Christian

blessings in 2020

Eric SaretskyLeave a comment

Most of humanity would prefer that the year 2020 enter the history books more quickly. With the coronavirus pandemic, internecine politics, rioting, and literally, one Middle Eastern city “powder keg” detonation, the equally turbulent climate and economic missteps are salt poured onto an open wound.

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

We have always existed when seeds of fear, mistrust, and hatred for one another sprouted. At a time when all of Mankind’s knowledge is available electronically, the vast majority of the Earth has not found harmony from that collective wisdom. Yet, there has always existed a means to such harmony. The metaphysical. While the source is intangible, His effect is not.

He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

    for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

    for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

    for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

    for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

    for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:3 – 12 (NIV)

Read with a heart attuned to the spiritual, the Gospels reveal a God who loves us, teaches us, and holds us accountable to him and to one another. In the collection of scripture Christians know as the Old Testament, (to Jews as the Books of the Law and the Prophets) God reveals his heart to us. Through ordinary men and women doing extraordinary things through their Faith in him, we learn the blessings of such living. From men and women who follow their own desires, we see the destructiveness of such behavior. As both God and Man, through his example, teachings, death and resurrection, Jesus fulfills all we are taught through the Old Testament. Both Old and New Testament open our eyes to embrace Jesus as the author and perfecter of our Faith. Through our hearts, to those who believe in Jesus deity, even the tiniest kernel faith will grow. Through devotion to prayer, his teachings, and one another relationships we will also “overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Good thoughts

Eric SaretskyLeave a comment

Remember happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely on what you think.

Dale Carnegie (via brainyquote.com

The world spins on its axis without any consideration how that affects humanity. Many live and die without learning that happiness is not measured in what we accumulate, nor in how others perceive us. For those who spend their lives in desperate search for meaning, perhaps the childlike wonder we once held seems an old and immature way of thinking. We become conceited. We search for answers to questions that do not leave us content. Some wear themselves out seeking happiness through knowledge, position, or imposing their will upon others. Some contend with one another over ideas. Worse, is when a child’s sense of wonder is quashed by such thinking. Unhappiness is certainly an unfortunate consequence of becoming an adult in the modern world.

Perhaps it is the human condition, to be blinded to the simple pleasures of the world that has existed for thousands of millennia without requiring our intellect to reshape the mountains or influence wind and wave. In our hubris with which we perceive the world, do we miss the opportunity to enjoy the days we have been granted? It is truly one of the great misfortunes of maturity, that we do not recall what it is to feel awe of the world we held as children.

1 My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.

3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.

  -Psalm 131 (NIV)

I am not one who fears what is beyond my understanding or control. It is enough for me to entrust my family and happiness to a Power that is timeless, and perfect. Those like me feel awe and security in a God who holds the Universe in His hands. I am closer to the time I return to dust than my childlike wonder years. It is a blessing to be able to enjoy, through a child’s eyes, the wonder of the world where everything is new. A few hours spent with our grandchild, I marvel, at his mirth when I make faces to entertain him, and when I am entrusted to hold the dried leaves and twigs he gathers on our walks in the park. When I respond to his outstretched arm, carrying him from one adventure to the next, I consider that God himself still carries me. And that fills me with good thoughts.