Just A Thought

Just out of curiosity, which of the following would you pay for, or hire?

• an alarm clock that doesn’t go off
• a referee who doesn’t make tough calls
• a thermometer that doesn’t show the right temperature
• a babysitter who doesn’t make children abide by rules
• a knife that won’t cut
• a watchdog that doesn’t bark

It goes without saying that none of the above would be wise investments. What good is an alarm clock that doesn’t go off or a watchdog that doesn’t bark? Who in the world would pay good money for something that doesn’t do its job? Wait! I think I know the answer to that question. Let me explain.

It seems to be a trend throughout history that truth-tellers are often hired only to be fired, or even killed, for doing the very thing they were hired to do. This group of people includes many Old Testament prophets, Jesus Christ himself, and most of Jesus’ disciples. Often these men were killed because they chose to speak truth in spite of public laws or public opinion. It seems that their contemporaries wanted prophets, but only the kind who were politically correct. When these truth-tellers dared to sound an alarm, make a call, cut to the chase, or ask their audience to abide by God’s rules, they were quickly rebuked, relieved of their position and, often, murdered.

As a result such of treatment, many would-be truth tellers have been tempted to speak only the “truth” that is currently in vogue. The Bible had some rather harsh words for such religious leaders:

For the leaders of my people — the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds — are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming. Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain. Isaiah 56:10-11 NLT

What good is a preacher who doesn’t sound alarms, make tough calls or hold people to God’s rules for life? No one benefits from such preaching, yet how often we hear of pastors being dismissed for daring to preach Biblical concepts rather than blandly echoing the philosophies of our culture. It would appear that some congregations seem more concerned about being politically correct than they are about being Biblically correct. In essence, some pastors have been hired to be a watchman, but then have been asked not to warn of impending danger. It goes without saying that such a position would be completely frustrating to the man, and completely useless to the congregation. Many countries have routinely silenced preachers who did not synchronize their message with that of the government. America is drifting in that direction. It is important that the people in the pew insure against such foolishness.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the preachers who still speak the truth in love, in spite of the rising tide of intolerance toward morality and righteousness. I would like to thank all the congregations who hire pastors and then support them when they bravely shine their light into our dark world -- that’s what preachers are supposed to do. If we force them to be people-pleasers, we remove their bark. This week might be a good time for you to thank your pastor for speaking truth no matter how politically incorrect or socially unacceptable it might be.

Do you ever feel like your life is incomplete… Like something is missing... Like nothing is getting done… or something more needs to happen? Have you ever “done it all” and still felt dissatisfied?

Sometimes that feeling drives us to think we’re not active enough… like we need to do another project, buy an new outfit, get a new hair do, go to school, get another degree, or do something magnanimous. But you might be surprised at just how much living you have already done. My guess is that if you listed your life experiences you would realize that you are not lacking variety or experiences.

You know what I think? I think, we’re not dissatisfied because we are in need of some new experience. I think, we’re simply hungry for life – a full, God-directed abundant life.

Let me ask you, “Have you ever felt restless and concluded that you just needed to go out and try a new restaurant? If so, was your inner hunger satisfied?”

Mine wasn’t. I’ve eaten, hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, pizza, ice cream, pies, cakes, salads, BBQ, seafood, pastries, breads, cereals, vegetables… I’ve had Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Mexican, Cajun, Jewish, Jamaican , French, Italian, German, Hawaiian, Indian and English food. I’ve even been brave enough to try frog legs, crocodile, buffalo, shark, snails and ants. (the snails were in a fancy restaurant in Paris, the ants were in our front yard as a kid – I always ate them with a pinch of dirt so I couldn’t feel them squirm) I’ve eaten with a fork, a knife, a spoon, chopsticks and my hands. I’ve tried food that was raw, oiled, boiled, canned, steamed, marinated, baked, grilled, fried, deep fat fried, smoked, frozen, broiled, tossed, dried, purified, stewed, pressure-cooked, simmered, melted, strained, blackened, seared, tenderized, preserved, rolled, buttered, seasoned, pressed, creamed, diced, sliced, cracked, twisted, and toasted. I’ve tasted bitter, brackish, salty, tangy, sour, smooth, acidic, sweet, spicy, zesty, tart, fruity and bland.

I think I can safely conclude that one more new dish isn’t going to make that big of a difference in my life. So, what am I hungry for? What else could I try? How about a night out of town or a new pet.

