If you’re above a certain age, you probably remember those old station wagons with the wood paneling. You probably remember those road trips where you got stuck in the very last seat that faced the cars behind you. I am still a little traumatized from that.

It was the days before social media and smart technology took over everything. We didn’t have smart phones or tablets to pass the time. We had to be creative — read books (unless you were one that got car sick), listen to music, count out of state license plates, play I Spy, etc. We have memories that are completely unrelated to a tiny phone screen.

If that was you, you probably had an awesome childhood. Just sayin’.

I don’t know what the deal is, but it seems like meteorologists are frighteningly accurate when it comes to predicting rain. Every single time there’s even a small chance of rain in the forecast, it rains. And the rain likes to show up early.

I actually like rain. In moderate amounts. And not when I’m driving in it. But when I’m at home, I find that cold and rainy days make for the best naps. They also make for good lounging around, binging Netflix, reading a good book, being lazy days.

That said, I’m ready for some quality sunshine. I could use a few sunny days in a row, especially before the insane summer in the South heat with humidity kicks in. I’m not a fan of sweating, and I’m sure no one in smelling distance of me is either.

But as usual, I am thankful that tomorrow is Friday, rain or shine. That automatically will make the day better.

Cinco de Mayo, as it turns out, is is “a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War” (from the interwebs). So it really is about more than just tacos.

I hope you had a good day. I hope you had tacos or enchiladas or burritos or some other Mexican-themed food to celebrate the day. I hope you are able to fully appreciate and celebrate the upcoming holiday of — wait for it — Revenge of the Sixth. Another Star Wars holiday.

You’re welcome.

Well, no matter how your day went, you can always take comfort in the fact that today is National . . . I mean International . . . no, wait Galactic Star Wars Day. I say, “May the 4th be with you,” and you respond, “And also with you.”

For me, there’s something comforting about Star Wars. Maybe it’s because it takes me back to my childhood and the original trilogy that awakened my imagination and dreams and birthed in me a love for all things fantastical and mythological.

It gets better.

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, which in this part of the world means Go Somewhere and Eat Mexican Day. I’m sure there’s an actual history behind it, but as with all holidays these days, it has turned into an excuse to eat mass quantities of food. If you plan just right, you could end up eating tacos tomorrow. Or you could avoid the inevitable and insane crowds at all Mexican restaurants and just eat your tacos on Thursday, which just happens to be . . .

Revenge of the 6th. It’s another Star Wars day. I’m not really sure of the point, other than it’s a play on Revenge of the Sith, which is Episode III in the Star Wars saga (and the best of the prequel trilogy in my humble opinion).

That’s it. Enjoy some Star Wars and tacos. That’s my prescription for a good week — or at least a reprieve from a not so good week.

“A mosaic consists of thousands of little stones. Some are blue, some are green, some are yellow, some are gold. When we bring our faces close to the mosaic, we can admire the beauty of each stone. But as we step back from it, we can see that all these little stones reveal to us a beautiful picture, telling a story none of these stones can tell by itself.

That is what our life in community is about. Each of us is like a little stone, but together we reveal the face of God to the world. Nobody can say: ‘I make God visible.’ But others who see us together can say: ‘They make God visible.’ Community is where humility and glory touch” (Henri Nouwen).

You could say the same about stained glass. Individually, they’re just shards of broken glass, but together, they make some of the most captivating and stunning artwork you’re likely to see.

That’s why community is important. Each has unique gifts and talents that no one else. When you put all those together, you really do become better together than you would be apart. Each member makes all the others better and can be strong where the other is weak, and visa versa.

That’s why community for believers isn’t just a nice idea or a good option. It’s vital.

Sometimes it seems hard to believe that on this day 11 years ago, Nashville was in the midst of its heaviest 2-day rainfall ever. I remember that it poured rain non-stop for 2 straight days. It rained so much that Nashville ended up in a 1000-year flood.

I remember seeing news videos of roads and blocks and even interstates flooded. I distinctly remember seeing one of those portable schoolhouse buildings floating down the interstate in all the floodwater.

