Author: Mike Cooney

I have spent the better part of the last two weeks in jail for a felony I committed against the heart of someone close to me.  I was arrested for aggravated battery, found guilty and given a sentence for what seems to be an indefinite period of time.  .  . because I am a repeat offender.  .  .and a three time loser.

My only comfort during the incarceration are the daily Losers Anonymous meetings that I attend. . .with losers of a feather, who like sheep, flock together.  Each meeting is filled with stories about the grief and sorrow felt about the crimes committed.  Regrets for the pain and suffering, the unthinkable indifference and insensitivity, the wounds and bleeding of the hearts that were victimized.  Just this morning, one of the convicts shared a Heart-felt song that was a blessing to all of us.  It was a melody she learned from a fellow inmate Who became a Friend, closer than a brother.

“How can you mend this broken man, how can a loser ever win?”   And as she sang, something Remarkable happened.  All of the prisoners, with one voice began to sing.  .  .

      “I can think of younger days when living for my life, was everything a man could want to do. I could never see tomorrow but was never told about the sorrow.”                                   

Living for my life.  Working hard at getting my own needs met even through meeting the needs of others; but not seeing it that way until the blinders were taken off of my eyes.   Striving to possess whatever my heart desired so I could be happy. Isn’t it what every man could want to do?  No one ever told me about the sorrow though.  .  .about the pain and  suffering I would inflict upon others and the torment it would bring to my own soul.  A man with a broken heart, unable to truly love in the moment.  Full of despair.  Handcuffed to his selfish needs.  Shackled to the shame and self-condemnation.

       “And how can you mend a broken heart?  How can you stop the rain from falling down.  How can you stop the sun from shining.  Please help me mend my broken heart.   .   .and let me Live again.”

All of the sheep of His flock are repeat offenders.  .  .Incarcerated in a Maximum Security Facility.  Prisoners forever.  Reminded daily of their misery and their perfect helplessness to change their behavior.  But their prison contains a Rehab that Promises to Heal their broken hearts.

       “For the Lord hears the poor, those destitute of the power to change.  He does not despise His prisoner, those He Loves.   .   .The Lord God has appointed me (Jesus said) to preach Good News to the meek, to those depressed and lowly because of their guilt and shame.  God has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the inmates and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” Isaiah 61:1

How can you mend this broken man?  How can a loser ever win?  How can you mend a broken heart?  Who.  .  .not how.  Who can Mend.  Who can Heal.  Who can Forgive.  Who is full of mercy.  Who is Love, the only Cure for a broken heart. Jesus, Name above all names.  Blessed Redeemer.  Living Word.  Speaking Life into a troubled soul, making them Live again.  Freeing the prisoners .   .   .  It is for Freedom that Christ has set you free.

  Free Love.     Freely Given.      Freely Received.     Free to all Prisoners.

Christ has done the mighty work, nothing left for us to do;

But to enter on His toil, enter on His Triumph too.

His the pardon, ours the sin –great the sin, the Pardon Great;

His the Good and ours the ill;  His the Love and ours the hate.

Ours the darkness and the gloom; His the shade dispelling Light;

Ours the cloud and His the Sun;  His the Day-spring and ours the night.

His the labor, ours the rest;  His the death and ours the Life;

Ours the Fruits of Victory, His the agony and strife.

  “Jesus said, ‘It is finished.  All work has been completed.  And He bowed His head and gave up the ghost.”  John 19:30

“The look of Love is on her face, a look that time can’t erase.”  Song lyrics. . .Heart and soul lyrics. ‘Love at first sight’ lyrics.  Lyrics written in the heart of God before time existed; but arriving in time just as He had authored.   The treasure hunting human heart has found gold.  “I’m rich, I’m rich.  I’ll never be poor again.”

A couple of weeks ago, I received a call from a couple who were in deep distress.  When they arrived and sat down on the couch in the office, the mom pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it to me. She asked me to read it.  It was a letter from their son, who is in his middle twenties.  As I read the letter, his thoughts and feelings captured my heart and Love covered him like a pure, white wool blanket, knit in the very Good Moment by the Shepherd of the sheep.  “Love covers. . .everything.“  He had carefully, honestly, bravely and with extraordinary compassion and sensitivity towards his parents, shared with them that he was gay.

