Hold On...Daylight is Coming!

I try to imagine what it was like for the disciples when Jesus died. The person who loved them and they loved and followed, was gone. Although he'd told them that he would have to die but then would rise again on the third day, it was, I imagine, hard for them to believe (Matthew 16:21). They did see Jesus raise Lazarus and Jairus' daughter from the dead, but this would be completely different. The One who raised the others from the dead, was dead, himself.

Can you imagine? Waiting together, afraid to go out into town, lest they be arrested, too, by association. The light of their lives, their guiding light, gone. What were they thinking? What did they say among themselves? Did they have hope? Or did they feel that all hope was gone? It must have been a very dark time, indeed.

But daylight was coming...

Very early in the morning, on the third day, the women went to the tomb. When they got there, the stone covering the tomb's entrance was moved away.  They went into the tomb but the body of Jesus was gone! Then two men appeared next to them in "gleaming garments" and they were afraid. But the men said to them "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen! Remember how he told you when he was still with you in Galilee?  The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again." (Luke 24:1-9)

I love the next verse: "Then they remembered his words."

Isn't that just like us?

We go through dark periods in our lives where it seems that all light, all hope is gone. We know what we've been told. We know what we've been taught. But when we are in the middle of the dark time, we can only see the dark. How much better would it be if we remembered His words and held onto hope instead?

In Psalm 30, David talks about when he was "in the pit" and he called on God, who rescued him. In the second part of verse 5, he says 'weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.'

In Isaiah 40:31, it says, "Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

What darkness are you in today? Let me share the one who is Hope with you.  Remember his words, remember his hope, remember the promise in Romans 10:13 "all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Hold on...daylight is coming! He is risen, indeed!

A group named Remedy Drive has done a song called "Daylight." If you'd like to listen, click here for the link.

Maintaining Idle Speed in a "No Wake Zone"

Growing up in South Florida, there were a lot of opportunities to see boats and ride in boats. My grandmother had a house on the Intracoastal waterway and we would sit out on the dock and watch the boats go by. We learned what channel markers and buoys were for and why boats had red lights and green lights on them.

There were two signs on the waterway near my grandmother's house. One was "Idle Speed" and the other was "No Wake Zone." When seeing those signs, the boaters knew that they should be traveling at or below idle speed to ensure that the boat's wake would not cause any injury or damage to any person, boat or property.

What's a wake? Basically, a wake is a swell of water, waves, path, or water pattern that follows behind a boat moving through the water. Anyone who's been in a smaller boat when a larger boat passes by, knows to "hang on" because the small boat can be rocked back and forth when crossing the wake of the larger boat.

I think we should have "No Wake Zones" in our lives. Think about it. When was the last time your "world was rocked" by something someone said or did? You didn't see it coming. You didn't know to "hold on" until the way was smooth again. The other person may or may not have had any idea of the impact of their "wake" as they just moved on.

Navigating through life's "waterways" can be a challenge. It would certainly help if we knew where our personal "No Wake Zones" were. We all have them. Those little areas where we are more sensitive and prone to have our "world rocked" (or at least tipped off-kilter). What if we focused on the boat captain, Jesus, through those zones and asked him to help us to maintain an "idle speed" through it? We can't control how someone else might speed through our "No Wake Zone" but we can control how we react to it. Sometimes we might need to speak with the person about their "wake." They might not even be aware of it. Sometimes we might need to just "hold on" and maintain our "idle speed" through the interaction. Sometimes, though, we might need to change our course and take a different direction. Whatever we choose, though, will be our choice.

The next time someone comes zooming into your "No Wake Zone," be prepared. Let the "captain" help you navigate the waters and maintain your "Idle Speed." (Philippians 4:6-7)

Godspeed!

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda and the Green Light Pause

When I was growing up, the family would sit around the dinner table telling about our day. One of us would be talking about something we had said in a situation when my dad would say, "You shoulda said....". He would go on to share "Dad" wisdom of what he thought would have been a better response. The whole family would then get involved in the "shoulda saids." It became a part of the family banter.

As an adult, I still have "shoulda saids" running through my mind. Sometimes I'll review my response to something and think, "Maybe, I should've said this or maybe I should've said that, instead."

I think all of us have moments in our lives where we "shoulda" said something differently. Sometimes we have regrets that we "coulda" said something, but we didn't. We even think on some things and say, "If I had to do it over, I 'woulda' done it differently."

Sometimes we mean the words we say, at the moment, only to think about them later, with regret. Sometimes the words "fly out of our mouths" before we've even thought about it. Sometimes, though, we've had an opportunity to say something...but didn't.

