Monday I cut the grass

My neighbors may have thought that unusual but I usually cut grass on Monday. It was dusty! I try not to breathe when the dust kicks up. I also brush myself off with the broom before coming into the house following the “dust bowl” experience. Sometimes I have a helper to brush more. Monday it seemed worse as dust goes but wonderful as temps go. The problem is in the last few years I have developed a grass allergy.  

I have noticed my allergy symptoms are worse when it is dry and dusty. So….you can guess what happened. My eyes went to watering and itching. By Tuesday morning my nose was running like an overfilled pitcher. When I stood up it ran, when I leaned over it dripped on whatever surface or whomever I was over. That’s gross I know. I wiped it so often that it then was sore to touch. But touch it I had to continue to do. Then started the cough. I started some nasal spray and that alone made me feel worse all day and into the next. I was miserable. Have you been there? Or are you there now? Have you noticed how distracting it is?

The distraction is the worst. It is hard to focus on the task at hand when you have allergy/cold symptoms. They so easily consume your thoughts and actions. It begins to feel like those symptoms are your life. You can begin to believe that is how your life will always be, who you are and what you will become. It’s easy to think that way but it’s wrong.

Spiritually we struggle with symptoms as well. We still suffer from the symptoms of sin in our lives. A follower of Jesus is being transformed (the process is called sanctification) into the image of Christ. We are growing into the head who is Jesus, maturing into the image of Jesus. Yet we still live in this world of “allergens.” Dealing with them makes us sore, uncomfortable and distracted. There is hope. It is only for a while that we will suffer from these symptoms. They are NOT our life or our future.

Our future is certain and our transformation will be complete on THAT day. Paul writes,

“I feel sure that the one who has begun his good work in you will go on developing it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 Phillips

God guarantees the transformation will be complete. However, we are to participate in the process by keeping our eyes on Jesus and ignoring the distraction.

Friday…I feel better.

In HIS Service and Yours,

Bro G

What ya looking at? Pt.2

In a recent commercial a statement is made that the human eye can see the light of a single candle from a distance of 10 correction MILES. That is over 52,800 feet. I made it too short last week!

Last week I shared with you the story of Peter walking on the water and doing fine as long as he looked at Jesus. But when he looked at the wind and the waves he began to sink. When he cried out to the Lord Jesus reached out and caught him. In the mini-series The Bible shown last year on the History Channel. The visual is of Peter going underwater sinking and a hand thrusts through the surface grabbing him pulling him into the boat. I like that visual. It gives me hope!

I made this article part two because I want to connect an application from the present. At Crossroads Church during our weekly worship service we ask folks to share how they saw God at work in their lives that week. It’s open mike time which is pretty dangerous because you never know what you will get. You just don’t know what people will say. In recent weeks a lady spoke up to share she had been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer and at that time was undergoing further tests to determine the extent on the disease. I told you, you never know. She told of her fear. She thanked God for her family and others and then shared her experience with an MRI.

The MRI required her to have her arms stretched out. She said she has trouble with confined spaces and loud noises. Yep, an MRI is a perfect storm for that. She told of her fear and then said Jesus, if you can bear the cross I can bear this. She calmed down for about half of the test cycle. Then she started to look at her surroundings and situation and had to grin and bear the rest of the time. Do you see the similarity to Peter?

It took me a day or so and time on the lawn mower to put that together. I may be slow but I get it eventually. Has that been your story? Is that your story now? If we are honest we have to answer yes to both questions. It is so very easy to look at our situation and surroundings and believe that is our reality thereby succumbing to our worry and fear once again. The saddest thing is “once again” I have done that time and time and time again. You would think I’d learn. What is also true, it’s easy to read those stories in the Bible and shake our head at the foolishness of their lack of faith and will. It’s not so easy to see the same foolishness and lack of faith in our own lives and our own actions. Yet God, that is such a comforting phrase, puts up with our weak faith and short attention span time and time and time again reaching in and rescuing us from ourselves yet once again.

