God has a funny way of keeping us from getting too excited about ourselves...an incredible way of surprising us with people...and perfect ways to keep us humble and grateful. Why? So He gets all the glory.
While hanging out here in rural eastern North Carolina this week, I met a coffee shop owner who is quietly sharing the love of Christ. I thought I might get the opportunity to share with him, but in my attempt he turned the tables and became the minister of God's grace.
While having lunch today with some old friends who have overcome a few obstacles in their lives, I found myself trying so hard to encourage them...but they were used of God to move me.
And last night, when I thought everything was a loss because no one responded to the message (which everyone told me was pretty good)...in my self-pity I looked to see a young lady waiting for the well-wishers to leave. She asked if I would pray with her. She, too, has lived through some very difficult circumstances. And as I was about to pray, she said that her circumstances were not why she had come...but rather to surrender her life to be a missionary.
God help me to remember that YOU are the only ONE who can change a heart.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Old Friends
I remember, some years back, when Bill Gaither put out one of the first 'gospel' videos called, "Old Friends". Well, that's kind of how I felt last night singing and preaching at an old friend's church in a rural community in Eastern North Carolina. The congregation was splattered with people from the little country church and a slew of old friends from a place where I served while in seminary.
It did not take long for the 'request line' to form for all of the old favorites for which I was known to them. However, it did not take long for me to realize that these people held so many special memories in my life and their role in the formation of God's character in us. I had help bury some of their relative, I had ministered with others, and I had even led people to Christ paired up with a few. What investment they made in my life and family.
I am grateful for Pastor Ron believing in me enough to bring me here to preach and minister this week. He is the epitomy of a servant of God and a great friend. But also, after leaving here 7+ years ago, it sure has been awesome to touch some 'old friends' with some mutual love and appreciation for God's grace and sovereign providence in allowing us to become friends at all. I should never underestimate the importance of an encounter or place of ministry...as someday they may be 'old friends' too.
It did not take long for the 'request line' to form for all of the old favorites for which I was known to them. However, it did not take long for me to realize that these people held so many special memories in my life and their role in the formation of God's character in us. I had help bury some of their relative, I had ministered with others, and I had even led people to Christ paired up with a few. What investment they made in my life and family.
I am grateful for Pastor Ron believing in me enough to bring me here to preach and minister this week. He is the epitomy of a servant of God and a great friend. But also, after leaving here 7+ years ago, it sure has been awesome to touch some 'old friends' with some mutual love and appreciation for God's grace and sovereign providence in allowing us to become friends at all. I should never underestimate the importance of an encounter or place of ministry...as someday they may be 'old friends' too.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Being Served
It may be one of the most difficult things for a type 'A' personality to go through...recovery from surgery. But it does reveal some incredible things about life. Being served is tough because you so desire to serve others. Seeing your kids get out of bed in the morning and they want to know what they can do to help you. Having your wife get out of bed to help you to the bathroom and then hook-up your cooling pump...and then rubbing your feet. Seeing too guys from church show up at the hospital at 6:30 a.m. to pray with you...and harrass you instead of getting a few extra winks of sleep. Having one of your golfing buddies take your kids to a football game and then bring you a set of crutches. And then hearing the people call to check on you...even if you are on 'crazy' pills and cannot speak coherantly. (I just took more so this should be short.) And then having a doctor who calls.
When you are on the receiving end, (this is my first surgery - knee injury), it certainly does encourage you to see the value of serving others even more. Thanks guys for helping through this little valley and showing the love of Christ so practically.
Better quit now. The 'pills' are kicking in.
When you are on the receiving end, (this is my first surgery - knee injury), it certainly does encourage you to see the value of serving others even more. Thanks guys for helping through this little valley and showing the love of Christ so practically.
Better quit now. The 'pills' are kicking in.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Definitions
As school for my kids is nearing the end of week 3, the quizzes and tests have begun to arrive with some consistency. It seems that, with some regularity (including last night) that I am being asked, "What does the word _______ mean?" And like the good spelling bee winners, I often ask, "Can you give me a sentence with the word in it?" It seems that so much of our verbage is dependent on context these days.
In these past few days, I have been confronted head on with the reality that, even in the church, we can use a lot of similar terms and yet mean something totally different. As I was finishing up writing my sermon for this Sunday (a missions day at another local church), I realized that the words we use in our church planting context may be misunderstood. I also realized while talking again this week to a young dad today who is involved an incredible faith ministry...that we often can get comfortable in our own 'word culture'.
Then...as if to put an exclamation point on the thought...I was listening to a song and I realized something so incredible. God, who is so infinitely indescribable, sent His Son so that we could have picture of His love and grace in order that we might understand and wrote the Bible written so that we could know Him...at least as much as our finite minds could. If that be true, don't others deserve for me to put into their context my definitions.
They may not ask the exact question, but it may sound something like this: "Can you use that word in a sentence that I can understand?"
In these past few days, I have been confronted head on with the reality that, even in the church, we can use a lot of similar terms and yet mean something totally different. As I was finishing up writing my sermon for this Sunday (a missions day at another local church), I realized that the words we use in our church planting context may be misunderstood. I also realized while talking again this week to a young dad today who is involved an incredible faith ministry...that we often can get comfortable in our own 'word culture'.
