It’s A Beautiful Day

By Vinnie MacIsaac

As I tried to get him to leave for school, Jose and his mommy were firmly engaged in their normal morning back and forth verbal game of “I love you” “I love you more,” “No, I love you more,” “No I love you the most-est,” Uh huh, I do, I do, I do!”

“Come on!” I barked. “We don’t want to be late. Compete for the best love war later!” So off we went me and Jose, my 5-year-old boy, making the short block and a half walk to his school right down the road, within eyesight of our back door.

Jose loves to sing. And he loves to make up his own songs. The sun was shining, and there was skip in his step as he randomly broke into song;

“It’s a beautiful day

It’s a beautiful day

Hey, I said,

It’s a beautiful day

The birds are singing

The sun is shining

It’s a beautiful day

The wind in our faces

The sidewalk beneath us

And just you and me

It’s a beautiful day

It’s a beautiful day”

Yep, those are the kinds of songs our overly happy five-year-old makes-up while skipping to school every morning and forcing me to join in his daily song and dance. I am quite sure I look totally ridiculous to everyone else; a grown man skipping down sidewalks, singing made-up children’s songs. But you know what? I really don’t care what you think about me, my kid loves me, and I love him, and that love is much more important to me than your opinion of me.

As we get to the front doors of the school I stop him right before the entrance. I do this every day. I look him in the eye on his level, tell him I love him, and I expect him to be good and to learn, and we will pick him up after school and see him then. Then I, selfishly, give him a hug and kiss before I send him in; full well knowing my days are numbered before he will think it is a horrific crime that I’d embarrass him that way! Ah, yes, it is a beautiful day, my five year does not yet know it is “not cool” to hug and kiss your parents before running into school! That makes my day beautiful!

“For a while, I use to wonder why I did that? What makes me “hover” like that. Ugh, am I going to become one of those annoying parents…”

As he runs in the door, he stops at the entrance to “high five” the door monitor. Even once he is inside, my eyes, through the glass doors, never ever leave him, until I see him commit to his turn that takes him down the hallway to his classroom. I do that every day, no matter how much rain, no matter how cold it is, I always linger that last few seconds to see him turn down that hallway to safety.

For a while, I use to wonder why I did that? What makes me “hover” like that. Ugh, am I going to become one of those annoying parents that can’t let go or have excessive boundary issues? No, I know why I do it. I know why I need that one last glance at him. I know why, but it is so hard, so painful to admit it, even to myself. I don’t even know now, as the write this, if I can do it. But the truth is, I linger. I need that one last hug and kiss. I need that one last look at him heading down the hallway. Because, I don’t know, in spite of my promise to him, if I will see him tonight. Or if he is even coming home tonight. And that is the sad truth.

I don’t know, if, as he turns down that hallway, something will change and he will stop being my sweet, little American-born Jose, full of songs, dances, and life, and become just another number count, like the kids of Sandy Hook, Columbine, Parkland, or Santa Fe. Will people, or rather “nuts,” on the internet deny my boy ever really existed; Claim that the whole shooting was staged to take their guns? Or will they just say my boy did not matter? He is, after all, just an acceptable loss on the war against liberals for our guns.

“You see, I linger and I look, and I refuse to leave until I see him turn that corner. Because he is an American and I live in America...”

I know he won’t matter to the media. They will just be eagerly excited to add him to the count,– raise the numbers; the more dead-the more viewers-the more ratings. He won’t matter to lawmakers, because he stands in the way of their lofty NRA endorsements and the base voters back home. He won’t matter to gun owners, who won’t even stop and cry with me, because his death means only more people will want their guns now and, somehow, his death makes me public enemy number one.

You see, I linger and I look, and I refuse to leave until I see him turn that corner. Because he is an American and I live in America. And that means every single time I send him into a school it may very well be the last time anyone sees him as anything more than a number that got in the way of their agenda or propped up their ratings! But he is more, so much more! And I am disgusted by the lack of love we have normalized in our nation for God’s children! It is an abomination!

“I love my son, he loves me…And I am going to defend his right to survive being educated!”

Yes. I know, I know. You think I am a liberal, I am brainwashed. You are calling me a “Leftist” and yelling I don’t know enough about guns to have a say. I already know what you will say about me when you read this. I know you will flame me, troll me, slice me, and dice me. So, I’ll repeat what I said above: I love my son, he loves me, and I don’t care how that looks to you! I am going to defend his right to survive being educated! But for the record, in spite of what you have to tell yourself to keep hating me, I am not a liberal and I am not against the 2^nd Amendment which reads;

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Jose and friends chilling in the “Pastor’s Office” at church.

