Week 19 2013 Free at last!

There are many people who are in bondage today, slaves of their own making.  Some are in bondage to their own bigotry, while others are in bondage to their own bitterness.  Hatred is the chain that binds.  Love is the key to unlock the chains of bondage.  I have known people of various races who are racist toward others who are not of their particular race.  This sort is often based on ignorance, but is sometimes grounded in hatred.  Either way, the racist views only enslave the one who holds them.  This person has willingly deprived themselves of sharing in the brotherhood of mankind.  Freedom from racism allows love to reign supreme and joy to enter in.  While we cannot change the attitudes of others, we can work on our own.  Some are so eaten up with bitterness they are blind to loving relationships that are being offered up to them.  These are generally lonely creatures, stuck in a prison of their own making.  Instead of looking for opportunities to share the love of Christ, these often seek out ways to destroy another person’s character, saying hurtful things and severing ties.  Their world is a dark dungeon, shut off from the world of reality.  While there may be a basis for the bitterness, the only result coming from harboring bitterness is enslavement of the worst order.

Some are under the wrong impression that bondage through bigotry is confined to the white races.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I have known bigoted people from nearly every race.  In fact, I would venture to say that bigotry is part of the human condition.  We inherited it at the fall.  Satan appealed to Adam and Eve’s bigotry in the temptation.  He told them that they could be elevated above others if they were to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Instead of being content with the station in life God had given them, they were tempted to desire more, to become something they were not intended to be, elevated above God.  And, this elevation came at the expense of damaging their relationship with God.  After succumbing to the temptation, Adam and Eve found themselves in bondage.  This was dramatically demonstrated when their son, Cain, sought to elevate himself above his brother, Abel.  His bigotry resulted in the murder of his brother, and the murder has continued on throughout all generations.  Jesus equated calling your brother a derogatory name with murder in the Sermon on the Mount.

So, since we are afflicted to some degree with this bondage, how can we be set free?  The answer is simple – not easy, but simple.  We put into practice to two most important commandments, love God and love each other.  We make a conscious decision to love God unconditionally, and then do the same for all humans.  We love because He first loved us.  We love because we choose to love.  No one can take that from us.  It is ours to give, regardless of what the other person is or does.  Their wrong attitudes or beliefs can have no power over us, because we are free at last!  My grandfather was one of the most bigoted people I have known.  He was born and raised in Texas in the early part of the twentieth century.  His racist views came from ignorance.  When I was a teenager, we would have red-faced, shouting matches over racism.  I hated his racist views, but I loved him.  There was nothing I could do to free him from his bondage, but I did not have to join him in that bondage.  Am I totally free from bigotry?  I would like to think so.  However, as with every aspect of my life, I am not perfect.  But, I am choosing to love others, whether or not they love me.  Martin Luther King, Jr. looked forward to a day when all of God’s children would be free at last.  He knew that we had not yet attained that lofty goal, but he knew which road we must travel if we are ever to reach it.  His message was one of love and peace.  I pray that we all share his goal.

Week 18 2013 Planes, Boats, and Recreational Vehicles

This year we have experienced our first RV rallies.  These are gatherings where people of a common interest meet to share ideas and experiences.  We are finding them to be very useful, discovering valuable information about our motorhome and various points of interest around the country.  We have also had the opportunity to share our own ideas and experiences with others.  Facebook is fine for social networking, but nothing compares to face-to-face networking.

Throughout our lives, Una and I have traveled all over the country, as well as, to places outside our national borders.  We have been blessed with many adventures, meeting people from all walks of life, and drinking in the beauty of God’s creation.  This month we are enjoying a long stay in Goshen, Indiana.  There has been a week long maintenance session for owners of Holiday Rambler diesel pushers, followed by week long break, and ending with a week long International Holiday Rambler rally.  Along with having some necessary repairs and maintenance done on our coach, we have been taking in the local sights and enjoying social connections shared at the rallies.  It embodies the essence of why we began this adventure four years ago.  It is all possible because we chose to buy a recreational vehicle, and then use it more than a couple of weeks a year.

However, an RV is not the only mode of transportation we have taken over the years.  We have flown to numerous destinations, and we have taken a number of cruises.  We have also taken a few trips where we stayed in motels, hotels, and bed and breakfast inns.  These have all been enjoyable.  Yet, they lack an important ingredient we have only found in Rving.  I have yet to find a rally for frequent flyers.  There are no social gatherings for people who stays at various inns.  And, cruise lines don’t sponsor gatherings for people to share their experiences from cruises.  Thus, for those who have wondered why we have chosen this particular lifestyle, this offers a small glimpse.

Week 17 2013 Age Matters

“Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four?”  This line from an old Beatles song became reality for me on May 1st.  Fortunately, I’m married to a woman who would answer in the affirmative at any age.  The Beatles released this song shortly after I turned eighteen.  At that age I couldn’t imagine being sixty-four.  When I looked upon people who were in their sixties, I considered them to be nearly ancient.  Over the ensuing years I have almost been convinced that age doesn’t matter.  We’ve all heard the cliches, “You’re only as old as you feel” or, “Age is a state of mind.”  While there is some truth to these statements, the years have taught me that age does matter.

With age comes experience, along with a failing body.  It is often assumed that old age is also synonymous with a failing mind.  While there are those who suffer from dementia or alzheimers, there are many who enjoy the same thought processes they had as a young person.  Unless I’m deluded, I fall into the latter category.  My body is deteriorating around a still fertile mind.  Interests have changed, along with priorities.  Thus, I don’t often think about the same things I did as a young father or a working man.  Instead of thinking about the next lesson plan, I now think about the next pen I will turn, or the next place we will visit.  Instead of thinking about what my daughters’ needs might be during the next week, I find myself thinking about the activities my grandkids are involved in.  As to experience, it is always a great teacher at any age.  So, my life’s experiences have taught me many lessons.  What they haven’t done is make me perfect.  In fact, I seem to be as far from perfection as I was at the start.

Thus, age has its pros and cons.  As complicated as it can be, it is important to realize that there are some areas where age is a great benefit.  Most cultures have recognized this and exalt the aged for their wisdom.  Our founding fathers in the United States recognized the value of age when establishing guidelines for our leaders.  Our presidents are men who have the benefit of years behind them.  On the other hand, we must remember that these who have the wisdom that comes with age are still human and subject to the same imperfections as anyone.  Respect them for their wisdom and experience, gain from their sharing, but don’t deify them.

I am enjoying old age, and I look forward to enjoying it for many more years.  While perfection will continue to elude me, it is my prayer that I will improve and better reflect the One who has granted me the blessing of a long life.