I witnessed the most beautiful sunrise this morning, and it got me thinking…
A new Month.
And the possibilities are Endless!
Question is… Will I recognize that I am being given this wonderful gift of a brand new day and spend it focused on myself? Or will I actually appreciate the gift He is giving me and share it with others?
And just like that, when hope felt lost, the sunrise lit the mountaintop.
Insisting we all look up.
~ Jean McCarthy
It’s the Holiday
Season and Christmas is right around the corner! I really love
this time of year because I get to spend a lot more time with my family, eat
great big, wonderful meals, and exchange gifts with people I love and care
about. But also at this time of year, I tend to look at… and see things a
little differently.
We lost several family members in the past two years due to cancer and covid. So my focus on the important things in life, like friends and family, and people in general, is now heightened. Maybe it’s my age, but I don’t want to take anyone for granted, ever again, because I know I have. So these days, when I am with someone I try to look them straight in the eye. I want them to see that I am connecting with them and that I am listening to them. People want to be “seen”, so I make it point to let them know that they are “seen” by me, and that they matter to me.
Funny thing is, the more I look at the world around me and the people that are in it, the more I see God. In fact, I saw God the other day when I witnessed a friend of mine donate a kidney to a complete stranger. I saw God when I noticed my son was picking up stray trash off the ground and throwing it away. I saw God when I witnessed my wife working for hours in the kitchen, preparing to host our “Family Baking Day”. Last night I saw God when my granddaughter crawled up next to me on the couch and ask me to read her “Riddles for Kids” book with her. And I especially saw God last week when a homeless man who was really upset, approached me because he lost his backpack with all of his clothes in it. And I felt God speak to me and suggest I give him the coat off my back. And I for sure saw God when I watched a brilliant, orange sunrise burst over the top of Saddleback Mountain earlier this morning. I am pretty sure God is everywhere… if we just make the effort to see Him!
“And that’s the real meaning of Christmas –
Charlie Brown!”
I admit I have a few bad habits and one of them is that I love to
eat hot dogs and hamburgers. Somehow it’s just
been programmed into me over time. And what makes it really bad is that I am constantly
on the road, so I tend to go to a lot of fast-food restaurants where the food
is probably not all that healthy. But hey, there are worse things in this world.
Lately, when I’ve gone to fast-food places I’ve been extremely disappointed. There is no longer a human being at the counter to take your order. Instead you have to go up to a machine and try to punch the right buttons to get your food order placed. It doesn’t work well and the last time I tried it, the machine didn’t work at all. So I went up to the counter and stood there for over 5 minutes waiting for help. A line started to form behind me and after 10 minutes, I gave up and left telling the people behind me, “I quit, and I think the people that work here must have quit too!”
Last week, I went to a Wienerschnitzel Restaurant and was greeted at the drive thru by an “AI” person. Or maybe “person” isn’t the right word. I think it’s actually called “Chatbot”, and I have to say that the “Chatbot” actually did a good job of taking my order. But driving away, I felt more like I had just bought a sandwich from a vending machine rather than buying lunch at a restaurant. I know it sounds stupid, but I miss the “human” interaction.
But yesterday was different! I needed to wash up after working, so I stopped at the McDonalds off of Lake Forest Drive and went inside. I was greeted with a big smile and a friendly hello from an older lady behind the counter. (I say older, but what I really mean is someone my age.) She took my order right away, asked me the appropriate questions, and really seemed to enjoy her job. After I paid and glanced down at my dirty hands, I started towards the restroom. She said, “I will keep your drink cup here for you for when you come back.” Just a small thing, but she was doing her best to be extra helpful and considerate. And when I got my food and was leaving, she said with a warm smile, “Drive safe” and “I hope you have a great day”. Funny thing is, I believe she meant it!
Those seemingly ordinary moments when we care enough to notice the needs of others and do what we can to brighten someone’s day… are not ordinary at all. And I definitely don’t think we can program a Chatbot to do that!