I have no issues with people bearing Arms. I don’t want to infringe on that. I want us to notice it calls for not only regulation but regulation that works well. And that is all anyone is asking for! I ask you, what good is the 2^nd Amendment of the Constitution if our application of it does not hold up the ideals that led to the Constitution? Isn’t the purpose of the Constitution to lay out how we will govern the ideals that were envisioned and embedded into the Declaration of Independence in the first place?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

At what point do your right to bear Arms, poorly regulated and poorly enforced regulations, supersede Jose’s rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness?” After all, was that not the whole point on which American began? Are we not already superseding that point when it is no longer safe to send our children to our own schools?!

“Every time the school calls me to say, Jose has a fever and is in the clinic… I jump, looking at the display screen wondering is today the day… “

In spite of your talking points, I don’t want to take your guns, I don’t want to do away with the Constitution, the Bill of rights, or even the 2^nd Amendment. I am certainly not a liberal, nor brainwashed. I just want my child to survive school! Is that asking too much?

Pray with me, that reasonable people can shut up, sit down, listen to each other, compromise, seek right, protect children, and find solutions instead of declaring our dead children an acceptable sacrifice to the god of ideology.

Every time the school calls me to say, Jose has a fever and is in the clinic, forgot his lunch, needs a change of clothes, or whatever, I jump, looking at the display screen wondering is today the day that I get a very different kind of call. Is today the day he stops being the son I love with all my heart, and just become one of America’s number forever more.

“It’s a Beautiful day,” or at least it was when he turned that corner at 9:15 this morning. For the love of God, pray with me that it stays, “A beautiful day,” at least until 3:45 p.m. Pray with me, we can make this work, change hearts, reach heads, and find solutions that don’t allow our children to be “acceptable losses” to our democracy.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” Matthew 18:10

“It’s a beautiful day

It’s a beautiful day

Hey, I said,

It’s a beautiful day

The birds are singing

The sun is shining

It’s a beautiful day

The wind in our faces

The sidewalk beneath us

And just you and me

It’s a beautiful day

It’s a beautiful day”

This blog simply represents the real life day and emotions of a parent taking the risk of taking their child to school after, yet, another school massacre.

Check Out These Related Posts

• Fathers To The Fatherless

• The Thirteen: One Crisis

• Jesus And The Disinherited – (A Reflective Book Review)

• Failing Naika

• Iconic Evil: Exploring Where Monsters Come From

• #JESUSFIRST

The post It’s A Beautiful Day appeared first on Simply Vinnie - Unpacking The Complicated.

DACA!

It is not Political it is Personal

By Pastor Vinnie

For me it is not political; it is personal, it is spiritual, it is foundational.

DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival. It was a policy set up by the Obama administration in 2012 to allow children brought to America against their will as minors to identify themselves and register for two-year intervals in an attempt correct a problem beyond their control. It was highly controversial because it was argued that the President did so with an expansion of his powers. These children are often called “dreamers” because they dream of fully belonging to the only country they have ever known or had loyalty too.

I do understand the valid point put forth by many on the right who hold themselves as Constitutionists and ergo believe former President Barak Obama did not have the executive power to sign DACA into action. I, too, share the concern that the Executive Branch of government in the US has had its powers extended way past what would be deemed healthy in the long-term. Yet, I also see the point of many on the left who hold themselves as defenders of equality and ergo could not tolerate it any longer when Congress failed for over 15 years to pass legislation to protect the “dreamers.” So, since politically I can see both sides, let’s set them both aside and explore the personal, spiritual, and foundational sides of this problem.

Personal

Jose came to live with us at age two. He had lived in foster care since 18 months old and we were his 3rd foster families. We adopted him at age 3.

My son could have been a been a dreamer. Both his biological parents were. Both his biological parents (as far as I am informed) were brought to this country illegally as children, and without consent. Children rarely have a say in family matters, especially in the cultures from which many “dreamers” come from. We can talk about illegal immigration. We can talk about reform. We can talk on both sides of the issue; and agree on things that can be done but are not done, as a nation. But when that talk about sending cute little children, like the one in my arms, back to countries where they have no connection, likely no more direct family links, and very often don’t even speak the language, we talk about doing evil. Looking at Jose, in my arms (in the picture to the left), he is Hispanic but does not speak a word of Spanish. Let me ask you, would you really send a little babe like him back to El Salvador? He’d have no family connections, and he’d not be able to speak the language. Would you really let this harmless little boy be easy prey for anyone who had nefarious intentions knowing he’d be young, helpless and he’d not even be able to speak for himself nor report misuse or abuse? Because when you support DACA repeal, that is what you are condemning thousands of little lambs like him too. It’s a little harder with a face put to it, at least I’d hope.

