Sunday, November 25, 2007

God Loves You Too Much!

"God loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to let you stay that way." I love these words and this stunning image of Jesus on the cross taken inside the Church of the Immacula on the campus of San Diego University reminds me of Christ’s first words on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Just what have you done? After the turkey and football, comes the shopping frenzy. On Black Friday, people spent 10.3 billion in search of happiness. The compulsive urge to buy is strong when vendors tell us “to give in to the urge.” However, in this age of the internet, the buying frenzy for the holiday actually begins today on Cyber Monday when 68 million people will place their orders online.

Christ's life on earth was lived for others. He relinquished his self to live for others. We are called upon to do the same. Especially as we enter upon another season of Christmas buying madness, we need to constantly remind ourselves about where our true values should be. Christ has shown us the way to true happiness, and it doesn't come from anything in this world. Eternal life begins with our relinquishing of the things of this world.

But let me turn your attention to the best Christmas gift you might consider for yourself. The example comes from the request of the Good Thief: it is never too late to make a conversion, to turn our lives around and better arrange our priorities.

The thief asks only that Jesus remember him when he comes into his kingdom. And yet, just because he calls upon Jesus in his dying moments, our Lord promises not only to remember him in the next world but that today he will be with him in Paradise. The thief can die in peace.

It is the same for us. As long as there is breath in our bodies, forgiveness and salvation are always a possibility. As long as there is a "today", then conversion can happen. And our Lord will not only forgive us our sins but bring us to live with him forever. All we need to do is to remember that life consists of being with Christ because where Christ is, there is the kingdom.

Christ prays for us as we reflect: “Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name. Deliver us, pardon our sins for your name’s sake.”
(Psalm 79:9).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are in need of conversion. Help us to root out pride and greed and allow your forgiveness to flow through our veins. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Paving the Road to Thanksgiving

This weekend, I received a letter from my doctor confirming my annual physical exam in December. The letter detailed the lab work that needs to be done prior to the visit. When I turned the page, there were eight boxes checked for lab tests. I thought that enough blood would be taken to satisfy a vampire, until the letter stated, “there is a possibility that additional blood work may be requested after your exam.” God help me!

If I wasn’t feeling run down by the approach of another holiday season, this letter set me up for more moaning and complaining. No doubt, we are already annoyed by marketing that began in September to “shop till we drop” which “zaps” our bodies resistance and makes us prone to colds and viruses. However, as we prepare to travel to sit at table with our family and friends on Thanksgiving Day, let me offer this prescription to health.

A holy monk gave this teaching to visitors at the monastery. He encouraged the people to practice gratefulness as a spiritual exercise that transforms a person who is given to moping and complaining to a person radiant with joy.

The visitors were advised to start each day by writing out a list of things they were grateful for. They were encouraged to keep a notepad by their bed, and each day before beginning their morning meditation, they take a few minutes to make a list of 7-8 items that they are grateful for that day.

I can’t begin to describe how powerful this simple exercise has been in my life in promoting healing at the level of mind, body and spirit. By starting each day with my gratitude list, I consciously shift my attention to the many blessings in life. This is light years away from my previous pattern of starting off too many days bemoaning the “insurmountable obstacles that I believed (inaccurately) lied ahead of me. What a difference this awareness makes!

In short, I am thoroughly convinced that gratitude – which I define as a sincere sense of appreciation for God’s presence in the form of the many blessings in our lives. For example, the doctor who doesn’t need my blood but he wants to make sure that all my “bodily systems” are running well. Gratitude paves the way for the healing and positive outcomes that we are seeking.

If you are struggling with any form of crisis in your life, I would urge you to set aside a few minutes each morning to compose your own daily gratitude list. If your experience is anything like mine, you will find that the results arte nothing short of miraculous.

God prays for us as we reflect: "You changed my mourning into dancing and clothed me with gladness. With my whole being I sing endless praise to you. O Lord, my God, forever I will give you thanks forever.” (Psalm 30: 12-13).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends whose presence in my life I am most humbly grateful. May their spiritual journey be paved with many signs of your holy presence and blessings in their life. May I suggest that at your Thanksgiving table, each person take a moment to express gratitude to God for their precious children, grandchildren, and all relatives and friends and truly give thanks.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Shifting Through the Ashes

On the fourth day of the San Diego firestorm, the lead story featured respiratory doctors offering advice on how best to cope with the fallen ash particles from the firestorm. “Stay indoors” was their advice. However, 1500 families were in shock when they discovered that their homes were completely destroyed. They were advised to wear R95 masks as they began the slow process of recovery by shifting through the ruins.

