Blog 87 – 8.5.15

Those two words are ripe with meaning and are used in many ways. For example “wide awake” or “with eyes wide open.” It is remarkable to me what closed off lives we live most of the time half if not completely asleep and with our eyes half or completely shut. One of the most haunting and often repeated phrases in the Christian Bible is, “Awake, oh Sleeper.” But sadly most Christians are as asleep an the rest of us.

There is an expression that might offend some that I would like to mention here. It is the common term, “Half-assed” and it does not mean someone who has had one off their buttocks shot off. As an aside, I love that line in the movie Forest Gump where Forest is describing his wound in Vietnam, in the buttocks. “They said it was a million dollar wound but the government must have kept all that money because I never got a nickel.” Great guy, Forest, and he never did anything half-assed or halfhearted. That is what half-assed means – not giving it your best, not giving it your all.

At the risk of offending my Native American brothers I share a joke here. When you see someone doing a half-assed job you might say they are a member of the Semi-hole Indian Tribe, those half-assed Indians. Trust me we have all been members of that tribe at one time or another and some of us are charter members or at least act like it.

We have all heard the expression, “If a job is worth doing it is worth doing well.” The Apostle Paul said, “Whatsoever your hands find to do, do it with all your heart,” Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

I say if you want to live a happy, full, and meaningful life – Live it wide open, wide awake, with all the stops pulled out. Give it all you got. What are you saving it for?

Your friend and fellow traveler, giving it all I’ve got – well at least between naps.
David White