Spiritual

The Word of God declares,  “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it,” (Psalm 24:1)^[1] for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” (1 Corinthians 10:26)^[2] God cares little about our nationalism, and He will put His people where he desires. God reserves the sweetness of honey and the richness of milk for those who have been oppressed the most!
“He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, And He set the world on them.” (1 Samuel 2:8)^[3]

Let us remember all borders, languages, and all divisions do not exist because of work ethic, worthiness, nor God’s favor. They exist because of sin and man’s desire to expand his power and the sin to Heaven, itself, via the tower of Babel (see Genesis 6). While God may allow nations sovereignty, those nations best recall, His Son is coming with a rod of iron to punish all nations who are not found acting justly (Revelation 2:27, 18:1-24, Isaiah 30:14). And God has made it clear what his expectations are; “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:34)^[4]

Those who would like to claim “American exceptionalism” do so based on a false sense of Protestant Work Ethic^[5] superiority. They will tell us, “We worked hard for this success, and it is ours; they can get in line and do the same.” They are welcome to hold those ideas, but good luck trying to sell it to Jesus when He returns! I will remind them that James, the very brother of Jesus, has already made it clear that all our success was not at our own hand but the Father of Light’s, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)^[6] Yes, we all worked hard for what we have, but why? Was it to kick back, get fat and horde it up? Or was it suppose to be so that we could, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)^[7]?

Foundational

Foundationally, we are a land of immigrants, and historically often the most oppressed of immigrants. We can only kick everyone out who came illegally if we kick ourselves and our children out and return it to the Native Indians. Let’s go all DACA repeal on our own children since their forefathers entered this land illegally and without the consent of a pre-existing America.

Look, I am not advocating globalism, nor am I saying there should be no immigration reform, there should be, but for “crying out loud,” what kind of monsters are we? You don’t start reform with helpless children! You start it by curbing your greed for cheap labor and one-sided seasonal work visas which are nearly legalized slavery. The truth is visa (work and tourist) overstays are the main reason for illegal immigrants^[8] but because that would cost Americans money in tourism and cheap labor, we will deport children and build a wall instead. Maybe we can use illegal immigrants to build our wall since they make up 5% of our national workforce and much more of our economy;^[9] doing jobs no one else will do at pay rates no one else accepts. Foundationally, we need reform, but reform that addresses the cause does not seek the easy a-political victim who can’t fight back; like a child.

Last Word

The Last Word goes to Jesus.

“If anyone causes one of these little ones–those who believe in me–to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6)^[10]

FOOTNOTES:

^[1] NIV

^[2] Ibid.

^[3] Ibid.

^[4] Ibid.

^[5] Also often called Puritan work ethic. It is a system of work ethic that believes that God shows favor on those who work for what they achieve.

^[6] NIV

^[7] Ibid.

^[8] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/visa-overstays-outnumber-illegal-border-crossings-trend-expected-continue-n730216

^[9] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/27/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s

^[10] NIV

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Faith Like Rubik’s Cubes

Simple as a Child

By Vinnie MacIsaac

“I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!” Matthew 18:3

 If you call it the Kiss principle^[1]or Ockham’s Razor^[2] it all amounts to the same core truth, “Simple is better.” Why do we as adults have the need to make things so complicated all the time? In some ways, even looking at my own life and walk with God, I, too, make things more complicated then they need to be, and at times I want for the simple faith of my childhood.

Recently, I took our foster children^[3] to church for the first time. Andrew^[4] who is about 7-ish was so excited to be there. It was unbelievable to watch him follow along in the church bulletin and see which item we were on. Luckily, for me, it was youth day, and so I did not have to preach, and I was able to sit with him. When the preaching started, he asked me to help him find the passage in the pew Bible. He got so excited when he was able to find the words on the page that were being spoken from the pulpit.

 Out of no place, Andrew turns to me in the middle of service and says, “Vince, are you the boss of this whole place?”

Trying to be modest and not give the wrong impression of what a Pastor is I responded by saying, “No, I am not the boss, I am the Pastor, which means I work for them.”

But Andrew responds, “But that means you’re in charge, right?”

“No,” I respond, trying to figure out away deflect his focus from the idea of ministry being about authority, “It means that all these people here are praying for you every day.”

“Oh, I get it now!” Andrew says excitedly, “They are praying for me because you’re their boss and they have too!” and it was at that moment I realized there is just no way to defeat child logic and sometimes you just have to roll with it.

Have you considered fostering or adopting? So many children out there need someone to love them.

