So who is this Soma guy anyway?

You've all heard the story before, but I want to spin this from a different angle. So go along with me here, imagine . . . 

You're on vacation or a trip, alone and out of town somewhere. It happens, sooner or later . . . So there you are just minding your own business. You start out from one place and as you walk to the next . . .
<<By the way, do you have any prejudices? . . think about it . . Of course you do, everyone does . . . we are forced to make decisions continuously about things or people that we do not have enough information to make reasonable judgements about . . . everyday . . . Not life or death judgements, . . . just boundary type decisions >>

. . . and STOP.

You are confronted by some ordinary people, who want everything you have . . . they take your money, they take your coat and all of your belongings . . .then they take your health (they can't use it but they enjoy beating you to within an inch of your life)

These were ordinary looking people, like the ones you live and work with, you could easily have been one of them. You never expected this to happen. .  <<Do you know what those prejudices are? do you know what things trigger your uncomfortable button? It doesn't have to be the typical type of things, race or sex, . . . >> there was no confusing them with someone you would have felt uncomfortable around . . . prejudice was not involved on their part other than they wanted what you had.

Now . . . you are lying there, on the side of the road, dying, broke, smelling foul . . . a pitiful sight.  Along comes a guy who could be your brother, well to do, follows all the rules, obeys all the laws.  He does everything the right way He's a good person, he treats everybody you know fairly, he doesn't take advantage of anyone . . .  (ahem), and when he sees you, he doesn't want to get involved, he doesn't know you . . . , he doesn't trust you, there's something wrong with the image he has in front of him, it doesn't feel right. . .  he's supposed to be somewhere right now and h-u-r-r-i-e-s on his way.<<just when you see someone with a particular set of characteristics . .  you get a shiver down your spine . . . or you feel disgusted . . . or like you need to avert your gaze . . . or repulsed . . . >>

I wouldn't do that, would you? Okay, maybe I did do that . . . can you blame me, I don't blame you . . . who knows what might have been going on . . . I felt uncomfortable . . . the victim looked like one of 'those' people

Alright, so you can open your eyes momentarily, you glance around, it hurts to move your head, rest . . .  open your eyes and you see a woman that reminds you of your mother or aunt . . . she goes to church (all the time) always talking about her church . . . so annoying
<<Now I know, you are NOT prejudice against people who go to church, you just happen to think she goes on and on about it too much . . . you have enough information to decide that That is just how she is>> she sees you, you catch a glimpse of her compassion, you're a pitiful sight. . . you are lying there, . . . on the side of the road, what can she do. . . she glances around . . . it's dark . . . it's cold . . . shadows . . . you blink . . . she's gone.

what if the people who did that to you are still there?  what if someone is waiting to do that to her? it's scary, would you just walk up and help a stranger in those circumstance?  . . . Do you blame her?

. . . rest your head . . . close your eyes . . .  deep breath (OW), Man that hurts . . .
<<Do you ever think about the number of decisions that you make in a single day?  Of those, how many are you well informed about?>> ? h e l p ? . . . p l e a s e . . . s o m e o n e . . . 
Alright, so you can open your eyes momentarily, you glance around, it hurts to move your head . a . n . d . you p-a-s-s o-u-t------------------------------------. . . pain . . . <<What about the spur of the moment type, when you're driving down the road? . . . or riding on the bus? . . . or in a store? >> --------------------------c-o-l-d--------------------- <<Do you really know any of those people that you have decided are this type or that type?>> . somebody is there . . . they say relax . . .  ow-w- W- W - w - W - w - w (tic tic tic)

they're moving you . . . . warmth . . . (tic - toc - tic - toc)
you wake up, in a bit of a daze, but you feel comfortable, and you drift off, encouraged . . . (tic tic tic) you wake up, . . . . something smells good . . . there's food  . . . mmmmm . . . you are content, and you drift off,  . . . heartened
You wake up and find out: someone found you on the side of the road, they brought you to this place, . . . duh . . paid for you lodging, . . . huh . . got the local doctor to come over in the middle of the night to bind your wounds, . . . wuh . . paid the clerk to keep an eye on you, . . . wha . . paid the housekeeper to fix some food,  . . ha . . and they had to leave but said they would be back tomorrow.  . . who . . <<Do you know any one that is 'that type' of person?>>
Who is this person? (you ask) <<Do you really think you might know who they are? a friend or relative? That guy you were talking to who said he was going this way, maybe?>> 
The reply, "He said his name was 'Soma'."  (tic - toc - tic - toc)
Who is this person? and you drift off,  . . . cheered

