Prevent
Hardening of
the Attitudes

Long ago, I
listened to a tape of Zig Ziglar, a well-known motivational speaker, who
understands the concept of dis-eases. In this tape Ziglar talks about a
variant dis-ease from which we all suffer, once past the age of eighteen.
The dis-ease Ziglar refers to he calls
psychosclerosis that is psyche, of the mind, soul or spirit + sclerosis, as in
hardening of, or a hardening of the attitudes.

Ziglar exhorts
us frequently to get a check up from the neck up to prevent stinking
thinking! Such a frequent check up will help prevent hardening of the
attitudes, which produce cataracts of the spirit and arthritis of the
mind.

As I've gotten
older, I've had more opportunities to consider the implications of
arthritis than I really would prefer. I've discovered that there isn't a
cure for arthritis, at least not yet, but there is an effective
remedy stretch and flex. As we must do for the body, so we must do for the
mind and the spirit stretch and flex. Otherwise the heart, mind and spirit
begin to stiffen, and then harden, until they become rigid, more like a
shell. And it is just a short distance to becoming a tomb for your heart,
your mind and your spirit. Remember, a frequent check up from the neck
up can prevent stinking thinking and hardening of the attitudes. So,
stretch and flex, even when it hurts. It's supposed to!For some, this
may be considered a too humorous or lighthearted way of addressing such a
sensitive topic, but as the Rev. Billy Graham mentioned, Humor opens the
door of the heart so I can slip something in before it shuts again.
Likewise, I think humor is necessary to address a topic of such
importance. Humor often pins mental images to our memories that last long
after the words dim from our thoughts

There is a
Spanish tale of a father and son who had become estranged after years of
bitter strife. The son finally ran away. Finding that his son was missing,
the father became heartbroken and set off to find him. He searched for
months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort, the father placed
an ad in the city newspaper. The ad read:

Dear Paco,
Meet me in front of the bell tower
in the plaza at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you.
Your Father.
That Saturday eight hundred Pacos men
and boys showed up in the plaza, looking for forgiveness and love from
their fathers.

It is
unquestionable that many men and women have an intense need for
forgiveness to receive it or to give it. And from my experiences, it seems
especially crucial between fathers and sons.