Father’s Day: A Dad’s Legacy – Leading

Ham.

Not a porker to make a Sunday Ham or BBQ out of, but a dude – unfortunate name for sure, though maybe not in his time. Ham is the youngest son of Noah, the legendary ship builder who saved all of humanity by obeying a still small voice followed by years of dry land. More Years of sawing logs, fitting logs, covering a hull in pitch, gathering food, animals, insects – Ham and his brothers in tow helping with dad’s crazy project.

What brings me to Ham?

Certainly not his obedience – he tagged along with Dad.

Curiosity brings me to Ham – Indirectly, that is.

My real curiosity started with Sodom & Gomorrah, the city that drew such fame an notoriety with their actions – we even use a term from Sodom to describe the deprave action of Sodomy. I need to back up my story so all can follow along with my curiosity.

In 2016 my Parents decided they wanted to spend their 50th wedding anniversary surrounded by their children and spouses in the country of Israel visiting and touring the Holy Land. The trip started out a bore – wrong time, no money, how can I leave work for 10 days, and even more bawling and excuses. Begrudgingly, we ended up going. In full humility I now repent of my attitude and actions – I hope to make another trip back. The scene was wonderful from the perspective of breathing life to accounts from the Bible. While I enjoyed it all, the non-commercialized sites were my favorite with the valley where David slew Goliath and the Dead Sea/Masada right there the top.

While at Masada, looking over the fortress of the crazy Herod the Great, you could see for miles what was once described in the Bible as the Jordan Valley which was “well watered everywhere like the Garden of the Lord”. Minor difference, the valley is now a desert wasteland. Turn your head to the left, wasteland, turn to the right you look to the South you see the Dead Sea extend and land begin again – the famed location for Sodom & Gomorrah – waste land.

Why? Yeah, God destroyed them. But what were the daily decisions made that drove Sodom to infamous fame and Gomorrah to oblivion?

Putting on my amateur forensics hat, I had to find out why a lush garden endured such hate? Justice? Wrath? Punishment? Fire and brimstone is what the Bible calls it. A destructive rain of fire and brimstone consumed the whole area; now the area is desolate, and obliviated (new word?) below seal level. To destroy a place to that level exposes some kind of anger.

It started with Noah. Ham Incubated, Developed and Mastered.

I can’t help wonder what influences that brought about the destruction survived the flood. Were the influences considered normal? Acceptable?

Obviously so, at some level.

It doesn’t take long to descend.

We no sooner see the covenant of the rainbow than we see the a vineyard and Noah hanging out in his one-button-suit recovering from a hangover. After recovering his dignity and his clothing he starts blaming his son – he realizes his son, Ham, is really a ham and curses him for it. The first place in the Bible where the name Canaan is used.

Chapter 10 we now see the genealogy (read parental influence) of Noah. His grandkids populated the world as we know it today. His decisions, influenced with data before and after the flood, worked themselves out over generations. This is interesting, because God Chose Noah, and saw Noah as Righteous, in chapter 9 God goes as far as to Bless Noah and make a covenant with him. Shouldn’t there have been a change of outcome? Destiny? Yet, we’re back at it.

Take this one step further, Ham is the father of all the Ruffians & Troublemakers – what happened? He came from Godly Stock? He was there when the door to the Ark closed. He was there when the saving miracle of the boat began to float. Ham saw it all, and still turned.

While I have a lot more to study, there are a few thoughts coming from this rambling: (no real order, just a stream of thought)

• We all have in us the propensity to want & like debauchery
  • Noah’s started with Grapes – it affected generations
• Our DNA carries even the smallest influence – even the ones we thought were drowned and forgotten
  • Each influence finds pleasure in seeking a new bottom
• As Father’s We carry an Influence for Generations
  • 2 out of 3 were influenced by the Right shown
  • 1 out of 3 took the influence to a new level – lower level, just a few pages later we see a full Sodom & Gomorrah
• Not all kids will follow the way
  • The non-followers will get all the press
  • Word to the Wise: Cursing them probably won’t bring them back to the straight and narrow – it will likely confirm their path and cement their ways – Ham seems to demonstrate that.

Father’s have an amazing responsibility. Father’s have an amazing accountability. Generational Success or Failure depends on a Father’s Leadership.

ouch.

What? What choices define us?

A time of soul searching. What holds me back, security – a cold foam with neither substance, flavor nor merit?

What are the fears?

Opulence.

Poverty

Health

Children

What am I willing to leave behind? What is the perceived sacrifice?

Emotions come and go.

