While the world has gone to Hell in most ways, I gotta say I love the nighttime viewing options these days.
Growing up Dad would say, "Mike! Change the channel!"
That meant scooting my butt across the floor because he and Mom took up the sofa, so my brother and I sat on a rug in front of them to watch television.
I'd turn the knob from Channel 11 ... CBS ... to Channel 3 ... NBC ... and things were fine so long as something was on Dad wanted to watch.
"Turn it to the other one," he'd order if there wasn't, so I'd turn the knob to Channel 22 ... the new channel ABC ... which means I have to stand up and move the rabbit ear antennas around until the picture comes in straight.
To this day I don't care for ABC.
"Turn it back!" he'd bark as soon as he could see what was on.
Damn I hated that!
Now Sarah and I watch whatever we want from a satellite in space in real time and, though out of habit I still sit in the floor, I don't have to move to change the channel.
"You're using too much lotion on my feet," my wife scolds.
I have no idea what she's talking about.
She sticks her feet in my face, I squirt gobs of lotion in my hands and tenderly caress her feet.
How can I use too much?
I love her more than anything!
She deserves shit loads of lotion between her toes ... on her heals ... in the arch where she like it rough.
"You only need a dollop," she explains.
"That's what I used," I answer, rubbing the excess on my legs.
"Look at this," my wife coos, as I wipe more lotion into the carpet so I can change the channel.
Handing me her phone, she shows me one of those Face Book games, "What Song Is Your Life?"
Her's is "Imagine" by John Lennon.
"Sarah, it's easy to become jaded in the world we live in, but you've always had an incredible way of reminding people that in your life there is still beauty to be had."
"Damn, that's good baby!" I say, continuing to rub her feet with the excess lotion in my hands.
"You do it," she says.
"Naw, I don't do that stuff," I protest.
"Do it," she commands so I hit play and in the seconds it takes Face Book to examine my life, I'm thinking it's going to be Jimmy Buffett's "A Pirate Looks at Forty" or Bruce Cockburn's "Wondering where the Lions Are" ... when my phone beeps and we look to see.
Sarah busts out laughing.
"Well you can tell by the way I walk I'm a woman's man ... no time to talk."
"What the Hell?" I ask in disbelief.
But, yep, the song that best represents who I am as a person is "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees.
"Micheal, you are a survivor," Face Book sums me up, "a dreamer who chases his desires often confronting harsh barriers and challenges but endures to continue the chase."
Or as the Brothers Gibb put it, "Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around since I was born!"
Well, yeah ... I have to admit.
Dammit! How can Face Book know so much about who I really am?
THE FRIGGING BEE GEES?
But that's the thing though isn't it?
Who we believe we are normally isn't the truth of the matter.
We think we're much more than we really are ... or we're far less than God made us to become.
Sometimes others see us as we really are but, honestly most are too busy trying to portray themselves as they think they are.
"Do you not know that you are God's Temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's Temple, God will destroy him. For God's Temple is Holy and you are that Temple" (I Corinthians 3:16-17).
I mean I know I am God's Temple ... I mean I believe I am God's Temple ... and that makes me pretty damn good!
Go ahead, take a few moments and see for yourselves.
As James Brown used to sing, "I LOOK GOOD! YOU KNOW THE WAY THAT I SHOULD NOW!"
What?
That's not the words?
Okay, I feel good too! I get it.
I mean I should feel so good because I eat what I want ... drink what I want ... love who I love ... and only hang out with people who are cool, have it all together and have God's stamp of approval on their foreheads.
Like you.
Except ... I know that's a lie.
I mostly hang around people who are just like me.
If anyone destroys God's Temple ... meaning you and me ... then God will destroy him or her ... because you and I are Holy ... and, well, let me be completely honest here ... I think the only one's capable of destroying God's Temple is the one taking care of it ... you ... and me.
I have to say, it's a lot more interesting ... and fun ... watching you destroy your Temple than it is knowing you're watching me destroy mine.
But that's the truth of the matter.
We destroy what God's given us.
Not anyone else.
We do it to ourselves.
We merely blame others.
Here's the thing though ... something the Bee Gees have now taught me ... "But now, it's alright ... it's okay ... you may look the other way."
The other way is to stop destroying the Temple God gave us and start rebuilding it.
Rebuilding the Temple is a rich Biblical theme because we're so gloriously great at destroying God's gifts so acknowledging we're the ones screwing ourselves is the first step in rebuilding.
So as jaded as my beautiful wife Sarah is, she has an incredible gift of reminding people there's still beauty to be had in their lives as she reminds herself there's beauty to be had in hers.
And me ... well, I'm still here defying the odds because I shouldn't be here at all ... dreaming bout things ... confronting harsh realities ... enduring so I can still dream.
And you ... well, whatever it is that you're using to destroy the Temple God's given you is the very same array of gifts to rebuild the promise that YOU ARE!
Let's be honest.
We've all wrecked our Temples.
But we still got em.
We can clean them up and make the best of them we're capable of making because ... God's given us everything we need to make our lives beautiful.
What we do is up to us.
Destroy what God's given us or ... stay alive ... make the best out of what you got ... look away from the destruction ... try to understand ... understand you got the wings of Heaven on your shoes ... dance ... like King David danced.
What I hope and pray ... for myself and for you too ... is your're staying alive ... staying alive.
For your sake.
And for God's too!
