Is it okay to be happy?

Yes.


 Okay let me explain where I am coming from. 

Yesterday, I was teaching gym at SLS in Ridgway. We were at the YMCA because of the storm. In one of my classes we played a game called, "Mouse-trap." Half the students were mice and the other half formed hands in a circle and acted as the "mouse-trap."

The goal for the mice is to get into the mousetrap and out without being caught. Pretty difficult. Most students could not do it. But it was fun. Kids were laughing and filled with joy. Until one girl sucessfully entered the mouse trap and exited the other side. 

She was happy. She finally did it. A few more students managed to do it but She was the FIRST. She proclaim a little bit of emotion and gave hugs to a few of her friends. To this celebration two members of the "mouse-trap" were greatly offended. 

Oh did I mention that these kids were 8? So the offended party starts yelling that the offender (or the successful mouse) should not be bragging because it is just a game. 

So who is right? The Mouse or the Mousetrap? The offender or the offended?

So, there I was in the middle of class with conflict. I briefly tried my best to explain there is a difference between bragging and and celebrating. Its okay to be happy that you did something good but it is not okay to make someone else feel bad about it. 


 I'm not sure how much of the talk these students understood.

Have you ever tried to explain the difference between "bragging" and "celebration" to a group of second graders? 

I am just one voice in their life. And I hope to be a good one but they listen to so many voices. Their other teachers, their parents, their coaches,their friends, and many other voices around them. 


But this whole conflict lead to me thinking......is it okay to be happy? I mean if you are a Christian you are suppose to be humble right? Putting others first. And if you are a parent don't you want your children to be humble? You know like Jesus?


Ya, we should be humble. If you believe in Jesus and identify as a Christian you believe that everything you have is a blessing from God. This includes your personality, your talents, even how much money your family has!  It all comes from God and we should be "humble and kind."

But is it okay to be happy? What I mean by is this: Is it okay to celebrate an accomplishment? 

The answer is yes but I need to explain because I know some people that act worst than these 8 year olds. It is okay to be happy. It is okay to celebrate what you did and celebrate what others have done. 


At the same time we should not be a jerk (by the way I don't think this girl was being a jerk or her intentions were to hurt someone's feelings). I just think that they were taught that it was not okay to celebrate because it meant you were bragging.


But I will tell you , and maybe myself, the same thing. We celebrate to give God the glory. We thank Him for helping us to achieve our goal. And we do not put others down. 


But what if that wasn't my intention? What if I wasn't trying to hurt someone's feeling by how I acted? Well, since it is not about you, its about how God has gifted you, then just tone down the celebration. 

Because after all its just Gym Class.

Unless Someone Like You

Do you remember the Dr Seuss book "The Lorax"?


The Lorax is about a boy name Ted Wiggins who lives in a completely artificial city. Everything is fake including the trees. Ted has a crush on a local environmentalist Audrey who wants to see a tree more than anything in the whole world. So Ted leaves his city on search of the "Once-ler" who he heard knows about trees. The "Once-ler" promises to tell Ted about trees if he listens to his story over multiple visits.

The "Once-ler" recounts the story of how when he was a young man he parted his family to find good material for his new invention. The key to his new invention was one of "Truffula" Trees in the forest.

It is here in the forest that the "Once-ler" meets the Lorax. He is the guardian of the forest and declares many times, "He speaks for the trees." The Lorax warns the "Once-ler" to leave the forest or he will be doomed. However, he does not listen to the warning. Instead, he does what any good capitalist would do and cuts down as many trees as he could, as fast as he could, so he could become as rich as he could.

Yet,one day, the forest was destroyed. There were no more trees or animals. And intense fog and smog covered the land. The Lorax leaves and only leaves a stone-cut word: "Unless"

At the conclusion of the "Once-ler"'s story he understands the meaning behind the Lorax's last message. He then gives Ted the last "Truffula" seed in hope that he can plant it and make others care about real trees once more.

A few more things happen. The bad guy is defeated. The hero gets the girl. They sing a song about planted trees and "letting them grow" and we are left with a challenge.

We are told,

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Wow, what a great message.

So are you more like the "Once-ler" of the "Lorax"?

The "Once-ler" consumed. He used. He didn't care about anyone but himself. But the Lorax cared. He cared about the animals. He cared about the trees. He cared about generations way beyond his himself.

