Failures & Faith

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God looks not at our failures, but at the sincerity of our faith. The truth of that statement is found throughout history. Consider those honored as ‘Heroes of Faith’ by the author of Hebrews, who despite failing miserably earlier in life, were used mightily by God because of their faith.

Here are a few. 

Abraham, more concerned for his own well-being than his wife, passed her over to Pharaoh as his sister; later, his impatience with God’s timing would lead to hurt feelings and an unnecessary and unpleasant family dynamic.  Moses, long before leading his people out of Egypt, killed and buried an Egyptian, then hypocritically tried to play peacemaker between two of his kinsmen.  Both Moses and the valiant Gideon would doubt their abilities, self-worth, question God’s instruction, and resist their calling. And like many other men, the mighty Samson and King David were both enslaved to passion, self-indulgence, and captivated by beauty.  

Stories like this aren’t uncommon. Industry leaders, CEOs, Hollywood icons, athletes, and everyday people are stumbling masters of imperfection. Yet many contribute greatly and attain high levels of success and achievement. So why is this important, and why now?

Timing and proximity.

For a while now, my pastor has been preaching through the book of Hebrews.  Chapter 11 focuses on triumphant faith. Examining those highlighted as heroes of faith gives me hope…even heroes fail.  But faith endures, and by it they “…conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions…escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong” (Heb. 11.33-34; emphasis added).  Their faith gained them approval from God, because faith is evidence of the heart.  And God looks at our heart, not how many mistakes we make.  

But faith will be tested. 

Unfortunately for those who dislike discomfort, the pastor points out that for faith to mature it must be pressed…as olives are to making oil.  Faith is refined (matured) in the process of being crushed.  

It seems failure isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

I don’t know where you land on the coincidence versus serendipity versus providence spectrum, but just days ago Tim Tebow, a man I respect for his faith journey, encouraged followers to embrace failure as a growth and learning opportunity.  Part of his post read “Failing doesn’t make you a failure”.   While he’s experienced some incredible success in his life, he’s also experienced significant disappointment.  His faith still shines above it all. 

I don’t know him personally, but I expect he would agree that faith is something we experience.   Whether we live to be 100 or our days are cut short, faith is a journey, not a destination.  And sometimes God uses even a short life to make a lasting impact.  

It’s not comforting, but people of faith know that sometimes God’s greater purpose outweighs temporary discomfort. 

“Counting on the future is folly.” – Charles Spurgeon 

We are two years into a pandemic we were told would be under control within a couple of weeks. Many have lost faith in authorities and experts because of their inability to provide consistent guidance or expected results. Don’t count on the future.

Those who lost friends or loved ones to COVID likely had their faith tested.  Unrelated to the pandemic, my family and others close to me have experienced incredible pain due to the unexpected loss of loved ones during that time. Two, in particular, were taken from their young families undeservedly soon. It may be little comfort to those grieving, but each of them lived a life of faith and powerful testimony, leaving behind a lasting legacy and impact.  

Faith is tested in other ways, too. 

It’s difficult to explain the level of anguish and heartache over an estranged child, wayward and spiraling downward; consequences of poor decisions come to fruition near rock bottom.

The olive press of parenthood isn’t always a pleasant journey of faith.  Flaming, blaming, hateful arrows launched from the tongue of a broken spirit aren’t easily ignored. They sew seeds of doubt in even the strongest parent.  

Are my own failures to blame? Whose faith journey is this, anyway?

I’ve had both insignificant and epic failures. I still do. I’m ashamed to admit that I’m not so unlike those heroes of faith mentioned earlier. I’ve been impatient with God’s timing; hypocrisy isn’t foreign to me; I’ve doubted my worth, downplayed my abilities, resisted my calling, and questioned God’s direction.

And if ever a person personified their biblical namesake, it’s this David.

I long for the ‘good old days’, but as I pointed out in the preview to this article, maybe the good old days weren’t all that great either. Still, times certainly seemed simpler then.

I think it was Jimmy Buffett who said that living well is the best revenge. But vengeance isn’t ours to wield and many of us have some letting go to do.

But I see his point.

Living well with a faithful heart, despite our proclivity to stumble, may help today’s days be the good old days we seek.

Trust in the trustworthiness of God.

