Life Is An Adventure

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
    I will advise you and watch over you."

Psalm 32:8 

 

When I was growing up, my teachers would encourage our class to read, because "when you read, you have so many adventures in your imagination."  Well, it wasn't until later that I began to enjoy reading and enjoying the mental adventures.  

 

This morning whilst enjoying my coffee and a bit of quiet, it dawned on me...I had become a fuddy-duddy.  My idea of "adventure" was getting dessert after brunch.  I had lost my sense of wonder and adventure.  So, on my way to work, I took the time to look at the world God has provided.  I watched the clouds (not while I was driving), I listened to the birds, I took a different way to work (heard you gasp).  And most of all, I prayed that God would reignite my sense of wonder and adventure for His creation.

 

God will guide us and provide for us.  In the process, please take time to enjoy the adventure called Life that God has given us! 

Remember When?

I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a child, or you will never enter it.

Luke 18:7 

 

As a child, I had a vivid imagination!  I would sit for hours staring out of my bedroom window watching the squirrels plant their acorns and wondered what they must be thinking.  Were they making a mental note of where the acorns could be found when they were needed?  What did they talk about?  I was fascinated by the structure of leaves.  The stars were amazing to me.  I had a sense of wonder, as children do.

 

When did I lose that sense of wonder?  I'm not sure.  It didn't happen all at once.  It was drained from me slowly when I began to replace it with such poisons as anger, hatred, busyness, indifference.  I had gone from a sense of wonder to a sense of apathy.  It took me years to figure out what had happened, and it took many more years to, at least partially, return to that sense of wonder.

 

Jesus tells us that we must accept the Kingdom of God as it we were a child.  We must return to that sense of wonder!  That place where we love without condition.  That place where we can get along!  That place where we are so fascinated with the risen Christ that we keep Him in the forefront of our thoughts!  Let's return to that Sense of Wonder!

Am I The Only One?

What exists now is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done;
there is nothing truly new on earth.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 

 

Have you ever had to endure a situation where you felt as though you were the only one going through this?  It's a HUGELY frustrating feeling, isn't it?  After living through the stress and struggle for so long, we begin to wonder how anyone could possibly have an inkling of what we are enduring, much less care that we are slowly sinking and there's nothing we can do about it.

 

To be honest, we, as humans, aren't usually ones to come rushing to someone who is enduring a hardship, difficult time, or struggling.  Why?  Perhaps it's because they hide it well and we don't realize there's an issue.  Perhaps we prefer not to notice because we want to stay in the "no-sad zone."  Perhaps we feel drained from having just reached out to someone else struggling and we aren't ready to do that again just yet.

 

Whatever our reason, the person enduring the struggle eventually will begin to believe that they are the only one who has, is, or ever will face such a challenge as theirs.  That feeling can lead to despair!  However....God reminds us that we are NOT alone in our struggles.  Notice today's verse: "...there is nothing truly new on the earth."  Did you catch that? Our struggles may be new to us, but they are not new and they are most certainly not new to God.  Nothing surprises God!  And, as a matter of fact, God allows struggles in our lives to teach us how to help others later on who may be facing a similar struggle.

 

Yes, we will encounter situations where we slump down and wonder "Why me?" and we will begin to believe the whisperer from the pit who tells us no one cares, no one understands, no one has ever faced this, and the whisperer LIES!

 

One of the things I try to remind the Deputies and employees of the Sheriff's Department: "If I don't know what's going on with you, I can't help you or find help for you."  And it's true!  But start with God, He has more resources at His immediate disposal.  But understand YOU are NEVER alone!

In The Know

The Lord directs our steps,
    so why try to understand everything along the way?

Proverbs 20:24 

 

If you have children, you probably know that one of their favorite questions to ask is "Why?".  And they will ask it over and over and over until you are ready to ship them off to Grandma's for a month.  I'm not saying that I was ever such a child, but I will admit to being very curious.  Even as an adult I am still very curious, trying to understand why something happened the way it did or why someone acted the way they did, and sometimes I wonder if God ever gets tired of me asking "Why?".  Then today's verse was laid before my eyes.

 

Finally, I had one of the many answers I have been asking God for since I was a child.  I don't need to understand EVERYTHING along life's journey.  I just need to follow the path God sets before me.  I may not like some of the places He has for me to travel, but I trust Him.  I may not like some of the people He has for me to meet, but I trust Him.

 

Believe it or not, God really does make our life so much easier when we let Him be in control!

Might Want To Sit Down For This

Look among the nations, and see;
    wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days
    that you would not believe if told.

Habakkuk 1:5

 

Have you ever noticed how we seem to take life for granted?  Have you ever wondered why we seem to have lost the ability to be amazed?

