Kneel or Stand?

I debated on making a statement in this tsunami of opinions about our "Flag".  I am proud that I am an American.  I am not proud of our country right now.  I am grateful for the men and the women who have fought and are fighting for my freedoms!  Grateful beyond words.  There is no other country in which I would choose to live.  I am ashamed of the infantile actions of those who could influence change for good.  Name calling, temper tantrums, revenge, violence of adults is pathetic at best. 

I am sad that we have bottomed out to the point that if I disagree with you, I must now hate you and fight you and disdain you.   The rancor and the shouting, the positioning of sides solves absolutely nothing.   You are screaming so loud no one hears what you are saying.

The irony to me of this 'hot' topic of whether one should or should not kneel or stand or salute our flag is that in our country we have that freedom.  I respect what our flag stands for!  I will stand!  Our country was founded, as people fled from totalitarian governments!  The price of their fleeing was high and every country in the world has a flag that represents what they stand for.  In the United States of America you are free to go elsewhere you are not forced to stay.  When I return from over seas, I am always grateful that our flag is still flying and I am home safe!

The issues are deeper than 'respect' for the flag.  The issues are that these 'kneelers' have no clue about their true freedoms here.  These athletes have more money and influence than the majority of us will ever know.  The color of their skin has not held them back!  They are in amazing positions that can send them to the 'ghettos', the inner city where good role models are needed and encourage young people who need good role models.  Black, White or somewhere in between,  the color of our skin is forgotten when we give back!   They can and should be change agents. Some are. :)

Twice now in Africa, I  have been invited to visit the King of the Western Provence in Zambia. I am a white American, he is a black African there is no white privilege. He likes what we bring to his table (clean water, schools, clinics, agricultural development)  but he controls all of the cards and we are to be used to serve him. 

By our standards his compound and home are very modest and old.  That stated, he is King and has power over my presence in his world.  No one stands above him, we all squat or kneel.  No one turns their back on him, we leave his presence walking backwards.  As a woman I am required to enter through a side door.  Men go in directly.  As a woman I am to wear a long skirt (I had to wrap my shawl around my long pants if I wanted to be in his presence on my last visit).   We kneel and clap 3x.  We proceed a bit further in our kneeling position and repeat the clap.  This is done until we arrive in reception area.  He has power over his people and in general they do not thrive under his rule.   He went to college here in the US and knows our 'casual' ways but demands that we succumb to his, on his turf.  It is demanded!  He is King.  There is no freedom in his presence.

Kneeling is a form of humility and submission.  Standing (as we do with our anthem) is a sign of strength and pride.  Once again we have this whole thing backwards.

Use your voice, your posture, your resources to better man kind.  

Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more. 

Luke 12:48 (Bible)

The Sounds of Silence

I sit in 'my' chair, in the wee (wee) hours of the morning!  I am not grumbling today over the fact that my bed is in the next room where I should be.  A place where the average person at 4:00 a.m. is soundly sleeping. 

I am savoring the quiet!  The sound of silence is a sweet gift.  The air space outside has no planes zipping over head.  No cars driving by. No TV noise!  No background music noise!  No people noise!  No 'noise'.  

This world is so loud.  I am weary of the 'talking' heads in our world. The chaos of the world that is fed to me 24/7 via media outlets.  Opinions on everything! The cry of those heads telling me what to do and what to think!  Knee jerk reactions of people, to every single event or comment, that draw hate and fear.  Headlines that feed across my 'smart phone' or 'computer' to create curiosity on a subject.  A subject that I check out, only to find that the headlines are twisted words, to pull me into another rant or partial truth or lie!  Noise, lies, hate, fear, angst, gossip, greed are daily fodder that pull us away from what really matters. God!

The folk song from the '60's Sounds of Silence came to mind as I sat down to write.  I rehashed the words, they are sad and empty. However, the silent times in life are really important! God knew our bent towards chaos and the fears that drive us to absurdity. He knew our bent to others opinions and thoughts instead of His.  He knew we needed silence!

As a follower of Jesus Christ, one who truly believes in God and the Bible being His words to us, I must take note and follow His mandate.  "Be still and know that I am GOD."  This simple sentence comes from a Psalm that describes our world today.  I am a simple human being, here on this earth for a brief time and then I get eternity with my creator.  

