The Value Of Being Worried

But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

Luke 10:40 

 

Martha was irritated because her sister, Mary, was not helping her with the preparations for the big dinner.  They had guests in their house and a big dinner was expected, yet Mary was lost in thought, listening to one of the guests talking.  Martha had a list upon list upon list of things that needed to be done, and the more frantically she worked, the more irritated she became.  Until she just couldn't take it anymore!  So she goes to their guest, Jesus, to get Him to tell Mary to get up and help with dinner!  She fully expected Mary to be put in her place by Jesus and shamed into getting to work in the kitchen.  

 

Have you ever felt like you were doing all the work while others just say around doing absolutely nothing?  Have you ever become so frustrated because others seemed to be "wasting time" while you were scrambling trying to do good?  Have you ever gotten burned out trying to DO things at church for others and it's as if no one appreciated your efforts?

 

Martha expected Jesus to step up and put Mary in her place....and Martha was wrong!  Jesus didn't put Mary in her place, instead He gently rebuked Martha.  Look at Jesus' words to Martha in verses 41-42: 

 

 "But the Lord said to her, 'My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.'”

 

You see, being busy is a distraction.  Even if it's busy doing good things.  Jesus told Martha that Mary discovered the one thing worth being concerned about...and being busy wasn't it. 

Keep Calm? Are You CRAZY?

If you believe that being a member of the Clergy means we are free from frustration, irritation, and the desire to use unkind words (and in our minds punching someone), then you will probably want to steer clear of Ministry as a career.

Let me explain: on Wednesday, I had a calendar full of events and appointments.  I had planned very carefully how to make it to each event and appointment early so I could have time to gather my thoughts, pray, and then go into action.  However, when I make plans, God proves that He has quite the sense of humor because every single driver I got behind apparently had no clue that the vertical pedal on the right makes the car move.  No matter which lane every car I got behind slowed down.  So much for arriving early (although I was early for the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service).

When it came time for a hospital visit at Lexington Medical Center, I got stuck in the traffic on the exit ramp for almost an hour (whoever designed the traffic flow for that location should be shot).  While making that visit my phone was blowing up with robocalls from spoofed numbers (and I seemed to have called myself twice).

Stopped at the grocer to renew my supply of office candy.  I had 4 items in the express line.  The person in front of me had food enough to find the source of the Nile.  Therefore, that was another 45 minute wait in line at a grocer who only had 2 lines open. After ringing up all this customers purchases, out came the coupons (many of which were expired which led to a rather heated debate), finally the purchase was made and the customer had to look at every item on the receipt to make sure they weren't being over charged.  Because of this lengthy exchange, I was a few minutes late to a Swearing In at the Sheriff's Office.

This continued all day, wherever I went.  So by the time I was ready to come home, I knew my blood pressure was probably at the exploding point, so I stopped off to calm down and have some coffee.  I re-read the devotional passage and had a few choice words for God because the passage was Psalm 131:2, "I have calmed and quieted myself."  David, the Beloved of God, must not have ever had such a frustrating day if he was able to calm and quiet himself!  And yet, perhaps he actually did have such a day because if he quieted and calmed himself then he was not quiet and calm before.  I could literally feel God's WHACK to my forehead.  Instead of lashing out at Him as I had intended, I had to confess my heart and ask forgiveness.

The second part of verse two reminds us that when a child is upset, they seek the comfort of their parent to handle and resolve what's bothering them.  That's what I needed (and still need) to do.  Then it hit me, yet again, God is the one in control of ALL things!  My frustration, irritation, anger, and unkind words were my effort to take over God's job and God used all the days events to remind me He truly is the one in charge.  When I finally realized that, Calm and Quiet replaced all that had been within me.

I'll leave you with Psalm 131:3. "O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—now and always."  God is God, and we are not, so let Him do His job.

Skunks and Tidal Waves!

For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.

