One of my mother’s favorite phrases was, “This too shall pass.”It was one of those “Just hang on” phrases that moms and dads use to encourage their children not to give up or give in to frustration or despair. Frustration and despair are common currency in all countries, cultures, and individuals. You can see it in all walks of life, all religions and faiths, all levels of success and failure. You might consider that it is planet wide and ocean deep.

Misery, the absence of good, has a brother who is fatalism. Fatalism sings back up to misery’s lead, telling you that misery will never go away. You get sick with the flu, pinned to the bed, and it seems that it will never go away, until it does. Misery attacks health and circumstances. Fatalism attacks expectations and perception. They can be very formidable as a tag team wrestling partnership. They can seem pretty huge when you are the skinny kid standing across the ring facing them alone. The alone part is the biggest deceit.

You are not alone. Misery and fatalism will try to talk you into self-isolating, running into a private cave, a private hell. Lies. There are people around you, even the annoying ones, who want you to get better, even when they don’t know how to say it. There are prayer partners and hundreds who have written books about facing the same issues you face. You are surrounded by movies, books, testimonies, preachers and so many more who have suffered and won, suffered and grown, suffered and become deeper persons – the kind you automatically go to for help.

I was going through a rough patch and was convinced I was helpless and powerless. I pray more when I’m distressed, which is sad to say, but true. I landed on a series of questions posed by the Lord. “Without any change in your situation can you — Love Me, be loved by Me, and love others like I do?” The questions began to cause a shift from helpless to helpful, from powerless to empowered. No distress in life or circumstance can separate me from God’s love or His life, which I can both experience and share. I can have hope and faith during a time of misery. I don’t have to wait until it’s over to be strong. I’m not alone for the Father is with me, speaking words of hope, of faith, and of love. He has surrounded each of us with a cloud of witnesses, easily accessible.

As mom said, “This (misery) too shall pass.” However, joy and hope can be continuous and without end. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.””
John 16:33 ESV

Who will catch you when you fall? Anyone who has had a great adrenaline rush knows what follows. The entire person goes into a slump when the adrenaline is burned out or used up. It is like the body has used all its resources during the adrenaline rush and has absolutely nothing left after. It is the sudden drop from feast to famine in a few heartbeats.

Other things can create the same high/low pattern. I saw students come in to class so hyper you couldn’t settle them down. They fell asleep midway through the class, a pattern called the sugar blues. Sugar and other things that make a person high can leave them blue at the other end. Addictions are created to keep the blues away and keep the high going. Anything can be used, even video games, for a person to try to control their own highs and lows with their own ability. I’m sure that is why the Bible teaches so much about idols, things people use to control their own lives or the lives of their surroundings. Godless gods.

That’s a long introduction to ask you how you are dealing with the day after Christmas? How long before the fresh paint of new wears off and drudgery returns? Is Christmas a high/low experience or another day of deep loving among friends and family? The difference seems to be tied to a frightening word called “humility.” You can’t love or be loved without humility. Humility truly experiences the worth of the other in the relationship and shows that value in thoughts, words, actions, and feelings.

Marriages can be a good metaphor. We are in a time where divorces outnumber marriages, but there are some marriages that last a joyful lifetime. The difference is in the values of the people involved. Lifelong marriages are like Christmas every day. Even hardships become miracles of growth and depth. The weaknesses of the partners becomes the strength of the relationship. It is just like Jesus said, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV. These successful marriages require a God who is God who is stronger than two people trying to be god. Love requires humility which breaks the addiction of people serving themselves.

I hope and pray that your Christmas will be a joy all year long. I pray that the love you give and receive will overcome all the highs and lows of life. I pray that the Joy of Jesus empowers you to find joy in all of your life, even your mistakes He has to clean up.

Sometimes people see things through a tight lens when the possibility of a long lens or wide lens would take in more. Santa is like that for me. He has become a hero because Jesus has used this man’s testimony through seventeen centuries to teach the world about heaven and heavenly values.

Santa started as a loving Christian in about 300 AD. His parents died and left him wealthy. His generosity became his fame. His acts of faith and faithfulness, especially toward children and sailors, had the Catholic church proclaim him a saint so his testimony would not be lost and would continue to inspire others.

He became associated with Christmas giving and was known through many cultures and many diverse costumes as the epitome of Christmas. Germans gave him a name which translates to “Christ Kind.” Yet, he was kicked out of the church by protestants who did not want anything to do with Catholic saints, changing him to Father Christmas and other secular titles. His mission didn’t change or his message, whether in the church or out.

