Searching For Jesus

I don’t know why but it always makes me smile. This morning I was trying to find Jesus. You remember him. He is my point of contact for the move. Since his name doesn’t automatically populate my email in the address field I always have to search.

So I type “Jesus” in my contacts and he pops up instantly. And I smile. Like it’s the real Jesus or something.

Although I do like to imagine that the similarities exist. He is easy going. Really nice. Helpful. Guiding. Tells me what I need to do and what I don’t need to do. Always says “no problem” if I say “sorry about that.” Nothing seems to be a big deal to him. Laughs at my goofy jokes. Shows compassion. Remembers that my younger daughter was having a hard time with the move and asks about her. Just an all around super guy.

So, I don’t really need to search for Jesus. Him or his namesake. He is already there. I see it every day in all of the wonderful people I meet who demonstrate kindness, compassion and generosity.

But I still get a kick out of searching for his email address.

And just for the record I am not sure that Jesus exists at Cox Communications. I’m just saying. They turned off my telephone service three weeks early.

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Miracles

On Good Friday, I got to thinking about miracles. For obvious reasons. And about what constitutes a miracle. The reason I was thinking about this was because of the following events that occurred on that very day in my own family. With intervening years.

In 1966, on Good Friday, my little brother was born. I’m pretty sure he constituted a miracle. At least, in my mom’s eyes. To this day.

Then some years later, maybe about 1976, our guinea pig, Charlie, gave birth to six little ones. Now that, I know for sure, was a miracle. Because the guy at the pet store assured us that Charlie was a male. Now, you know that sort of thing just doesn’t happen every day.

On Good Friday in 1992, my beautiful baby girl, Rory was born. Of course, she was a miracle. Absolutely perfect. And since I knew with all my heart I was having a boy it truly was a miracle.

Easter is a time when a lot of folks reflect on the BIG one. The biggest of them all. It’s the basis of their religion or their belief.

The way I see it is this. There are big ones. And little ones. Some that are larger than life. And some that go barely noticed.

I’m thinking it’s totally up to you what constitutes a miracle.

And I wish you many. This Easter and always.

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Whispers

I don’t think it is easy to put God first. To really put Him first. It’s easy to say. Believing in God can be difficult for some people. And putting Him first can be difficult for others.

I am always interested in people that hear His voice. Whether it is an out and out roar or a mere whisper.

As you know, Fr. Fred is leaving the parish in July. The scripture was about the sacrifice a father was to make by killing his son. We all know that old story. And so that was what Fred’s sermon was about last week.

He first heard the calling when he was very young. Growing up in Orange County, California with a Catholic mother and a Methodist father. So he became a priest.

This past Fall he said he knew something was going to happen. He said he started to hear the whispers. And the whispers said, “Time is precious. Time is precious.”

So he totally thought he was going to die of a heart attack! That man can make me laugh out loud.

Yeah, Fred carries a couple of extra pounds and has a penchant for junk food. Fine food but also fast food. He said he kept hoping that he wouldn’t die in the shower or in the car while shoving food in his mouth from the local Wienerschnitzel. He was hoping for something more dignified.

Anyway, luckily for him, it is a move and not an early death that prompted those whispers.

He said it is really hard. To leave. Said it hurts like hell. But he said he would not be “walking his talk” if he did not accept it and put God first. If he didn’t love God more than us. Said if all the sermons he shared about putting God first in our lives only applied to us and not him then he would be nothing more than a big old hypocrite. He said that he would have just been the world’s best salesman. But he said his job is not and never has been a salesman. It is a sheperd who tries his best to guide.

It’s not easy to put Him first. It’s difficult and sometimes it hurts like hell. But it sure does help if you have the right sheperd.

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