The Goal Post And The Goose Egg

A few days ago, I was throwing passes to my son on a local football field.  We were having a fantastic time!  My throws were long and on the money.  His catches were really impressive.  My 9 year old was running routes and making catches left and right.

Then, it happened.

Emerson made an amazing catch in the end zone.  But he was running fast and his momentum carried him to a world of hurt.  He ran head first into the goal post.  I was standing about 20 yards away and could hear it.  He fell down, grabbed his head, and cried out in agony.  I sprinted as fast as I could and took him into my arms.  Within 30 seconds, a big goose egg appeared as his forehead began swelling up.  I sat there with my boy and watched him hurt.  Fortunately, I could see that he was not passing out or throwing up, so I quit thinking as much about a possible concussion.  But my heart still ached as I watched my boy cry in pain.

With tears rolling down his face, he looked at me and asked, "Daddy, is it going to hurt like this forever?"  I held him close and assured him that the pain would soon go away and all would be well.  That bit of good news put him at ease.  And, soon enough, he was just fine.  A full recovery followed.

Maybe you're hurting right now emotionally, financially, physically, professionally, or spiritually.  Life's been painful for you lately.  You might be looking at God, your Heavenly Father, and asking, "Is it going to hurt like this forever?"

If so, then remember these truths...

God loves you more than you can imagine.

God will comfort your mind and heart through His Holy Spirit.

God will not let you hurt forever.

God will one day welcome you into Heaven, where He will wipe every tear away from your eyes and shield you forever from sickness or suffering of any kind.

I've been where you are.  There have been some tough days in my life too.  The good news I can tell you is this:  God has looked out for me and seen me through.  So you can rest assured He will do the same for you.

Friend, I am sorry you hurt.  I truly am.

Let me assure you, better times are ahead.

You will not hurt like this forever.

Where Our Hearts Should Be Set

I was talking yesterday with a good buddy over a chicken wing lunch about something I've been learning lately.  And it's helping me in my life.  This is it:

The Christian life is about so much more than avoiding sin.  Far more!  It's actually about loving God and enjoying His presence.

See, I think it's possible to become so obsessed with moral uprightness that we fall into this works based religion that is all about performing for God and trying to earn His approval, which really is not possible.  When we travel this road, we run the risk of becoming moral hypochondriacs who always fear we are doing something wrong.  I just don't think that's a healthy way to live, and I really don't think that's how God intended for us to spend our years on this Earth.

Please, I beg of you, don't misunderstand me here:  YES, we are to be holy, pure, and righteous in word, thought, and deed.  NO, we are not to live evil, rebellious, immoral lives.  Our heart should be set, however, first and foremost on this:  Loving God and enjoying His presence. 

I'm noticing that when I focus primarily on my relationship with God, obeying Him tends to become something I more naturally want to do.  If I'm close to Him, I don't want to offend Him.  See what I'm saying?  I'm operating more out of a love for God than simply some sort of duty or fear.

In Matthew 22:37-38, Jesus said, "You shall love The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and foremost commandment."  More than anything else, He wanted us to focus on loving the awesome God who already loves us.  That was (and still is) priority number one.

Perhaps some of us need to set our hearts more on bonding WITH God instead of performing FOR God.  

Maybe we need to focus more on a grace-filled relationship than a performance-centered religion.

That's what God is teaching me these days.  And it's making sense to me in a new and fresh way.  I think it's what life is really about.

Zack's Safe Spot

My son has a teddy bear he has named Zack.  He is a soft little guy with camouflage skin and a South Carolina Gamecock shirt.  Emerson sleeps next to him every night.

Yesterday my boy and I were about to walk into another room when I saw him put Zack under the covers of a bed.  Then he said, "Dad, I always put him under the covers so that if anything goes wrong, he will be safe and hidden."  I smiled and told him that was just fine with me.

Zack's safe spot is under the covers.

Christians, our safe spot is in The Lord's hand.

" ... no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."  Those words are recorded in John 10:29. And they remind us of  our security in Him.

Nothing and nobody can snatch or steal us away from our Heavenly Father.  His grip on us is firm.  Our soul is safe if we are in His hand.

No matter who you are, where you are, or what your circumstances are, just remember this:  There is an awesome God who lovingly wants to hold you tight and keep you secure.  Find your protection and peace in Him.  

I'm glad ole Zack is ok under the covers.

But I'm way more glad we are secure in The Lord.

There's just no better place to be than in His almighty hand.

Who Really Has Who

I saw a guy this week wearing a hat that read "Got Jesus?".

Then this brief conversation took place:

Me:  "Hey man, that's a cool hat."

Hat guy:  "Thanx!  Glad you like it."

Me:  "I've got Jesus in my life.  But I'm really glad He has me."

Hat Guy:  "Amen!  I know exactly what you mean.  I'm glad He has me too."

We shook hands and parted ways.