I’ve done the out of town thing. I’ve slept in 5 star hotels, and hotels that didn’t seem to know anything about rating systems – or cleans sheets and insecticides. I’ve slept in cabins, tents, trailers, back yards, cars, planes, laps, beds, pews, cots, hammocks, recliners, couches, and even on cold hard floors.

And as for pets, I’ve owned ant farms, dogs, gerbils, hamsters, birds, fish, frogs, turtles, guinea pigs, ferrets and cats – and for several of the cats I was even a midwife a time or two. I’ve ridden horses, Shetland ponies and even cows. I’ve slopped pigs, fed chickens, milked cows, branded cattle, hunted, trapped, fished, and even gigged crawdads in TX. No, I don’t think another animal is going to quite do the trick.

In Ecclesiastes 18 “The Preacher said, “Everything is so weary and tiresome! No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I feel dissatisfied my mind goes toward some recreation. And, I’ve played baseball, football, basketball, volley ball, tether ball, dodge ball, badmitten, hockey, croquet, racket ball, tennis, ping pong, air hocky, foos ball, soccer, golf, kick ball, wiffle ball, two square, three square, four square, softball, hide and seek etc. etc. Then there was Risk, Monopoly, Life, Operation, Battleship, Uno, Quote It, Water Works, Clue, Aggrivation, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Chess, Master Mind, Mouse Trap, Tiddly Winks, and even Jacks… and that list could go on forever.

I have skate boarded, roller skated, roller bladed, ice skated, water skied, snow skied, inner tubed, sledded and tobogganed.

I’ve also played a little on the piano, drums, harmonica, accordion, recorder, flute, guitar, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, french horn, and violin and I’ve played quite a lot on the alto, tenor and baritone saxophones.

Now, that should have at least worn me out even if it didn’t satisfy me.

So maybe I just need to hit the road. But, I’ve ridden in or on tricycles, wagons, bicycles, unicycles, cars, pickups, trailers, motorcycles, vans, buses, trains, lawn mowers, rafts, canoes, boats, planes. I’ve personally, driven cars, jeeps, convertibles, dump trucks, tractors, bobcats, bulldozers, back hoes, go carts, snow mobiles, boats and I even took the controls of a small plane for a few minutes on several occasions. I’ve driven 2 speeds, 3 speeds, 10 speeds, 20 speeds, standards, automatics and even push button automatics. These forms of transportation were manufactured by Renault, Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Lincoln, Mercury, Cadillac, Honda, Buick, Pontiac, Volvo, John Deer, and Cessna. And, you know, none of them took me to any destination that completely satisfied me.

Well, maybe the hunger I feel is all about being productive. But, I’ve planned and built furniture, play scapes, tree houses, forts, sheds, a couple houses, three churches and quite a few snow men and snow forts. I’ve worked hard as a paper boy, dump truck driver, plumber, an electrician, a framer, a farmer, a janitor, a hydro mulcher, a heavy equipment operator, landscaper, a cement man, a ditch digger, a laborer, a sheet rocker, a painter, a tile installer, a trim carpenter, an architect, a teacher, a principal, an administrator, a counselor, a writer, a speaker, and a pastor.

Besides that, I have been licensed to: drive, teach defensive driving, elementary school and special education, and life in focus classes. I’ve had preaching licenses on a local, general and ordination levels. I’ve served on church boards, boy scout committees, district committees the district boards.

What do you do when you’ve done all that and still feel like something is missing?

Could it be that there’s more I need to see?

