Beyond Words

Paying It Forward

Just this past week my friend Kelly posted on her Facebook page that they let someone in line in front of them in a drive through, and when they got to the window to pay, the car in front of them had paid for them!  How very sweet and how very grateful.  So, Kelly and company did the same for the car behind them.  Who knows how long it went on, but it all reminded me of that fabulous movie “Pay It Forward.”

It also reminded me of an article I read in the” Austin American-Statesman” about a woman who was turning 50.  But, instead of dreading the milestone of having lived half a century, the woman made it her goal to perform 50 kind deeds in the 50 days leading up to her birthday.  Most impressively, she involved her friends and family so as not to have all the light shone on her.  Her secondary goal, you see, was to “energize others in the spirit of giving.”

What about you?  Maybe you (and me both!) won’t accomplish a daily dose of simple acts of kindness, but what about every now and then?  There are so many people in need and so many of us capable of filling those needs.   Maybe start on your birthday.  What a great idea for your kids too!  Suggest to them that on their 9^th or 16^th or 21^st birthday they do that many good and decent things.

Just a thought to leave you on.  I’m off to make plans to do unto others as I would like them to do unto me.

Today’s reading in mass has always been one of my favorites:  The Parable of the Good Shepherd.  In fact, I love all scripture that talks about sheep and shepherds.   I also love all of the Bible’s many parables.  They are to me, in a sense, the work of wordsmiths above all wordsmiths and offer so many messages from which we can live and learn by.

The Parable of the Good Shepherd

“Whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens it for him and the sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  Amen, amen I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep.  Whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.  I am the good shepherd and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.  I will lay down my life for sheep.”

Perhaps what I love most about this passage (John 10) is that Jesus knows us all by our first names.  In turn, we are protected when we recognize the voice of God.  We have an inner voice to do so, and it’s called the Holy Spirit.  If you listen to this voice you will be nourished by it, but if you are filled with your own agenda, you won’t.  Jesus will lead you; much like a shepherd leads his sheep, and will show you the way to do things and what decisions to make in order to find that true “pasture,” heaven.  We must strive to become part of God’s sheepfold.  Jesus laid down His life for us and if we in turn give our lives to Him we will “be full of peace, joy, contentment, understanding, personal satisfaction and fulfillment in life. “

The Lost Sheep

“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the 99 in the desert and go after the one until he finds it?  And, when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and rejoices.  In just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who have no need for repentance.”  (Luke 15: 1-7)

I am often that “lost” sheep but find it so very comforting that God is forever looking for me and carries me on His shoulders each and every time He finds me.  I am also comforted in knowing that God is more forgiving of that one “lost” sheep than He might be of the other many sheep that voluntarily follow him.  No one is perfect but God loves us all.  All we must do is listen, obey, and repent.

When you think about too, sheep are not the smartest of animals.  They follow along and rarely forge their own paths, but they know the shepherd will take care of them.  We too should follow our shepherd, which is the smartest thing to do.

Shepherds at the Birth of Christ

I have always loved the fact that Jesus, the King of all Kings, chose to be born in a very humble stable rather than a palace and that some of the first people to witness His birth were shepherds, the lowest of the low during those times.   This is so very powerful to me.  We all, including myself, strive to be “on top” and the best, but maybe we should instead strive to be shepherds.

During one of my Bible Study gatherings we read Luke 2:8-20 over Christmas and discussed what we can learn from the shepherds.  These humble workers can teach us to believe, to obey, to tell others about Him, and to be humble.  They are life lessons we can all benefit from.

I’d like to close by including Father Izzy’s “From Our Pastor” letter in today’s bulletin:

“The fourth Sunday of Easter generally focuses on the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd.  Even though in our modern world we would rarely, if ever, encounter a shepherd, the image of the Good Shepherd still evokes comfort, protection, guidance, and divine care.  Sheep wander the pasture all day and rely on the voice of the shepherd to guide them back to safety for the night.  Similarly, God lets us exercise our freedom and meander through life, but if we go astray, we can always rely on the Word of God to guide us back to the way in Jesus Christ.”