One local reporter asked a teenager how she was handling the lost of her home. Sarah is only 15, yet this was she second time in her life that she was shifting through the rumble of her burned out home. Her home had burned down four years ago in the Cedar Fires. At that time, she was devastated losing her clothes, family photos and toys from her childhood. In the Witch Fire of 2007, she had dug out ceramic mugs in the rubble. Again, she felt pretty sad, but it somehow did not bother her as much as before. In a profound moment, she made this comment to the reporter: “Half the stuff I had I didn’t need.”

When families received their reverse 911 call to evacuate, they were told to take only the essentials. The baby, diapers, formula, medicines and the dog. Some folks who had a little more time and grabbed their important documents and the family photos.

God tells us to be prepared because we do not know the day nor the hour when we might be called upon to “evacuate this earth.” At that moment, we might agree with Sarah’s insight that “half the stuff we have been carrying in this life we did not need.”

What excess baggage are you carrying at this moment? No need to carry resentment in the trunk (the acid causes pain in your gut). No need to lock the anger behind your eyes (the headaches are a pain in the brain). No need to be plagued by fears of shame locked in our closets (the lack of sleep leads to chronic fatigue). All this baggage results in poor health, a weak heart and a troubled soul. The only thing that matters to God is your safety. His divine mercy protects us from the fires of hell, the fires in our life. God’s love will quench our thirst for acceptance, understanding and any fear about our futures.

What do you most need from God? Watching those families pick through the rumble, a neighbor would simply come over and give them a big hug. A gesture of hope that was meant to restore their courage to rebuild their home one brick at a time. Let this message be my hug for each of you who find themselves shifting through the ashes.

God prays for us as we reflect: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God's and Christ's perseverance.” Thessalonians 3:5

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine friends who have lost everything in a fire or any storm of life. Renew their broken spirit, bring healing and comfort and focus our eyes on the love that comes from the generosity of others.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Ashes of Life

I often ask my patients to name their stress and put it on a scale of 1-10. Their pain or affliction may come from some past hurts from in-laws, or lost of job, or worse, the fear of losing their health due to some trauma. During the recent San Diego firestorm, I had the privileged of meeting a very “gentle and humble” soul. Archie was no stranger to affliction since he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five years ago. However, he daily practiced the lessons of faith and courage in coping with his afflictions.

Archie waited anxiously for the latest news from his son Kyle whose family had evacuated from the San Diego firestorms. He knew this family had safely evacuated their home, but he had no clue whether their home survived the raging fires. On Tuesday afternoon, Kyle called his parents and shared that his home had miraculously survived the firestorm.

The fires destroyed 11 homes across the valley from where Kyle lived. The home just below him was untouched by the flames and his home on the other side of the valley had been miraculously spared. However, there was some sad news to share with Archie. Kyle told his dad that his 150 avocado trees were burned by the fires. Archie had planted this grove over 30 years ago. The potting shed was destroyed and the irrigation system that watered the delicate green fruit was in unknown repair.

Archie shared the story that he used this avocado farm to teach his kids respect and responsibility for the value of work. Many years ago while raising his children, Saturday mornings were not a time for sleeping in but this dad had his kids working the land and caring for those delicate trees.

Archie breathed a sign of relief and offered a prayer of thanks to God that the home of his children and grandchildren’s was spared. The devastation had stopped within 100 yards from the family homestead. But Archie wondered: What was God thinking burning his precious fruit? One must realize and know down deep in their inner selves that good will come from our afflictions- and further God has allowed this affliction to come.

Once a man completely dejected by his afflictions was walking one day in one of the botanical gardens of Oxford. He noticed this really pretty pomegranate tree. It had a stem which was cut almost through! He asked - what has happened? The gardener replied with an answer which explained the wounds of this man's troubled spirit. "This tree used to shoot so strongly that it bore nothing but leaves. I therefore had to cut it in this manner. Now, when it is almost cut through it has begun to bear plenty of fruit."

Fires in southern California are a matter of fact to families living in that wilderness. God asks us to accept our troubled spirits from fires or disease with the grace and power of the Holy Spirit to endure and see how God can use it. This is, indeed, a hard saying! Some of the words of Jesus speak of how God uses hardship to grow our faith. Scripture speaks regarding God saving us out of afflictions; upholding people in affliction; being a refuge for those afflicted by life.

Despite the apparent destruction of those avocado trees, nature can be very resilient. Kyle promised his dad that he would check that irrigation system to see if it could be salvaged. Maybe, the trees themselves would stage a come back. Only time and the saving grace of God would tell the final outcome.

God prayers for us as we reflect: “I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. (Psalm 31:7).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends whose lifetime of work appears to have gone up in smoke. Give us faith and courage in times of affliction to persevere in our firestorms and believe that good will come from the bad. May the ashes that cover the soil reach deep into the roots of those avocados to restore their vigor and bring forth the miracle of fresh fruit to revive this dad’s troubled spirit.