That Long And Winding Road

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

~James 1:2-4

 

Many years ago, when I was young, the Beatles recorded a song called "The Long And Winding Road" (if you don't know who the Beatles are, stop reading here).  The song describes a journey through many aspects of life and it always leads back to the starting point.  

 

I have had people ask me, through their pain, "Why is life so hard?".  Believe it or not, I am smart enough to know that such a moment is not the time to launch into a sermon on trials and tribulations, but I am also smart enough to know that it is the trials and tribulations we endure that teach us, shape us, help us, and grow us.  Think about this:  If you take a lump of coal, put it under extreme pressure and heat for a long, long, long time...eventually a diamond is formed.

  

Several years ago, I was the one asking the question about why life is so hard.  The answer I got came from a homeless man who happened to be shuffling by when I was mumbling my prayer of heartbreak.  He stopped for a minute, patted me on the back, offered me some of his coffee, and said "God is making you into one the gems for His crown."

 

Later on I had a coach tell me that many people stop going to the gym after their first few tries because soreness sets in and makes it seem as if their limbs are going to fall off.  Face it, most of us don't like pain.  Some like physical pain of working out, and weird as they are, I admire them.  But not too many people like the pain of loss or the pain of feeling helpless or the pain of having to learn life's lessons the hard way.  So we try to avoid situations where such pain would find us.  But remember, God doesn't allow us to hurt just for His own grins and giggles.  God allows us to hurt so we will come to Him for help, healing and comfort; THEN we can be used of God to help others in their times of pain.

 

Life truly is a long and winding road...but the good news is we don't have to walk it alone!

Assaulted By Life?

He said,

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
    and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
    and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”

~Job 1:21 

Have you ever felt as if life was using you as a punching bag and you were quickly losing hope?  Consider the story of Job.  Job was a man who had everything going for him.  He had a large family; he had lots of donkeys and oxen; he had lots of sheep; he had lots of camels.  In short, Job was a very rich man. 

And then...a messenger arrives and delivers his news: "Sir, all your livestock has been killed or stolen."  bam!

WHILE THIS MESSENGER WAS STILL SPEAKING, here came another messenger with news: "Sir, all your sheep and shepherds have been killed."  Bam! 

WHILE THIS MESSENGER WAS STILL SPEAKING, here came another messenger with news: "Sir, all your camels have been taken and the handlers all killed." BAM!

WHILE THIS MESSENGER WAS STILL SPEAKING, here came another messenger with news: "Sir, all your children have been killed." BOOM!!!

In the span of probably less than an hour, Job went from the wealthiest man to the most destitute.  Talk about taking a huge beating...this was it!  In the Wall Street crash of 1929, people lost all their money in the matter of minutes and some chose to die rather than face life without their wealth.

Think about these things for a moment:

      * Job's wealth was not given to him instantaneously.  He had to work and work HARD for it.  

      * If we are not careful, we will take Job's response in verse 21 as being defeatist or stone cold resignation.  But if you look in verse 20, "Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship."  Job was devastated!  Job was in anguish!  

     *  Job ultimately understood that God had given him all his riches and God could take them all away.  God does what He chooses with all that is His...but it is ALWAYS for our good and His glory!  ALWAYS! Job understood this and focused on God, even though Job didn't understand the whys and wherefores, he trusted God above all else.

     *  In the end, God not only gave Job all that had been lost but gave him even more.  BUT this did not happen instantaneously either, this took time!  

When life starts beating us up, remember to focus on God and do what is right!  We may lose everything, but the one thing that cannot be taken away from us is our faith that God is still in control and will work EVERYTHING to our good and His glory.  But it might take some time. 

Life can be cruel!  Life can be hard!  God never promised us life would be easy.  But God did promise to never leave us or turn His back on us!  THAT is a promise more valuable then anything this life has to offer! 

Horrible Boss?

Don’t leave your job
    just because your boss is angry with you.
Remaining calm solves great problems.

Ecclesiastes 10:4 

 

Ever had a boss who made you absolutely miserable?  You know, that boss that during staff meetings you dream of their ultimate excruciatingly and very public demise, possibly involving boiling lava, pitchforks, and some ravenous carnivorous brain beetles ?  The one that makes you yell vile profanities in your mind and you are afraid that one day you will say them out loud.