“It’s not what you say out of your mouth that determines your life, it’s what you whisper to yourself that has the most power,” Robert T. Kiyosaki

Have you seen the new Dove soap campaign titled “You are more beautiful than you think?”  It is equally amazing and disturbing.   In the experiment aimed at changing the way you see yourself, a composite artist – like the kind who sits in court rooms – is hired.  Hidden behind a screen, he asks a woman to describe herself to him and he draws according to what she says.  Then, another woman – one who just recently met the previously drawn woman – is asked by that same artist to describe her new friend to him.  When the two drawings are compared side-by-side, it’s shocking how much prettier and flattering the friend describes the subject than the subject describes herself.   (check it out at dove.com/realbeautysketches.)

It’s a common problem, especially among women, and I’m the first to admit I’m as guilty as anyone.  If asked to describe my face to a sketch artist, I’d probably start with my crooked teeth and my thin eyebrows.  People have been known, and I shudder to even write this, to comment on my “good skin” and high cheekbones, but if I mentioned them at all, they would come way later.  Why is this about women? 

I will also admit that sweet Kathi T. at Chico’s in Norman last week made my day.  She was so friendly and complimentary in a genuine and congenial way that I purchased more than I normally would have and felt good about myself while trying on clothes.  She wasn’t phony or pushy.  Instead, she was simply kind and courteous.  Everyone needs this.  I needed it.   I left there feeling like she could be my new best friend.

“No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl.

All little girls should be told they’re pretty, even if they aren’t.”  

Marilyn Monroe

I think my daughter Kristen is beautiful and everyone says she looks just like me but I certainly don’t think I’m beautiful.  How can that be?   Why are we so critical of ourselves?  Do fall into the troublesome trap of putting yourself down and only seeing what you consider your negatives?

Society as a whole certainly doesn’t help.  Plastic surgery is now a multi-million dollar industry; an industry built on the idea that your God-given face or body is just not pretty or good enough. 

In that Dove ad, there’s a voice over quote saying “We spend a lot of time as women analyzing and trying to fix the things that aren’t quite right and should spend more time appreciating the things that we do like.”

Amen, and amen to Dove for reminding us to do so.

You are beautiful and it’s time to tell yourself that.

“Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes quote that graces the IRS Building in Washington, D.C.

Happy “Tax Day” everyone and Happy Birthday 1040 form!   We are all familiar with the saying that death and taxes are the two things certain in life, but do we know why we pay those taxes and where they all really go?  It’s an interesting question, and I thought that this year, which marks the 100^th anniversary of the Federal Income Tax 1040 Form, is the perfect time to research the answer.

The familiar and famous 1040 tax form was originally created in 1913, when a mere 3 percent of Americans paid federal taxes.  Today that number is 54 percent.  It’s all thanks to the 16^th Amendment, which made income tax possible when Congress passed the tax code.

Today taxes and who pays them are the subject of much debate.  This, however, is nothing new.  We all remember the Boston Tea Party, which surprisingly, was not against taxes per se, but rather tax loopholes.  It’s no secret that higher income makers use a higher number of deductions, but when it comes down to it, most people just want taxation to be fair.  A recent Pew Research Center report showed that 71 percent of Americans feel it’s a moral obligation to report taxes and that it’s a civic duty to pay them.

In a nutshell, taxes are what we pay to keep the government going. The federal government collects taxes to pay for its various public services.   What does it do with all those taxes?  In fiscal year 2012, the federal government spent $3.5 trillion, of which $2.5 trillion came from federal revenues.  The remaining $1 trillion came from borrowing, an amount that will ultimately be paid by American tax payers.   Three areas get the majority of the money:

Defense and International Security – $689 billion

Social Security – $773 billion

Medicare/Medicaid/CHIP – $732 billion

In addition, “safety net programs” that provide aid to those facing hardship received $411 billion and interest on our ever-mounting national debt totaled $220 million.

The remaining one-fifth of federal spending goes to programs such as providing health care and benefits to veterans and retired federal employees, assuring safe food and drugs for our citizens, protecting the environment, investing in education, science and medical research, and basic infrastructure like roads and airports.

Another way to look at it is on a per-month-basis.  Each day during the month of November 2012, the U.S. government earned around $5 billion but it spent $11 billion a day.   Here’s a breakdown of where that $11 billion went:

The Department of Health and Human Services – $3 billion/day

Social Security – $2.5 billion/day

The Department of Defense – $1.8 billion/day

Interest on our national debt – $854 million/day

Our national debt right is now an astonishing $16 trillion.  What would happen if we ran our household budgets like the federal government runs its?  We’d all be broke and/or bankrupt.   We, as a nation, are simply spending way more than we earn.