Rend Collective Experiment has a song on the air My Lighthouse our worship band is rehearsing this. I love the concept of Jesus being certain, strong and firm like a lighthouse. When lost in the wilderness or the open see the task is to fix your sight on a stationary object and head towards that object. Your focus on that object keeps you from going in circles. A light house warns of danger rocks maybe and yet shouts of safety a safe harbour. That song I mentioned has a line in the chorus to take to heart when we feel lost:

“My Lighthouse, My Lighthouse, I will trust the promise, You will carry me safe to shore”

That’s my Jesus!

Next time you are lost consider Who ya looking’ at?

      

In HIS Service and Yours,

Bro G

What ya looking at?

In a recent commercial a statement is made that the human eye can see the light of a single candle from a distance of 10 football fields. That is over a 1000 yards or 3000 feet. I think that number and capability are impressive. Of course I cannot find my keys at 3 feet. Maybe if I lit a candle next to them I could find them. To see the light of that candle we would concentrate our focus on any source of light in the distance. We would block out distractions around us and direct all of our attention to “seeing” that light. That is not what I do when looking for my keys.

When looking for my keys or anything I usually have a picture of them in my heard and compare what I see to my mental image. It helps me sort all of the visual images to find my keys. That is great if my mental image is the same as the actual image of my keys. That’s not so great if my minds’ eye is off. I may look right past the keys because they don’t fit my picture of how the keys should look. I resort to this technique when I am overwhelmed by what is right around me.

That’s usually what gets us, what we see around us. When we start looking close to us we can’t see the “forest for the trees” can we? I am all too familiar with this. There is an account where the disciples were in a boat on the water. The wind and waves had kicked up and these were experienced fishermen. I think the weather had them on edge. Jesus came to them on the lake (walking on the water) and when they saw him they were “terrified” saying ‘“It’s a ghost’ and cried out in fear.” (Matt. 14:26 HCSB). I suggest they were already afraid and this “ghost” in their eyes made the fear grow. Knowing this Jesus speaks to them and their fears are eased.  Peter asks Jesus to prove his identity by allowing Peter to walk on the water. Why would anyone want to get out of a perfectly good boat in windy seas? I got out of a perfectly good airplane one time, yes, it was GREAT. Peter got out and walked on the water. He was focused on Jesus down range. But, he looked away at the wind, became afraid and started to sink. That’s how it happens to us when we look around up close. We sink in our fear, worry, frustration and unbelief. As Jesus asked Peter “why did you doubt?” That’s what fear, worry and frustration are lack of faith, doubt.

At the same moment while Peter is doubting the most, he is sinking, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. I like to think by the collar of his coat and lifted him soaking wet into the boat to sit and reflect. That’s what Jesus does when we are sinking. I imagine Peter felt pretty small because of his unbelief. The story goes on to say “they worshipped him.” The others believed. I think Peter did too even when he was wet with failure. Max Lucado suggests this is the first time the disciples worshipped him. Why? Because this is the first time they needed to be rescued.

When we are anxious, fearful, worried, and doubting our faith has waned. We need to refocus our eyes on Jesus. Call out to him and set out attention to his hand as he rescues us from ourselves. The old hymn is true:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim. In the light of His glory and grace.

Who ya looking’ at?

That is the question!                   

In HIS Service and Yours,

Bro G

Life's not Fair!

Two aid works through Samaritans Purse are now receiving treatment for Ebola at Emory University hospital in Atlanta. They had been helping other victims with the virus. The big island of Hawaii was hit by a 4.2 magnitude earth quake as a tropical storm bears down on the island and Cat. 3 hurricane is forecast to pass the island on the north side both this weekend. The list can go on and on with instances of unfairness found in our world. There would not be enough paper to record the unfairness we see in our lives.

