Hoping my 'sore eyes' will feel better soon!

We wake up this morning thanking God for the good shower last night and hoping the weather people have a better than usual hit and miss accuracy in predicting what might happen today. It is Thursday, June 7, 2012, and we are supposed to, that's right, supposed to, have the potential for rain carried over from yesterday into today, tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday, and maybe even into next Monday. Now that would be a sight for sore eyes! That sight for sore eyes was first used in print by Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels) in 1738. He meant it in the exact same way that we use it today. It was reflective of a welcome seeing of something that would be positive and pleasant. I will tell you that some rain, little or much, for four days straight, now that would be a positive development around these parts and my sore eyes would be beaming. I know. The younger crowd says it's okay for the rain on Wednesday, Thursday, and even some on Friday, but forget about it on the weekend. It's a matter of perspective. They see it as a threat to their plans. Us older guys see it as the windows of heaven opening up with showers of blessings coming down. Now back to where I started. The prediction business here in our area is not one known for its accuracy, therefore, I am reserving an area of my mindset for being disappointed and believe me, I know all too well how to sing that tune. And, when it is all said and done, I very much know and affirm, that it is in God's hands. Amen.

There's something special about daydreaming about exotic places. I've thought of Canada in this way for years. Areas of wilderness with very few people around. Nice and chilly, year round. Think about it. Calendar settings. Idyllic. Here's a recent news article of a scene from British Columbia. A 55 year old man has beautiful scenery surrounding his place. He also has a hot tub outside. The other day he was enjoying a relaxing time in the tub. The hot tub backed up to the forest. Suddenly he was startled by a huge swat up side his head from the back. He stood up, turned around, and came face to face with a huge black bear. The man screamed at the bear and ran into the house and called the police. They responded and ended up putting the bear down. That means they euthanized it. That means they killed the bear. Talk about a scary moment! I'm not sure how long it will be before that fellow returns to his hot tub but you can be sure he will never see it as he did before. And, if and when he does get back into those swirling waters, I just bet he will never sit with his back to the forest again. The article went on to mention how that some 14 people have been killed by bears in Canada since 2000. It also included some accounts of harrowing escapes. I'll try to keep that in mind as I daydream about sitting outside a remote cabin somewhere deep in the pristine Canadian hills.

Nothing like a dose of good old fashioned reality to mess up a daydream. Speaking of reality, have you noticed some of the recent anti smoking ads that feature folks who are extremely ill and messed up? One fellow is missing limbs. Another is eat up with some kind of lung and breathing disorder. They look like those who might be trying out for a horror movie. There's also a program on television where these convicts take young at-risk kids and attempt to intimidate them by showing them the harsh reality of prison. Scarey stuff that has the goal of scaring them enough that they will walk the straight and narrow. The other day I read the death notice of a couple from Louisiana in their 40's who were both killed while on a vacation trip to Atlanta, Georgia where they were hit by a teenaged drunk driver. Here in our land we have this thing about our independent notion that says what we do as individuals has nothing to do with others. That is rarely true folks. The smoker may think they are only hurting themselves, but we all know that with families that is hardly the case. These kids that go astray leave behind a trail of heartbreak and pain. The young man who killed that couple need only read their obituaries to see the long list of those impacted by his actions, not to mention his family. Those are a few of the most serious impacts, but let's face it, the accompanying financial costs that we all end up helping to pay are also staggering. I am well aware of that independent nature that tends to gloat over the 'me, myself, and I' theory of life. We all have it because it came to us as a part of our inherited parental heritage handed down by the first couple, Adam and Eve. That's right. That fallen nature tends to choose self over facts or reality. And, it's not limited to those I mentioned. It covers every area and every decision involved in our living, from our home to our workplaces and everywhere else we go. Any hope? The only one I know anything about is God's help and that comes from giving ourselves over to Him based on His provision of a Savior, His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. With Him the battle is on. It rages every moment of the day. Without Him, self wins, self rules, and eventually, self ruins. That's why we need Him. Amen.      .....More later.