Is the faith in front of your children?

I ask, then, has God rejected his people?  Of course not!  God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.  Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.  But what is God’s response to him?  “I have left for myself seven thousand men who have not knelt to Baal.” Romans 11

With the things we read, or see on television, or hear on the radio, some might think it is hard to believe God is still with us.  The fight against Christianity is more prevalent today, than it has been in a long time.  However, the fight against Christianity has always been going on since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the difference today is the warriors fighting against it.  Often times, I wonder why the Christianity side does not appear to put up the fight those opposed to Christianity do?

Then I read this passage from Romans.  It makes sense to me.  Here we are in a battle, and people feel that God is rejecting them, not there to help with this battle.  However, that is not the case.  God was with them then, sending 7,000 men who will not kneel down to Baal, and today is no different.  God is with us, but much like Peter walking on the water, we have to keep our eyes on God, to have the ability to walk on the water.

It is hard to see God in this world, today, if you watch the news, listen to the radio, or read the newspapers.  We hear of the fights against monuments, the devastation happening in Texas, the extremes in our political system, and so much more.  But remember, our faith is very much dependent on our own self keeping our eyes on God, much like Peter did when he first started to walk on the water. 

One of my favorite says is “If we do not teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to.”  I believe this statement is truer now, more than ever.  We need to keep the faith in front of our children.   Doing this is as simple as making weekend Mass attendance a priority, praying before meals, praying with our children before bed time, praying for all the wonderful things God has given us, and praying for God’s help when we are faced with challenges.  While these things might seem difficult, when we make them a priority, they will become easier and easier, and priority will change to habit.

Remember, God is always there, waiting to be invited into your family.  And if you are worried how the world is going to treat you, or fear repercussions remember God is right there ready to support you.  And if He needs to send “7,000 men” to support you, He will.

Are you going to the extreme?

“Thus says the Lord: Observe what is right, do what is just: for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed”  Isaiah 6:1

When I was a child, and I fell down and hit my head, my mother would go to the extreme and panic that I might have a concussion.  If I had a small sniffle or sneezed more than twice, my mom would immediately jump to the conclusion that I had the flu.  Heck, one time I was caught in a lie and my mother thought I was going to be a politician….

I tell you that joke for a reason, but let me start by saying that my mother was the most level headed person that I have ever known.  She would be the last person to think I had a concussion, the flu, or that I would become a politician.  I use the above joke to talk about extremes.

In today’s world, we see an awful lot of extremes.  It is all that we see on FOX news, CNN, MSNBC.  It is all that we hear on talk radio shows, whether or not the subject is politics, sports, the social justice wars that are happening, all of them appear to be going to the extreme.  The Floyd/McGregor fight coming up next weekend sounds like McGregor should not even show up.  The groups rallying and protesting the statues and monuments and meeting the opposite side of their belief causing violence, is definitely the extreme.  Is only showing the extreme what is important in our lives, or the only thing we wish to see?  I hope not.

Today, I share the passage from Isaiah because I think it is truly where our focus should be.  While there is so much negativity going on in our world, and all we see is the extreme, it is important to know that there are so many other people “observing what is right, and doing what it right.” 

I have always said that doing the right thing is often the hardest thing to do.  I often catch myself falling into the trap of the extremes whether it is in discussion or in my thoughts.  Whether it be a political discussion or driving home from work, I often find myself in a situation in which I can let my personal feelings get in the way of doing what it right.  It is easy to tailgate the car in front of me so I do not have to let anyone merge in front of me, but the fact is, if I am doing that, and so is everyone else, that is probably the reason we are in this jam in the first place. 

Let’s make it a point to focus less on the extreme and more on doing what it right, even when it is hard.  Doing the right thing, even when it is hard to understand, or hard to explain to our children, is always the best example and as Isaiah says, "will lead to salvation."

 

Are you walking or sinking?

This weekend, the gospel was from the book of Matthew.  Jesus sent his disciples, by boat, to the other side of the sea, while He dismissed the crowds.  He then went up the mountain to pray, by himself.  Upon his return to the disciples, the boat was in the midst of a bad storm.  Jesus was walking on the water, to get to the boat, when Peter saw him.  Not sure it was Jesus, Peter asked, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  You all know the rest, Peter started to walk on the water, realized that he was walking on the water, got scared, fell in the water, and Jesus reached out and saved Peter. 

Peter started his path to Jesus, by walking on the water.  The further he got away from the boat, the more scared he got, and looking down at the water he started sinking.  Peter lost his faith when he took his eyes off of Jesus.  Have you ever had doubts about a decision you are making?  Have you ever been like Peter and started to sink?

