Choose wisely

Yesterday I planned on taking the day off. I was going to check in at church and then go for a walk. At noon I was going to head for an early show at the movies. Needless to say I never managed to do any of it.

It is funny how we get sidetracked. As a parent and a person with a flexible schedule, I often fall into the trap of letting every one else decide what and where I am supposed to be. I am not complaining. That is just the way it is.

I know some people who complain about others running their lives. They talk about demanding family and unappreciative bosses. They rant about those who schedule little league games, dance classes and music lessons having no compassion for the family.

Well here is the truth. We are in control of our time. We make decisions every day and it is based on a set of internal moral guides. For example I put my family near the top of my chart. When one daughter wanted a ride home from UCONN and another needed to be picked up from the bowling alley, their needs rose right to the top of the chart.

I also feel called to my ministry here. Earlier in the day an opportunity arose to visit and deliver communion to a member of the church who is battling terminal cancer. It was a no brainer.

I think what we need to do is own our choices and celebrate them. There are some days when I am blessed by kicking back and going to the movies. It is my sabbatical time. There are some days when I run around with my kids scattering seeds of love. There are times when my work calls my name. The important thing is to pause and thank God for his presence as we walk through our days. Of all the choices we make, including God in all we do will bring us the most satisfaction.

Cal

Dancing for the Lord

This has been an extremely difficult week for me. Nothing seemed to be going my way. Tonight I laid all of it down at the feet of Jesus and took off for my weekly dance class t Luis Pabon's studio. I have to tell you that I love going to class. I know it sounds silly but when I have been in class I have experienced absolute joy.

My youngest daughter once told me she loved dance classes. I asked her what it was she enjoyed. Was it was the people or the teacher, or the music? She said that it was simply the dancing. I didn't get it then. I do now. I am not very good but there is something about getting in touch with your body that is invigorating. I felt it last year when I took an occasional yoga class. I really feel it now as I twist and turn and try to put my left hand in and pull it out again.

Dance helps us connect our mind and body with our soul in a special way. We don't do that too often. I think that is why God calls us to attempt to love him with our mind, body, soul and spirit. He understands that to do so will tap into a joy so deep that it can transform our being.

King David understood this and the Scriptures tell us he often was seen dancing to the Lord. I pray that he will make your joy so complete that you too, will feel like dancing.

Cal

An ordinary day with Jesus

Every once in a while I engage in a practice I call, "God walking." Last year we had a Bible study that called us to try living as though we were going to spend a whole day with Jesus. I decided to do that today. To get started I simply listened to the voice inside of me and chose to let it direct my steps. I am always amazed by where it leads me. Today I went to the hospice team meeting in the morning and then planned to stop at church and then head over to visit one of our members with cancer.

Before I could leave the church another member dropped in to tell me he had just visited with this same man and how he was looking forward to my visit. I left for his house and had a great visit with the family and made plans to com e back with Communion later this week.

I had lunch but then I felt called to get some flowers and bring them with me on my visit up to Pierce Home. My first thought was to run to Stop & Shop but then I had this feeling I should go to McKennas so that is where I went. When I entered the store I ran into Jaime, a young woman from our church who I hadn't seen for a while. She had just started working there. Weird huh?

I went to Pierce Home and it just so happened that Pastor Gil was leading a chapel memorial service. I decided to stop in and as it turned out my visit not only affirmed what he was doing but I was blessed by his message. I needed to hear exactly what he had to say today. (That was God's gift for me!)

Finally I stopped at a different restaurant fro dinner and it was close by another member's house I had been wanting to visit and so I headed over there and had a great visit.

Funny but I started the day feeling pressed on every side but as I get ready for bed now, I feel blessed. I did everything I was supposed to do today and then some. The best part of it was the fact that I felt God at my side every step of the way and you can't ask for a better day than when that happens.

Cal

There are two sides on a street

For the last week I drove by a sign on Washington Street that decried the possible development of a small shopping center across the street from it. I had lunch with a man who was passing out flyers that spoke against this project as something that would destroy the fabric of the city. I came home and found a one page leaflet that described the domino effect that this project would have on our city.

This morning I drove down that same stretch of street and saw that there were three new signs on the opposite side of the street. These signs spoke of the benefits of a new shopping center and the ability of home owners to sell their property. Funny, but until I drove down that street this morning I had forgotten that there were two sides.

There are always two sides to an issue. There are always two choices we can make. The hard part about life is making the right choice. The best thing we can do is pray about it. Then we can get the facts and try to make the best decision we can.

I don't know what to think about this development issue. I haven't studied it or prayed about it yet. But I will and then I'll let you know. Meanwhile, let's all try to look at both sides of the issues that confront us every day and look to god to help us make the right choices.

Cal

What would Jesus do

Did you ever wish you could be in two places at one time? Today I was supposed to be in Branford getting ready to lead a workshop at the exact same time I was supposed to be meeting with a family from the congregation about a funeral. Normally I would have scheduled the meeting with the family at another time but this one was out of my control. The time was set by a third party. It was also someone very special to me.

