Living Hazzardously

Little pieces of our journey with Jesus

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Stop Kicking the Goads… You are only hurting yourself!

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Are you as stubborn as a mule? Are you as determined as a donkey? Are you as cantankerous as a cat? Are you as bearish as a bull? Are you as grumpy as a goat?

Why? 

This week I was observing somebody that continues to “kick against the Goads”, day after day, pushing, fighting every rule, blaming every problem on someone else… Even though they are the one causing the pain, discomfort and trouble… 

Goad: A board with spikes strategically placed behind the legs of an ox to prevent kicking and backing up. A long pole with a spike on the end used to direct oxen. 

The words of the wise are like goads…Ecc 12:11 

And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ Acts 26:14

This reminded me of one of my all time favorite skits, from Bob Newhart:

STOP IT!

Look it up for a good laugh, (Im not allowed to post the link I guess).

Is this normal? Does everyone try to push against the simplest of rules? Why do we make our lives so painful by always pushing against simple rules? I thought “perhaps it’s a lack of self control?” or perhaps someone protected them from consequences in the formative years? Or maybe they just like to feel pain and discomfort? I for one, do not keep pushing against a goad, or do I? I mean think about it, are we the author to our own pain and trouble?… probably, I guess… 

As I get older, I realize the pain I inflict on myself because I have my fierce independence!! It is truly a ridiculous cause… When my oldest son Chris was about 3-4, able to speak, able to understand, able to talk… I told him “Don’t touch the fireplace, HOT!” and he agreed it would be a bad Idea… I walked out of the room, and seconds later I heard the whale of a small boy as he left his index finger print permanently on the glass door of the fireplace… WHY?

Imagine if he had listened, imagine if he had never stretched out that right hand and disobeyed Pops? Imagine if I had protected him from ever falling down, getting burnt and never let him have his BB gun in the house to shoot out the window… perhaps he would have become a mid forties man, kicking at the goad, causing his own discomfort and pain… never to understand if he just stopped kickin, just stopped rebelling, just stopped fighting everyone that cares… life could actually be wonderful!

How often do we keep kicking against the goads? How often do we just fight everyone that cares… why?

I challenge you and myself to this: As the week progresses, decide to stop fighting that one thing that you know you should or shouldn’t be doing… Here are some ideas:

Follow the stupid rules that you keep getting in trouble for.

When your spouse says that one thing, just to push your button, let it go.

When the paper is delivered to that bottom step, say thank you to God that it’s delivered.

When your mom calls you and starts to nag you again, tell God thank you that she cares.

When your daughter makes that mistake, Thank God she still speaks to you.

When your son calls at 2 am, thank God it’s not THE SHERIFF.

A simple change like this can and will change your life. Tomorrow, just don’t kick one time and think about how much better that feels, then the next day, do it twice. I’ve heard it said “If you want to change the world, start by making your bed”

in other words, start with something you can do, and tomorrow, maybe tackle something you thought you couldn’t do…

When you go nowhere, nothing happens. If you know you need to change, just start.

C

Seek unto thee

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Every Saturday we have a family Zoom call, we refer to this as “family bible study” and although we read a devotional from Spurgeon, it’s mostly about staying connected as a family from all across the midwest, and the wild west of America.

I guess I shouldn’t say it’s mostly about staying connected, it’s more like family staying connected in Christ. When it needs to be canceled, I feel a deepening pain and longing. When one family or even one person is missing, my heart aches for that connection. Yesterday my heart ached as three members were out, but that’s how life works, as the patriarch. All my life I have lived to provide reasons to challenge myself in biblical areas, my boys, my students, my co-Christians… It’s my greatest joy to teach, sometimes I need to be taught…

So truth is one of my favorite topics and it usually stems from a deeper topic like election (also known as predestination), I don’t back down… and neither do my boys… truth is important, in fact a man in history asked a great question once that seems to be getting asked a lot these days, and I mean specifically, this morning…. 

Please allow me tell you a story:

There was once a great and powerful ruler, he held in his hands the power of death, and what I mean is he had a position of governmental power to put anyone to death under his authority. Every ruler knows, there is always another over them, somehow and someway… Well this day was a bit different, it was the end of a long week of officials complaints, demands from citizens and he was simply tired, so he went home. He was abruptly recalled to the chair where he makes public decisions and declarations, “A man is causing trouble”. So off he goes, perhaps kissing his wife on the way out the door and getting her input about this ongoing troublemaker. 

This ruler was face to face with the troublemaker and asked a simple question “Truth? What is Truth?”… Imagine asking what truth is? Was it because he did not understand “truth”? Did he believe like today that you can make up your own truth? I guess I may never understand. The ironic part is this: “This ruler asked the greatest authority to ever walk the face of the earth on the topic of truth “What is truth?”” I don’t think he was expecting the wisest answer to this basic question. The authority has no response recorded, but what led to the question is revealed and that quote is this: “For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth.”

Imagine asking the greatest authority ever on truth the question “what is truth?” You can read about this story in the book of John chapter eighteen, verses 33- 40. 

