Dark Nights

I've often heard, "It's always the darkest before the dawn." At times this has brought comfort to me. I know dawn comes day after day without fail. Always has, always will. However, when life throws me a round of hurts, failures and disappointments I begin to wonder when the inning will be over. Should I count on one, two, or even more curve balls before the day ends? I lay in bed at night knowing that tomorrow will bring the dawn of a new day but will it bring dawn to the dark night of my soul? I begin to question God's remembrance of me.
I've heard God has a load limit sign on me. Nothing is able to come my way that will destroy me--unless I choose destruction. By faith I choose to believe that my God is able to sustain me-- no matter how long the darkness lasts, no matter how many rounds of curveballs are thrown, no matter if life makes any sense at all. By faith I trust God loves me, will hold my hand in uncertain times, and will even carry me till the dawn comes. And it will come!

Before It's Time

My dad was an alcoholic. I choose not to drink. I figure if I can't stop at one chocolate chip cookie my self control with alcohol may not be any better. I have friends that enjoy a glass of wine on special occasions. Not trusting myself to know if I could stop at just one glass, I dare not explore unknown territory. Some people say wine is safe. I wonder since I "whine" to much if I would wine too much as well. In that case the term, "No wine before it's time" could hold true with my whine problem as well. I need not whine over an outcome before the end of the story has passed. At times I tend to be the person who says the glass is half empty instead of half full. I start revving the whining engines when my glass starts getting empty, when things don't go my way, when people start walking away. Friends and family have to remind me the end of the story has not come. Time has a way of changing people, places, and outcomes. A whine before it's time is just as unpleasant to the ears as a wine before it's time is to the palate. Pessimism hovers when I forget my Sovereign Creator is the One who begins a good work in each of us and is faithful to complete the work. He may complete the story with a different ending than I desire. In that case I need not whine too much or wine too much. His timetable is different than mine. I just need to trust Him!

The Waiting Place

Everyone waits. No one is exempt in this life from a period of waiting for someone, or some event to take place. Dr. Seuss says this in "Oh, The Places You'll Go"- "The Waiting Place...for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come or a plane to go...waiting for a Yes or No...or waiting, perhaps for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.
Have you ever felt like you were in the runner's position on the starting line when the announcer proclaims from his megaphone, "Runners take your mark. On your mark, get set,WAIT"? Yes I said wait. We all want to hear the word Go! But how often do we we get red led lights instead of green? Are you familiar with these words,"Your business is very important to us. However, all of our representatives are busy right now. Please stay on the line until..." My response is "When it snows in the Bahamas or someplace further south than that." If a poll was taken most people probably would not get an award for doing the Waiting Place very well. Impatience is costly. Just ask the person who has run one to many red lights, broken out of prison, spoken out of turn, turned a fist instead of a listening ear, walked away from a relationship before someone came near, fessed up, got right or was never guilty in the first place. Waiting is as difficult for the most seasoned adult as it is an impetuous child on Christmas Eve. The waiting room of a hospital can seem as cruel as the waiting cell in a prison. Waiting for a promise to be kept can feel more frightening than if it had been broken. Why? Because what we do in the waiting place is crucial. Who or what we put our trust in will determine our attitude and our character. Other people will let us down. We will let ourselves down. Outcomes let us down. The Waiting place can be the most beneficial place if we wait well. What does not waiting well look like? We can fight. Just put on those boxing gloves labeled anger and bitterness and start punching. We can use might- manipulate, pay off somebody, undermine another or show off our stuff. We can take a flight from a person, a dream, or from God. Is there another alternative? Yes! Delight yourself in the Lord. Trust the Creator of the universe while He is creating you into a person much stronger, more faithful, more mature than you ever dreamed possible. Dr. Seuss says The Waiting Place is a useless place. For some people that may prove to be true. Let us resolve for it to be our most useful place in life!

After Easter Thoughts

What happened to the disciples after Jesus' death? The disciples experienced what most of us have experienced at some point in our lives- a shattered dream. What they thought would happen with Jesus' life and what would transpire because of it, was altogether different than what was happening at that moment. They had hopes and dreams that were dashed and seemed to die right along with Jesus hanging on the cross. When their dreams, their plans for the future, their hope in a person was crushed, they ran and hid in fear. Don't believe me? Check out John 20:19. It tells us the disciples were behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. A shattered dream caused them to run to a place of safety, lock the door behind them, and shake with fear. Look at the fallacy of what they did. They ran to a place they thought was safe and locked the doors. Where could they have truly gone that the Jews would not have found out? The right answer is nowhere. Then they locked the door. As if!!! Did they not think that the Jews could send a great force and knock the door down? I think they actually created their own prison cell called fear and locked the door. What happens next is great. My imagination sees these grown men with one eye on each other and the other eye fixated on the door. The Word says that Jesus came and stood among them and said,"Peace be with you." He had to tell them to be at peace because they were not.
If you have experienced a shattered dream most likely you can identify with these guys. When my shattered dreams have come (and there have been a few in my life!) fear sent me running to a prison cell that I locked and stood shaking, quaking and exhausting myself in. While Jesus Himself has not personally showed up, His Spirit has in bold print (THE WORD),through friends and pastors, and through His still small voice saying,"Fear not, I am with you" or "Be still and know that I am God." These words have had the power to break down prison doors when I let them.
Jesus did not want the disciples to stay in their self made prison. He had specifically given them things to do before He died. There was much work to be done on earth to expand the kingdom of heaven. So it is with you and I. Cerebral prisons (fearful thoughts) lead to emotional bondage (feelings of fear) which lead to physical standstill (willing yourself to do nothing). Friends, God has greater plans for us than to live locked up in fear.
One of my goals for 2008 is to take risks. To take risks you have to let go of fear and trust God. The lesson that Jesus wanted to teach the disciples that day is the same lesson he wants you and me to learn today. Let's get this lesson right so we can be kingdom builders!