Blithering Idiot

I just finished listening to one of my new favorite bands, Stephanie’s ID. They recently produced a song called Hey Hey Hey Go… it’s a song about a feeling we get; a feeling like you hit a wall and just can’t get up anymore. She sings of the people who come along and help you up, they brush you off and tell you it’s going to be o.k.

The song really resonated with me. My mind was flooded with all the times people had been there for me. At just the right moment and with just the right words they bandaged the wound. They didn’t always verbally say it, but some how when they spoke I just knew I’d be fine.

You know those moments when you just want somebody, anybody, to fix the problem you face. Then out of the blue, someone asks “how are you doing?” Not the “how are you doing” that we all typically give and receive, the “how are you doing” that comes from true concern and empathy. You end up pouring your heart out to them and mid way through you realize you sound like a blithering idiot (we’ve all been there). There’s that quiet moment when everything becomes still and you just sit for a moment and reflect. Then that person looks at you and you can tell they’ve truly listened. They don’t go on and on with some magical answer. They don’t attempt to solve your problem there on the spot (as if they could). They simply look into your eyes and tell you it’s going to be o.k.

I can’t help but think, more times then not, these are the very words of God. He looks upon all that He’s created and all that He loves and simply asks the question “how are you doing?” Somehow we translate this simple caring statement into an accusation, and we try to cover up. We never get to the “blithering idiot” phase, and because of that we never get to the end of the conversation. The part where it gets all quiet and we discover that God himself has actually been listening. Because we never get to that stage we never get to hear the Divine himself whisper gently, it’s going to be o.k.

The next time you feel like you hit that wall, may you find the very ear of God, may you know that he listens and cares and may you hear the words of the almighty saying “it’s going to be O.k.”

Moment

How many of us really appreciate a moment in time? You know what I mean by moment, don’t you? A moment is the span of a couple of seconds or minutes where something very significant happens. We can all appreciate the obvious moments: our first kiss, the moment you looked into your partner’s eyes and said, “I do,” the birth of a child, and many other significant occasions But how many of us really appreciate the little moments that make up life?

These moments happen all the time, all around us. You may decide to go to the store and buy yourself a nice, refreshing ice cold coke. You look under the cap and discover you have instantly won a free 20 oz coke. Man, what a moment. Or what about the times you’re walking through your favorite amusement park. It’s hotter than hell, and as you round the corner you discover right there in front of you is a “misting tent.” Another great moment.

I think if we learn to appreciate these small moments we can grasp a problem that seems to plague everybody. More and more I hear of how hard it is to pray, how hard it is to hear from God, how little time anybody has for connecting with the Creator of the universe. I think the people who complain of such things also miss the “moments” in life.

My son was playing one day. He was running around screaming like a crazed lunatic, and all of a sudden he just stopped and looked at me. I was working on the computer not really involved in anything at all. He came over and gave me a huge hug and said, “Dad, I love you,” then went back to his boyhood games. I took the time to appreciate that moment. I in turn closed my eyes and said the same thing to God, and I think He took time to appreciate that moment.

God isn’t about long prayers that sound good, nor is He into extravagant theological prayers that flow as well as the Mississippi in spring. He’s interested in the “moments” that make up life. Maybe we should try to appreciate more of them.

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I'm not entirely sure why I've now decided to blog. I really don't think there's a large degree of people who desire to know my thoughts, feelings, and emotions on any particular subject in life. I know my internal musings are not superior to another. I'm not even sure what I'm going to write will be worth reading. I do know that I always enjoy viewing things through the glasses of others. I suppose that is my hope; people will find the same kind of enjoyment I've found after someone has let me into there personal out-look on life, love, God and anything else that makes this world go round. So with this being my first official blog entry, which will soon be shoved to the back (front?) of the archives, i ask that future entries be viewed as such. Simple thoughts from a simple man viewing complex life in a complex world.