When children come to live with you whom you have not raised, you never know the level of understanding they will have in matters of faith. But we teach them to pray, before they eat, before they leave for school, and before bed. We all always have a bedtime Bible story, and our betimes prayers always include their extended family they are away from. But one of the things I have noticed is, regardless of what formal religious teaching they have had or are lacking, Children just have this natural connection to God that just seems to come out of nowhere. Sure, their understanding may be basic, even crude, or flat-out wrong, but their faith is as strong as steel!

So, I am sitting there in Church with Andrew, and after a while, his attention fades because sermons rarely come in child sized bites. Andrew kept listening but, at the same time, picks up his Rubik’s cube and randomly starts turning it. Then suddenly he looks up at me with a great big smile on his face and says, “Look! Look what happened, my Rubik’s cube just made the sign of the cross all on its own at Church! God must have made that happen for me because we are in a church!”

Andrew’s cube made the sign of the cross.

Now you and I are already in our big fat over loaded adult brains saying to ourselves, “Ah that is a sweet kid, but come on, that is just happenstance and random coincidence.” But, why? Why can’t it be true? Why do we as adults have to use the intellect all the time to override the reality of faith and the belief in God’s power and love? Surely God’s love that was significant enough to send his son to earth to die for us forgive us of our sin, and show us His love for us is also high sufficiently to move Rubik’s cubes into crosses to show us His love is real and for us! And it made me wonder if I do not have the Rubik’s Cubes in my life made into crosses, just because my adult logic refuses to see them? Maybe, all day long, every day God is making the sign of the cross, the sign of His love for me, the sign of his attention to me evident to me. But whenever His goodness and love is poured out on me, I rationalize it away.

Is that what really happens when we grow up? Is growing up really the process of deleting all evidence of God’s love and the weeding out of our faith?

Is that what happens when we grow up? Is growing up the process of deleting all evidence of God’s love and the weeding out of our faith? Yes, sadly, and even tragically, for some of us, it is. It is like God gives us all a measure of faith when we are kids; it seems we are just born with it when we come into the world. Then as we grow up, if we are not careful, the things of this world rob it away from us all. Some of us will just stop seeing the magic of crosses in Rubik’s Cube, and other of us just are deprived of all belief in God altogether.

Maybe the problem is that, as adults, we become so focuses on solving the problems of the Rubik’s Cube of life that we can’t see the great insights into God, faith, and love those complication cube solving moments creates for us.

During the appeal, the youth preacher made a call for all the people who had never made the decision to be a follower of Jesus before to check off that decision on their decision card to follow Jesus. Andrew looked up at me and asked, “Can you help me find that on the card? I want to follow Jesus!”

I don’t know that he truly understood all that is involved in becoming a dedicated follower of Jesus, nor the cost of self-sacrifice it would ultimately take to follow Jesus all the way in this world. But does that matter? He had faith that could not be rationalized away by the things of this world. Maybe, he just had the sincere, honest faith to sign up with Jesus without the need to have all the adult check items crossed off his list. Maybe his simplistic childhood Rubik’s Cube faith was more than enough for him to know Jesus was real and worth following. And maybe that is what Jesus meant when he said, “I tell you the truth unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!” Matthew 18:3

POSTSCRIPT:

After the kids had been off to school this morning, I passed by their bedroom. Looking in I noticed Andrew’s bed nicely made, and all his teddy bears, stuff animals, and favorite toys, all neatly arranged on his bed, and along the bed frame and even a few poking out from the bedsprings of his brother’s bunk bed above his. But I could not help but notice and be moved by the fact that his new Bible, which he got last week, was central among all these toys having received the chief and prized spot on this bed. It was firmly and faithfully placed on his pillow as if to suggest it is the crown of all his possessions. That is what I call faith like Rubik’s Cubes.

Related Articles:

It’s A Beautiful Day

Failing Naika

Fathers To The Fatherless

Simply Faith–not Simple Faith

^[1] K.I.S.S is an acronym for Keep It Simple Silly

^[2] The principle states that among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected. Other, more complicated solutions may ultimately prove correct, but—in the absence of certainty—the fewer assumptions that are made, the better. (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor)

^[3] In Psalm 68:5 God calls us believers to be Father’s to the Fatherless. Have you considered how you could help change a young person life forever and maybe even for all eternity? In the U.S. 397,122 children are living without permanent families in the foster care system. 101,665 of these children are eligible for adoption, but nearly 32% of these children will wait over three years in foster care before being adopted. More than 23,000 of these children every year will age out of the system with no long term family or support system and will need to suddenly be able to fend for themselves. Google Christian foster care and the name of your local area.

^[4] Andrew is a pseudonym to protect his identity and family. Andrew could be anyone of the 397,122 children in foster care in the United States. Children who arrive in care have many reasons for their placement and not all of them involve anyone’s fault, and so all precautions should be taken to avoid any social stigma upon them.

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