Expressing Appreciation

How does one appropriately express appreciation for something that cannot be repaid?  Our living responses to this question are often awkward attempts to do what cannot be done.  This weekend reminds us of the significance of sacrifice and its power to change our lives as individuals and a larger community.  Giving thanks for those gone before who have given selflessly for something beyond themselves presents us with this difficult question.  Memorial Day weekend is more than simply the beginning of summer with its picnics, parades, and fireworks.  Memorial Day compels us to confront the gift that so many have given in service to their country.  That debt cannot be repaid.  Living in the shadow of that debt, however, challenges us to live as grateful people who acknowledge such sacrifice in the way we live as citizens of this nation. Living in the powerful presence of the stories and examples of sacrifice we will observe this weekend will present us once again with the reminder of a debt that cannot ever be truly repaid, but can and must ever be revered and remembered.  We have been blessed by those gone before...let us live mindful of such blessing.

 

Give thanks to God, the One whose sacrifice in the offering of His Son, Jesus, the Christ, is truly the greatest gift that can never be repaid.

 

Jim Abernathy

Think Before You Speak

It's funny sometimes how your words came back to haunt you.  Amidst the coughing and sneezing in our April vision council meeting as various members spoke of their allergy woes, I countered, quite cheerfully as I recall, that though I used to have allergy problems, I hadn't been bothered by them in several years.  Perhaps I was too smug in my assessment and needed a lesson in humility; maybe I needed a reminder about being more sensitive to the needs of others, or maybe this is just one of the worst allergy seasons in a long while and it has finally caught up to me.  I have wished several times over the last few weeks that I had just kept my mouth shut and suffered along with the rest of the bleary eyed, sniffling masses.

 

Most, if not all of us, have said things we have regretted.  In the heat of emotion...in the rush of our busy lives...in social or workplace settings where we feel pressured to contribute, we sometimes speak, yet wish we hadn't.  Words have a power all their own and once said, are indeed difficult to reclaim.  Perhaps we would be well served to remember that in every setting our words are first and foremost gifts to God. We think often of the Psalmist's words in the context of praise and worship, and yet, I think they speak clearly to every word that comes from our mouths.  "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14 NRSV)  Many of us memorized the Psalmist's words years ago, but live at times as if we have forgotten them.  Ours is most likely not a problem of forgetfulness, but rather, application.  Scripture means little if we do not apply its truths to our daily lives. 

 

Think before you speak? Absolutely, but more than that, think of what God would have you say before you speak.  For most of us, there would be a lot less mess to clean up!

 

I must bring this edition to a close, my box of Kleenex needs to be replenished.  I hope to see you Sunday!

 

Jim Abernathy

Connections and Kingdom Living

Yesterday was a study in contrast of the folks I minister with and to in our Westwood family.  The morning began in the office with various conversations and meetings with ministry staff and volunteers. We are very blessed by the people who serve our community of faith.  I ended the morning with our Mother's Day Out children as we sang together in preparation for their MDO end of year program.  What a fun group!  The smiles on their faces and the energy in their steps made me smile and thank God for the treasure they are.  From there I went to Clarendon for a faculty meeting at The Leland Center where we approved the graduation list for one of the largest graduating classes in the school's history and heard of new degree and certificate programs that will open theological study to more folks in our region.  I left there and headed to the www.go Ladies Tea.  Much time and effort went into preparing for this special event and it was obvious that it was a labor of love on the part of those who put it together.  I was grateful to be welcomed in such wonderful company and to sit with women whose stories of family and life enriched my day.  With apologies for arriving late and then leaving early, I made my way to the track beside Irving Middle School where one of our Keene Mill Elementary School students was participating in a school sponsored twelve-lap run. I was invited to come and cheer her on.  Together with her family and a variety of other supporters who had come from around the community, we cheered her and other runners as they made their way around the track.  I jumped in the car, made my way quickly home to pick up Cindy and Clayton and we headed off to meet friends for dinner.  It was a full day indeed!

 

I offer this glimpse of yesterday's events as reminder of the varied and wonderful connections we share through our Westwood family.   Young, old, in the church building and in the community, one on one and interacting with a group, there are so many opportunities to celebrate Christ at work in the world all around us.  I can't say that every day is quite so full or varied, but I can say that every day has its opportunities.  We must make the most of them.  So, what's on your agenda for today?  How is the weekend shaping up for you?  Busyness doesn't insure purposeful living, but looking for opportunities to serve and celebrate the moments of life is vital to Kingdom living. 

 

It's a beautiful day, the opportunities are before us all to enjoy this day and make a difference in the name of Christ.  Let's do it!  Let's celebrate this day!

 

Jim Abernathy

Make the Most of Every Moment

We have just returned from moving Clayton back home from the University of Kentucky after completing his freshman year of studies there.  The experience prompted a number of conversations over the last few days from how he did on his finals, to the poor performance of his beloved Wildcats in basketball this year, to what was, in my estimation, the most important conversation of all..."you're not going to live on the eighth floor again next year, are you?" (This I asked after descending and ascending eight flights of steps with all the stuff he had accumulated during the year when every elevator in the building was filled with other parents and students moving out!)  The one recurring conversation, other than my aching back, was how quickly we all thought this first year had gone.  We reminisced, as if it were yesterday, that we were ascending and descending those same steps and hugging good-bye last August. 

Most parents live in this rapidly moving time warp where life passes quickly and children seem to grow in an instant. In the Broadway musical "Fiddler on the Roof," the main character, Tevye, laments this passing of time as he contemplates his daughter's marriage with the powerful song “Sunrise, Sunset.”  In the song, his wife Golde bemoans, “I don’t remember growing older. When did they?”   Writing of the brevity of life in Psalm 39, the Psalmist says, "Everyone’s life is only a breath. People are like shadows moving about."

Yes, these last days have served to remind me of how quickly the days, months, and years pass by.  I suppose one could lament such brevity, but that simply wastes more of the precious moments that we share.  No, the key is to make the most of every moment, celebrating every milestone, honoring every achievement, giving thanks to God for every breath...every shadow.

Breathe deeply today and take in all that God has for you.  Yes, time passes quickly.  As Tevye sings, "Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years, one season following another, laden with happiness, and tears."  In everything, give thanks. Amen.

Jim Abernathy