Life Lessons

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Do You Remember (The Twenty-First Night of September)

My mind does forget things,
     some say I am old.
Some things I recall
     when finally I’m told.
But there are some days
     that I do remember.
Like the twenty-first day
     of the month of September.

Nineteen seventy-nine
     was quite a year.
A girl did like me
     in spite of my fear.
Someone showed interest,
     that really was great.
September twenty-first
     was our first real date!

In order to drive,
     back in that day.
You had to be sixteen,
     a month, and a day.
So after my birthday
     in August that year.
I waited the month,
     then let out a cheer!

The very next day,
     I did what made sense.
I went to the Bureau
     and got my license!
That very evening,
     I picked up my date.
We went out for pizza,
     it probably got late.

Fast-forward two years
     to nineteen eighty-one.
I had dated no others,
     this was the one!
I was quite smitten,
     there was no need to wait.
So we planned our own wedding
     and chose a good date!

Exactly two years
     after that first date.
Our wedding took place,
     we each had a help-mate!
While many did wonder
     if it really would last.
I look back amazed
     at the years that have passed.

They’ve not all been easy,
     some have been quite hard.
But we’ve been protected
     by an Almighty Guard!
The thirty-three years
     that we have been wed.
Are just the beginning
     unless I end up dead!  🙂

My mind continues to be filled again with rhyming lines that seem to be all jumbled up for some reason. Anyhow, as I was working through a sermon and reflecting on our anniversary day, these lines seemed to come out of the pile.

In prayer,
Tom Lemler

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A Prophet’s Life

Some say it’s a gift,
     but I’m not so sure.
To see what could be
     if our choices were pure.
Just take a look back
     to the prophets of old.
And see what it got them
     when they were quite bold.

They’d speak up for God
     and proclaim forth His Word.
Yet the people would live,
     like they had never heard.
Things haven’t changed much
     as I look around.
Insist on life God’s way
     and few friends will be found.

It seems we’ve grown smarter
     than ever before.
We have better methods,
     our wisdom is more.
God couldn’t mean
     what it looks like He said.
Our own understanding
     beats the words that are red.

Yet faithful I must be,
     no matter the cost.
Anything less and
     my soul will be lost.
What God says still matters
     and I must be true.
To not only live it,
     but speak it to you!
© 2014 by Tom Lemler

The poems had disappeared from my mind for a while but for some reason several of them showed up in my mind all mixed up last night. This is one I sorted out and I think all the lines belong to this poem. 🙂

In prayer,
Tom

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Almost There!

Kayaking on the St. Joe River.

Kayaking on the St. Joe River

I spent a couple of hours in a kayak on the Saint Joseph River yesterday morning.  For me, that is a great way to get away from everything and spend time alone with God relaxing and listening.  There is something special about the peace and quiet on the water that brings a clarity to my mind.

While I hadn’t been in the  kayak since last fall, my typical routine is to put into the river in South Bend, paddle upstream to Mishawaka, then float/paddle back.  It is about a 5 mile round trip and the total time depends on how much I paddle and how much I just float and enjoy the beauty of creation.  On this particular trip, I kept up a pretty steady paddle on the upstream route and on the return I only put the paddle in the water when the river widened out and I lost the main current pulling me downstream.  Did I mention that I hadn’t been in the kayak since last fall? 🙂

Beutter Park FootbridgeThroughout the trip I am looking for bridges because they help me to know an approximate position in relation to the entire trip.  Two of the bridges serve as reminders that I’m “almost there”.  The first is the Beutter Park footbridge in Mishawaka.  When it comes into view I know that the Main Street bridge is just around the bend and my paddling against the current is just about done for the day.  By this point, my arms and shoulders definitely feel the workout and the bridge is a reminder to keep going, it’s not much further.  It is usually through this stretch of river that the current seems strongest and the encouragement to keep at it is needed most.  Knowing that a time of rest is coming keeps me focused on striving toward the goal that will very soon come into view.  Passing under this bridge is cause for a celebration of sorts — I made it this far, I can make it to the end.

