Yesterday my friend LeAndra posted on Facebook, “I have a love / hate relationship with this time of year…because of all the fireworks. I don’t know of I should hit the floor or look out the window at all the pretty colors…it all sounds like gun shots.”

She’s heard gun shots.
She’s heard fireworks.

Will the sound be followed by the beauty of celebration or the horror of violence?

The threat can be real; “hit the floor“.

Hit The Floor

LeAndra’s insightful comment reminded me of growing up bullied.

Donald Miller’s post yesterday entitled, “Learning to Turn the Other Cheek (Even Though I HATE Critics)” got me thinking, “How would I respond to attacks?” I assumed I would respond defensively and with self-pity.

Jesus

“Blessed are the peacemakers…Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.“1

Last night as I read Philip Yancey’s book The Jesus I Never Knew about those verses this account challenged my thinking.

I’m a baseball fan, and a Chicago Cubs fan. I’ve been a fan since I was in first grade. I explained my feelings about the Cubs in my (very-first) silent scream.

Though I’m a Cubs fan, I’ve lived in Minnesota for more than twenty years. The local Minnesota Twins have grown on me. My favorite Twins have been Jim Thome and Torii Hunter.

Torii Hunter

Yesterday I read an inspirational essay entitled, “Torii Hunter is a Father First, Ballplayer Second” by Steve Kornacki.

My wife and millions of other people read Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling or Jesus Calling Devotional Bible every day. While doing so their faiths have been strengthened and their lives transformed.

Jesus Calling was written as if Jesus Christ was calling you for a chat. Today’s essay contains wise and thoughtful advice for each of us to consider this Father’s Day.

STAY ON THE HIGH ROAD WITH ME. 1

“Many voices clamor for your attention, trying to divert you to another path. But I have called you to walk ever so closely with Me, soaking in My Presence, living in My Peace. This is My unique design for you, planned before the world began.

You know that I’m hungry and feeling sorry for myself when I post about food twice in the same week.

I love Thai food; and my dairy-free and gluten-free wife and I can both enjoy Thai food.

Amy and I may disagree on which Thai restaurant has the best Thai food, but we don’t often complain if one or the other suggests we get take-out, especially after a long day of gardening.

Mercy

One evening after a long day of conquering weeds I called Reuan Thai in Osseo, MN and placed our order.

On June 13th, 1987 I married the girl of my dreams.

My dreams have not always been my reality.

For instance, we didn’t always agree. In fact, she once called me “wishy-washy” because I didn’t 100% agree with her political statement. I responded with a self-defensive snarky-pout, “I’m just open-minded!” We didn’t always agree the, nor do we always agree now.

And yet, my wife Amy continues to be someone I admire. She hungers for God, and hungers and thirsts for righteousness. Amy does so with grace and humility, in fact, if she reads this post she’ll be annoyed that I bragged about her and she’ll hate that she might not live up to someone’s expectations.

Hunger?

I have been on a carb-limiting diet for the past two weeks. I am quite aware of the self-pity, whiny attitude that I can have when i don’t get to have what I want, when I want it and as much as I want.

Jesus told his listeners, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” 1

I wish that I cared as much about my spiritual well-being as I do filling my belly.

1 – Matthew 5:6, NIV

Note image from Wikipedia

Blessed be Barack Obama. the President of the United States.
Blessed be Angela Merckel, the Chancellor of Germany.
Blessed be Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia.
Blessed be Bill Gates, billionaire co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Blessed be Pope Benedict XVI, the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

And, blessed be Gloria C. Mackenzie, lottery winner.

Blessed

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 2

Blessed are the meek – the humble, gentle and lowly – for the whole earth will belong to them. 3

Blessed be 84-year-old Gloria C. Mackenzie who purchase a Powerball lottery ticket, the same ticket that would win her $590 million, the largest undivided lottery jackpot in history. 1

Blessed by Gloria, and against all odds, blessed be the poor, hungry, grief-stricken and terrorized. Those were the people surrounding Jesus.

Throughout history the poor, hungry and grieving have been esteemed as noble; that because of their circumstances they are blessed from God. 2

Oddly, there are also many who – like in the book of Job – look on the poor, hungry and grieving and assume their circumstances are because of their own misdeeds. “They have sinned and deserve it.”

Two teens on two Tuesdays.
They made opposite decisions.
They experienced different outcomes.

One

A feared gang leader sauntered into the room.
He looked nervous, but none of the teens in the room saw it.
They saw “him.”
They froze.

TreeHouse is an incredibly safe place.
Suddenly, for them, it felt unsafe.

I knew the reaction.
I didn’t know him.

He was required to be there.
He stayed ten minutes and left.
I followed, hoping we could have a conversation another day.
He didn’t stop.
He didn’t speak.
I never saw him again.
Sadly, he was killed in a gang-related incident within a year.