Table Talk

 

Table Talk

 

Placed in the middle of our living room is a round cocktail table. My mother bought it years ago in the damaged section of an expensive furniture store. It was given to me when my parents moved into a smaller home. Since then it has followed me back and forth from Minnesota to Montana several times. My son, Nick, restored it to mint condition.

 

Years ago, when Judy and were dating, I invited her to a party at my apartment. When she arrived, I was dancing on the top of the cocktail table. Seeing me there  was not a step forward in our courtship. Nonetheless she married me and along came the table.

 

A week ago, sitting in the living room during the first winter snowstorm, we  reminisced about life. We spent forty five years together. Memories of the ski lodge and the other places we lived reminded us that the table made the same journey.

 

 Our children learned to walk by hanging on to its edge. Almost all of our grandchildren did as well. It almost brought us to tears that right here before our eyes was an important piece of family history. We have grown older, the table remains the same.

 

Almost every holiday, birthday and anniversary is celebrated around this table. Loaded with food or presents it continues to serve us well as we gather together. Sitting in our living room that snowy evening I realized all that this table represented. If only a table could talk.

 

Rumor has it that there is negotiating going on as to who will inherit the round table. Wherever it ends up, it will be cherished. May it continue to be a family gathering place bringing joy to future generations.

Fear

 

Fear

 

“Let me affirm my belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”  Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke those words at his first inaugural address in 1933. Brave words in the middle of the Great Depression. They echoed in the American spirit for the many difficult years to follow: World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, September 11th. Those who are ignorant of history can find themselves paralyzed by fear.

 

The truth is that the world is a dangerous place to live. Couple that with the reality that no one gets off the planet alive is fertile soil for fear to germinate into a phobia of life itself. Curious enough, with the onslaught of COVID 19 in the midst of an election year, fear appears to be gaining the upper hand in our country. Fear of what may happen undermines our ability to embrace life to the fullest.

 

Although I am not a fan of social media, I ran across a recent post from someone

who found the following on a sign in a Mennonite store. I am reminded that perspective helps:

 

2000 Y2K is going to destroy everything.

2001 Anthrax is going to kill us.

2002 West Nile virus, 2003 SARS, 2005 Bird Flu, 2006 E.coli are going to kill us. 2008 financial collapse will do us in

2009 Swine Flu will kill us.

2012 the Mayan Calendar predicts end of the world.

2013 North Korea will cause WW III.

2014 Ebola Virus will kill us.

2015 ISIS will kill us.

2016 Zika Virus will kill us.

2020 the Corona Virus will do us in.

The truth is FEAR is going to kill you. Turn off the TV and PRAY and TRUST IN GOD…and wash your hands.”

 

The Bible says of the righteous person: “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.”

Candor

 

 Candor

 

Remember the old Westerns on the big silver screen? There was Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers. Saturday theater matinees featured black and white thrillers of the Old West. One line often spoken by an American Indian to a white man in the movies: “white man speak with forked tongue.” A perceptive statement that you can say one thing but mean another.

 

My observation is that there is a lot of  “forked tongue” talk going on even for an election year. With all that we have been through this year, the last thing our world needs is a lot of double talk. That’s where candor comes in. Candor is the quality of being open and honest. It assumes that my opinion is based on fact not fiction without bias or prejudice. You may ask, “Is that possible anymore?”

 

Candor assumes that I am able to express my views on a variety of subjects without employing derogatory, inflammatory, hyper emotional half-truths in my daily discourse. The discipline of candor means that although I have strong opinions on important issues of our day, I have learned the skill of sharing them without anger, name calling or baiting. I am confident in my perspective but open to the views of others. Just because someone is vicious or deceitful in their words doesn’t give me liberty to do the same. Candor is an important character trait of a civilized society.

 

A little wisdom from the Bible to help us practice candor in our daily speech: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slanderous as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Jesus has forgiven you.”

 

Daily

 

Daily

 

COVID has thrown a wrench into my plans for 2020. I am not happy about it. Last February Judy and I were just about to make reservations for our often talked about European Riverboat trip. That along with our summer get together with our children and grandchildren at Sandpoint, Idaho cancelled. Plans to visit churches in our network cancelled. Twice weekly chaplaincy at local hospital cancelled. Lucky life itself wasn’t cancelled.

 

About the only thing not cancelled was my daily routine consisting of rising early (5am), walking the dog, Sunday church on Zoom (now social distancing in our building), lots of reading, extended happy hour, Netflix and Prime. Once in a while sneaking out to McDonalds drive thru for a burger and a shake. Options definitely narrowed.

 

However, I’m learning to live life on a daily basis. In fact, I been asking God to show me how to do this one day at a time. This means I don’t get stressed out about tomorrow while living today. So, I find myself enjoying the little things like watching the birds from the patio. They’re not worried as long as I make sure the feeders are full. Long walks with Daisy that I never took time for before now. Meaningful conversations with my wife that were overlooked in busyness.

 

I am reminded of these words of Jesus: “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

 

A little chorus we used to sing in church comes to mind. “Thank you, Lord, for this fine day. Thank you, Lord, for this fine day. Thank you, Lord, for this fine day right where we are.”

 

Wherever you are I pray you can rest in this fine day!