February 7, 2010
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Random Thoughts From my Most Recent Travels
- Airlines should not hire fat stewardesses. Its very disturbing to have an aisle seat in those circumstances.
- Puking your guts out while alone in a (she just hit me again) hotel in a lost corner of the country feels like dying alone.
- Many of our churches are losing (or have already lost) their sense of “brotherhood”. It is an incredible feeling to watch a group of over 100 men who represent almost that many congregations all pull out checkbooks and help each other out. Many of our church people today do not view brotherhood aid programs as brotherhood, but as insurance. The simplest test of this belief occurs when a member finds “cheaper insurance” elsewhere. I believe that when that happens, it is a clear indication that we have moved away from being stewards, to being owners. We give stewardship much lip service, right up to the point where we have to chip in to help somebody in our churches. This is not right.
- It is the most wonderful feeling to come home to a wife and 6 children who love me!
- Airplane seats are comfortable for the “average American” which, based on the size of the seats, is apparently about 110 pounds and 5′ 6″ tall. The “average American” who sits beside me on a plane is about 5′ 6″ and weighs about 250-350 pounds. I’m 5′ 11″ and 200. There is no extra space, and I don’t like it when their gut shows up on MY SIDE! Gaaaaaaahhhhh!!!
- I was very sick at the meeting. After the meeting, two of the men I’ve gotten to know came over and laid their hands on me and prayed for me. If you’ve ever had somebody do that for you spontaneously, you know exactly how that made me feel. If you haven’t, you should get sick and try it!
- Snow is the most beautiful, most troublesome thing. I’m glad for all-wheel-drive vehicles.
- I’m grateful for real friends. Not only do I get to spend an eternity with God, I get to spend it with my friends too!!!
Comments (6)
You have a point on the brotherhood thing. However,it feels a little different when you have put in a lot of money over the years and have three ER visits and so on in three months time and an appendectomy the next month. Those visits are not fun to pay plus the deductible on the surgery when you think of all those checks you’ve written out at church. After a few months of this, those insurances that cover more things look reasonable.
I know structures vary, and some are less friendly to multiple consecutive claims than others. This can make it hard to handle when you’re the one getting the bills. Higher deductibles should, however, result in lower premiums.
Ironically, you actually make my point for me. You make it sound like you want cheap insurance, not a brotherhood aid program. Most people do it because its “cheaper”. And it usually is.
Part of what I’m trying say is that I find it interesting that the concept of brotherhood is acceptable, so long as it saves me money! Somehow we believe that brotherhood should not really cost me anything. There have been times I have not turned in claims, because I believed there were others who needed the money more than I did, who would have to wait longer if I was standing in line as well. No, that’s not easy. I’m just trying to make it clear that I’m willing to practice what I’m preaching.
@computaholic - I realize I do make the point, and no, we haven’t always turned things in either. But at crunch time you do think of these things.
Crunch times are never fun.
I guess part of what I’m wanting people to think about is: what basis do we use for deciding where to turn for help in times of trouble? What factors define our choices between turning to the church, or to a for-profit entity? Do we really understand the concept of “brotherhood” today in the economic environment in which we live? If not, how did we lose it, and HOW do you get it back once it is lost?
It is a big question and could go all kinds of places.
In pondering your response, I thought of something I’ve often said: “People do exactly what they want”. People sometimes say, “I really don’t want to do this, BUT….” And they proceed to do what they profess to not want to do. The reality is that when they have weighed all their options, they picked the one they wanted most, for whatever reason, regardless of what they say.
This means that your actions tell me that what you want is a brotherhood aid program. This is good! You’re just more honest than most people, and your honesty should not be misconstrued as being unsupportive of brotherhood aid. I wish some more people functioned like you do.