Jeremiah 31:25 

 

Okay, what do skunks and tidal waves have in common?  They're overwhelming!  They can wreak havoc on our lives and leave us feeling as if we are helpless.  They will suck all the energy out of us and leave us feeling exhausted. And then our focus begins to turn inward and we feel overwhelmed, angry, frustrated, helpless and depressed.

Today, I was informed of a couple of people who were struggling with feeling overwhelmed.  They were just going through the motions of their day while hiding the pain they were feeling.  Ever notice that we tend to do that?  We hide what's bothering us so no one will know we are struggling, and then we ride the spiral downward because no one helps because they don't know.

I can tell you from experience that the last thing I want to hear when I am feeling overwhelmed is someone spouting Bible verses at me. In all reality, I really want to punch those people in the face!  When I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed, guess who I turn to?  His picture is attached to this devotional.  I am one of those who truly believe that God created pets to be therapeutic!  When I am stressed, anxious, upset, frustrated, angry or feeling overwhelmed and helpless, I can sit on the couch with Woody and he will let me scratch him, rub him, tell him whatever is on my mind, and he will lay there giving me sympathetic eyes and encouraging licks.  He doesn't tell me how to solve my issues, but he brings me comfort and that speaks a lot.

Once I am able to regain control, after Woody Therapy, I am more able to focus on the fact that God put Woody in my life to bring me God's comfort.  God brings comfort to us in many ways and they all eventually point back to Him.  Next time you are feeling like life is Skunks and Tidal Waves, don't hide it...let's talk about it.

 

 

I Am Grateful....!

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be grateful.

Colossians 3:15 

 

Peace.....  That doesn't seem to be what we see a whole lot of in the world today.  Just look at the all that is happening around us.  Peace?  Hardly!

 

But remember what Jesus taught us about Peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage" - John 14:27.  Remember the Peace He gives us is NOT lack of trouble, rather the focus on Christ during troubling times!  And part of that Peace includes gratitude!

 

The Apostle writes, "And ALWAYS be grateful!"  Yes, grateful even in times of chaos.  Yes, even in times of struggle.  Yes, even in times of trials.  We are to ALWAYS be grateful.  I confess, that I have gotten caught up in all that is going on around me and have forgotten all I have to be grateful for.

 

When I am struggling, God is still in control and still loves me.

When I doubt, God is still in control and still loves me.

When I am angry, God is still in control and still loves me.

When I am frustrated, God is still in control and still loves me.

When I mess things up, God is still in control and still loves me.

When I am happy and think it's all because of me, God is still in control and still loves me.

 

So what do I have to be Grateful for:

...those who care enough to pray for me and with me (in spite of myself).

...those who share a laugh with me.

...those who allow me to be part of their lives.

...those who let me pray with and for them.

...those who are willing to love and be loved.

...those who dare to reach out for help.

...those who reach out to help.

...I am grateful that God has allowed me to see another year (today's my birthday).

the list of reasons to be grateful is endless.

 

My challenge for all of us....focus on all we have to be grateful for...especially when we are tempted to let the world trample us.  Focus on the Peace of Christ and embrace it! 

Are You Afraid?

He said: “Pay attention, all you people of Judah, residents of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Don’t be afraid and don’t panic because of this huge army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 

2 Chronicles 20:15 

Have you ever felt like you were being hammered with issues and problems and frustrations and irritations?  Have you ever felt as though you were in a boxing match and you were on the receiving end of the beating?  Have you ever felt like you are losing ground in this life?  When facing life's challenges, we can often feel overwhelmed!

 

The back story of today's passage is that King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah looked over the walls and saw what appeared to be an army so large they had no idea how they would survive.  Sound familiar?  Look at your bills and wonder how they will ever get paid; look at your refrigerator and wonder how you will ever find food to put in it; see someone needing help or caring (warning: cops are among the most prickly porcupine people ever, and aren't prone to let others get close to them) and you wonder how you can reach out to that person? 