“It’s as simple as a family that does that,” says Arthur Brooks of the American Enterprise Institute.  “The problem is right now you have a situation in which the government in its overspending ways tries to rationalize it by saying that actually the problem is we’re under-taxing the American public.  It’s like your irresponsible brother-in-law runs up his credit cards and goes bust and says the real problem is because you’ve stopped sending hi m checks.”

Raising taxes is not always the answer.   One must live within one’s means, right?

This, is nothing new.  Andrew William Mellon was an American banker and industrialist who served as Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932.  He was appointed by President Warren G. Harding in 1921 and served for nearly 11 years under both Presidents Coolidge and Hoover, making his the third-longest tenure of a Secretary of the Treasury in U.S. history.  Mellon believed that high taxes robbed people of their hard-earned money and were basically unfair.

Mellon came into office with a goal of reducing the huge federal debt from World War I. To do this, he needed to increase the federal revenue and cut spending. He believed that if tax rates were too high, people would try to avoid paying them.  His theory was that by lowering the tax rates across the board, he could increase the overall tax revenue and he wrote about it in his 1924 book, Taxation: The People’s Business

Mellon proposed tax rate cuts, which Congress enacted in the Revenue Acts of 1921, 1924, and 1926. Rates in lower brackets were also cut substantially, relieving burdens on the middle-class, working-class, and poor households.

In the end, Mellon’s policies helped reduce the overall public debt from $33 billion in 1919 to about $16 billion in 1929, but then came the Great Depression and Mellon soon grew unpopular and controversial.

It all sounds eerily familiar and current, doesn’t it?  It’s where we stand today, but as Ronald Reagan once said, “We can’t spend ourselves rich.”

So happy 100^th anniversary 1040 Form and Happy Tax Day everyone!

Have you ever noticed that, although Jesus died some 2000 years ago, He is never referred to as the “late” Jesus Christ?  Powerful, right?  As we celebrate at Easter and everyday, Jesus is alive.  Believe it and live it.

“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others,

I also will acknowledge before My Father in heaven;

but whosoever denies Me before others,

I also will deny before My Father in heaven.”

(Matthew 10:32 & 33)

“If you want something said, ask a man.  If you want something done, ask a woman.”  Margaret Thatcher

This writer of “I Am Woman, I’m a Wordsmith” blog cannot go another day without paying tribute to three remarkable women who passed away last week.   Although Lilly Pulitzer, Margaret Thatcher, and  Annette Funicello had little in common, they did share individuality, determination, and talent.  I admired all three of them for various reasons and hope that by reading today’s blog, you too will give them the credit they are each due.

The Prize Pulitzer

Best known for her colorful and playful dresses for the country club set, Lilly Pulitzer ‘s story began with a juice stand.  Her husband, Pete Pulitzer, was the grandson of newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, whose donation to Columbia University established the Pulitzer Prize, the written word’s “Oscar.”  Born in New York, Pulitzer found herself living the social life in Palm Beach, where the family owned citrus groves.  After a doctor told her she “needed to go out and find something to do with her life,” following a nervous breakdown, Lilly opened a simple orange juice stand on her family’s property.   The hands-on worker often found her dresses stained with juice splatters, but instead of wearing an apron, she asked her seamstress to make fresh dresses out of colorful and playful fabrics.  These tropical outfits became a fashion sensation in the 1960s and were favored by the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy, who wore one of her former boarding school friend’s colorful shifts for a “Life” magazine spread.

Soon a string of Lilly Pulitzer boutiques could be found nationwide, boasting the colors of a Florida vacation on everything from dresses to swimwear to home décor to children’s clothing.   Times got tough in the ’80s however, and Lilly filed for bankruptcy.  The label was revived some 10 years later and today the brand is worth nearly $30 million.

Lilly herself had retired from the day-to-day operations of the company in 1993, but following her own doctor’s orders, she continued to open a store for a friend who “needed something to do.”  It wall all about fun and all about life.

“I entered in with no business sense,” she told the Associated Press.  “It was a total change of life for me but it made people happy and being happy never goes out of style.”

Pulitzer died on April 7 at the age of 81, probably wearing something tropical and fun.

The Iron Lady

Margaret Hilda Roberts was born in central England in 1925 and went on to become one of the greatest world leaders of our time.  In 1951 she married Denis Thatcher, later had twin boys, and forever lived the values of hard work and thrift that her grocer father instilled in her.  Along the way she attended Oxford University, earning a science degree, and worked as a research chemist before being elected to the British Parliament and serving as the nation’s Education Secretary.

