Video Version - One...A Perspective

Below is the video version of yesterday's post. Again, nothing fancy...just me and a camera and a cute little camera operator named Katie (our daughter.) To those of you who subscribe, you may get this twice.



Also attached is a song by Casting Crowns named "Does Anybody Hear Her." It reminds us that sometimes the "ONE" is right at our front door...right in our daily path. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvI3YEyydMc

One...A Perspective

He is ONE of the 1.2 billion children in this world living in poverty. He is ONE of the 184 million of them who are orphans. He is only ONE of the children at Ithemba in Jeffery's Bay South Africa. He is only ONE of the children there who have just finished creating a painting. His signature on the painting is his hand print. He is only ONE of the children that is hoping that...well...just hoping.

He is only ONE. But, he is important.

The kids in our church are going to buy his painting. Purchasing the painting will provide nutrition, medical care, education, and biblical teaching for him for ONE full year. They are going to do it ONE penny at a time. They are committing themselves to looking "Down and Around." Down and around in the parking lots they walk across...down and around the checkout lines...down and around the floorboards of their parents' cars...down and around the sofa cushions. They will pick up the pennies...the discarded, seemingly insignificant spare change...put them with the pennies their friends find...and together will change ONE life for ONE year.

Oscar Romo knew the significance of ONE. I attended a memorial service for him recently. I heard about his dogged determination to making sure that his faith community be not only aware of...but inclusive of...the many ethnic groups that inhabit this country...not to mention the world. His vision was that the worldwide community of faith be a "mosaic." He held high positions and was a leader of men and women. His circle included important and esteemed people. Indeed, I saw pictures of him in meetings with Presidents Reagan and Carter...I saw a picture of him shaking the hand of the Pope. He was lauded and celebrated.

The image that stuck out most to me however, was the image of him returning home from his constant, worldwide travels with an empty suitcase.

As he made his way to some airport to catch some flight to return home from some meeting with some important person...he stopped for the ONE. The ONE person without a home, without means, without provisions...and Oscar emptied his suitcase...giving the contents to the ONE person he encountered who needed his stuff more than himself.

The sheer volume of human need is overwhelming. It is more than we can wrap our minds around...not to mention our arms. ONE penny...ONE child for ONE year...ONE recipient of the contents of ONE man's suitcase doesn't seem like much...doesn't seem significant.

Unless, of course, you are the ONE.

Just In Case You'd Rather...

Personally...I love to write. I also love to read. To be truthful, however, there are times I don't want to do either one. There are times that I just want to watch.
Below is the video version of "Re-calculating". Nothing fancy...just me and a camera...just in case you'd rather.

Re-calculating

Not to brag...but I am the proud owner of a new Garmin nuvi 205W GPS device. It was my Christmas present from Connie. I realize, that for many of you, global positioning systems are nothing new...no big deal. I, however, am excited about it, fascinated by it, and intrigued with it all at once. I am developing an interesting (at least to me) relationship with my Garmin.

I can depend on it to always know exactly where I am. I press a button on the touch screen that reads, "Where Am I?" and instantly I can see my position on the display. Latitude, longitude, nearest address, nearest intersection...even elevation. I don't know why I would ever really need to know just how far above sea level I am at any given point...unless I want to do an experiment to determine just when my ears start "popping" as I drive up a mountain...but, the fact remains, I can know it. There is something both assuring and disconcerting about my Garmin knowing exactly where I am.

I can depend on it to know what is around me. I just have to touch a button on the screen to find the nearest hospital, police station, shopping mall...you name it and my GPS knows where it is in relation to me. It can tell me what restaurants are nearest to me...broken down by types of cuisine. (For the record...I already know where the nearest barbecue place is...no matter where I am! I have an internal GPS when it comes to good barbecue.)

More practically..and the reason Connie bought it for me..I can count on my Garmin to direct me precisely to a destination when I have no idea how to get there on my own. Due to the nature of my job, there are often times I'll get a phone call alerting me to something that needs my immediate attention. I need to get to a home, a hospice, a hospital...somewhere....and I'll have no idea how to proceed. A frantic (and usually unsafe) exercise to determine and write down directions has now been replaced with a couple of touches. I have already learned that I can trust my Garmin to deliver me...precisely...to my destination.

The thing I love the most, however, is that my Garmin never gives up on me...it never loses sight of me. There are times when I'm trying to follow the directions on the screen but I encounter a detour. You know...due to roadwork or an accident...both of which are oh so common in this neck of the woods. I am forced by circumstances beyond my control to travel a different direction. Sometimes, it is I who choose not to follow the directions on my GPS. I see what it is telling me to do...but I think I know better. I am smarter. I choose to make a turn...I choose to travel a different way. When that happens...my Garmin starts to speak to me.

What I do NOT hear is, "Uh oh...a detour. I didn't anticipate this. I don't know what to tell you now." Neither do I hear, "OK...so you think you are smarter than me? You think you know a better way? Go ahead big boy...you are on your own. I quit."

What I hear instead...whether a detour beyond my control or my own choices take me in a different direction...is a rather pleasant female voice with a British accent saying...

"Re-calculating."

My Garmin is telling me, "OK...I still see you. I've still got you. I'm still at work here. We'll get through this together. Don't worry about it. You can count on me."

I can't help but think how closely my GPS life resembles my faith life.

I serve a God who always knows exactly where I am. This is His promise to me. I can depend on it. To be honest...that is both comforting and disconcerting. There are times, quite humanly, I'd rather not be seen.

I serve a God who always knows what is around me...behind me...in front of me. I can depend on it.

I serve a God who wants to direct my path...who will direct my path. I serve a God who will deliver me precisely...and safely...to the destination. I can depend on it.

The thing I love the most, however, is that my God never gives up on me and never loses sight of me. There are times when I am hit with unanticipated life circumstances...with detours...that require that I change direction...go a different way. There are times that I simply choose to go my own way...to determine my own path. I am so grateful, during those times, that I don't sense God saying, "Uh oh...a detour. I didn't anticipate this. I don't know what to tell you." I am so grateful that never once have I sensed God saying, "OK...so you think you are smarter than me? You think you know a better way? Go ahead big boy...you are on your own. I quit."

What I sense instead...whether a detour beyond my control or my own foolish choices lead me in a different direction...is that steady, unwavering presence of God saying, "OK...I still see you. I've still got you. I'm still at work here. We'll get through this together. Don't worry about it. You can count on me."

Re-calculating...