Merree Creesmas

Thursday December 24 2009

Well boys,another year has raced by. I started this note last Christmas and am finishing it beginning December 19, 2009. So when I started it this in 2008, it felt much the same, the turmoil in our economy, the ongoing threat of terrorism and unrest in much of the world. Will tommorrow be any different? Maybe. I'd like to wish that everyone had a merry Christmas and a happy new year. The reality is that not everyone is truly happy. There is so much uncertainty in the world. But I really think that despite the times we are in that we can be happy and merry and all that goes with the joy people want this time of year. I will also say be thankful for what we have. We have a roof over our heads, food to eat and clothing. What else does one really need? But we have so much more...
I am thankful, to heaven above, to the unseen God. Well. " unseen" is a term that I really use , well how can I say it. Take a look around. We have been in some truly spectacular places. Think of the beauty of the streams we have fished, the storms blowing over Mono lake in the distance, the splashing of life giving water over the boulders and rocks that hide the trout we love to chase. The Kokanee spwaning in clear pools of a gravelly bottomed stream, circling their nest of eggs, the cycle of life unfolding before our eyes.
And the living art we have seen, each family of fish painted so differently from the other, a Brown with the red spots, and golden yellow here and there, a Brook with it's white tipped fins and pectorals, the Rainbow, with bright pink stipe, the silver Cutthroats with that gash of red along it's cheek. The liitle fish we thought was a Golden someone caught at Tahoe in the rocks along the shore. The mutant ( so we thought) fish on the Nevada side of the East Walker, and the occasional male with hooked jaw and darkened backs of spawning season. It's all beauty of a world that is our home for such a short time.
There's a hymn sung in church, ".. this world's not my home, I'm just a passin' thru, my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue..."
I think about that song, often actually. And I thought about it the other day while watching the squirrel hanging upside down eating Mom's birdseed thing on the Maple tree. It was amazing to watch this creature feed himself, and I thought of how this is a truly beautiful planet, the weather that brings hail, rain, snow, wind, light, darkness. Always changing, and the always welcome sunny day. And I thought how I can I sing that hymn, about such a beautiful place unless there was something even better...
I almost thought to argue with God, that this world is my home. I'm not going anywhere, I like it just fine here, but...I really we are just short timers in this world. Time...it goes on and on, was here before us, will go on after we are gone, Ok, so where am I going that could be more beautiful? The stars and beyond? God knows what He has in store for us.
My favorite coffee mug has a man in his little boat, fishing, and deep below is a school, actually an unimagineable hoard of fish coming after his bait. And the verse quoted on the cup," no eye has seen, no ear has has heard what God has prepared for those that love him.." Can it get better than this?
I and you guys have have been so fortunate to have grown up in a period of privilige so unprecendented in other centuries, in a place of beauty so diverse, I mean California, with the means, of transportation and finances that have allowed us to roam the state freely to our hearts desire (only limited by our pocketbooks and the need to be at work sometimes, well most of the time, but I like my job...) And therin lies the problem. I've been reading the book, Ecclesiastes. Here was a man endowed with wisdom, riches, women (lots of them...all lookers I suspect, I know you just thought"hookers" stop it.), and ideas from his creative mind for the building of his palace and more importantly the first temple of God. Solomon had his dreams, like us. To create a haven perhaps, a home or building to dwell in, a Shangrila, heaven on earth. One can only dream. So he accomplishes all he set out to do, yet...
He starts out saying, " Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless. We work, toil for years on end for the profit of large corporations perhaps, only to find our reward a small fraction of what we formerly earned. Perhaps we saved our money, invested in things to make our future more secure, then along comes the internet bubble, poof, there goes the few grand I wasted on an IPO that went bust, or maybe the mortgage meltdown, oops bought a house and now it's worthless. ( well maybe I'm not totally underwater, but it isn't worth what I paid for it) or maybe your 401k took a dump. Sheesh the money just evaporated! Who took it! It's Bernie Madoffs fault, what did he do with my money? Someone robbed me. Yes robbed of what? Paper wealth? Future prospects? The words of the song come back, "this world's not my home..."
So what is there for a man (or woman, same dreams different methods perhaps, they all want security too, a sugar daddy, I mean a decent husband,right? Ok sorry, they are very hard working. Yet I can help think of the decision making processes of the mother of all mothers Eve and what that got us...oops sorry don't let mom or any significant others read this. Lord knows I've made my share of blunders)
So what is there to look forward to? Today. I think Solomon says it later on, he hates life. All his accomplishments, are to be left behind, for what? He despairs of having undertaken so much. He exploited his wisdom, a good thing, used the brains God gave him, to build, plant things, he took the resources of the earth and made things happen. Much like us, same desires, different time is all. So after all this, his success, he is empty. He finally realizes that there is nothing better than today."There is nothing better than for a man to enjoy his work for that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?"
I love my job, yet I realize I can be a slave to it. I have been over the years. The money is nice, but what if it went away? I fast forward to when i retire, it seemed unthinkable before. And it is mentioned quite often at work. Especially among those with the magic number, 30. And we squirrel away the money, or some of it anyway. Hoping it doesn't evaporate. And then I think of Alfred E. Neuman. What, me worry? Really who can possibly live like that? He is a make believe goofball. But the concept is not so far fetched. It is what we choose to worry about that makes the difference.
Which brings us from Soloman to Christ. He came into the world with no worries. Those came later, for a kingdom not of this world. But at his birth his concerns were for the here and now. A baby thinks only of the here and now. I'm hungry, or I'm tired it thinks. If it thinks it, it wants it, and if it doesn't get it, she cries. If she gets fed she's happy. So it is with the man that Soloman says should enjoy his daily toil. Later Jesus grows up , works, and then begins to teach. The lilys of the field and the birds are forefront . They don't toil, and the birds do not worry. Why? Because their creator feeds them. Then Jesus talks about money worries. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust can destroy them, or the mortgage meltdown can ruin their value, or where guys like Bernie M. can make off with your retirement. Store up treasures in heaven. How? I'm still trying to figure that one out myself. I know He said seeks first the Kingdom of Heaven and all those things will be given to you. Jesus is speaking of the EASY button! I saw it on tv, I want that. He says his yoke is yoke is easy. I want that, but he says seek first his kingdom, then all the things you need will be given to you. God knows we need to eat, have a roof over our heads, and some recreation ( think about that word re-creation...) and a fishing pole, and a van to get there, and gas, and beer, a little not too much, and some entertainment, like the hot chicks, I mean hot springs.
So the Christ child has come and gone. will He come back? Yes, it is the true hope, a better promise than Obama's. Soon? Don't know, it's been 2000 years. He says he went to prepare a place for us. I'm looking forward to it. Question is, who's going with me? The journey starts today if you will, then gotta stay on it everyday, the straight and narrow path. Anyway that's were the Christ child is taking us. Merry Christmas and Maranatha. Agape.

" This world's not my home,
I'm just a passin' thru.
My treasures are laid up
somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me
from Heaven's open door.
And I can't be at home in this world anymore.

" O lord you know I have no friend but you,
if Heaven's not my home,
then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me to heaven's open door,
and I can't be at home in this
world anymore."