Be Excellent To Each Other...And Party On Dudes!

I haven't seen Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure in over a decade, but for some reason I have had a quote from the movie going through my mind all morning. Be excellent to each other...and party on dudes! For years I tried to live my life with the party on dudes aspect at least, but the party was over long before my life could even begin to recover from the miserable mess that philosophy had landed me in. I pretty much ignored the be excellent to each other part. I mean if anyone was watching whose acceptance I wanted I'd be nice. If someone might later be able to do something I needed or wanted I could be quite helpful. If it might make people think my life was not a heinous mess so that they would not catch me as easily as I engaged in the party on dudes then the Golden Rule was sweet. But in truth, in the core of my soul, my philosophy was me first and you...if I get around to it and it doesn't cost me in any way.

During my period of recovery I have learned that to enjoy ones self in a gathering of people does not in and of itself require alcohol or drugs. I have also learned that I can celebrate without enhancement. In short, I do not need to drink or drug to party on. Upon reflection I realize that my concept or definition of party on is really more to live life to the fullest in a sensual manner. I mean to enjoy the people I'm sending time with and the places and events and situations by soaking in the sights or God's beautiful creation and the artistic creations of people created in the Master Artist's image, by listening to the sounds of nature, music, and laughter, by basking in the aromas of things that give me pleasure like ceder trees and fresh baked cookies and the bath oils my wife uses, by thanking God for and enjoying the spectrum of flavors that can be found in the vast number of choices we have been given to sustain our nutritional needs, by giving and receiving the comfort and joy that comes from a hug, from contact with another. To suck the marrow from life by enjoying all it has to offer the senses God gave me to experience life with and to add back to the sights, sounds, textures, scents and flavors when I can is really what I associate with the idea of "party on dudes!" And upon further reflection I realize that there was very little of any of that in my party days.

Do unto others as you would have them be unto you. This is the Golden Rule. Be nice and don't do anything to someone that you wouldn't want done to you is how I have most often interpreted this concept. But wouldn't be excellent to each other actually be more appropriate. As I would have someone do to me is a lot different in reality than simply what I don't want done to me. Sure I don't want people to gossip about me or back stab, so I shouldn't do those to others. But if I stop there, I fall so far short. As I would have done to me is more than be nice, be good. All my life I wanted accept me, love me in a way that means something and makes my life better, help me when I need it, don't let me suffer alone, comfort me, don't let me rejoice alone, rejoice with me, and so much more. Don't stop at be good to me, please go beyond that. Be excellent. Be faithful. Be reliable. Be God for me because I had a God shaped hole in my life.

But no person could be so excellent. People always failed. They always disappointed and hurt. And I myself was never that for anyone. Usually, I was not even in the same neighborhood. Partly because I lived a selfish and self-centered life, but this was mostly because I am not God and can't fill the God shaped hole in my own life, much less anyone else's. No, we as humans can not love each other and be good to one another and help and encourage one another in the way that God has been most excellent to us. And yet, Jesus instructed those that would follow His ways to love one another as He has loved us. What an impossible task!

But here's the wonderful part. While I am powerless over my selfishness and attitudes that would keep me from loving as Christ has loved, I know from experiencing the miracle of having Him fill my God shaped hole that there is one who has the power to love so excellently. The more I turn my will and my life over to Him, the more of His power, strength and point of view I operate on and the less of my own. This means that though I can not, on my own, treat people as God would have me, I can allow the Spirit of God dwelling in me to have His way and love, demanding no change, expecting no return, simply love.

This is what God did for me when he gave the excellent gift of Himself. He loved fully and completely. He made a way for me. He demanded nothing. He would love me no less had I totally rejected His gift, but when I did accept the freely offered, He filed the missing pieces of life in a way that nothing and no one else ever could. He was most excellent to me and gave me a life worth living and the ability to enjoy it.

I know that it easy to get frustrated with the crowds and commercialism and have to's of the season and have the Ba Humbug spirit rear its ugly head. Tolerance can be so lacking during a time when we are supposed to be remembering the gift God's tolerance and love for us provided. But as things get more and more crazy, I am going to try to focus more and more on the One who can provide peace in the midst of turmoil. I will try to accept His love for me and live like I have value to God. I will try to treat others as though they also are much loved of God. I will try to see and enjoy this life as a gift from God and treasure and embrace it rather than complain and act as though I am cursed for living. I will try to encourage others to do the same.

To put it simply, I will do my best to get out of the way so that God through me can be excellent to those I encounter, and I will party on dudes.