Staring at the Sky

So many of us straddle a fence.

We keep one foot firmly planted in the past, pining for the things we once had or replaying our failures.

The other is pointed toward the future, lost in a forever "someday," listing off all the things we're going to do ... eventually.

For me, life can sometimes be a giant list of "shoulds" — I should have said this or that, shouldn't go there, should do something tomorrow, next week, next year. Someone wise once told me, "Don't 'should' on yourself." (Read that aloud if you want a laugh!)

I take comfort in knowing I'm not alone in my occasionally misplaced focus. A few weeks ago, we celebrated the Ascension, a feast that marks Jesus' return to heaven after rising from the dead and spending some extra time with His disciples.

The scene laid out in Scripture is an interesting one. Jesus gathers the usual crowd together and promises that He's going to send them help (His Spirit) to spread His love to the entire world...

...And then He goes. Just like that.

The disciples just stood there, dumbfounded as usual. But can we blame them? The past three years of their lives have been full of mystery, unexplained parables, signs, wonders and miracles. They saw their hero suffer, die and then rise from the dead, only to disappear again now. 

That moment was probably an emotional suckerpunch not unlike the one they experienced following Jesus' crucifixion. Their hopes for a Messiah were utterly crushed as they returned to their old lives in despair.

But then Jesus returned, essentially saying, "Hey, we're not done here yet."

The same thing happens again here, when two angels appear to the group and ask the obvious: "Why are you standing there staring at the sky? This Jesus ... will return!"

There's an unspoken command here, too: "Get to work."

We're only given one life, and for all we know, we might only have today. There's no time to waste on sweating the past or waiting for the future to rescue us. We, too, have work to do. And God has already given us everything we need to thrive.

So what if we chose to be brave? What would our days look like if we lived — and loved — to the fullest?

Don't let yourself be satisfied with a fantasy. We were made to do extraordinary things, and we're not promised tomorrow to do them.

Remembering Maya Angelou: God Loves Me

A week ago, the world lost a brilliant, loving and ferocious woman. Maya Angelou was a poet, professor and civil rights advocate. She used a difficult life as a channel for bettering herself and empowering those around her to do the same.

I'll admit that I don't really have heroes in this world. But there is no woman in modern history who has inspired me more.

Dr. Angelou was also a Christian, and while the particulars of our faith differ, she expresses perfectly in this video a lesson that can be a struggle even for longtime believers.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she and all the faithful departed, through the mercy of Christ, rest in peace.