I stopped and just stood still for a moment. The visible world around me was spinning like crazy! Hundreds of people
going places, popping into restaurants, shopping for Christmas presents, buying
groceries, filling up their cars with gas, and busy… so very, very busy.
It’s a typical Saturday morning in December in the city of Irvine. I am at a large Retail Shopping Center simply doing my job inspecting parking lot light poles for corrosion. I’m pushing a heavy tool cart loaded with a bright array of equipment, including hand tools, an impact driver, and a sophisticated and expensive Ultrasonic Thickness Gage Machine. I am even wearing a bright yellow safety vest. But yet, I am invisible.
I will be working for 6 straight hours today and hundreds of people will walk by me, jog by me, or drive by me, (sometimes way too close) and not ever truly notice me. They are too busy, and rightfully so, because for most people the Holiday Season is the busiest time of the year. But I do exist, I am a real person, and before the day is over, hopefully I will be seen… and not run over!
And then there appeared this cleaning lady. She was pushing a heavy roll cart loaded with cleaning supplies, and like me was wearing a yellow safety vest. As we passed on the sidewalk, she gave me a smile, and I waved back with an enthusiastic, “Good morning!” About an hour later, I was approached by a security guard, also in a yellow vest. He asked me what I was doing, I explained and asked him how his day was going. He responded with one word, “Busy”. Later, as I got to the perimeter of the property, I came across a landscaper, also wearing a yellow vest, diligently spreading mulch in the planter. He was working hard pushing a very heavy wheelbarrow, and never looked up at me until I was right next to him. I told him the planters looked so much nicer, and he smiled at that comment. I think he mostly smiled because a stranger took time to notice him.
When I got home from work and sat down for dinner, my wife made an interesting observation. She said, “What I like about you is that you “connect” with people. You take time to look them in the eye and listen to them. People need that and appreciate it!” First, I am really glad there is at least one thing she likes about me. Second, it’s not always true! Too many times I have ignored the waiter who filled my iced tea before it was even empty, the gardener who kept my yard trimmed during the hot summer months, and the mailman who delivered my mail like clockwork six days a week all year long.
You know that old saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” It’s true because busy people usually figure out how to get things done. So from now on, I am going to be that busy guy… who figures out how to get things done… like turning the invisible into visible!
You’ll
never get more attention from people than when you are listening to them.
~ Robert Brault
Earlier this week I was with a couple of buddies when one of them said something interesting. He said, “Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because we get to be with people we love, hang out, eat good food, and watch football…and we don’t gotta screw around buying stupid presents.” Okay, so his grammar wasn’t perfect, but he made a good point. The things we are most thankful for don’t come wrapped with a bow...and I find that kind of extraordinary.
For almost 49 years now I have gotten up early every day and jumped into a truck. I head out onto a freeway loaded with thousands of other 3000-pound missiles driving 70+ miles per hour to get who knows where. I’ve seen some bad accidents and I’ve had a few mishaps (one that was life changing) but I have always made it home safe and sound. For that I am thankful… and I find it extraordinary.
For many years I worked at an office filled with people who are true heroes. I constantly watched the people I worked with show up early, stay late, and work as if they owned the business themselves. They were determined to provide a better life for their families, and they didn’t compromise their integrity to do it. I was honored to be on their team and thankful for their inspiration…and I found it extraordinary.
Still to this day, I come home to my own loving family. For years I was able to tuck my four children into bed, often carrying the youngest on my shoulders. Most nights I would say their prayers with them and then peek into their rooms after they fell asleep. Their faces always looked so precious and peaceful as I pulled their covers up and remembered how blessed I am to be called “Dad”. How a clumsy, forgetful chump like me could ever be blessed with four such awesome children (and now seven grandchildren) I don’t know. But I do know one thing, I am very thankful…and I find it extraordinary.
