Why Don’t They? — October 20, 2011

(1,305)

The absence of a question is the presence of an opinion. Opinions build walls which inhibit touching moments.Generally speaking, questioning is a good thing, but I am contending that there are two dumb questions, which not only fail to provide the potential for answers, but also generate great aggravation merely in the asking.

Yesterday we talked about “what if?” The obsession the human race has with the past and the future makes us often fail to be present in our own lives. Let me say it aloud: you are not destined to do anything. I am not destined to do anything. Unless you and I get up every morning, plug in our brains and move our feet, very little is ever accomplished.

I believe that God does have a will, but for some inexplicable reason, He always chooses to express it by using human agents. Those who wait for a heavenly solution are often struck dumb, deaf and blind by earthly events. So “what if?” is one of those dumb questions that leads to no conclusion and offers even further digression from us reaching our goals.

But the second question is equally as useless.  “Why don’t they?”

When we begin to speculate on the choices, will and personalities of other people, making ourselves a compass for their actions, we have lost all sight of what really makes this thing called life tick.

People are free-will creatures. Can I say it again? People are given free will and if you try to take it away from them, or even cast aspersions on them, you have stepped out of the mind of God.

I have trouble with this one. The “what if?” question has never been a source of conflict to me because I never did buy into the notion that God is my great puppeteer. But I have to remind myself every single day that people are not here for my pleasure, nor am I given license to gossip and question them in their free-will choices.

Here’s the bottom line–we have two possibilities when dealing with our everyday experiences. We can either change them or we can deal with them. Truthfully, we always make the wrong choice because we attempt to deal with our circumstances and we try to change people. It is exactly opposite of the way things work. We can become more proficient in our projects if we will understand that circumstances can change but people have to be dealt with. If you flip that the other direction, you will become an angry, insolent and frustrated traveler who just can’t understand why people don’t do the right thing. Often people don’t do the right thing because we either want them to or they don’t have to. You are not going to change that. God in heaven cannot change that. What you can do is select to deal with them or not deal with them. I think we spend entirely too much time trying to change people who not only don’t want to be changed, but every time we suggest they make a revision, they dig their heels a little deeper into the trench of resistance.

On the other hand, we tolerate circumstances that could easily be transformed into a different playing field because we have convinced ourselves that our surroundings are immutable. This is what messes us up. Let me say it again–when it comes to people, you must decide to deal with them or quietly walk away. In other words, “Deal or no deal.” When it comes to circumstances, they are your business and feel free to change them at your whim.

It’s a simple principle but it will keep you from becoming an anti-human force that is a guided missile out to destroy your fellow-man.

“Why don’t they?” is a dumb question because no one was born to be your servant. No one was born to answer to your call. And no one was born to worship your God.

Even when I hear people refer to the United States as a Judeo-Christian society, I realize they are making the error of thinking that a nation of individuals can become a clump of “agree-ers.” It’s just not going to happen.

So get rid of the dumb question. The next time you…and I…catch ourselves asking “why don’t they?” just pop back the answer, “Because they don’t have to.” And the next time you run across a circumstance that is not to your liking, jump right in there, get involved and see if you can’t improve it.

Things can change–people must be dealt with. I will say it again: things can change; people must be dealt with.

Give yourself a great gift. Find out what circumstances suit your taste. Abide therein, prosper and allow your example to be the shining light that causes people to reflect on how they might want to do some redecorating of their interior on their own.

Not only is it impossible to legislate morality–it is immoral to do so.

***************

Jonathan sings “Let”

Jonathan Sings “Spent This Time”

Jonathan and his partner, Janet Clazzy, play “The Call”

What If? — October 19, 2011

(1,304)

The first dumb question that crosses every human being’s lips is usually “what if?“

“What if” I had done this? “What if” that happens? There is an ongoing flirtation we seem to have with the past and the future that leaves us either in regret or great anxiety.  I will tell you that if you want to relieve a good portion of your human frustration, you need to do nothing more than simply stop believing in destiny. Otherwise you spend all your time wondering if you missed your destiny or if your mysterious opportunity–predestined in the stars or the heavens–is right around the corner.

Let me tell you this–I can always pick out a charlatan. Anyone who says they know what’s going to happen in the furure is a phony. Why? Because the establishment of free will eliminates the possibility of there even being a future.

Although God is all-knowing, in some strange way beyond my comprehension, He isn’t quite sure what I’m going to be doing next( even though He probably should). Having granted me free will, that particular gift is honored above all others. So the introduction of the question “what if” is always dumb because it is either a re-telling of the past or a foolish exploation into a future that only exists in your and my hands. I do not want to live in a world controlled by either star constellations or angels. Even Biblical prophecy is more a citing of trends than a proclamation of certainties. God granted me free will, and I plan on using it–and the minute we start wondering “what if,” we become seekers of fortune rather than fortunate seekers.

