Sho Far So Good

I used to rent a room from a couple of wonderful people who lived in Arcadia, CA. Their sons were and are like brothers to me despite the skin color difference lol. The dad is an independent contractor and the mom did work with a para church organization back then. I was in grad school struggling to manage school, work and my relationship with my girlfriend. But theirs was the kind of home that you just walked into and instantly felt better. Oh and they had a Chocolate Labrador named Bailey.

We were all Christians in that house but as most Americans know, that can mean any number of things. Nevertheless, the mom got up most mornings and turned her worship music up while she cleaned. She danced literally like you would when your favorite song came on. She sang and she blew the Shofar, an actual ram’s horn used in the Jewish tradition to announce war, peace and the coronoation of Yahweh (God). This was regular. There was something that came across very clear to me as I dealt with my personal issues of disappointment, confusion, shame and inadequacy. One must decide daily what and who will rule in their lives.

This doesn’t mean that everyone will agree on what or who will rule their lives. Some choose themselves as they are absorbed with pride. Most Americans I’ve met who would check off  “___ Christian” if surveyed for religious preferences never seem interested in what my landlord mom used to do. Everyday is a decision to be ruled by something because where we live there is hierarchy. That means something or someone is calling the shots at all times whether its greed, worry, desperation or some other force. Landlord mom knew that the day ahead was unpredictable. She blew the Shofar to establish a precedent – that today nothing thwarts the ultimate authority of God. “Well what if I think God is a hoax?” said the blog reader. Answer: As a result of that stance, what have you decided will be your motivation for how you deal with:

• success
• failure
• tests
• tragedy (death, injury, betrayal)
• boredom
• insults
• challenges
• ETC