Has your week ever turned on one event?

In our family recently each week has revolved around an event of less than desirable occurrence. No life and death things but significant events that required attention and some action to overcome. It has seemed that they have grabbed the focus of the week in such a way as to suck all of the energy into that one event like a black hole consumes light in space. Nothing escapes the suction not even joy. When this happens the week takes on a dark and ominous outlook. Lives become dark and more desolate in outlook and action. Hope is a distant memory and Joy, well joy has departed for a week in the Caribbean.

A friend said recently there is nothing worse than being around someone who has lost their joy! Would you agree? Mean, nasty, grumpy people are tough to endure for any length of time. They suck the fun out of any and everything. They are such a downer for others. If it is your spouse, it makes you not want to go home! Who wants a grumpy spouse to come in the door? It’s not like them. How did they lose their Joy? I think it all has to do with focus. What is in their sights for their lives? That will determine their joy!

If our aim is material goods our joy is short lived. Those things fade and get dated. They rust and decay and we move on. The break and need repair and maintenance. If we shoot for success and accolades they satisfy for but a brief moment until the next shining star comes along.  We find ourselves sad and discouraged once again. Is there a target that does not fade, rust, decay or sour? A target so certain that Joy returns from the tropical paradise to live in our homes again?

On the sign in front of Faith Baptist Church on GA 119 Joy is an acronym for Jesus, Others and Yourself. I think the order is paramount to our Joy for a believer. When we focus on anything other than Jesus our joy fades. When Peter began to see the wave and hear the wind as he walked on the water he began to sink. Only when he refocused on Jesus was he again safe.

How about your joy! Are others glad to be around you or are you sucking the fun out of life? Have you focused your attention of your problems and pain so much so that life does not exist outside of them? They have become a black hole consuming your joy, life your very existence. Romans 12:2 (HCSB) Paul says

² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Consider what is in your sights? What have you aimed at? It begins with your mind. What stays in your thoughts? Does it encourage you or discourage you? You are more than what has happened to you! You are more than what you can do! You are more than the problems that you face! You are more! What you aim at is what you will hit!

Is Jesus in your sights? If not, there is your problem. Your aim is off! That’s it! Count your blessings see what God has done! It really is simple. When we set our aim on our Savior and Lord the things of earth grow strangely dim. They pale in comparison to his glory. He says in our sights, “I love you so.” What compares to that? Then he ask us to love God with all that we are and love our neighbors as ourselves. He says nothing about our problems or pressures, nothing about our preferences or particular position. No everything about love. Love God love man that is as simple as it gets. When God is our target with those he loves in our sights Jesus gives us a promise. Matthew recorded these words, this promise in chapter 6, verse 33 (HCSB)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

So, what event should each and every week turn on? I say LOVE. Love God and Love our neighbors! This other stuff is handled at least that’s what Jesus said!

What do you say?     

What is in your sights?

 

In HIS Service and Yours,

The Rev

I didn't do it!

 It was Tuesday and the deadline for my middle daughter’s entrance into the college world was one day away. Yet, we were missing a test score that would determine schedule and course selection. Try as we might we could not get the information by phone or e-mail. We were going to have to make a trip to the school and wait.  

During lunch time I went to the local campus to see if I could speed up the process. The line was long and there was no speeding up the line so I left. My frustration peaked as we considered not going to school this semester at all. Waiting until January when more was in order. I am not sure as to why it is so important to me for her to start school this fall but it is. It bugged me to almost no end that all this late effort would be for naught by postponing until January. I just wrote a lie.

The lie is I was frustrated because I had to make a number of schedule changes to facilitate this last minute flourish. I had a significant time investment as well as aggravation going here. To punt to January would discount my investment (yep my frustration was about me). Now back to our regularly scheduled program.    

I resigned myself to no school this fall and waiting until January. That was O.K. but second best (first looser you know). When I got home around 4:30 Carolyn says, “Are you ready to go?” I replied, “Go where?” “Go to the school and get my scores and schedule changed” she says. I was stunned but thought let’s give it a shot. Off we go Carolyn driving.

We arrive no line so we sign in and wait a few minutes but not many. In less than 5 minutes we have her score (she passed) and her schedule is changed to 13 hours (full time). Bam it’s done and Carolyn says “Thank You Jesus, I was praying all the way over here and for the last two days.” We had one more wait for the financial aid person but that was easy. I figured if God could arrange the schedule and specific times that work for us he can work out financial aid. By the way He did.

I am not sure if it was then or later after I had spoken to my Mother who had been praying as well that it hit me. So hard that I said it out loud, “I had not prayed.” Not once that day had I prayed about the schedule, test or arrangements for school. Not the slightest word whispered from my lips to God for his help. There was nothing I could do but I never asked God to intervene.

 He did anyway. He’s like that.

Here I am the spiritual leader (ha-ha) for some and I had not prayed over the issue at hand. That means I have a ways to go still. It makes me human and in need or grace. Not the cheap kind the costly kind that changes lives and grows faith.

Well there has been one schedule change due to one cancelled class but she is now in college. It’s true I didn’t pray about the frustration. In fact, the frustration is because I didn’t pray and let God.         

In HIS Service and Yours,

The Rev

Who needs who?

 I have begun a new book Close Enough to Hear God Breathe written by Greg Paul of Toronto. Wouldn’t it be cool to live in a place that needs no country or state behind it because people just know where it is? Admittedly I am just five chapters in and if asked how the book is I cannot yet answer if it is good or bad or what. It is not the typical book I read but rather a narrative of life and faith woven together with explanations of theology and experience.  I’ll have to read more to tell you what I think. I can say it is not BAD as I am still reading and look forward to reading it.

