Socks, Rocks, and Dust
Yesterday I lost a sock, tore my closet up looking for it. Went downstairs checked in the dryer, washer, laundry basket, yep, everywhere I could think of, nothing. I’ll be on the lookout for this cool black and gray sock (cool sock?), maybe I’ll find it, maybe I won’t.
At 2-3 different times I spent about an hour looking for a meaningless article of clothing. As I thought about how ridiculous I looked and how my attitude got so caught up in asking myself and my family (though I really think they were ignoring me) where this sock could be, I contemplated how messed up I get when I’m looking for other answers to questions about life. How much time I waste on meaningless endeavors and how little I spend on growing my soul and creativity, as well as just plain enjoying life itself.
This morning I’m sitting out on the deck with a cup of coffee, and notice a neat little pile of rocks one of our kids is storing in a corner of the yard. All our children have this affinity for rocks. Our two oldest boys spent lots of time in the woods behind the last house we lived in, and my wife would often end up with rocks in the washer because the boys were forever bringing stones home in their pockets but never taking them out.
Rocks, they are everywhere. Some grains of sand, some boulders we carve monuments into. Some we hold, some we climb. Foundational and at times a nuisance, especially when planting a garden, people even buy “pet rocks”, at least they used to. Rocks have Biblical implications, too. God, the Rock of Ages, Moses and the cleft of the rock in Exodus, a stone slayed Goliath, a rolled away stone revealed Christ’s empty tomb.
But much like our human flesh, time and elements turn rocks to dust. So I’m taking this moment to reflect on what I want to do better, and how I might live more passionately for what matters most… whether it’s what I deeply believe, sharing my resources to others, or my own well being. That the ardent search for lost socks just leads to lost time, and rocks are fascinating inanimate objects that can spawn creative thoughts. And that I’m capable of turning these thoughts into art that speaks to the heart of others. Soon enough I’ll be dust, for now I pray for words and actions to make meaningful use of the time I’ve left on this earth.
Tags: faith, what matters
Got Hope?
Last night my wife and I had our fairly typical Friday wind down after the kids went to bed. Sure, we watched the Olympics, albeit while cruising channels in hopes of dodging the standard fare GAC video countdown, and stumbled upon a rerun of Glen Beck doing a full hour interview with Toby Keith, so we hung there for a while.
I’m a fan of both Toby and Glen, so it was interesting to see these almost exact opposites getting along, making sense, and uniting their voices in a rally cry to our country — WAKE UP! They talked about the delta between political and cultural conservatism, patriotism, the right to bear arms, and how the fact they register with different parties doesn’t make either better than the other. Oh, and, neither is sure who they’ll vote for in November, though gut tells me if doubt prevails, each will vote with the party line they claim to back.
It was really cool to see Toby, a man with a bit of a bad-ass reputation, refuse to pass judgment on social perspectives with which he doesn’t agree, or try to dodge questions about his faith in God and country. He’s a pretty basic guy who I think understands the issues and feels if you’re hated by the left and right simultaneously you are very likely on to something good.
This really got me thinking, not about politics or media hype around the coming election, but about the place I’m at with my own hopes, fears, passions, and dreams. I watched a message by Joel Olsteen last week on hope titled “You’re Closer Than You Think“. Say what you want about Joel, he’s different kind of preacher for sure, but the message hit home. He’s an encourager, not a preacher that preys on guilt trips, and I for one needed to hear that God wants to hear my heart cry for hope.
If not God, who?
I think both Glen and Toby believe strongly in God. Neither tries to shove the Gospel (Glen is Mormon) down anyone’s throat, but use fundamental (if not Biblical) principals to guide their lives and raise their families. Groan, not those old, musty principals about honesty and possessions and fidelity… not those principals about how putting our trust in hope in any man being like trying to grow coconuts in Iceland!
So, how much further do we get sucked into the “information age” while running around with our heads neatly tucked away in a dark orifice of choice? Are we safe not verifying what we read or hear from the media, whether Glen Beck, CNN, or the NY Times? How much more “information” can we process as we navigate the course of our very lives and keep the ship from smashing into lurking submerged portions of the ice berg? It’s great we have choices, it’s sad we make so many unfounded and uninformed choices.
I’m finding myself praying a lot more these days, mostly because it seems there are so many more life decisions to make and I can’t process the data fast enough. So I go to the wall, the closet, my knees, a deep breath, a quiet cry. In the end, there’s so much out of my control, all I can do is hope.
Here’s an excerpt from a lyric I’m working on for a new song:
Pain is never ordinary
Burdens get so hard to carry
When regrets I just can’t bury
Leave me numb and cold
All I have to hold
All I really know
All I have is hope
Copyright (c) Angelo Melendez
Tags: Glen Beck, hope, Toby Keith, truth
First Day
I just got done watching Larry King’s interview with the family of Steven Curtis Chapman. It’s been just over two months since their adopted daughter accidentally died in their driveway. I am grateful for their willingness to share the details of the tragedy, the journey since that day, and the faith that gives them strength to carry on.
I can’t imagine going through what they’ve experienced, I can only pray I never do. While the Chapman family’s faith is apparently strong, I wonder how they managed the first day after losing their little girl? I wonder how every reminder of her and that fateful day impact their every breath?
I saw Steven perform in early April, and even as far away as I was in the back of the venue, his joy, persona, and amazing talent was both inspiring and infectious. He said, very humbly, during the interview he now sings his songs more passionately and with deeper conviction, though just a few weeks ago he was unsure if he could ever perform again.
A woman called during the interview and shared a passage from Psalms about how before God created the first day he planned our very lives. I believe Steven and his family believe this, and their faith is so foundational that their openly sharing about the tragedy is bringing others to a place where they can better deal with grief or anger in their own lives.
Since the day I heard about the loss of their child, the Chapman family has been on my heart and in my prayers. To see them join Larry King and the world live to discuss their faith and encourage us all was a great blessing to me, and gives me reason to live out loud for what I believe. I don’t want to use the Gospel as a hammer, but a brush to paint the life I want others to see in and through me. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my journey… I need to be ready to make the most of it.
Tags: Chapman, Cinderella, SEE