Get Strong. Be Strong. Stay Strong.

Tim Tebow quote retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6900445218035089408/

3rd Annual Year in Review

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After initially penning pretty much a novel just as introduction, I decided to pour my glass half-full and save the bellyaching opening for a future essay of its own.  I’ll instead focus on this summarized recounting of another year’s worth of life-changing blatherings.  I encourage you to link to each article for a closer look (audio versions available within).  I also encourage you to check out the new Beyond Strength merchandise store! 

Six Foot Cup: “I grieve for what our country has become. No longer a shining example of democracy to the world, we have lost a common sense of dignity and respect. Peaceful protests are one thing. But antagonism has led to months of destructive civil unrest, disobedience, death, and millions in damages. The U.S. is supposed to be the world’s democratic leader. Now we look like a dysfunctional junior high school. Our political ‘leaders’ and elected officials have cast aside statesmanship, diplomacy, and decorum in favor of hissy-fits and name-calling. Taking credit or blaming others for something clearly beyond anyone’s complete understanding takes precedence over doing the right thing.”   

This article was equal parts venting and encouragement. It ultimately suggested the socially distanced coffee meetup to battle social isolation ongoing at the time.  

“There’s nothing quite like sitting down with a friend. Self-care, buddy-check, confessional, solving world problems, venting. Whatever the reason, it’s good and necessary. I love my alone time…but I need people too! Bonus when it’s without agenda or drama or judgment or problems that need solved.”

God is in control. We are not God. Be wary of those who think they are.

Least Bad Option: This article is largely about attitude, motivation, and inspiration.  A quote from Pirates of the Caribbean character Captain Jack Sparrow summarizes: “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.”  

I met Greg, an amputee, at the gym while vacationing in Mexico.  The ‘least bad option’ had to do with his decision to have his damaged lower leg removed after failed attempts to salvage it.  What impressed me most about Greg (humility and a positive attitude), relates well to Sparrow’s quote and everyday life. “I’ve always believed there’s no sense feeling sorry for yourself…you just gotta pick yourself up by the bootstraps and keep going.” – Greg

Walls and Window Dressings: This one dove deep and is difficult to summarize. It’s about being real, not hiding behind a curtain of double standards or camouflaging your duplicity. 

“Never value anything as profitable to yourself which shall compel you to break your promise, to lose your self-respect, to hate any man, to suspect, to curse, to behave hypocritically, to desire anything which needs walls and curtains.” – Marcus Aurelius (Emphasis added)

”Everything is permissible” – but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible” – but not everything is constructive.” (1 Cor. 10.23)

Moral relativism isn’t the answer.  Be wary of leaders blind or unconcerned to the impact of their actions. 

Paradoxical Conflictions: This is another one that ran deep and isn’t served well in summary.  In short, paradoxical refers to something with two meanings that don’t make sense together: or a contrary opinion.  The subtitle of this blog, Finding Strength in Weakness, is an example. 

Conflict generally refers to a fight or strong disagreement.  

Combined, this article attempts to resolve inner conflict and related paradoxes I feel as a man of faith, usually surrounding interpretations of biblical commandments versus personal convictions.  

Making matters worse, it isn’t uncommon for so-called pillars of the church to be most rigid in their convictions. And the first to confuse them for commandments. You may just need to go read this one…

Memorial Day: Lest We Forget: “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother;” – Shakespeare, Henry V, Act IV, Scene 3.

Remember the fallen…Memorial Day and every day.

Do You Like Me?  Yes No: Today’s success is often measured in followers, likes, and comments.  I haven’t cracked that code, so I can’t help doubting myself or the value of Beyond Strength at times. I want what I do to be relevant and useful. I want to make a difference. It would be nice to be liked.

But as much as I yearn for affirmation, my worth doesn’t come from what I do or how many likes I get. And yours doesn’t either. Our worth comes from God. 

Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes: I found myself wondering if this romper-room dance was really a fun way to teach basic anatomy to children, or just a song about getting old?  

Adulting can be depressing and overwhelming, but we can learn a lot from what we did as kids.  Use this as a motivator to do things to improve your physical, spiritual, emotional, psychological, and social well-being. 

Even if it means running through the motions of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes a couple times.

