Think About It

Have you ever gotten into the “Prettier Wife Paradox”?   Let me see if I can explain.   Can you imagine two men arguing about which one of their wives is prettier?   Each may have their own facts to support their theory; each may be adamantly convinced that they are correct, but in the end, can the debate of which wife is prettier be objectively determined?   The answer is “No”.   The reason I bring this up is to consider just how many of our arguments fall into this type of category.   It might be as unimportant as “Which football team is better or which is the best restaurant in our town?” or it can be as intense as “What are the priorities for our workplace, who is the best candidate for the position or which outreach opportunity the best one for our church?”.   In all honestly, many of the things we debate are subjective and based on opinions.   We have to remember that in matters of opinion, it doesn’t matter how strong our beliefs are, t...

Harry Truman is an interesting figure in American history.  Some people like him, some people hate him, but most of us find ourselves doing both.  One thing about him, he wasn’t afraid to say what he thought which makes him very quotable.  The other day I came across an interesting observation made by 33 rd president, “ Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”  As I reflected on the comment, a couple of things stood out.  First, leadership is conscious decision.  It is something that must be prepared for, leaders don’t just pop up when times get tough.  Second, circumstances often produce a vacuum that is not necessarily filled by “someone”.  There are times when things get tough and they just keep getting tougher because good people don’t step up.  Finally, leaders ar...

You may have heard this statement a time or two, “God is with us, we are going to be okay”.  Maybe you have even heard words like these, “ I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!  For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.’” (Psalm 91:2-3).  These are pretty common sentiments being bantered around these days – but, are they true?  (Okay, I just heard that screech as people stopped to reread that last question.)  Yes, I really did ask if we believed these statements are true.  I mean let’s face it, people – even good people – are getting sick and some of dying from an unseen disease.  Some people are facing financial setback because of a sagging economy.  There are a lot of people who are dealing with emotional scars that will have an impact on them for a long time to come.  So, I go back to my question, are we really going to be oka...

One of the most important things I have realized over the last few weeks is the value of human relationships.  I think we all had an understanding of this going into the modern crisis, but the concept of “social distancing” has brought it into focus.  Honestly, it might sound better to call it “physical distancing”, but the truth of the matter is that without physical contact and physical proximity, relationships are going to suffer.  Additionally, I have recently become keenly aware of how easy it is to lose those relationships – not just because of a lack of interaction but because of negative interactions.  When we are divided by social distances, when we are on edge about changing circumstances, when our emotions are power-packed but our feelings are razor-thin, conflicts become more possible.  During challenging times, tolerance becomes more necessary; but is less reliable.  One group especially impacted by this are “people pleasures”.  Many of y...

When we discuss forgiveness, a couple things come to mind.   For many of us, the most important thing is God’s offer of forgiveness to us.   The most special offer made by God to His creation is the willingness to forgive us of our sins.   In addition to God’s forgiveness, there is another important aspect – our need to forgive others.   Not only is it important to our emotional health, our willingness to forgive others is closely tied to God’s willingness to forgive us.   While each of these elements are vitally important, I think there is a part of forgiveness that is too often overlooked.   Do we appreciate how often others forgive us?   Sure, sometimes this comes when we approach someone with an apology and ask for forgiveness, but there are many more times when people are even more gracious in extending forgiveness to us.   They may overlook our shortcomings.   They may look past our idiosyncrasies they find offensive.   They mig...

I know that I am going to upset some people with what I am about to say, but I am going to go ahead and say it ... staying at home does not make us heroes!    The other day when I heard someone advocate that we can act heroically by staying home, it just struck me the wrong way.   Does staying at home make us good neighbors?   Yes!   Can it help save lives?   Probably!   But not doing something isn’t what makes heroes.   Heroes are those who go out of their way to do something extraordinary.   They risk their lives or their reputations to promote something they believe in.   Doing the right thing doesn’t make us heroes – it makes us … right. There are a couple of reasons for me writing this.   First, I believe that heroism should be reserved for those who have earned it.   Those medical folks who risk their own personal health to treat others, they are heroes.   Those first responders who are willing to risk their lives...

The older I get and the more I watch the world, the more I appreciate Fred Rogers.  In days gone by, the man who was at the heart of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and the inspiration for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood may have seemed out of step with the “real” world.  He was soft-spoken, he didn’t draw attention to himself through slapstick comedy, nor would he demean or over exaggerate the role children played in the family or in the world.  He didn’t use bright lights and flashy graphics to teach his lessons, he merely played the role of the trusted adult in the lives of his television neighborhood.  I believe that history is kinder to Mr. Rogers than his contemporaries were to him.  During his popularity he was often portrayed as being out-of-step with society and distanced from reality, yet he remained true to his values and beliefs.  Not only was Fred Rogers perceptive as to what it took to reach children, he also had great insight into life.  I came a...