It was in 1979, however, with her first of three election victories as British Prime Minister, that history was written by Europe’s first female prime minister.  During her 11 years as England’s vocal and resilient leader, Thatcher turned her beloved country into a free market masterpiece; transferring huge chunks of the then bruised economy out of the government’s hands and putting it into the hands of the private sector.   Perhaps most famously, Thatcher, working closely with President Ronald Reagan, fought global communism and saw the fruits of her labor materialize with the fall of the Soviet bloc and the Berlin Wall, resulting in perhaps her most famous quote, “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”

Dubbed “The Iron Lady” by the Soviet press, Thatcher embraced her role and is trumped only by Winston Churchill as Britain’s most revered head of state.   She was virtually unstoppable as she sold British landmark state-owned companies that were losing money, such as Jaguar and British Airways, and rejoiced as they and other national entities eventually became profitable.   British living standards under her leadership also rose dramatically, and even detractors such as liberal commentator Peter Jenkins said Thatcher had “changed the political map and put her country on its feet again.”

He wasn’t the only one who admired Thatcher’s courage and grit.  Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a member of the opposing Labour Party, said of his predecessor, “Very few leaders get to change not only the political landscape of their country but of the world.  Margaret Thatcher was such a leader.”  Thatcher’s influence was so great that even Blair’s  once socialist Labour party endorsed many of Thatcher’s more democratic policies.

Thatcher’s undying support of the U.S. and Reagan, never faltered.  She was also one of the first world leaders to consider Mikhail Gorbachev as a promising leader.  Years later the two sat next to each other at Reagan’s funeral.

Formally named a Baroness in 1992, Thatcher died peacefully in her sleep on April 8.  A fitting end to someone who worked to bring peace to the world.

The Real Disney Princess

I grew up loving all those Disney beach movies starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. They were fun and they were innocent, a concept movies today have no concept of.   I adored them; everyone did.  That’s why the world is a little sadder after hearing about Funicello’s death on April 8.

The beach movies are what I remember, but they aren’t what made her initially famous.  Funicello was just 13-years-old when Walt Disney himself chose her to be one of the original Mousketeers on “The Mickey Mouse Club” hit tv series.  Shown in reruns for years to come, the program quickly made sweet Funicello a star and the unquestionable most popular Mouseketeer ever.  She remained a Disney “princess” for years, starring in many popular 1960 beach movies with Avalon.  “Beach Blanket Bingo” was my favorite and I will always remember the one-piece swimsuits she demanded to wear rather than the new bikinis.  Perhaps most impressive is the fact that, unlike so many of today’s child stars, Annette Funicello lived a life as clean as the one she portrayed in movies and was a positive influence for many.

She had a “jubilant personality and endless talent.  Annette was as well-known for being as beautiful inside as she was on the outside and she faced her physical challenges with dignity, bravery, and grace,” said Disney Chair and CEO Bob Iger upon hearing of her passing.

Funicello was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987 and ultimately died of complications from the degenerative neurological disease.  She battled the disease for 25 years and her legacy will continue with the Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases, which she established in 1992.

Born in small-town Utica, New York, Funicello brought her vibrant personality and small-town roots with her to Hollywood.  She left as a one-of-a-kind pillar of strength and goodness.

“We have lost one of America’s sweethearts for generations upon generations,” said Avalon.  “She will live on forever.  I will miss her and the world will miss her.”

Perhaps Annette said it best herself when she said, “Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

Here’s to three wonderful women who left a mark on the world and will forever be remembered for their efforts.

Today many will be filling Easter baskets with fake grass, chocolate eggs and stuffed bunnies.  Others will be getting their Easter Sunday clothes ready for tomorrow and traveling to see family.  Today, however, is a solemn day.  It is the one day that there is no God per se.  By the looks of what’s going on in the world however, that seems to be the case almost daily. So, what is Easter?  So many, many things and so many, many meanings.   First and foremost it’s the day Christ rose from the dead, giving Christians around the world a reason for joy and a season of hope.  It is a holiday celebrated by many and considered a most holy day in the church.  The anguish of Lent is removed, flowers once again adorn the altar, and choirs sing loud and proud.