Words can be very powerful. They can build up and they can tear down.

The Bible has a lot to say about the power of words, especially in the book of Proverbs.
In Proverbs 16:24, it says, "Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."
In Proverbs 15:1, it says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
In Proverbs 12:18, it says, "The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

I really do try to watch what I say. Some days are better than others. I have discovered, though, that if I pause before saying something, it gives me a moment to consider my words. It's sort of like the green light pause. You know when you're at a stop light and the light turns green but you wait that extra second or two to make sure no one is coming before you go? That's a green light pause. It doesn't matter to me if the person behind me honks, I'm more concerned for my safety than their need to "go, NOW."

Perhaps we all could take a green light pause before we speak. We could take a moment and think before we speak. It might prevent some verbal "accidents" and avoid possible damage.

Hawk Nelson, a Canadian Christian Rock Band, does a song called "Words" that really says this much better than I can. I'm including a link to their video, here. The song talks about how words can "build us up" and "tear us down," "start a fire in our hearts" or "put it out." It's a powerful song.

"Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda." Those words speak volumes, don't they? The next time a "shoulda said" pops up in my mind, I hope it's just a memory of those family dinners, long ago. If I use my green light pause, maybe I'll actually be saying what I "shoulda said," first.

X-ray Vision? Well, Maybe not...

If you are as old as I am, somewhere between "older than dirt" and "just sprouted," you might remember those ads in the back of comic books that told us all about the AMAZING things we could buy. For $2, you could buy a family of "sea monkeys." For just a little bit more, you could buy X-ray glasses and have X-ray Vision! You could see through things and amaze your friends! Of course, none of those products were "for real" and many children learned their first lesson in life about "if it's too good to be true," but...just for a moment...the idea of owning the X-ray glasses was very exciting!

Now that I'm "grown up," I look back on the idea of X-ray glasses. When I think about it, they wouldn't be very practical unless you were a doctor. I mean, why would anyone want to see the inside of someone unless they were a doctor?

What I really need, though, is a pair of "God Glasses." Something that would help me to see things the way He sees them.

Do you ever get so busy in life that you just keep going and barely slow down to look around you? You have a checklist of things that you have to get done; a project at work, kids to baseball practice, laundry to be done, groceries to be bought, and on and on. Anything that breaks your stride feels like a distraction and can cause frustration. Have you ever been in a line in the grocery store and every line but the one you're in seems to be moving? Or what about when you are stuck in a traffic jam? You know you have to be someplace at a specific time and when it looks like you're going to be late, it can be stressful.

Let me ask you a question. When you are in any of those situations, do you ever look at anyone else around you? I mean really look at them? Probably not. When we are so focused on whatever our "plan" is at the moment, we really aren't aware of others around us.

This is where I need "God Glasses." If I stopped long enough from focusing on my "to do" list and saw things from His perspective, I might see things differently.

There might be a young mother, with a baby in the front of her cart, at the front of my checkout line who is carefully watching the total as her items are checked out because she knows she only has a specific, small amount of money to pay for her groceries. At that moment, when she sees the total and has to ask that some of the items be put back, she must decide which of the items that she really needs, will have to be left behind. She is ashamed that she went "over" and is causing the line to back up. She is dealing with a lot of emotions at the time.  If I was looking at the situation through "God Glasses," I could do something to help. Perhaps, if I'm next in line, I could quietly ask the cashier to add those items to what I was paying for, and have them bagged for the young mother.

What if I am in the traffic jam and no cars seem to be moving? What if it might be caused by an accident up ahead? If I was using my "God Glasses," I could look around at the people also stuck in traffic. I could pray for each of us to relax and be filled with peace as we wait, and I could pray for the people that might be involved in the accident up ahead.

The thing is, people all around us are going through many hard things, heartbreaking things. But we can't see it because everyone "puts on a good face" when we are out and about. If we could see people as God sees them, we would be sensitive to someone who might need a hug or an encouraging word. We might be able to help someone who might need a little extra financial help, like a bag of groceries. We could reach out to that person who God puts on our heart to ask them if they are ok and then stay with them long enough to know that their "I'm fine" really means, "ask me, again, please. I'm really not."

I really don't need "X-Ray Glasses," what I really need are "God Glasses."

Brandon Heath sings a song that is all about "God Glasses." It's called "Give Me Your Eyes." If you'd like to hear it, I've included a link to his YouTube version, here. It helps me to see things differently, to really try to be sensitive to what others are going through.

I have a long way to go, but I really need your "glasses," God, along the way.

Give me eyes to see and ears to hear.

