Broken Toys

 

Carol and I were up in Asheville a few weekends ago to visit with our son, his wife, and their adorable 16-month old son (or as we like to say, our adorable grandson.) Asheville has been one of our favorite places for many years, long before they ever moved there... in fact, long before our kids were even born. While there, they took us over to the River Arts District to walk through Marquee, which is a large artist's gallery/ antique mall. 

In one of the booths there was an old bicycle, probably from the 40s or 50s. I remember thinking that somebody must have decided long ago that this bike had value and, rather than just sending it to the junkpile, they kept it for all these years. Somebody found or bought it, cleaned it up a bit, and put a price tag on it that is many times more than what the bike sold for when it was brand new. I shared with Carol that, when I was a boy, my 3-year older brother had an old Rollfast brand bike which, well worn and largely beaten up, eventually got handed down to me and I promptly beat it up some more. It finally got replaced several years later when I purchased, with money I had earned one summer mowing lawns, a brand new Schwinn Varsity 10-speed. 

Rollfast

Both that old Rollfast and my Schwinn would probably be worth a lot now despite the fact that they were both well worn by the time I was done with them. I started to think about all the toys in my childhood that ended up discarded... considered to have no more value.

In 1991, I went on a mission trip to Panama to help construct a church building to replace an old raggedy tent they had been using for worship. It was shortly after Christmas (the dry season) and there were dozens of kids around the church site because that time of year was like their summer vacation from school. I remember one kid playing with some sort of stick toy for hours on end. When I finally went over to talk with him I got a closer look at his "toy." Picture a wooden stick with the cardboard insert of a toilet paper roll glued on the end and then a feather glued to the cardboard tube. (I asked AI to make me a picture from my description... see below)

AI's interpretation of it

At least that was all that remained of what his parents originally made for him as his Christmas toy. From a distance, I had been amazed watching him play with it for hours. I was humbled deeply when I saw up close what most of us would consider a sad, useless bunch of trash glued together. Despite its current condition, this "broken toy" was still very valuable in this sweet boy's eyes. He could not have been more proud of that toy. After all, it was a gift. But most of us don't have the same attitude as that little boy.

I think sometimes our attitude towards people can be similar to how we think about broken toys. Broken toys are no longer useful, right? But what about broken people?

People that battle with alcohol or drug addiction. Steer clear of these people. They're not worth the effort. Talk about broken.

People that have failed. Failed in school, failed in business, failed in marriage. Failures. Failure may be contagious. Ease away from these unsuccessful folks.

People that are struggling and their struggles make us feel too uncomfortable. Debilitating physical illness, mental health challenges, terminal disease, ambulatory problems. These toys are no fun to play with anymore. I mean, they don't even work right. Let's just play with the unbroken ones.

We live in a disposable world. In many cases, that disposability makes things easier and more convenient. I think some of that disposability has carried over into other parts of our lives, our relationships, and our society in general. Disposing of people can also be easier and more convenient rather than showing them that they still matter and have worth to us. 

People shouldn't be disposable or forgotten. Even the broken ones.

Maybe especially the broken ones. Broken toys still have value.

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Hang On, That's My Bad Side

 

Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up

I was reading an article today about a well-known TV personality wherein said personality disclosed the use of Botox (and multiple plastic surgeries) to try to maintain a more youthful look. The personality mentioned a bad Botox experience one time that had not only affected this person’s “bad side” but also caused a problem on the “good side.”

When we hear those two terms, we usually think about a person’s facial profile… as in “the right side of my profile is my good side.”

Good side, bad side.

(First off, when talking appearance, maybe a more positive viewpoint would be “good side/ better side?”) But I digress.

The article’s reference to good side/ bad side got me thinking beyond facial profiles.

Do all of us have a good side and a bad side?

How about with our demeanor?

What about the way we treat people?

How about how we handle conflict?

How about the way we live our life?

How about our business/work side versus our home/ personal side?

Are there two persons living inside each of us?

We all have seen people, when having their picture taken, turn a certain way relative to the camera or phone so as to show what they perceive to be their “good side.”

But don’t we also do the same thing with other aspects of our life?

