April is about to leave us and we have not but barely become acquainted. The Netflix Series, Ozark has premiered its’ last seven episodes and I was somewhat taken aback to see that the end of one of my and MJ’s favorite Series was here for our viewing pleasure…when I thought that it was not going to be shown before the end of the year. According to a character on an Amazon Series, Outer Range, his assessment of Time is that it is an ‘M—-r F—-R… although somewhat crude language…it accurately describes the fluidity of Time. As the kind young woman who cut my hair today spoke about her, ‘Kiddo,’ and how she was going to pick her ‘Kiddo up after work,’ I thought of my mother and how she referred to me as Kiddo…most of the time…unless she was awaking me for school whereby she announced in a loud and friendly command, ‘Hit the deck you rubberneck!’ Those days seem like last year…instead of well over 50 years ago.

I am convinced that what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears and experience in our short lives…simply scratches the surface of what is unseen and unheard and concepts that are well beyond our mental capabilities. From time to time you get a glimpse of these unseen marvels in art and literature and theatre…and faith. There are so many deja vu moments that we encounter during the busy course of our lives…that we neither truly understand the significance of the event nor do we have the time to devote to analyzing them on an in-depth basis.

Shadows follow us and go before us on our life walk. We are characters in a grand story…and we have not read the beginning and have not understood the ending. Our brains strive constantly to make connections and that is how we understand our reality. Those experiences that do not connect easily or readily are placed in our to-do box…and sometimes they do not rise to the top…

Navigating life is exciting and challenging. Faith is a wonderful compass. Also, a heart that is open to new experiences and new ways of doing things and people and places and customs…that is different than what we are accustomed to. What we experience is based on our physical reality…but our unseen spiritual reality is rich and rewarding and often guides our actions.

My years in management/administration taught me that there was so much more to my co-workers than what I saw before me. They had rich lives outside work as well as significant challenges that from time to time affected their productivity. Managers need to be more understanding. The popular motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, said, ‘I really do not care how much your know…until I know how much your care…about me.’

Trees can often obscure the forest. I have seen this in church government on more than one occasion over the past 50 years. Programs and rules and surveys and vision statements seem to occupy much of church leadership’s time and talents and create dedicated and extremely busy people…but the problems…soul…and spirit and heart… are often obscured through our diligent efforts at crossing every T…and dotting every i…

Nature clearly models the spiritual. The majesty of God’s Creation is not molded by Committee and governed by a handbook…