Do You Only Sing When You're Happy?

Apparently, the birds are under the misconception that it’s Spring outside today. They are twittering up a storm. I love to listen to them sing. It reminds me of my life.

Although they’ve just spent a brutal winter, more brutal than usual for the South, they flit around with renewed energy, ready to proclaim their joy in a warmer day.

I’ve had a brutal winter, too. It’s been one of great loss for me. But I, like those little birds, find myself joyful and thankful for the blessings the Lord has provided during my lean season. If I could, I would join those birds in the trees. I’d flutter my wings and sing at the top of my little bird lungs the unique song the Lord gave to me.

But then, maybe I am doing just that.

The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air. (Song of Solomon 2:12--NLT)

I'm one of those people who doesn't keep their struggles a secret. I share them with others because I know we all struggle. 

At one of my lowest seasons, I struggled alone. There was no one to share my burden. I nearly gave up.

Then, a friend who had smiled and stayed cheerful during a season of cancer we all knew would destroy her physical body one day soon, allowed herself to cry in front of us. 

Believe it or not, that act of honesty validated my personal pain and gave me hope. 

As I searched through scripture references about singing, I noticed something I had never realized before. All of the passages speak of singing praises, thankfulness, and honor to GOD! We aren’t to sing because we are happy that something went our way. We aren’t to sing because we accomplished something great and wonderful.

We SING because God deserves our songs.

Perhaps that is why the birds sing today.

They are praising God for providing food and shelter during a difficult season.

They are praising the Lord for allowing them to survive the difficult days and giving them the hope of another Spring.

Yes, I can do that, too. I can praise Him and thank Him for bringing me through the dark, cold and scary times of my life. I can thank Him for never leaving me alone in that pit of despair. I can praise Him for the sunshine of this moment or the promise of sunshine some day.

I can even praise Him on those days when I'm not certain if Spring will come at all. Because I know one day Spring will be eternal.

3. O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit.
4. Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, And give thanks to His holy name.
5. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:3-5)

What has the Lord blessed you with today? Sing your song of praise in the comments section below.

Tradition!

Traditions. New Year’s Day seems to be filled with them. When asked why people repeat family traditions on the eve or day of a new year, most of my friends tell me it’s because “that’s what my family did.”

But why? Is it because we feel all warm and fuzzy about memories of our childhood and simpler times? Is it because we feel closer to those we love merely because we repeat a tradition? Or do we believe there is some hidden truth in those traditions that compels us to repeat them “just in case” they are relevant to the success or failure of the coming year?

I’ll look at my traditions and see if I can figure it out.

Last night I stayed up until the ball dropped in Times Square. It is tradition. I even attended those dropping of the ball zoos when I lived in New York City.  I stood in the massive crowd of loud, drugged, drunk, revelers in freezing weather (sometimes in snow) just to watch a giant apple drop in Times Square. Yes, I lived there before the gorgeous high-tech Waterford crystal ball made its first appearance. As an introvert, the crowd was not an easy challenge for me. The pick-pockets and gropers didn’t make it any easier. But, it was “tradition.”

Apparently, it is not an important tradition for my husband. He fell asleep and I sat by myself at midnight, cheering in the new year alone while thousands of New Yorkers screamed and kissed beneath the Waterford ball, freezing their tails off.

I reminded myself that I’m not the only person who did that last night. I should feel fortunate that he was just lying in the bed asleep and not gone forever.

Then there’s the food. My mother told me from childhood that we must eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. When I complained that I hated them, she pointed out that the more you eat, the more money you’ll have during the year. Then she told me it was up to me to eat as many as possible so that the family wouldn’t end up in the Poor House. How’s that for incentive?

Being from the mountains of southeastern Kentucky, at least we didn’t have to eat sauerkraut (yuck!) or greens swimming in vinegar (double yuck!). I guess I should feel fortunate I only had to eat black-eyed peas. Of course, my favorite part of it was the fatback used for seasoning.

Today, I still find myself cooking black-eyed peas. Instead of fatback, I use the hambone from Thanksgiving. I have developed a taste for the peas now, sorta. Anyway, even though I am the only person in my current family unit who will eat them, I still spend the day cooking them. Today, I added a couple of potential traditions (it's never too late to start a new one, is it?)

First, I thought it would be good to JUMP INTO THE NEW YEAR with frog legs. Dad used to go frog gigging often when I was a child. I loved watching my mom fry them in the old black skillet and watching them jump around in the skillet. You know they taste like chicken, don't you? Well, I think it's a good tradition to encourage us to jump into the new year full of excitement, expectation, and hope.

My next new tradition is my favorite vegetable--fried green tomatoes. Okay, so they are technically a fruit. They are green and I will consider them a vegetable for the sake of tradition. They will take the place of the greens most southerners have on January 1st. 

