Do What You Can

Mark 14:8a “She has done what she could. . .” The alabaster jar of perfume was hers. She had worked hard to “buy it”. It doesn’t matter what she did to get it i.e. her job description. The fact remains that it was hers and she could do with it what she wanted to do. She wanted to spend it on Jesus for he had done something great for her. He had changed and saved her life, caused her to repent (change her mind and way of living) and to stop destroying herself, and letting others use and abuse her. He gave her a reason to live and not just survive. He gave her life back its meaning, the blueprint God had stamped upon her before she was born. Jesus reawakened in her her destiny and desire to live, and thrive! (What woman wouldn’t want a man who would do this for her?) So she wanted to bless Him for blessing her. She did what she could.

She gave what she had, and “it ain’t nobody’s business if I do” was the song she sang as she poured the perfume upon him, starting from his head. It might have been “Joop! For men” or “Polo”. Maybe “British Sterling” or “Grey Flannel”. Or it may have been her favorite (and mine) “Beautiful”. J Whatever it was, it came from her heart and soul and it made Jesus smell good for His last hours on earth, for shortly after this incident, He was arrested, tried illegally by a nightlight, whipped and beaten and abused; And then nailed to a cross faster than one could sing the ABC’s song. He did not even have time to take a bath and wash the perfume out of his hair or his clothing. He went to the cross covered in her sacrifice, smelling beautiful as He endured the stench of hatred against Himself by those He created, by those He loved with every fiber of His being. Crucified by those He came to save. She did what she could to make Him feel good during a difficult time. I think every time He got a whiff of the perfume in His hair, He remembered that at least one other human, a woman, truly loved Him.

She empowered Him to do what only He could do for you and me, the world. (What man wouldn’t want a woman who does this for him?) And to this day she is forever with Him in history just like He said. Mark 14:9 “And surely I tell you, wherever the good news (the Gospel) is proclaimed in the entire world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” How could she have known that a simple act of love, scorned and condemned by one-dimensional men, would be applauded and appreciated by God so much that He would always remember it and her, and never let the world forget it either? We don’t know her name, but God does. I believe maybe He leaves out her name (even though another gospel account calls her “Mary”) so we would remember her act of love and not create a religion or a sect or a set of beliefs upon this woman, for to do that would take the focus off of Jesus and His sacrifice. And she was about exalting and magnifying Him, not herself. So she did what she could.

Because we don’t know her name that means we can put ourselves in her place and do what we can too. What is your “alabaster box”? My alabaster box? What do I “have” that’s valuable to me, that for which I’m working so hard to achieve and earn in this life, on the earth, that I can lavish on Jesus, just because of Who He is? What can I “break” that cannot be repaired (for once the glass alabaster box is opened – only possible by breaking it – the perfume gets spilled out and must go somewhere) and pour on the Son of God? This is why those men called “disciples” condemned her, because the box could not be used again nor the perfume salvaged and sold. It could not even be saved to use the rest later, for it was not that kind of box. Nope, she did not, could not save any for herself. It was all broken and spilled out. On Jesus.

When we’re in church and/or in prayer at home and the atmosphere is charged with power, energy and the physical presence of God, we feel so much love for God and everybody, even our enemies, so we pray lofty prayers, by faith of course J and we make promises to God etc. We tell Him that we give Him everything. Then Monday and Tuesday come and we’re at home alone, or at work, in the daily grind, traffic with mean and hateful people. The high time we had on “Sunday” (whatever your Sunday may be) is just a memory. Our prayers were just words from our emotions, yes with the gushing tears and saliva and all. But we really did mean it at the time.

If we broke our alabaster box then, now we’re saying “it was an accident”, or we should have been more careful to break it in such a way that we could keep some for ourselves, for we didn’t mean to “spend it all at one time”. Or we should have taken more time to “think it through logically” away from that emotionally charged atmosphere in which we felt ‘pushed’ to give God our all. We didn’t mean to give it all, not all at one time in one place, and to ONE PERSON, for it cost us soooo much. Hmmmm. What a waste. On Jesus. And we’ve no guarantees that our life will be “better” (for better is in the eye of the beholder). We’ve no guarantees that we will receive the desires of our hearts for which we’ve prayed and believed. Darn! At least when we had “our” alabaster box we knew what “we” had and it was “ours”, and “we” could use it for “ourselves” when “we” wanted to. J

But now “I’ve” given it all away, to Jesus. And He’s going to take it to the cross, in His hair, on His skin, in His clothes. Oh wait . . . Oh no!! He’s taking ME to the cross, in His hair, on His skin, in His clothes! But I don’t want to go. I don’t want to “die.” So what else can I do? What else can be done? Do what you can.