 

I love the key part of verse 15: FOR THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT GOD'S.  When we try on our own, we will fail over and over, but let God fight the battles and we will see victory after victory.  Our enemy likes to stay in our face so we are too distracted to look to God, but when we are wise to his tricks, we are able to step aside and let God do His job!

What Do You Need?

Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
Matthew 9:20-22 

Please allow me to be honest, I am exhausted and frustrated with no end in sight as yet.  I won't go into all the details of the causes because they are a culmination of many incidences that, would not normally bother me in and of themselves, as a group they feel overwhelming. It was as if I was in the Army again with shovel in hand and my First Sergeant yelling at me to "SUCK IT UP! SOMEONE has to dig the pit so all can enjoy the latrine!" Ever have that kind of Job life sequences when everything seems to go wrong no matter how hard you try?

I felt like giving up; escaping to a place where there would be a chance to recoup and think and take each storm on one at a time.

Whilst studying this morning, I had music playing in the background, as per usual, when my mind latched on to a song by Mike & The Mechanics, "All I Need Is A Miracle."  Like a lightning bolt, it hit me, that was my heart's prayer to God.  I need a miracle to make it through this string of raging storms.

The same was true of this woman who had suffered for TWELVE YEARS!  She had run out of options. she had run out of doctors. She needed a miracle!   And Jesus was in town.  She knew that if she could get just close enough to just touch a string of the hem of his robe, that would be enough.  

Somehow, through sheer determination or God pulling her along, she managed to touch the robe of Jesus and was healed.  God is the God of miracles! And sometimes I forget that.

Learning to Fly Free!

The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. 

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

John 10:10 

 

2016 was not a good year.  Well, not for me anyway.  I lost family members.  I lost friends.  I performed more funerals in 2016 than I have ever done in a single year before.  There were family struggles.  There were health issues.  There were all sorts of frustrations and irritations that demanded my time and attention (and I was dumb enough to let them steal my time, attention, and joy).  Do you think that was God's purpose?  Do you think God planned for me to have such a bad year?  I do!

 

Let me explain:  There is an old proverb that says, "The gem cannot shine without friction, nor man become perfected without trials."  You see, and I've said this before, if we had a life where everything happened the way we wanted and we had not stress or worries or unpleasantness.....what kind of life would that be?  A life of ignorance, because we wouldn't learn anything.  We would become self-absorbed because we would expect life to be perfect.  

 

Through our trials we learn.  We learn to rely on others (even reaching out to others).  We learn that we have do adapt.  We learn that there really are people who want to help.  We learn that there are people who genuinely care.  And, most importantly, we learn that God carries us through each trouble.

Feel Alone?

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 

Have you screwed up recently?  Yeah, me too.

Have you said something you shouldn't have? Yeah, me too.

Have you gotten some news you really didn't want to hear? Yeah, me too.

Have you heard the scales groan when you step on them?  I have.

Have you had one of those days where there was more to complete than you have time or energy to?  And when you get home you're expected to slap on the happy face when all you really want to do is just go to bed?

Have you had to deal with people who seem to think you are supposed to have all the answers?

You see, we ARE NOT ALONE in our struggles!  Not only has God already walked through it before us, He has already made a way for us to make it too.  And here's the shocker, God has also appointed people to be in our lives at just the right time to remind us that we aren't alone.

Our enemy would have us believe that we shouldn't let anyone know about our struggles because no one will understand.  Our enemy will also have us believe that putting every aspect of our lives on Social Media is a good thing.  But God reminds us that He comforts us, so that we can comfort others.  "WHEN they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

 

I Ranted And Raved And Guess What It Got Me?

The Lord will fight for you. You just keep still.

Exodus 14:14 

Last week was one of the worst weeks I have had in a long long time.  I was out of town in what was supposed to be a three-day training.  Things don't always work out the way we envision them or plan them or hope they will or even how we think they ought to go. You see, I thought I was going to have a chance to get away, learn some very insightful and useful things I could then bring back and use to help my Department, then I could come home and share my wisdom with all.  

