That lucky old sun………..

Up in the mornin’,
Out on the job,
I work like the devil for my pay.
I know that lucky old sun, has nothin’ to do,
But roll around heaven all day.

I was sitting in the airpot terminal in Memphis yesterday afternoon and I was humming this song, because it was how I was feeling. No I haven’t been “fussin’ with my woman” or ”toiling with my kids” (there grown and Sherelene and I are doing fine), but I was feelin’ like, “I was working like the devil for my pay….” After all I was sitting in an airport on a Sunday afternoon still a long way from home. About then I glanced out the window and watched a man in a rain cover poncho with water dripping off his nose throwing heavy bags on the conveyer that led to the plane. I remembered how heavy my bag was that morning when I lifted it up on the scales at the Delta counter. This poor guy was doing that all day long, and in the pouring rain! I was sitting in a nice dry terminal, answering emails on my laptop, all of a sudden my circumstances didn’t seem quite so bad. I felt pretty guilty for being a whiner like that.

Perspective. I talk about it a lot here, and I should. Perspective is what helps us make sense of it all. Is life tough, yes it is, are our lives tougher than everyone else’s, I don’t think so. At Southwestern Photojournalism Seminar over the weekend they had what are called 2 minute shows. Photographers have two minutes to show some of their work and talk about it. Some very impressive stuff came from students and very young photographers. Even more that the quality of their photography was the passion of their hearts. Many had gone into or were from the mission field. Their images made me forget about my temporary problems. I was touch deeply by the great desire they had to reach out and touch other’s lives.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in our own little worlds, with our own cares, but there is a big world out there and most of the people in it are not nearly as fortunate as you and I. The images and stories from these young people and my dear brother, Gary Chapman, once again opened my eyes to the world my Lord wants me to see. Jeremy Cowart’s images from Haiti reminded me again of what real devastation looks like, and how even in that You can bring hope.

Wake up calls are good, they keep us focused outside ourselves, on the world on others with needs far greater than ours. When we get involved in other peoples lives that need us, we lose the need to think about what troubles us at the moment.

Today’s Prayer;

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: D7000, 24-120 AFS VR f4. F4 @ 1/400th of a second. ISO 1600.
Sculpture in the Dallas/Fort Worth International airport terminal.