Santa came to America through the Dutch and Germans. We settled on the Dutch name, translated as Santa Claus. He has lots of historical involvements with many places, even Jacksonville, Florida a long time ago, being named for St. Nicholas. Lincoln even considered Santa Claus an advantage to the union during the Civil War. He has been an ever present representation of Jesus’s life and values.

Santa took on a particularly hard challenge during the early 1800s. Christmas was an unruly time of drunkenness. American leadership wanted the season to become family friendly, especially as children were beginning to be recognized as their own stage of life and in need of protection. Santa was made for that job. He was one of the main influences that brought Christmas back in to the home for children and families.

Santa’s next feat was evangelism to the church. Santa helped the church bring Christmas carols and Christmas traditions into their celebrations and Sunday Schools to reach families with the message and life of Jesus. He went from Christian to bishop to saint to secular to church evangelist representing the heavenly qualities of Jesus life the entire time. And this is just the tip of a seventeen centuries long story.

We know the qualities of heavenly values through the fruit of the Holy Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 ESV Jesus has used the testimony of Nicholas the Bishop across cultures, across nations, even nations at war with each other, to teach His message to all persons, believers and unbelievers for centuries. Amazing. Jesus loves us and works to reach out to us continually in ways beyond our imagining and through people who might surprise us. Celebrate Jesus this Christmas. He loves you more than you can know.

Are prophets harbingers of doom or progenitors of hope? Bible prophets reveal what humans truly look like and act like from a heavenly perspective. Consider that all things work together perfectly and in complete unity in heaven. There is no sorrow or hurt or pain.

Now consider some of the most famous body builders like Andreas Munzer, Dallas McCarver, and many others like them. They have the exterior look of perfection, but their body abuses to achieve the appearance of perfection have caused many to die at an extremely young age or face an old age of grievous health issues.

Heaven is substance over appearance. Earth is appearance over substance. Prophets give the warning that few hear. They would be the ones telling the body builders what they are doing is wrong, what is going on inside their bodies, and the price they will pay for it. Isn’t that more loving and friendly than all those who praise the muscles and encourage the body builder to continue in their life of abuse? Why do Bible readers perceive the prophets as crushing cruelty when they are the ones who see the situation as it really is and fight for the truth that will rescue?

Whose fault is it that the body builder avoids all the signs and information that would protect him/her from harm? What motivation drives them deeper into the pit? Why suffer torment and horror for a few moments pleasure and glory? In like reasoning, why does the allure of sex cause so many people to violate their lives, relationships, and own personal values? The Bible has an easy word for this called “sin.”

We hate the word “sin” because it is a label for behavior we don’t want to change, thoughts we don’t want to quit thinking, feelings we don’t want to quit experiencing. It is a label for the abuses we chose for ourselves because the pleasurable appearance trumps the destructive function and outcomes. God, as a loving Father, doesn’t want us to hurt ourselves and stands against the harm.

Children fight their parents while their parents are trying to protect them. People do the same toward God and blame Him when they can’t get what they want and can’t get God to remove the consequences of bad behaviors. God is a faithful father who won’t give in to tantrums, ugly words, manipulation, or any of the other techniques people have learned to get their own way. He knows what is best and is not trapped or tricked by human scams. God loves us, even when we don’t want to be loved and protects us even when we desire the danger. He wants our lives to be like heaven. He is the progenitor of hope.

Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow meet the wizard at the end of the 1939’s Wizard of Oz. The wizard is uncovered, and he gives each one recognition and a symbol of recognition for what they’ve had all along: the Tin Man a ticking clock for the loving heart he had shown, the Scarecrow a diploma for the intelligence he had manifested, the Lion a medal for facing the terror he had overcome, and Dorothy finds that she had the ability to go home all along. Each of these characters was manifesting what they wanted most all along the journey. Each was unable to see it until the wizard pointed it out and gave them a symbol of recognition. We are each manifesting a relationship with Jesus, even when we don’t see it. Be encouraged and let Him show you.

I’ve spoken to many Christians who have a hard time realizing that Jesus speaks to them. The Lord is talking to all His children. Most people experience this like the characters in Oz, unable to see what is there working within them the entire time. Some Christians get recognition and begin to see that Jesus is revealing Himself and His life to them. Every Christian can experience this joy.

