Soooo...I was in full relaxation mode stretched out in a folding chair waiting to listen to our pastor discuss a new year of children's ministry at our church and get my hands on some of the promised ice cream at the end of the meeting. It had been a good Sunday. Services were good, lunch was good, lounging by the pool, again, good. To be honest, though, I was a bit wiped out. Could have been the food, could have been the sun, most likely it was the skipped Sunday nap, but the heavy eyes and yawns had begun a few minutes earlier as I plopped down into the chair. I was a bit early, had a yellow legal pad and a pen, so I was in uncharted ground...prepared and early.
I should have been spiritually and mentally gearing up for the discussions ahead about one of the aspects of Christianity that claims a large part of my heart, leading children to Christ, but I was happy to just be for a moment. Be, and zone out.
WAM! I'm staring at the ceiling. I went from semi-vertical to completely horizontal in a fraction of a second. I had no idea what in the world was going on, but I knew I was looking at the ceiling and it was quiet like a nun had just walked into a second grade class with a ruler.
Let me help you with a bit of situational context...I'm a big fella and the chair I was camped out in was, let's just say, not rated for heavy-duty use. Yep, I collapsed a chair. Now, I have seen this done many, many times on America's Funniest Home Videos and laughed like a hyena, but never had I envisioned myself to be that guy. The chair flattener. And, seriously, it was flat and I was lying on top of it like the pickles on a Big Mac.
Gathering oneself from a situation like the one described can only go one of two ways: a straight-up, red-faced tearful dash out the door, which I considered, or self-deprecating humor. I guess I could have been self-righteous and screamed that I was going to sue everyone involved, but seeing that I was at a church function and I am not particularly litigious this never really gained any purchase in my still shock-recovering brain. From the ground, I heard myself say, "Well, I guess we know who won't be having any ice cream."
Truthfully, being a bigger man since about puberty, this kind of stuff hasn't always been the easiest to deal with. Again, truth-be-told, poking fun at yourself to cover embarrassing situations gets old. But, luckily, I am resilient, and full of confidence, so I keep chugging along. I won't lie, though, going through a situation like that heading into a meeting that I hoped to really get my voice heard on a few different ideas that I felt needed to see some light, got me to thinking about God's plan.
The meeting progressed uneventfully in terms of nothing else collapsing, but I was still a bit embarrassed and contented myself with just listening to the others in our group that would be working with the older elementary kids. I wasn't stewing or anything like that, but, I guess, I was just tempered a bit more than usual. Folks who know me will tell you that I am not afraid to offer an idea or opinion, but as I listened I found myself agreeing with my peers and even heard many of my own thoughts put out on the table by others. The director even made mention of one of my ideas that we had spoken about previously, and it was greeted with a lively, enthusiastic discussion of possibilities.
At the conclusion of the meeting, I was held after by a few friends that wanted to really get down to business on the idea I had put forward without even actually putting it forward. I glanced back at the flattened chair and realized that God had collapsed my normal bull-in-a-china-shop manner so that I could just "be" in his plan and not push my own agenda. Funny how few extra pounds and a cheaply constructed chair were just the tool He needed to get my attention.
"In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Someone is in the Chicken Coop
At night I have occasionally seen their eyes glowing at the edge of the woods. Often it is a quick flash of two golden-reddish spots at the horizon of darkness that hesitate for just a moment before going dark. Over the last several years the frequency of which I see these eyes has increased steadily. Alarmingly, now it isn't just one set of eyes, it is several.
I used to have moles in my backyard. I used to see rabbits all of the time. My trash used to remain undisturbed in the cans through the night. My neighbor used to have cats.
Coyotes.
Seems like every couple of days there is a story on the news about coyotes snatching pets, confronting humans and becoming more and more daring in their exploits. Once an animal reconciled to the forests and the occasional foray into the chicken coop, the coyote has infringed into our society and, to be honest, it is absolutely unwanted there. Thought of very little several years ago, a nuisance in the past couple of years...a menace today.
Over the Christmas holidays, my cousin came home from college and made it his mission to shoot and string up a coyote. His thought process was that not only would he kill a coyote, but that he would send a message to all of the other coyotes in the area by gutting it and stringing it up in a tree. He reasoned that, if the coyotes did not get the message, they would at least be interested in the stench and it would give him another chance to shoot one. In my opinion, sound reasoning.
My cousin had become what the coyote lacks, a predator.The number of coyotes has dramatically increased because its natural predators have either become less in number or refuse to encroach on human habitat leaving the coyote free to cause mayhem and destruction. Without a predator, the coyote has free reign in our lives, but my cousin turned the tables. He made the hunter the hunted.
All of this may sound cold and heartless, but the natural world and order that God created isn't always bubbles and rainbows. It is a visceral world full of blood, guts and difficult decisions. If there are too many coyotes and they are starving because the volume of their numbers exceeds the amount of food that their habitat can provide, the coyote will snatch your cat, dog or even your small child. With that stark knowledge, man must become the predator, go on the attack and drive the coyote back by destroying them. This is the only humane thing that we can do.
