I was fortunate over the last three years to serve with our military in Germany.  My time there taught me two important lessons about being a gentleman.  One from a German and one from a U.S. Army Colonel.

I was on a German train traveling to a conference.  It was a bullet train and I reserved my seat (you have to pay extra to get a reservation).  When I got to my seat, a German man, a bit older than me, was sitting in my seat.  It didn't matter that there were other seats available, he was in MY seat and I had PAID for that seat.  I showed him my ticket and he got up and moved to an  empty seat.  What I didn't know was that he was sitting with his friends.  He moved across the aisle and continued his conversation.  I wasn't very friendly, I was upset that this guy could just sit in my seat.  But I put in my earphones, listened to my iPod and tried to not act angry.  As I sat there, listening to my CHRISTIAN music, God talked to me and said I was wrong.  I was full of myself and was not acting like Christ.  Finally, after several stops, I got up and went over to the man and apologized to him (in very broken German) and asked him to trade seats with me.  In perfect English, he said, "no, it was my fault.  It was my pleasure to let you sit there."  Now, I felt even more foolish.  This man said it was his "pleasure."  

On another occasion, I was at a US Military hotel in Seoul, Korea and I was standing at the deli, ordering a sandwich.  I noticed someone had taken the previous number and had thrown it on the ground.  I thought about picking it up, then I thought, "I didn't put it down there, I'm not picking it up."  I ordered  my sandwich and sat down.  Shortly after that, a Colonel came thru the line.  He saw the number that was on the ground and he bent over, picked it up and threw it away and then got back in line.  God spoke to me, He said, "so you thought you were too good to pick that up, huh?  Look at that Colonel.  Even though he is in charge and could have ordered a number of men to pick up that number, he did it himself."  Then I was reminded of the story of the Centurion in Matthew 8.  This Centurion was commended for his humility and faith.

So these two simple stories, I hope, help to spur you into thinking what it means to be a gentleman.  A gentleman thinks of others.  He doesn't get to thinking he is better than anyone else.  A gentleman doesn't think that he is above doing tasks that don't seem worthy.  

Yesterday at Target, when a woman ran over my toe with her shopping cart, I didn't erupt.  I told her not to worry about it.  When a man asked to sit next to me while I was waiting at the pharmacy for my prescription, I simply stated, "yes, it would be my pleasure."   

Are you willing to allow God to make you into a gentleman's gentleman?

For part two, click here

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

I  was on the subway in Athens, Greece and a man across from me was swinging beads in his hands and talking to himself.   Being a licensed Mental Health Counselor, I thought the man might have schizophrenia or some type of anxiety disorder.  I watched him and realized that he was praying (or maybe not).

I asked around and found that he was using Greek prayer beads or "Kombolói."  I was able to purchase this set.  It is made out of camel bones and has a nice feel to it.    

When I was trying to find it, I described it as prayer beads.  However, I found out that most people don't use them to pray with . They are generally used to help people stop smoking or deal with anxious feelings.  I did find one or two people who acknowledged it could be used for prayer but "it is not used for that anymore."  

That last statement, "it is not used for that anymore," caused me to think about  my prayer life.  Do I pray like I used to or do I just pray to ward off anxiety, kind of routinely without really understanding what I am doing?  Has my prayer life developed in a healthy fashion?

Prayer, at least the way that I understand it, is building a lasting relationship with God.  It is a two-way relationship where I talk and listen and God talks and listens.  I have these conversations several times throughout my day.  I don't use flowery phrases or talk in Elizabethan English.  I imagine God sitting next to me and I just tell Him what I'm experiencing.   When God talks to me, I generally don't hear an audible voice but I hear Him inside my head speaking thru my thoughts.  I also notice, as I go thru my day, my wife will say something to which I talked to God about or a friend will say something similar to what I talked to God about.  Also, when I spend time in the Bible, what I am reading is super relevant to what I had just shared with God.  Other times, I hear God speaking thru things I read on the internet, books that I am reading or in my student's papers.  It's amazing, also, how many times my Pastor's sermon is spot on to what I have been talking to God about.

So, I don't want you thinking that I see God answering everywhere, a kind of God behind every burning bush idea.  There are days when I don't hear God speaking.  Jesus talked about that in Matt 12:39.  He said that "wicked and adulterous people are always looking for a sign."  I live for those times when God reminds me of His love.  I also know that when I don't recognize God's working,  I can trust Him.  He has impeccable character and is faithful even when I am unfaithful.

So, I ask you.  What is your prayer life like?  How do you experience prayer?