Thursday; December 31

Well, we made it – the last day of 2020. When we began this year, I think most of us were already a little bit stirred up. We were inundated with the news of the presidential impeachment process. Most of us were dreading the upcoming elections that were still almost a year away. The vast majority of people had not heard of George Floyd, but there was already an undercurrent of social disunity. 2020 did not necessarily get started on a positive note; but once we got a quarter of the way into the year, we realized how bad it was going to get!
Folks, I am going to do everything I can to put 2020 behind me, but before I venture into 2021, I think I need some reflection. So, what do I take away from the past year? Maybe the most important lesson I have learned is to understand that human life is fragile and unpredictable. We can make all the plans we want (and, believe me, I did); but our plans are just expectations that we will be able to do something in the future. Planning is good, fun and necessary, but let’s not plan our lives away. All we can control is today. Whether it is worrying about what might happen or looking forward to what we hope happens, the only reality we have is the here and now! The New Testament writer, James, warned against the arrogance of human planning when he observed, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (James 4:13-14).
I encourage you to look forward to an exciting 2021. Yet, let’s never forget the need to deal with life one day at a time. That is all we can do … and frankly, it is all we can handle.

Think About It! 

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app
Read more