Recently I had an unusual experience. It intrigued me so much that I had to write about it and lately, as evidenced by my lack of blogging activity, I just haven’t been inspired to write about much. Perhaps that is the writers block that causes some consternation among many fellow writers. But I’ll give it a try and see if I can still muster enough fortitude to put together a thoughtful post.

I am a member of or have been a member of many different organizations in the last 25 years or so. Most of the time they are specific cause charities, for example boys clubs or scouts. For the purpose of this entry, I’ll not identify the organization I am writing about because I really do believe in their cause, and wouldn’t want the people involved to become pawns in yet another political debate.

I wasn’t the first nor the last to enter the board room as the meeting was getting underway. As is customary, the opening ceremony was completed and the course of business had gotten underway. When it came to new business, it was posited that considering the substantial devastation in Haiti and the fact that aide organizations across the world are clamoring for funds to get supplies and people on the ground there to help, it would be nice if we too would contribute to the cause. On the face it seemed like a great idea, although our annual budget is pretty low, we could put together a care package of $250, it might not be much, but it would certainly help. If more people did it, then the dollars add up pretty quickly.

Now spending money is something that I enjoy. I also really like helping people, regardless of their situation, I call it my compassionate guilt complex. When I am able and sometimes when I am not, I give of my time and money to help others. This is a weakness that I have, but I am willing to bear because of the joy that I get from knowing I was able to help someone in need. But this was different. This was money from an organization that had come together for a specific purpose, whose charter laid out the rules of conduct and whose members agreed to abide by that charter.

In many ways it is very similar to our federal government and our own system of laws. To draw a complete comparison, we can liken the Constitution to the club charter, the President would be the board chair, and the Congress would be the board members, finally the citizens of this country would be akin to our club members.

The ‘President’ called the question … after the requisite motion and second as required, ‘Congress’ entered into debate over this bill. The sentiment was unanimous. The people in Haiti are having a really tough time of it and we have the desire to help them. Considering there wasn’t alot of real discussion going on, I asked a simple question. “Mr President, does our constitution allow for us to spend money on the people in Haiti?”. The ‘President’ was honestly shocked by the question, and after a couple of minutes simply stated that it did not. So I followed up with “If our constitution doesn’t allow for us to do this, why are we even entertaining this bill?” The resounding, almost unison response from the ‘Congress’ was “Its the right thing to do to help these people. We can and we must!” … now if that sounds like a mandate, it surely did to me … its the right thing to do, we can do it, so we must do it … At this point there was much bickering and arguing back and forth between those who saw that the truth is, regardless of whether we want to do it, it is neither right nor can we just do it. As an organization bound by laws and rules, we must abide by those or risk losing the confidence in the citizens that elected us to our position. When the final vote was cast, the bill failed by a 1 vote margin.

Clearly this wasn’t our government in action, but it was a really close approximation in the private world, however the reaction was right on par with what one might see from the citizens who desperately wanted to see this bill pass. Immediately I began receiving comments about how I must hate the people in Haiti or how can I ignore their plight. These sentiments, while on the surface seemed to be correct, they were far from the truth. Regardless of how many times I said I had nothing against them and really wanted to help them but my hands were tied, as it would have been against our charter to authorize such an expenditure, they would have no part of it.

Finally, I made a comment that would cease the discussions and quieted the naysayers. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a $50 bill and laid it on the table. Of course it was already earmarked for gas, but I needed to make a point. I told the entire committee that I was donating $50 toward the recovery efforts in Haiti right then and there, and I would gladly accept any personal donations from the members of the board, up to a total of $250. After a few seconds of shock, the murmuring quieted down and I instructed the members to see me after the meeting so we could coordinate our $250 donation. Amazingly, but not unexpectedly, there was not one person who took up my offer to fund a private initiative.

Sure it was OK as long as it was someone else’s money they were giving away, but the end result was that I made my point. People feign compassion when it makes them look good, they feign conservatism when it makes them look good … in fact people generally do whatever they can to make themselves look good, except, and this is a big one, except when it requires that they actually do the deed.

So what does this teach us? If you are really concerned about people, don’t be a fake conservative, don’t let your compassion go awry and by all means, don’t fall for the rhetoric about certain things being the right thing to do. The right thing to do is to live within the constraints of our laws and rules, and if you don’t like them, work to change them.

