Desperate Faith

Ever had a situation or a time in your life you just couldn’t explain?  A feeling that there was someone with you, protecting or directing you?  Maybe it was that something had dramatically changed, but you’re not quite sure what had happened.  I think if you look in your life you can find a time where this is applicable.

If you’ve read through some of the pages here you’ve read my story.  I was truly at one of the lowest points in my life and it’s at that point when I needed Him the most, He stepped in and picked me up.  The more I think about that day, the one thing that resonates more than anything is that I had finally stripped away all of my human pride, really all earthly things, so that the only thing left was faith.  Desperate faith.

Desperate faith?  If you think about those 2 words – especially together – they seem to contradict, but if you look a bit deeper, you know exactly what it meant to me in this situation.  I had a reckless need to be removed from the situation I was in or to have the situation change.  Once I had the faith stripped of the earthly games of the mind, a belief , no a knowledge that it was my Father, our Father God was the only One who could do it.

Since that night I’ve found myself in countless situations where I’ve stripped myself and looked to Him as a child looks to their parent – vulnerable, confused and scared.  I’ve not always gotten what I asked for, but I’ve never failed to get what I needed and that includes a heart and mind that has increasingly and more willingly let go of my fears and pride as a man.  I look to Him – to my Father, knowing He’s there form me.  He’ll be there for you; it just may take a little desperate faith.

Pray with me:  Father, I know what I want but You know what I need.   I trust you will be with me, guide me, You will never leave me.  Let my eyes open to see Your way.  Amen.

Standard Operating Procedure

Oh, the joys of commuting. Today’s drive in was interesting! On my travels north, I discovered that there wasn’t one, but two different accidents within a mile of each other.  Along the same stretch of highway, there are a couple of points of entrance. Traffic was backed up more than 3 miles by the time I reached that point in my commute.

The joys of stop and go traffic were only magnified by the truck I’d let over in front of me. It was pulling a boat, and no one wanted give him enough room to get over. What I discovered was that either he’d failed to connect the trailer lights, or the time the lights had spent in the water had affected their functionality. Not only was I dealing with stop and go traffic, but now I had to guess when to go and when to stop.

Thankfully in life we need not guess – we have been given guidelines. John Wesley summed up most of his teachings with this: “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”

Imagine a world in which the S.O.P (standard operating procedure) was as simple as that. “Gracious and loving God, thank You for all that You’ve done for me, even though ‘thank you’ isn’t enough. Give me the courage and grace to put these words into action today. Amen”

Money Talks?

Recently I had a conversation with a friend of mine. During that conversation, he was trying to convince me to work for him. He was going to be out of town on business and needed someone to fill in.

I was quite honored at the thought that he would think of me, that he would consider me to be capable of even trying to cover for him. Unfortunately, I’d already made a commitment to be somewhere else that weekend and shared with him the situation. Jokingly, he said I needed to go where the money was because, “Money talks and everything else walks!” Knowing him, I knew he wasn’t serious. It was just a way to have a laugh and transition from that part of the conversation.

Now it’s not the first time I’d heard that phrase used – heck, I’m sure I’ve personally used it a number of time throughout my life – but for some reason when he said it, a different picture came to mind and while I knew he wasn’t serious, my first response was almost:

Matthew 6: 19-21

“Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them. Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

That applies, but it wasn’t my first thought. My first thought was actually of some of the special times that I’ve had the opportunity to share with my son and with my wife. In the last week, I had a couple of those moments.

I decided to take a day off of work just to hang out with my son. We ran a few errands and went to the gym. This is a new process for us both, and our interactions and conversations were closer to being two adults rather than a dad and his son. While it’s hard to believe how much he’s grown, the idea that he’s becoming a good person, a good man, is very rewarding.

Over the weekend, my wife and I were able to get a couple of days away to refresh and get “back into step” with one another. We spent one afternoon exploring the countryside and were able to see some of God’s most beautiful handiwork.

In both cases, I had a choice – let the money talk and worry about what the world had to offer, or spend a few hours making memories and storing those treasures in my heart. Jesus said that where your treasures are, there too, is your heart.  Well, taking the time with them this weekend, I found some of my treasure and it filled my heart.

Work is necessary, and I get that.  Being a fan of a particular team or  following a sport or TV show isn’t a bad thing, but don’t let the trappings of this world get you so caught up that you forget what really matters. Take some time with your spouse, child, or a close friend and rediscover that treasure He’s given to you. “Loving God, thank You for a small glimpse of Your kingdom through the love You’ve put into my life. Amen”