Both mom and dad were emotional as they expressed their own thoughts and feelings about their son’s disclosure.  “I Love him with my whole heart and soul,” they both said.  He is the apple of their eye.  When he was born, they loved him at first sight and every continuous sight from that moment on.  A golden nugget, a diamond in the rough, a priceless pearl from the ocean. A blessing from God.

The grief that they felt was mostly because their son was almost bleeding to death.  His guilt and self-condemnation, his fears of disappointing his family and friends, the torture he had been going through, “living a lie” as he put it, trying to be what everyone wanted him to be…made him weak from the blood loss. . .and he’s never felt like a whole person.

       “Behold. a woman who was diseased with an issue of blood for twelve years came behind Him and touched His garment.  For she had said within herself, ‘If I may but just touch His garment, I shall be Whole.’  But Jesus turned around and when He saw her (with the Look of Love) He said, ‘Daughter, be of good comfort; thy Faith which I have given to you has made you Whole.  And the woman was Made Whole from that moment on.”  

She had found the Gold of God.  .  .His Son.  It was Love at first sight.  Her heart was full of Joy. The Faith that she possessed in the Moment,  was a gift from Him to enable her to see Jesus as the Treasure from Heaven, Who Loved her with His Whole heart and Soul with a Divine Love.  .  .the only Love that makes the bleeding sheep Whole.  Now their Hope rests in His Love that covers them with unconditional acceptance, utter and total forgiveness and promises to never leave them or forsake them.  .  .and to make all things that comprise their life, work together for their good.

He Touches their soul to Enable them to See Him and touch Him. In the Gospel story of the woman with the bleeding issue, when she ‘touched’ His garment the word touched in the original Greek language that it was written in, means: “to attach oneself to, to touch in many implied relations.”   Whenever Christ touched the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf, the paralyzed and the lepers.  .  .all of the different kind of sinners in life.  .  . the same definition, the same Greek word is used.  He Attaches Himself first and becomes the Source and Resource for all of their needs.

When each bleeding lamb needs Faith, He Touches them.  When they need Love, He Touches them.  When they need Power, He touches them.  When they need a Sound Mind, He touches them.  When they need to touch Him, He Touches them and Moves them to touch Him. He Makes them Move and they Love Him with their Whole Heart and Soul for He has Become their Whole Heart and Soul.  They are Whole and Complete in their Union with Him and wear the banner of His Love over their Heart.

       “My God will liberally Supply your every bleeding need according to His Riches, His Gold and Silver, His Pearl of Great Price, Who is His Son.   .   .I have Loved you with an Eternal Love.  Therefore, with Loving-kindness I will Touch you and Draw you to Myself.”

Fruit from the Vine Who is Attached Eternally to the branches. . .the branches attached Eternally to the Vine. . .bearing Fruit when they are Touched in time:  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Power and a Whole Heart and Soul.  All is yours from the Look of Love that is on His Face.

Freely Given.    Freely Received.      Free, Love.

“Sovereign Ruler of the skies, ever Gracious, ever Wise;                              

All my times are in Thy Hand, all events at Thy command.

His decree Who Formed the earth, Fixed my first and second birth;

Parents, native place and time, all Appointed were by Him.

Times of sickness, times of health, times of poverty and of wealth;

Times of trial and of grief, times of triumph and relief.

Times the tempter’s power to prove, times to taste the Savior’s Love;

All must come and last and end, as shall please my Heavenly Friend.

Plagues and death around me fly, till He bids I cannot die;

Not a single shaft can hit, till the God of Love sees fit.  (Ryland, 18th century)

There’s a peculiar-looking little sparrow on our driveway every morning eating bird seed.  My brother Jay noticed him earlier in the week.  He sits while he eats.  Today, as I watched him making his way around looking for seed, I suddenly noticed why he sits and eats.  He has only one leg and only one working wing.

It is extremely difficult for him to get from one place to another.  He doesn’t hop around effortlessly like the others.  He flops and he rests.  It takes everything in him just to move a few feet.  I swear you can see his heart pounding.  When he attempts to fly, he can only go short distances and then he crash lands.  He never goes very far, even when he’s gone from view.  He’s in hiding, out of sight.  .  . but not from the One Who sees all things.  It reminds me of an old gospel hymn.

