Our Eyes Met

I turned the T.V. on to catch the news headlines before I stepped out to run some errands. Flipping channels, I saw the big, brown eyes of a gaunt, but smiling little boy on a World Vision commercial.

It was as if our eyes met.

Tears filled my eyes, as always, and I quickly changed channels. Annoyance with child sponsorship programs rose up within me – “I wish they wouldn’t use these beautiful little kids to make me feel guilty. I already sponsor a child. What more do they want from me?” Instead of checking the news, I just shut off the T.V. and quickly left the house.

First stop – downtown. As I walked down Portage Avenue a man, smelling of alcohol, stumbled toward me and asked for change.

Our eyes met.

I patted my pockets and to my relief they were empty… Well, except for the $20 bill. “Buy him lunch." The quiet, inner whisper of the Lord’s voice was loud and clear. “Buy the man some lunch." I replied to both the Lord and the man’s outstretched hand with one emphatic word: “NO! - I mean, no, sorry sir, I have no change. But, uh, God bless you.” I quickly walked away, avoiding the man’s eyes in an attempt to also avoid the conviction that was rising within my heart.

I walked to the mall and opened the doors. Ahhhhh! Warm air hit my face and my cold nose began to thaw. As I walked to the office where my appointment was, I noticed a rock in my shoe and sat down on a mall bench. As I sat back up after fixing my shoe I saw an unmistakably pregnant teenage girl sitting across from me.

Our eyes met.

As my gaze locked with hers, her eyes begged me for mercy and compassion. She looked down at the cross necklace that I wore, and a tear spilled down one cheek. I felt a sudden and powerful urge to tell her that even in these circumstances, Jesus still loves her. But I didn’t tell her that. I just asked, “Are you ok?” She nodded her head as if to say “yes,” while more tears flowed down her face. “That’s good. Well, I hope you have a better day,” I said, and uncomfortably stood up and walked away, hurrying to my appointment.

After my meeting, I went home and baked some bread. As I was kneading the dough, a thought came to me – maybe the pastor and his family would like some homemade bread. I ignored that thought and let my mind wander, pondering the events of the day and the people I had run into. But for some reason I didn’t want to think about them. I responded aloud to my thoughts. “Be quiet!”

After I finished baking my bread, I sat down at the table and spread butter on my fresh, hot slice. Again, I thought of the pastor and his family. “Oh – Be quiet!!” I hollered to myself. Why would the pastor need bread? And even if his family does need food, there are a lot more people with a lot more time and money to provide for them. So please, would my thoughts… BE… QUIET?!?!

I put on some nice, mellow worship music and sat down. As I took a bite out of my fresh, warm, and oh-so-delicious bread, four people suddenly stood before me: the pastor, the pregnant girl, the man asking for change and the World Vision child.

Our eyes met.

I sat there, with my bread in my mouth, so stunned that I was unable to chew it. The four people joined hands with each other, and suddenly became one Person – the Lord Jesus.

Our eyes met.

Yes. This was all a dream. And I woke up with a tear-soaked pillow, begging the Lord for a second chance. In fact, I think I will go bake some bread right now…


Matthew 25:34-40
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Free Press Letter to the Editor

I wrote a letter to the Winnipeg Free Press, and they printed it. If you want, you can check it out here:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/editorial/story/4248711p-4891938c.html

I would like to expand on it, but I don't have a spare moment to do so right now! Maybe later?

Politics and Personal Hypocrisy

Please note: This was inspired by a post I read at http://terrysoapbox.blogspot.com/


I am tired of having to defend my Christianity because of the Republican Party. Republicans are not synonymous with Christians. I do not like people assuming when I say I am a believer that I am “one of those Republican hypocrites”. (Please note: I am not defending the Democratic Party either!)

How was Sarah Palin demonstrating godly love as "the pitbull", the one sent out to sarcastically and personally attack the Democrats? How was she displaying integrity when she was in the middle of "troopergate"? How was she an example of a godly wife and mother by running for VP - probably a very hectic schedule - when she has some kids who really need a mother right now?

I saw an interview with Sarah Palin after she got home to Alaska after this whole thing was over. To me, she looked relieved to be back in the familiar. I think this whole campaign may have been a wake-up call for her. I do not doubt her faith. Everyone makes mistakes... and hers were very much in the spotlight. Imagine if our weaknesses were on CNN every night! Jesus Himself said that "the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light" (Luke 16:8). I think that she tumbled into a situation that was far beyond what she was capable of controlling: Hopefully this was a lesson learned. We should be neither applauding her nor booing her… We should be praying for her.

I could go on about the Republican Party and their so-called "Christian values". One example is embryonic stem cell research. The Republicans talk like Christians in order to get their votes. But if you look at Bush, he okayed embryonic stem cell research just months after coming to power 8 years ago... after adamantly insisting he was against it during his campaign. He didn't care: He was voted in thanks to "The Base" (ie., gullible Christians) and then could keep doing what he pleased as long as "The Base" continued choosing to turn a blind eye. After all, President Bush must be a Christian... He says so and he is a Republican.

During this recent presidential campaign, we listened to many speeches by both candidates. One thing I noticed was that, even when I wasn't in the same room, I could tell who was speaking because of the noise of the crowd. Jimmy would turn on the T.V. and when I heard a negative, rumbling "boooo..... boooo...." I knew it was McCain supporters. He repeatedly had to tell them to stop booing. It was the McCain supporters who spewed personal attacks toward the Democrats, not the other way around. Is this a demonstration of Jesus' love? Aren't we to love our enemies, and bless others? (And are the Democrats even "the enemy"?)

The Bible warns us in Matthew 10:16 to be "shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves". We need to see that the world's system of governing is not God's system. We need to pray earnestly for our leadership... and be very hesitant to endorse any particular political party.

To bring this down to a personal level (for what is the point of just looking at others, without looking inward), I have been asking myself what I am doing that is hypocritical? What do I say, and then not do? When have I been overly negative and critical of others while not meeting my own standards of godly character? Oh.... So many times. I know that there will probably be people who read this who can clearly point out my hypocrisy, harsh judgments, and lack of brotherly love. To those people I ask your forgiveness. So, Lord, please forgive me, and help me represent You to those around me.

The List

Today is a new day.

It is not yesterday.

Yesterday's worries, activities and scurrying are over. Even if I didn't get everything on yesterday's list done, the day didn't wait for me.

Deadlines come... and they pass.

But today is a new day.

A NEW LIST.

Some of yesterday's things to do are on my list today. But it is still today's list. I can't look back to yesterday, or I will be overwhelmed. I don't have to be perfect. His mercies are new every morning. I just need to allow His new mercies to flood my life, continually washing through my soul and mind. I need to forgive myself because He has forgiven me, and I need to allow myself to see that His mercies are for me.

Praise God, today is a new day!

Looking Forward

(I originally wrote this in August, 2007, but I wanted to post it today.)

A couple days ago, I was driving down Bishop Grandin (speed limit, 80 km/hour) and suddenly felt the urge to drive only while looking in my rearview mirror. So, I prudently waited until there was no traffic ahead of me, and tried it out. Here is what I discovered:

1) It is very hard to stay on course.

2) It is a highly stressful thing to do.

3) If there had been any obstacles ahead of me, I would have crashed, whereas if I was looking ahead, I could have easily avoided them.

4) If you keep it up without looking ahead for a long time and realize you are going off course, you start to steer the exact opposite way that you are supposed to when you try to get back in the right lane.

5) Without conscious effort, I slowed down considerably.

Do I need to explain the analogy? Naaaahhh. I think we get the point.

Let's keep looking ahead!!