Thursday, November 19, 2009

A Poem About Complaining

Complaining comes easy, like second nature I suppose
We look in the mirror and can’t stand our nose
We think we’re too fat, too short or too tall
Our butt is too big, or we have no butt at all
Our hair is too curly, too straight, or too gray
When we look at our toes, “They’re too crooked we say”
We don’t like our skin, it’s too dark or too light
Our teeth are too stained, and our clothes fit too tight
Our car is too old, we just pray that it starts
Our house has mold levels that’s way off the charts
We need new carpet, and the sink drips non-stop
And our surround sound just doesn’t have enough pop
Our TV’s too small, 52 inches won’t do
We don’t have enough channels, even with pay-per-view
We’re out of bottled water God forbid we use tap
And by the way our neighbor needs to turn down that rap
And his dog better quit all that barking at night
Cause we’ll call the cops, yeah we know our rights
We love our church but hey, something’s got to give
Don’t talk about sin, just 3 points on how to live
It’s way too hot, or too cold, Who controls the A/C?
Is there any way we could get more comfortable seats?
They sing too long or they need to sing more
10:30’s too early, or what about 10 or before
That guy across the room we can’t really stand
We hope the pastor’s message is not dull, but grand
Our kids better behave cause we’re going insane
The stress of this week has taken a toll on our brain
Complain yes we do, every hour of every day
Yet, tell me wherein lies the cure, tell me I say
For a complaint fixes nothing, yep, nothing indeed
But reveals what’s in our heart, what’s down deep
It shows us a heart dissatisfied with life
A heart that has become a battle field of strife
One that has forgotten the nothing we deserve
Yet, the goodness of our God and this life He’s preserved
The grace we’ve been given, and mercy without end
And the love without measure, that overcomes our sin
If nothing more we received, therein is enough
Never to complain, nor grumble about stuff

copyright © 2009 Tim Stone

Friday, November 6, 2009

A World At War

As I stood glued to the television yesterday afternoon, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Here, on our soil, our enemy struck. Sure, he was dressed in a uniform that made him appear to be one of our soldiers, but the truth was, he was the enemy. An enemy with an agenda. An enemy who set out to take down as many of our soldiers as he possibly could. I'm sure as the whole story unfolds, we'll begin to find out what it was that made this man go off. What it was that made his brain snap so that he would carry out such a horrible attack. Was he in opposition to our foreign policy? Was he part of a much bigger group with an much larger agenda? Was his recent conversion to Islam a contributing factor? Or, was he just chemically imbalanced?

Perhaps, it was all of these or then again, maybe it wasn't any of these. Whatever the motivation, the fact still remains that he set out yesterday with a plan that tragically took the lives of several American soldiers and wounded many others. I think that for most of us, we expect to hear about this kind of stuff happening on foreign soil. But here in America, at one of our Army posts, now, that's a really hard pill to swallow. I mean lets face it, as long as there are enemies miles and miles away from our country's boundaries we aren't all that rattled. But when we find one here, we are often left scratching our heads.

Here is something we all have to remember though. We have enemies. The United States has always had enemies. Since the time we declared our independence, we've had to fight to keep it. All the freedoms we enjoy, have come at a heavy price. Countless men and women have spilled their blood to give each of us these freedoms. As long as we live here, that fight will never end. I know there are those who oppose war and other armed encounters but their very freedom to disagree with it, was purchased by that very thing. I'm not saying I like war, I think only a fool would say that. But I'm not so naive as to think that freedom doesn't come with a price. There is never a time when I meet a man or woman who is either serving in the military or has served that I don't go out of my way to express my appreciation for their service. I understand that it is because of them, I can walk outside and breathe a breath of freedom every morning. That's a freedom I pray I never lose sight of.

Since the fall of man, this world we live in has been a world at war. It is a world full of evil people with evil plans. They are often motivated by hate, and a desire for power and wealth. It would be great if that wasn't the case, but it's the truth. If there is not a force or forces committed to thwarting evil, then evil will rule. Peace would be great, but true peace will never come until Jesus returns. Even that peace will come as a result of him thwarting the plans of the evil one by a war unlike one this world has yet to see. Peace isn't the result of avoiding conflict, it is only produced by refusing to back down from necessary conflict.

Kimberly Munley, the officer who took down the shooter at Fort Hood, who I'm sure will say she was just doing her job, is a hero. She chose to confront evil and as a result, who knows how many lives were saved. It's people like her and all those who wear the uniform to whom we owe a debt we could never repay. Let's remember all those who were wounded and their families as well as the families of those who lost their lives yesterday. Earnestly pray for them. And take note that Veterans day is coming up next week on Nov. 11th. Determine to find a veteran and tell them thanks. They are extremely easy to find. They usually pridefully wear a cap or have a bumper sticker that promotes a branch of service or declares their love for this country. Trust me, I search them out all the time.