I'm sure glad Jesus gets a hold of us.  He loves us when we sure don't deserve it.  He forgives us when we fail.  He calls out to us when we wonder off in the wrong direction.  He intercedes for us.  He provides guidance for us when we are clueless about what to do.  And, best of all, He leads us to our eternal home.

Ultimately, it's Jesus who has us.

We are like little sheep.  And He is the Good Shepherd who is always looking out for us.  What a blessing it is to belong to Him.

Does Jesus have you?

Aunt Eva's Pond Warning

My Aunt Eva is a wonderful lady.  I've always liked her and enjoyed her company.  And I've known her for years.

When I was a child, I once stayed with her and Uncle Steve while my parents were out of town.  We were visiting her parents in Sumter, South Carolina after going to church.  There was a pond across the road from their beautiful home.  So I asked Aunt Eva if I could go outside to see the pond.  "Sure," she warned, "but be careful.  Don't get too close to the water.  You're wearing a suit and I don't want you to fall in."  I assured her I would be safe as I walked out the door.

Across the street I went.

By the water I stood.

And, yep, into the pond I fell.

I'll never forget walking back to Aunt Eva.  I was so embarrassed that I didn't consider her warning.  She was (and still is) a sweet lady.  So she didn't fuss at me or anything.  Actually, she smiled and laughed about it.  But I knew I should have listened to her.

See, Aunt Eva warned me because she understood things I didn't.  She knew that boys can get reckless and not be careful.  She probably knew that the soft ground by the water could easily fall into the pond.  There were reasons she warned me to be careful.

Her warning was issued because she was looking out for me.

God issues us warnings too.  And He does it for the same reason:  He lovingly is looking out for us.  He cares about us as His children and wants to protect us from falling into sin.

He warns us about things like laziness, bitterness, pride, dishonesty, greed, infidelity, gossip, and impurity for good reasons.  An obvious reason is that He is holy and does not want any of His people in sin.  But I really think there are additional reasons He warns us.  For one, God knows that getting close to those morally unhealthy things will only cause us problems and pain.  The consequences can be far more severe than just messing up a Sunday suit.  Ultimately, God warns us because He loves us.  We matter a great deal to Him, and He wants us to avoid all the problems that inevitably will come with stumbling into sin.

Let's listen to warnings that God gives us.  He knows best.  He knows things that we often fail to consider.  And He is only looking out for our best interest.

The Stereo From Vietnam

I recently visited with a family who was grieving the death of a man they loved.  As we were talking, they told me about his return from Vietnam years ago.  As his military service in the war abroad was drawing to an end, he found a stereo over there he loved.  He could play all his tunes on it, and the sound was perfect.  The problem was he did not have much room in his bag for the flight back to America.  So, here is what he decided to do:  He left his clothes in Vietnam, stuffed the cool stereo in his bag, and brought it home.  

He had to choose.  He picked the stereo over his clothes.  And he felt good about it!

We have to choose.

Here is the choice:  Do we live for ourselves or for Jesus?

We can't have it both ways.  Either we selfishly live for the person who stares back at us in the mirror and only please him or her.  Or we selflessly live for the risen, living Son of God and please Him.

If we live for ourselves, we possibly can have temporary happiness.  But if we live for Jesus, we certainly will have eternal joy.

If we live for ourselves, we may can have partial satisfaction.  But if we live for Jesus, we definitely will have complete fulfillment.

If we live for ourselves, we might accumulate treasures on Earth that could last a few years.  But if we live for Jesus, we absolutely will lay up treasures in Heaven that will last forever.

That cool guy in Vietnam had to choose.  Stereo or clothes.  He picked the stereo and never once regretted it.

We have to choose.  Living for ourselves or living for Jesus.  Let's pick Jesus with the assurance we will never regret it.

The Red Convertible

It was one sweet ride!

The red convertible pulled up beside me at the four way stop light a couple of days ago.  The top was down.  The engine was sounding mighty fine.  The stereo was cranking out good tunes.  I looked at the cool, shade-wearing driver and thought, "Man, life is treating you right!"

How should we respond to people like the red convertible guy who seem to have things going their way?

(1). Be happy for them.  It's a healthy practice to congratulate others when things go smoothly for them.  A loving heart wants what is best for other people.  Also, celebrating successes and victories that others experience will help our attitude stay positive and our hearts stay free from jealousy.

(2). Be thankful for the blessings you already have.  Sure, good things happen to other people.  But if you look closely enough at your own life, you too have gifts from God that you can enjoy and celebrate.  If you have a family or a friend, you're blessed.  If you can get out of bed and walk on your own two feet, you're blessed.  If you are saved by the grace of God, you're blessed.  So count your blessings and rejoice in them.

I'm happy for the red convertible guy.  That's a cool car.  And I hope he enjoys it for years to come.

But I'm also happy about the good things God is doing in my own life in different ways.  His grace and love are blessings that will never wear out or shut down.  Yep, God is good and I am grateful.