Over the years I have searched, much like many others, for the methods by which I can achieve recognition and praise; after all, who doesn’t want accolades for the things they achieve, for the goals they reach and the toys they possess. Isn’t that what drives our constant need for competition?

Lets look at how sports figures all across the world compete for that elusive crown of victory. Athletes are willing to put aside sleep, pain and family for the prize of achieving that ultimate goal at being a winner, to be great at what they do. There is no mountain too tall, no ocean too deep and no river too wide that will keep them from working toward that pinnacle. Frequently we hear how football players continue to force themselves to strive on despite having a torn ligament in a knee, something that would bring the toughest person down, but somehow, they push through the pain and continue. There are baseball players that seek to achieve greatness through the use of injections and supplements designed to increase muscle mass to improve their game, and yet, many of these sports figures, great in their own mind, fail to achieve what they want most.

In the political arena we have politicians who sell out their constituents for the promise of power and fortune, but in the end they end up despised and even hated. The ever increasing nature of divisiveness in politics has created but a few “statesmen”, the rest simply slip into obscurity for eternity, failing to reach that goal of being remembered for grand achievements.

Even in families and the workplace we have folks who go about their daily activities looking for that next grand scheme that will propel them into fame, that will grant them riches and glory, but alas here again, the vast majority of these fail to reach their goal.

Considering that my own life experiences has taught me a lesson or two or a hundred, I have to look back and see what I did that was so different from those who have achieved greatness, at least as far as I can tell. To do this I have to consider what kind of greatness I am observing. As best as I can tell, there are two distinct ways to achieve greatness as is defined by popular culture.

The first, which isn’t really greatness at all, is notoriety, being known for doing something that others have not, or would not. In this category, we have all sorts of people who believe they have achieved the reward. To see this, one need only look at people like Nero and Caligula, Dahmer and Kaczynski, Osama and Atta et.al.

The second, which is probably the more classic example of greatness, has people like Washington and Jefferson, Ghandi and Mother Teresa, Marino and Babe Ruth, and others who throughout their lives made it a point to do what they love and love what they do. To achieve greatness in the minds of others, to reach that lofty place where others would admire and respect their achievements. But what each of these have in common is not that they achieved greatness, but rather that they did so without the expectation of accolades .. ok maybe Marino and Babe Ruth wanted accolades, but it is a nice sentiment, and from all indications they took particular interest in their fans, something lost on many folks today.

So after all of this, if I haven’t lost you, the real question is; “How can I achieve greatness?” – it is achievable, but it isn’t easy. Remember those ball players who play through pain, you will have to play through your adversities as well. You will have to seek out those things that are blocking your goals and move beyond them, put them aside and reach for that elusive mark, but even then that mark is unsatisfying if you have not done it for the right reasons. There is one quality that supercedes all in the quest for greatness, and that is the motivation behind such a journey. If you are seeking greatness for the sake of greatness, then you are doing it wrong, however, if you are not seeking greatness, but you are doing what you believe in for the sake of others, you will achieve it.

4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6 Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,  though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’[a]

11″This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Luke 8:4-8:15 (NIV)

1.The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3.He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4.Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5.Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Amen!

Psalms 23 (KJV)

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

 
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-6:34 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul declared in his letter to the Phillipians in a matter of fact way that indeed he could do anything through Christ’s strength. I had heard that said many times and over the years, I have even quoted it myself in a misguided effort to gain assurance in my desire to complete a task.

It is interesting how perception changes when it is realized that what Paul was talking about wasn’t his ability to actually do anything, or everything for that matter, if it were, surely Paul would have exited the Roman prison where he was being held, or would have called upon His name to relieve him of his lot. No, this was about so much more. It was about being able to live daily, to gain spiritually and to rise above the demands of daily life and all of the pitfalls we endure. It was about being at peace with the task at hand and through the strength of Christ, accomplishing what is required of you.