 

I've had bosses like that before.  As a matter of fact, the absolute worst one was the senior pastor of a church where I once worked.  When he entered the building, you could sense a disturbance in the force.  The closer he got to the office area, the birds outside would flee.  This person was OCD about being OCD and not afraid to berate the staff for the slightest perceived error.  It was a situation where I dreaded going to work.  My sweet bride would remind me that I didn't have to agree with the pastor, just do my job to the best of my ability. The best day I had in that position was the day I left.

 

But as horrible as that person made the job, I learned some valuable lessons.  

•  Chances are the horrible boss is not going to change.  But I can change MY interactions with the horrible boss. 
• Realize that they are the way they are for a reason.  Perhaps God is reminding me that I need to make some changes.  Perhaps it is so I can learn patience under fire.  Perhaps it is so I can learn how not to act.  Perhaps, and this is the truly painful part, I really am in need of correction for my attitude, performance, timeliness, accuracy.
• If my boss is upset with me about my attitude, I need to look at the attitude I show toward others as well (who haven't said anything to me about it, but have become distant).  Everyone likes to believe they are in the right and anyone who disagrees is in the wrong (we are NOT perfect and shouldn't act as though we are).

Here are the words of wisdom shared with me by a very wise person: "Only person you can change is you! So make the changes you need to make and don't be stupid enough to think you have nothing that needs changing. You can't change anyone else, but you can change how YOU react to THEM! Don't be resentful.  Don't be angry. And for goodness sake, don't let your mouth run free!"

Have a horrible boss?  Think on this...you are someone else's boss, so take care.  Could be your spouse who adores you, could be your child who needs to learn to become self-sufficient, could be your pet.  You are the boss to someone else, so make sure you set the example!

 

 

We Are Peace!

Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like the members of your family. 

Be the best at showing honor to each other. Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! 

Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home.  

Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying.  

Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. 
Don’t think that you’re so smart. 
 Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good.

If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.
~Romans 12:9-18

Today, I ask only that you carefully and prayerfully read this passage, then reflect on it from THIS perspective: PEACE...IT BEGINS WITH ME! 

Change....It's About Trust!

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. 

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

Then you will experience God’s peace, 

which exceeds anything we can understand. 

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

~ Philippians 4:6-7 

 

Saul had a job to do and he LOVED his job!  In fact, he was so enthusiastic about his job that he developed a reputation for his passion for his work.  His job?  Tearing apart the Church, jailing or killing or torturing Christians, and then off to the next town to do it all over again.  When Saul showed up, people ran and hid!  People left town!  Saul terrified people and he relished that reputation.

 

As it happened, Saul and his band of merry church destroyers were on their way to Damascus to, once again, do what they do best.  And as they traveled the road, Jesus came and Saul faced the change in his life he never expected or wanted!  Jesus blinded Saul.  In fact, Saul the Ruthless was now having to be led around by someone else because he was helpless.  

 

Think about this:  Sometimes when change comes into our lives, it is not what we expected or wanted.  It might leave us feeling helpless...just like Saul.  But if you read Acts 19, you will see that Saul the Ruthless eventually became Paul the Apostle who wrote most of the New Testament.  

 

In 2005, my wife and I went for a walk.  We had just moved into our home and we were walking around the neighborhood.  My left arm started to tingle...then it went numb.  Not a good feeling, let me tell you.  Later that week, I went in for my physical and the doc put me on the stress test treadmill.  In the middle of the test, my left arm went numb again and the test had to be stopped.  Doc called my wife to come get me and take me to the hospital where he had already scheduled a heart cath.  

 

Now....when you are laying on that stainless steel table with no dignity left, and they release the dye into your artery (so they can see what's going on) and you hear the attending physician mutter: "WOW!"  That is NOT what you expect or want to hear!  I knew change was coming and I wasn't going to like it.  A quadruple bypass and 6 months of recovery later, my life has changed for the better.  Yes, I had to make some hard choices and had to accept some choices that were made for me.  But had that not happened, I wouldn't be here now writing this.

 

My Grampa had a way with words, often quite colorful, and he once told me: "S&$t happens. Your choice is to wallow in it, step in it, or step over it, or shovel it into your garden so you can have a good crop."  Change happens!  What you do with it determines the crop you will grow from it.

 

Don't worry or be anxious! Give it go God and let Him make a masterpiece out of your life! The caterpillar cannot become the butterfly without change.