Listen K

A few years ago there was a saying that made me light up inside and nearly lose my cool. It was a hand to your face gesture accompanied by the words, "TALK TO THE HAND". Parents actually said their children used that and lived to tell the story. I don't know if my child would have survived. It was not profane or obscene but I found it very objectionable.

I sometimes feel the same way about people and their personal electronic devices. When you interrupt their tiny little world event they look up at you blankly and say, "huh" or "what" before they blankly go back to their device without waiting for a living response.

If you ever catch me doing that call me on it. I mean do not text, twitter, or email me or even call me on the voice line. What I mean is tell me about it then and there. You are too important to me and to God for me to treat you as a second class citizen. You are more important than some inane game or message written to occupy oneself so they don't feel alone. Make an issue of it.

Psalm 116:2   Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

By actually learning to listen like God we may become a missionary in the hand of the Lord.

Struggles

I hear this word a lot. It is interesting what it gets associated with. Weight is a struggle. Time management is a struggle. Technology creates a struggle to keep up to date in its world. I struggle with........ starts many conversations.And that is immediately followed by the many things others struggle with also.

 I want to keep my struggles in perspective so I try to think of:...................

The struggle of an adolescent girl in a third world area struggling to carry enough water for the families daily use five kilometers home from the water truck.

The mother struggling with HIV is some world areas that has no one to care for her children as she lays dying when in my world helpful hands and medicine would strengthen her for years.

 A single mother who struggles from being laid off after believing the lie that easy pay plans and credit cards would safely answer her longing for nicer material things.

The honest hard working family member who struggles to cover for the addicted person who is making everyone's life miserable with their irresponsible lifestyle.

These things create a terrible struggle within me. A struggle which says, "how I can best be involved to alleviate some of the suffering My answer seems to simple for many who struggle with the problems of life. I turn to God with my struggles and struggling. He then directs my responses and resource and I find peace in the midst of the struggles of this life.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

A Friend

It is amazing how you can make a new friend. There is that "AHAA" moment when you are aware that there is more here than just the common activities we share. I have become aware that most modern "friendships" are not made of a shared deep relationship but just by sharing common activities. The Bible talks about a friend that sticks closer than a brother. I certainly hope so, many brothers hardly ever see each other. I often hear people talk about their friends but when I listen more closely they never see each other outside of a common interest they share. I have friends because we share common pasts. I have friends because we shared life at some point along our journey. I have friends that share a common interest. An interest which has given us a chance to share our real persons. God has given me different kinds of friends and I want to honor Him and them. If you consider me your friend I am blessed and privileged that you honor me with that distinction. My prayer is that today I may indeed live worthy of that trust as we share life together.

My Bad

Have you ever done something stupid and then done something stupid to try and make it go away?
Have you ever done something stupid and wish it would go away?...... but there is another person involved who doesn't want it to go away.
Have you ever done something stupid and when you explained it, it just got worse?........ and the person you explain it too enjoys the problem but you don't.

I have done stupid. I have tried to fix stupid. I've explained stupid.

Now I wait for stupid to be seen by everyone. Will they really notice or is stupid really all about me and my persona.

Saying Goodbye

It is hard to say goodbye when you know someone is entering into less than ideal conditions for a specified period of time. The difficulties from placing a life on hold are more than enormous.
We often start the list with the children who are affected. They will do without frequent relationship with very important individuals that are not there for them. There is also the community of friends and extended family that continues on and learns to live without the individual except in reference or casually asking how they are doing.
The lives lived in two separate worlds only connect at the point of deliberate maintenance of the relationship. The inconvenient phone calls interrupt schedules which both sides may feel the other should have known and honored. If those events are forgotten it may be viewed as a lack of concern for this individuals world.
How do you say goodby?
You just put your hand on their shoulder and you pray for them to go with God and for them to see His hand at work in their new situation. This matter of blessing someone with the presence of God and blessing of prayer is the greatest and most loving act you can do. Then you continue to pray for them and their family as you prove that the reason it was hard is that you are a true friend that truly sticks closer than a brother.

You are more>>>>>>

I am glad for many of the modern tunes that I get to hear on the radio daily. I love the theme of You Are More. When we are remade by faith in Christ we are definitely made into more than the sum of the past would dictate.

In the Celebrate Recovery Meeting we hear the great stories of each others past lifes. Each person shares with an honesty and directness that would make church people on Sunday uncomfortable. The reason they can be honest and direct is that they have been directed by God to share the past. When the past is properly shared we get to see God at work even in the most hardened heart and desperate life. Then we also have hope that God is at work within the happenings of our life.

No matter where we are and what we have done God can take us and remake us into something beautiful when we have been living in the junkyard of life. Then and only then do we realize what a miracle salvation is as we become more than we ever thought possible by the grace of God at work in us.

Sharing the Mission

I am reviewing in my mind the good Missions meeting last night. It is good to see beyond the boundaries of our everyday church community into the world at large. When Brian said his field had recently become the whole world I was reminded of John Wesley who said, "the world is my parish." The work of the media world and the way God has opened doors and audiences is a miracle. I am sure God is blessing others the same way but it is exciting to hear he is doing it for your group also.
My church family represented itself well and the food and fellowship complimented the desire for a successful night together. My desire is to gather around the throne together with more joining us because we have been faithful in the mission God has given us.