease" when you are out of your element? Ryan showed me how to properly load the gun, address the target area, what to do when I was shooting, and what to do when I was not.

Ryan blasted clay pigeon after clay pigeon out of the air, while I, with each errant shot could only ask, "What am I doing wrong?" Ah, such bitter, demanding judgement we lay on ourselves sometimes. Like children watching any of their sports heroes I watched Ryan. I figured if I did exactly what he did then I would match him shot for shot.

Again and again he assured me, "You're doing great!" And when I finally got my first clay pigeon he smiled and gave me the "thumbs up." It was like a child's first goal in soccer or his first piano recital. You did it.

We had summited, safe and secure. We had reached the height of our climb. I didn't conquer anything. If I were to go out duck hunting the ducks would most likely live another day. But I was allowed to crawl up one side of something new and sit on its peak for a few moments. The bruise on my shoulder reminds me that I didn't do everything correctly -- and that it is o.k. to not be the best at everthing.

I wonder, what if it hadn't been skeet shooting? What if it had been anything where one person is really good and the other person is just learning? How might each of us, each day, go out of our way to share our loves and our passions and the things we are good at, and at the same time doing it in a way that the other person always feels safe and secure....at ease and at "home" -- at home and at church, in a classroom and around the table, playing the piano or trombone or saxaphone, playing football or running cross country, or whatever? It doesn't really matter what we are doing, does it? So long as we are doing it together...so long as we are affectionate and affirming, accepting and unsssuming. Forgive the alliteration.

I love you, Rye-man! Thanks for roping up and taking the lead.

See you on the mountains, Jeff

The Stillwater Project: Honesty

The Stillwater Project met today for their monthly meeting. The Stillwater Project is a group of thirty 13 year olds who charged with the task of teaching character qualities in a tangible and relevant way. Past words of consideration are Responsiblity, Respect, and Caring. Today's word was Honesty. This is no small order for anyone, but the Stillwater Project is not interested in small orders anyway.

The Stillwater Project begain rather lightly. It is good when doing big things to sometimes start out small, to rub some elbows, and to connect again. It is exciting to see this group implement and put into practice the qualities they are studying. A discussion of Honesty, for instance, is conducted in an environment and context in which group members are already committed to qualities of respect, responsibility and caring. The Stillwater Project is a team, if not a family of sorts.

"The Empty Pot" served as a discussion prompter. If you have not read this children's story you must. It is one of those "big things in little packages."

"The Empty Pot" is about a Chineese emporer looking for someone to succeed him. His love for flowers prompts him to conclude that he will name as successor any child who brings him the most lovely flower. Each child is given a seed to plant and nurture and water.

One boy named "Ping" does all he can to grow the most beautiful flower but nothing happens. He changes the soil, tends, waters, and tends again. But the seed will not sprout. He is sad and ashamed. He will be bringing an empty pot to the emporer.

Every other child jeers and taunts Ping. He is the only one without a flower to offer the emporer. He is also the only one who can offer the King an honest, reponsible, and respectful successor.

The King set out to test the boys. Each boy was given a seed that had been boiled -- it was no longer able to sprout and grow. Clearly, each of the other boys had set out to deceive rather than to confess their difficulty and shame. Ping's honesty and integrity were more lovely than any flower and were character qualities reflective of anyone succeeding the emporer.

After hearty discussion, the Stillwater Project drew the following conclusions of Honesty, what it is, and what is not:

The Stillwater Project:

Honesty

• truth
• trustworthy
• helpful
• kind
• nice
• responsible, respectful and caring

The Stillwater Project further discussion also revealed that being honest is not just the same as being "accurate." Honesty has qualities of kindness and help included in its essence. One can say something that is accurate but not necessarily kind or nice. That would not be honest. Honesty has an essence of encouragment, nurture, and hope.

I left the Stillwater Project today on top of a mountain! Would you join me? I walked away wondering how I might be an encouragement to someone else? How might be speech edify and build up? Is there anything I could say to help someone else, or to make them feel good about themself? Not just flattery or nice talk, but honest, helpful, and respectful talk?

I love you. Thanks for climbing with me.

Jeff on the mountains.