You have heard of the saying, winning at craps the hard way. It is the roundabout way to win. I was asking the question today, why do people have to learn the hard way. The answer is as interesting as the question. In your life, what decision or problem solved do you remember the most? It is usually the one that you had more difficulty solving. The one you had to spend more time on than it was worth. Or the one that cost you the most. Which decision or problem solved has the most value to you? It is always the one that cost you the most. Our mind processes everything and prioritizes it according to how difficult it was to obtain. It is a most peculiar human trait. It is also how we relate to other people. Sometimes we don’t even know that we are doing it. It has become such a part of our lives that we do it automatically. It is also how we change our lives. If the cost becomes so great, then we are motivated to change. You would think that doing things the easy way would be the method of choice. But anything that comes easy has no value in our lives. It all comes down to value. What do you value the most in your life? It is an interesting question. The bible talks about this very subject. It says in Luke 7:47 “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” (KJV).

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I use to watch that show all the time. It was a family oriented show in prime time. There isn’t much on TV these days. I think I watch 3 or 4 shows at most. Now a days the internet is taking the TV Audiences away. If you want to watch old programming the internet has them. I can sit for hours watching old movies or TV shows. I don’t miss TV at all. It is rare that I watch the evening whatever. I was going to say news, but it has turned into the evening joke. If I watch any TV, I always have the remote in my hand to mute all commercials. They are an assault on our senses and sensibility. For a long time, commercials didn’t take more time than the programming. But ever since the economy turned for the worst, about 8 years ago, commercials have begun to take over the programming. Also when a commercial comes on the volume on your TV goes up, by itself. This is just another example how thing are changing in America. The change isn’t for the better. I will not listen to another political ad or commentary about anyone. I just want the elections to come today and be over. The good people that would help our country have been eliminated. Now we have to choose between to two worst candidates. So it is no surprise, surprise, surprise that our nation has taken a down turn. And if we as citizens don’t stand up and change things, there might not be anything left to change.

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People are taught through life experiences to put forth a positive front. Although people always are in need in their life, they don’t tell just anyone what is really going on. I found that most people don’t want to hear what’s wrong with you. Because most of the time it is what is wrong with them. And it only reminds them that they need help. So people smile and say everything is fine. And the person goes on with their life while distress creeps in to take hold. And I will tell you a truth, when distress fully takes hold that person is destroyed. It is so simple to listen to someone and let them feel better about themselves. The hard part is how you handle the information. There is always someone whose life is far worse than ours. Being patient is a virtue that everyone needs to learn. And yes it is learned. It is harder to rebuild a life than it is to repair one. Life goes on and we will man up and face it. But what good is mankind if they can’t help each other. Think about what you say to people when they ask how you are next time. Did you let them into your life? Or are you going to live with the distress that is eating away at your heart. Only you can make a difference in this life. Pick your choose. It is a Cajun saying.

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I have always found what people say interesting. People will say the most amazing things. And what is funny is that sometimes they don’t even know they said it. I started listening to people to see what they were saying. People talk about most anything. Sometimes they just like to hear their own voice. But if you listen to what is being said you will make the most interesting discoveries. For the longest time my wife had to pry words out of me. I wouldn’t generally talk about anything. One reason was that I didn’t want to share what was happening to me. I am a very private person. You may ask why then am I writing this blog. To tell you the truth, God told me to express myself and what I have learned in my life time in this blog. It took me a while to really begin to say things openly. I will tell you another truth, if you listen to a person talk within 5 minutes, they will tell you their life’s history. You know there is a difference between hearing and listening. Everyone hears, but not everyone listens. You have heard the expression that you are condemned out of your own mouth. You need to try listening to people. You will be amazed at what you hear. When you speak, it isn’t the amount of words that you say. It is what you say that counts. As it says in the bible in Matthew 12:34 “….for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (KJV).

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I like to believe that I am an even-keeled man. I started my life as a happy go lucky kind of guy. I would rarely ever get angry at most anything. I remember an incident in high school. This classmate started an argument with me but I wasn’t going to get upset. He did it to show off to the rest of the class. He wouldn’t stop and kept on going. He started pushing me. I turned to him and without a word and pinned him by his neck against the wall. Then to my surprise I lifted him on the ground by his neck. He shut his mouth and stopped as I let him down. I still wasn’t angry with him but I scared him and the class. No one tried to get me angry after that. As in life circumstances change on a regular basis and you either go with the flow or fight against it. If you fight against it, be prepared to fight. Because things will happen to you like hurt feelings or anger. As I fought against circumstances, my anger grew. Until I was just the most disagreeable and cantankerous person you would ever meet.  This is where I met God. He came into my life and changed me forever. The first thing He did is to remove the anger from my heart. It felt so good not to be angry all the time. Everything changed. I saw the world and people differently. I could actually see people for they really are which is lost and hurt. As the bible says in Matthew 11:6 “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” (KJV).

