Jaded

 

Merriam-Webster defines Jaded as “made dull, apathetic, or cynical by experience or by having or seeing too much of something.” To be honest, that’s how I have been feeling lately about my fellow humans here on planet Earth. I guess you could say that some days, I’m just not a fan. In the past month I have witnessed more people run stop signs than I can count. (Well that’s on two hands at least, I refused to take off my shoes while driving just to count.) Shoplifting seems to be at an all-time high. No one seems to even know what the “right of way” rule is anymore. Half of them speed, weave, and dart any which way, while the other fraction are 15 mph under the speed limit checking their Instagram. Don’t even bring up the political climate this election year. I can neither confirm nor deny that the words, “If we all get hit by a comet, I think we probably deserve it” have come out of my mouth in the last month.  

This would all be fun and games if it were not for the nagging reminder in the back of my head (yes, the same place my craw is located for those of you who read September's posts) that keeps saying “Love your neighbor as yourself”. It can be quite a quandary. Jaded by my fellow man and loving your neighbor as yourself are not synonyms.

So what is a person to do? Me, I like to get away somewhere that I can, well, get away. This weekend we got to go to Calaveras Big Trees State Park near Arnold, CA. No, bears this time, but lots of fresh air and relaxation. I did lots of nothing. This time on a trip to the town of Arnold to get ice, I casually remarked about the Giant Burger restaurant there. By the time they came out of the store, they were all talking about how they too wanted a burger. Score one for the driver! (Hey, sometimes you just gotta know when to sneak it in.) After a little bit of a wait, I’m really not sure if it was our fault, their fault, or a little of both, but the order got a little messed up and we were short a fry and some bacon for the grandson. Nevertheless, the manager took full responsibility. He not only apologized and made it right, he went above and beyond. Let’s just say the little bacon lover was pleasantly surprised! I needed some faith in my fellow man and the manager came through beautifully. I can guarantee you that Giant Burger will now be a destination stop while we’re camping there again. (By the way, you’ve gotta try the Jalapeño Burger.) Our faith in humanity restored, we came home refreshed, recharged, and ready to press on. (Funny how such a little thing can change one’s perspective.)

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”. 

Let’s face it, if we look to people, we will be disappointed. We must not forget that Jesus wants us to be the people helping to “recharge” others. If we look for the good, we will find it. We just can’t give up!

What Do You Do When You’ve Got Nothing?

 At the beginning of the year I made a commitment to blog once a week. So far so good. This week has been different. (Spoiler: there may be a lot of car mechanic comparisons so if you get confused, don’t worry, so am I.) Monday felt like an uphill battle, both directions. The rest of the week seemed like someone took everything apart and put it all together just one tooth off. I wasn’t the only of feeling this. There just seemed to be a general consensus of “What the What?” All week. It could be that we are still in the 100s in October when it should be cooling off. It might be just end of the quarter let down. Whatever it is, I don’t like it. All that to say, that when I got to the weekend and it was time to write, I had nothing. So what do we do when you get to “nothing”?

I consider myself somewhat gifted when it comes to troubleshooting. My dad helped me discover my talent. My father-in-law, John Morris, helped hone it as we worked on various cars. So where do we start? Here are a few of the steps I use to find out the problem and work toward a solution.

1.  Is the power on? This sound oversimplified, but it can save a whole lot of headache. Have you got power? Check that the batteries are placed correctly. Is it plugged in? You would be surprised how many times I have solved problems with only one step.

2. Start from the beginning. This is extremely helpful if someone else has been working on it already. Sometimes you need to unplug everything and start from scratch. Assuming that others have done everything right can lead to wasted time.

3. Take a break. Sometimes you just need to step away and work on something else. Your subconscious will still work on the problem for you. More than once I’ve had an Ah Ha! Moment while working on something else.

4. Bring in a second pair of eyes. Have you ever lost your glasses and found them on your hat? That’s what that second set of eyes can do – see the obvious that we can’t.

5. Pray. This man sound trite, but honestly, it probably should have been step number one. God says If we ask your wisdom He will give it. Don’t leave Him out if the equation!

6. Don’t be afraid to get a professional. There are time you may realize that this problem is “above your pay grade”. Time to lose the pride and check with a professional. It’s humbling, but sometimes necessary. Just be sure to take good notes!

Even though this has all been about solving physical problems, there are spiritual analogies for each step.

Have you recharged spiritually?

Are you following the basics of Scripture?

Are you getting proper spiritual rest?

Do you follow good counsel for trustworthy companions?

Do you daily commune with your creator?

Do you need spiritual counseling from a mentor?

We all hit the “got nothing “ barrier at one time or another. The key is that we take steps to not stay there.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5 NIV