Winter is in full swing in Illinois. I have come to love this state with as much fervency as I had before I fell in love with Wisconsin. I think it's because Illinois has more permanency than any other for me. The Land of Lincoln. That's what it says on my state's license plate. Did you know that Lincoln also lived in Indiana? And, obviously, in Washington D.C. Why don't their license plates say the same thing?
I was reading tonight in Weird Illinois that Abraham Lincoln was a deep thinker. Sometimes he would be working in his office, and his coworkers would notice him peering off into the distance. Often times it was for several minute stretches, and then, all of a sudden, he would snap out of it. I found it humorous because Abraham Lincoln was a man of great vision and foresight; he was incredibly ambitious. I don't imagine him daydreaming very often, other than for noble & presidential reasons. I felt a lot of hope as I was reading tonight because I find myself doing that same thing sometimes. I'll space out for a few minutes, and then snap back into reality after thinking about something really random for a while. It's quite a relief because I long to be like Lincoln; someone who has a strong work ethic, dependable, and full of follow-through, but I space out so often!
Me and Lincoln. Spacing out is our thing. Or, well, was our thing. We're buds.
Why is it that when we learn of famous peoples' weaknesses, we feel better about ourselves? I mean, entire businesses and industries rely on the humanity of famous people to make money. Think about how many magazines there are at the checkout at grocery stores. And how much paper they waste on stupid stuff! But, it's like a vortex...you get sucked in. Wanna know what's blinking in my brain right now? "Kim Kardashian without make-up or hair done" At first I was like, "For real? You're really gonna go there?" But then I became curious. Luckily, my resistance to the force was strong, and I didn't give in, but a lot of times I do. There is this innate fascination with reality and with people that, I think, we all have.
I'm re-posting a verse. I'm sure I'm breaking some blog rule I don't know about (I warned you, there was a disclaimer; I know no blogging rules), but it's for a good reason. It needs emphasis in my life:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:25-27
I was kind of freaked out because after reflecting upon this verse, I read an article about several thousand birds that died in Arkansas a couple of days ago. The possible cause of death is because of fireworks on New Year's Eve. Isn't that so sad? I started to freak out because it seemed really eerie, and I wondered if it was some sort of sign. It's headlines like this one that do not necessarily suck people in like the Kardashians might, but it's things like this that we can change. And that we should change.
I think about it in the context of looking at birds, which is something that I really enjoy. To really stop and think about the birds. I've seen Canadian Geese, Sparrows, and Black-Capped Chickadees in the last few weeks. No Cardinals. They don't exist. If you see a bird today, stop. Watch it. They never worry about what is going to happen to them two days from now, or two weeks from now, or two months from now, or two years from now. They don't worry. I mean, I'm sure they feel a little stressed out when fireworks are exploding all around them (all the more reason to not use fireworks), but they don't sit and stew in their worry. They live life moment by moment. They take things as they come.
Our heavenly Father takes such good care of his creation, and he invites us to do the same. But, our heavenly Father also takes such good care of us. He knows every intimate detail of my life, down to how many hairs there are on my legs. (Which would be: a lot.) The fireworks fiasco could be a separate illustration for our lives; I mostly needed to clear the air because that story kind of freaked me out. Truly, the fireworks problem entered in because God invites us to take care of his creation as well, and we are not always good stewards. And one might say that sometimes life does throw us a few fireworks, but focusing on how much love the Father has for us in the midst of flying through explosions is a key to a full life. We are valued. The imagery Jesus was painting when he was talking about birds was a very, very good one. He causes us to really ask ourselves, "What is the meaning of my life? What is it's purpose, and how am I fulfilling it? What am I worried about that I shouldn't be?"
In other words, don't freak out, Catherine Ann. Live life moment by moment, and take things as they come, no matter how loud & scary they may seem. And give Jesus the best of what you have because, man, he deserves it. Plus so much more.
And, for the record? I think Jesus loved birds too. It's one of the many reasons I like him. Do you think my friend Lincoln liked birds? Maybe HE picked the non-existent Cardinal of Illinois. Pssh...