Well, I’ve seen: The Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, The Sequoias of CA, Montezuma’s Castle, The Mayan Ruins of Central America, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Long Island, Pompey’s Pillar, The Painted desert, the Sierra Navadas, The Grand Tetons, the Beartooth mountains, the Ozarks, Berkshires, The Swiss Alps, Yellowstone National Park, Niagra Falls, Mr St Helens, Mt Rainer, Mt Washington, Mt Hood, and Mt Rusmore. I’ve waded in, fished in or floated on The Quinebaug, CT, Yellowstone, Missouri, Snake, and Mississippi rivers. I’ve crossed the Rio Grande, swam in the the Gulf of Mexico, floated on Lake Atilan which is surrounded by live volcanoes, waded in the Atlantic, glided through the everglades, and frozen my toes in the Pacific Ocean. I’ve seen the Great lakes, The Eerie canal, the Hudson bay, Crater Lake, and the Great Salt Lake. I’ve ferried across, Nantucket Sound, Long Island Sound and the English channel. I’ve seen the Northern Lights, live volcanoes, the longest causeway in the world, the biggest swimming pool in the world, Custer Battlefield, Arlington cemetery, The tomb of the unknown soldier, The Alamo, the Statue of Liberty, The Arches of St Louis, The Space needle, NASA headquarters in Houston, The Eiffel Tower, London Tower, London Bridge, The House of Parliament, Kensington Palace, The Sears Tower and the Empire State building. I’ve been to San Antonio, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Boston, NY, Atlanta, Dallas, Santa Fe, Denver, Houston, St Louis, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Washington DC, Paris, London, Florence, Venice, Rome, Alcapulco, and Honolulu. I’ve been to Mexico, Guatamala, France, Scotland, Switzerland, Italy, and England – In other words, I’ve been to at least 46 states and 7 foreign countries. I’ve seen the French Louvre, the Roman Colosseum, The Vatican, science museums, national archives, the monuments of Washington, Monticello, The North Bridge, The North Church, The Liberty Bell, The Declaration of Independence, The first Bible ever printed, and The Original Constitution of the United States. I have toured more that a half dozen state capital buildings, museums of fine arts, museums of the Wild West, Aquariums in 5 states, six Flags, Sea World, Fiesta TX, more than a dozen zoos and safaris, and too many other tourist traps throughout the world.

I think I would have to agree with Proverbs 27:20b which says, “the eyes of man are never satisfied.”

So, you might say, maybe you need more education or religion… maybe you need to be more holy, to try harder, or to be more good.

But I have attended, Sunday School, Good News clubs, church, grade school, junior high, high school, Bible School, camps, retreats, seminars, lectures, conferences, a community college, a State college, and a university. I’ve read or listened to the entire Bible a half a dozen times.

I’ve preached, taught, performed weddings, baptized people, prayed for the sick, conducted funerals, led hundreds of prayer meetings, dedicated babies, and given speeches in schools, hotels, camp meetings, conferences, church services, seminars, retreats, rallies and court houses. I have done these educational and religious activities in MT, TX, OK, AR, CT, MA, NY, OR, MS, MD, Mexico, and Guatemala.

I’ve recorded tapes, CDs and DVDs. I’ve written letters, sermons, Bible studies and books. I’ve read thousands of books, watched videos, filmstrips and slide shows. I’ve watched, directed and acted in plays. I’ve listened to music on radio, records, tapes, 8 tracks, cds, dvds, computers and mp3 players - besides attending and participating in live concerts . (as opposed to dead ones)

All this, and I’m not even 50 years old. I did all that in 570 months. Furthermore, I’ve engaged this volume and variety of experiences even though my household income has always been significantly below the median income.

Of course, concerning the money issue, Ecclesiates 5 plainly says, “10Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth--except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!

SO: I’ve been a embryo, baby, a toddler, a teen and an adult – but never a girl. I’ve been a student, a tourist, a customer, a vendor, an employee and a boss. I’ve been a son, a brother, a cousin, a friend, a boyfriend, a fiancé, a groom, a son in law, a father and a husband – but not a grandpa.

I’ve laughed, cried, screamed, shouted, wrestled, fought, tortured (just my brothers), jogged, crawled, jumped, ran, sang, slept, ate, drank, coughed, hiccupped, winced, recoiled, burped, snorted, sneezed, wheezed, shivered, whistled, waved, twisted, turned, tripped and tumbled - often.

And I’m still not satisfied. All that is just details.

You know what I’ve concluded? I have a hunger for something that supersedes most of those things I just mentioned. I hunger for wholeness; for unity with God; for his kingdom to come and His will to be done on a daily basis.

I hunger for a sense of purpose. I want to enjoy my journey, knowing that God is directing my path and affecting my experiences. I’ll probably go other places and eat new foods, but more than anything I hunger to know Christ and to be confident and complete in Him.

Could it be that there is a place in God where I can enjoy my hunger for more life, on the one hand, and be completely satisfied, knowing that God is going to give me a full life, on the other hand. Doesn’t that sound like a place that offers peace and contentment yet is full of activity and life? I hope God is successful in teaching me to think and live that way. I think I’ll let my hunger take me to my prayer closet and to times of Bible reading, and then out into the world where I will try to enjoy all the living I’ve been doing. I hope I can learn to take my satisfaction right from Him!