Charisa Stories

Tag: texas

  • The Dog Days are Here!

    The Dog Days are Here!

    Summer has made it’s presence known this week in Texas. The oppressive heat leads to expressions like this from canine friend Maggie.

    For years I have been throwing around the phrase “dog days of summer” with no clue about its origin. The Romans noticed that the hottest days of the years happened to coincide with the appearance of the “dog star” Sirius which is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. They believed the appearance of this bright star contributed to withering heat.

    The Greeks were likely the first to use the term dog days and you will surely recall this reference from your most recent reading of the Iliad by Homer.

    Sirius rises late in the dark, liquid sky
    On summer nights, star of stars,
    Orion’s Dog they call it, brightest
    Of all, but an evil portent, bringing heat
    And fevers to suffering humanity.

    I was surprised to find that dog days appear in the first copies of the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. The lectionary of the 1559 edition of the Book of Common Prayer notes that dog “daies” begin July 6th and end September 5th. This corresponds to the 1611 edition of the King James Bible that also noted dog days in the daily readings.

    So we have historical precedent to celebrate dog days!

    I have now lived in Texas for 41 years. I love Texas and the people of the Lone Star state. Please remember that disclaimer as I confess that I can sympathize with General  Philip Henry Sheridan’s comments about Texas after the Civil War. Sheridan remarked that “if I owned Hell and Texas I would rent out Texas and live in Hell”. But let us extend a moment of grace and consider that perhaps Sheridan offered his comments during the dog days of summer. I suspect that before air conditioning I might have pondered the same thoughts. July and August are miserable in North Texas. That is our payback for mocking our Northern friends during January and February.

    The usual suspect for miserable summer weather is a high pressure dome that camps over the state. I am not a meteorologist but here is what I understand about this phenomenon. This high pressure dome just sits there defiantly (okay…it may not have personality but it sure seems vengeful) and whenever a cooling front or storm approaches those cooling temps bounce off and are sent to a less deserving state. Every night I watch the weather with naive optimism. I observe these fronts floating toward Texas from Canada, bringing the hope of tantalizingly cooler air, only to see this high pressure dome reject that relief. And we stay miserable. Texans (and adopted Texans) know that eventually this dome will be broken up and cooler weather will arrive.

    So what in the wide, wide world of meteorology does that have to do with my faith? One of things that God is teaching me is that I sometimes allow spiritual “high pressure domes” to affect my faith temperature. For example, a “high pressure dome” of pride can force the gentle front of humility and reconciliation to bounce tragically away.

    Peter’s life was nearing its end when he addressed the leaders both young and old in Asia Minor.

    And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

    “God opposes the proud
        but gives grace to the humble.”

    So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 1:5-7, NLT)

    I find it ironic that I desperately hope the weather high pressure dome will go away so I will not be physically miserable yet I ignore the stubborn spiritual patterns that make me even more miserable. I pray today for the winds of grace to break through and provide a refreshing spiritual forecast for this week. This could be our report for this warm summer week if we trust Him.

    …God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, NLT)

    You can read Maggie’s story in Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace

  • Thawing Out Some Lessons From Historic Cold

    Thawing Out Some Lessons From Historic Cold

    Today the temps soared over 70 degrees in Texas. That was an eighty degree swing in just a couple of days. The snow is just a memory but the effects of a record-breaking cold will linger for days and weeks. Joni and I were fortunate to not lose power for more than a few minutes at a time. We dodged the broken pipe issue that continues to plague so many fellow Texans. We had clean and drinkable water throughout the storm.

    Many of our friends and neighbors were not so fortunate. Thousands lost power for days as household temps dropped to dangerous lows. Pipes froze and left them without hot or cold water. Stores were unable to restock essential items and shoppers found aisles of empty shelves and coolers.

    As I prayed for those affected I reflected on the hard lessons learned through the pandemic and this polar blast. For me the main lesson I have learned is realizing what I truly need. People across Texas went from worrying about what luxury item they wanted to buy next to struggling to secure the very basics of life. This week showed rich and poor alike what you really need.

    Shelter and heat. Food. Water.

    The pandemic has also taught us a hard lesson. We may think that what we have lost with Covid is the ability to do things and that is true. But the biggest need we discovered in forced isolation is our need for community. We need one another.

    I am hardly prophetic but I did consider this very issue in my book Waking Up Slowly.

    One of the obstacles to trusting God in our daily walk is how much we routinely take for granted. Dictionary.com definition of taking something for granted is convicting. Anytime we “use, accept, or treat in a careless or indifferent manner” something of value in our lives we are guilty. I don’t think that is intentional for most of us. But it will take intentional thought to notice those overlooked little blessings. The second definition of taking for granted is to accept without question or objection; assume. I assume that those things will always be there.

    I do that almost every day. I assume by my actions that those things will always be there. Take a moment to thank God for things we rarely think about. Things like clean water and abundant and safe food supplies. When was the last time you thought about that? How about hot water when you shower?

    Today I will remind myself of this simple truth. The things you take for granted someone else is praying for. What is your list of small and overlooked daily mercies? Thank God for the ordinary and write down your many taken for granted blessings. I think you will be amazed at how much you (and I) take for granted every single day.

    Waking Up Slowly – Dave Burchett

    I also am trying to rewire my speech to remove the word need from the things I simply want. I don’t need most of the things I say I need to be happy. Coffee might be the one exception. The reality is I merely want those things. My true needs are very simple.

    Shelter. Food and water. Enough income to support those basics. Community. Family. Friends. Those are the things I really NEED.

    There is one more need that becomes more apparent through pandemic, polar vortexes, and societal upheaval.

    I need hope.

    These events are NOT a surprise to God. This pandemic did not find God scrambling to catch up. Sickness, natural disasters, and pandemics are a product of a fallen world that will someday be redeemed. Jesus made it very clear that following Him is not a get out of grief card. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NLT) Yes there will be troubles. Yes there will be heartaches, sickness, and even death. But He has overcome the world. What does that mean?

    It means even in my deepest fear and darkest hour I can know that I am loved, adopted, redeemed and that I have the hope of an eternity with God. I have hope to sustain me. I am not anxious to leave this world but I am also not afraid. I believe I have an eternal inheritance given as a free gift of grace awaiting me.

    The next time life events are causing your heart to be downcast remember the words of Paul to the church at Corinth. He had endured his share of suffering but he knew it would be okay.

    For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NLT)

    Today I choose to focus my gaze on the source of hope and light.

    Jesus.

    Keep your eyes on Jesus and the words of a classic old church hymn will begin to ring true in your heart.

    Turn you eyes upon Jesus
    Look full in His wonderful face.
    And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
    In the light of His glory and grace.

    As I finished a difficult week on top of a difficult year I realize the glory and grace of Jesus is what I need more than anything to make it through.