Changing Of The Times

 What is a flapper? Today we refer to that rounded rubber device in a commode tank that keeps the water from escaping as a flapper. But there is another definition for flapper. I’m pretty sure that my grandchildren don’t know that there was a time when a flapper was a stylish young party girl. These girls shocked their mothers, grandmothers and even society as a whole. Flappers were liberating themselves from the Victorian style that women were accustomed to. Young women becoming flappers was considered an epidemic. 

In the 1920’s a flapper was identified as a woman who smoked in public, drank alcohol, danced at jazz clubs and practiced sexual freedom. They wore dresses so short that they revealed their calves and the necklines were very low. These girls even threw away their corsets in favor of bras and lingerie. They began using cosmedics such as rouge, lipstick and mascara. Some even applied their makeup in public and they smoked  in public as well. Flappers symbolically cut off their hair to let the world know that they were independent women.     

The bob haircut was the last straw. Something had to be done to stop the flappers from ruining the moral fiber of the nation. Doctors published studies to prove that a bob would cause serious back aches and even baldness. Many husbands were so outraged that some divorced their wives if they went to the parlor.  Businesses such as Macy’s and Aetna began firing female workers who dared to come to work with a bob haircut. To make a bad situation even worse, flappers began wearing swimsuits that revealed more of their legs and arms. Then they had the nerve to layout on the beach getting tans thus ruining their beautiful white complexion. No decent woman would ever do that.   

Women’s liberation was born. Today we are not shocked by what in the 1920’s caused so much controversy. A lot of the changes that took place back then are considered no big deal. But think of what we are dealing with today. How many things do we see going on today that are truly tearing our nation apart? Today’s morality has lifted the flapper inside the tank, and it is quickly escaping down the toilet. I just wonder what people will think a hundred years from now when they read about society values of the 2020’s. Perhaps they will say about people like me, “What was the big idea?”

A Modern Day Parable

There was a man who attended church every Sunday. He was a prominent man, a leader in the church, and he was very well off. He dressed in the finest suits. This man never said it, but his lack of humility indicated that he thought himself to be better than those who had not been blessed financially as he. This church leader loved to stand before the congregation and pray with flowery words, and he would tell God about his many wonderful accomplishments. In his prayers he would even attempt to shame other members. He often prayed, “God there are people in our church at this very moment who do not obey your commands. They do not tithe nor do they serve in the church as they should. Thank you God that I am not like these people.”

But there was another man way up in the back corner of the balcony seated all by himself. This man was poor, and perhaps a bit ashamed that he was not dressed as nicely as others who were at church that day. He knelt and with tears flooding down his face, very quietly  he prayed, “God, have mercy on me for I am a sinner and have done terrible things. God, forgive me.”

And Jesus said, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

I have not heard anyone glorify themselves as this first man. However I have seen members in every church where I have been the pastor or been a member who had this same attitude. They definitely thought they were better than others. They acted as though the church was theirs, and everything should be done the way they wanted. Know this, the church belongs to no human, past, present or future. The church belongs to Jesus, only Jesus. No one should aspire to be like that first man, but rather the second man who humbled himself before God. Live like the second man and Jesus will exalt you.

I Didn’t Want To

 Some things I’ve learned over the years about men and women.

1. He who does not allow himself to make a mistake is insecure in all his ways. 

2. He who worries about what others think about him will never be at peace. 

3. He who constantly tells himself he is an idiot will soon live up to that standard.

4. He who will not admit that he is wrong may lose a good friend.

5. He who forgets what others have done for him has an extremely terrible memory. 

6. He who always feels sorry for himself will not be much help to others. 

7. He who does not see that others are hurting is spiritually blind. 

8.  He who constantly looks for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow will only find the pot.

9. He who holds on to a grudge is holding something that he cannot handle. 

10. He who dos not trust Jesus stands a good chance of having problems with all nine of the above.

Note: The pronoun She can take the place of He.

A Man’s Got To Do What A Man’s Got To Do

When I was a 11 or 12  I mowed the yard. I didn’t want to, but I did because I had to, 

I went to church every Sunday. Sometimes I didn’t want to go, but I did because I had to. 

I didn’t like school and didn’t want to go, but I did because I had to. 