        “Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come?  Why should my heart feel lonely, and long for heaven and home?  When Jesus is my Portion, a constant Friend is He.  His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.”

The seed that we provide keeps him alive.  He finds protection at night in the bushes in front of the house.  In the morning he makes his way out to the driveway to eat with the others.  But he is not like the others.  When they fly away, he must stay.  They go home to family and friends.  .  .to their nest in a tree, safe from harm.  He finds his refuge from his fears in the covering of a bush.  They seem to tolerate him, but he is no longer one of them.  He is a peculiar bird.

My heart reaches out to him.  He is wounded.  He is crippled.  He is alone.  .  .and afraid at night.  He’s the only one I really pay any attention to.  The sadness in my soul and the grief in my own heart echo his misery and has made me bird-brothers with him.  .   .birds of feather.

        “I am like a pelican of the wilderness:  I am an owl of the desert.  I watch and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.” Psalm 102:7

But as I said.  .  .he is peculiar.  Webster defines peculiar as, “private property; special, extraordinary;  exceptional;  different from the usual or normal.”  Just this morning I observed something about him that is extraordinary.  He was eating with the others when a truck came by and scared them off into the surrounding trees.  After the flock took off, I looked down and there was the little sparrow, sitting calmly,  eating the seed.  Every time a  vehicle went by it was the same routine.  He never looked up and never even seemed to notice the vehicles or the others flying off.

        “I sing because I’m happy.  I sing because I’m free.  His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.”

I walked out to fill the bird feeders this morning and I didn’t see him sitting in the grass.  I almost stepped on him.  He was totally unafraid of me.  He just waits each morning for the seed to be thrown on the driveway and he ambles his way over to eat.  What an odd little guy.  What a strange character.  His personal tragedies seem to have made him fearless.  I looked up the word “sparrow” in the dictionary and among the more obvious and expected definitions, was one that was surprising.  “One who is of an aggressively active and markedly self-reliant temperament.

Thirty-three years ago, I had only one leg and one arm left.  I had lost a leg to alcoholism and drug addiction and my right arm was paralyzed by guilt and depression.  A wounded bird.  A dirty bird.  A dead-duck sparrow.  At night I would seek the cover of the bushes to hide from my shame and guilt.  As I laid in the dust and the dirt I found myself saying, “Woe is me.  I am a man undone. I am a failure.  It would have been better for me to have never been born.”  A peculiar bird-man.

        “God selected, He deliberately chose what in the world is foolishness to put the wise to shame and what the world calls weak, to put the strong to shame.  He selected, He deliberately chose what in the world is low-born and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, those perceived by others as less than nothing and total failures.  .  .He chose those sparrows to magnify His Love and Power in them.  He has Done all of this, His Peculiar way, His Strange way, so that no mortal man should have pretense for boasting of his own power and wisdom before the throne of God.” 1Corinthians 1:24-29

My closet friends are peculiar sparrows.   .   .perfectly peculiar.  Among them are the crippled and the lame, the blind and the deaf,     asthmatic and wheezing.  Little birds with withered limbs.  Paralyzed with fear and anxieties.   Depressed, weary and heavy laden with the burden of life on their backs.  Adulterers, liars and pretenders.  Publicans and prostitutes.   .   .lonely and alone.   Peculiar little birds, nesting in the arms of the Creator of the Universe, Whose Loving eye has been on them even before the world was created.

        “But you are a chosen generation of sparrows, royal sons and daughters, a holy flock, a Peculiar People.   .  .selected by God to show the world the magnificence of His Grace and Love to sinners. He called you out of the darkness into His marvelous Light.”  1Peter 2:9

We sing because we’re happy.  We sing because we’re free.  Jesus is our Keeper. A constant Friend is He.  His Eyes are on the sparrows.   .   .and I know He Watches me.

Sing little sparrow.  Free Love.  Free forgiveness.   Free Power.  Freely given.

 “Deceiver, dissembler, your trousers are alight; from what pole or gallows shall they dangle in the night?  When I asked of your career, why did you have to kick my rear with that stinking lie of thine, proclaiming that you owned a mine?  When you asked to borrow my stallion to visit a nearby-moored galleon, how could I have ever known that you intended only to turn him into glue?  

