Repost of Co_Heir's blog "AUTOSPY"

I recently read a blog from Co_Heir (www.myspace.com/co_heir) called "Autopsy." This blog was eye opening and powerful. It seems to be a reflection of some of the places we worship currently, not all, but some. May it make something rise up in you to bring new life back to that which no longer has real life. With Co_Heir's permission, I am reposting his blog.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Autopsy
The subject is dead. The history of the dying is as follows:

Twenty or thirty years ago, the subject had opportunities to broaden horizons and take actions to ensure long term flexibility and health. Like many others, the subject preferred to continue making the same lifestyle choices that were good during the early years, but that had outlived their usefulness. The subject not only refused to make needed changes, but began to speak out against those who did change and refused to work with them in the community. I believe this is the point when the subject began to die.

As the years went by, the subject became further entrenched in the old ways, even as life and vitality continued to wane. Friends and family members began to leave and find others to spend time with. The subject began to shrink and muscles began to atrophy. A form of dementia set in and the subject began to withdraw and close out the rest of the world, only opening the door to the occasional visitor. Visitors were few and far between, and those who did come quickly realized that the subject's ways of believing and acting were not for them.

The old caretaker retired, and a new one arrived with dreams of revitalizing the subject. What the new caretaker and the subject's few remaining friends didn't realize was that the subject was already too far gone. Due to a lack of action, the muscles had deteriorated to the point where some of them had actually disappeared. This caused some of the internal organs to also lose function and die.

The subject was placed on life support in an attempt to keep certain functions working. These functions were seen as essential to the caretaker and those still gathered around the subject. What they didn't realize was that the way these functions were performed, even some of the functions themselves, were actually contributing to the subject's demise.

During the last few years life continued to drain out of the subject. Even the children, whom the subject professed to love, stopped coming around. Many of the ones who worked so hard to revitalize the subject have gone elsewhere.

The subject was declared dead on Sunday, September 8, 2008 at 11:00 AM. Artificial life support will probably continue, but any real life is gone.

ARMS EXSTENDED

James (my son) and I ran into Wal Mart yesterday, to pick up a few things. We were in a hurry, much like the rest of the world is these days. We passed the bin in the movie section, were they have the old movies they are trying to get rid of. James asked if we couldn’t stop and look real quick. Okay, just for a minute, I thought. So there we stood digging thru the movies, looking for something we might be interested in watching, when I hear this man’s voice say “I have a couple of diggers here.”

“Excuse Me,” I said as I started to rise up to look at him. I was not sure if he was joking with us or insulting us.

“I have a couple of diggers to help me out,” he said. This is when I took a second look at the man and noticed something that I had not noticed in the beginning. This man had no arms, now I understood why he needed a couple of diggers.

I looked at James and he looked at the man and without hesitation asked, “so what are we looking for.” The gentleman explained that he had seen an old movie a couple of days ago and had comeback for it. So, James and I dug and dug, while this man directed us as to where we were to look and how best to dig for it. He even said, jokingly, at one time that he was going to go over by James because he dug faster. I tried to explain that I had only one hand to work with because the other was full. He laughed and reminded me that I was still one up on him. Okay, got me there, I’ll dig faster.

After about fifteen or twenty minutes, we found not one, but two movies he had been looking for. We asked if there was anything else we might be able to do for him. He replied “no” that is all I came in for. “Okay then, have a good day,” I said. He was turning to walk away, stopped and looked back at us and said, “There is one more thing I would like to tell you.” “What’s that?” I asked? His response brought goose bumps all up and down my arms. He very calmly said “ I thank you for being my arms extended in the world today!”

So I will leave you with that to think about dear friends. As a follower of Jesus, shouldn’t we all be His arms extended in the World.

DO YOU WANT A PIECE OF CAKE?

Today was one of those days in the park, were you have one of those moments that you go okay, what just happened here. I had taken my son to work and while waiting for Terrica to get to the house, I was making sandwiches. I popped in an old cd of a conference I had attended years ago, of Bill Johnson speaking. The part of the message that caught my ear was how we miss God in the little things. We see God move and each time He moves, we look for him in bigger and better ways, always wanting something more spectacular and forget to see Him in the small stuff.

While at the park, did the usual, hand things out, give out hugs, talked, mostly hangout. I spent a lot of time talking to Tony from the Vineyard. Tony has such a loving heart and compassion for the people there and it is always a pleasure to talk to him. Tony had gone to get something to eat and I was standing there talking to a gentleman who I had not seen in the park before, but very much wanted to talk and have company. As we were talking I could hear yelling behind me. I turned and there were to guys, one lying on the ground and one standing over him, both yelling and threatening each other. I had seen people at the park yelling and screaming at each other and they usually work it out and go their separate ways. Today though it was different. I was standing there and I was just praying to myself, God please make these two stop and what can I do to help the situation? About this time one of them decided to start kicking at the other that was laying down. Now he has crossed the line and this going to get ugly I thought.

I don’t know what you want me to do God, but here we go. I handed my glasses to Terrica. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I didn’t want to break my glasses and I prayed, Lord please don’t let them break my teeth, other than that, if you want me to get into the middle of it I will. I walked over to were the two were and waited to see what was going to happen next. They were still going at it and the crowd was edging them on. I thought this has to stop now before we have a riot and everyone goes to jail. I yelled out to one of them and started to walk to him and was going to put myself between them. At that time Robert, one of the guys from the park, reached out and grabbed my shoulder and said not yet, just wait. Okay, wait for what, the sky to split open and the calvary to arrive?