 

We see beautiful turquoise waters and we "ooh" and "ahh" for a bit, then we are no longer amazed.  It's as if we have the attention span of a gnat.  We look at the wonders that God has set right in front of us and we get bored quickly and want to go on to something else.

 

Here's a little secret: The ability to be amazed and astounded stems from gratitude.

 

Think about this:

     * God didn't have to let you wake up this morning, but I'm grateful He did.

     * God didn't have to put me in a job that I love, but I'm grateful that He did.

     * God didn't have to allow the group of friends (quirky, eccentric, and weird though they are), but I'm grateful that He did.

 

There have been times in my life that I have no idea how I'm still here, but God had and has a plan for me and His love amazes and astounds me every day.

 

Take time to be grateful for even the "small" things in life and you will begin to be amazed and astounded.

Who Are You Grateful For?

 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

Philippians 1:3 

 

Have you ever stopped to think about all the people God has brought into or through your life?  I will be honest, there have been people God has brought through my life that I haven't been fond of, but the more I thought about it, God was teaching me through that person even though we may not have agreed on anything.

 

Yes, it is true that we may not like everyone.  And, yes, it's also true that some people are an "acquired taste."  You may not like them at first, but then they grow on you. God made each of us unique, yet similar.  We are drawn to people who think rather like we do and enjoy the same things we do.  

 

But think about the people who have been or are part of you life that you are grateful for.  Family and friends, of course.  But what about those who challenge us?  What about those who make us think?  

 

During this Presidential Election, I have seen all sorts of people expressing their views.  Some I agreed with, some made me think, and some I completely disagreed with.  But here's my point, I'm still grateful for those people!  

 

People!  Let's face it, we are on this planet together, Thank you for being here!

Have You Lost Your Wonder?

And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

Matthew 6:28-29

We take things for granted, don't we?  When was the last time you took a walk just to hear the birds or look at the things that grow?  When was the last time you picked up a seashell and really looked closely at it?  When was the last time you took time to look at the clouds and see what shapes came to mind?

My bride and I love storms.  We are fascinated by them.  Especially the ones with lightning. A few years ago, we lived in a patio home, and we would sit in our garage in our aluminum lawn chairs watching the lightning flashes and enjoying the slow rumble of the thunder and the wind.  It took us a while to figure out that it was probably not the brightest idea to sit in aluminum chairs to watch lightning, but neither of us got zapped so that's a relief.

But watch children.  They are fascinated by everything.  Their minds are like sponges, absorbing and figuring out how something makes sense.  And they observe almost everything (and usually will tell you about it when you least need that information broadcast).

For some reason, as we grow older, we either become jaded or we simply stop looking at God's creation with wonder.  I was sitting in my home office a while back watching the squirrels in our front yard.  They would scurry around picking up acorns then they would scurry off somewhere, dig a hole, drop the acorn in it, cover it back up, and then jump up and down on the spot to pack the dirt down.  It was like watching a circus routine.

On another occasion, I was on a ridealong when the officer walked into a spider web (and, I'll admit, watching this big tough cop do the "Ninja with a bee in his britches" dance was pretty funny).  Within two hours we were back at that same spot and the spider had rebuilt his web!  That fascinated me!

When we lose that childlike wonder of all that God has provided for us (to teach us, or reach us) we have lost one of His greatest gifts!

I Don't Get It!

Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, 

but someday you will.”

John 13:7

Ever had something happen and you thought, "What the....?"  God seems to do things and allow things that we don't understand.  

At the time, I didn't understand why God allowed me to have open heart surgery at the ripe old age of 43.  But NOW I believe that, had I not had the surgery, Eric Skidmore would not have come to visit and plant the seed in my mind to become a Law Enforcement Chaplain.

At the time, I didn't understand why God would let me screw up life so many times without giving up on me.  But NOW I believe that each time I screwed up, I learned something that can be used to help others now.

At the time, I didn't understand why God would let me be so miserable while I was working for a church.  After all, aren't church folk supposed to be all nice, wonderful, kind, supportive and not be judgmental?  NOW I believe that God was showing me how NOT act.  

I don't always understand the "whys" and "wherefores" and the "are you kidding me" events of life, but God is the one with the plan, and He has a part for me to play in this plan, and for that I am pretty okay with (most of the time).  

Do I still wonder "What the...?"  Absolutely!    

Do I still question? You bet I do!

Do I still not "get it" sometimes?  Oh Yeah!

But I know, eventually it will make sense to me.  Usually when I've stopped wondering so hard about it.  

Paradise

And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:43 

 

When Jesus was hanging on the cross, he told one of the criminals that "Today you will be with Me in paradise."  Have you ever wondered what Paradise would be like?