        What red devil of mendacity grips your soul with such tenacity?  Will one you cruelly shower with lies, put a pistol ball between your eyes?  What infernal serpent has lent you his forked tongue?  From what pit of foul deceit are all these whoppers sprung?  Deceiver, dissembler, your trousers are alight;  from what pole or gallows  do they dangle in the night?  The Liar, William Blake   

We have this poem on the wall right next to “before and after” pictures of Pinnochio.  The sheep have to pass by them as they come into the meetings.  Pretty tough truth to swallow, unless you have the stomachs for it (sheep have a four-chambered stomach which enables them to ruminate.  .  . fully consider and digest what they eat).  My Lily has said many times that this room gets filled up each week with a peculiar flock of fabricating, prevaricating fibbers.  Recovering liars.  Not so coincidentally, lying seems to be a  major topic of discussion in the news recently.  Those in attendance today know that lying has been around since the days of the Garden of Eden, when the serpent lied to Adam and Eve.  .  .and lying entered into their heart and they became liars.  .  .and they lied to God.  .  .and lying has been with us ever since.

             “Man is estranged from the womb:  he goes astray as soon as he is born, speaking lies.  .  .they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly.  .  .we have made lies our refuge and under falsehood we have hid ourselves.  .  .none pleads for the truth:  they trust in vanity and speak lies.  .  .they have taught their tongue to speak lies,”

Pretty bleak assessment of mankind, right from the Mouth of God, Himself.  The verses above are from the Old Testament and the word “lies” has a Hebrew origin.  It means, “falsehood;  deceitful;  liar;  fail;  be in vain (to speak without real profitability) ; estranged (separated) from the real truth”.  The definition is offensive to most people.  We judge ourselves, in part, by comparing ourselves to others, like the Pharisee (who was secretly a total liar) in the Gospels, when he said, “Thank you Lord that I am not like that Publican, whose lies are apparent to all.”  Speaking of public liars, one of the newbie sheep at the meeting has tears running down his face and he’s coming up to the front of the room to speak. His name is “The Little Pine One (the real meaning of the Italian name, Pinnochio).

“Until that Moment, when He called me by my new name, I was senseless and dull, hardened like petrified wood, with no real Sap running through my veins.  I had a heart of wood and even though I was living like a real person,  I wasn’t Alive with a Real Heart.  And as you all know, my wooden heart was filled with lies.  And it always became obvious to others and to myself.  Then I said to my Maker, “I feel naked and exposed, filled with guilt and shame.   .   . and unworthy to be your child.”  Then He Kissed me on the forehead and sat me down on His lap.  .  .and told me this story.

     “The Pharisees brought a woman to me who was a notorious sinner and liar.  They said that she was caught red-handed and that the law demanded that she be stoned to death for her offense.  I stooped down and wrote something in the ground with my finger and then stood up and said to them, ‘He that is without sins and lies, let him cast the first stone at her.’ Then I stooped down again and picked up a white stone and wrote something on it.  And those who heard Me were convicted in their own conscience and left, one by one, dropping their stones on the ground.  Then I said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Is there no one left to condemn you?  She said to me, ‘No man, Lord.’  And I said to her, ‘Neither do I’, and I handed her the white stone with her new name on it, and I said  ‘Go, my Little Pine One.”

Then He told me that my name Pine means, “Richness;  anointing (filled with God’s own Life);  Fruitful;  to Shine;  Wisdom and Strength;  a child of the Creator of the  Universe;  a lamb of His flock.”  A Real person with a Real Heart and Soul.  Divine Sap flowing like a River through my veins, running through my heart, bearing the Fruit of Love, Joy Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Self-control, Faith, Forgiveness and Power.  A wooden heart replaced with a Heart full of Life and Love.  The very Heart of Geppetto, my Maker.  .  .the Lord of lords and King of kings.

         “A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away your heart of wood and give you My Own Heart .   .   .to him that I Enable to overcome, will I give to him a white stone and in the stone a new name written. . .” Ezekiel 36:26;  Revelation 2:17

A New Heart for all the Pinnochio sheep.  A Divine Heart.  A White Stone for all lying lambs.  The evidence of the Judge’s verdict of “not guilty”.  The Name ‘Jesus’ Imprinted in their soul.  Adopted by the Creator of the Universe.  Sons and daughters of the King.