As long as the box (me) is not broken, the perfume inside is “safe” and sound, but it is not being “enjoyed” by anyone, including myself. It is only when our alabaster box is broken that our fragrance can bless God and be useful to Him. It is only by being “broken” that we can and will be a sweet smelling savor to Him and to those “around us”, and even in “stinky” situations. (This doesn’t mean that everyone is going to like and love us. Be honest, none of us likes all the perfume fragrances in the world. But what it does mean is that we carry within us the fragrance of life, and light and hope – Jesus Christ – Who cannot be denied.) It is only when we pour out ourselves, totally and completely upon Him that we lose ourselves as we know ourselves, and gain unto ourselves the “we” He has created us to be. It is only when I allow Him to take me to the cross and nail me there that I will stop struggling to save some of me for myself, and I will cease being afraid that I will never truly live in this life.

When I sing and write I do so from where I’ve been. But sometimes I sing and write from where I am now, as I am doing today. Not because I know everything about what I know, nor what I think I know, and not because I’ve “arrived” and now can write a manual for fellow “tourists” and voyagers. J Some people think public figures have it all together and figured out, and shouldn’t be struggling with anything because he or she is a woman or man of the cloth. But they forget, there was only ONE Jesus (in the flesh) and He alone was and is perfect and sinless. The rest of us are cut from the same material as everybody else. If you cut us, even with a Bible in our hands and our hearts full of God’s love, we will still bleed. J

Nevertheless, even though we choose to “accept” God’s phone call to us to live a certain way and thus to die daily to what others are allowed to live, we are still human. And we may sometimes be given the 411 so we may sing and write about where we are going – where I am going – and that’s when I feel hope holding my hand; and as we walk she constantly tells me to just “do what you can.”

Peace.

France is an . . . ashtray?

Cough, cough!! Excuse me if I have to clear my throat from time to time during our . . . “conversation”. I seem to be surrounded by smoke and ashes almost everywhere I go these days. I can’t seem to get away from it. While crossing the big four lane street last week, as I waited in the middle section for the traffic to pass, I looked down on the ground and around me there was litter of course, but all of it was cigarette butts. I had not noticed it before but this time there just seemed to be hundreds of them. I imagined that while waiting for the green light, drivers had opened their windows and emptied their ashtrays at that spot. How awful.

What’s worse than that are the numerous parents I see smoking in the faces of their children and infants. Pregnant mothers are advised not to smoke while carrying their babies in their womb, but they see no problem with blowing first and second hand smoke (which they say is more dangerous) into the faces of these same children. What’s the difference? Why not just smoke while you’re pregnant too?

Another problem I see is those of us who choose not to smoke, are forced to do so in the presence of these people when we cannot get away from them. While waiting for the bus one day, I was standing alone and looking in one direction. All of a sudden I was smoking, but I had no cigarette in my hand and I wondered “when did I start smoking?” I turned to my left and there was a frumpy teenager standing right beside me, in my personal space smoking a cigarette, and he didn’t ask me for permission to put the cigarette in my mouth. I was being forced to inhale what he and his cigarette were exhaling, so I moved as far away from him as I could.

All over this country, supposedly the country of “amour” I see hate and hatred, and the people who are being hated are the same ones doing the hating. They are hating themselves. Oh I know what you, and they may be thinking, “how can you say these people hate themselves?” Anytime we continue to inflict upon ourselves a habit we know has been proven to cause life-threatening diseases and death . . . need I say more? How can we say we love ourselves? Love and hate/hatred are not just emotions we feel. They are states of mind. Forget the emotions of hate and deal with the state of mind. Sure we do things out of our emotions, but when we’re not emotional, we perform from our state of mind.