Reality is –

Conviction

The Conviction of Holy Spirit works in time and space.  Conviction works in and through the our actions until its maturity fiercely exposes fault – then broken humility or aggressive arrogance determines the outcome. Few illustrations can correctly exemplify what I’ve experienced recently.  I feel as if the corrective measure has taken months of action to mature and be felt – though here now.  I could compare these actions to a blossoming fruit tree that shows beautiful hints of the fruit to come with the flower it produces. The trained eye knows the flower will produce a bountiful crop, while the untrained eye only sees the beauty.  Months pass before the fruit is realized –  the natural process seems so passe no one really expects differently.  This natural progression from flower to fruit is where the comparison falls apart as the fruit can be pleasant to the farmer – unless the fruit is noxious. Beauty is replaced and results expose.

Recently I’ve noticed the noxious fruit too late. My arrogance hid the flower. Now that the flower has blossomed – I can only harvest the fruit, humbly accepting my actions as a plant I nurtured.

James Spoke fluently about our blind spot. Laid out accurately:

the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

Lord, help me harvest with humility.

I struggled with posting this – exposing my broken places. It has been a while since Humility hit me this hard.

Short Poem (maybe HiKu)

Stories are great

Stories don’t last

Tell the truth

Lies eventually burn your ass

Please Share:

Not going to all levels.

I just witnessed an exercise in ones ability to perceive reality and execute from that observation. Near me there is a set of double doors leading into a balcony. One person jus realized she was trapped and the door had locked behind her as she tried to re-enter. She pulled and pulled. Stepped back and began to dial for help as people walked by on the mezzanine on the other side of the glass doors. A helper saw the plight and approached to help the trapped victim. He pushed the door with the same result.

In her keen sense of observation she missed that she was pulling on a situation where she should have been pushing. Her savior merely mirrored her actions without questioning. Luckily this rescue attempt was completed and no harm was done to man, woman, material or beast.

Moral of the story: results are based on following the instructional sticker on the door.

Official Outcome: Humility.

Battle of the Fool

This conference in Anaheim has been interesting for sure. The threats in the traditional business is astounding. Pressure from all sides into the middle – the pressure depends on what business you are in and what you call the middle. We saw the travel agent industry go away. Who is next?

I think here is when we need to fall back on quite from King Solomon.

“The Great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire and the transgressors his wages.”

If that is possible, and in worst case I’m a fool, I should still be able to eat. I feel a little smarter than the fool – maybe misguided in my feelings but I should be ok.

Seeds

Our actions are seeds.

Not a new concept.

The seeds of failure are usually sown during times of success ~ Gary Keller

Self sabotage. Not something we would intuitively think.

I can see how success can inflate our perception of being bullet proof. Soon enough we’ve drifted from the fundamentals into fancy. Confidently straying from what groomed our successes, we correlate income as the metric proving we overcame. Success despite the mixed crop sown.

While this was stated in a business book the concept applies to our personal lives as well. I’ve witnessed it in my life, observed it in others.

Vigilance. Steady and unfiltered.

Thoughts on Fear

I had a unique experience that is not so unique. Fear. This time I was able to observe fear pushing the emotions of one to react and reach out for help. The situation was difficult. If I had been in the same place – the thoughts and actions would have been similar. During the dark days I remember absurdity in uncontrolled fear. Stress. High blood pressure. Sleepless nights. Ugly days I am glad are behind. I had to lear in those days:

• What is the worst that could happen?
• What is the best that could happen?
• What is likely to happen?

Questions can reign in absurd thinking. – if you pause to ask them.

Momento from Yesterday

What I did well:

• Nailed a presentation and the referral request.
• Taught the FHA loan class in style and detail
• Asked great questions at a breakfast meeting – great questions Mold meetings

What intrigued me:

• Gratitude phone calls – the response to genuine gratitude was amazing

What made a difference:

• Unselfish use of time to help others be successful in their quest
• Thorough and uninhibited info so others can make good decisions

Application:

• Lead with gratitude
• Guide with questions
• Share openly

Short Thought at Breakfast

Martin Luther King Jr. Has been on my mind since the Dodge commercial at the Super Bowl. While many found the commercial revolting, I found it inspiring. I’ve heard time and time again “I have a dream” and seldom hear any more. The segment shared during the commercial inspired me and challenged me – brilliant. While I am not in the market for a truck, it provoked me in a good way. His message came directly out of the words of Jesus the Christ as recorded in Matthew 20:

Whoever among you wants to be great MUST become the servant of you all…

This same concept plays into a book I read. The book is counter what is so visible in society today. The Captain Class by Sam Walker emphasizes how that principle applies to the greatest teams in history. Humility + sacrifice + service = freak teams with freak success records. The Good to Great of the sports industry. Picking up towels and wiping feet moves you into greatness.

What a concept. Application: serve early and often.