So, why do I celebrate traditions? Perhaps there is something inside me that believes we must continue traditions as our way of not giving up on the promises of our youth. Perhaps it is because the traditions connect me with family members who have already passed. Maybe it’s because traditions are what make me feel connected with my family, past and present. Or, perhaps, traditions are what give us hope that the unknown future of the coming year doesn’t matter as much as the unity, support, and love of our families. Just maybe, traditions solidify hope. Whatever the reason, it gives me an excuse to make a big deal out of tradition and eat food I usually don't eat.

Some of you may think you must repeat traditions because your dead relatives will haunt you for the whole year if you don't. I rather doubt that one, but it needed to be said. And some of you may believe you will have bad luck if you don't eat certain foods on a certain day. You are the same people who cringe when you step on a crack (break your mother's back), break a mirror, or a black cat walks across your path. Enough said about that...

No matter why we honor tradition, there's no harm in it. And it might, just might, draw us closer together with our family, even if only for one day of the year. One thing you can be sure about--tradition will outlive those resolutions you made.

Happy New Year to you and your family. 

What is Peace on Earth?

Sitting on a shelf in my little bathroom (the one closest to my desk) is a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Last year I found a plush Linus, dressed as a shepherd with his blankie on his head. I was so excited when I placed him next to the tree and squeezed the “press here” sticker on his foot. Every time I visited my little bathroom, I smiled at the scene and squeezed his foot to hear the familiar voice tell me the real meaning of Christmas.

Now, I understand the memory available on these little guys is limited and they couldn’t record the entire scene, but the more I listened, the more troubled I became. The edited version of the entire scene, something all writers must deal with, seemed to change the focus of the message.

“For behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people and on earth peace, good will toward men. That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

Do you see what I mean? They left out the part about the baby Jesus and focused only on the peace on earth part. The more I pressed his foot and listened, the more I realized how like our world this is. The masses are eager to spend their money on gifts, decorate their homes lavishly for holiday parties, and maybe toss some loose change into a Salvation Army bell ringer’s bucket as their good deed for the season. But, they leave out the baby Jesus. 

Peace on earth sounds like a good thing. However, the peace spoken of at Christmas is possible only because of the baby. Don’t let the Christmas lights blind you to the Truth. God sent His Son on Christmas, as a baby. He is God and man. He is the Prince of Peace.

We can only find peace by accepting his promise to forgive all of our sin. We only need to believe he will. That’s faith. During his ministry on earth, Jesus healed many people of physical sickness. All they had to do was believe he could do it. It’s the same with our spiritual sickness, sin. Just believe the Savior Jesus has the power to forgive our sin and bring us peace. Peace is healing from sin.

           

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

(Luke 2:10-14)

Do you have peace this Christmas season? Would you like to have the peace that defies human explanation and is oblivious to the confusion and tumult of the world around us? What do you think peace really means?

Why Bother to Deck the Halls?

Why do we celebrate Christmas? Why do we go to the trouble to deck the entire house, inside and out? Why do we drive ourselves nuts attending every concert, play, church program, and party we can fit into our already overbooked calendars? Why do we spend more money than we have budgeted, driving us into debt, just to buy gifts we don’t like, so how can the recipient possibly like them? We’re stressed, overextended, depressed and miserable—and it’s all so we can say Merry Christmas!

Decorating and shopping have become a burden for me as my health issues limit me. However, I love both. I love the colors of Christmas, the smells, the sparkle, the music, and the snow (even if it has to be fake here in Atlanta). I also love the programs and parties. Again, my health makes attending them a hardship.

The Christmas season is emotionally devastating to many people. It is the season of depression as we face the realization that our Christmas is not the perfect Christmas. It’s also the season when the loss of loved ones smothers us in pain. Stress, loneliness, anxiety, depression lead many suffering souls to the brink of suicide.

So, again I ask, why do we celebrate Christmas?

Most Christians would heartily say it is the season to celebrate Jesus’ birth. I agree. It is the main reason many of us honor the season. But what about all the other trappings of the season? Surely, there were no ornament encrusted trees and decorative items filling the stable. There was no rendition of “Jingle Bells,” “Here Comes Santa Claus,” and “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” wafting through the hay-filled stalls.

This morning, I found myself regretting the fact that instead of taking care of my “Christmas To Do” list, I was sitting in the waiting room of my mechanic. 

When I entered a beautifully decorated lobby, with an electric fireplace, one thing was immediately obvious. The only Christmas decoration was a tiny USB-powered tree on the counter. 

Amusingly, he mentioned something about not being in the mood to put up the tree, especially since it was stuffed into a closet, blocked by pallets of antifreeze. He also mentioned that he’d had a lot of negative things going on in his life this year and he just couldn’t “feel” it.