Then...as if to put an exclamation point on the thought...I was listening to a song and I realized something so incredible. God, who is so infinitely indescribable, sent His Son so that we could have picture of His love and grace in order that we might understand and wrote the Bible written so that we could know Him...at least as much as our finite minds could. If that be true, don't others deserve for me to put into their context my definitions.
They may not ask the exact question, but it may sound something like this: "Can you use that word in a sentence that I can understand?"
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Wasted Time
There is nothing like the feeling at the end of a day, a week, a month, a season...or even a carpool line...that you have just been wasting your time. I've got to admit that is how I felt a little while ago when I realized that it was 8:30 p.m. and I was not sure what I had accomplished since 6:00 a.m. when I woke up. It did not just hit me at 8:30 p.m., but about 10 times during the day. Just what have I been doing?
I woke up this morning and prayed for a half hour...then kissed my lovely wife good morning (a few times). I hugged all of our children, then took 3 of them to school. I stopped for coffee and made someone smile. I stopped to turn in a mission trip form and fellowshipped a few moments with some cool people. Got the mail and said good morning to a few 'grouchy' looking people. Went to the bank and was met by a 2 smiling tellers. Read some news on my e-mail, then prayed some more for people in our congregation, missionaries, a seminary president...etc.
A little later, I paid some bills and then read the Bible (something I did not understand very well). So I picked up a book on the passage from the desk that the author had given me and began to understand what I had read. I got to help the vending machine guy fix the machine in our building and prayed with a woman (whom I did not know) who had just lost her husband last week. Then I spent 2 hours with a neat young couple who are following God's plan for their lives.
Rushing to my next thing, I stopped (at 1:45 p.m.) for a quick combo at Jack in the Box that wasn't so quick. I let a guy go in front of me...who proceeded to ask for 2 'Jack' toys to give to his parents who were visiting from out of the country. I learned patience. Then I sat in a carpool line...talked with some old friends...and then sat in another car pool line...talking to my kids. I got to come home and start dinner, then go exchange my son's tennis shoes, buy 3 kids some ice cream (I resisted), and buy my (almost) 7 year old her first piano book (for me to teach her).
Then it was a rush to gymnastics class where we met mom who had been working...then off to the skating rink so Kara could go to her school's first outing. Quickly, we zipped to the High School to pick up the oldest...on the way to which I got to have a great conversation with Jared. Few words came out of the 15 year old after 10 1/2 hours at school, then home to finish dinner and sit down with 5 out of 6 around the table. Cleaning up...then a few minutes reading e-mails and then explaining my blog to a 13 year old who thought my picture was distorted.
Well, it's 9:30 p.m. and I hope to have a few minutes with 'mama' if we can get the last of math, algebra, Spanish, history, and English out of the way. I guess it was a 'wasted' day. I only spent time with God, my wife, my kids, a widow, a missionary, and some guy buying dumb toys for his international parents. I hope I can waste some more time tomorrow.
I woke up this morning and prayed for a half hour...then kissed my lovely wife good morning (a few times). I hugged all of our children, then took 3 of them to school. I stopped for coffee and made someone smile. I stopped to turn in a mission trip form and fellowshipped a few moments with some cool people. Got the mail and said good morning to a few 'grouchy' looking people. Went to the bank and was met by a 2 smiling tellers. Read some news on my e-mail, then prayed some more for people in our congregation, missionaries, a seminary president...etc.
A little later, I paid some bills and then read the Bible (something I did not understand very well). So I picked up a book on the passage from the desk that the author had given me and began to understand what I had read. I got to help the vending machine guy fix the machine in our building and prayed with a woman (whom I did not know) who had just lost her husband last week. Then I spent 2 hours with a neat young couple who are following God's plan for their lives.
Rushing to my next thing, I stopped (at 1:45 p.m.) for a quick combo at Jack in the Box that wasn't so quick. I let a guy go in front of me...who proceeded to ask for 2 'Jack' toys to give to his parents who were visiting from out of the country. I learned patience. Then I sat in a carpool line...talked with some old friends...and then sat in another car pool line...talking to my kids. I got to come home and start dinner, then go exchange my son's tennis shoes, buy 3 kids some ice cream (I resisted), and buy my (almost) 7 year old her first piano book (for me to teach her).
Then it was a rush to gymnastics class where we met mom who had been working...then off to the skating rink so Kara could go to her school's first outing. Quickly, we zipped to the High School to pick up the oldest...on the way to which I got to have a great conversation with Jared. Few words came out of the 15 year old after 10 1/2 hours at school, then home to finish dinner and sit down with 5 out of 6 around the table. Cleaning up...then a few minutes reading e-mails and then explaining my blog to a 13 year old who thought my picture was distorted.
Well, it's 9:30 p.m. and I hope to have a few minutes with 'mama' if we can get the last of math, algebra, Spanish, history, and English out of the way. I guess it was a 'wasted' day. I only spent time with God, my wife, my kids, a widow, a missionary, and some guy buying dumb toys for his international parents. I hope I can waste some more time tomorrow.
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