Remembering 9/11: Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

Never forget…

Slow Down: “Just slow down. Trust me, it’ll still get done…you’ll still get there.” – Bruce

Slow down, take it easy, and give this one a read.

Finishing Well: With retirement rapidly approaching, I want to finish well.  My good friend and fellow short timer said, “We only end on a low note if we allow it.”

Finishing well means setting aside grievances, knowing what I can and cannot control, and adjusting my attitude accordingly.

Attitude and actions are completely within our control.  

Keep doing great things!

Get Strong. Be Strong. Stay Strong.

Shakespeare quote retrieved from: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/henryv/henryv.4.3.html

Slow Down

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A few weeks ago I was having another day like every other day, week, and month: over-committed, behind schedule, scrambling from obligation to obligation, place to place, event to event. Like many other days, I had to squeeze in a stop at vehicle services. As usual, Bruce was there at the gate shack under his signature flat cap. No doubt retired and working to stay busy, this dude is old-school cool.

Bruce has seen me roll through dozens of times. And while he’s often quick to compliment my tie or choice of suit, sometimes he delivers a nugget of wisdom that only someone who’s been around a while can.

On this day, he picked up on something that prompted him to ask, “How things been treating you? Busy?” I’m certain he had me figured out long ago as just another over-tasked lunatic trying to keep an impossible schedule.

I told him I was busier than I wish, but things could always be worse. Enter the wisdom of Bruce.

“You know what you gotta do, don’t you?”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“Just slow down. Trust me, it’ll still get done…you’ll still get there.”

It’s interesting, if not uncanny, that I happen to be reading a book by Eric Weiner called ‘The Socrates Express’. It’s Weiner’s compilation of life lessons from his study of various philosophers. Throughout the text, philosophers and philosophy itself seem to be telling us to slow down. In fact, Weiner suggests perhaps it would be better for us to greet one another by saying “Take your time” or “Slow down.” instead of more traditional greetings. He says by doing this often enough, “…we might actually decelerate.”

Maybe Bruce read the same book.

While it’s true that patience is a fruit of the spirit and applies in many contexts, it certainly plays large into slowing down – especially when considered in relation to other spiritual fruits like love, gentleness, and self-control. A fair amount of research links patience with healthier, happier people who are more rational and resilient, too.

Slowing down also makes us better listeners. I know, because I can be a terrible listener, especially when I’m in a hurry. I hate that about myself, and Bruce’s timely advice pierced right to the heart of the issue.

But speed is relative, and like other life skills, one must find proper balance. Take for instance recent events of a return trip from Florida. Where taking things slow, combined with an unpleasant desk clerk and an unreasonable supervisor, resulted in one-third of our party unable to make the same flight as the other two-thirds. Add in a necessary car-key exchange, boarding door closure imminent, holder of said key on the wrong side of security, and an ill-timed ‘random security screening’ ordered while trying to get said key to the other side, and it’s a small miracle I am not on a watch list somewhere.

Not the actual flight I missed.

Deep, cleansing breath.

A week after sharing the video preview of this article, I was camping in northern Michigan and posted a picture of my deceleration efforts. I captioned it “Slowing down takes time.” I don’t know if that’s considered a double entendre, zeugma, syllepsis, or what..but it is both literally and figuratively true. I admire people who have mastered the art of chill…but I’m not so good at it.

This is not a unique problem. Country superstar band Alabama once recorded a song I could sing in my head every day and it would be true each time: ‘I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)’. The chorus repeats the all-too-blatant main point:

I’m in a hurry to get things done
Oh, I rush and rush until life’s no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why

It sounds like a children’s book.

Like a child, I have a low threshold for boredom. I also have trouble saying “No” and many things that interest me. So I take on more than I should. Then I have too much to do in too little time. So I’m rushed. And maybe I’m afraid of NOT being busy because I know my mind’s tendency to wander. Not just toward less-than-wholesome contemplations, but to things I have seen, done, and experienced I don’t want to go back to.

After leaving Bruce, I put his advice to work. I drove slower back to my office. I took time to look around. When I started the long walk to the building, I was speed-walking, as usual. I breathed deeper and purposefully slowed my gait, instantly feeling the perpetual tension in my body release. I sought to maintain that peaceful, easy feeling the rest of the day.