STARTLED, you wake up to find a guy leaning over you.<< HE SMELLS >> . . . HEY, . . he backs up << he looks DIRTY >>. . . What are you doing . . he looks concerned . . << you feel  nauseated>>. . . you scan the room for the doctor, the clerk, the housekeeper . . he scans the room <<he has that particular set of characteristics . . .>>  . . you look at him . . .he reaches toward you << WHAT DOES HE WANT >> and he says "Hi, I'm Soma"

the FIRE

Smokin' . . . it's got to be the number one cause (would you believe top three). Check it out (go'head, google it). and it's such a traumatic event. the smokin' . . from the fire. it gets the adrenaline pumping
Have you ever been in a place when a fire breaks out? Just think about it . . .
You're sitting around with friends, having a good time, joking about something or other . . . you're relaxed . . . just cruising along in autopilot . . . thinking about what you're going to later, daydreaming about something someone said and then

FIRE . . . F-I-R-E . . . RUN . . . Run for your life

The shock to your system, mentally, physically, emotionally (okay, I don't know about the emotional shock level of a fire in the minute that it becomes apparent)
It is pretty scary!

When you think about it, there are alot of things in this world that provide a shock to your system, ... mentally, ... physically, ... emotionally, ... even spiritually
(okay, this guy's out there, he's lost it, . . . maybe)
The shock is a response to a stimulus, an extreme response to a situation. I'm not talking about when you here the radio announcer talk about some taboo subject, or the television showing something that was never allowed on the screen before.  I'm trying to verbalize the state of a complete human in distress due to a life threatening situation. It happens to everyone.
The doctor will talk to you about the emotional shock and the physical impact on our body.
The therapist will get you to talk to the psychiatrist about the mental shock.
. . . and when you experience spiritual shock . . . who do you talk to?
Do you experience any spiritual shock?
Did you learn that your dad isn't Superman (or any superhero for that matter? in the strictest sense of the word) there was a time when you thought so...
What about when you learned that the world doesn't revolve around you?
It can be hard to think back that far (for whatever reason;)
How about that day when the love of your life, your first serious do or die, 'til death relationship, (you know the one) when you realized there was more to the story.


Then one day you woke up and the world as you knew it ceased to exist.


The shock, the spiritual shock is what forced you to find a new view of life
to put the pieces back together in a way that made sense.
All those little things that were on the edge of your awareness began to fit.
Aha, and the other exclamations followed

"     E U R E K A     "

There was purpose,
meaningfulness
direction.
The shock from the world created a fire within.
the fire burned brighter and hotter and more intense
. . . passion grew . . .
The Fire motivated, provided direction, lit the way
the FIRE inside is . . .
. . . it is . . . beyond . . . what mere words can describe . . .

Do you have passion, is the fire burning . . .

Are YOU on FIRE ?

The change

You know how people talk about the point in their life when things changed. Sometimes it's a major calamity, for others it's an life event. It can be the point in your life when you hit bottom and for that matter I guess it could be that point where you peak out and begin the slide down.
I know I've a number of each type occur in my life so what is the ONE.
Is there just one for each of us or is it a series of one after another, if it is a series then it really doesn't fit the premise of the point where life changed does it.
So how do you know when that one specific life changing event occurred if our lives are full of series upon series of events. Well it would have to be truly life altering. The meaning of life has to change, the purpose changes. How we view life itself must change.
(prelude) married with three children in the house. 
Sometime we view life as a series of changes. (tick, tick, tick) The sun comes up and goes back down. The weather is cold, wet, clear, humid, hot, foggy, dry, cloudy, (tick, tick, tick) . . . We go to work, we go on vacation, we get put out of work -(tick, tick, tick) I'm acknowledging the effects of TIME. (tick, tick, tick) It happens.
the job just went through another tough time and so hours and wages were down. 
It can really get old, real fast, right. we get tired of the same ol', same ol'. we question why we're in the place we're in. how did I get here? How Do I Get OUT!
the spouse was doing drugs and alcohol more than ever before. 
We want excitement, we want something different we want change from the regular change
the drugs and alcohol worked less than ever before. 
Is this all there is? How do I change my life? Why do I feel stuck?
help was nowhere in sight. 
And apathy sets in for a stay. Maybe a visit from depression. . . what's the point? . . . who cares? There has got to be more to life than this.
and she left me and my boys.
What did I do wrong? 
It wasn't until this past Sunday during the message when I heard, "It's when we cry out to God", when we CRY out to God. It's only when we are in deep %##&* that we really CRY.  When we hurt so much, when we have lost ALL hope (hope-less), when we have nowhere else to turn, that we turn to Him.
Okay if there isn't anyone else then I will give God a chance . . .

