Just A Thought

 Sofie sits contentedly in her recliner, soaking in the warmth and ambiance of her gas fireplace. The thermometer on her porch reads four below zero, but a warm shower, a hot cup of coffee, and a warm fire make the world feel like a wonderful place. The eighteen inch snow storm that recently blanketed the acreage between her farmhouse and her neighbor’s has been driven by the wind, turning the whole world into a one-of-a-kind ice sculpture. Today she will be celebrating her eightieth birthday, and she decides there is no better way to start the day than to sit contentedly enjoying her blessings.

Meanwhile, within eyeshot, Sophie’s neighbor, Imelda - also 80 years old – glares out the window, shivering and cursing vehemently.  She has wrapped her trembling frame with multiple blankets. She has nothing but cold water to drink. It has been two days since she has been able to shower. What gives?

It is simple. Sofie has gas, water and electricity. Imelda does not.  Last fall Sophie spent her limited budget on a few minor repairs… a leaky valve, a broken pipe and a frayed wire. Today, the inhospitable weather gives her no concern; she can actually enjoy it as she peers out the window she had replaced.

Imelda is actually quite wealthy. Her house is bigger, her fireplace is costlier, and she has many well-connected “friends.” But today she shivers and laments the day she was born as she realizes she should have had her gas lines repaired instead of taking a cruise. She now wishes she had spent money fixing the broken window instead of buying another necklace with which to impress her friends. Now, life is exposing the inadequacies of her infrastructure. The weather doesn’t care that she meant well. Life does not consider the fact that her grandmother was a wonderful philanthropist. Her only hope is to find ways to survive and then immediately tend to those more important issues.

The moral of the story is that it is easy to get caught up with surface things that don’t matter rather than the more important issues in life. Man is tripartite: body soul and spirit. The body can be likened to the house. The soul can be likened to the person living in the house. The spirit can be likened to the lifelines coming and going into the house, such as gas lines, water lines, sewer lines and electrical lines.  Someone who keeps their pipe-lines working will have vastly different life experiences than their neighbor who may be dealing with many of the same life circumstances. Spiritually speaking, a connection with God is the most important pipe-line a person can have. Daily prayer and church attendance are key to staying warm inside. Staying connected with God and letting God do minor repairs to the heart and mind may seem insignificant in good weather, but, come bad weather, it makes all the difference. 

In 1738 John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church, described a time when he had a life-changing experience with God in which he felt “strangely warmed.” On the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit manifested as “tongues of fire.” It was the inner power God had promised just before he ascended. Receiving the Holy Spirit is not an event; it is the opening of a pipeline. The better the pipeline, the more inner strength one can access. This connection eventually produces peace and joy that others see manifest. Your world might be hostile and cold at times. The solution is to work on those pipelines to heaven. No matter how cold it is outside you can be warm inside.

# posted by John W. Hanson @ Tuesday, May 23, 2023

 Each day is new gift from God and an opportunity to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, it is easy for the best of us to get side-tracked. A difficult situation, an unkind word, or an unfair ruling can trigger a negative reaction. This can be aggravated by divisive news, caustic social media posts, and a combative culture. Before you know it, good neighbors are not speaking, coworkers are snapping at one another, and loving families are decimated. When people start living defensively and spitefully, the quality of life can easily degenerate. To say it succinctly: Spite makes trite. 

Consider this example:

When Edmund Proctor purchased his farm in Westminster, Massachusetts in 1852, he didn’t see any issue working on all seven days of the week. Farwell Morse, his neighbor across the street thought differently.

Massachusetts still had many Puritanical traditions at the time, which included not working on Sunday as it was considered the Sabbath. Morse expressed his displeasure with Proctor’s decision to work on his farm even on Sundays, however, Morse had no intentions of stopping.

In an attempt to end the dispute and perhaps irritate his neighbor, Proctor constructed an 11-foot-tall, 60-foot-long stone wall between the properties. With the massive wall, Morse would not be able to see when he was working. Proctor continued working on his wall until he died in 1890 at the age of 71. (www.atlasobscura.com)

I am thankful for the many people in our world who choose to use their time and energy to make the world a better place rather than spitefully making a fuss about the things others disagree with them about. I am thankful for the people who police, nurse and educate others even though they may not see eye to eye with them on every topic. I am thankful for those who spread good news, help the poor, and encourage those who are having a difficult time, instead bickering about the things in life that are wrong with the world.

Believe it or not, this is often the momentum behind groups of people who work together as an expression of their common faith – like community groups and churches. The author is privileged to oversee a group of people who have been meeting together for over forty years. They have successfully provided opportunities for people to overcome addictions. They have created opportunities for families to thrive. They have taught and encouraged people to forgive, to give, to be good citizens and to change the world for the better. They have picked up trash, fed the poor and prayed for anyone who was interested. They have seen lives turned around, families restored, and miracles take place. Their beliefs and values are dear to them, but those beliefs and values do not make them bitter or spiteful - and my life is better for being a part of their lives.

We each have only one life to live. There are so many worthy causes to which a person can give their energy. How sad to waste that energy on a wall of spite. Such behavior makes ones’ life so trite. Spite makes trite.

# posted by John W. Hanson @ Wednesday, May 10, 2023