It didn’t last long, but it was progress. And I am more aware now when I am rushing unnecessarily, and try harder to avoid spinning out of control.

Especially when TSA is about to flip the ‘randomly check this dude every time he travels’ switch.

Slow down and take it easy. And while you’re at it, keep doing great things!

Get Strong. Be Strong. Stay Strong.

I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why) lyrics © Reservoir 416, Murrah Music Corp. Songwriters: Roger Murrah / Randy Van Warmer. Source: Musixmatch

Weiner, Eric (2020). The socrates express. New York, NY: Avid Reader Press.

Remembering 9/11

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I am set to speak at a remembrance event this weekend to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks of September 11th, pay homage to those lost, and esteem the military and first responders whose lives have been forever changed.

A reporter advancing the event asked me to share my perspective about the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Taking the high road, I exercised appropriate restraint and diplomacy in my response. With the door of communication open, he also asked me to sidebar some recollections from the morning of the attacks.

This is what I shared.

My day job was in public safety assigned to an investigative unit. At the time, I was also serving a parallel career in a national guard security forces unit. It turns out this was a not-so-uncommon convergence of careers, both of which were significantly impacted by the events that day.

I was working at my office that morning. Not quite Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the space was nonetheless a standard maze of cubicles. Televisions broadcast multiple networks to keep analysts and detectives abreast of emerging local and national events. 

The news broke. The office fell silent as people drifted trance-like closer to the televisions. Shock and disbelief permeated the office as we watched replays of the first plane impacting the World Trade Center. A lack of productivity, and the promise of a larger screen, pushed me and my partners to one’s nearby house to continue watching the events unfold.

Like many others, I suspect the peaceful, clear blue sky and sunshine that morning so vividly contrasted the atrocity we were witnessing that it was difficult at first to reconcile what was happening. In fact, I recall thinking to myself after seeing the first plane impact the building, ‘How the hell did a passenger plane accidentally hit a skyscraper?’ 

Obviously when a second plane hit the other tower there was no doubt what was happening…further confirmed when the Pentagon was struck, and then reports that a fourth plane went down in rural Pennsylvania.

Within minutes of realizing it was an attack, I was on the phone with my military unit. I would spend the rest of that day and many that followed on and off the phone with my unit, civilian commanders, loved ones, and friends, all the while knowing that an attack on the homeland no doubt meant a return to active duty. 

Like many others, I was overwhelmed with feelings of anger, disbelief, frustration, confusion, patriotism. And a growing thirst for vengeance.

While it wasn’t a huge stretch leaving one profession of arms to go back to another, it wasn’t without challenge.  But first responders are just wired differently; they rush in while others are running out. Which probably speaks to why some of us aren’t quite right. It’s in our nature and our training.

No where is that pithy maxim more evident than reading the hundreds of names of first responders on the 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero lost ‘rushing in’ that day.

Or stepping into nearby O’Hara’s Pub to feel a spirit you’re not likely to forget. Ask to take a look at ‘the book’ while you’re there.

I recall one of the challenges for me was the impending birth of our daughter.  She would be born less than two weeks after the attacks, and I would be back on active duty two weeks later. I would remain on orders nearly two years under the Presidential Partial Mobilization. Fortunately, while a fair amount of travel, long hours, and uncertainty was involved, the majority of that initial tour was stateside, protecting the homeland.

That wasn’t the case for everyone.

At that time I had spent about 15 years in the military between active duty and national guard.  There was never any doubt as to relevance or responsibilities when I was on active duty. That was not necessarily the case once I transitioned to the national guard.  But the attacks of September 11th not only opened the eyes of the United States in a way they hadn’t since Pearl Harbor, it also awakened the ‘sleeping giant’ that was arguably the posture of the national guard, outside humanitarian relief and disaster response, for at least a couple of decades prior.  ‘Weekend warriors’ we were called…for good reason.

But it was time to rush in.

I would serve a total of nearly four additional years of active duty on and off following 9/11, including a tour in Iraq, regular trips to Washington, DC, and short-term visits with troops in the Middle East and other places around the world.

Neither military nor civilian career was ever the same as a result. And like many of you, I’m not the same, either.  

As predicted, what was supposed to be just a few lines of remembrance turned into much more than my reporter friend asked for. But for what it’s worth, it ended up equal parts catharsis and speech-writing (for the event mentioned above). And I’m grateful for the opportunity.