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It is funny what you remember through the years. If it was traumatic you might remember it. If it was pleasant, you tuck it away to remember in the hard times. Our minds have an unusual way of putting things in order. The priority of the day is first, then a smell or sight will stimulate a memory. Sometimes a memory can be very strong. And sometimes you can’t remember why you do things a certain way. Our memory began back in the womb. Most of the time people can’t remember being born, but they remember a feeling. When a baby smiles or laughs or cries, they remember the feeling. And that feeling generates an emotion that stays with us the rest of our lives. You have meet people who have had a hard childhood. They are apparent to the world. Looking on Facebook, there is a bumper crop of babies. They are cute and cuddly and a lot of work. Do you know why God gives us babies? It not only to populate the earth, but it is the complete us. I have found that my 4 sons became my teacher. And I had to have children to complete my life. As we go through this life, we are ever learning to be human beings. We are the only species on this earth that takes an entire lifetime to learn what to do. As it says in the bible in Matthew 9:36 “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

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It is Labor Day weekend and college football started. The 2 teams I follow lost today. One team, the college I attained, was dragged from one end of the field to the other. They lost big. But things are trying to get back to normal as soon as possible. With all the flood business, it is good to have a distraction to try and keep your sanity. I find that people down here are on edge. It is hard to face reality when it goes against you. But you put on a straight face and walk out into the world. I feel for the people who lost everything. One town the water was over 10 foot. And it covered most of the town. My In-Law’s house flooded before our house did. They were living out of a suitcase about 2 weeks before I was. So when people down here act the fool at a football game, I understand. I am going to bar-b-que Monday for Labor Day. Small things in the big picture of life, but necessary for us to carry on. Trying to get your life back is a normal thing. And everybody wants to be normal. So I wonder what is normal in God’s economy. How does one act normal in God’s world. The only thing that I found, after years of study and walking in the kingdom, is faith. It is believing and trusting God with your life. This is normal in God’s world.

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Do you remember the first time you saw something and it was the most amazing thing that you ever saw? That is called wonder. We say that things are wonderful. Or we say it was amazing. What ever happened to that feeling we used to have? Has the world driven it out of us? Has so many bad things happened to us that we have lost the wonder of the world? We grow up and wanted to be sophisticated adults. Knowing everything and not being surprised by anything. But what we have lost is what we need in this world. The northern lights of Alaska are amazing. The color of a sparrow is wondrous. The beauty of a Lilly is spectacular. Every sunset is gorgeous and new every night. Jesus was preaching and people were crowding around him. The disciples were keeping the crowd at bay. There came some children to see Jesus. The disciples pushed them away. Jesus saw this and rebuked the disciples. Jesus had the children to come and told his disciples never to do this again. Jesus said for if you do not become as one of this children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. The life of God is a wonder.

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It is funny that from the beginning of my walk with God, I had to see it first in action. A lot of people had things to say about God, but talk is cheap. I wanted something real and in front of my face. Before I was going to commit myself, I had to see a real demonstration. And I didn’t mean just one day. I had to see how real God was. So I set out to find out if He really was there and interested in me. I was working for my cousin years ago, in the nursery business. I went to pick sod from a farm. I was my birthday. I told the owner of the farm that it was my birthday. He said he had something for me. I didn’t even know the man. He gave me a book about Corrie Ten Boom. She was a Christian from Holland, who was in a Nazi concentration camp during WWII and survived. A few years later, I met 2 men who had a business and invited me to join them. We would met at a cafeteria that one of the men managed. Before we would start the meeting, we would have coffee and talk. It was funny that they would always talk to each other about what Jesus was doing in their lives. I did business with these guys for 3 months before they asked me to go with them to church. I went and have never been the same. God proved to me that He is real and loves me personally. As it says in the bible in 1 John 1:3-4 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” (KJV).

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I don’t know if you can remember this commercial, but the jingle went like this: plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is. You would watch as the 2 tablets disappeared into the water. Then you would drink the water for an upset stomach. It not only claimed that it worked fast, but it did. Sometimes I wish that things would work as fast and as simple as the remedy. This past 3 weeks have been physically and mentally draining on me. I am speaking about my flooded house. It will be at least 3 more weeks before we actually know what to do. It seems like a weight on my shoulders that grows bigger every day. The community around us has been wonderful. They have responded to not only to my family’s needs but to the other people who have flooded homes. Some people still can’t get into their houses because of the water. Over 200,000 homes have been flooded in Louisiana in August alone. Not counting the businesses that were flooded. This flood has affected over ½ million people. It is like Hurricane Katrina all over again. I know that my faith in God has sustained me in this disaster. I don’t ask why me. I know that this is a trial that I must go through. It is a crucible of my faith. Will I stand or will I walk away from God? Trials or the testing of your faith are never easy. They are simple but never easy. As the bible says in 1Peter 1:7 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” (KJV).

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