Really!? I Can't Say "God Bless You?"

I have been trying to make a point lately to stop saying things like "have a nice day" or "take care" or "take it easy" when I leave someone's company -- particularly when I am dealing with someone I don't really know.  And, no, I am not trying to replace those expressions with something more trendy or cool -- partly because I am not really sure what the cool expressions are these days.  Instead, I have decided to go with something more like "God bless you today."  

I am not out to offend anyone, and I don't think I have.  You just never know when someone might need God's touch or a word of encouragement, and I don't think "have a nice day" really cuts it.  If you are going to say "have a nice day" you pretty much might as well say something like "later dude."  It's really become just an empty expression.

To be honest, most of the people I run into don't seem to react one way or the other when I say "God bless you" instead of something more politically correct.  I'm guessing, but I think it's because, as I said before, those parting words from a stranger are just a meaningless social formality, so they are not really paying any attention anyway.  But there are exceptions.

When I was at Home Depot last weekend the lady at the checkout told me to "have a nice day."  I thanked her and responded "and may God bless you today."  She did a double-take and gave me a momentary "did he just say that" kind of look.   But then came a big smile.

Yesterday, though, I found out that there are certain times and certain places where "God bless you" apparently is just not the right thing to say.  One of those times and places is the funeral of any veteran at the Houston National Cemetery.

I am not all that surprised that one can't say the name "Jesus" on such an occasion.  "Jesus" is just too controversial of a name.  The mere mention of Jesus, after all, could start a riot.  Innocent people could be trampled.  I mean, really, is invoking the name of Jesus to comfort a grieving family really worth taking that kind of risk?

But not to be able to say "God bless you" to a grieving family, or to mention God at all?  To me that is just going too far.  I just don't see any risk that saying "God bless you" at a military funeral will bring down the free world, offend the not-so-free world or cause mass conversions to Christianity.  (You can find a link to one of the articles discussing this policy and the resulting lawsuit against the Department of Veteran Affairs at the bottom of this blog.)

In a few days it will be Independence Day, and this "no God allowed" policy got me thinking.  It made me wonder what all of the men and women who ever fought, were wounded or died for our freedom would think of some of the things we have become.  What if we told the men who were signing up for the Revolutionary War that they needed to fight to keep Americans from being unfairly taxed, to gain freedom from oppression and to make sure that no one says "God bless you" to any of their family members at their funerals?    

I'm just asking.


www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2010015/Veterans-BANNED-saying-God-Jesus-military-funerals.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Random Thoughts While Driving To Home Depot

I have had a lot on my mind lately -- aside the seemingly never ending struggle to discern between what I want for my life and what God wants for my life.  It has been a week of great blessings -- the birth of Sailor, a hugely successful "Now Camp" for the kids and spending a couple hours with Lynton Turkington, one of our Pastoral Elders, immediately come to mind.  But it has also been a week of a few frustrations, which I won't bore you with.

Anyway, such events naturally lead to a Saturday morning working around the house.  When I woke up this morning I offered to clean the kitchen, but Pam said she was going to take care of that herself.  (I think she was being nice, but I also know that she objects to the way I stack the dishes in the dishwasher.  Either way, I'll have one gold star to go please.)  So, I got in the car, turned my iPod to the "God" playlist, and headed to Home Depot to pick up fertilizer for the lawn and some light bulbs.

As I drove down the street I found myself dwelling on the frustrations of this week.  These are actually frustrations that have been hanging on for several weeks now (and in some cases longer), and which I have been praying about earnestly.  So far, though, my prayers don't seem to have produced anything.  No resolutions, no revelations, no apparent progress.

As I continued on my way, though, a song came on the iPod called "Your Grace Still Amazes Me."  You may have heard it before.  Even if you haven't, you have probably guessed that the song is about the grace of God.

As I drove and listened, I thought about my prayers over the last few weeks.  I don't think any of these prayers have been selfish prayers.  They have been prayers for my family, for direction in my life, for people who are physically sick and in need of healing, for people and families who are in tough places emotionally, for people in financial turmoil and for people in other circumstances who just need God's touch right now.

But, as I listened to this song about God's grace it occurred to me that, while there was certainly nothing wrong with any of these prayers, God has already done more for us than any of us should ever have expected.  I was reminded that God has already done more for us than any of us deserved.  Jesus shed his blood as the perfect sacrifice so that we could gain the greatest gift of all -- reconciliation with God for eternity.  The Cross was never meant to guarantee that all of our earthly desires -- even the noble ones -- would be met.

So, for today at least, I think I will try to put some of my frustrations aside and focus on the bigger picture.  Instead, I think, at least for today, I will just be amazed by His grace and be thankful.

"Your Grace Still Amazes Me"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNClAJO2tnQ