LOOK WHO'S WATCHING

I often carried my lunch to work when I was a school teacher. I hated being a slave to whatever might be offered in the cafeteria. Occasionally, when in a hurry, I would pack dinner left-overs in my lunch bag and head out the door.

One day, as the students settled in their desks for home room, I went through my morning ritual. I took the lunch out of my book bag. This time I had hastily packed the left-overs in a plastic grocery sack. I took the reusable containers and set them in my desk and began to shred the bag with my scissors and throw the pieces in the trash.

I noticed the students, who had been chattering while settling into their morning routine, were now quiet. I soon realized all eyes were on me.

"What's up?" I asked.

"You," one of the girls replied. "We were watching to see what you would do with that plastic bag."

A few weeks before, I taught a social studies unit on human effects on the environment. We discussed things we could do as individuals to be good stewards of the environment. I showed them photographs I'd collected of animal victims of trash that hadn't been properly disposed of. I suggested that if a student couldn't recycle rings from packages of aluminum cans, they should carefully cut each ring, so an animal couldn't become trapped. I suggested the same with plastic grocery sacks, especially the handles.

When the students saw me bring a plastic bag from home, they quietly watched to see if I would throw it in the trash, immediately making me a hypocrite in their eyes.

"You really practiced what you preached," the student said. "You're all right."

It was a simple statement, but something that was profound. I like to think that I fade into the woodwork like a wallflower, but I am watched more often than I suspect.

We all are.

Let's try to practice what we preach.

... MORE BLESSED ...

One of the first Bible verses I learned as a child was, "... it is more blessed to give than to receive," Acts 20:35. I wasn't sure I knew what the word "blessed" meant, just that it was a good thing. I didn't know how how it could be better to give away things than to get them. I liked presents, a lot.

Still, I learned to share what I had; toys, snack, my bedroom. In a large family, sharing is a way of life. I didn't find much of a blessing in it at all.

When I became an adult, the idea of generosity changed. As I developed political views, I was distressed by the idea of poverty and inequality in the world. Shouldn't governments distribute wealth more equally?

The New Testament doesn't focus on governments or politics so much as in the individuals' response to his fellow citizens. We should show kindness and love to others.

--So if we pay our taxes, vote for the right person, and become politically active, have we done our duty?

I am reminded of one of my favorite Christmas stories, A Christmas Carol. Ebeneezer Scrooge is asked to donate money to help the needy. He responds that he has payed his taxes and they provide services to care for the poor. That should be enough.

It isn't. Governments are wasteful, full of bureaucracies, and are at best inefficient at getting a job done. Individuals in their own communities can do a much better job.

--But from a Biblical perspective, that isn't even the issue. Something happens to an individual when he shows generosity on a personal basis. That one-on-one contact between the giver and receiver makes something happen. Just as Scrooge was changed by learning about the needs in his community and becoming a part of the solution, we too, are changed.

Our generosity doesn't have to be great. Most of us are people with modest means. We can make a difference by sharing change so someone may purchase a burger at a fast food restaurant. It might be important to help another at the check-out line at Kroger. We might donate time by mowing the lawn of someone who can't do it himself. Ways to show kindness are limitless.

I am fortunate enough to be active at a church that is involved with several programs in our community. Some are based around annual occasions, the beginning of the school year and holidays. Others have been disaster relief efforts or volunteering with service organizations. I feel different after participating in these event. Seeing a teenager tear up after receiving his first birthday cake, changes both people involved.

I didn't understand as a child, but as an adult I do realize that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

WORRY

I hate surprises.

I especially hate surprises that involve time, work, and expense.

I talked with my pharmacists about whether my prescriptions would last until I until I was on my new  work insurance. If you don't live in the U.S. you may not understand what a big deal that is. He assured me that I had a 3 month supply of prescriptions.

Anyway, last weekend I called to have my prescription filled and found that, though I had refills, the prescription itself, had expired. I only had a few days of two very important medications. I didn't have a doctor or the money to pay the out-of-pocket expense and prescriptions.

How did I set up a doctor's visit during my work hours? There were layers upon layers of complications.

I told myself that none of this was a surprise to God. I prayed for him to work it out. I fully intended to leave all the worry behind and trust the details to Him.

But Sunday night I couldn't go to sleep. I kept trying to work out the details in my mind. I would get up and, at 7:00 call the Church Health Center (a clinic where I could see a doctor on a sliding fee). Hopefully they would agree to take me as a patient. I would see what appointments were available and talk to my boss about getting off work for the visit.

Sleep evaded me. I really trusted God, but I couldn't stop the worry.

In the end, all the pieces fell together. I was able to see the doctor and she gave me a four months supply of prescriptions--long enough for me to get on my new insurance program.

Why did I worry? I don't really know. I knew things would work out. Maybe I feared the way they would work out.

Like I said, I hate surprises.

THE PRODIGAL SON--AN AMERICAN EXPERIMENT

Have you ever noticed how you can read a passage in the Bible at one time, then read the same story years later and notice something new? I got a little insight into that last week. My Sunday school teacher, Al, tried an interesting experiment on us.