I was driving down the highway one day wondering "What now?". I had to pull off the side of the road . . . I was a total mess  (tears from a grown man, shhh) . . . "God, GOD, . . . what am I going to do? . . . I don't know how to be a single parent . . . how am I going to work and take care of my kids . . . how am I going to pay for child care . . . GOD , , , help me .

I'll give God a chance? 

me and my boys.

God was just waiting for me to give HIM a chance. He was there. I didn't see Him. I couldn't hear Him. I didn't even know Him!

we spent alot of time together,  . . . we did everything together,  . . . we learned how to play together.  . . . the child care was affordable,  . . . it fit in a budget with food and gas and electricity. . . we went to church together . . . 

Years later I started going to a "non-denominational church" and learned about a God who wants to know us, personally, yeah right . . . not me . . . I'm not worth knowing, I don't deserve to know God, Why would He want to talk with me? come on, get real, it doesn't make sense.

. . . life went on . . . "Life is good!". . . 

It's too SIMPLE. Yes it is, very simple. 

On the side of the road one day, I cried out to God from my pain, and HE heard ME. 

My life will never be the same, and why would I want it to?

Rantin' 110224

Okay, so I was thinking (...yeah, whatever...), There's so much going on, ... really.  In my life, in your life, at work, in the world, countries in rebellion, the earth falling apart, global warming, taxes, health issues, new cures, old diseases, high tech....

but what is the point, what really matters, what do you care about

Do you care about the measles scare in Boston?  Do you care about the fruit stand guy in Tunisia? Do you care about the earthquake in New Zealand even? ( I could just go on and on and . . .  why .) So if you do care, What are you doing about it? Seriously, are you doing anything about it? I'm not.

I recycle. That's good, right. I go to church. That's good, isn't it? I donate money, I know that's got to count for something, come on, it's MONEY!

but what can I do about the situation the world is in, earthquakes, global warming, . . . nothing.  How about pirates of the coast of Somalia . . . dictators (evil, evil dictators, not the regular ones) . . . drug kingpins, dealers, traffickers in human slavery, . . . not much.

How about the starving children in . . . or the victims of natural disaster in New Zealand, Haiti, New Orleans, => make a donation, go ahead you can do it, compare what you have to what they have (0), give something. Okay,

subtotal: difference made so far 0.0000001

( I think I'm being extremely generous, if you want to be realistic then go ahead and add all the other zeros you feel necessary)

Bottom Line difference=Yes (???)

Impact = ah, . . . NO, say yes if it makes you feel better.

So how-what-where-when can I make a difference, I'm here, I do care, I want to do something

Start at home, . . . the spouse and kids? . . . sure, if you don't make a difference there, then don't go any further.

You want to go further? Really? ( . . . these are my own personal test questions . . .) WHY?

I can just mosey back into the other room and turn on the tube and before I know it . . . I am late going to bed . . . I'll get subverted by that . . . That . . . thAT . . . BOX!!! Day over . . . (GAME OVER) . . . try again tomorrow.

It is tomorrow. what a blur . . . oh my aching head . . . I need a break . . . I just want to relax . . .

r - e - l - a - x . . . a h h h h h . . . . b  l  u  r 

Today . . . TODAY IS THE DAY!

to go further,

to make a difference, 

What

can I

do

to make

a difference?

(hey, they have formatting tools for our notes, how cool, let me change the way everything looks now . . .

If you are reading this, is it making a difference to you?

Do you want to do something to make a difference?

Do you know someone who want to do something to make a difference?

Please, PLEASE, tell me.