I have met many people in this country who have lost loved ones to cancer and they were smokers. These same people have come to some of us after the funerals of their relatives, crying and then pulling out a cigarette and wanting us to pray for them. All I can do is look at them and they see the expression on my face and realize how ludicrous they sound as they light up their cigarette. I’m not saying they don’t need prayer, for we all do, but to light up the cigarette in my presence and in my face with tears in your eyes over the one you just buried who died because they contracted cancer because they would not stop smoking for several years . . . Need I continue with this never ending sentence which has no comma or semi-colon to designate that I’m taking a breath in the middle of this thought? Inhale. Exhale. Cough. Ahem. Sneeze.

There are so many habits from which we suffer, but we suffer because we do them to ourselves. Habits are not things that others do to us. They are things we do to ourselves and we make excuses for continuing to do them, rather than dealing with the chain of events and reactions that motivate us to continue down these roads. For several years I was grossly overweight. So I read every book I could find to deal with the situation from low-fat to no-fat to carbohydrates to no carbs. Then I did every exercise that I could to break a sweat for I knew if I did not sweat I would not be burning any fat. Well, I was right. LOL!! That was one time I wished I was wrong, but there was too much scientific evidence to prove that I was right. I just wasn’t one of the persons chosen to participate in those studies.

Why was I overweight? I didn’t get there overnight that’s for sure, but over time I was doing something repeatedly that took me to a place I did not want to be. But I did not know what it was for a very long time. So let’s fast forward to that moment of discovery and walk backwards to see what I was doing to myself which prayer alone could not change. Yes, I believe in the power of prayer, but some things require more than prayer alone for lasting change. Weight loss is one of those things, at least for me it is.

While spending much time alone, in prayer (which is what started it all by the way) – conversation with God – Him speaking and me listening and vice versus (for that’s what a conversation is) I would hit emotional highs and lows and quickly walk to the kitchen. When I arrived there I would hear a question inside myself, “why are you here?” I would look around me and realized God was speaking to me. “Is it time to eat?” I would check my watch and say “no”. He would reply, “then get a glass of water and leave this place.” This would happen day after day until I began to see a pattern. When my emotions were topsy-turvy, I would “run for the border!” whether I was hungry or not, whether it was time to eat or not. I needed to find another way to deal with my emotions. I needed to find another way, a better way to “respond” to not only my emotions, but to whatever was triggering my emotions in that manner. This took time. A lot of quiet time. Alone. With God.

I fell in love with water as I drank more and more water rather than eating something, anything to comfort me. So the first thing I learned about myself and habits was that when my emotions were on the Pacific Ocean in the middle of a storm, I would run to food, mainly sugary foods, for comfort. Many of us call those foods “comfort foods” for at the time we’re taking them in, they seem to bring us comfort and calm our nerves. I’ve heard cigarette smokers say the same thing. You can see them calm down with the first inhalation.

The second thing I learned about myself was I leaned heavily upon sugar in all its simple forms. I was not prejudiced or discriminatory against any white sugars. I loved them all the same!! J They were my friends. LOL!! Hmmmm. So sugar had partnered with my emotions, but I was learning that I was the criminal committing the crime against my own self. No one was forcing me to eat sugar. No one held me at knife point or with a gun insisting that I eat that white drug. I did it to myself because of immature coping mechanisms and poor defense mechanisms for dealing with life’s difficulties, real and imagined. So the weight came, again and again along with medical problems. One thing led to another, but the true problem was now buried beneath the medical issues.

Being alone and far, far away from home (and Shrek & Fiona were not around at that time.) I ran out of medications and wondered “what would I do”? But within a matter of weeks, as I continued to listen to and obey the voice of the Lord in my spirit, my body began to change and respond as well. I began to sleep better and more, going to bed when the sun went down and getting up when the sun came up. Resting more. Facing the issues of life and not repressing them, even though some days were better than others. I was learning new habits, first on the spiritual side which helped me on the emotional side, which in turn revealed what I was doing on the physical side to harm myself. Lack of self-love, led to habits to fill in the void to make me feeeeel loved.

