Time Heals
I am doing my first blog. Not by choice. But by coercion. I am a pastor. I have a dozen or so wonderful pastors working with me. I have more than a dozen members on my church board.
One of my pastors emailed me today and wrote, "when are you going to blog!" Another one emailed me and said, in effect, "I'd like you to see how we function in the 21st century." A member of my church board emailed me today - asking for the XX time, "when are you going to start blogging?" But the ultimate coercion was my son -- my own son! He blogs. And supposedly someone reads it. (His wife? My mother? Not sure who.) And you know what he wrote? That I (his wonderful father) had been put ON PROBATION for not blogging -- and I only have 10 days to get my act together! My own son! He did not tell me privately. He announced it to the whole world (all of whom surely read his blog).
So - I am now, as of March the 20th in the year of our Lord 2006, at 11:16pm Pacific Standard Time, officially a "blogger." (Do I hear applause?)
So what am I going to say. I am convinced that most bloggers say very little. They simply pride themselves in saying SOMETHING. Content is considered unimportant. "Content-free" blogging is as "in" and chique as low calorie foods. Therefore, I shall try, contrarian as I am, to have at least SOME content. So what will my content, the title of this first blog be? The long awaited answer? "Time Heals."
How do I know? I saw it tonight. I attended the World Baseball Classic finals - tonight, right here in San Diego. In fact I just arrived at home from the game.
I attended the game with my youngest son, my oldest son (the one who put me on probation for not blogging; in fact, he ruined the 5th inning of the game by chosing that moment to inform me that I was on the "non-blogging" probation), my daughter in law, and my son in law.
How does a final game of a World Baseball Classic prove that time heals?
Japan defeated Cuba in the final game. What is amazing is that either country is so welcome in our country -- and in our city.
San Diego was, as usual, a wonderful host. But lets roll the clock back - 6 decades. San Diego's downtown - or at least the area north of it - was totally covered in a massive (multiple miles long) camoflauge drape. Why? Fear of Japanese bombers. And within my lifetime (very early years), a man name Fidel took control of Cuba - and brought feared Communism within 90 miles of our shores.
Yet both teams - one from a country with whom we were at war, and one from a country whom we still distrust - came to play a game - baseball. American's (along with many Japanese and Cubans) cheered, ate peanuts and hotdogs and sang during the 7th inning stretch, as if nothing had ever happened.
Why? Becuase time heals. My uncles fought in WWII. They would have been shocked as young servicemen if they could have seen 6 decades into the future. Japan? In America? Playing baseball?
And Cuba? Still Communistic! Playing baseball. In America. It happened. Because time does heal.
And - if you add in one more very important ingredient, the Holy Spirit, healing happens faster and goes deeper.
Want real healing? Give it time. Then add it that special touch from God Himself - and real, authentic healing can and will occur.
Even if it is your own son you have to forgive - for putting you on probation for not blogging, which, in turn, makes you stay at your computer at 11:35pm at night - so you can get off of probation!
Time + the Holy Spirit (and in my case, doing the blogging) = healing.
One of my pastors emailed me today and wrote, "when are you going to blog!" Another one emailed me and said, in effect, "I'd like you to see how we function in the 21st century." A member of my church board emailed me today - asking for the XX time, "when are you going to start blogging?" But the ultimate coercion was my son -- my own son! He blogs. And supposedly someone reads it. (His wife? My mother? Not sure who.) And you know what he wrote? That I (his wonderful father) had been put ON PROBATION for not blogging -- and I only have 10 days to get my act together! My own son! He did not tell me privately. He announced it to the whole world (all of whom surely read his blog).
So - I am now, as of March the 20th in the year of our Lord 2006, at 11:16pm Pacific Standard Time, officially a "blogger." (Do I hear applause?)
So what am I going to say. I am convinced that most bloggers say very little. They simply pride themselves in saying SOMETHING. Content is considered unimportant. "Content-free" blogging is as "in" and chique as low calorie foods. Therefore, I shall try, contrarian as I am, to have at least SOME content. So what will my content, the title of this first blog be? The long awaited answer? "Time Heals."
How do I know? I saw it tonight. I attended the World Baseball Classic finals - tonight, right here in San Diego. In fact I just arrived at home from the game.
I attended the game with my youngest son, my oldest son (the one who put me on probation for not blogging; in fact, he ruined the 5th inning of the game by chosing that moment to inform me that I was on the "non-blogging" probation), my daughter in law, and my son in law.
How does a final game of a World Baseball Classic prove that time heals?
Japan defeated Cuba in the final game. What is amazing is that either country is so welcome in our country -- and in our city.
San Diego was, as usual, a wonderful host. But lets roll the clock back - 6 decades. San Diego's downtown - or at least the area north of it - was totally covered in a massive (multiple miles long) camoflauge drape. Why? Fear of Japanese bombers. And within my lifetime (very early years), a man name Fidel took control of Cuba - and brought feared Communism within 90 miles of our shores.
Yet both teams - one from a country with whom we were at war, and one from a country whom we still distrust - came to play a game - baseball. American's (along with many Japanese and Cubans) cheered, ate peanuts and hotdogs and sang during the 7th inning stretch, as if nothing had ever happened.
Why? Becuase time heals. My uncles fought in WWII. They would have been shocked as young servicemen if they could have seen 6 decades into the future. Japan? In America? Playing baseball?
And Cuba? Still Communistic! Playing baseball. In America. It happened. Because time does heal.
And - if you add in one more very important ingredient, the Holy Spirit, healing happens faster and goes deeper.
Want real healing? Give it time. Then add it that special touch from God Himself - and real, authentic healing can and will occur.
Even if it is your own son you have to forgive - for putting you on probation for not blogging, which, in turn, makes you stay at your computer at 11:35pm at night - so you can get off of probation!
Time + the Holy Spirit (and in my case, doing the blogging) = healing.
posted by jimgarlow at
11:13 PM