Today I was challenged to consider who needs who. Does God need me or you to accomplish his plan? Do I really think that if I don’t do the exact, perfect, precise task God has assigned that all hope is lost? I act like that at times. That is probably better than slacking off completely but does God need me or you? What if  Moses had said “no, I won’t go.” Would Israel still be enslaved? Of course not, God would have found another after all did he not say to Moses “I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians?”  Yes he did. It was his action and his plan Moses would join. Who needed who?

Greg Paul writes of a time he was adding a second story to his home and his young son wanted to help. The first thing was a hammer. So the wise father bought for his son’s 6^th birthday a 16oz straight clawed hammer for his young helper complete with belt holder. His son was delighted to have an adult hammer. He writes, “It was the best dollar-to-delight ratio I’ve ever managed in a gift.” He goes on that Caleb was itching to have something to hammer so this wise father gave him some cut-offs and 31/2” spikes to hammer. He spent the time to show him how to hold the nail until it would stand on its’ own. Caleb held the size-too-large- hammer right below the head so he could hit with it. In not a long time he was tapping and hitting those nails through the cut-off scrap helping Dad “build the house.”  Paul writes, “Caleb’s efforts weren’t very productive. The truth is, his “help” cost me much more time and energy—both in coaching him how to hold the hammer, set the nail and so on, and in prying the pieces of lumber off the floor, removing or bending the nails so they wouldn’t hurt anybody—than it should have been worth. But I still remember watching his earnest little face, completely absorbed in bringing that heavy hammer head down accurately, and with force, on the head of the nail; and listening to the tap of the hammer, or the studiously casual, proud way he would later describe to people how he was helping Dad build the house. The pleasure of sharing these things with my beloved son has never left me. Because really, in some manner much more material than mere wood and nails, he did help me build the house.” (p.59-60)

Parents do you remember some of those tasks. You know the tasks that you could do in 20 minutes with their “help” or 5 without? The tasks where it really put you in an uncomfortable position to use their “help” but you did so anyway. Consider who needed who?

God doesn’t need my help! He doesn’t need your help either! Sorry to break the news to you. Oh by the way whoever is elected President this November will not be the end of the world nor the savior of the world, just saying? God has a plan and it’s been in place for a very long time. I mean really God spoke the stars into existence and placed the galaxies in motion, breathed the breath of life into Adam and made sunsets, how much help do you think you can be? As for me, none.

If I can’t help then why involve me in the plan? God loves me and you. He likes us to be around even if we are not much help or heaven forbid more of a hindrance than help. He likes us to be around. That takes the pressure off. You don’t have to produce you just have to be present. The great I AM THAT I AM wants us present, to be, with him. Let’s be honest I/you need God more than he needs us. After all it is His Story he has invited us live in and through.                       

In HIS Service and Yours,

The Rev

Well the frustration grew...

Thursday before the apartment complex office closed I called and asked if we had all of the required information in place. I was assured we did. I asked if we needed to bring anything else to move into the apartment, I was told no. But I didn’t believe them.

Considering the previous day’s process I just believed there would be something else. I had no idea as to what that would be but I knew there would be something else. There would be and more.

Friday as we traveled the weather was clear and sunny, the traffic was moderate even on I-95 and we had no mechanical problems. We seemed to be on time to possibly move in Friday afternoon/evening. That was what we were hoping for anyway. Earlier in the week we had some trouble making a final payment for a course that Lizzy was to start Monday afternoon. The online system would not accept the payment after multiple attempts. We had time it was not due until Monday and this was Friday so she placed a call to the business office for instruction. There was no answer but voice mail sop she left a message. We arrived at the apartment complex on time and went into the office. Sat down and handed the security deposit in a money order to the manager. We then had the address and apt # so we could make the utility arrangements and renters insurance all of which we needed in place before we could actually sign the lease. The manager then asked if we thought we could get that done before 4:30 (it was 3:50). I had no idea if we could do that or not. Why ask me? So, a punt was called and we set up an appointment for the next morning at 10:15. That would give us time to make the arrangements, find a place to stay the night and have the pro-rated rent in a money order (that was the “something” else). Ugh, so we were tired and frustrated and needed sweet tea, McDonalds here we come.

It was now 4:45pm and the business office returned Lizzy’s call. Of course there was no problem they just needed to get her information. Now came the problem, we were told it appeared Lizzy had withdrawn from the school and we needed to contact the law school office. She transferred the call and at 4:50pm on Friday afternoon we got…voice mail. The whole reason we were there to go to law school is in limbo. What does that mean? What do we do now? God what are you doing or saying?  My frustration was off the charts to say the least, but first things first we needed a place to stay the night. We found a place!

A little time passed and we sent e-mails to the dean, and anybody else we could think of as we wanted to know something before we signed a 1 year lease the next morning. While we were eating dinner a lot of options were racing through my head, none of them good. I asked Lizzy what we were going to do. She replied on Monday the school would admit her that was the only option. O.K. and I went to bed. Later…

Two am in the morning later I was up with heart burn from worry. So, I sat in a chair in a dark hotel room praying over all that came to mind. An hour later I laid back in bed heartburn gone and sleepy. Later in the morning the paperwork went fine for the apartment and after 2 hours all was in the apartment but the AC would not come on, ugh. So, we went to Wal- Mart to get a few things. When we returned the rooms were cool the ac had come on and there was reply from the dean to our message saying check with the admissions office Monday “that should not be a problem.”

 Not how I would have planned for all of that to go but I live by God’s plan and he provided in amazingly simple and direct ways. Monday morning came and in 3 minutes “no problem.” No one had any idea as to what happened but it was fixed and back on course, God in charge.

Frustration is an opportunity for God to be well…God. Will you let him? It’s frustrating!                    

In HIS Service and Yours,

The Rev