I'M THANKFUL FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH

        With Thanksgiving coming soon, it’s good to consider what we’re thankful for. I’m thankful this year that I’ve lived in two distinct periods of history, today with all our amazing inventions and learning, and six decades ago when people had less knowledge but were generally more gentle with each other. 

        A true story comes to mind. A young farm wife was left alone to cook a meal for a several farm workers harvesting their crop. She made meat, potatoes and vegetables and topped it off with apple pie. The meal went well until dessert. One of the men put a piece of her fresh pie on his plate, ate a bite and then reached for the sugar bowl. Sprinkling a spoonful inside the crust he said, “I always appreciate it when I’m allowed to sweeten the pie just the way I like it.” She had forgotten to put sugar in her pie! But instead of embarrassing her, the man gently complimented her. As they left, the men all thanked her for the meal, especially the pie.

        That young wife was Laura Ingalls Wilder, who later authored many award-winning and beloved children’s books. Who of us has not read her enjoyable and memorable works? Yet today a movement is underway to purge library shelves of her works because of her perceived racist attitude toward Native Americans.

Having been taught by an elementary school teacher who knew Mrs. Wilder personally, I have a fairly strong opinion of those who would expunge her works from library shelves. Amazingly, some of Mark Twain’s classics are getting the same treatment!

        But I’m also thankful for the Bill of Rights which allows people to speak differing opinions. The First Amendment begins with these words, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…” We are allowed to express differing opinions, but should take care how we do so.

        1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” There are all kinds of ways to express differing opinions. How we do so can push us apart or perhaps bring us together. If we can be gentle and respectful no matter what we say, everyone will be better for it. 

Freedom of Speech is more important than our feelings.

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com

YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR!

        Have you ever been categorized or identified by what you wore? I don’t mean wearing a uniform with an ID badge that would give you away, but how about the common clothing you have on each day? Would it tell people where you came from or what you did?

        Last weekend Carol and I attended a funeral in Phoenix and on the way home stopped at Costco to pick up a few items and have my hearing aids checked. Dropping the aids off with the hearing assistant took only a few seconds, so off we went to join the other thousand or more shoppers in that monstrous store. A half hour later as we were leaving the congested checkout area, that same hearing aid assistant stopped me, said she was leaving, but if I stopped by her desk, another worker would give me my set back. How nice of her to tell us!

        But how did she find us in that wall-to-wall mass of people? How did she recognize us? As we left the store, the reason came to me - it was our clothing. We were probably the only older couple there in black suit and tie and fine dress. We stood out from the masses by what we wore. 

        Today people dress in just about anything any time, especially on a Saturday in a crowded Costco. But in Jesus’ day, the clothing people wore identified them. It gave away their nationality or race, their wealth or poverty, and it identified them as temple priest or farmer, slave or carpenter, male or female. Not so today! People wear anything anywhere, including to funerals.

        It made me wonder how others might tell if we are Christian or not. We don’t wear signs around our necks saying we are believers, nor do we dress much different than others around us. Our faith in Jesus would not show itself what we wear, but hopefully in what we say or in how we treat others. 

        Apostle Peter urges us, “Always be prepared to give evidence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15) Peter wants our faith to show itself. He wants us to give evidence to our hope, but with gentleness and respect. Oh, that we could have more respect shown in our neighborhoods, government, workplace, school and even our church. 

        It costs us nothing to be respectful or gentle. Jesus rarely showed anything but kindness as He dealt with people of every station and situation in life. The hope we have in Jesus can help us show concern and gratitude in our relationships. The Holy Spirit can help us “turn the other cheek”. 

May what we do and say today show others we trust Jesus.

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com

GOD KNOWS OUR EVERY MOVE

        On Veterans Day we remember with gratitude those who have served in our Armed Forces to protect and help us preserve our way of life. But what we see today is not always what is real. Despite living with uncertainty, whether we have painful struggles, broken dreams or failure, the future may show it all to be totally different. 

        On April 18, 1942, sixteen bombers were launched from an aircraft carrier in a raid planned and commanded by Lt. Col. James Doolittle. After it was over, all the aircraft were lost, yet all but three crewmen survived. The raid caused little damage, but it helped raise American morale and cast doubt our enemy.

        After the raid Doolittle had his doubts. He wrote, “My crew chief Paul Leonard and I went to the crash site to see what we could salvage. I sat down beside a wing and looked around at the thousands of pieces of shattered metal that had once been a beautiful airplane and felt lower than a frog’s posterior. This was my first combat mission and I was sure it was my last. As far as I was concerned, it was a failure. 

        “Paul tried to cheer me up. He asked, ‘What do you think will happen when you go home, Colonel?’ I answered, ‘They’ll court-martial me and send me to prison at Fort Leavenworth.’ Paul said, ‘No, Sir. They’re going to make you a general, and they’re going to give you the Medal of Honor.’ I smiled and he made a final effort. ‘Colonel, I know they’re going to give you another airplane and when they do, I’d like to fly with you as your crew chief.’ Tears came to my eyes because that was the supreme compliment a mechanic could give a pilot.”

        Leonard’s predictions proved right. Doolittle’s crew all received medals, Doolittle was promoted to General, and he later received the Medal of Honor. Sgt. Leonard was killed in Africa a year later, but Doolittle lived to be 97 years old. 

        What we see today is not always what is real. Doolittle’s raid seemed a failure but it wasn’t. He was sure he’d be punished, but he became a hero. He wasn’t sure he’d survive the war, yet he lived a long life.

        The Bible says, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” (Psalm 139:1-4)

        God knows our every move. He sees in advance what will happen and how it will impact others around us. This is why He allows such a variety of events in our lives, even those things we wish would not happen. God knows how they will bless others in ways we can only imagine.

Would you thank a Veteran today?

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com

CONNECTING TO THE RIGHT THING

        This morning Carol’s “dead-last-night” cell phone was still dead. She’d had it plugged in all night with a cord that looked like the correct one, but it was the wrong one. It looked like the right one so she thought it should work right. But it had the wrong connections, and so, plugged in or not, it could not transmit the power that was needed to charge her phone.

       Another lesson for life! Every day we see lots of things in life that look good, correct, fun, helpful or even valuable, but they will not give us what we need. They only look like they will. If you and I are not plugged into the right life source — and plugged into that source the right way — we will not get what we need.

        In Matthew 24, Jesus was with His disciples in Jerusalem. Most of them had not been there before, so when they saw the magnificent buildings, they marveled at the wonderful constructions and pointed them out to each other. Jesus, however, threw cold water on the whole notion when He said the whole place would be torn down. “Not one stone will be left upon another,” He said firmly. 

        His disciples were shaken by His comment, so they asked what they should watch for at the end of the age. He said simply, “Take care that no one leads you astray.” It is simple to plug into the wrong person, to try finding power in the wrong thing or wrong idea. It is simple to follow the crowd, getting the latest gadget, wearing the nicest style or following the coolest idea. But the crowds can be wrong. 

        We must take care not to sacrifice what is right for what is trendy. Faith in Jesus, God’s Son, will last us a lifetime. Plugging into His power will give life for eternity, not just for awhile. When He said, “Take care that no one leads you astray,” He is giving us direction that will carry us past the grave and into His eternal presence with the Father and the Holy Spirit. That power will carry us forever.

Thank You, Jesus, for letting us plug into Your power for life.

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com.