 

But....didn't happen that way.  On day one, I was trying to answer emails during the breaks, return phone calls during lunch, and when I got back to my lodging a whole new set of issues.  I was hoping to review the material and get some rest.  There were three reasons that didn't happen:  First, hotel mattresses are almost always uncomfortable to me and no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't get comfortable.  Second, my neighbors on one side sounded like they were having quite the professional wrestling match, while on the other side the sounds and noises were, shall we say, not something I wanted or needed to hear.  Third, the air conditioning was not working.

 

On the second day of class, more of the same of answering messages during breaks and returning phone calls during lunch, until....I got the message that a dear member of our Department had passed away.  I had to read the message several times before it finally sank in.  I had just visited the dear lady and now she was gone.  So when I got back to my room, I tried to put some thoughts together to deliver her funeral message but couldn't think.  I prayed for peace and none came.  Suddenly, I got the strong need to get back home to deal with this up close.  So, I packed, got in the car, notified my instructor what had happened, and came home.  

 

On the way home, traffic was frustrating and infuriating.  At one point, the three lane interstate had been converged into a single slow moving lane due to road construction.  Not only that, but I got behind that ONE person.....you know the one....who has to keep half a mile between their car and the vehicle in front of them (and they aren't about to move).  So I was stuck behind them for what seemed like hours.

 

All this time I am letting God have it!  I am unloading a barrage of my opinions and perspectives, directives, expectations, and in language I didn't remember learning in the Army.  When I finally got home, I was still fuming.

 

I spent the night tossing and turning and, true to form, at 4:19am, I was wide awake and knew God was ready to have a chat.  I began this prayer time with my sincerest apology for my ranting and raving and for my frustration.  And guess what I got in return?  The peace that I cannot explain, the lightening of my burden because of the forgiveness I had been granted, and such a clarity that I knew what needed to be said at the funeral.

 

I wrote some things down, let the family read it, and was ready to deliver it on Thursday.  Thursday Morning, I got a call from the family asking for a couple of changes to what I had written.  Again, I prayed for focus and the help to say what the family wanted.  I jotted down the notes given to me by the family, and let God take it from there.

 

All my ranting, raving, frustration, and anger....and God reminded me to "BE STILL!"  God reminded me to let HIM do the fighting for me.  Let Him speak through me.  

 

We're never to old to be reminded that God is God and we are not!

Stretched

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

  

Ever have one of those days (weeks, months, years or lifetime thus far) where you felt pulled in so many directions that you felt as though you should have been a cartoon octopus?  People calling you and, while you're on the phone, texts are coming in from multiple people and, while you're trying to deal with all the communication, more and more waves of responsibilities or the "and all other duties" statement of your job description has just kicked into nuclear overdrive.  No matter how much you accomplish, ten more items fill that void, lest you become bored and actually have the time to breathe.

I'm going to most likely step on some toes here, but here goes. This past week has been one of those weeks where my mind finally had gone numb from the overload of expectations. I sent out a message for help and received such wonderful responses such as "Praying for you from the Beach" and "Sorry to hear that, but this vacation is AWESOME!"  I felt defeated, deflated, frustrated and irritated to say the least.  I even told my longsuffering bride that just once, I'd like for someone to come to us and say, "You need to get away, let me fill in for a week while you rest and relax."  

But then, true to form, 1:27 in the morning, was rather rudely awakened because of the sense that God wanted to chat.  Got some coffee, sat in my chair, and only got two stitches of the latest BUBBA done when it hit me, I'm only human!  God made me in His image, but that does not mean I have endless energy.  We, as humans, have not been filled with boundless endurance to keep going long after the capacity has been reached.  

Then, today's verse made a little more sense.  I was weary.  I was heavy laden.  I needed rest. But I had no idea how or when that would happen.  What I did learn was this, when we feel overwhelmed and exhausted, we need to share that burden!  Talk with God about it!  Rely on each other to actually step up and help out, especially if they expect the same from us.