Funny thing is that my workshop was entitled, "What Would Jesus Do?" As I considered my options I put into play some of the principals I was going to share in my workshop. Harvey Cox in his book "When Jesus came to Harvard" talked about having a little talk with Jesus when you were faced with a decision. So I had a conversation with Jesus that went a bit like this:

"Lord, I made this commitment to be at this event today and people are counting on me. I don't want to let them down. Yet, as I listened to Adele on the phone this morning I sensed that she was hurting and in need of comfort. I am her Pastor. What should I do?"

Jesus answered, "Do you think it is important to honor your commitments?"

I said, "Yes I do. You always said 'Let your yes be yes and your no be no.' I don't like to make promises I can't keep.

Jesus nodded his head and said, "So you made this commitment to the people in Branford and you feel called to be there. So why are you even thinking about not going?"

I looked at him and said, "My heart aches for Adele and her brothers. Their mother was a special lady. Right now they are in mourning and I feel I should go to them."

Jesus replied, "Why can't you go later? Why is it so important to go this morning?"

"Lord, you should of heard her voice. I don't know why but I totally identified with her and felt her pain. I just felt I should go and be with the family to comfort them. Isn't that what you would have done?"

"I did hear her voice and I was with her and her brothers while she was talking to you."

I thought about what he said and I replied, "So you think I should go to the workshop and skip the family meeting?"

Jesus said, "I didn't say that. I only told you that I was with her."

"So what does that mean?" I asked. "Are you telling me that because you are there I don't need to be?"

"No," Jesus said. "You asked me what I would do and I told you."

I was really confused now so I asked him, "So are you saying it is alright to break our commitments if something else comes up?"

"That's not what I am saying at all," he shot back. "Let me ask you this: Why would you even consider going to see Adele instead of going to Branford?"

I looked at him again and said, "Because I am her Pastor and my job is to be here when she needs me. I think a death in the family qualifies as one of those times."

Jesus paused and then he asked, "So are you telling me that there is some kind of commitment here that is unspoken?"

"Yeah, I guess so," I said. "I hadn't really thought about my role as Pastor as a commitment. I have been doing my job so long that I guess I kind of take it for granted. I always try to be here for my people. I guess that's why I had so much trouble with this. I have made two commitments that are now coming into direct conflict. So what should I do?"

"You tell me," Jesus said.

"Well I can't be in two places at the same time. Why don't you go lead the workshop and I will go meet Adele and the family."

He laughed and said, "Hey I can be in two places at the same time remember? You need to think about where you are needed the most and what only you can do."

Again I paused before saying anything. "My heart tells me to go see Adele. There are other workshops being offered so people can chose to do something else."

He smiled at me and said, "Well what are you waiting for?"

As I headed out the door I said, "How are you going to handle the workshop?"

Jesus winked at me and said, "I'll just tell them what I would do and see what happens."

And that is how I ended up missing my meeting to meet Adele and her brothers.

Cal

He wrote the book

It is funny how you can be around something for a long time and not really understand how it works. For example, I have been on the Board of the Otis Library for five years now. I use the library and have taken advantage of more than a few of its offerings. This week I entered into uncharted territory.

I am working on a project for this weekend. I googled my topic and came up with several books that would be very helpful. The only problem is that these weren't best sellers and would not likely be found in Barnes and Noble or Walden Books. So for the first time ever I went onto the Otis Library Web site and then went to the inter library loan link. I found out that two of our neighboring libraries had copies of the books. Imagine that! so I went to pick them up and I was in business. I could have even ordered them and had them delivered right to Norwich if I had thought of it earlier.

The truth is we do the same thing with God at times. He has so much to offer us but we don't ask for it. We would rather wander around on our own instead of reaching out to him and asking for a blessing. God always has the answer to our questions even if it means that he sends us to a friend or neighbor to get what we need. so why wait. Reach out to him tonight and he will supply your need.

Cal

He runs with us

Some of you may remember April Rezendes. She grew up in our church and graduated from Norwich Free Academy a few years back. She was a good student, a member of the NFA marching band color guard and a Latin lover, em, I mean a lover of the Latin language. She went on to graduate from Boston College with a degree in nursing and now works at the Deaconess Hospital in Boston.

I mention April because she did something extraordinary this past weekend. She participated in the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and ran the 26 miles from start to finish. It was 88 degrees and people were dropping like flies but April managed to make it to the end. She writes about her experience in her blog (address listed below) and says, "Around mile 19 I still hadn't seen any spectators that I knew, I was dehydrated and hot and my hip was completely locked up, then someone from the Chicago chapter of JIM came off the curb and started running with me. He ran with me for about half a mile, gave me some encouragement and let me know what to expect up ahead, that definintely got me through..."

I read that and I thought about the number of times I was going through something very hard and was ready to quit. It seems like more times than I can remember someone showed up and walked along beside me and that gave me all the encouragement I needed to make it through.

God is so good. I am sure he was with April on Sunday as she did an amazing thing in running that race. And God is with each of us as we run the race that is set before us. Thanks be to him who gives us strength!

Cal

Check out april's blog at http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=barefeet4