Freely given.           Freely Received.          Free, Little Pine Ones

We all have been waiting with great anticipation for Monday’s HA (Human’s Anonymous meeting).  The ark will be filled to capacity.  Standing room only.    We call the meeting place, “The Ark” because it is the original name of the building.  It formerly housed a successful night club that was always filled with “party” animals.   The Name plate is still hanging outside the entrance.  It makes all of the critters who attend, smile as they walk by and see the plaque.  Even the building has as uncanny resemblance to that Great Ship that protected God’s menagerie from the flood.

This will be an “open” meeting today.  In addition to the Dumbo sheep, the jack-asses, the sheep dogs, the eagles, white-tailed hawks, the glow-worms, the sailor sheep and firemen and all of the newbie sheep, the meeting is opened up today, for visitors who are family and friends of the regulars.  The visitors don’t usually sense their own need for meetings like this one, but they are curious because they have seen some Remarkable changes in their family members who had demonstrated such weakness and constant failure in the past.   All of their loved ones use to be wine-bibbers.  They still are .  .  .but the Wine they drink now comes from a Special Vineyard.

     “In the Day of God’s Power, sing unto the flock who are a Vineyard of red wine.  I the Lord Watch over it and Keep it.  I  Will Water it every moment.  I Guard them day and night so that no one, and nothing can harm them.  I Will Cause them to take root and bud. . .and blossom and fill the world with Fruit.   .   .Thou has put Gladness into their hearts more than the times  when they drank the wine from another vineyard.   You Showed them hard things that they used to deny about their life and You made them drink the wine of astonishment over what they saw about themselves.  Isaiah 27:2,5;   Psalm 60:3 “

At every open meeting we have a guest speaker and the reason why we were so excited about this meeting is because of the presence of  Lazzy, who  is Alive and Well. Most of you know about the fire in the barn at the farm and the miracle we all witnessed.  Lazzy is going to share his story with us.  His big sister Lily is going to help him. (I am smiling with tears in my eyes as I write this).  Lily is holding his hand as they make their way up to the front.  She is a Flower from Heaven and her Scent captivates angels.

“My parents gave my brother the name Lazarus because it means ‘God is his Helper and Protector, one who has Almighty Strength given to him.  .  .one whom God Provides for and Makes to Grow  like an Oak Tree’.  When he came home from the hospital, he was crying and my Mom said that it was because he was thirsty.  It seemed like he was always thirsty.  He’d be fine for awhile, but as soon as his belly started to feel empty, the crying would start again so we knew it was time for more. He progressed to formula than on to beer, hard liquors and finally found contentment with wine. He became a connoisseur of a variety of wines from the best vineyards in the world. He loved his wines, so much so, that he was always intoxicated.  (Many of those listening to Lily are nodding their heads in agreement as they relate to the story.  .  .and Lily continued speaking).

        “Webster’s dictionary in part, defines wine as:  “something resembling wine especially in an ability to invigorate, intoxicate or spread a feeling of well-being;  a social gathering;  to treat with wine (to wine and dine);  to provide with wine”.   

An Ability to Invigorate.  To drink something that gives some life and energy to the soul.  To drink something that animates a heart that is sleepy or dull, or stimulate a sluggish mind.  .  .to fire it up.  .  .to energize the libido.  .  .jump start the old dead battery.  .  .amp it up.

An Ability to Intoxicate.  To drink something that poisons the constitution.  To drink something that stupefies (deadens and hardens) the soul to the point where physical and mental control is  markedly diminished.  To drink something that excites and elates the heart to the point of frenzy or enthusiasm.  To drink in something that is toxic to the development of the mind and emotions. Pump up.  .  .turn on.  .  .electrify.  .  .to bring a thrill.

An Ability to Spread a Feeling of Well-being.  To drink something that brings the soul into a state of happiness.  To drink something that makes the heart feel healthy or more normal.  To drink something that makes the ego feel prosperous.  .  .feelin good.  .  .all is well.  .  .nice!  Some ‘thing‘, or some ‘one‘, or doing something .  .  .All are drinking wine.  And all who drink are wine-bibbers.   All of us.  Everyone.  No exceptions.