Al is always researching and read about an experiment a missionary conducted. The missionary notice that Americans, usually left out a specific fact from a very common Bible story. Al tried the experiment on us and we acted just as anticipated.

We were each asked to summarize the Parable of the Prodigal Son, a story we were familiar with, Luke 15:11-32. The story is about a wealthy man and his 2 sons. The youngest wants his share of the inheritance before his father is death. He leaves the family and lives lavishly until he runs out of money. He returns to beg his father to work as a servant, but the father is so happy to see the son that he has a celebration. The faithful brother is jealous of the father's attention, but the father reassures him and explains that they should all rejoice when the prodigal returns.

As we each retold the story, Al smiled and we knew something was up. When it was over Al explained that most Americans leave out one fact to the story that people in many other countries find very important. The Bible says that there was a famine in the land.None of us remembered that fact but it is clear in Luke 15:14. We all looked it up.

It seems that older Americans that have experienced the Dust Bowl Era, do pick up on the verse about the famine, but if we haven't experienced one, that doesn't seem like a significant detail.

I guess that tells a lot about how we read the Bible. Things we've experienced do seem to jump out at us.

The older I get, the more relevant the Bible seems. I've had more life experiments.

INDEPENDENCE DAY 2015

I have been fearing lately that my grandchildren won't know the America that I knew. I realize that each generation can say that, but Americans used to be known for their rugged individualism. That was what caused them to demand their independence from Great Britain. It was what helped the pioneers cross deserts and survive harsh climates. It was what helped my grandmother raise 8 children during The Great Depression.

Along with individualism there was always hope, hope that a person's children would have a better life than they had. Each generation believed their child would have a more improved life than theirs.

Now things seem a little different. Many people seem less interested in independence and less hopeful about the future. Many don't seem interested in improving their lives at all.

This is really sounding like a downer of an Independence Day post, but I know tides can change. I'm old enough that I've watched the tides change before. I remember the flags flying after 9-11. I remember seeing the church pews filling with people looking for comfort after that disaster.

I hope we will have a more positive event that brings us together, next time. I look forward to the day when our leadership will encourage unity with the country.

It's not too late.

WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN

A little over 7 years ago I decided to change jobs. Years before I did this, I prayed for the opportunity to move from a job where I was very unhappy.  The doctor was very clear that stress was affecting my health.

Then the perfect job showed itself. It was a teaching position at a small private school. The pay was good--for a private school--and the environment was great. I loved the job. Parents were very positive and the kids were a lot of fun. My next check-up was so good that the doctor took my blood pressure 3 different times on 2 different cups, just to make sure my scores were really that improved.

Everything indicated that this job was the answer to my prayers and that I made the right choice by accepting this teaching position.

Then the economy tanked and the school was forced to lay off all its new hires. I accepted temporary job after temporary job for the next 7 years. Often, I thought,"Maybe I should have stayed with my old reliable job."

I felt that God provided the new school position for me, but things turned out so wrong that I must have misread all the signs.

I was talking with my good friend, Al, just yesterday. He mentioned the Biblical story of Joseph, in relation to fiscal responsibility. As I was driving home, I was still thinking about that story.

Joseph did the right thing. He did what God wanted. He resisted Pottifer's wife and was still accused of the crime. As a result he was thrown in jail. If he had slept with her, he would not have received the jail sentence.

Sometimes bad things happen, even when we do God's will. God had a plan for Joseph. He saved the lives of his own family and an entire country.

Why did my life take such twists and turns these past 7 years?

I don't know.

Knowing what I know, would I have made the same choices?

I like to think I would.

NEW OUTLOOK

It's been 7 long years since I've had a steady, long term job. I left teaching in public school because I was tired of teaching children how to take tests. I was weary of the bullying that was permitted in the public school where taught. I moved to a private school where I was very happy to be a teacher.

Then the economy tanked. For the next few years I taught wherever I could; daycare centers where I was paid 7.50 an hour to care for a room full of children, a private school where I was actually cheated out of the pay for which I was contracted, and even worked for 4 years as a substitute teacher.

Seven years is a long time and it is easy to be discouraged.

Then it happened. I finally found a permanent job. I am no longer a teacher, the job for which I studied and have over 20 years experience. The fact remains that in my area, school systems have laid-off teachers for over 3 years and there is a large number of teachers struggling to find employment, anywhere. I regret leaving teaching, but am happy to start a new phase in my life.

The 4 years as a substitute taught me a couple of important lessons.

Lesson 1--Let others know if you need help. Those who love you will want to help you. Don't let your pride prevent others from getting the blessing they will receive from helping you. My son was working and living at home. I hated asking him to chip in more on the bills. Still, it was something he needed to do, something that was necessary to his maturity.

Lesson 2--I learned to trust God to care for my needs. Though I did make due without many things I wanted, God provided for those things I needed. I used to stress about all of that, but I learned to relax and trust God . 

For any of you, who are in a similar situation, don't give up hope.

 Keep looking.