IUSB footbridgeThe second bridge that reminds me I’m almost there is the IUSB footbridge in South Bend.  This bridge serves as a reminder that the end of today’s journey is just around the corner.  Interestingly, this is a section that often has very little visible current to draw me downstream and it seems most days there is a headwind that comes across the water that makes sitting back and floating to the finish rather impractical.  But knowing that my destination is just around the corner makes it easier to put the paddle back into the water and finish strong.  It is often a bittersweet moment — it is exciting to have accomplished what I set out to do and finish the course that was laid before me but it has been such a joy that I’m not always ready to leave.  But leave I must, so I celebrate as I pass under this bridge knowing that my journey was a success and the victory of completion is in sight!

I hope you can see there is more to this story than simply a recreational kayak trip on a river.  Are you keeping the proper goals in sight so that you persevere in your journey of life?  Do you hold on to the command and promise of Jesus to take heart, even in troubles that are sure to come, because He has overcome the world?  Are your eyes fixed heavenward on the prize that was purchased for you by the blood of Jesus Christ — the prize that reminds you to finish strong?

I pray that you spend time alone with God today and allow Him to remind you to keep going, you’re almost there!

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Tell the Story — Give God the Credit

It has been a joy to spend time this week at a large Christian convention where I was able to tell the story of God’s work in my life. Sometimes when God does His work in our life, it is obvious to all who see. Other times His work is done in a way that it is easy for people, even ourselves, to think it is our work. When we begin to tell the story and give God the credit it can be a great encouragement to others but it also should bring joy to the one telling as it reminds us of God’s incredible love.

The story of my first book, “Seeking God: Poetic Devotions For a Life of Prayer”, is simply a story of God’s hand at work in my mind and life. Interacting with people at the convention, some of them authors themselves, made me realize the amount of hard work that is typically represented by a book. As people would look through the book, a common response centered around how much work it must have been to reach this point. At first I felt guilty hearing that type of remark but it didn’t take long until I began to see those comments as a great opportunity to tell the story and give God the credit.

The book, “Seeking God”, came entirely out of my prayer time! Up until this book I had not written a poem nor had I spent any time reading poems. Yet on December 17, 2013, as I was praying about some decisions I needed to make and some responses that needed given, a poem appeared in my mind fully formed. It was as if it was stuck there and wouldn’t leave until I typed it out. My initial thought was, “That was odd!” Over the next weeks, the poems kept coming and I began to share them with friends and on social media. It wasn’t long before people began telling me that I needed to put them in a book. I kept putting it off — “I only have a handful of poems, not enough to even think about a book.” The excuses were easy, yet the poems kept coming and people kept asking so in early January I had a small booklet printed and began to share it with people. Then a few weeks later a second booklet soon to be followed by a third with a total of 60 original poems spread between the three booklets!

With the encouragement of friends and family, I began to research book publishing and found that no one really wanted to publish a book of poems. Yet in my search, I was pointed toward a printing company that turned out to be easy to work with and it wasn’t long before I was holding a proof copy of this book that has me listed as the author! At every level, I know that this was completely the work of God in my life and in my mind. On March 17, 2014, three months to the day of the first poem showing up in my mind, the first official copies of “Seeking God: Poetic Devotions For a Life of Prayer” were printed! It is a one hundred sixty page book of sixty original poems with prayer points written for each poem. That doesn’t happen through man’s effort or might, but through the mighty hand of God as I listened and shared what He was giving.

I don’t know what God is doing in your life but I encourage you to tell the story and give God the credit!

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. . . And Then Some

If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.   And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Matthew 5:39b – 42 (NIV)

Several years ago I was introduced to the phrase, ” . . . and then some.”  It was brought up in the context of customer service and described a policy of doing what was expected and then some!  While the wording was new, the concept was not.  It was the way I was raised and taught by my parents as we did business at the local farmer’s market.  When someone would buy a pound of produce, we would weigh out the pound to make sure the customer was getting what they paid for  and then we would add a little extra to the bag . . . and then some.  For me, it had become a way of life so when I heard this phrase it resonated deep within my spirit.

This way of doing things is much older than me . . . even much older than my parents.  It is the way Jesus taught that His followers should live in relationship with one another and with the world!  As a Christ-follower, you ought to do what is expected, and then some!  To go above and beyond what is expected is a very rare character trait these days both in personal lives and in ministry organizations.  If you look at the teachings of Jesus you will see that it was too common or popular in His day either.  As I look at my life and situations I have been in, I think there are a number of reasons why this “. . . and then some” lifestyle has a tendency to drift out of use.