 

I can't prove it, because I haven't been there, but I personally believe Paradise is going to be spectacular!  Individually Spectacular!  God made each of us as individuals, and each of us have different tastes, different likes, different ideas of 'wonderful'.  How boring would it be for someone who loves the beach if they were welcomed to a paradise that was made for someone who loves the Southwest?

 

Jesus reminds us that in His Father's house are many mansions.  He never said they were all going to be the same.  What you might find to be a mansion might be obnoxious and gaudy. 

 

Do you truly think that the same God who created us so uniquely would put us all in something cookie cutter?  I firmly believe Paradise will be individual where we will be ever inspired to praise God and be grateful to Him! 

 

But that's just me. 

Perspective of Clarity

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

1 Corinthians 13:12

I used to love going exploring.  Once when wandering through the woods, I happened upon an old cabin that was extremely old, and extremely unoccupied (except for the spiders and that not-so-nice swarm of flying bugs).  I wanted to see inside yet couldn't because the porch roof had collapsed and blocked the door.  However, there was one window I could just barely reach.  Trying as hard as I could, the window was just so dirty that I couldn't make out what was inside. (I did, however, come back the next day with Windex and paper towels.  Cleaned the window and saw the cabin was just a big empty room).

Now that I have reached the point in life where my arms are too short for me to read with any accuracy, I have succumbed to having to wear reading glasses.  I am learning, though, the importance of keeping the lenses free from finger prints, the dog's nose prints, and just general grime.  Having to clean them every time I actually want to see what I'm reading can be a bit tiresome, but the result is that my perspective has changed because I can see with clarity.

Think about this: As we toddle through life, bumping into the walls and other such obstacles, it's usually because we're trying to hurry through without having the perspective of clarity.  Hmmm....  Perspective of Clarity!  What a novel way to travel!

Now....consider the Perspective of Clarity when God allows us to see just the next step He has set for us to take.  We, being stubborn and defiant, don't like the direction He has made clear for us, so we try another path and end up bumbling about like a giant bumbling blind thing.  God gives us the Perspective of Clarity.  True, sometimes we have to ask Him to point us in the right direction and sometimes we have to wait until He has gotten us ready for that next step.  But isn't that much easier and much less painful than trying to blunder our way through?

If you need to see the next step, ask God for the Perspective of Clarity!    

What's Your Purpose?

But it is a spirit in people,
the breath of the Almighty,
that makes them understand.

Job 32:8

Remember Moses? He led quite the charmed life for a long time as the adopted son of the Pharoah.  He was privileged and enjoyed all the comforts and courtesies of being a Prince of Egypt.  And then he killed an Egyptian slaver driver for beating an Israelite.  So he ran away to the desert to hide.  While he was there, he settled into the rough, but routine life of a shepherd tending the flocks of his father-in-law.  

Then God stepped in and told Moses, "Your purpose is to go to Egypt, tell Pharoah to let My People Go, and then lead them to the land I promised them."  That's a pretty hefty purpose!

How many times have we tried to figure out why we are here?  How many times have we tried to determine our purpose in life?  Some people wander around the world trying to "find themselves" or trying to "find my true path."  Some people search for their purpose for their entire lives without accepting it.  That's right, we tend to reject our purpose because it's not grand enough, or flashy enough, or popular enough, or because no one will notice, or, and here's the usual suspect, we don't want to do it!  It might make us uncomfortable.  It might mean we actually have to step out of our comfort zone.  It might mean we have to speak to people we don't particularly want to deal with.  

Moses was full of excuses trying to tell God, "I appreciate the offer, but I really don't want to do that!"  God didn't take NO for an answer from Moses, from me and He's not taking NO as an answer from you either.

When I knew beyond a doubt that God had called me to ministry, I said "NO" many times and in as many ways as possible.  Guess who won that debate?  God then pushed me to minister to Law Enforcement, again, being stubborn, I said "NO" many times and many ways, and still God won.

There have been times when I have been faced with a situation that I found overwhelming and I was expected to help the officer involved.  In my heart of hearts I shook my fist at God and shouted, "YOU DID ME TO THIS!  SO NOW WHAT?".  The Apostle Paul refers to the "peace that defies our understanding" and he wasn't kidding.  In the midst of all of my feeling overwhelmed, God's peace washed over me like a tidal wave and I learned (and am still learning) what it means to rely on God and not my own understanding.

Job wrote that it is the very breath of the Almighty, the same breath that brought to life, that brings us to understanding that God has a purpose for us and is not going to stop directing us toward that purpose until it is fulfilled.  No matter how long it takes.  If took me 43 years to actually surrender to God's call to ministry.  Took another 2 years to realize that Law Enforcement was where God wanted me to minister.  And I'm still learning!

What's your purpose?