EXITING WILDERNESS

"He is a voice, shouting in the wilderness."
~ Matthew 3:3

We get lost as to the purpose of reading The Bible, worshiping The Lord, and praying to God. We get lost because we frame it in such a way as to determine the worth through our own eyes. We get lost because, after all, we are lost.

Reading The Bible is meant to challenge us. We can take a passive interest in the words He shares with us, and the messages He attempts to convey to us. We can become flip about what's there since we're consistently challenged by the world about its contents. We know, of course, by way of the number of authors across the span of geography over the duration of time through historical and scientific analysis, it has withstood all the tests like nothing else has. We can become confused or bored about what's there since its complexity exists because of its simplicity. We know, of course, by way of years of study, that we have been given a living and lasting gift, complete in its message. So, there it waits for us to be filled with its truth. Challenging us.

Worshiping The Lord is meant to position us. So often we get caught up in this argument about how worshiping Him is not necessary to Him. He doesn't need us to worship Him, we think. He needs us to live out His message to us rather than waste time worshiping Him, we think. The fact of the matter is, we don't like to worship Him, because it reminds us of our place. Lavishing another in such a way is beyond our comfort zone. And, this would make some sense, if He was just another person, any person. For that matter, it would make some sense, if we didn't already worship other people, even though no person deserves this. Finally, it would make some sense, if we didn't worship things, even though there are no things that deserve this. We all worship something. The questions are, what do we worship that deserves that kind of attention, and what do we worship that puts us in our place? He is above all people and all things, and if we don't understand this, we don't have a proper understanding of who we are and what we need. It's true, He doesn't need our worship. We do. Positioning us.

Praying to God is meant to change us. We think a lot about what we want and what we think we need, but we don't spend much time thinking about what He wants and what He knows we need. Never has prayer impacted me more than when I've let go of my desires, and simply asked God to reveal to me His will and His purpose for what He has in store for me. Never has prayer been so clearly answered than when I've asked God to alter my selfishness, transform myself instead of others, and remind me of the blessings He has provided. Answered prayers to us translates to getting what we want, when we want, the way we want it. God is always answering our prayers, and we'd know that if we just took the time to listen, instead of just taking the time to ask. Believing that prayer is about manipulating God's emotions in order to receive what we want is not only futile, it's silly. Prayer is about remaining faithful to God, allowing hope in Him to transform us, and giving ourselves a makeover of epic proportions. Changing us.

MEASUREMENT

How does one keep track of death, determine the impact of loss, portray the outcome of tragedy?

My sister died not long ago. A single life snuffed out in perverse circumstances. Her children left to make sense of it. Her family left to wish for a different outcome. Her killer left to hopefully make something of his life. And yet, the loss of one young woman so deeply loved is nothing compared to ...

Columbine - 15 lives lost. Nothing compared to ...
Norway - 77 lives lost. Nothing compared to ...
9/11 - Nearly 3,000 lives lost. Nothing compared to ...
Haiti Earthquake - 46,000 to 316,000 lives lost. Nothing compared to ...
Rwanda Genocide - 500,000 to 1 million lives lost. Nothing compared to ...
The Holocaust - Nearly 6 million Jewish lives lost. Nothing compared to ...
World War I - 15 to 65 million lives lost. Nothing compared to ...
World War II - 40 to 72 million lives lost. Nothing compared to ...

When does it become impossible to keep track of death, determine the impact of loss, portray the outcome of tragedy? The truth is, it never becomes impossible. Not to the single person lost. Not to the circle of people impacted by that loss. Not by the lasting effects of tragedy.

The number of people who died on The Cross to save your life is directly proportionate to the number of people He died on The Cross to save. It's that personal. It's that kind of impact. It's that everlasting. It's that immeasurable.

My prayer is for the lives lost. May each and every one find the way home again.

BROKEN

I can tell when it's starting to happen. When the anger starts building up inside of me. When my blood starts to boil. Once again, I witness someone's negativity and self-centered ways spill over onto others. I get rattled to the point that I find myself imagining conversations, explaining with confident clarity that I don't want, we don't want, no one wants to be covered with the filth left in their wake. How does hate consume someone so completely, leaving not blindness, but actually drive? A sick feeling lingers as I eventually and consistently return to prayer for them.

For them.

And I hide my sins from others. Exposing the safe ones, the familiar, the common, but certainly not everything. No, everything would be too much for people, for friends, for family, for Him. If I try hard enough, and pretend long enough, I can trick anyone into believing that it's the muck and the mire that others are in and need to be saved from. They flaunt it with disregard, and I acknowledge it with pride. Finally it clicks, though, as I eventually and consistently return to prayer for me.

For me.

We all have darkness inside of us, but we all have light as well. Tears start to well up in my eyes thinking about what He did for people, what He did for you, what He did for me. What starts with sadness turns to joy. And a smile forms as I eventually and consistently return to prayer for Him.

For Him.

SUSHI

I like to play this game with my family and friends where I challenge us to consider how much money it would take to do something beyond our comfort level. Typically, it's about eating something that may disgust us, eating more than we could handle, or placing ourselves in a situation that would be extremely frightening to us. While I could spend a lot of time dissecting the fact that I use money as the item of enticement, or that I use food and fear as the challenge, the point here of mentioning my silly little game is something else entirely. Well, I think so.