     “The Son of Man, Jesus, came drinking and they said about Him, ‘Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber, a friend of thieves and sinners.  But His children are acquitted from guilt and found innocent of wrong-doing.”  Matthew 11:19

Laz has stepped forward and smiles as he looks around the room at his friends and after a moment or two, he begins to speak.  “When I heard the Master call out my name when I seemed dead and buried under the rubble of the collapsed barn, He also said some other things to me.

         “Let me kiss you with the kisses (words) of My mouth: for My Love is better than wine for you will remember My Love more than wine.  .  .I have come into My vineyard, My Lazzy, With you I have gathered myrrh and spices;  I have eaten My Honey from My Honeycomb;  I have Drunk My Wine with My Milk.   .   .Listen everyone who thirsts. Come to the Water.  He that has no money, Come and Drink.  Yes, Come and Buy My Wine without money and without cost.” Psalms;  Isaiah 55

“When He speaks to your heart,” Lazzy said, “He Makes you an offer that you cannot refuse.  His Words Invigorate and Quicken the soul with the very Life of God,  and brings with it an Eternal Sense of Well-being.  .  .a Peace that passes all understanding.  And the heart says within you.  .  .It is Well, it is Well with my Soul.”

Free Kisses of Wine.  Freely Given.   Freely Received.   Free, My Love

There was a fire at the farm where we have our social gatherings to celebrate birthdays and special occasions.  The barn that houses the sheep at night,  partially burned and then collapsed.  All of the sheep were able to run to Safety except for the youngest.  He was a little ewe named Lazzy.  We searched through the rubble, calling out his name. . .hoping he was still alive.  We listened and watched for any sign of life, but there wasn’t any.   One of the wild colts said that it must have been his time.  The Owner of the farm was out of town until yesterday, four days after the fire.   As he approached the debris, which now had become the burial tomb of poor, sweet little Lazzy,  he walked over to what was left of the barn and bowed his head. . .and prayed.  We all did.  I am teary-eyed now as I think about what happened next.

“A certain man named Lazarus was gravely ill.  His sisters sent for the Master with the message, ‘Lord, the one You Love is sick.’  When Jesus heard the message He said, ‘this sickness will not kill him.  .  .our friend Lazarus is not dead, he is only sleeping;  I will go in three days and wake him up.’  When Jesus returned to the town, He found that they had laid Lazarus in the tomb four days already.’

When the Owner finished praying, He came over to us to Comfort and Relieve our grief and sorrow. . .and reassured us that there was nothing more anyone could have done.  Then He turned and walked back toward the tomb of debris and raised His hands to Heaven and Shouted with all of His Might, ‘Lazzy, It’s Me.  Come Out Of There.’  And no sooner did the Words leave his lips did we see little Lazzy running out from the rubble with his wool singed and full of ash.  And when he saw the Owner he jumped into His arms, filled with the Joy and Wonder of the Miracle of Life.  Alive from the dead.

“When Mary, one of the sisters came where Jesus was at the tomb of Lazarus, she fell down at His feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here earlier, my brother would not have died.  And He saw her weeping and was troubled in His spirit, and He wept.  He walked over to the grave.  It was a cave and a stone lay upon it.  Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone’.  Jesus lifted up His eyes and said,  Father, I thank you that you have heard me, for I know you always hear me.  Now I will prove to those listening, that I have been sent by you to raise the dead’.  And then He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth’.  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes.  Jesus said to the others, ‘Loose him and let him go, to Live and Love like never before.‘

All the sheep who attend our HA meetings have had this experience, in one form or another.  The Truth about this story works in a very similar Way to the medical practice of inoculations, given to save Life.  The word inoculate means:  “to introduce immunologically active material as an antibody into the blood stream in order to treat or prevent a disease, such as inoculating children against diptheria or polio etc.;  to introduce something into the mind;  to protect;  to insert a bud or seed into a plant; infuse with strength.”

          “The Word of God, His Truth is Quick (full of Divine Life) and Powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.  It pierces into the soul and spirit of a man; like a needle into his joints and marrow.  It Discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart that is sick with death in all of its forms, and injects the very Life of God into the soul and makes it become Alive.”   Hebrews 4:12.