Godly “coincidences” happen to Christians all the time. People pray about friends they haven’t seen for a while and suddenly run in to them or get a call, a text, or some other connection – not a coincidence or accident. Jesus is at work. I know many people who pray ardently throughout the week only to have the Sunday sermon hit on many points about which they were thinking or praying. This is not a coincidence. These are typical “accidents” of believers which prove that Jesus is at work in and through their prayers. There is not enough room in a blog or book to example all the ways Jesus reveals Himself in and through all of His children.

It is often easier to see the Lord at work in others than it is to see Him at work in yourself. He works in you if He works anywhere because He is true to His word and His promise. I encourage believers to pray and share. I’m convinced that the more you pray and the more you share, the more you will experience those Godly “accidental” recognitions which will prove to you that the Holy Spirit is alive in your life and working in and through your prayers. Jesus is alive and not in hiding. He loves His children and is communicating with them. Trust Him. You are important to Him, and He won’t leave you out or ignore you.

Jumpin Jack was the town alcoholic. He lived this role for a small mountain town in western North Carolina. The major part of the town was one block long on one side of the street. The town phone book was part of a regional book and only had three pages of double spaced entries so you could add your friends from outside of town. I lived there during the first stages of recovering from traumatic life events and needed to be away from the rest of my life.

I was always impressed with the way the town treated Jumpin Jack. He was a part of them, had his own seat at the table for community events, and was well known and well treated by the town officer who had to take people fifteen miles north or south to a bigger town to arrest them and put them in jail. Jumpin Jack knew he belonged though he was not proud of his life and knew the town didn’t like the way he lived. He felt like an outcast, even as he was included. That doesn’t seem to be the way we treat others now.

Somewhere it seems that we’ve lost the sense that we are a part of each other and that no one is perfect. We are all imperfect people in an imperfect world. We are each gifted with different talents, different understandings, and differing abilities. No one stands alone. We can see in culture, politics, all the way down to families, that division destroys. Love and forgiveness employs the ability to have relationship and community. It should not be surprising that the cross, forgiveness, is the center of the Christian faith because forgiveness is necessary for any relationship to exist, even between the closest of friends.

The power of deep friendship is the automatic and total degree of forgiveness. You know you have a deep friend when, no matter the length of time apart or the hardships experienced, the friendship remains fresh, alive, and healthy. Foxhole friends are those men who have fought in foxholes together in real or circumstantial wars. Their friendship surpasses all known barriers to closeness because their lives and survival have depended on each other. They have bonded in layers of caring that most cannot imagine.

I believe Jesus wants us to know and experience this level of loving and friendship. We are all fighting wars in our lives, in our circumstances and in our selves. Jesus is in that foxhole with us. We can depend on Him. We are loved beyond our comprehension.

I am living in the land of more and less. I know what I used to be, and I hear how people relate to me now. They don’t recognize me as the man I once was. For that I am profoundly grateful. I know Harry 1.0. He is diminishing as the upgrades go forward. Luckily most have met Harry 2.0, the “after salvation” Harry, the improved and improving version. I’m now living in the land of more and less.

I have more of the qualities I want and less of the qualities I detest, even though those bad qualities still exist in me. I have become more honest, more trustworthy, more sincere, more thoughtful of others, less angry, less hateful, less selfish, less bitter, more forgiving, more tolerant, and the list goes on. This is the gift of God to me. Every bit of this change can be traced to my salvation and my relationship with Jesus. He has been working steadfastly to reduce the bad and increase the good. I am cheering for his success and praying for the strength not to resist His efforts on my behalf. I am excited to see God’s final reveal of His renovation project in me.

Jesus is not apposed to tearing out walls, ripping up tile, and replacing all the fixtures in His renovating. I am the house being renovated and testify that the work is worthy but painful. Jesus knows what has to be done. He has a plan. Some rooms get renovated more than once before getting to the “better/more” state because the renovation goes forward in stages. Every stage increases the more desirable and decreases the less desirable.The Lord is teaching me to set my mind and heart on the continuous process being continuously changing. He will complete the renovation someday. Until that day, I live in the land of growing more and less.

First I have to acknowledge that not all parents are good. I came across some parents when I was a teacher who were cruel and hateful to their children. I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about the regular, reliable, standard issue parents that most of us were given. They are not all good or all bad but dance somewhere back-and-forth between the two, spending most of their time on the good side.

We love them because we were born to them and created to love them, because they took care of us before we realized we needed their care. We love them because they are there for everything. They change diapers, dress us, feed us, discipline us, teach us right from wrong, protect us from harm, and so much more. We learn to trust them with our tragedies and our celebrations because they see it all. We know we need parents because they know more, can do more, and are on our side. They teach us about loving and being loved. They give us value and values.