Don’t we try to hide our “bad side?”

A favorite Christian songwriter of mine from back in the day is Bruce Carroll. In the 90s he recorded a song called “Shadow and Light.”

One of the verses says this:

” I am wise, I am a fool

A servant with a yen to rule

Good intentions and selfish schemes

A saint who soars on broken wings

Noble visions and narrow eyes

Contradictions side by side

Ogres and angels share my heart

Sometimes the battle tears me apart.”

We’ve all been there. Or are there.

Good side/ bad side. A life of shadow and light.

Depending on the width of this good side/bad side spectrum, our ability to cope, justify, explain, sleep at night, maintain relationships… greatly varies.

We can become overly fixated on our bad side. We can feel guilty, embarrassed, ashamed, and unworthy. We may feel like a fraud. Guess what? On some level, this is all of us.

To be sure, there may be aspects of our life and behavior that need serious examination and change.

While we should not fixate solely on our bad side, neither should we rest on our good side laurels.

We are obligated to acknowledge our human imperfection and strive to do better each day. Some of this might require some third-party help.

Bruce’s song goes on to say this:

“I am shadow, I am light

I am wrong and I am right

Sometimes shining oh so bright

Sometimes fading into night

Though You see this war in me

You know all that I can be

I am precious in Your sight

You walk with me through shadow and light.”

The “You” that Bruce references is the God Who created us and understands just who and where we are.

And He loves us despite ourselves.

Maybe some one-on-One conversation with Him about what you see as your good and bad side can help.

It has helped me.

“Shadow and Light” by Bruce Carroll

Songwriter(s): Paula Carpenter, Mark Comden, Geoff Thurman

Record Label: ©1995 Word Entertainment LLC, A Warner Curb Company

Amazing Grace

Sin. You realize that this word really has only one definition, right? I mean, we can use it in our day-to-day conversation in ways that somehow muddy up its meaning. “Did you eat any of that chocolate dessert? It’s absolutely sinful!” [Cake isn't sinful.] “It’s just a sin that everyone wasn't able to get into that concert…it was that good!” [Inability to get into a concert isn't a sin.]

Here’s the thing about sin. None of us avoid it. All of us commit it. But here’s another thing… we seem to be more concerned [maybe even obsessed] with the sin of others than our own. [Jesus used the illustration of the speck in someone else’s eye versus the log in your own.] Do I have a log in my eye? Of course I do. But I like it better if I can rationalize that the speck is in my eye and the log is in yours.

Hey, Westboro Baptist Church- do you want to demonstrate in front of a place where sinners are? Then why aren't you carrying signs out in front of my house? I mean, there are only three of us here right now but... my house is occupied 100% by sinners.

By the way, have you seen the “Official Sin Grading Scale” that ranks sins from top to bottom…from least to first? I bet it’s an even better read than Letterman’s Top 10 List. I’m kidding…there really isn't an official sin grading scale. But there IS an unofficial list. We all have made one. The thing is…my most common sins are (fortunately) not in the top 10 on my list (I’m glad I’m using my grading scale otherwise….geesh I’d feel pretty filthy and unworthy.)

The trouble is that Sin # 8,341,890 on my list had the same effect on my relationship with God as Sin #1. It means that I am 100% disobedient. I know, I know…this doesn't quite seem fair...to us. Sin #1 is far more detestable (to me) than Sin #8,341,890. But I’m not the One that has been offended. I don’t get to set the standard. The One who created me does. Tell one lie and I am a liar. Lust one time and I am an adulterer (that’s right…adulterer.) Think one immoral thought and I’m a deviant. Withhold one thing from someone in need and I am a thief. And murderer? By Jesus’ standard, I am that too.

The good news? The REALLY, REALLY good news? God does not condemn me for my sins. Why? Because of the saving work of Jesus on the cross and my acceptance of His gift of grace, my sins yesterday, my sins today, and my sins tomorrow are forgiven. I have been pardoned. You might not forgive me for my sins and I certainly can understand that. I too struggle with the sin I see all around me. I want people to stop sinning. I especially want myself to stop sinning. I can definitely relate to Paul who wrote in his letter to the church at Rome: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do. But what I hate, I do." (Romans 7:15 NIV) But, I come back to this point…why am I so concerned with the sin around me and seemingly less concerned about the sin within my own heart? Maybe it makes me feel better about myself. Thankfully, God hasn't deputized me to be His law enforcer. If He did, my first action would have to be locking myself in jail... marking a swift end to my career in law enforcement.