This day and age we have our own coyotes, in addition to the physical canines that lurk in the darkness. We have people and forces that no longer have any predators. Politicians driven by greed to pastors lured by the same avarice, corporate fast food chains that destroy the health and minds of the young to reality television that distorts the perception of family and what values really are, leches that seek our spouses and children to the indolent and lazy who allow injustices on their watch, and teachers riding tenure to retirement and passing the buck of the uneducated to the uninterested parents raising children that will be just as uninterested in their own children. These coyotes and a myriad of others must be sought out, destroyed and never allowed contact with our habitat again.
The key for us is to realize that these coyotes exist within our everyday lives. Whether they realize it or not, Satan is using them to accomplish his ultimate goal...a complete and utter separation from God and his everlasting love. In the Old Testament, which I think is the appropriate Testament to quote considering the topic, God speaks directly to the problem of the unwanted dwelling in our territory.
"and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy."
Deuteronomy 7: 2 (NIV)
We must become predators in a sense and go on the attack using God's word as the weapon. Draw in the coyote, tempt the coyote, trick the coyote to come closer and attack with the thundering report of His glory. Be extreme when the case calls for it as my cousin did by stringing the gutted coyote up in the tree for all of his brothers to see. Let your warnings be heard, respected and understood and, if they go unheeded, attack again. Destroy these coyotes by bringing them to their knees with the awesome power of the Lord. This is the only humane thing that we can do.
I used to have moles in my backyard. I used to see rabbits all of the time. My trash used to remain undisturbed in the cans through the night. My neighbor used to have cats.
Coyotes.
Seems like every couple of days there is a story on the news about coyotes snatching pets, confronting humans and becoming more and more daring in their exploits. Once an animal reconciled to the forests and the occasional foray into the chicken coop, the coyote has infringed into our society and, to be honest, it is absolutely unwanted there. Thought of very little several years ago, a nuisance in the past couple of years...a menace today.
Over the Christmas holidays, my cousin came home from college and made it his mission to shoot and string up a coyote. His thought process was that not only would he kill a coyote, but that he would send a message to all of the other coyotes in the area by gutting it and stringing it up in a tree. He reasoned that, if the coyotes did not get the message, they would at least be interested in the stench and it would give him another chance to shoot one. In my opinion, sound reasoning.
My cousin had become what the coyote lacks, a predator.The number of coyotes has dramatically increased because its natural predators have either become less in number or refuse to encroach on human habitat leaving the coyote free to cause mayhem and destruction. Without a predator, the coyote has free reign in our lives, but my cousin turned the tables. He made the hunter the hunted.
All of this may sound cold and heartless, but the natural world and order that God created isn't always bubbles and rainbows. It is a visceral world full of blood, guts and difficult decisions. If there are too many coyotes and they are starving because the volume of their numbers exceeds the amount of food that their habitat can provide, the coyote will snatch your cat, dog or even your small child. With that stark knowledge, man must become the predator, go on the attack and drive the coyote back by destroying them. This is the only humane thing that we can do.
This day and age we have our own coyotes, in addition to the physical canines that lurk in the darkness. We have people and forces that no longer have any predators. Politicians driven by greed to pastors lured by the same avarice, corporate fast food chains that destroy the health and minds of the young to reality television that distorts the perception of family and what values really are, leches that seek our spouses and children to the indolent and lazy who allow injustices on their watch, and teachers riding tenure to retirement and passing the buck of the uneducated to the uninterested parents raising children that will be just as uninterested in their own children. These coyotes and a myriad of others must be sought out, destroyed and never allowed contact with our habitat again.
The key for us is to realize that these coyotes exist within our everyday lives. Whether they realize it or not, Satan is using them to accomplish his ultimate goal...a complete and utter separation from God and his everlasting love. In the Old Testament, which I think is the appropriate Testament to quote considering the topic, God speaks directly to the problem of the unwanted dwelling in our territory.
"and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy."
Deuteronomy 7: 2 (NIV)
We must become predators in a sense and go on the attack using God's word as the weapon. Draw in the coyote, tempt the coyote, trick the coyote to come closer and attack with the thundering report of His glory. Be extreme when the case calls for it as my cousin did by stringing the gutted coyote up in the tree for all of his brothers to see. Let your warnings be heard, respected and understood and, if they go unheeded, attack again. Destroy these coyotes by bringing them to their knees with the awesome power of the Lord. This is the only humane thing that we can do.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Smile, smile, smile
I've seen the smile. Heck, I've had that smile. The good thing is - it is a smile.
This smile is the one that graces the faces of many before and after worship service at church. Men, women, children, husbands, wives, old and young. It is a bemused smile. A polite smile. A smile for the occasion. A smile that says, "I'm here, but..."
That's the thing, "I'm here...but..."
What does that smile say? "I'm here, but I wish I was somewhere else." "I'm here supporting my wife/husband/children, like I should, but is that all?" "I'm here, but I really don't know why" "I'm here, but I wish someone would tell me what is going on.' "I'm here, but I think I could be doing more"
Most likely, all of the above and, probably much more. These folks have taken the step. The step forward into their journey with Christ. Whatever it was that prompted them to take that step matters for sure, but not nearly as much as the fact that the step was taken.
