Last night I attended my 42nd high school graduation. The first was my brother’s, then mine, then my sister’s, then a number of nieces’ . . . but the last 36 have all been at the high schools where I have taught: Clovis West in Clovis, Vanden at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Anderson High in Anderson, and the College Connection program at Shasta College.

Last night was bittersweet. Though I am ready to hang up the grading pencil and log off of turnitin.com (the plagiarism website), I will miss the energy and excitement, the dreams and nervousness about the future, and the youthful but profound thought that high schoolers have brought to my world. It has kept me young; it has kept me grounded; it has kept me humble . . . and it has made me thankful I am not in high school any more even though I enjoyed my high school experience.

But right now I feel just like those high school seniors. Everyone is asking me . . . as they are asking them . . . well, what are you going to do now? And I can see why it is a bit unnerving for them . . . because it is a bit unnerving for me. Like them, I feel like I am supposed to have a plan and have the future all laid out . . . but I don’t.

But I do know a few things.

Will I write? Travel? Play more golf? Okay . . . so there are three definitive and enthusiastic yeses . . . Lord willing.

But I am afraid to commit to anything more in case they don’t materialize or I flake out or fail or any combination of the above. I have asked my retired friends how I should approach retirement and all have given me wonderful and helpful ideas, but I am not going to list them here in case I don’t follow their advice.

But here are a three more things I do hope I do.

I hope I learn to relax: Even in my recreation I can sometimes push myself. I hope I enjoy the walk rather than be concerned with the length of the walk.

I hope I just take my time: I have always been a task oriented  person, and even though there will still be things I will want to accomplish and do, I hope I take the time to enjoy what life brings my way rather than always going after something.

And finally, I hope I live in the peace God promises, as I remember His words to His children regardless of their age or season in life:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

There has been a lot of chirping outside my windows this spring. More so than in the past few years. I attribute this chattiness to El Nino.

For the past four years of the California drought it seemed to me that the birds had become less and less vocal. I am guessing this was because they were trying to stay out of the oppressive heat and close to a water source. But it wasn’t until this year, when the rains returned, that I realized they had been missing. And what a wonderful reminder it has been––a virtual symphony.

Okay, so this “symphony” begins a bit early––usually around five or five thirty––but I lie in bed with my eyes closed just listening to the plethora (good vocabulary word!) of bird voices: chirping, twittering, cawing, honking (that would be the geese choosing a low flight path right over my house), hooting, cooing, shrieking, whistling, tweeting, and warbling. Some even make a sound like an actual word. For instance, the California quail’s call sounds like the word “Chi-ca-go,” and I remember a bird in Zimbabwe had a call that sounded like “go away.” I'm sure that was meant kindly.

I didn’t realize until I heard the birds this year, how much I had missed their songs, for indeed, their individual and unique voices are indeed musical.

I think we are often a bit like the birds. When we feel the heat of oppression or pain or we are going through an emotional drought or desert in our life, we will often pull back and shelter and seclude ourselves as we search for some restoration. Our singing often ceases when we go into protective mode.

But I bet God misses our uniquely individual voices raised in song as much as we miss the birds. And we need to keep in mind the promise of God that “Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5). Then we, like David, can say . . .

Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him. (Ps. 28:6-7)

The rains will come. The drought will end. The heat will be abated. And our singing will return.

Though I have fallen a little behind, I am still focusing this year on Philippians 4:8, which reads–– “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

My focus for April was the clause–– “whatever things are pure.”

According to dictionary.com “pure” means “free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind; free from extraneous matter.” In other words, there are no impurities, pollutants, or contaminants.

This sounds like a very good thing. In fact, many people work hard to make sure their water, air, and food are pure––not contaminated––because they know that pollutants and impurities can adversely affect their health. People buy water filtering and air purifying systems; they buy organic vegetables or eat only free range chicken or grass fed beef all in an effort to keep contaminants out of their bodies. Why? Because they know impurities create health problems, while pure water and air and food promote good health.

What is ironic is that many of these same people scoff at verbal, mental, physical, or moral purity. They see watching and restraining one’s language or thoughts or actions as being naive or unsophisticated, boring or backward, unenlightened or even laughable. But isn’t the principle the same? If a person believes that the impurities he puts into his physical body can cause him harm, then isn’t he the one who is naive to think that allowing impure thoughts or language or lifestyles  to invade his life won’t harm him as well? Why would it not?

As people, we have a very bad habit. We only believe what we want to believe, and we only do what we want to do even if the logic counters our lifestyle. If we don’t want to do it, we won’t, and living a pure life is one of those areas that most often comes into direct conflict with our desires.

But the reality is the principle holds true across the board. Whatever we put into our body, or mind, or psyche, or soul will directly affect our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. It has to.

The Bible shows the ultimate sacrifice we make when we move away from pursuing purity.
     What is the result of desiring and striving for purity?
Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
    And how does one purify oneself?
Psalm 12:6: “The words of the Lord are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.”
    But the problem is?
Proverbs 16:2: “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.”
Titus 1:15-16: "To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled."
    Until finally what?
Romans 1:1-32 "Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, to vile passions, . . . to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting . . . that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them."
Proverbs 16:25: “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

Yes, impurities are dangerous––physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and ultimately eternally.

What a difference one letter makes . . . what a HUGE difference. Last week we were “Letting go,” and this week we are “Letting God.”

When we hang onto doubts, insecurities, jealousies, hurts, unmet expectations and desires, people we may have lost or feel we are losing . . . what we are doing is focusing on them, thinking about what we don’t have or might not have, and when we do that we are feeding those feelings and thoughts. And what happens when you feed something? It grows. And the cycle gets bigger and more consuming, and the world looks darker, and the weight of the burden grows heavier.

More often than not, there is either absolutely nothing, or very little, we can do to change the circumstances which are causing these feelings. We can’t make people cure us, or hire us, or validate us. We can’t make them change, or apologize, or love us. Therefore, all we see are broken dreams, crushed expectations, and lost love. But this is NOT what God intended for us at all. As I mentioned last week, in John 10:10 Jesus said that he had come “that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

So how do we move from disappointment and discouragement to a life of peace? Well, it doesn’t happen instantaneously, but it does happen very similarly to how our downward spiral occurs. It happens through a diet of daily, if not hourly,  surrender and prayer––leading to a “renewing of the mind.” (Romans 12:2)

When we “let go,” we don’t release our feelings or desires or the people we love into thin air and just hope something happens, we release them into God’s hands, knowing that He will take care of us and them (Matt. 6:27-29), that He will meet all our needs (Phil. 4:19), and that He desires to give us the absolute best (Jer. 29:11; Is. 55:8-9). Consciously surrendering and trusting Him moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, will gradually change that downward spiral into a cycle of upward praise, growing trust, and all encompassing peace (Is. 26:3-4), because we have turned the issues over to an almighty God who can do something about them.

I Peter 5:7 God calls us to cast all our cares on Him, for He cares for us. I would like to say it only takes one "casting" to take care of the issue, but most of the time it doesn’t. Satan likes nothing better than for us to falter and fall by refocusing on what we can’t control, reclaiming what we have given to God, and reverting to old destructive thought processes. And he knows every button to push. So as the day passes, we must surrender these issues again and again through prayer. As we faithfully commit our concerns to God, the weight lifts a little more each day as God’s peace and joy take its place.

Though there are many verses in the Bible that speak of God’s love, devotion, and protection, no verse encapsulates the process better than Philippians 4:6-7

“6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”