Let's be happy for others.  And let's be thankful for what we have.  Life is too short to live any other way.

The 100 Year Old And Me

I met a family today who had some flowers they wanted to donate to a local retirement community.  Now I don't know anything about flowers, but I enjoy watching people smile, so I volunteered to take them where they needed to go.  With great excitement, I drove to my destination and carried them inside the front door.  The young lady who worked the front desk was thrilled to see the arrangements.  She told me where to put them, so I followed her instructions.  While she was thanking me for delivering them, another lady walked up.  She was obviously older than the young lady who worked the front desk.

The older lady asked me what I was doing.  I told her a family had donated the flowers to them and I was just the delivery guy.  Then she proceeded to tell me what she did not like about the arrangements.  She was not a happy camper.  I could tell this was not one of her better days.  So I tried a few different types of responses, but nothing seemed to appease her.  Finally, she blurted out to me that she recently turned 100 years old.

I stopped and looked at her.  "Did you say you are 100 years old?"  She replied, "I sure did."  "Well then, congratulations.  And you sure do look great!"  Finally, a smile appeared on her face.  "Thank you.  I really appreciate it!", she said.

A breakthrough happened.  Peace prevailed.  And we ended our conversation on a positive note.  Man, I sure was thankful!

As I sit here reflecting on this experience, the following scripture comes to my mind:  "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."  Those are the words of Proverbs 15:1.  The point of the verse is that we can use peaceful, gentle words to make conversations calm, or we can use rude, aggressive words to make conversations unpleasant.  The choice is ours to make.

I'm so glad I met the 100 year old lady.  And I bet she is a fine person who is loved by her family and friends.  But most of all, I'm glad God reminded me of the high value in being a gentle peacemaker who gets along with others.

Let's choose our words carefully.

Let's turn away anger by handling people with a Christ-like love.

Let's live in peace with our fellow man.

A Special Delivery

Emerson, my son, made a special delivery recently.

He and our daughters spent a few days with my parents and other relatives in Callaway Gardens, which is outside of Atlanta.  They had a great time.  Lara and I were not able to join them, so we stayed back.  

When everyone came home, Emerson handed me a white box.  I opened it up to find leaves, pine cones, rocks, and sticks.  Also, he had drawn a smiley face under his hand written message which read as follows:  "Now you can see Callaway Gardens.  From Emerson.  To Mom and Dad."  

What an awesome, special delivery that was!  Since we had not experienced Callaway Gardens ourselves, he decided to bring it to us.  It really touched my wife and me.

As I sit here, I realize we Christians have a special delivery we can make to others.

When we encountered the gospel and were saved by grace, we entered into an eternal relationship with God.  Our sins were forgiven.  Our souls were rescued.  What a blessing that was, is, and forever will be.

But others have yet to experience that.  We rub shoulders with people who have not encountered the gospel or the saving grace of God.  Their sins are not forgiven and their souls are lost.  

We must deliver to them the good news of the gospel.  It is imperative that we enable them to see the wonder of God's grace, like Emerson enabled us to see Callaway Gardens.  Since they have not experienced salvation themselves, we need to take the good news of God's grace to them.  

How do we do this?  Well, here are two ways:  (1) We can show them what the Bible says.  (2) We can show them what difference God has made in our lives.

Any son or daughter of God can do this.  All that's required is a willingness to make the most special delivery.  So you can do it!

I thanked Emerson many times for what he gave us.

And there will be people in Heaven who thank us countless times for caring enough to deliver to them the saving truth of the gospel.

Something New From My Father

My dad can fix about anything.  Over the years, he has impressed me with how he comes up with ways to make things look and function better.  I admire him for it.

He has this table in the back yard.  A few years ago, the legs under it were rotting away.  It was no longer stable.  Around that same time, Dad was walking into a hardware store in the lower part of South Carolina when he noticed four table legs that were laying on the ground.  The store owner agreed to let Dad have them.  Then he brought them home, attached them to the table, and all was well.  

My father added new legs, and things got better.

On a far greater note, our Heavenly Father can add a new heart into our lives, and things really get better!

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."  Those are the words of Ezekiel 36:26.  And those words give us a little glimpse into the awesome work of God.

The idea of God giving us a new heart means this:  Our Heavenly Father can give us a new way of thinking and feeling on the inside.  Also, He can add strength, life, and durability to our mindset and emotional state.  Finally, He can swap out that which is rotting and decaying for that which is alive and beautiful.  In short, God can give us a new life from the inside out.  

I'm glad my earthly father gave the back yard table new legs.  But I'm far more glad that my Heavenly Father has given me a new heart!  That will last far longer and have greater rewards.

Don't give up on people.  God can give them a new heart.  Pray for that to happen.

Don't give up on yourself either.  God can give you a new heart.  Pray for that to happen.

Our Heavenly Father can fix broken lives and make them masterpieces of beauty and wonder.