Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

• John 15:5

A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man—even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?

• Ecclesiastes 6:3-6

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

• Ephesians 2:11-13

“I get along without you very well
Of course, I do
Except when soft rains fall
And drip from leaves, then I recall
The thrill of being sheltered in your arms
Of course, I do
But I get along without you very well

I’ve forgotten you, just like I should
Of course, I have
Except to hear your name
Or someone’s laugh that is the same
But I’ve forgotten you, just like I should

What a guy, what a fool am I
To think my breaking heart could kid the moon
What’s in store? Should I phone once more?
No, it’s best that I stick to my tune

I get along without you very well
Of course, I do
Except perhaps in Spring
But I should never think of Spring
For that would surely break my heart in two”

• Hoagy Carmichael, I Get Along without You Very Well

One of the websites that offered lyrics for the song (but modified by the artist on many occasions) prefaced the song with an explanation.  I guess the younger generations might get agitated, nervous, offended, etc. if they saw that the lyrics were contradictory.

I guess people have no clue how to take rejection well.  Do they throw a fit?  Do they help them pack?

I remember a workmate…  No way would I say “friend”.  He enjoyed getting me in trouble, knowing that the boss was prejudiced against me.  He even sabotaged one of my projects, allegedly.  I had the evidence, but the boss was deliriously happy that I was being blamed, allegedly.  But on rare occasions, when he needed a fourth, this workmate invited me to play golf.  He played golf at least twice each week with weather permitting.

I say this to set up the rumor that was started by others.  It was said that his wife left him in one of those classic maneuvers that only a devious mind could concoct.  It was rumored that he left to play golf on Saturday morning, and when he returned in the early afternoon, the house was empty.  The movers had come in and packed everything, leaving him two or three sticks of furniture and a note saying that her divorce attorney would be calling soon.

The counter argument was that he hated doing it, but he cancelled his golf outing that day to help her pack.  Less dramatic, but neither scenario paints his character in a good light.

But in many cases of partners splitting up, the split leaves both parties wondering if they had made a mistake.  After the bruises heal, they wonder what the fight was all about.  They remember the good times and forget the bad.

But I said “many”, not even “most.”

But there are millions of people in the world today.  Let’s face it, there are billions of people in the world today who have been invited to meet Jesus.  And their reply is, “I get along without Jesus very well.”

The Scripture say that without Jesus we can do nothing.  Life is meaningless.  You cannot take any of your worldly trophies with you.  And if your children are like mine, they would throw it all in the dumpster.  To their defense, their houses are filled with their junk.  There is no room.

The secular world drives the point in through their brainwashing that we all come from some primordial goo.  We are cosmic accidents.  We have no real purpose in life.

But if this is the case, why are these people purposely preaching a lack of purpose?  Their entire career is not meaningless; it is contradictory.

With God in your life, your life has meaning.  Our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  Somehow, my brain seems muddled today.  It is something like that.

Enjoying the Creator of the universe does not seem to be something terrible.  Loving God who is the essence of love itself in no way can be thought of as hate speech, if you think it through.  Anyone can say anything without thinking.

And the more we think we can get along without God, the more we find things that are impossible without God, including life itself and especially including life after death.

Here is Frank Sinatra singing I Get Along without You Very Well.

My wife has been gone for almost three years.  I am indeed getting along without her very well.  But I doubt there is a single day when I do not miss her.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.