war·mon·ger

noun \ˈwȯr-ˌməŋ-gər, -ˌmäŋ-\

Definition of WARMONGER

: one who urges or attempts to stir up war

 

 Anyone ever know one of those kids in school who was a warmonger? You know, the kind that was always trying to stir up trouble; kids who liked watching other kids fight. As grown-ups we should see the ridiculousness of pot-stirring, but sometimes I’m not so sure we do.

 

Take, for example, the evening news. I, for one, used to be a news junkie. Faithfully watching the 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 evening news was like a ritual for me. But the more I watched, the more frustrated I became. Because, it seemed that what was news almost always focused on the negative. After a while, I began to wonder; did they relish stirring up a big old batch of negativity, making everyone who watched feel a little more afraid, insecure, and pessimistic about the world we live in?

 

A prime example for me was 9/11. Remember how nearly every news station replayed the image of that jet crashing into one of the two towers? Over and over again, this haunting vision of destruction and despair was burned into our hearts and minds.  It was enough to make me sick to my stomach.

 

Maybe, we’re partly to blame. After all, it’s human nature to focus on all that went wrong in a day rather than the million little things that went right. Negativity can lock us up in a cage of fear. Maybe that’s why the news-media is so successful; they know how to feed off our fears.

 

My kids and I have talked often about the importance of focusing on the good and not the evil in this world. Thinking good thoughts. Not bad. Still, it’s not easy. Scary thoughts and dreams still have a way of worming their way into my children’s hearts and minds. So, lately my daughter has been praying a simple prayer before bedtime, “God help me to think good thoughts tonight and not bad. Help me to have good dreams and not bad.”

 

After a week or so of listening to my daughter’s prayer, I had a “light bulb moment.” Many of the shows we were letting them watch had so much negativity. Could this be the root of many of their fears? The more I pondered this, the more it seemed to make sense. So, my husband and I agreed to limit what our kids watch. An answer to a five-year-old’s prayer, I think.

 

And maybe the same is true for us. Remember the saying, ‘Garbage in. Garbage out.’ I don’t think that applies just to children. If you find you’re sitting in your own pot of negativity and struggling to get out, turn off the television and pray the simple prayer of a child:

 

‘God help me to think good thoughts and not bad. Help me to have good dreams and not bad.’

 

Pretty wise stuff for a five-year-old.

 

Philippians 4:8    ⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

 

 

 

 

He is not here.

Matthew 28:5-7 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

He is not here; he has risen.

I traveled up to my hometown this past weekend. It was my niece’s confirmation and I wanted to be there for the important occasion and celebration. On Saturday, in between preparations, I slipped away to take a walk to the cemetery where Mom and Dad are both buried.  As I made my way along the path, a sort of sadness overtook me. And as I stood at their gravesides, I waited for the tears to come. But they didn’t.

He is not here; he has risen.

In the midst of my sadness a jolt of hope entered in. I remembered this well-known verse from the Easter season--a reminder from God and a promise: my parents weren’t there anymore either. Mom wasn’t there in that grave. Not the true part of her. Dad wasn’t either. They were gone to a much better place. Because of their faith in Jesus, my parents are very much alive. In a beautiful and perfect place that I can’t even begin to imagine.

He is not here; he has risen.

Yesterday morning, my little girl asked how old Grandma Toie is. Not how old she was when she died, but how old she is now. It would have been so easy to say, ‘Well, honey when she died she was seventy.’ And I nearly found myself saying those very words to her. But a small smile came to my lips and I realized that the faith of my child was strong and sure. Grandma Toie is very much alive. ‘She’s 71,’ I said. Satisfied with that answer Katie went back to eating her bowl of cereal. Then I asked her a question, ‘Do you suppose they celebrate birthdays in heaven?’ And we all agreed that, yes, they must.

He is not here; he has risen.

The other day, I told a story about when I was a little girl and did a very silly thing. Mom had made mint chocolate brownies, my favorite. One afternoon, while she was visiting with some of her friends, I snuck into the kitchen and found them and proceeded to eat half the pan. Half. When I had finished telling her the story, my daughter got a twinkle in her eye. “Mom, I can’t wait to get to heaven because I’m going to tell on you.”

“Tell on me?” I asked, “What do you mean?”

“I’m going to tell Grandma Toie that you ate all those brownies.” Then she skipped off happy as could be in the knowledge that someday she would get to “tell on me.”

He is not here; he has risen.

Because Jesus lives, we also will live. Death will not have the final say. Someday, it will be swallowed up in victory. During this joyous Easter season may we, with child-like faith, trust and believe this most important message:

He is not here; he has risen.