Clarity in Hard Times

November 16, 2008

 

Just the other day, my mother asked me if I had said thank you to someone who had given me a gift.  Let’s be clear here – I have not lived at home for well over thirty years.  My own children are mostly grown.  I should be beyond my mom reminding me about manners.

But the core value of politeness and its deeper bedrock belief of gratitude are so central to my background that my mother still seeks to convey them to me.  And I find myself doing the same with my adult children.  It is as much a part of us as the big mouth and music lover genes that are in our DNA.

These are hard times for churches and for individuals.  We need to have clarity of direction as we move forward.  And the way to find it is to be very sure of who we are and whose we are.  When the world is crashing around you – do you know where to turn?  When all the rules are changing – what rules do you live by?

The answer to these questions point to the DNA of our behaviors and beliefs.  Don’t let the anxieties and demands of the present deter you from who you are and whose you are. 

Remember to say thank you.