"Gallant hero"

What comes to your mind when you see the word “gallant”?  It’s not a word that we really use all that often in everyday vernacular.  Until I began preparation for this blog, my understanding of the word was limited to someone who is chivalrous, suave, and courteous to women.  And, to be sure, that is one aspect of being gallant.

 

By the way, before I move on, let me reiterate something that I have said in this blog before.  One thing that I want to be said of me after I am gone is that I was a chivalrous gentleman who honored women.  A while back at work, I offered my coat to a female coworker.  Another female coworker who was observing this said something like, “I wish more men made such an offer of genuine chivalry.”  To hear her make that statement made my day!

That’s one aspect of being gallant, but there’s more to the word.  The dictionary actually defines “gallant” as “brave and noble”; followed by “polite and attentive to women”.  In honor of the new Power Rangers movie that just came out (I haven’t seen it yet, but I plan to do so), I thought I would illustrate the “brave and noble” aspect of this word “gallant” from an episode of the original Power Rangers TV series.

In an episode called “Green No More” Tommy Oliver (perhaps the greatest Power Ranger ever) loses his powers.  A villain named Goldar appears to destroy Tommy, but he begins by taunting him.  He plays a slideshow of Tommy as the Green Ranger in action from a mysterious device - with capabilities that apparently include playing random Power Ranger scenes.  “Do you even recognize yourself, Tommy?”  He sneers.  “Do you see what a gallant hero you used to be, Green Ranger?  Always willing to sacrifice, weren’t you?  Always ready.  Always there when the other Rangers needed you…witness the greatness you once were, Tommy, because it’s all over.”  

Goldar’s plan to psychologically defeat Tommy backfires.  Tommy explains to the villain that his slideshow only reminded him of all the good he has done “not only as the Green Ranger, but as me, plain old Tommy.”  Then, in a marvelous display of his gallantry, he defeats Goldar, by procuring the device and using it to teleport the villain away.

Did you notice that Goldar actually called Tommy a “gallant hero”?  This was an apt description.  Surely Tommy was scared, facing a formidable enemy without his powers.  But he courageously fought his battle, and won the day.  I want to be a gallant hero.  I want to be someone who is both chivalrous to women, and also someone who is brave, self-sacrificing, and noble.

Kevin    

Contemplating a woman of faith on a special day

Way back in 2004, I heard a sermon where the pastor spoke of trusting God when your world falls apart.  I always found it a relevant sermon, but it became even more relevant in 2015; the Bauer family was driven into an unexpected and turbulent storm when my dad passed away.

Today is my mother’s birthday!  To contemplate the life of Rose Mary Bauer one can’t help but think about my dad and the praiseworthy marriage he and Mom shared.  My parents were married for almost 41 years.  But it wasn’t simply a matter of a long length of days.  Mom and Dad had an abiding love for each other; a steadfast bond; and an unwavering faithfulness to each other that only grew deeper as the years went on.  Then, in 2015, Mom’s world fell apart.  Dad went home to be with the Lord much sooner than any of us would have ever predicted.

I can remember the words from the pastor in that 2004 sermon clearly: “When your world falls apart, are you going to continue to trust God?”  Mom has done so.  She has persevered.  My mom’s faith in God – in the midst of the most violent storm of her life – is the only thing that has sustained her to this point.  Her strong faith in a trustworthy God is her lifeline.

It’s easy to talk the talk.  As Coach Mike Shanahan used to say, “Talk is cheap.”  One can talk about trusting in God, but to live it out as my mom has for these difficult days is commendable.  I would submit to you that Mom’s example of faith and trust in the Lord is an inspiration to those in her sphere of influence.  It certainly is for me.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Kevin

Battling the formidable foe of guilt

Several weeks ago, something interesting happened at my work.  I was in the back one morning, in my own world at the time; but without warning, a lemon hit me in the side of the neck.  I hadn’t noticed that one of my coworkers was in a particularly silly mood, and was horsing around.  She had thrown the lemon, and had meant to hit another employee, but her aim was off, and it hit me instead.  My coworker was absolutely mortified at this.  She apologized profusely.  

At the end of her work shift, as I said goodbye, she apologized yet again.  Each time, I responded with forgiveness.  Interestingly, the next time I saw her a few days later, she continued with her same tune of sorrow for the lemon episode (which I had all but forgotten at this point).  I had forgiven her, but she was evidently having significant difficulty in forgiving herself.

Can you relate?  Have you ever found yourself in, as one pastor called it, “spiritual depression” over a regrettable episode of sin?  In those instances, have you thought to yourself, or perhaps even said, “I know God has forgiven me, but I can’t forgive myself”?  I have to admit to you that I know what it’s like to be in the grip of guilt.  It’s easy to wallow in guilt, shame, and self-pity.  But, if you are in Christ, you are pardoned, cleansed, and forgiven of all sin.  That doesn’t mean that you won’t face the consequences of your selfish choices, but the fact still remains that the blood of Jesus has washed you clean.  The Bible declares, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

We can take that promise of forgiveness from the Word of God to the bank.  Yet many of us place our feelings of guilt above God’s declaration.  Like the lemon episode at my work, the proclamation of forgiveness should suffice.  To hold on to the unforgiveness, therefore, is to elevate the guilty feelings over the promise of God.  We must intentionally choose to be liberated by the truth from the Word of God, rather than hold on to the guilt.  Not that this is necessarily easy.  As I said in the last blog, it will take vigilance.  Whenever you realize you have slipped into this thinking, stop and remind yourself that God has chosen forgiveness, and that settles it.

Guilt can be incredibly powerful.  I have found that it can eat you up, if you let it.  It’s easy to decide to not forgive ourselves of something that we have done.  But to live like this is to live in self-made chains that God wants us to be free from.  Since God has extended His forgiveness to His children, what right do we have to disregard this invitation?  Matthew West has a good song on this.  In his song titled “Grace Wins”, he sings, “There’s a war between guilt and grace, and they’re fighting for a sacred space, but I’m living proof, grace wins every time.”  I can echo my “amen” to that!

Kevin