When we learn what true love is, that it’s not an emotion, not just a feeling, we then can apply it to ourselves and become happy people. We cannot give what we don’t have. We cannot lead where we won’t go, and we cannot direct where we’ve not been. We cannot teach what we've not learned. We cannot perform what we have not rehearsed; and we must first practice on ourselves. We must first rehearse in the privacy of our own thoughts and feelings about ourselves. I’m not talking about narcissism, but REAL, healthy love. “Love thy neighbor as you love thyself.” So you see, God is not against us loving ourselves for He knows we cannot love others until we first love ourselves. He commands us to love ourselves for He loves us with a perfect love.

We disrespect others because we do not respect ourselves, thus people smoke in their children’s faces, their parents’ faces and the faces of strangers because, well, they smoke first in their own faces. J Didn’t take a rocket scientist for me to figure that one out did it? LOL!! Bad habits can be broken and new ones learned. I’ve had my bout with addictions so I know how strong substances can be, but I also know how much stronger my will is over sugar and things, and I refuse to hand over my life to some THING to control me and use all my resources to practice, and then use all my resources to try to restore what was destroyed, because I continued to do something negative to myself.

When we finally take responsibility for ourselves . . . our words, our thoughts, our actions, our choices and decisions . . . When we really decide that we want to live good quality lives and not lives of always trying to get well and be well . . . When we stop blaming others for what we’re doing to ourselves . . . Look in the mirror the next time you’re smoking that cigarette; look in the mirror the next time you start eating that second pint of ice cream . . . Look in the mirror the next time you smoke, inhale or inject some other natural and unnatural drug(s) and ask yourself “who’s doing this to me?” Whose hands are those? Whose mouth is that? Whose feet are those? Etc. And the next question should be “and why am I doing this to myself?” What’s the purpose? What’s the good on the other side of that cigarette in my mouth? A temporary feeling of calm and tranquility? (And when the smoke clears, the situation is still the same but now your lungs, and ours are full of flames.) We can get calm and tranquility from a hot bath and soft music with candles. We can get that from a good foot soak and massage. We can get that from a good nap and a bunch of laughs from watching a good episode or two of the shows “Mash” and the “Jeffersons” from the 70s. And they won’t pollute our lungs and minds, but just the opposite. We will laugh so much and so hard that the tears will cleanse our eyes and our faces, and the coughing will clear our lungs and shake our stomachs that we might lose a pound or two without exercising, or hard work. And if you’re rolling on the floor laughing, well then you might not have to run the vacuum cleaner. J

France is an . . . ashtray? As long as 95% of the inhabitants continue to empty cigarette smoke and nicotine into their bodies, then yes. This country will only be as sick or as healthy as its residents. Cough. It’s time to clear the air.

Peace.

Recuperation

This week I was watching a zone one DVD from the states on my computer (France machines are zone 2) and I turned off my computer before removing the DVD. Early the next morning, when I realized what I had done, I turned on the computer to remove it, but then manually turned it off again. I did not wait for it to boot up or “demarrer” (to “start up” en Francais), for I did not have the time to wait. J A few hours later when I was ready to check emails and such, I turned it back on and found myself looking at a screen I’d never before seen. It gave me options for repairing and recuperating the computer, and I had to choose one of them before being able to use the machine. Why? Because earlier I refused to let the computer do what is normal and that is “demarrer” it’s way. By exercising impatience and manually shutting down the computer before allowing it to complete its start-up process, I caused some internal problems. Now I had to wait while the computer “cleaned up” the mess I had made.

Well this process took the most of 15-20 minutes, my goodness, such a long, long time in this fast-food, fast-do-it-quickly-now world in which we live (which by the way got me in this now-you-gotta-wait mode in the first place.). J Hmmmm. When the computer finally finished and I was able to redemarrer (restart), I noticed it was faster than before. Hmmm again. So I proceeded to nettoyer (clean) the C and D drives when I noticed that I now had 5 go (gigabytes) of space on the D drive (which is my main drive by choice) instead of the lonely one go (gigabyte) I had had the day before. Wow!!

I recalled that I chose the option that said “recuperer” so I looked up this word in the French dictionary and it is defined as “to salvage”, “to save”, “to restore”. I thought wow!! Again. This is just what I needed for space and speed. (Star Trek to the rescue.) It took some time, and when you think about it, 15-20 minutes is not that much time, but to a patient person who doesn’t have much time to wait, well, that might be a bit much to ask. LOL!!