As a little girl, I loved Easter.  It was the day you got to dress up in a new, colorful Easter dress complete with gloves, hat, lace socks and white patent leather shoes.  What’s not to love?!  I treasured coloring eggs using that flimsy wire egg holder out of the PAWS kit and had so much fun eating “lipstick eggs.”  Much like Christmas and Thanksgiving, families got together and big meals took place in the formal dining room using my mom’s silver, china and crystal.   Granted, some of the formality and our mom’s requirement of perfect manners drove me and my sisters nuts, but in hindsight they did make each meal memorable!  We almost always got baby chicks too.  To this day I don’t know where my parents got them or what happened to them once they grew up, but I do know they made every Easter special.

Other than the religious reality of it all, perhaps what I love most about Easter are Easter Lilies.  They are one of my favorite flowers…ever.  I love how they fill an entire room with their magical scent and how the ones I replant every year in our backyard bloom again and again.  It truly warmed my heart to receive a text from my friend Judy last week saying she always thinks of me when she sees Easter Lilies.  I had no idea but there’s nothing I’d like to be associated with more than an Easter Lily!

I’ve never been a big Peeps fan (are you?) but I love Jelly Beans.  In fact, I love all jelly-ish and gummy candies…so much so that I give them up for Lent!  My favorite colors are the yellow and purple ones but I am not a big fan of the white or black.  It’s always fun to have our annual “Jelly Bean Tasting” in my preschool class to see what colors which kids like the best.   The faces they make and the things they use to describe them are so precious.  I also love that this year my little three-and-four-year-olds really seemed to really “get it.”  They knew all about Judas kissing Jesus’ cheek, Jesus’ “big meal” with His friends, the stone being rolled away, and the angel saying “Jesus is alive!”  In fact, they love screaming that part!

I have always loved Easter.  Flowers start to bloom, the weather improves, and everything just seems joyful.  Sadly this year is going to be a quiet Easter.  Kristen doesn’t get any time off from school for Easter so she is in Plano celebrating with a friend’s family.  She didn’t get time off last year either, but since Smitty was away at The Masters, I drove up to Oklahoma and spent Easter there.   This year it will be just me and Smitty…and Boomer.  No big plans are made and no ham or pork tenderloins have been bought.   My china, silver, and crystal are tucked away and the dining room will remain empty.

Maybe this is God’s way of telling the two of us it’s time to focus on what’s really important:  Him.  Not the bunnies, not the food, not the jelly beans, not even the lilies.   As with the earth and the church year, it’s also a new season; a season to bloom and begin again.  Our nest is empty, but tomorrow we will go to church, eat what we decide to eat, and be grateful for our nest and that He is alive again.  As little Bernice says at the end of “Hope Floats,” our “cup runneth over.”

Happy Easter everyone!

“I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library,” Jean Luis Borges

My daughter Kristen recently said something that somewhat shocked me but warmed my heart and made my day.   No, it wasn’t “I love you” or “I made the Dean’s List,” it was “I don’t really like Kindles or Nooks.  I like the feel of a real book in my hands.”   Yowzah!

I am a book person; a true book worm.  I have stacks of books just waiting to be read butI always want more.  I’ve yet to give in to the Nook/Kindle trend.  My dream house would not only include a ginormous closet with lots of storage nooks, but a two-story library too.  You know the old-fashioned, Henry Higgins style room with lots of wood and a rolling ladder.   I’ve heard all the great features of reading on Nooks, Kindles and the like, but a room full of downloads just wouldn’t be the same.

My biggest fear is that books will go the way of CDs.  How very sad and tragic that would be.  Thankfully, books, unlike CDs, are historical.   I may miss albums with all their fun liner notes but I don’t really miss cassettes or 8-tracks and I do love Itunes.  But, try as you may, a downloaded version of “The Great Gatsby” will never measure up to an original book version.    There is no denying that William Shakespeare and Henry Faulkner would perhaps love that their works are hitting the masses via download after download, but I’m also certain they’d probably prefer the printed versions of their masterpieces remain available and preferred.

I am such a book nut that I have an entire Pinterest board just on books!  I was also one of those crazy college students who never bought used books because I wanted to do my own highlights.  One of my biggest dreams?  To be the proud owner of a library card from the New York City Library!

Novels.  Biographies.  Coffee Table Books.  Cookbooks. Self-help Guides.  I love them all!  I tend to gravitate toward non-fiction but I also love a sweet romance.  The only thing I love more than books themselves is going to a bookstore.  I’ve always said that when I go into a bookstore I’m like metal and the books are steel:  they just stick to me.  I walk in with every intention of buying one book but  I walk out with at least three.   Sadly, bookstores are becoming few and far between.  On-line sales are starting to dwarf those of their retail counterparts and it breaks my heart.  First it was the big chains eating up small, independent book sellers.  Now even some of the big box stores are closing shop.