I close this days blog with an entire message from God to us. This message was written thousands of years ago, but it speaks to today.   I am guessing there will be some who read this and their rant against life will continue.  God's ways are so above my 'pay grade' that I humbly submit to my human status and trust God to carry me through. I am grateful for this time of silence to be reminded that God is my refuge and my strength. 

Psalm 46 (TLB)

"God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea.  Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble!

There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God—the sacred home of the God above all gods. God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help. The nations rant and rave in anger—but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin.

The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us. He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us.

Come, see the glorious things that our God does, how he brings ruin upon the world  and causes wars to end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon. “Stand silent! Know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation in the world!”

The Commander of the heavenly armies is here among us! He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us!"

Road Ahead - Unclear

Once again this entry is being written at an hour I usually desire to be sleeping.   My brain is clicking off thoughts like a bullet train racing through towns.  I don't trust the thoughts to be around in the day light, so here I am.

The path to the next chapter in our lives is nearing a major fork in the road.  The past couple of years have been 'quiet' times for me in terms of measuring accomplishments. My family had grown.  My business closed, leadership responsibilities quietly closed and how I measured who I am seemed to be shelved.

As 'retirement' age raced upon us, this term and cultural chapter caught me off guard.  Now what?  "What next?", is how I am wired.  There should always be a 'next'.  Another day and another adventure,  another reason for getting up each day and doing life.  Life is meant to have meaning and purpose.  I wanted 'life' to be on my terms.  Being still before the Lord has been very hard.

As the calendar pages turn quickly, the known is slipping away and the unknown  approaches!  In less than 3 months we change hats.  For the past year I have been, moping and worried. I have been scared and uncertain.  I have been mourning the 'good byes' to what has been a known and not embracing what is to come. My logic reminded me that I really do like change.  My logic told me I was not to worry, God has been more than faithful to me (us).  My logic told me that worry robbed me of the joys of the day or moment.  My emotions seemed to override the 'logic' for too long.  Where was my faith in God?

In the past month God has begun to answer my longings and prayers.  I love a term  I have  coined 'connecting the God dots' when I reflect on my life.  Today, the dots keep popping up and God is showing me He has heard my pleas and knows my fears.  I have yet to see how the dots will connect to create the bigger picture but I know there is movement and He has me covered.

I will connect some of the dots in the days to come.  They are exciting! I doubt that this side of eternity I will ever see the completed picture but I love that some of the dots seem to be making sense.  They truly are God's plans for they are impossible apart from Him. 

Oh Lord, You are shield for me, 

my glory and the lifter of my head!

Psalm 3:3

Uncharted Territory

Hello!  Why am I awake?  I am not a night owl!  I am a morning person.  Not a 1:30 a.m. morning person. A sunrise, 'hello world', morning person.

Of late, my sleep patterns are not to my liking.  But rather than toss and turn I decided to get up and do some writing and reflecting.  No noise, no interruptions, just quiet silence.

It has been almost 3 months since my last blog post.  3 months, but in that time frame my life has sifted quickly and the count down to major life changes has accelerated!  For most of my life, now 67 years, change has been something I thrived upon.  Sometimes the change could be major but even a simple recipe adjustments to 'shake' up a traditional dish would enter my world.  Status quo did not seem to suit me.  Adventure and change were always before me.

This shared,  I have come to realize that I embrace change if, I 'feel' that I have control over those changes.  2017, changes were thrust upon me and 'control' or perceived control was taken from me.  I have not embraced these changes easily.  My faith was weak.  Unfounded fears popped up.  A whirlpool of emotions gripped unlike anything I have experienced.  I was caught off guard and shaken by these emotions! 

As the calendar pages turn and father time moves quickly for me,  I am about embark on a life chapter that is unscripted by me, but the Lord has His finger prints all over it. (He always has!)

I marvel at  simple 'choices' I thought I had made a couple years back and realize now (again) that God was the 'choice' maker. He was setting a course of what was to 'be' in my life and Don's life.  It is wild and mind boggling but exciting to know that He has 'me' covered for what is to come.

I will unpack and pack, in the months ahead 'a lot'.  I am about to chart a course that does not have 'path' known to me.  I do not know how many days I have left on this earth, no one does.  I do know that I long to make them count. I do know that at 67 I have fewer days ahead on this earth than I have behind me.   I also know that my creator, has the path laid out.  I know my life is in for some new 'flavors'.  My prayer is that I will end well and honor the Lord with what is to come.

Variety is the very spice of life that gives it flavor." Wm Cowper