We can take this discussion in a few different directions.The most obvious direction is that of the intention of Dr Seuss: Care about the earth and take care of it. Because we only have one.

And I agree. We should take care of the earth. We should recycle. We should use reusable resources as often as we can.

But I want to talk about something else. Or rather someone else. People.

 Yesterday we remembered September 11, 2001. It was 15 years since that crazy day. A day when many people "came back" to God. or at least to "church" Because you know when disaster comes it is at least good to know that God is on your side. Just like with the Civil War. That is why we have "In God we trust" on our money. We figured if we were fighting a war we should make sure that God is on our side.

 There is great injustice in our nation. (in case you have been sleeping). And don't get me wrong I am proud to be American. I love this nation. I have only ever been to three so I don't have much to compare her to but I like it here. But we have a long way to grow.

We see this most evident when people like Colin Kaepernick exercises his First Amendment right to not stand for the National Anthem and gets mocked by the media. Listen, I would not have done it that way, but either everyone is free or no one is free.

I am glad he stood up (ironically) by sitting down (or taking a kneel). We need and should desire social change. We should desire it by peaceful protest. Because if people don't stand up then the powerful people only get more powerful while the oppressed only get more oppressed.

I am not black. Not even close. I am very very white. But we need to stand for the rights of others. And Yes, in case you were wondering, "Black lives do matter." Isn't that what we want as a country?

Just because Muslim terrorists attacked our country 15 years ago we should not label every Muslim a terrorist in the same way I would not want to label all Christians "bigots" because some are.

But the truth is: We, like the Lorax, need to stand. We need to speak. Why? I am not being oppressed. Well, not yet.

But you might one day and you will wish that someone stood up with you. My hope and my prayer is that you will be filled with compassion and empathy this day.

Pastor Martin Niemölle said it this way.......

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

 

 

So there ya go. You might not be a socialist, you might not be a Jew, or a homosexual, or a Muslim, or Black, but you are some thing and you are someone. 

And you either fight for someone to have justice or allow for them to be oppressed. 

 

 And.....I want to see our nation become stronger and for each individual to have "liberty and justice for all." But.......

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not."

 

The Gospel according to "The Little Prince"

 This past week I watched the movie "The Little Prince" on Netflix. I guess its only available on Netflix. Whenever you watch movies you should always watch your emotions and then ask God why am I feeling this way?

 

While watching this movie, I was incredible angry at this little rose. 

                                                                                                                                                              

 

 

 

 If you have not watched the movie I guess here is where I need to warn you of SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!

I don't know if it was the intention of the author but while I was watching "The Little Prince" I couldn't help but think of Jesus.

 

This rose is worst rose in the universe. She is incredibly vain and self centered. Yet despite all of that The Little Prince returns back to his home planet for her. I could not believe it. I could not have done the same.

 

And I have to admit that more times than I desire I am more like the rose than the Little Prince. Often I can become vain, self centered, and only think about my needs. (Like last night: for some reason I was in a hurry to return home and watch the fourth preseason football game on tv. Yet I was delayed by construction on Depot St). How dare they intrude on me watching the Steelers' 3rd and 4th string players perform against the Panthers! And then get bored of the game by halftime and start watching "The Good Burger."

Sorry, I was a little distracted. :)

But here is the Good News (That is what Gospel means right?)

 

Even when we are vain and self-centered we are still beautiful. We are adored by God beyond measure. Though we are not the only one in the universe God looks at each one of us like we are the only one. We are incredibly beautiful in his eyes yet we fail to see it so we act out. We say maybe I will find meaning if i do.... these three things. Lose 25 pounds, get a better job, make more money, etc. (by the way; nothing wrong with improving your life the error is finding meaning in things that can so easily go away, see my blog on  New Years Resolutions).

Yet Jesus came. He knew you (we) were sinful. He knew how you (we) would be filled with vain thoughts and desires. And He died to demonstrate his love, his unconditional love, for us. Because He sees our beauty when we do not.

So my charge for you is to be like The Little Prince to love when no one else will. But its more than that. Because its so easy for us to make loving others about ourselves. (Look how awesome I am for loving them!) 

My charge for you is reflect on your imperfections and realize how you are loved beyond reason by the God of this universe: By Jesus Himself. Because once you realize that you were loved, chosen, and adored by God when you were (and are) at your worst then and only then can you love like that The Little Prince.