Even more surprising is how each and every night I get to end up in the arms of the most beautiful and loving wife a man could ever want. She is everything I ever dreamed of (and I dreamed a lot when I was young). But she deserves a much better-looking man than me and yet she tells me I am her prince and her warrior, and she makes me believe it. She makes me want to be the best I can be and for that I am very thankful…and I find it (and her) extremely extraordinary.
In addition, for a few minutes each day I get to sit down with a really good book. It’s a book that was created by the One who created me and blessed me with my life on this earth. I am honored to hold that book in my hands, so I try hard to focus on the words, soak in their meaning, and learn how to live in a way that honors Him. To have a Creator who will patiently await my personal development is something I am definitely thankful for…and I find it more than just extraordinary.
Tomorrow morning I will do it again. I will get into the same truck, go do the same job, call on the same customers, read the same Bible, and crawl into bed with the same awesome woman. And yet I couldn’t be more thankful for all of it… and I definitely don’t need a bow on any of it! Extraordinary!
If the only prayer you ever said in your
whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.
~ Meister
Eckhart
Last week I wrote about a friend of mine who lost a kidney. Well, he didn’t really lose a kidney, he gifted it to someone in need… and potentially saved his life! This week I would like to write about another amazing friend of mine who also lost something… his life.
Let’s call him Robert (because that’s his actual real name) and let me start off again by saying that I admire Robert very much, especially for the way he worked so hard to serve others. Robert was a loving father and a devoted husband. Unfortunately his four children were still very young when he passed away, but yet he had already accomplished a great deal of good in the world. He owned a very successful law firm, served on local City Councils, and was the Mayor of Laguna Niguel. Robert was also President of the Laguna Niquel Military Support Foundation, helped launch the Bonner Institute for the advancement of Choral Music, and was Chairman of the Board of Stoneybrooke Christian Schools. He was also extremely active in his church and incredibly somehow found time to write and publish an exciting novel called “Awakening the Solider”. Like I said, Robert accomplished a great deal of good in his short lifetime, primarily serving others.
Sadly, Robert lost his life in a single engine plane crash. He was the pilot, the only one on board.
At Robert’s funeral his wife handed out a thank you letter to every person that attended. The letter included Robert’s own personal “Faith Statement”. I came across that letter this past week and re-read it once again. It is clear, concise, inspiring, and quite profound. In fact, so profound that it inspired me to write my own “Faith Statement”. Robert may have lost his life on this earth, but his spirit lives on in the many people he served and cared about… like me.
I
believe that God is the true essence of love and that He created us out of
love, in his image. Therefore, the best way for me to honor God is to do my
best to love and serve others. I know it can be hard at times. Life itself is
really hard at times. But I am okay with that because struggles strengthen my
character, and when I fail I usually learn, grow, and become a better person. More
importantly, my deep and abiding connection with God assures me that He is
always with me and will never leave me. I believe that to know God is to
experience truth, love, and happiness.
I see a lot of commercials on TV advertising movies with superheroes. They are eye catching and exciting, but what really caught my eye was a clever commercial on TV this week that was all about human kindness. I have to admit that there are times I feel like human kindness is something hard to find. But then again, last week a friend of mine proved to me that it is definitely alive and well.
Let’s call him Roger (not his real name) and let me start off by saying that I admire Roger very much. Why? Well, he’s a good father and a great husband. A real family man and extremely active in his church. He’s somebody who has worked hard all his life but has also made sure to carve out time to coach and mentor young people. I guess those traits alone are admirable for sure, but his other endearing gift is his quick wit and never-ending sense of humor. When we golf together, he keeps us all laughing and smiling no matter how crappy our golf swings might be.
But recently, Roger had a calling that most people would never answer. He found out someone that he knows, not a family member or even a close friend, needed a kidney. Roger is in his sixties, but he is still healthy and strong… and his faith is stronger than ever. So he signed up, showed up, endured the surgery, and saved a stranger’s life.
And that got me thinking… The real heroes in this world are actual real humans who get their superpower from the size of their heart! (Or in this case, their kidney!)