58 years ago, when I was born unexpectedly early in a little town hospital in Maine weighing only 3 pounds; for some reason, God saved me from most certain death. The priest had been summoned to baptize and pray some last rites over me. But I was spared. 29 long years later I asked Jesus to take my life and He saved me all over again...but this time for eternity. And since then, sin separates me from Him no more.

Nobody ever wrote a song titled "Amazing Law."

It’s called Grace. Amazing Grace.

The Fall of Lance Armstrong

How about LIVEHONEST?

We probably could all see this coming. Lance Armstrong, the testicular cancer survivor, the seven-time Tour de France winner, the founder of the Livestrong Foundation is a a confessed cheater and liar. At least that's what we believe we will finally find out on Thursday.

For years rumors swirled around the cycling world that Armstrong, like so many other cyclists, had used steroids or other outlawed performance enhancing drugs or therapies. He spent years denying those charges which had dogged him much of his career...vehemently denying them. That is, until recently.

For whatever reason Armstrong decided to change his course. Last August he said that he would no longer fight the doping claims made by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, essentially clearing the way for him to be stripped of his seven Tour titles and the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Olympics. Former teammates were willing to testify against him providing details of the elaborate manner in which he broke the rules. Finally trapped in the corner, Armstrong said "no mas."

On Thursday, it is widely believed that he will admit to Oprah's worldwide television audience that he, in fact, cheated. Which also means he lied.

So Lance Armstrong has come clean. Really? Don't I mean that he finally got caught and then confessed when he could no longer keep up the charade? Is there a difference? Uh....yeah.

The Baseball Writers Association of America members vote annually to decide who gets into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In order to be elected, an eligible player on the ballot must receive 75% of the votes cast. Approximately 570 ballots were cast meaning 427 writers have to vote for a player to make it into Cooperstown. This year the ballot included newly eligible candidates Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire; all of whom have been associated with steroid or other performance enhancing drug use. Just a few years ago all these players were considered likely first time ballot inductees. None of them were elected. In fact, no living player was elected for 2013. The last time that happened? 1996. Maybe there are some consequences, albeit slight...to cheating in baseball. I say slight because all four of these players got extremely rich playing baseball despite their alleged doping. But they may have lost the more "eternal" prize of being in the Hall of Fame.

So, Lance Armstrong is a cheater, a liar and a thief (the US Postal Service, who sponsored Armstrong and his teammates from 1996 to 2004 wants some of its $31 million sponsorship money back.) I guess they believe that Armstrong took that sponsorship money under false pretenses. You know...like stealing.

So how should we feel about all this? Are you sad for Lance? Happy he finally got caught? Glad to see justice prevail? Yeah, he cheated, lied and stole....big time.

I, on the other hand, have never cheated, lied or stolen on such a grand scale.

There, I feel better already. #Livehumble

Could we please ratchet it down a notch?

Wow...it was an interesting time in the franchise restaurant world this past week. Thousands of people descended upon their local Chick-fil-A restaurant on Wednesday in response to Mike Huckabee's declaration of August 1st being Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. You know the story. Dan Cathy's controversial comments about his views on marriage coupled with his personal donations to several organizations that are pro-traditional marriage (or anti-gay, hate organizations depending on your point of view) sparked responses by many people including some high ranking government officials who promised to do everything they could to prevent Chick-fil-A from opening restaurants in their cities/ districts. People didn't like that. Thought this was using government power in an illegal way. Then the LGBTQ (I may have this acronym wrong but I think it is correct...the Q, I believe, stands for "questioning") community suggested that folks go to Chick-fil-A on Friday and have a same-sex "kiss-in" to protest and show their resolve and solidarity.

OK....are we done with Chick-fil-A as a battleground? Can we let them get back to their cow commercials and let Dan Cathy have his own opinion and spend his personal money as he sees fit regardless of how much you dislike his positions?