One of those reasons is that it is unnatural.  Left to our own desires, we are more likely to look out for our own needs first rather than consider what would benefit others.  It takes work, discipline, and the power of God’s Spirit to go beyond what is expected or required.  If we are not deliberate about serving others and going the extra mile, we typically slide into the path of least resistance and only do what we have to do.  

We also severely underestimate the opposition.  On the surface, it doesn’t look like that big of a deal — a little extra here, a little extra there.  What difference does it really make.  It is not really that big of a deal.  I can do this with my eyes closed.  While many times the “. . . and then some” that I am talking about is indeed small and seemingly easy, never underestimate the power that is in it.  Because giving beyond expectations is a Christ-like quality, the enemy attacks with great speed and force to get us to stop.  

Pride often stands in the way of our living an “. . . and then some” lifestyle.  We have a hard time humbling ourselves to serve others.  Pride says that I am most important and I should only do that which lifts me up.  We read the words of Jesus from Matthew 5 and pride begins making excuses as to why that doesn’t apply to me.  Pride says that every good thing in my life is because of me and if I worked hard for all that I am and all that I have, then so can everyone else.  Pride fails to remember that “every good and perfect gift comes from above” and that God’s purpose in giving us various gifts is so we will use each one for the benefit of others — His body.

Related to pride is the sin of greed.  We go to great lengths to disguise this but, if we look under the masks, greed is often found holding on to what we have while demanding that others give us more.  When greed and selfishness control our life, the “. . . and then some” lifestyle completely disappears.  Instead of going above and beyond, we find ways to do even less.  When greed takes over there is not only no “. . . and then some”, but even those things that have always been included are now extra.  Our eyes and mind shift from “How can I serve the people who God has brought to me?” to “How can they serve and support me?”.  This is a very dangerous place to find ourselves in because we end up losing so much more than the minor things that we have tried to hold on to.  Jesus asked the question, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul?”  The combination of greed and pride sets us against God and God against us — “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

It is my prayer that I continue to learn and practice this lifestyle of “. . . and then some”.  I pray that each person reading this will spend time with God examining how you are doing in serving others and building them up according to their needs.  I pray that the world has a clearer picture of Jesus as we serve them in His name — doing what is needed and then some!

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The Storm

A storm is a brewing,
     the sky colors turn.
The temperature falls,
     the clouds start to churn.
Darkness descends,
     in the midst of the day.
It creeps across everything,
     that is in its way.
The sun disappears,
     it’s gone from my sight.
It looks and it feels,
     like the middle of night.

Could this be a sign,
     of what soon will be here?
The darkness is heavy,
     it’s creating great fear.
Out of the darkness,
     the lightning does flash.
The thunder resounds,
     with an echoing crash!
The wind starts to howl,
     with a horrible sound.
Out of the heavens,
     the rain strikes the ground.

In the midst of the storm,
     hope oft disappears.
The darkness is too dark,
     too great are the fears.
No end can be seen,
     chaos is in charge.
Destruction is great,
     the damage quite large.
Will we make it through,
     will there ever be light?
Am I stuck in this storm,
     will it always seem night?

We know the answer,
     we’ve been here before.
The darkness is great;
     the sun, so much more.
The storm may seem long,
     as we wait for its end.
But the rays of the sun,
     the darkness will rend.
When light overpowers,
     the darkness so great.
We rejoice that it’s over,
     it was well worth the wait.

More often than not,
    the storm is inside.
The darkness descends,
     you have nowhere to hide.
In your darkest hours,
     in the midst of despair.
Remember the One,
     who will always be there.
The storm may rage now,
     but someday it will end.
“My peace I leave with you”,
     when you are My friend!
© 2014 by Tom Lemler

An afternoon storm came up quickly today and I began thinking about the confidence I had that it would eventually pass. As I was spending time in prayer this evening, this thought was still on my mind as I considered the times of darkness that I experience in life. Even though I’ve seen God pierce through them many times, in the midst of the storm I often begin to believe that the darkness will never end. It was through these reminders that God put this poem in my mind. I pray that it honors Him and brings glory to His name as it accomplishes His purposes for it.

In prayer,
Tom

My Dad
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My Dad

It’s getting late,
     I should be in bed.
But it seems like a poem
     is stuck in my head.
It rolls around in there
     and seems to want out.
To be set in print,
     to stop rolling about.