My oldest daughter recently turned 12. It's the end of her tween years. Being a teenager is just around the corner. She's starting 7th grade. Her life is a whirlwind of change. For that matter, so is mine. So, I took her out to lunch for a father-daughter talk over sushi. She was thrilled, and I was perfectly centered. Yes, I lie.

I want my children to live a life that honors God, others, and themselves. Smoking and drinking and taking drugs, sexual encounters, inappropriate clothing and language and music and television and movies - all of it and more scare me when it comes to my children. We expect so little of our youth, and they are capable of so much more. Our sinful nature and God's perfect grace need not and should not be our excuse for throwing caution to the wind.

My daughter listened to what I had to say. I invited her to read a book I loaned her, Do Hard Things. We chatted about some difficult topics. And, we challenged one another to eat some fish eggs. Then, I asked her how much it would take for her to eat 2 or 3 or 10 or 20 more rolls. Amidst the laughter I stated explicitly what she already knew. The hard things I was asking her to do didn't have to do with fish eggs or sushi rolls. Rather, they had to do with things that wouldn't always be popular, but they certainly would always be right.

She'll continue to make mistakes, just like I do. And, she'll continue to do easy things, just like I do. But, I also have faith that she'll keep learning and growing, striving to love others above herself, and - above all else - trying to love God and accept His love and perfect grace ... just like I do.

LET'S LEAVE BEING GOD TO, WELL, GOD

When I'm struggling with someone or something, I just have to figure it out.

When I'm wanting whatever I'm wanting at any given moment of any given day, I just have to find a way to get it.

When I'm feeling like I'm better than the next person, I just have to judge them and maybe even try to fix them.

And, yet ...

When I'm looking for someone to blame for whatever my woes may be, I blame Him.

When I'm lacking whatever I think I'm lacking, I blame Him.

When I feel like people don't love me for who I am, I blame Him.

Maybe ...

I should turn to Him for help.

I should seek His will for my life.

I should let God sort things out with others, focus on my own repentance and acceptance of grace, and strive to live as an example of His love.

I wonder ...

Can there be any better way of reaching out to others and sharing truth then by turning to Him, trusting Him, and allowing Him?

HEAVEN FEST

What an amazing day it was to attend my first Heaven Fest.

I used to be a bit of a concert fanatic when I was younger. I've enjoyed the live musical stylings of individuals and groups as diverse as Rick Springfield, Boston, Roger Waters, U2, John Mellencamp, The Kinks, Toad The Wet Sprocket, The Cranberries, 10,000 Maniacs, Chicago, Donny and Marie Osmond, Pink Floyd, Hootie & The Blowfish, The Cowboy Junkies, Natalie Merchant, Sally Taylor, The Indigo Girls, Blues Traveler, The Romantics, Peter Mayer, Sarah McLachlan, Jars Of Clay, R.E.M., Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, The Young Dubliners, Runaway Truck Ramp, Vince Gill, Open Road, Cake, and, well, I could keep going, but I think I've already gone on long enough ... or, more than likely, too much.

With all my exposure to various musicians, I've never experienced anything like Heaven Fest. Thousands of people wandering from stage to stage under the intense high altitude heat. I was lucky enough to enjoy Sanctus Real, Jeremy Camp, Superchick, Mercy Me, and Skillet. Great musicians all, but they weren't the focus of the day, regardless of how we all may have felt at times.

Music reaches out and touches our souls. It evokes memories like nearly nothing else, and it provokes feelings which often lie buried inside without blends of melodies and words to help them surface. There's something else that comes when listening to music focused on God. At some point, the music is less about what you're taking in, and more about what you're putting out.

Worship. That's the "something else." It's not about what He needs, because He needs nothing. Rather, it's about what we need, because we need everything. He is everything. Perfection. Even better than Donny and Marie Osmond.

FRIDAY

Today was not a good day in Norway. What happened is beyond our understanding. What happened was yet another tragedy in yet another part of the world on yet another day. What happened was yet another reminder of how broken we are, and how lost we can be. I wonder if we've become numb to daily horrors that people experience. I wonder if we've lost perspective and it's only briefly gained when large scale events that we can somehow relate to shock us to the core. I wonder how much it takes to even shock us anymore. Today was not a good day in Norway, and my prayers are with the people affected, as my prayers are with all people affected by tragedy in any given moment on any given day. And still, for me, it was different today ...  

Today was a good day.

Fridays feel good to many people since it marks the start of the weekend, and the weekend for many means no work and all play. That's not why today was a good day.

Today was a good day because I started it by blessing a friend with breakfast as he blessed me with some help I needed. We had a great conversation along the way as well. Real and honest and encouraging.

Today was a good day because I had lunch with another friend who made a point of reaching out to me in order to check in and listen. Not only did he treat me for lunch, he gave me some much needed guidance.

Today was a good day because I met with yet another friend in the afternoon for our weekly time together that just hasn't happened as often recently. We shared our struggles and made a simple plan together.

Today was a good day because I finished it with worship and a message from one of my pastors that was clearly directed toward me. God has a way of doing that.

Friday reminded me that our lives are not meant to be spent idle or in isolation. We're meant to be active and in relationships. I'm fortunate to have a purpose, as well as a wife, as well as daughters, as well as friends, as well as a Savior.

Today was a good day.