Then I thought about my hobbling leg. Oh yes, after much traveling and singing and moving and pulling heavy luggage up and down the stairs, etc. my leg went on strike, and I had to sit down with an ice pack for a few days. My body needed time to “recuperate”- to be salvaged, restore itself, save itself. This takes time, and more than 15-20 minutes.

Several times Jesus would tell His disciples to “come away and rest” after a long and heavy stint of working – teaching, preaching, healing and touching, raising folk from the dead. And aah yes, so much walking. Are we sure He didn’t live in Paris or the banlieu? J (He does now, in me.) If Jesus needed to rest, what does that say about you and me? Even the Energizer bunny runs out of energy when his battery dies. More than once. That’s why we keep going back to the store to buy more. Hint hint.

It matters not who we are or what is our faith, or what our faithlessness might be, we’re all flesh and blood and we must take the time to rest and be restored – spirit, soul and body. We must take the time to reconnect with the self, and then with our family and friends. But most of all, we must DAILY take and make the time to connect with our Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, for when we do, we will find Him to be a gentle Person Who leads us gently in life. He’s not a hard task master and neither is He a slave driver. He will help us to recuperate lost time (Joel 2:25). God knows how to speed things up, believe it or not (I Kings 18:46). The Lord is into building highways too (Exodus 14:16, 21-22). And I truly believe He can bring about my recuperation just like He did for so many others, and as He has done for me before. For He is “my Shepherd, I shall not want (lack). He makes me to lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life (my self); . . .” (Psalm 23:1-3a) [Amplified Bible. Emphases mine] Amen.

Peace.

A Kiss . . .

A few weeks ago, leading up to Valentine’s Day I saw a television commercial about couples who found each other on some dating site. The commercial displayed couple after couple, males and females and even females with females kissing and kissing and kissing. I was in shock to say the least and did not see the commercial anymore after that one episode, but my mind started its usual turning as I thought about where I’m currently living, and how “kissing” seems to be the mark of this culture and country. They call it “bisous” and when you greet each other you kiss each cheek at least once, sometimes twice. Yet, I’ve seen some of those same people who kiss each other turn around and “stab one another” in the back.

To me, a kiss is a very intimate act, more so than a hug, even if it is given on the cheek, for it requires our faces to touch whereas a hug does not necessarily do that. Strangers when we meet. Hmmm, so how can we start off in each other’s space like that? I have been in situations where the people who “bisous” me hate me just because I am who I am, not because I’ve done anything to them; just because I do what I do and they do not have the gifts and talents I do, yet they don’t know the price I’ve paid just to be who and what I am, or even to still be alive. A few years ago I asked that people not “bisous” me if they “hate” me for whatever their reasons, for I wanted to keep my enemies and potential enemies “in front of me” and thus not be deceived by “a kiss”. At first there was some backlash, but I was so glad I took that stand for it indeed worked. The wolves in sheep’s clothing were revealed and the goats’ bleating no longer got confused as the bleating of the sheep. J For a while I felt, and was very “alone” in that environment, but I never stopped being the authentic person that I am. Which also paid off.

I no longer cast my pearls (my affections) before swine (people with evil intentions, etc.), but I allow God’s love to guard my heart so the hatred of others will not become mine and then I end up with a problem I didn’t have before. God’s love is so powerful not just towards us from Himself, but within us on our behalf. Let me explain. J

God’s love inside my heart allows me to love those who are unlovely and need to be loved because I too have been unlovely, and I too need to be loved. His love encases our hearts like the force field on Star Trek so when the arrows of bitterness, hatred, resentment and other negative forces come at us through/from the pains of other people, they do not penetrate our hearts, no matter how much pain we may experience in that moment. Eventually, in most cases His love will melt the hearts of stone in others who come against us for no reason at all other than the fact that they are unhappy campers whose tents got blown away by the wind and rain, and they need a “warm place to stay”. Then they realize we who are protected by God’s love, are the temporary warm place for them to take shelter as we lead them to receiving God’s love for them, for He is their shelter from life’s rains and He is the Healer of their pains.