Wearing Rose-Colored Glasses

Have you ever heard someone say, "Oh, she just sees the world through rose-colored glasses"? The meaning behind it is that the person only sees things in a positive light, looking right past the bad to the good.

When you think about it, is it really such a bad thing?

Part of the message at church today was about looking for the good in life. Pastor Craig Groeschel talked about the difference between vultures and hummingbirds. Vultures, he said, fly around looking for dead things. Hummingbirds, on the other hand, fly around looking for sweet things. He mentioned that if you are always looking for bad, you will find it. And if you are always looking for good, you will find that, too.

There is a lot of bad in our world. Always has been. That's practically all you see on the news, isn't it? Occasionally you'll see a "human interest" piece, but pretty much they should call it the "Bad News" instead of just "The News."

The thing is, there's a lot of good in our world, too. Always has been. Yes, there are the stories of good that make it on the news, that get passed around on the internet, but there are so many more little stories happening in our world every day. A mom with her hands full, shopping with very small children, drops something and someone nearby reaches to pick it up for her. Someone lets the person in when they are trying to merge into traffic. Someone "pays it forward" in a fast food line. Good is everywhere, if you know where and how to look for it.

The problem is we're just used to looking for the bad, finding fault, looking for mistakes. What if we made a decision, today, to change what we're looking for? What if we tried to "look for the good" in life...in others? What if we put on our "rose-colored glasses?"

I think I need to go shopping for a new pair of glasses! What about you?

Theology, Me-ology, or He-ology...What's Your '-ology?'

A lot of people think that being a Christian is all about going to church. Don't get me wrong, it's good to gather together to worship and grow with other people in learning more about God and His plan for us. But it shouldn't end there. Being a Christian, though, is much more than going to church, it's what you do with the rest of the week and how you live your life that really tells the story of what you believe in.

We should ask ourselves why we are going to church. If it is only to learn about God, sing a good worship song or meet up with our church-going friends, then perhaps what we have is more Theology than faith. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Theology as "the study of religious faith, practice, and experience: the study of God and God's relation to the world."

Or what if we go to church, hear a good message but then don't apply it to our lives and grow? What if we just go about our daily life focusing on the things that fill up our days or on the things that we want to fill up our days? I guess you could say that instead of "Theology" it would be more like "Me-ology."

Maybe it would be better, instead, to hear the message, pray about it, and ask how it could help us to grow and help us to know how to make a difference in ours and in other people's lives. Maybe it would be even better if we focused more on the One who first loved us and less about the things we think we need. After all in Matthew 6:33, it tells us that in "seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things (that we really need) will be added unto us. I believe we could call this "He-ology."

You see, if our focus is where it should be, being a Christian is less about going to church to hear a message and more about "being the church and living the message."

Something to think about, isn't it? What's your "-ology?

Good Tidings of Great Joy!

One of my most favorite shows to watch at Christmas, is "A Charlie Brown Christmas." There is just something about the scene where Charlie Brown asks "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" and Linus says, "Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about." Then Linus walks onto center stage, asks for the lights to dim, and starts sharing the Christmas story.

You see, Charlie Brown had been feeling down. While everyone else was hustling and bustling and being excited about Christmas and preparing for Christmas, he didn't feel the same "Christmas spirit."

How many of us feel the same way at Christmas? The Christmas carols are playing nonstop on the radio and in the stores, all the stores are decorated (and have been since Halloween, it seems), and people are running frantically about trying to find gifts. Sometimes we feel like all of this is happening around us but we just can't "feel" that Christmas spirit. Like Charlie Brown, we see the "trappings" of Christmas, but we don't feel "a part" of it.

Sometimes when life is busy and there are difficulties, I have struggled to "find" the Christmas spirit. It is when I stop to realize that the Christmas spirit is not about the hustle and the bustle and the trappings, that I remember...it is about remembering the most important gift of them all.

When Linus gets up on the stage to tell the Christmas story and all is quiet and the lights are dim, it helps me to focus on what is the most important. It helps me to have the "true Christmas Spirit."

Are you struggling this Christmas to find the "Christmas spirit?" It isn't about the carols, the tree, the lights or the gifts. It is about a gift that was given to you, to all of us so long ago...

...and the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

Immanuel, God with us... A gift of hope... A gift of love... for all... for you.

As you watch the hustle and bustle around you, do not be discouraged, you have been given Good Tidings of Great Joy! Take time to read the Christmas story and know that long ago, before you were even born, a gift had been planned ahead of time, just for you! (Luke 2:8-14)

And, if you get the chance, listen to Linus share the Christmas Story on "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and be filled with the true "Christmas Spirit."

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!