I had a comical conversation yesterday with a young man in his mid-twenties. It was comical because he shared with me that he often finds his belief in the Christian faith to be difficult because some of the things that adherents hold to be true bother him. Things like Jonah and the whale and Noah’s ark. I didn’t argue with him but I had to smile because I know his particular entertainment choices include a vast panorama of fantasy, Lord of the Rings, vampire movies–and he, himself, recently appeared in a futuristic production about a creature who comes from another time–a robot–to save the human race.  He would say that he knows those stories are fiction–he just uses them for entertainment and inspiration. So what happens if somebody is a believer in Jesus and thinks that the Bible stories are great for entertainment and inspiration?

You see, we all choose when we’re going to become ethereal.  All I’m telling you is that the less heavenly-minded you choose to be, the more good you will find in the earth.

“What if” is a question that not only has no answer, but also makes us begin to believe that our decisions and lives are out of our control and are pre-determined in some sort of mystic world where “cloudy” decisions are made in the cosmos about our outcome.

Get one thing straight: free will is sacred. Period. Once you understand that, then God is not nearly as difficult to comprehend, and the difficulties that occur in our lives can normally be traced back to our inability to address our situations in the present.

Here’s a three-step process I’d like to pass along to you:

1. Live in the moment. The past is gone and the future will have to be decided by you later on. It could be affected, though, by what you do in the next moment.

2. As you live in that moment, take a moment to learn everything about the moment and enjoy everything the moment provides. Stop looking at life as a bus route where if you miss one, there will be another one coming along soon. If you believe that your steps are ordered of the Lord and He’s with you, then you’ll understand that life is more like a limousine that pulls up just for you–and you’d better hop in because they don’t arrive on the quarter hour. Do you see what I mean? It’s about treasuring the next moment’s opportunity as essential for you to use for your own benefit.

3. And finally, once you’ve taken a moment to live in the moment, understand that momentarily, things will evolve.  One of the major reasons we decide to live in the moment is that little, subtle nuances of opportunities sprout up, and if we’re looking into the past or gazing into the crystal ball of the future, we often miss this moment’s gentle offerings.

So live in the moment–and while you’re there, take a moment to get everything off of it you can, because momentarily things will evolve.

There you go.

In conclusion–that’s one dumb question so far.  “What if?”

We are not a people of destiny. We are a people of the moment. So the more we live within those boundaries, the more sense our lives will make and the more fruitful our endeavors will become.

***************

Jonathan sings “Let”

Jonathan Sings “Spent This Time”

Jonathan and his partner, Janet Clazzy, play “The Call”

Dumb Questions — October 18, 2011

(1,303)

Occasionally at one of my gigs, I will be asked by a proficient sponsor if I am willing to take some questions from the audience–Q and A.  I’m always willing to do it, but honestly, it rarely is as productive as the well-intentioned promoter desires. Nevertheless, I pursue it–often ending up with some nervous silence and mutual staring between myself and the congregated–who are desperately trying to think of something intelligent about which to inquire.

Eventually a daring soul will raise his hand, beginning with the disclaimer: “This could be a dumb question …”

I immediately interrupt and glibly pipe in with, “There are no dumb questions, just dumb answers from me.” Obligatory chuckles ensue, and the question, which is normally neither dumb nor intelligent–just rather personal. I have been asked how it feels to be bald. Someone once posed the question of what I did when I ran out of ideas for stories and I was trying to meet a deadline. And I’ll never forget the college student at a university in Alabama, who coyly asked me if I had ever been tempted to commit adultery. (All of his friends giggled, thinking their pal had just invented the light bulb, or had truly stumped the guest speaker. Without missing a beat, I piped back, “Tempted? No.  Committed? Yes.”  I waited for a moment, and then laughed at them myself. I explained that I was joking, but I do think some of them were never quite sure.)

Back to the issue of dumb questions. Even though I insist to all  comers and goers that there is no such thing, there actually ARE two dumb questions in life, and every time we ask them, we end up feeling very inadequate, which lends itself to aggravation and a bit of despair. I learned a long time ago that being smart is not an attempt to eliminate dumb.  Being smart is recognizing what’s really dumb for you and understanding why it is and setting your feet in a different direction.

So I’d like to take the next couple of days to talk to you about what I think are the only two dumb questions. I would not do this except for the fact that unfortunately, they are asked all the time and each one of us is guilty of entering their spider web of deceit.

So on the morrow we shall discuss question one.  I don’t even plan on giving you a teaser, because … well, because to me? That would be dumb.

***************

Jonathan sings “Let”

Jonathan Sings “Spent This Time”

Jonathan and his partner, Janet Clazzy, play “The Call”