Sure, many, if not most, of the people on Wednesday were there in support of free speech. I am 100% in your corner. Unfortunately, on Wednesday there were also plenty of people there that wanted to shake their fist at the gay community and with the strength of numbers and its resulting anonymity, by their presence, shout that [choose one or more] gays are pushy, gays are horrible, gays are evil, gays should just crawl into a hole somewhere and die. Because this is and was the case, I had no intention of showing up at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday. That doesn't mean my heart was in the right place. If you were there on Wednesday, I hope in retrospect that you have looked at your motives in a very honest way. And I also made no plans to show up on Friday to somehow be present to let the gay folks there know that I do not hate them. Those that were there wouldn't have believed me anyway.

Now that we have these publicity stunts over with for now, can we get back to behaving like respectful adults?

You know, the majority of people, regardless of their sexuality, are nice, respectful people who are just trying to live their lives the best they can. But what we seem to hear the most are the most obnoxious, folks on both sides of this conversation (and I sure wish it could be a conversation, not a shouting match.) Both sides in this debate seem to be characterized by the worst of the bunch. Roseanne Barr wished cancer on people that eat at Chick-fil-A (she renamed it) and are against gay marriage. Don't get me started on Westboro Baptist Church whose website contains "godhatesfags" in the url. Don't tell me your "side" is behaving appropriately, whichever side you are on.

Some "straight" people do not like gay people. Some people even hate gay people. I just have to say, I find this incredulous. They call them names and say terrible things about them (usually in the form of gay jokes to their heterosexual friends.) Oh, I don't think these people know a specific gay person that they do not like or even hate...they just feel this way generally because, of course, all gay people are alike. You know...gays are sinful, disgusting people.

Then there the holy ones that are making sure that they are personally going to wield God's judgement hammer and crusade against these people of the abomination (POTA) and they have the scripture verses to back it up. You know what I call these holy folks? ...sinful, disgusting people.

Some ugly, nasty people showed up on Wednesday and some ugly, nasty people showed up on Friday. In the aftermath, I have heard all the cogent arguments about why what happened those days was justifiable and right. But in the attempt to prove a point, we saw the worst of people.

A guy named Adam Smith (CFO for a large company) was downright nasty to a young lady in the drive-thru (said encounter which he chose to video and upload on You Tube) and thought he was going to prove his point that Chick-fil-A was evil. He ended up looking like a very small, mean-spirited person. So bad, in fact, that his company fired him and put out a press release condemning his actions. They wanted to ensure that everyone knows that he didn't speak on behalf of that organization.

Then there were the Christians that showed up to lock arms with fellow Christian Dan Cathy as a sign of solidarity. Others made statements to the news media, logged Facebook updates and tweeted about the sinfulness of homosexuality and God's condemnation on them that was sure to follow. (I do find it interesting that the one behavior mentioned in the Bible that most Christians are not tempted to do is the one that some focus the most attention on and condemn the most...just a coincidence I'm sure.) Adam Smith got fired because he embarrassed his boss. There are some Christians that, if God ran His world like bosses run their companies, should be fired for embarrassing their Boss.

Fortunately, God is so much greater and higher than His Creation. He does not judge like we judge. His judgement is out of perfect love. He doesn't fire us either for embarrassing Him. If He did, we would all have the employment status that Adam Smith has today. Standing up for our convictions is a good thing...most of the time. But, if standing up for our convictions causes us to break the commandment that Jesus Christ gave us (and he only gave us 2) then maybe we need to reconsider what we are doing and what is going on in our hearts. By the way, I believe that if we break Jesus' second commandment, then we are technically breaking the first one along with it.

I am a sinner. You are a sinner. God loves me. God loves you (and by you, I mean everyone other than me.)

I hope as many Christians that showed up at Chick-fil-A this week to support their cause show up tomorrow morning to worship the One we say we love and serve. And may God's grace and mercy rain down on us and change us...not to what we want to be but what He wants us to be.

UPDATE TO MY BLOG POSTING- I am encouraged by recent events since all the noise in August 2012. Read this!