Not more than a minute later, in the mist of all this commotion and yelling, this old man comes out of no were. He came barreling thru the people with a plate that had two pieces of cake on it. He shoves the plate between the two guys who are fighting and very calmly asks, “Do you want a piece of cake?” I was absolutely floored. My first thoughts were, “old man are you flipping nuts?” Then I feared for him, thinking these two were going to turn on him. Then I wanted to bust out laughing, because I thought these two want to kill each other and you offer them cake, how crazy is that? I truly believe God used this man to intervene though. At that very moment, everyone went silent and turned looking at this man in total amazement and disbelief as to what he was doing. In that brief moment the focus was on this man with cake. The two fighting had a moment to take a breather and refocus. Yes, they were still ticked off at each other, but the one picked up his things and made his way through the park. They did exchange a few words in parting, but the fighting had stopped.

I turned to look at the old man and he was gone and I just stood there for moment thinking, “what the hell just happened?” I thought back to the cd’s I had been listening to earlier that morning. God did not use great bolts of lighting, there was no booming sounds of thunder, no huge thing happened to make this stop. He used one little old man with two pieces of cake. So, some may say no big deal, the man offered them cake. I say thank you God for showing me that you can use the most unlikely people and things to accomplish your will and answer prayer. Thank you for letting me see you in the small stuff in life, sometimes those blow my mind more than the big things. So dear friends, look for Him in all the small things, sometimes that is were He does His best work. Oh, and the next time you have a disagreement with someone, maybe try offering up a piece of cake. What’s the worst that could happen, a little cake on your face?

Art In The Park

This week is the annual Art in the Park. The park will be closed for the art show and we will not be able to get in to spend time with our friends without homes. I love spending time with my friends in the park, but this gave a much-needed opportunity to relax and evaluate things and doors that are beginning to open in regards to the park.
So, today I headed down with Terrica to Art in the Park, were we met up with her son Jaymes and we took in and enjoyed all that the Art show had to offer. A nice warm, beautiful day, and I had two of the most wonderful people to spend it with. Enjoyed every moment that I got to spend time with these beautiful and special people…..Thanks you two!

Can you hear my cries through the roar of the Ocean?

I was excited to go down and see my friends without homes Sunday. It was the end of the month so there were more people than usual, I would have to say no less than two hundred people there. The moment I stepped out of my truck, it was like stepping into the crashing waves of the ocean. A wave of people just coming at you, all wanting your attention, all in their own way saying look at me, do you see me. A half a dozen people would be trying to talk to you at the same time and each just wanting that individual attention. Even through the crashing waves though, you would catch a glance at that one who was lost among the waves, one that didn’t clamor for attention, but needed to be seen. The one that says I am drowning out here and I need someone to rescue me.

As I stood among this crowd of people, trying desperately to give each some attention, I looked up and saw Chris hanging back in the crowd. Chris I met last year, he now has his own place and has been off the streets for three or four months now. He has no close friends and the only family he is close to, is his brother in-law Mike who has cancer, so when he needs someone to talk too, he comes to the park and we talk. The look on his face told me something was wrong. I made my way over to him and asked what is wrong? He could barely get the words out before he broke down and cried. Mike the one person whom he was close to had passed away. I held him as he cried and I cried with him, I did not know Mike, but we stood there together crying and mourning his loved ones death. We sat and talked for a long time. We talked about Mike and the feelings Chris was going thru. He is a recovering alcoholic and he said he almost went drinking, but decided to come down to the park instead. I am so grateful that he did. He left shortly after we talked. I called him today and will continue to check in on him.

I found my way to a picnic table and was joking and talking to a group that is regulars down there. As I sat there, there was a line of people lined up for the feed, through the line I would catch a glance of someone sitting alone on the other side of the park. I finally recognized who it was; out of respect for her I will call her Mary. Even in a park full of hurting and rejected people of our society, there are those who are even rejected by them. Mary is one of those. Mary (who is really Mark) sits alone; she desperately seeks acceptance and friendship, but sits alone. I excused myself from the table and walked over to Mary. I sat down, gave her a hug and asked how she was doing? I asked her to please come and join us at the table we were sitting at, after a little hesitation she finally agreed, so we walked back together and joined the others. We all talked, laughed and shared with each other. When we all left, there were hugs to go around and I love you’s.

I was so grateful that even through this ocean of people, I could hear those who did not just want attention, but were saying “I really do need someone today”. I am grateful that Chris chose to come down and talk and not drink. I am grateful that I was able to see among all the others, Mary who sat alone, and hopefully made her feel loved that day. At least now, I hope she will know that she will never have to sit alone again and she has a friend. There were more stories like this that day, people who don’t cry out as loud as the others and get drowned out by the roar of the ocean. As each week passes I hope to see and love on all my friends in the park, but I hope to able to continue seeing past the waves to the one who is truly saying “I need someone to see me today”! Our words and actions have power and you may never know how a small act of kindness or a loving word may change the course of someone’s day.

Side note: Terrica you were missed by those in the park this week. You loved on them and they remembered that. I assured them you would be back and they all said to tell you “Hello”.