I didn’t want to do many of the things my daddy told me to do, but I did them because I had to. 

When I became older and out on my own, I thought, ‘Now, I don’t have to do the things I don’t want to do’, but I was wrong and I did because I had to.

After high school I wanted to get a job and buy a car, but I decided I should go to college, and I did because it was the right thing to do. 

After I graduated from college I married the love of my life. When the honeymoon was over the payments for our house, our cars, and utility bills came every month. We didn’t make much money, and it was hard to make ends meet. But those bills kept coming in, and we paid them because it was the right thing to do. 

It wasn’t long that we were blessed with a tiny little girl. In a few years we were blessed again with another tiny little girl. We wanted the best for them, but there wasn’t going to be enough money; our tight budget was not going to be enough. So I got a part time job and then another. Working three jobs was draining, but I was glad to do them because my family was depending on me. 

Life is full of wonderful experiences. But as we live each day there are tasks that we rather not do wedged in between the good times we had rather do. Someone had taught us that responsible people do things they may not want to do because they know that’s the right way, the way God intended us to live. 

Today there are too many people who are not responsible. They don’t do what they are physically able to do because they just don’t want to work. They think they are entitled to have someone else give them what they want, and unfortunately that’s exactly what happens.

Some Place tTo Go

 There are 25 of them between our house in Wake Forest to a  destination in Raleigh that Sherri and I frequently drive . The distance is thirteen miles, and the trip should take only thirty minutes. However, getting from here to there within that time frame doesn’t always happen. Heavy traffic, slow traffic, bad weather and unexpected delays occasionally slow my progression causing us to be late. But the culprits that most often cause my tardiness are those 25 foreboding traffic lights hanging like evil sentries above the streets just waiting to stop drivers like me who need a little help getting to their destination on time. I care not to be associated with such sinister foes because they bring out the worst in me. But I have no choice. 

After all the years of fighting traffic lights I have found a sure way to defeat them. I do have a choice! When something is getting to you no matter how great or small it may be, here is the thing to do. Count it all Joy! If you are stopped by 25 red lights, count every one of them as moments of joy. When you run a red light and get a ticket, count it all joy. When red lights cause you to be late to where you are going, count it all joy because you do have somewhere to be going. 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3 

While you consider the joys of being delayed, having a bad day, or even experiencing great loss, think also about how you have been blessed. I can find something every single day for which I can complain. But I can think of so much more that is cause for rejoicing. 

Mumbai India has the largest slum population of any city in the world. An estimated 6.5 million people reside in conditions where there is no access to clean water, electricity, sufficient food or public transportation. I’m not sure a man or woman could live to be as old as I am in this kind of environment. But if there happens to be a 72 year old man in these slums he probably has never been anywhere outside of the confines of that hellish place. He has no place to go.

I am so ashamed of myself for the many times I’ve gotten upset and angry because I have been stopped at a traffic light. Maybe I’ll get stopped at one light, or 10 lights, or all 25 lights. No problem, I can count this joy because at 72 years of age I still have somewhere to go.

By the way, those 25 traffic lights are on my way to my church.

When Your Boat Is Sinking

 One evening Jesus said to the disciples, “Let’s get in the boat and go to the other side of the lake.” So they did. Jesus was tired from being with crowds of people all day. He found a cushion in the stern of the boat, laid down on it and went to sleep. While he was sleeping a great windstorm  arose. It was not your mid summer pop up storm that develops from the heat of the day. This storm was violent. The waves were breaking over into the boat. There was so much water that the disciples feared that the boat was going to sink. They were scared to death. They thought they were surely going to die. 

Jesus was still sleeping like a baby in the sten of the boat.  I’m sure the disciples wondered how he could sleep while the wind was rocking the boat and the water was getting so deep the boat was in danger of sinking. They woke Jesus up and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Care? How could they think that Jesus did not care? 

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!”And the wind ceased and there was great calm.

One thing for sure, everyone has experienced violent storms within, you may be currently going through a storm that is causing great fear and anxiety, and the future will bring us experiences that will scare us to death. Remember, your Lord does care. He is not unaware of the dark storms that suddenly come upon you. Jesus may not choose to get rid of the storm itself, but he can and will calm the storm within your heart. He will give you peace.