I waited as they checked why my air conditioning wasn’t working (on a 31 degree morning). As I waited, my mind wondered as to why we SHOULD decorate for Christmas. After all, with my recent back injury, my decorations were still swimming around in the back of my van, waiting for a helpful elf to carry them into the house for me. Thoughts of being satisfied with a tree without the ornaments and a front door wreath was almost palatable--and sensible. And then it hit me.

The reason we should decorate is the same as the reason we don’t feel like decorating. It's because there are so many people experiencing suffering right now that we need to do that one little thing that can get their attention—even if for only a moment. For in that one moment, a seed of hope can be planted. In that one moment, a spark of meaning can ignite. In that one moment, a person who might not have survived otherwise can be distracted from their desire to give up. In that one moment, we might direct one lost soul to the real reason we celebrate Christmas. 

I walked over to the counter and told Dave I thought he should put up the tree. Then, I told him why. A couple of minutes later, he took a flashlight into the storage area, moved the antifreeze out of the way, and dragged out the Christmas decorations. When he came into the lobby with the boxes, his face beamed, “Yep, I need to put up the tree.”

So, as you get out there and run yourself ragged, don’t forget. One tiny act of celebration can save a life. So, smile, pass out a piece of chocolate to a stranger, wear a ridiculously overly decorated sweater, put a jingle bell on your jacket, switch your phone's ringtone to a Christmas song, wear a Santa hat, pay for the order behind you in a drive-thru, put glitter on your face and see who notices, or look someone in the eyes and tell them...

Unexpected Destiny

The Maple Trail, Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, KY

 

The maple leaf danced furiously in the cool autumn breeze. No matter how hard he tried to break free, he clung fast to the mother tree. A poof of cool air smashed against him, snapping the grip of his weakening stem. The breeze lifted him and carried him wildly around the tree - thrilling him with the excitement of his dreams.

 “Ah, I’m free! I’ve waited so long for this day. I held on to mother tree from the day I was a mere bud of a leaf. I hung on as I soaked up the spring rains and grew into a perfect maple leaf of bright green. I even hung on during the days of summer when there was no moisture for me. What little rain fell was shared with my millions of brothers and sisters. Then, finally, the days began to cool and I transformed into a work of art. All who saw me as I became a rich combination of green, orange and yellow adored me. Here I am. Look at me.”

As the leaf stretched in the breeze to reveal his colors to the world, he glided toward the ground below. He anticipated becoming a part of the colorful carpet. There was no doubt everyone would revere him as the most beautiful maple leaf in the world – especially compared to his inferior brothers and sisters below.

Just as he relaxed to enjoy his brief flight, an antenna of a passing car attacked him from behind, “Ack! What was that? Help! Help me, someone, I’m stuck.”

His brothers and sisters ignored his cries as they floated past him, lifted and carried far away by the breeze. He thought he heard a few chuckles.

Trapped by the antenna, he called out as he was whisked away, “Don’t laugh at me you inferior leaves. Help me!”

Realizing there was no escape, he wrapped himself around the evil needle and hung on as he flapped and fluttered in the wind. He clung to the antenna as it went faster and faster.

“This isn’t fair. Stop. Stop, now, I say! You have kidnapped me from my intended destiny. You’ve stolen away my glory. Let me go. Please, let me go.”

The antenna did not listen to the perfect maple leaf. It merely traveled faster and faster. The leaf wrapped itself even tighter around the antenna and sighed.

“I’ve failed. I had such glorious dreams and now they are dashed. Woe is me. I’m a failure.”

The depressed leaf clung to the safety of the antenna, “I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t have a clue how long it will take. I only know I must hold on just as I did to my mother tree. I hope I have the strength to make it.”

As the journey took him further away from his home, the leaf relaxed just enough to observe his surroundings, “Oh, look at all those trees. My tree was much more colorful than they are. There’s one that’s red. There are some still green. Look at all those trees with shriveled, brown leaves. They should be embarrassed.”

 

The leaf thought, “I never knew there was such a large world beyond my tree. I hate to say it, but it’s actually quite beautiful. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing after all. Well, except for the fact that this stupid antenna took my life’s dream away from me. Actually, I was taken away from my dream. I was meant to be the most beautiful leaf in the world. Now I’m misshapen, flapping in the wind and drying into a shriveled remnant of my perfect beauty. I’m depressed.”

The antenna slowed to a stop. The leaf, tired from his journey thought, “I wonder what will happen to me now. I can’t even move enough to fall off onto the ground.”

 

A creature approached the antenna, giving the leaf a start. The creature reached out and carefully removed him from the antenna, being careful not to hurt him. Then the leaf heard the creature say, “Oh, you beautiful maple leaf. You held on all the way home. You came to me from the most beautiful tree I have ever seen. I will take you with me and preserve your beauty forever and you will remind me of this wonderful day for the rest of my life.”

The leaf perked up slightly in her hand as he thought, “Maybe I have found my destiny after all,” and smiled.