I thought about another kiss in history, a famous kiss which cost a man His life. A kiss from another man, a “brother”, who had spent at least three years following Him, one who He had personally chosen to be one of His friends; one who was His accountant and the one who would make sure things were in order for His arrivals. Why a kiss? Of all things, why use this intimate act to betray someone you say you love? Why use this intimate act to pretend that you like someone when you don’t? Why a kiss? Why use this most intimate move to deceive those around you, throw the hounds off the scent of your . . . negative feelings towards someone? Why a kiss? Why even get into the space and face of someone you hate and put your lips on their skin? I ask these questions not because I have the answers but because I cannot see doing this, and I don’t do it. J And if I can discern that someone “hates” me, I do not put them in the position to kiss me; I do not place myself in such close proximity for them to “stab me in the back”. This is what the misuse of a kiss is all about – stabbing one in the back.

When you read the Song of Solomon, the characters speak of how lovely and loving and tasteful and delicious a kiss is. They make kissing sound so yummy, even virtually, that you want to find your lover and just eat him or her up off the plate. J There’s no betrayal in their kissing. There’s no deception in their embracing. There is no bitterness and jealousy as they inhale each other’s perfume and exchange the love within their spirits. Whether it is the kiss between lovers, a kiss between parents and children, between siblings, and between friends – a kiss should remain something special. It should not be used as an everyday wash cloth or worse yet, toilet paper. Please forgive me if that’s too heavy for you, but we live in “heavy” times and we need to call a spade a spade so we can stop deceiving ourselves into thinking “we’re all alright”, because we’re not alright. The world is starving for love, real Love but we’re still sugar coating this need with fringes, and party favors.

I currently spend most of my time in the country that’s supposed to be known for “love” and lovers because of the romantic movies based upon it’s language and one of the most famous cities in the world, Paris. Yet all around this city and country are the homeless living on the streets, people in a constant hurry and rush that they will knock you down and not help you back up, people who will not help a lady being raped by men on the metro, residents who mock what they don’t understand yet will imitate and “take” what’s yours and not pay for it. If this is love, and if this is the price one must pay to be loved, then I think I would rather do without it, at least coming from human beings. But I know this is NOT love, and I know there is a “more excellent way.” Love is not defined by a kiss, for even dogs will kiss you when you stoop to their level or bring them up to yours.

Here is love: 4. “Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 6. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 7. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. 8. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. . . 13. And so faith, hope, love abide . . . these three: but the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:4-8, 13 [Amplified Bible]

I have a special acquaintance (and he’s not the only one) who said he doesn’t believe in God, but he does believe in love. My response to him was “God is Love, so I’m glad you believe in love.” This is not that “bisous” stuff. God is greater than a kiss, and I’m so glad He is. Another writer said it like this, “And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.” I John 4:16. [Amplified Bible] I don’t usually quote single verses in this way for I don’t want anyone to try to build an argument or foundation on one scripture verse alone based on something I’ve said, but the one single verse that I do feel safe with closing this “family moment” is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (that would be Jesus the Christ), that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” [King James Version]. And Jesus did it, because of a kiss.

Peace.

Only ONE WAY

A few months ago our street was changed from a two-way street to a one way street. So now traffic can only enter one way and travel in one direction. Well in the beginning I know it caused some confusion for drivers, with and without gps systems, but for we who live on this street, the parked cars sure look neater than before. Everyone must now park in one direction on both sides of the street rather than in all directions. As I thought about this several other scenarios came to mind.

When friends come to visit me from all over and from wherever, they must inevitably take a certain train that arrives at my town. And then one of two buses, or walk from the station, comme tu veut, to my place or near to my place. Yet, even though there may be several modes of transportation necessary to get here, there is still only ONE WAY. This particular train may be caught from different towns and at most hours during the day from 5:30am-1am the next morning, yet to get to my town and place, one must take the train that plans to stop at my town. To take any other train that’s not coming here, will not get you here; Or another bus that doesn’t come here, or a street that doesn’t come here. You get my drift right?