I was stuck at home for a bit because I couldn’t get out of my neighborhood. That was one of the craziest weeks I can recall ever having lived through. I hope I never live to see anything like it again.

But I also remember how Nashville came together and helped those in need. We put aside out differences and were able to clear out flood-damaged debris from homes and help people in the process of rebuilding and starting over.

It’s sad that it takes a disaster or a catastrophe to bring people together like that. Even in the Church, it often takes a crisis to pull us together in the kind of unity that Jesus said we should have all the time.

But it’s a beautiful thing when people do decide to work together in harmony. I think that’s because it’s a glimpse of what heaven will be like all the time.

I did it. I got the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine today.

It was not planned. I found out that the Publix pharmacy had some shots left over that they were going to have to throw away if they weren’t used, so I went and volunteered.

This is not about whether or not vaccines are good or bad. This is not about who’s right or wrong about the vaccine. This is about me making my own personal decision to put the greater good above my own personal preferences. This is about me wanting for life to return to normal.

For the record, I have received a flu shot for the last few years. As far as I can tell, I show no signs of growing a third arm or mutating into a different species. Again, it’s all about me making a decision that works for me.

I hope and pray you will be free to make the choice to get a vaccine or not. I also hope and pray that you will make an informed choice, not one based on conspiracy theories or what you read on social media but one informed by actual medical opinion from a doctor or nurse that you know and respect.

So whatever choice you make, I really hope and pray that you will respect those who choose differently. This is still America where we are free to live as we see fit based on our beliefs and convictions. I don’t want to see everyone forced to take a vaccine against their will, but I also don’t want this pandemic to continue.

In short, I don’t know a whole lot. I definitely don’t want to speak for anyone else, but I think that in my own best judgment getting a COVID vaccine was the right call for me to make. I want us all to be able to think for ourselves and not blindly trust any politician or media outlet that tries to tell us what to think and how to live.

I’m a bit weary, so I won’t add a whole lot other than to say that I have repeatedly found this to be true in my own life. The less I try to live under the illusion of control, the less I worry and fret and the more peace I have. Also, the less I pretend to be god of my own world, the more I see the real God in my world.

It’s not something that I regularly think about. I confess that I don’t really spend much time thinking about the joy of the Lord. I tend to dwell on my own joy (or lack of joy).

But if the joy of the Lord is my strength, then I should probably try to figure out what it is. I should take time to understand what kind of joy that the God of the universe could have.

I do think that God’s joy is perfect. It’s not mixed with baser emotions or diluted like human joy. It’s not on-again, off-again like mine is. It’s 100% all the time never ending pure joy. Sure, it’s a joy that is based out of God’s holiness, but I like to think God has a joyful holiness as well as a holy joy.

God, may your joy be my joy. May what brings you pleasure be the desire of my own heart. I don’t know what I want half the time, so help me to want what You want. May Your joy truly be my strength tomorrow and the next day and every day after that. Amen.

“By faith we see things that are invisible to others and by faith we believe in advance those things that right now make no sense but one day will make perfect sense because we will view them in reverse. Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse” (from Keep Believing Ministries).

As the old movie said, faith is believing even when common sense tells you not to. I think that’s somewhat accurate, but I really like the quote that says that sometimes seeing isn’t believing; believing is seeing.

Faith is putting what you know above what you feel. You know deep in your soul that all of God’s promises are true and that God is faithful even when your feelings tell you otherwise. You know that God sees the entire picture and you see only a small part even when your feelings tell you that God doesn’t see at all.

Sometimes, we’re like the man who’s begging Jesus to heal his son. He says to Jesus, “If you can . . .” Jesus responds, “If? Don’t you know that with Me, all things are possible?” The man’s reply might echo our own — “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”

That’s where most of us are most of the time. We want to believe and have a willing spirit, but the flesh is weak. We have too many distractions and too many conflicting voices that contradict what we know to be true about God. Faith is going to a quiet place away from all the noise and clamor and claiming God’s promises as true, even when they don’t feel true. You keep saying it until you finally start to feel it deep down in your core. Even if the feelings don’t come, you know that while feelings may lie, God never does.

Trust in the heart of God. Believe what you know to be true over what you feel. Be still and know that He is God.