kenlassblog

I have a huge oak tree in my backyard. It is impossible to grow grass around the base of it because the sprawling branches block out the sun. Weeds, however, seem to have no problem flourishing around the trunk. So I laid down a circle of landscaping bricks around the tree, cut down all the weeds, and heaped a thick layer of pine straw into the circle. Surely those weeds won’t be able to come up through all that ground cover, right?

Wrong. Within about ten days, the ugly green chutes had pushed their way up through the barrier and reared their unsightly heads. You just have to stay on top of them and keep trimming them back.

Troubles in life are going to pop through your barriers no matter how many precautions you take. You just have to stay on top of them. Nip them in the bud. Don’t let little problems become major issues. Be the peacemaker, the one who apologizes, the one who forgives. Humility kills a lot more weeds than stubborness.

Sometimes you have to make it through something bad to get to something good. It’s part of life, just as it’s part of nature. Consider these hot, humid, uncomfortable summer days we are having. Humidity is caused by water evaporating and being stored in the air. The hotter it gets, the more the air expands, giving it more capacity to store more water vapor. But increased heat also makes it more difficult for your perspiration to evaporate, making you feel sweaty and clammy.

Eventually the water vapor rises high enough to meet colder air, which turns the vapor back into water. Gravity then pulls the water back down to earth as rain. We desperately need rain to replenish the ecosystem. Without it we wouldn’t survive. So we must endure the muggy weather, knowing it is part of a process that will benefit us in the long run.

So think of your troubles as water vapor. They make your life uncomfortable for sure, but once you work your way through them, you will be a better, stronger, smarter person. Don’t sweat adversity.

When is the last time you felt real peace? When you could go to bed, close your eyes, and truly have no stress, worries or concern about anything? When you felt secure, contented and satisfied?

I have found that I’m able to rest and find serenity by just giving all of my issues to God. To trust that He will lead me to resolutions and outcomes that fit His will for my life. Ultimately, I’m not in control. He is. That doesn’t have to be a scary thing. He knows what He’s doing. He knows me. He created me. My troubles may be too big for me, but not for Him.

If real peace is elusive for you, try releasing your anxiety to Him. Might be your best night’s sleep in a long time.

Customer service is a tough job. First of all, people aren’t going to call you unless they have a problem to begin with. So they are already frustrated. Then often the customer doesn’t understand the technology even when it’s explained to them. Or can’t adequately convey their problem. Attitude makes all the difference when it comes to dealing with customer assistance folks. If they are friendly, patient, and empathetic, you come away with a positive feeling. If they are short, rude and acting like they just want to pass the buck, it can be outraging.

We may not realize it, but this holds true for us in all relationships. If you treat people with respect, kindness, optimism and friendliness, they will feel good about you and probably return your empathy. They will trust you and give you an opportunity to set an example for them.

When it comes to relationships, we’re all in the customer service business.

I miss my dog. Our dachshund Oscar passed away three years ago. He was such a good companion. Affectionate, fiercely loyal and protective, and playful. His love for us was so consistent. You really get attached to that. Even on our worst of days, we knew we could come home and Oscar would jump into our laps and cuddle with us.

It’s hard to find those qualities in people. For so many, love and attention are conditional. Human nature usually demands something in return for kindness. It’s just the way we’re wired. Dogs, at least some dogs, are different. They want your companionship no matter what.

We’ve often thought of getting another dog. But we’ve kind of enjoyed the freedom from having to board them when we’re away, and freedom from vet bills and poop clean-ups. But we miss the love. You never get too much love. Too bad you can’t get more of it from people.

I am just not good at waiting in line. If the line is moving forward I’m okay. But if I’m not making progress it doesn’t take long for me to start fidgeting and fussing and get generally frustrated. The weird thing is, I may not even be in a hurry. I may have nothing else to do all day, but I still get agitated and grumpy when I have to wait.

So you can imagine how well I deal with waiting on God’s timing for something. When I pray and ask Him for something that only He can do, I quickly get disappointed if it doesn’t happen quickly, or perhaps doesn’t happen at all.

We all need to just trust that God has the universe under His control and is working for the good, often in ways we don’t understand. I know this, and yet my impatience persists. Don’t be like me. Remember that old song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”?

Whoever wrote that song obviously never had to wait in line.

We recently had the exterior of our house repainted. We chose to change the color scheme, which turned out to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. Sharon and I had difficulty agreeing on colors. But in more than 50 years of marriage she has always demonstrated better taste and vision than me. So I gave in and went with her ideas.

That was a good decision. The house looks great and the colors blend well together. There’s no shame in yielding to someone else you trust when it comes to a big decision. Don’t fall into the trap of being prideful and stubborn. It’s important to know yourself. Know your limitations. Know when to accept help and when to assert. Take a deep look in the mirror and make an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.

That way the colors of your life will always match perfectly.

Electric bicycles and scooters are all the rage now for children. When I drive through any suburban neighborhood these days I see countless kids riding these small, motorized vehicles, weaving from the road to the sidewalk and back again. I wonder if they have the wisdom and the patience and the maturity to handle the power beneath them safely. After all, they’re just kids. Kids having fun.

Some of us struggle to find maturity and good judgement even in adulthood. It can be frustrating and difficult to wait on the perfect time and place to make a big decision. A decision that will radically affect your life. It’s always a good idea to think things through, to pray over them, and get some other opinions before doing something rash. Make an informed, researched decision.

Kids on their electric bikes may not be aware of potential danger. We have to be aware for them. And for ourselves.

Have you ever walked away from a conversation with someone and thought to yourself “Man, I really like that person.” You felt so immediately comfortable around them. They listened when you spoke, laughed at your jokes, and felt free to share things with you that you have in common. They were open, courteous and friendly. Unassuming, unpretentious and humble, maybe even self deprecating.

They were, in summary, everything you wish you were. They were the embodiment of what a nice person should look like. Chances are, if you meet such a person, you will find they are popular and rarely without being surrounded by friends. Yet they always find time for you and seem to enjoy your company as well. You don’t picture yourself ever having all of those endearing qualities.

It can be frustrating and depressing to get caught up in comparing yourself to folks you admire. We all should try to be the best version of ourselves, but that doesn’t look the same in all people. You are talented and special in your own way, created by God for a specific path that only you can walk. You may not be your favorite person, but you are the only you in the world. Not everybody can be, or should be, popular.

I have always wanted to write a book. Just never got really committed to it. Until now. I’ve started working on one. They say you should write about what you know. So this is basically going to be about the story of my life, and since I am nobody special, I am pretty sure it will be of interest to no one except me.

But that’s okay. Writing about my life has helped me kind of examine the paths I have taken, the mistakes I’ve made, the things that worked out well. It’s also made me recognize how God has worked profoundly in my life to steer me in certain directions. The more I write, the more I become aware of how incredibly blessed I have been, even though I have failed to live up to godly standards so often.

When my book is finished I doubt anyone will buy it, much less care about reading it. That’s fine with me. I just want to make sure it has a happy ending. I hope your story does as well.