In many instances in life, there are several ways to accomplish certain things. You’re probably familiar with the cliché “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Well I know cat lovers may not like that, but anyhoooo. LOL!! I think it describes perfectly what I’m trying to say. And it is important to know when and where these options exist and to learn which one is appropriate and needed to bring about the desired results. We may use other terms like “being flexible”, “living or thinking outside a box or THE box” (which box would that be?), “spending both sides of the dollar.” LOLOL!! I like that one truly. And another one is “nothing is written in stone”.

However, there are some things in life around which we cannot get around, where there is only ONE WAY to go and ONE WAY to do it, whatever “it” may be. Take breathing for example. We may have two lungs, and we may be able to breathe through our mouth or our nose, but there’s still only one way for oxygen to enter our body, and that’s through the air pipe, one air pipe that is. I know that’s not the scientific name for it, but sometimes I just want to talk like a normal person. J Also for food and water to enter the body, there’s only ONE WAY (under normal circumstances) and that’s through the mouth and down through the esophagus and etc. We dare not try to force food through the other orifices like our ears or eyes or nose. Just not the right or best or possible way. Pas une bonne idée. You get my second drift out to sea too don’t ya? J

Now I know Someone Who said many things that people love to say and quote, and believe, and they love to call Him a good man, and even a Prophet. But He also said some things that people disagreed with and still disagree with, and over which they love to have controversial confrontations because they want to remain where they are. Ce n’est pas grave. Restez la ou vous êtes s’il vous plait. Mais je choisis à croire dans cet homme. Oh I’m sorry. I’ve been practicing my French and sometimes I go back and forth. I choose to believe this Man called Jesus Who said so many things that raised eyebrows and the hairs on peoples’ arms and temperatures and voices and tempers and. . .

One of the things He said that causes people problems even today is this, “I AM the Way, and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by [through] ME.” John 14:6 {Amplified Bible}. Now the nerve of Him some will say, but hey, He’s the Son of God. Uh oh. There’s another one that gets people angry and divided, but you and I know that we cannot make everybody and keep everybody happy 100% of the time. Jesus worked and still works many miracles, but that’s just not one He’s been able to accomplish, at least not on this planet.

I do believe that many roads lead to Jesus, and what do I mean by that? As many people as there are on this earth, that’s as many potentially different experiences that may cause someone to encounter Jesus the Christ and fall in love with Him as Savior. As many hours as there is on the clock, that’s how many potential times per day in different time zones that people may run into Jesus shining through one of His disciples. As many days as there are on the calendar, and which calendar may we be talking about, (all of them. LOL!!) that’s how many potential days any one on any side of the globe, whether looking at a full moon or half-a-sun, that someone may roll into Jesus Christ at a bowling alley. However, or whenever or wherever you may meet Jesus isn’t the issue that causes controversy. What causes controversy is after you meet Jesus, He tells you that He’s the ONLY WAY, the ONE WAY whereby you can meet God, HIS Father.

Well, what you and I choose to do with this information determines how we will live our lives here on earth. We can choose to ignore it and continue our own merry way, just to find out that Robin Hood and his merry men took another route. Or, we can receive it, accept it, believe it and trust what Christ says about Himself and take the exciting and unknown path He has for us, and I do believe we will find many merry people traveling that road. No it’s not easy being a disciple of Jesus the Christ, but frankly Scarlet, neither is it easy not being connected to God through His Son Jesus the Christ. But the difference is with Jesus, we do have a compass for our lives, or better yet we have Someone on our ship Who not only has a compass, but Who IS our compass. He knows where we need to go, what time we need to leave, and how we need to get there. (Even though I know this with my heart and mind, I still sometimes have antsy moments with the WHEN part. :->) He’s not afraid of the storms we will encounter along the way (Luke 8:22-26), neither is He moved when we miss a meal for He already knows what He’s going to do (John 6:5-14 especially verse 6). I just love this passage of scripture for it lets me know that Jesus always plans to meet our needs. He allows our tests and trials to reveal to us where our faith and trust are, and to draw us closer unto Himself.

Well, that’s really all I have to say about that. I’ve learned and I’m continuing to learn that not only is Jesus the ONLY WAY, but out of all the ways I’ve tried, and have witnessed others trying to do what they want to do, and go where they want to go, Jesus is the BEST WAY. He is the life and in Him is the light that illuminates our way, for in Him there is no darkness at all.

Happy New Year everyone.

Peace.