Too often I hear people quote Phillipians 4:13 as a prelude to embarking upon a mission to accomplish something, maybe flying for the first time or running a marathon. While it may be comforting to quote, I think the real message is missed. By backing up a bit, we can see what Paul was actually saying. In verse 4:11, he wrote, “I am content” … and further commented that regardless of whether he was full or hungry, whether he had riches or poverty, that it was through His strength and His comfort that he could be satisfied.

Paul was seeking out a deeper relationship with God, to learn to trust Him with all of his needs, and he was trying to impart that to the Phillipian church. How much better could our lives be if we would but trust Him to provide for us and be content with the strength given to us by Him. Paul endured many hardships, yet he maintained faith in the God that delivered him and provided for him time and time again.

Jesus once said “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow nor reap nor gather away into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” I don’t think this was meant to say that we should just sit around and wait for someone to bring us sustainence, but rather to elicit the trust we should all have in the power and strength of the Lord to supply all of our needs.

I am slowly and steadily learning to allow His will to be done in my life, instead of trying to direct my own desires above what He has in store for my life. This has produced some remarkable results and without His guidance, I could have suffered considerable hardship during the recent economic crisis. While it may seem amazing to many, even with a significant reduction in pay and a layoff, all of my needs have been met and my obligations are being fulfilled. I have been blessed to be able to give to others at a level I would have never dreamed. God is at work in my life and fulfilling my needs and I am trusting in Him to continue. It is through His strength that I can do anything, but that “anything” must be within His will for my life. I am learning to be content with His sustenance, just as Paul was … and God wants the rest of the world to learn to do the same.

Ok, as funny as it sounds, you should really be happy that today is tax day, not because you have to finally reconcile your tax liabilities, but because today marks the day when you can stop worrying about completing your returns. Of course if you are one of the millions who file extensions every year, you are only prolonging the inevitable. Perhaps you should get with the rest of the population that dutifully files by April 15 each year and then take a few months off from worrying about tax deadlines.

I am fortunate. I live in a state where Tax Freedom Day comes a week earlier than calculated by the Tax Foundation. Florida is one of the few states where the residents enjoy no state income taxes. We do however have a sales tax, but then every state except Delaware has those.

Its not that I live under a rock and think public services are done out of the goodness of the hearts of people. Wouldn’t it be great if they were? The problem I have with taxation is that seldom does the taxpayer have any input on how much they should pay and what services they should get for their money.

I read with interest how our local city was able to improve its ISO rating by spending some money in infrastructure, equipment and personel. At first glance this is great, a lower ISO rating allows residents to enjoy a lower premium for their fire insurance. A quick check on my own insurance rates don’t have me saving anything, yet the increased tax burden for more personel and equipment (some of which is obsolete), is there to obtain this lower rating. I attribute it to our government doing what government does best, and that is spending money.

But today is a good day for other reasons as well. Today marks the 62nd anniversary of the breaking down of the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson, at age 28, in a time when racial segregation was in full swing, became the very first African American to play for a major league baseball team when he stepped onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to play for the Dodgers. Other notable events that happened on this day in history are: The 1945 liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camps in Nazi Germany and in 1850 San Francisco was incorporated. However, while you are still reeling from the woes of paying your 1040 taxes, things could be much worse. On this day in 1912, 1500 people died in a tragic event that could never happen, when the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg and on April 15, 1851, President Lincoln called out Union troops and declared a state of insurrection after an attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina.

So while you trek to the post office with barely enough time to make it before the doors lock at closing time, consider yourself fortunate to not have experienced any one of the many events that surely are significantly more tragic than writing a check to Uncle Sam. Be thankful for the ability to take another breath, and remember those around you whose tax burden has decreased, not because of loopholes, but because of loss of income. I use this day to remind me how fortunate I am to live in Florida and in these United States.

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;

10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.

11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,

12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father [b] the son he delights in.

13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,

14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.

16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;

20 by his knowledge the deeps were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.

21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;

22 they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.

23 Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;

24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

26 for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.

27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is in your power to act.

28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”-
when you now have it with you.

29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.

30 Do not accuse a man for no reason-
when he has done you no harm.

31 Do not envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways,

32 for the LORD detests a perverse man
but takes the upright into his confidence.

33 The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.

34 He mocks proud mockers
but gives grace to the humble.

35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools he holds up to shame.

Proverbs 3 (KJV)