This story will Bless some and leave others relatively unmoved in their soul.  It sounds pretty religious to them, or they are not feeling sick.   I get it.  I remember when people from a neighborhood church down the street from my bar, would come in on Saturday nights and hand out little pamphlets with verses from the Bible.  We were all too busy enjoying ourselves and dealing with what really matters in life. ( The newbie sheep at the meeting today know that I’m only joking.)  The Truth about Lazzy is like a  Preserve secured away for a dark and rainy day.  .  .kept in the Medicine Cabinet of the soul. . .Administered by the Great Physician Himself. . .Speaking Eternal Life and Eternal Love into His chosen sheep at the very Good Moment that He had Authored before time.  The Son of God.  The Rose of Sharon.  The Lily of the Valley.  The Way, the Truth and the Life.  Preserved for the children of God.

Free Medicine.     Freely Given.   Freely Received.  Words of Life to a Weary Soul.

A couple of hours ago I was driving into Orland Park to do a few things at the office and I spotted a billboard with a picture of a typical holiday scene showing people drinking beer and having a great time.  The name of the beer was written across the bottom of the billboard.  The only other written copy was, “Be responsible.  Make sure there is a designated driver.”  Good Advice.  In all my years of drinking I followed that advice every time.  I swear to you. Unfortunately, I always designated myself as the driver.  It’s how I originally received my nickname, “Colt of a Wild Ass.”  or just plain Jack.  My Closest Friend and Lover of my soul Calls me Mike.  I am a Recovering human.

It’s not my intent to make this about drinking.  I get it.  Man’s nature, from the very moment it is conceived in the womb and comes forth in such extraordinary fashion, wooing and winning the hearts of all who are blessed. . .from that moment forward, the soul is determined to find life and love, and purpose for its existence.  There is a brilliance in the soul that discovers in a creative way, helpful aids that enables the heart to enhance, to enjoy, to be more social and comfortable with others.  Ingeniuous ways to endure, to overcome, to succeed, to deal with pain and frustration and to medicate the growing reality that there appears to be something wrong that’s making us a little woozy and over the legal limit of the law of sanity.

We start our engines every morning, let it warm up a little bit, pour some home made brew down the tank and off we go. . .self-sufficient, self-directed designated drivers on the highway of life. If I had said this at a Humans Anonymous meeting I regularly attend with the other sheep, we all would have sheep eating grins on our faces. . .and some of the old timers would be shaking their heads, remembering when they didn’t know any better either.  The meetings are filled with sheep who were continuously driving  over the legal limit. . . blind to traffic lights and signs, deaf  to warning signals and impaired mentally and physically.  In their blackouts they only remember sadness and misery, being totally self-deluded and self-deceived.  .  .driving themselves into the utter depths of despair.  .  .yet incredibly discovering a Substitute Driver.  .  . their  Eternal Chauffeur.   .THE  Designated Driver of the Universe.

       “You did Drive out the sheep with Your Own Hand.  You Removed them from their illness and inabilities and You Fixed and Planted them in Your Own Abundant Life and Power.  Their own driving could not save them. but Your Right Hand and Arm, and the Light of Your Own Presence Rescued them.   .   .because they were lost and undone.  Your Eternal Love and Grace for Your sheep  was the only Reason that it was the Season for a time for Your Love for each one.  Psalm 44:2-3

Webster’s dictionary defines the word designated:  “chosen but not yet installed;  to  indicate and set apart for a specific purpose or duty;  to point out the location of a marker designating the next moment of trouble and rescue;  to specify and stipulate;  appoint; fix; name; set.”  The driver chooses the best and safest route to take and since the journey is full of uncertainties and bumps in the road, the driver is Equipped to bring the passenger to its appointed, predetermined destination, not only in one piece.   .    .but Filled with the Mercy and Peace and Love of God.

            “He has Chosen the sheep to be in Union with Him before the world was created.  He had already Mapped out the specific route for each one that included every thing that would ever happen in their life, in every way, shape and form.  Even before they finally realized it, He had been in total Control of their lives.  He had been Driving them through every trial, through every difficulty, through every moment of sadness and disappointment, through every thought of guilt and despair, through every second of failure and defeat.  The entire journey Perfectly Designed, Perfectly Set in Divine Iron,  like the type on a old printing press.  .  .to Arrive at the Destination Predestined by Him.   .   .a Place to Fill us with the Fruit of His Spirit through Union with His Son.  Becoming branches on the Vine, Bearing the Fruit of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness and Self-control. .  . Enabled to Succeed in life, Energized with the very Power of God, Himself.”  Ephesians 1:4

THE Designated Driver for the sheep of His flock.  Like the footprints in the sand.   .   .only His are visible for He is the Eternal Source of Power, Love and a Sound Mind to the tired and weary sheep who have lost their will to drive and now are dependent on Him to take them from one place to another, as He Makes sure that all things.   .   .everything that they experience along the way, Works for their Good and proves to them that His Love never fails, for it is New every morning.  Great is His Faithfulness.