I feel this is a perfect image of Jesus in our lives. He is the perfect parent without the shortcomings of humanity. He really does love us. He is constantly working to make our lives better. We are children to Jesus no matter how old we get. We need help, guidance, rescue, correction, discipline and all the other things parents provide children. Everyone needs to learn more about loving and being loved.

Honesty would require us to admit that age doesn’t keep us from acting like small children. We tell Jesus what He ought to do and when. We behave poorly when we don’t get our way. We fight over other children’s toys and don’t play well with others. We have adult versions for all the misbehaviors we see in the small ones in our lives.

The Lord knows how to deal with all the spiritual realities of humans, every stage, every season, no matter the age. He has children in every state of mind, emotion, and life, everywhere. He is dealing with them as they are, working to grow them into better lives. I consider how much trouble I would have avoided in my life had I just done what my parents told me to do. Jesus is just like that, but better.

I had an entertaining moment with some re-enactors recently. It started badly. I approached their presentation site, and one of their number called out, “Hey preacher” in a way that told me he had been wounded by someone in the church, and I was going to face the music for it. I didn’t mind. I’ve been hurt by the church as have many. The church is filled with people who are known for their imperfections and humanity in the presence of Jesus who is working to make them better.

Someone in their group used a mildly profane word related to something else and followed it with an apology. I told them that the apology wasn’t necessary. I grew up with all those words and was very familiar with them. As a matter of fact, all it takes is one hammer to a thumb, and all those words come flooding back to my mouth, causing me to fight to choke them back. I prefer an honest conversation with real people instead of making them walk around pretending because I’m trying to learn to be better than I am.

The man had been hurt. People were willing to take, but unwilling to give. The worse part was he needed the friendship and prayers, and that was withheld too. He and I agreed that people are skilled at being bad to each other. He and I needed to agree to keep each other honest so we wouldn’t fall in to that. His complaints about the church were the same that Jesus had with His church. As a matter of fact, God has been facing those failures among His people all the way back to the beginning of the Bible. I guess it shouldn’t be surprised that the problems are still around. The good thing is God isn’t that way. God is far better.

The re-enactor and I had become friends by the end of the conversation with a shared vision of Jesus. I was impressed that the more we spoke about Jesus, the better perspective we both had about ourselves and the people we have to deal with every day. The entire Bible is about relationship, relationship with God. We can work on our relationships with ourself and others in right perspective once the primary relationship with God is established. My formerly antagonistic friend taught me a lot during our short time together. I’m glad Jesus was there to sort things out. Jesus heals broken relationships.

I went sightseeing this past weekend. It was not what I intended, but I’m glad I did. I went to the Dade City Pioneer Museum and Village for a re-enactment of the Battle of Mariannas, Florida. Friday was student day. Lots of students came to wander around the different buildings and the 19 presentation stations manned by volunteers and re-enactors. My station was a presentation on Civil War medicine and surgery with some information about chaplains in the war.

I became aware of life priorities, value systems, sacrificial caring and many of the qualities of Jesus alive in all the people I spoke to. They didn’t have to identify that they were witnessing to show that the values of God had become important in their lives and reasons for why they did the things they did. They were there to love on family. They were there to show or learn about the value of historical people and what they went through to create the future we live in now. Everything was about relationship, people, learning from the past, and making the world a better place. I became a sightseer because I could see and hear Jesus everywhere I looked and in every story I heard. Jesus is very busy loving and helping people right where they are, even when they are not aware of Him or how committed He is to helping them.

Stories about the Marianas battle showed the presence of Jesus in and, sometimes simultaneously to, some of the worst cruelties of man. Union soldiers ran into a building they were burning to the ground to rescue a woman who had given birth the night before. The women of the home had been shooting at the soldiers just before the building was lit on fire. The mother and child lived. A soldier was given the Medal of Honor for threatening his own soldiers for killing prisoners after those very prisoners had shot an officer to death who was begging them to surrender. Jesus was reaching in to the worst we have to offer to pull out and show the best we have to give in times that we have a hard time imagining that He is present.

Jesus is everywhere, all the time, and is working to rescue us from our worst selves. He is doing it even when we deny Him and/or are working our hardest to resist Him. I experienced awe and respect for the compassion of Jesus at the same time I felt humbled by knowing that I often resist His plans for me. He is far more faithful and reliable than I will ever be, and I am grateful.