My family didn’t read this passage yesterday, but they live it daily. We Hazzards believe there is a Truth and we don’t make it up but live in subjection to it. So Imagine my great joy when my boys are willing to lock horns with me and wrestle the scriptures with me… like the days of old when the wise men of the city would meet up at the gates daily to “argue” and come to conclusions that are good and just to faithfully operate the city in a manner that is good for all people… Not just the elite. 

Truth matters, I heard the definition of truth once explained this way : “Truth is reality as seen by GOD” But there is more to truth than seeing reality… not really! But there are certain aspects of reality “Truth” we should be aware of. Truth means not lying, being deceitful and even more, not allowing another person to believe a lie, not even a white lie. If you allow a lie, that’s your heart not telling the Truth… this is just as evil as actively telling a lie… You don’t believe me? Tell me what is more painful: “Your best friend lying to you about an affair and saying there is no affair or your best friend allowing you to believe there is no affair? (I can tell you the answer, I lived that! Before I married my beautiful, trustworthy Jess. The hurt is the same!”)

So on this day, Pick TRUTH, It is always the better option!

In peace and Love, C

The lawn chair that stole me beer

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I just don’t know what year it was but I remember the situation like it was only yesterday. I was sitting in a lawn chair, I don’t remember where, I just remember saying “WHY?”

Rewind to the late 1990’s, I was a garbage man. I was working for an outfit in Eagan MN and living in Anoka MN, a distance of about 40 miles, directly through the heart of the city.

After driving to work at 2 am, I would hop into my 50,000 lbs truck and hurl it through the back alleys and driveways of the Minneapolis and St Paul metro area, reaching speeds of 20 miles per hour past telephone poles that are inches away from the mirrors, stopping and dragging dumpsters out into the alley across snow banks and avoiding racoons and rats on a daily basis… I could tell you hundreds of stories… The prostitute trying to stay warm on a cold winter night. The cat carcass that was obviously served for dinner the night before… So much more… but I am not here to tell the horror stories of hauling trash on the UofM campus where the hot tub party was in full swing as I backed into the dumpster at 4:30 am…. Or ending my day at about 1 pm, just to drive another hour to get home… or maybe not drive home. Maybe I decided to stop off with the guys for a cold beverage… finally heading home at 7pm…

That is not the story I am here to tell you about, I’m here to tell you about the hope I was given in a new life.

I continued this pattern of consuming the “COLD LIBATIONS” well past my garbage days, into my new career of HVAC. Day after day, Night after night…Monday night football means a case of Michelob Golden and snacky foods, a bag of chips, a fresh smoked goose or a deep fried turkey… Some days the boys would be with me and others I went alone, but never would I miss a Monday night football game… I told myself “this is the one night out of seven that’s MINE!

MY NIGHT, truth be told, I was able to not drink most evenings, instead I would fix the house, take the boys camping and still drink every other night I could. I would tell myself “as long as I don’t start drinking alone, I am not a drunk bum or alchy”. I remembered my father, and how every Wednesday night he had his “ONE DAY”. The one day he would turn onto a bike path on the way home down the parkway, or run into every curb with that right front tire, making a miscalculation on every turn….  I never knew I would be like him, drunk one night a week. I wouldn’t know how much I drank and “DIDNT GET DRUNK” until my eyes were opened to the truth. 

The eye opening started one night in Eagan, at a “buddies” house, eating deep fried anything, drinking until it was time to leave as Monday night football concluded for the night. I was living in Ramsey at that point, just a few miles further now. I wasn’t drunk, I just had a few. I was feeling sick, I must have eaten something that didn’t settle. I struggled to see the road as it was moving all over the place on that clear summer evening. As I crossed the river on MN77 (Cedar Ave) I felt the welling up from deep inside, but like the good drunk I had become, slowly and steadily, I overcame the issue, grabbing a jacket to mop up the mess I just made all over the steering wheel, dash board and seat… I GOT THIS MAN!!! 

I sat years later, reflecting on that night, reflecting on my class reunion, reflecting on my wallet…Remeber? I was sitting in the lawn chair, and I asked “WHY?” I sat holding a half downed can of Budweiser, I looked at it and said “WHY”. I set it down, I looked at it, I remembered all the good times I had because of the bottle, can or mixer… never have I had a moment so clear in my life… never touched a drop after that, but the temptation, coercion and manipulations were just starting… The sideways look from the guys you work with when you say “No thanks, I don’t go to bars” like it’s some sort of perverse character flaw. The gal at work that’s flirtatious and asks you out to have drinks at her place… The ex wife that screams “YOU USED TO BE FUN BEFORE YOU QUIT DRINKING”… 

And still, the Lord held my hand stronger and whispered softly… “I won’t stop you, but you have the choice to not drink, to change your life, to be a good father, to be clean”

That last beer was probably around the year 2008, I am only guessing from circumstances I remember in our life. So I’m not exactly positive what year or what date, It wasn’t a date I thought to mark down, record or celebrate like so many other folks can do. To me? I just stopped drinking in a super natural way that can only be credited to the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, the almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, creator of me and you! I take no credit aside from giving up the fight and listening to the “TRUTH”. A small voice that called me out of darkness and into the light. 

I hope my testimony finds you well. I pray you can know the hope I had on that fate filled lawn chair, somewhere in Minnesota when I looked at that can of beer and said one simple word “WHY?”

May God richly bless you on the beautiful Sunday morning. C