I’ve always loved to read.  I remember loving “Charlotte’s Web,” “The Little Lame Prince,” and all the Nancy Drew books.  Today I have a small but meaningful collection that includes old copies of “Heidi,” “Mary Poppins,” “Dick and Jane” and many Golden Books.  I tend to hang onto my favorites, which of late have been “Marley and Me,” “The Day the World Came to Gander,” “Southern Lights,” “Around the Bloc,” “Look Again,” and “The Glass Castle.”  Other than the Bible, perhaps my most favorite book ever is “Gift from the Sea.”  I’ve read it many times and each time I do it speaks to me differently.

Books in general mean so much to me, as does reading.  Perhaps it’s the wordsmith in me but what’s surprising is I don’t really have a tried and true favorite author and often times I can’t even tell you the author of a book I’m reading now or previously.  I’m also not a book snob.  I’m just as happy reading Danielle Steel as I am John Steinbeck.  I love many of the classics but not all of them, and I refuse to read something just because “I’m supposed to.”  As Mark Twain said, “Classic-a book which people praise but don’t read.”  Amen Mr. Twain.

The perfect spot to crawl up with a book

I’m always reading at least two books at a time:   one novel and one self-help, spiritual or non-fiction piece.  I will, however, never buy a book whose cover is a film’s adaptation of it.  If I didn’t read it before it became a movie, I probably won’t read it after.  Case in point:  “Forrest Gump” and “Silver Linings Playbook.”  After seeing those two films, and many others, I sure wish I would have read the books first!  On the flip-side, how sad it is to see a movie about a book you loved only to be disappointed.  As they say, “never judge a book by its movie.”

The next best place to crawl up with a book

Book clubs? Yes, I’m in one but I don’t read every monthly recommendation, mostly because, again perhaps surprisingly, I’m not a fast reader.  I’m not one of those who “blows through” books.  “Easy reads” can take me three months to finish.  I also don’t want to read anything I’m not interested in.   If there’s anything I hate is feeling like a book is an “assignment.”  I don’t like mystery or sci-fi and I never read any of the “Fifty Shades” books.  Truth be told, after being so proud that the authors of both the Harry Potter and Twilight series were women, I was very disappointed to learn a female wrote “Fifty Shades of Gray.”  I just don’t get it, but that’s just me.

Love this idea!

How do you feel about Nooks and Kindles?  Love them but love books too?  Happy to see books go totally high-tech?  Please share your thoughts.  I’d love to know!  Until then, I’m off to read!

Today during Palm Sunday mass, we had a fire alarm.  Yes, a fire alarm, right dab in the middle of the consecration, what we Catholics consider the most sacred part of the mass.  Some of us headed for the nearest exit, others remained in the church, including Father Izzy who stood calmly at the altar and masterfully continued the celebration of the mass.

Coincidental?  Accidental?  I’m not sure and I may never know, but I do know one thing:  it should be alarming to all of us that a week before Jesus was crucified as a criminal he rode into Jerusalem as a king.  The very same people who adoringly waved palms at Him ordered Pontius Pilate to “crucify him” mere days later.

We’ve all had friends and others we love turn on us and emotionally wound us.  Nothing hurts more.  Each of us has been disappointed and let down by someone we trusted and believed in.  But even Ernest Hemingway said “the best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”

Trust and forgive.  Two monumental words in the Christian faith.  Trust and believe in that which we don’t necessarily see and forgive even our enemies.  Hard things to do, but Jesus practiced what he preached when, as he stood dying on the cross said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  He forgave those who sentenced him to die.  He forgave his disciple Peter who denied his allegiance to Jesus.  He continue to forgive all who ask.  That’s what we trust and what we believe.

Forgiveness plays a central role in the Bible.  The very prayer God taught us, “The Lord’s Prayer,” specifically says “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  Want forgiveness?  Give forgiveness.

I tend to be a fairly forgiving person, which means I can also be taken advantage of.  When I reach the end of my rope, however, I definitely take on the “screw me once” attitude and will probably never trust you again.    Lewis Smedes says “you will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well.”  I agree, but sometimes I also agree with this:

In the end, I will try to remember “W.W.J.D.” and hope He never gives up on me.