Time

Time is relative. We all know this. The past flew, the future is an eternity away. Work drags. Vacation sprints. It is only in mathematics that time is constant. The progression of the universe towards it's ultimate end is hardly a regular beat. Somethings cycle seemingly endlessly. Others fade and are lost. Much wisdom of the past is lost forever to the detriment of modern man. The universe goes in a cycle yes but not in a circle as some would have us think. Much that has been will come again but not again in the same. The world flows in spirals sometimes up sometimes down sometimes spreading out or drawing inwards. 

I think a good question to ask ourselves and others. In addition to asking "how are you" it might help us to ask, "how fast is your time going?" What parts of life go quickly and what parts will just never end? Do you remember anything as having taken along time? Or do all memories flash and seem as if they happened in a moment? With some people you wish time would slow down, with others that it would speed up. A best friend you can spend forever with? Maybe you will spend forever with them. What about time with God? Obviously God is always with us and He doesn't seem to mind our company too much. When we spend time with Him though some respond differently then others. Alot of people can't seem to enjoy prayer at all, it's a struggle and a constant fight just to finish without letting thoughts wander or the eyelids fall. The trouble is, alot of us who seem to have such a hard time with prayer will in actuality be spending eternity with God.

Another good question to ask is "what is heaven supposed to be like?" Alot of people are excited about heaven but not excited at all about time with God or with God's people. This seems a little strange to me, but I don't know for other people. I know I have a hard time getting through to God. Once I'm there though I am never dissatisfied. This sorta makes me think that the people who don't like to pray are probably not actually praying at all. They are perhaps knocking on the wrong door, or dialing the wrong number. Getting the connection to God can be hard work. First the person must be intentional. Deciding to silence your feelings and enter into a non sensory conversation is very unconventional and many are told to do it but few are trained how. Practice is essential here. Stop listening to your body, ignore that itch, let the bug crawl across your knee, don't fall asleep. This is phase one. Phase two is organizing your thoughts. A person will find that once they can quiet their body and settle into a position without falling asleep that their thought life becomes very interesting.This is very good, because your mental muscles are finally free to work in a way they aren't when your constantly focused on feelings. However this is still not prayer. everyone like Winnie the Pooh ought to have a thinking spot where they are intentional about thinking. Howver beyond this lies a realm of greater things.Through the buzzing of thought lies God the almighty, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob willing to interact with you about life.  There He sits, lord of time never impatient, always ready.

I find that in that space time becomes irrelevant. I converse with God mentally. Often mouthing the words with my lips saying the words in my head. Do not talk to God as if he's reading your thoughts. I need to talk to God as a person to a Being. Framing sentences, constructing ideas and implementing proper grammar. Backtracking when I make a mistake and restating what I meant more clearly, not because He doesn't understand but so that I can better understand my own intentions.

Those are some thoughts on prayer and time. I hope that my thoughts will prompt thoughts of your own and maybe a comment or a share....or my favorite, a question. 

Exodus Readings I

Moses and Aaron,Nadab and Abihu and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. Exodus 24:9-10

Consider the epicness of the moment. Few humans have seen God in such a physical way. Despite the special nature of this time with God all of the 74 men mentioned except Moses were executed by God. Nadab and Abihu particularly stand out. They are the sons of Aron, pastor kids of the highest degree. They've known all the answers to all the questions and never have been too humble to hide it. Because of their father (Aaron) and uncle (Moses) Nadab and Abihu are awarded a prestigious place in the emergence of Israel as a nation. The eldest sons of the high priests they hold positions of both spiritual and temporal authority. Ordained as priests just after Aaron himself, Nadab and Abihu have been witnesses to powerful displays of God's power and judgment. Rather than becoming godly pillars in the community as we might expect, Nadab and Abihu are executed by God. In Leviticus 10 these sons of Aaron have let their position go tot heir head and in childish brashness they bring before God "unauthorized fire". In simpler words they spat on God's instructions and profaned His alter, their priesthood and the Jewish nation by believing themselves to be above the law and interacting with God in immaturity and pride.  

I am often tempted by the desire for God to be physically present. Stories like these teach me how powerful experiences with God do not necessarily process out into lives of godliness and charity. Faith is more powerful than sight. The promises of God are true not because an Angel in heavenly splendor shows up to teach them to me, as cool as that would be. The promises of God are true because God said them and by faith we live and breath and move and have our being. It is faith in His forgiveness that keeps us from despair and faith in His goodness that gives us hope for the future. Now we see God through a glass darkly and until the grey curtain of this world is rolled away we can go forth in confidence, not relying on human experience but resting in the eternal truths that have never failed those who will trust in them. 

***as a side I do make a distinction between blind faith and reasonable faith*** Blind faith is giving my bank account information to an online millionaire so he can deposit his inheritance in my account. Reasonable faith is trusting that when my mom says she'll bring home milk that she actually will bring home milk. I can't prove either one but one scenario is much more reasonable. God does not require blind faith., More on that later though. 

A Brush With The Law

Driving along, cruising the radio, making a pick up and I see the flashing lights. In the past those flashing lights were always for someone else, this time they stopped when I stopped, this time, it was dark, I was alone, this time, I hadn't brushed my hair. This time I'd forgotten my license....oh bother. 

The media's full of the injustice done in the name of justice by the boys in blue. My peers are full of stories about the unfair, extreme extents coppers will go to get an "innocent" kid in trouble. All these stories rush through my mind as I sit already having realized that I've left my license at home and have no good excuse. 

Fortunately my brother is a police officer and he's explained what they do, why they do what they do and how they do what they do. In combat to the stories of the media arises the experience and advice of my brother. First, the officer lets you sit in your car for a little. Second, he shines his flashlight right in your eyeballs. Third, he asks you random, non-important questions to see if you're coherent and act guilty.  Fourth he asks for relevant information, license? (which I don't have) registration? why I have a backseat full of trashbags? (it's bread from Panera I promise) Fifth he lets you sit in your car awhile longer while he goes back and either processes your information or just has a few sips of coffee while you marinate in your own anxiety. Sixth he comes back and gives you the greatest news in your life or totally ruins your day. It's funny how just being given permission to do what you were going to do anyway can make your day a thousand times better.

To be fair, objectively profiled I fit some of the criteria for a drug user. My car objectively profiled fits all the criteria for something illegal. I can't blame him for pulling me over. To be fair to me, I saw his car parked a good ways away and was obediently driving within the lines at an appropriate speed, giving him a difficult time coming up with something to pull me over for.  I've learned that several laws exist just for the sole purpose of giving officers an excuse to pull cars over who are suspicious. I was made aware of such a law last night. After the non-relevant questions the officer proceeded to inform me that he pulled me over because my rear license plate was not adequately illuminated. I was a little disappointed, I was hoping to be accused of something a bit more exciting. 

As it stands I enjoyed my brief brush with the law. I had my police radar on and perceived him before he saw me. He was just checking to make sure a suspicious looking car wasn't doing anything nefarious on a Friday night and he used great creativity and zero force to do so. I respect his creativity and appreciate his lack of aggression, I would have a much harder time respecting a police officer who sues force as opposed to wit to do his job.

Above is all my opinion on a police officer pulling me over at about 10:30pm, October 9th, 2015 I hope the officers reflections on it agree with mine. He might have just been bored and checking if his lights worked. No harm, no foul either way. 

****The past two months have been very busy with work and family but now the farming season is slowing down and I have more time on my hands and will be blogging more often. ***

ps, please comment or email me with grammatical errors which you'd like me to fix. I appreciate your careful reading.