Why I Could Never be an Atheist

The Fountain of Eternal Life, Cleveland Ohio

Don't let the title fool you. I am not out to bad mouth those without faith.  I am merely telling you why I cannot be one of them.

"For in my faith, I stay connected."

I have been a Christian just about my whole life.  I realized more recently that even when I was doubting and searching, I was still in the fold of God’s mighty hand. That is one of the things that is so amazing about Grace. God's Grace was sufficient - even in my doubt and anger.

It dawned on me this morning how thankful I should be for that.  For in my faith, I stay connected.  Connected to God, humanity, and to those I love.

There was a time recently that I wanted to break away from my faith.  I felt a need to cut off ties to an unfair God, and to join the masses of God detractors. I was ready to take my place in the grand ostrich paradigm of spiritual reality.  You can read about it here.

I am so glad that God's Grace was bigger than my doubts and resentments. For by that grace, I am still connected.  I am grateful that there is not a storm so fierce that it can overcome the divine walls that protect His children.

A mother's love is not made of this world nor dissuaded by wound or strife. 

No house, no city, no world can contain it 

Nor can the constraints of this life.

This thankfulness hit its PEAK on the morning of Mothers Day. I lost my mom last year.  Because of the role she had in my life as parent, dependent, and best friend, she gave my life meaning. At some point after a period of serious grief, I realized that if we were on our own with no God, we would be permanently disconnected with our parents, our spouses, brothers, sisters, grandparents and friends that have passed on before us. It would be almost as if they had never existed at all - or had the same reality of a movie we once saw.

What if you lost a child or the baby in your womb?  There would be no connection; no present reality. We would have to pretend that temporal things or beings could give our lives significant meaning rather than not being any different than the roadkill we pass on the freeway on our morning commute.  

In atheism there is the admission that we cannot disprove the existence of God.  However, we must also admit that the faithful cannot prove that He does exist - not in a transferable way. Whichever way we go in matters of the spirit, we must have faith in the path that we choose.  

I had a preacher one time who loved to say "If I could take Jesus out of my heart and put Him into yours, you would never give Him back."  The older I get and the more I grow in faith, the more I understand that.  That is the nontransferable proof that atheists lack.  But even if I did not have that, I would still choose hope, because no pretending in the world can keep connections with those we love if we profess that those connections could not possibly exist.

So, I would still choose faith and hope because of love. My parents, grandparents, and other dear family and friends that have gone ahead of me are counting on it.  I count on it, too.

Brothers and sisters, we want you to be fully informed about those who have fallen asleep in death so that you will not be overwhelmed with grief like those who live outside of the true hope. --1st Thessalonians 4:13 (the Voice)

Mom, Just Mom . . .

Yesterday was my mom's 80th birthday. I made her a cake.

First I got some fried chicken and made up some mashed potatoes.  Mom loves drum sticks.  As she got older, the legs were something she found was suited just for her.  She could hold on to them, there wasn't a lot of work involved and no unnecessary bones to dodge.  That and some good mashed potatoes made up the ideal meal for Mom - as long as she had a dessert!

That is where the cake comes in. It was chocolate fudge with milk chocolate icing. In the cake batter, I added some peanut butter.  That was my hack because my mom always loved the chocolate peanut butter shakes at Sonic. I also added a packet of Dream Whip to the batter because I know how important a moist cake is.

When everything was ready, I sat down in my empty house.  I ate two chicken legs, a little mashed potatoes, and for dessert I had peanut butter-chocolate fudge cake custom made for the woman I owe everything I have sweet in my life.  I love you, Mom.

 

The following message I have is widely considered a platitude.  People tend to smile thoughtfully and nod their head.  Then, most go on their merry way without it.  But let me urge you to take it with you and hold onto it tightly.  Let it become apart of your values and who you are:

LOVE AND CHERISH YOUR MOM WHILE SHE IS HERE OR SOME DAY YOU WILL WISH YOU HAD.