Never forget…

Get Strong. Be Strong. Stay Strong.

Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

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Do you remember ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes‘? Details are a bit sketchy as to origin, but it seems most commonly associated with Sesame Street in recent history. Considering my advanced years, vague recollections of doing the song and dance as a youngster, and leading my children and other church kids in this whimsical time-killer, I’m certain its roots are long ago.

There isn’t much doubt this nursery-rhyme-variety, body-part-identifying dance revolution has been used countless times to help little ones burn off energy, distract, entertain, and teach where their head, shoulders, knees, toes, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose are located.

I now find myself wondering if this romper-room cavorting is a fun way to teach basic anatomy, or really a song about getting old?

Of the 90 or so articles I’ve published, I’m sure I’ve discussed all these people-parts in the context of aging or related to life, leadership, and fitness in some other way. But let me bottom-line some jagged points here that come to mind for each that perhaps people of all ages can take from the unintentional swipe this kids song takes at my aging, aching, trichotomy of weakness (body, mind, spirit).

Head: migraines, vertigo, male pattern baldness, thought life, insecurity, self-esteem, vanity, trouble focusing, inevitable senility.

Shoulders: shouldering my share of the work, vaccination scars (from a time there was much less controversy about getting one), proper development of, proper care for, arthritis from injury and overuse, physical therapy, inevitable surgery, and of course the Beyond Strength logo.

Knees: knobby, achy, creaky, crackly, scrapes, scars. But most of all, a need to spend more time on them in prayer and apology.

Toes: part of our feet, which should be going into all the world and making it a better place. I’m thankful to have reasonably presentable paws, but not everyone does. Some old-timers’ hooves show (and feel) the wear and tear of a lifetime spent clomping around on them. Take care of your feet (and your toes); they will thank you for it. Others will also appreciate it, especially if you’re one to wear sandals or go barefoot.

Eyes: itchy, watery, bloodshot, bags under, astigmatism, inevitable need for ‘readers’. Most importantly, their connection to thought life. Consider this, for one…”If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.” (Matt. 5.29). Read the verse prior for context. On the plus side for a guy like me, the obvious brutality of the phrase surely excludes its literal translation. But the implication is clear. Look, God created countless beautiful things, women among the loveliest in my opinion. But don’t dwell. Appreciate their beauty and move on. Easier said than done…trust me, I know.

Ears: eavesdropping, protruding, ringing, diminished hearing, gravity and time’s lengthening effect, propensity to listen to or repeat the wrong things. Can you hear me now?

Mouth: see above. The mouth is one of the harshest and most weaponized of physical features. Once uttered, words can’t be undone. The mouth can equally affirm or destroy. Take it from someone who has been unfortunately good at both. Use yours wisely, kindly, lovingly.

Nose: first and worst is failure to recognize one’s own stench. Allergies, reddening, gravity and time’s lengthening effect, obvious target for blemishes, acne, and carcinoma. Beware digging for gold, especially when sitting in traffic.

I don’t think this made as much sense here as in my head when contemplating this article. But here’s the thing…we can learn a lot from what we did as kids. Age, experience, responsibilities, stress, the effects of aging, seeing what we do and are capable of when left to our own devices, and adulting in general can be depressing or overwhelming.

Use this as a motivator to do some things to improve your physical, spiritual, emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Even if it means running through the motions of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes a couple times.

It’s also good to remember old Sunday school songs like ‘O Be Careful Little Eyes’ or its more recent and powerful mashup ‘Slow Fade’ by Casting Crowns. Considering my own shortcomings and tendencies highlighted above, I should probably just play this on repeat. All day.

Be careful little eyes what you see
It’s the second glance that ties your hands
As darkness pulls the strings

Be careful little feet where you go
For it’s the little feet behind you
That are sure to follow

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise
The end is always near

Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises
Lead broken hearts astray

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you’re thinkin’
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinkin’

It’s a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade
When black and white have turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see

Source: Musixmatch. Songwriters: John Mark Mark Hall

Slow Fade lyrics © Sony/atv Tree Publishing, My Refuge Music

(Some repeat choruses omitted for brevity)

Get Strong. Be Strong. Stay Strong.