Chaplains on the River

Have you ever had one of those experiences when a really profound life lesson comes to you from a very unexpected source?  It happened to me about two weeks ago after enjoying a good meal at a Chinese buffet.  Along with the check came the customary fortune cookie in which I found this little proverb:  “You cannot love life until you live the life you love.”  This statement struck me as meaningful, so I saved the little slip of paper (NO…I did NOT try to play the lottery with the lucky numbers on the other side!) and gave myself some time to reflect on the meaning of this unexpected proverb.

In my experience, there are many people living lives of quiet desperation.  In today’s whirlwind society, many…if not most…people feel that they have no control over the direction of their own lives.  Imagine having a towboat on the water with engines going but no steering!  That is how we all can sometimes feel, and for some it is a chronic condition.

Father Cedric Pisegna, a Roman Catholic priest who is a member of the Passionist Community in Houston, TX, has a signature saying:  :Don’t just live…live with passion!”  We need to make the concious choice each day between just existing and really living.  Sometimes choosing life over existence may call us to make changes in our lifestyles, our acquaintances, or even our vocations.  When we choose to really live…to live with passion…then all areas of our lives will be impacted for the good.

Scripture touches on this idea in teaching about our submission to God.  In the New Testament Book of James we read:  “Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you” (4:8) and “When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor” (4:10) (New Living Translation).  Dr. E. Stanley Jones, a theologian and evangelist of the Twentieth Century, put it this way: “Do not struggle and try, but surrender and trust and obey” (from The Way).  Other major world religions also recognize that in surrender to God we may find help in living lives we love with passion.  The Arabic word Islam means “surrender” or “submission.”

So take time to examine your own life.  Do you love life?  Are you living the life you love?  If so, give thanks to God and seek to drink even more deeply from the well of life.  If not, ask yourself those sometimes difficult questions about what needs to change.  Remember that those changes may not just be in things around you.  Our most profound and life-changing change is usually within ourselves!

Don’t just live…live with passion!  Be blessed, and be a blessing to others!

Posted: May 31st, 2009 under Towboaters.
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It is important for all Americans to pause and remember the meaning of Memorial Day.  Like many national holidays, it has become a reason for a three day weekend.  But for each of us who have worn the uniform of our country the meaning of Memorial Day is crystal clear.  Each veteran knew that they were placing themselves in harm’s way.  For each citizen who enjoys our freedoms,  Memorial Day shoud be a special time to pause, remember, and give thanks for those brave men and women who paid the ultimate price for freedom.  It has been said that “freedom is not free.”  While some might see this as a cliche, it is a truth. 

Memorial Day honors the war dead of the United States.  It was first observed in 1866 in Waterloo, New York.  Some communities still have parades or other gatherings, and it is very common to decorate the graves of persons who died in war. 

The words of Jesus of Nazareth, as recorded in John 15:13 tell us:  “There is no greater love than this, that someone should lay down his life for his friends” (Revised English Bible).  May this prayer from The Book of Common Prayer become the prayer of each of us on this Memorial Day weekend:

O Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy.  Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines.  This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Posted: May 21st, 2009 under Towboaters.
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On a towboat, we all know that the captain is ultimately in charge.  It is their responsibility to oversee the welfare of the boat and crew, as well as the cargo.  There has to be a person at the top, in charge, or else the actions of each individual crew member might not work toward the common goal and good.

Who is in charge in your personal life?  You do not have to be around very long to know that there are some negative and hurtful emotions that can take hold in our minds and cause us grief.  Rev. Bob Harrington, known as the Chaplain of Bourbon Street, has addressed this issue for years.  He colorfully reminds us that we are not a trash can with a hairy lid!  Each of us is a person…God’s greatest creation.  But our minds are sometimes filled with garbage that keeps us from being all that God intends us to be. 

So what is the solution?  There is no pill to take…no magic wand to wave…no easy fix.  We have to make the daily…sometimes hourly or every minute…decision to quit wasting our time baby-sitting our problems and letting them take control of our thinking.  We need to make the concious decision and then take the necessary actions to take charge of what we do with what comes into our lives.  Maybe this little affirmation will help:

I AM IN CHARGE OF ME, ON A DAILY BASIS, BEGINNING NOW, WITH GOD’S HELP!

There is a business in Baton Rouge, LA that passes out bumper stickers with these words:  “Business is Great, People are Teriffic, Life is Good!”  What a positive attitude!  They face the same difficulties that any person faces daily, and their business is feeling the same economic crunch as all.  But they face each day with the realization that what we do, with God’s help, makes the difference in how our day goes.

May this day…and every day…be an opportunity for you to be blessed and be a blessing!

Posted: May 12th, 2009 under Towboaters.
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