Freely Given.      Freely Received.       No charges ever, for the Ride.   Free to all who are the Apple of His eye.

All of the sheep in attendance at the meeting today  possess something Special, given to them unconditionally.  .  .and free of charge.  The first Gift that they all receive is a Bouquet of Flowers made up exclusively of Lilies of the Valley and Roses of Sharon.  My Lily has been picking them since the day she was born.  .  .from the very Good  Moment she was given a new heart.  There are references to these Flowers in the Old Testament of the Bible.

“I am the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.  .  .and the Rose of         Sharon shall be a fold of flocks of sheep and the Lily of the Valley a place for the herds to lie down in.”

“My Beloved is mine and I am His:  He feedeth among the lilies.  .  .His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers.  His lips are like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.   .   .My Beloved is gone down to His garden  to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens and to gather lilies.

It was love at first sight for Lily.  Just a glance at His cheeks brought the Spice of Life to her heart and just a word from His lips filled her soul with the sweet smelling myrrh of Heaven.  It was the day that He gathered her from His garden.   .   .when He spoke to her and said, “Peace, be still.  I am your Life and your Love.”  She who had been forgiven much, she began to love much.

Lily is our guest speaker today.  She wants to share something near and dear to her new heart.  It is the only topic discussed in Heaven.  It is Charity, the Essence of Love.  “We are all ears, Love.”

“”Spring cleaning.  An annual event.  Purging the old to make room for the new.  A typical household conversation between a husband and wife during this time sounds  something like this.  .  .

“Honey, please clean out your closet.”  Ok, dear.  I’ve done it.  .  .now what should I do with all of it?  “Give it to Goodwill.  .  .We’ll have the Salvation Army pick it up.  .  .We can give it to Amvets.  .  .Purple Hearts can come and get it.”  What is all  boils down to is this:  “We’ll donate it to charity.”

Charity.  It’s a word we’ve all heard before.  .  .in a scenario similar to the one above.  Perhaps as a       woman’s name that we may have thought a little odd or unusual.  On our tax returns:  “Please list any charitable contributions you have made over the past year.” (To list as deductions)  The things that you determined you don’t need anymore and have given to others to get credit for.  But what does the word mean?  Does anyone really know?

We’ve all heard the same reading dozens of times at weddings.  .  .”Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  .  .”  In fact, we’ve heard it so many times that we could probably recite it, or parts of it, along with the reader at the next wedding we attend.  But have you ever heard this version?

“Charity suffereth long and is kind;  charity envieth not;  charity vaunteth not itself;  is    not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly;  it seeketh not her own way;  is not easily provoked;  it thinketh no evil;  it rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the Truth;  it beareth all things;  it believeth all things;  it hopeth all things;  it endureth all things. Charity never faileth.”

Webster’s defines charity as “benevolent goodwill toward, or love of, humanity;  generosity and             helpfulness especially the needy or suffering;  also:  aid given to those in need;  an institution engaged in relief of the poor;  public provision for the relief of the needy;  an institution (as a hospital)  founded by such a gift;  and lenient judgement of others.”

“Generosity.  .  .especially toward the needy or suffering.  .  .aid given to those in need.  .  .relief of the poor, of the needy.  .  .lenient judgement of others.  .  .Love of humanity.”

Charity is to generously give aid, help and relief in an non-judgmental way to poor, needy, suffering humans.  Not because we don’t need it ourselves anymore.  Not because we choose to give it.  Not because we want credit for it.  But because He does it.  Through us.  For us.  Not because we deserve it.  But because He Loves us.

“And above all things have fervent Charity among yourselves:  for Charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”  1Peter 4:8    He will enable us to Love one another.  Because He Loves us.

Free Charity.      Freely given.      Freely received.     Free Love.
Free