I was talking with a friend of mine, recently, who is sending off his son to college.  He will be a freshman at Indiana University.  As you can imagine, our discussion led to the media influenced rhetoric we hear all over the news about safe spaces and groups segregating other groups because they are offended by who they are, what they look like, or what they believe.  Our discussion led to the question, “Are you afraid to send your children to college the way things are going on campuses?”  I was very surprised by my friend’s response.  He basically said that he has faith that he and his wife raised his son to make good judgements and good decisions.  And, I believe, knowing his son, they are absolutely correct and should have no fears.  Their son is a fine young man, and sort of an old soul, who I believe will not to get caught up in anything that will steer him away from his goals and vision.

I now have a middle school child.  Her first day of middle school was Wednesday and her birthday is next week.  She is taking great joy in reminding me that I am so old, that I have a middle school daughter.

For her birthday, my wife and I have gone back and forth as to whether or not to get her the cellphone she desires as a birthday present.  Of course, I, the protector, want to shield my daughter from all that is bad in the world and giving her this present could open her up to so many negative things such as cyberbullying, sexting, etc.  My wife on the other hand, is taking an entirely different path.  She wants to let my daughter get the cellphone.  Of course, there are rules, written in contract form, as to what she would be allowed to do and not do, but she really wants to give our daughter a chance to prove to us she can handle this responsibility.

The difference between my wife and I is the fact that she really has the faith that our daughter will do the right thing.  If something bad happens, my wife has faith my daughter will come to her.  If she is having problems with another student, my wife has faith my daughter will talk with her about it.  My wife has the faith Peter had while jumping off the boat and started to walk on the water, and I am pretty sure I have already taken my eyes off of Jesus and started to sink.

As much as I hate to say this, but my daughter is no longer the cute little girl that daddy pushes on the swing.  She is rapidly becoming a fine young lady, who would rather I drop her off a block from her friend’s house for fear I might embarrass her.  Don’t get me wrong, she has her days, just like any middle school child.  However, it is time for me to have faith that my wife and I are doing everything the way we are supposed to.  I am sure she will mess up, make a mistake, make us question our decision, and start sinking.  I now have to have faith that, like Jesus, I will be there to keep her from drowning.

 

Where is your faith?  Do you have what it takes to jump off the boat and start walking on the water?  If so, do you have what it takes to walk all the way to the shore, or do you fear that you might start sinking?

 

 

 

 

 

Understanding Heart

I cannot believe school is just about ready to start.  I am looking forward to another great year and hope you are as well.  The school building is shaping up and we are almost ready for the PTO Blessing of the Backpacks events, this Saturday and the Kindergarten Social on Sunday. 

I am ready to get back into the swing of things, and that includes my weekly note.  I must say, I have missed writing this column and am probably a little bit rusty, so bear with me as I try to get back into things.  That being said, I must say, this past weekend’s Mass readings gave me the perfect idea to write about today.

In the first reading King Solomon was given, by God, anything he wanted.  Before we get into his response, I must say, my thoughts if God would have asked me this question would be countless, and pretty selfish.  I would have thought about endless riches, world power, and more.  But what Solomon asked for was something I think we need more now than ever, an understanding heart.  Here, a man, a leader, a King, who could have had anything he wanted, and he asked for an understanding heart.  Do you know of anyone who would ask for something that benefited anyone other than them? 

We live in a pretty hostile world right now.  We have talk shows that put two people from opposite sides of a topic together and let them argue and fight, usually ending in a shouting match, and portraying a total dislike for the person.  This occurs across the field of sports, politics, relationships, blogs, etc.  Two people pitted against each other and our human nature to win at all cost, means that someone has to win and the other has to lose.  What I find most disturbing about this thought process is, it has led to the idea that if you and I disagree on one topic, then we must have to dislike each other forever, for we could not possible agree on any other topic.  How could you and I be friends if you do not believe the same way I do?(written with a little sarcasm)

I try my best to not let myself get trapped into these baited situations, but sometimes it is not very easy.  If I find myself not agreeing with someone, I try my best to get my point across, and often do not understand why they won’t believe my way.  That is usually followed with a bit of sarcasm or a sentence or two involving name calling.  It is not so easy to see my human nature taking over, before it is too late.  I wonder how these conversations would go if everyone entered with an understanding heart.

Can you imagine how an understanding heart could change conversations or decisions?  Lately, watching two people screaming, yelling, protesting, etc. has created nothing but more frustration and hatred.  How about going into a situation with an understanding heart?  It is my goal to have a more understanding heart, so when I get into these situations, that they can be handled without screaming or yelling.  Going into a situation with an understanding heart does not mean I will change my opinion, nor will I expect it to change your opinion.  But, when both sides understand each other, I would hope then the Win/Win situations would be endless, allowing us all to work together.  Surely, understanding hearts would get more done than name calling and hatred.

Let’s all seek understanding, before making any decisions.  What better place to start, than to take King Solomon’s wish of an understanding heart, and applying it to our own hearts.  Let’s get together and share opinions seeking first to understand, then work on the solutions, together. 

My prayer for this year is that God gives us all an understanding heart to help us better work together.