Monday, July 25, 2011

REMINDERS


095 – JULY 2011
THINK ABOUT IT

I have 3 photographs that I display in my office as personal reminders:

1. HUSTLE - An autographed photo of Enos Slaughter sliding into home plate.
Slaughter is remembered for his hustle. (He always ran to first on a “walk.”) In the 8th inning of the seventh game of the 1946 World Series, Slaughter made this famous “Mad Dash” for home from first base on Harry Walker’s single ... scoring the winning run. This photo encourages me to be prepared and to run the race well. It reminds me to work hard and to value life with a great gusto.

2. PICK YOUR BATTLES - A photo of the comedian, Bill Murray.
He was in the movie “Meatballs”, in which he led the boys from the summer camp into the chant - “It Just Doesn’t Matter!” Murray is a goofball and this photo reminds me to keep things “light”. It reminds me to “pick my battles” and not get in a “spin” over the things that just don’t matter.

3. LOVE - A photo of Carl Seefer. Carl, at age 18, died after a tragic auto/pedestrian accident. It was a great loss to humankind because Carl was, quite simply, a summary of “love.” Love came so natural to him and I have always referred to him as “The Natural”. I have to work at it so much and it is not always natural for me.
I recall with great fondness the times we sat for breakfast with the Seefers. It always began with everyone choosing their coffee cup. Conversation would follow and eventually a name would come up during our conversation … example: Lee Estridge. Carl would smile and assert with great delight - ”Don’t you just love Lee!”
This happened all the time and I always thought that maybe, in my absence, when my name came up, he would say “Don’t you just love Chris!”

Memories of Carl prompt me to enjoy the people that God has so wonderfully placed in my life. Special recollections of Carl cause me to smile and to laugh. His photo reminds me to love … always … and purely, without motive.
This is my favorite of the 3 reminder photos.
Because, think about it – not much works very well without “love.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

1 Corinthians 13:8 “Love never fails …”

1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”