So here I am,
     with keyboard and mouse.
Alone in the basement
     of a quiet house.
The topic is fitting –
     all good, nothing bad.
A poem’s trying to form
     that would honor my dad!

A harder worker,
     I surely don’t know.
He taught me so much
     by the seeds he did sow.
And while there was much
     he did plant in the ground.
It was seeds full of wisdom
     that did always abound.

I know there were days
     that he probably thought.
Will these boys of mine
     ever do what they ought?
I’m so very glad
     that my dad still can see.
Just what kind of man,
     that I’m growing to be.

As I look back in time
     and down through the years.
I pray that my life now
     has made up for the tears.
I learned how to work
     and I learned how to play.
From my mom and dad
     as they showed me the way.

Dad worked very hard —
     in fact, he still does.
It’s his way of life,
     not just something that was.
But even in work,
     there was room for fun.
Dad helped me to see,
     I needed both, not just one.

Some days at the sawmill,
     we’d walk home through the wood.
And jump in the pond,
     like every boy should.
There always were chores
     that had to be done.
But when they were finished,
     there was still time for fun.

Dad doesn’t say much,
     but that is okay.
For I understand,
     I am much the same way.
His actions speak louder
     than words ever can.
I know he’s beside me,
     as my biggest fan.

There is so much I do,
     as I step back and look.
That I learned from my dad,
     it can’t be found in a book.
Dad showed me how 
     to invest life in life.
As he builds up his children
     and loves his own wife.

I’m sure there are things
     that are clear in my mind.
That if I could see now,
     something different I’d find.
My recollection —
     of vacations, you see.
Dad would stop anywhere,
     as long as it was free!

State parks were the norm,
     of places we’d go.
We could have lots of fun
     without spending much dough.
So when I grew older,
     and out on my own.
I have often returned
     to where those seeds were sown.

To visit some places
     where memories were made.
I’ve taken my family,
     and we’d walk in the shade.
The example that I saw,
     in the childhood I had.
Was a home full of love,
     and a great mom and dad.

I could go on,
     with this poem for a while.
When I think of my dad,
     I can’t help but smile.
He lives life each day,
     to the best that he can.
And when I grow up,
     I want to be like that man!

© 2014 by Tom Lemler

As the day came to a close with Father’s Day just around the corner, this poem began to form in my mind. I am thankful for the dad that God has given me and I pray that I honor him not just with some words, but with my life.

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Vacation

It was time for vacation
     so we got on a plane.
And prayed like Elijah,
     that it would not rain!
A week on the beach
     can get really old.
If it rains every day
     and the weather gets cold. 

God gave us a great place
     to spend all together.
So we prayed that He also
     would give us great weather!
It started quite rocky
     with a storm in the night.
That delayed for an hour
     our rescheduled flight. 

We made it to Florida
     where we got a car.
And were very thankful,
     our lodging was not far.
We finally arrived
     and we got our key.
That morning we settled
     somewhere around three! 

We slept in a little,
     but not for too long.
We went for a walk
     but something went wrong.
A mile away
    from the place we did start.
The wheels on the wheelchair
     simply fell all apart. 

We headed to town,
     hoping for a repair.
Instead, we replaced it
     at a price that was fair.
We stocked up on groceries
     and food for the grill.
So the rest of the week,
     we would all eat our fill. 

Each day called for rain,
     and a chance of a storm.
But at our location,
     it was sunny and warm!
The clouds built up nearby,
     the rain fell in town.
But where we were at,
     it did not come down.

We went to the beach,
    we walked all around.
No better weather,
     anywhere could be found.
A trip to the zoo
     and a walk through a park.
Each day was quite sunny,
     until it got dark. 

The pool was quite warm,
     the gulf warmer yet.
We walked and we swam,
     with no reason to fret.
Vacation’s been great,
     but soon it must end.
But I am so thankful,
     God calls me His friend! 

© 2014 by Tom Lemler

As another day comes to a close with rain and thunder all around, and clear skies where we are at, I’m reminded yet again of the incredible blessing God is giving my family during this vacation.  I pray that my praise of God is just as forthcoming during times of rain and darkness as it is during days of sunshine and warmth.

In prayer,
Tom