It’s not fair: that you were born in this country, the parents that raised you, the husband you married, the children you bore, the job, the home, the resources, the wife, the schools you attended, the air conditioning at your home, running water, safe food supply, a vehicle to drive etcetera, etcetera, etcetera (to quote the King in The King and I). It’s just not fair when we compare ourselves to the rest of the world. It is NOT FAIR! Why do you and I have so much and complain about so much when…It’s not fair!

I would like for things to be fair! But not if I have to give up anything. Not if I have to sacrifice too much or maybe at all. Fair defined by me. What’s fair when someone attacks you, insults you, hurts you, harms you, ________you is… is one thing. But say we turn the situation around, and ask what’s fair when I attack you, insult you, hurt you, harm you, ________you? That is another. My determination of fair will be different depending on my level of hurt. When we are hurt we are all about justice and truth but when we have hurt we are all about mercy and grace. Isn’t it good God is not like you and me? He is not like one of us! The Psalmist writes of this unfairness.

Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair. Love and truth are in all you do. Psalm 18:14 New Century Version  

The thing is fair is determined by God not me or you. Consider what would be fair for the way you spoke to a coworker last week or the attitude you have had for a boss or bosses or the unforgiveness of your brother, wife, father, mother, children you have harbored for years? What’s is fair? A song by Reliant K contains a phrase “the beauty of grace it makes life NOT fair.” I own that phrase because grace makes possible what I cannot attain, work for or deserve. Grace makes possible my forgiveness, the blessings of God. Grace is not fair! But, that is how God chooses to define fair. Fairness ended in that Garden of Eden. However, where fair ended Grace began!  

You are right, life’s not fair and aren’t you glad!   

In HIS Service and Yours,

Bro G

You never know what the opportunity will be!

Last week I had to go to the local Dollar Tree store for 2 packages of clear plastic glasses. I found the display in the store and there were blue, orange, yellow, green and I don’t know what else in the way of colors but no clear. So, I went down another isle to where the clear plastic glasses etc. are displayed looking for these 1oz. clear plastic shot glasses. There were none to be found. I went back and grabbed two packages of blue ones and headed to the cash register.

On my way I spotted an employee with a green shirt and Dollar Tree on the left side. I stopped and asked her if there were any more in the store. She replied she did not work in the store but at the Dollar Tree distribution center and I could go on line and order what I wanted. I told her I had ordered a case that morning but delivery would be two weeks and I needed some of these clear plastic 1oz. shot glasses before the case of 24 packages of 24 glasses each arrived. I thanked her for her help, turned and headed to the cash register.

Her friend called to me as I took the first step and said with anticipation “can we come?” I turned around and without missing a beat said, “Yes, you can.” I then proceeded to explain I pastor a church and we celebrate the Lord’s Supper each Sunday. We had used Dixie Cups but they are a little too large and paper. We thought about the smaller communion cups but individuals come to and serve themselves and families by breaking the bread and pouring the juice. Those communion cups are small targets. However, these clear plastic 1oz “shot glasses” are the right size and relatively inexpensive. “Yes you can come Sunday’s 10 am at the Savannah Baptist Assembly on Honey Ridge road,” I said, smiled and headed to the register. I heard one of the women say that was just perfect.

You just never know what the opportunity will be or when or where or how, but you can be sure there will be one. Today, I think maybe I should have explained the Lord’s Supper. Next time I will be sure to do that. It is the Gospel in one act. The opportunity presented itself and this time I took it. Paul exhorts Timothy:

Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2 HCSB

Sometimes we wait for the right opportunity instead of taking the one presented. It has been my experience, the opportunity does not come when it is convenient, easy or how we thought it would be but as life goes. The Great Commission that we quote, “Go therefore”…really means in Greek “as you go.” No special time just anytime as you are living full and free the life Christ paid for on your behalf. Because…

You never know when the opportunity will be…

In HIS Service and Yours,

Bro G

P.S. My case of 1oz. clear plastic shot glasses are due 8.2. I wonder what opportunity will present itself when I go pick them up?