That smile is the key to the kingdom that many Christians absolutely miss. That smile is one of questioning, longing and wonderment, which is exactly what God wants in a Christ-follower. He wants questions so that He can lead us, God wants us to long to be with Him in Heaven and, certainly, He wants our awe-struck worship.
What we really miss, however, is that these people with the smile are at the crossroads. They have the tools, the needs and they are at church, but that smile has a time limit. Like it or not, our society has not bred much in the way of patience. At some point, everyone wants their needs fulfilled, and, if they are not, a person will drift on just like a smile can drift away.
I spoke with a friend the other day about motivational management principles in business, but the words he spoke rang true about our leadership of people to Christ. He spoke of the need to get the people standing on the fence to plug in and live up to their potential. He referred to them as employees "at the edge of the light"." They are there, they are doing the job, but what would push them into really buying in and owning what was that business.
I really like that phrase, "at the edge of the light." I think it speaks well of the people with the smile on their faces on Sunday. Of course, just a little capitalization and we've got, "at the edge of the Light" and that is where these folks are. Ready, willing and able.
That is where we come in. Christ-followers are called to bring others to Jesus. As a matter of fact, the pattern was set by the Man himself.
"As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into a lake, for they were fishermen. 'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once, they left their nets and followed him."
Mark 1: 16-19
Now many view this as the miraculous presence and power of the Christ, and it may have been, but I think Simon (Peter) and Andrew already had smiles on their faces when Jesus found them plying their chosen trade. No doubt, without distractions like television, video games and, heck, even books, these men had seen Jesus preach as they lived in the area where Jesus spent a good amount of time preaching. Peter and Andrew were, most likely, at the edge of the crowd one day listening and found what Jesus had to say intriguing, perhaps, life-changing, but were "at the edge of the Light." All they needed was to be spoken to directly and Jesus did so on that day by the lake.
So, maybe, we need to take a moment and reassess our conversations with friends on Sunday. Whether it is before or after service, look at the faces of those to whom you speak. Look for that smile and look for the folks standing by themselves at the edge of the crowd. It may just be that you could be the one to bring them into the Light and make that smile permanent.
This smile is the one that graces the faces of many before and after worship service at church. Men, women, children, husbands, wives, old and young. It is a bemused smile. A polite smile. A smile for the occasion. A smile that says, "I'm here, but..."
That's the thing, "I'm here...but..."
What does that smile say? "I'm here, but I wish I was somewhere else." "I'm here supporting my wife/husband/children, like I should, but is that all?" "I'm here, but I really don't know why" "I'm here, but I wish someone would tell me what is going on.' "I'm here, but I think I could be doing more"
Most likely, all of the above and, probably much more. These folks have taken the step. The step forward into their journey with Christ. Whatever it was that prompted them to take that step matters for sure, but not nearly as much as the fact that the step was taken.
That smile is the key to the kingdom that many Christians absolutely miss. That smile is one of questioning, longing and wonderment, which is exactly what God wants in a Christ-follower. He wants questions so that He can lead us, God wants us to long to be with Him in Heaven and, certainly, He wants our awe-struck worship.
What we really miss, however, is that these people with the smile are at the crossroads. They have the tools, the needs and they are at church, but that smile has a time limit. Like it or not, our society has not bred much in the way of patience. At some point, everyone wants their needs fulfilled, and, if they are not, a person will drift on just like a smile can drift away.
I spoke with a friend the other day about motivational management principles in business, but the words he spoke rang true about our leadership of people to Christ. He spoke of the need to get the people standing on the fence to plug in and live up to their potential. He referred to them as employees "at the edge of the light"." They are there, they are doing the job, but what would push them into really buying in and owning what was that business.
I really like that phrase, "at the edge of the light." I think it speaks well of the people with the smile on their faces on Sunday. Of course, just a little capitalization and we've got, "at the edge of the Light" and that is where these folks are. Ready, willing and able.
That is where we come in. Christ-followers are called to bring others to Jesus. As a matter of fact, the pattern was set by the Man himself.
"As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into a lake, for they were fishermen. 'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once, they left their nets and followed him."
Mark 1: 16-19
Now many view this as the miraculous presence and power of the Christ, and it may have been, but I think Simon (Peter) and Andrew already had smiles on their faces when Jesus found them plying their chosen trade. No doubt, without distractions like television, video games and, heck, even books, these men had seen Jesus preach as they lived in the area where Jesus spent a good amount of time preaching. Peter and Andrew were, most likely, at the edge of the crowd one day listening and found what Jesus had to say intriguing, perhaps, life-changing, but were "at the edge of the Light." All they needed was to be spoken to directly and Jesus did so on that day by the lake.
So, maybe, we need to take a moment and reassess our conversations with friends on Sunday. Whether it is before or after service, look at the faces of those to whom you speak. Look for that smile and look for the folks standing by themselves at the edge of the crowd. It may just be that you could be the one to bring them into the Light and make that smile permanent.
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