Soar On Wings Like Eagles

I had just returned from a getaway in the mountains where we could not get internet or cell phone service.  I regret that we did find enough gasoline to return home.  I was actually silently wishing we would run our of gas and have to stay but one can’t have everything.  There is something about getting away to the quiet, strong solitude of the mountains to settle the spirit.  Have you noticed how often Jesus went to the mountains for times of prayer and spiritual refreshment or retreat?  If he needed to get away from the everyday hassle of life to renew his spirit how much of that lesson should we learn from the master teacher?  I share the following pictures and thoughts with you from two of my mountain experiences.

The first is the morning mist of the mountains of North Carolina that greeted me during the week.  I was reminded of Psalm 121:1-3 “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber.”  The hills show the solid strength of God.  The mountain air seems to offer wonderful relaxing sleep.  The worries that often keep us up tossing and turning preventing restful sleep seemed to dissolve as when we lift our eyes to the hills remembering that our help comes from the Lord.  Sleep, rest and peace come when we give our worries to God trusting Him to solve them according to His perfect wisdom and will.  I once read of a old man who said he never lost sleep worrying at night, “cause God promised to be up watchin’ all night anyway, no sense in both of us stayn’ up so I go on to sleep!”

The second picture is from an Elk hunt in the Colorado with some friends many years ago.  The hunt was nothing to write home about anyway, while I love the outdoors and nature I am not much of a hunter.  I never thought there was much sport in sneaking up on animals with overpowering long-range rifles.  The only real hunting or fishing I do happens when I hit the golf ball in the woods or water.  Sorry about that but I could not help myself.  Anyway, as the more serious hunters went up one mountain seeking their wild game while I took my four-wheeler and sought other adventure on another mountain.  I found a Rocky Mountain peak and spent some time with the Lord of the Universe.  While there I looked up (which is a good place to look when conversing with God) and noticed an eagle high above the mountains.  I was fascinated by the heights he had attained.  Here I was several thousand feet above sea level but that majestic eagle was soaring over the snow capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains.  Immediately I thought of a favorite verse from Isaiah 40:31; “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  The Hebrew language of this verse is literally a picture of putting on God’s strength as a garment to gain HIS strength rather than gaining a second wind of your own. 

As I watched the eagle for nearly an hour I noticed the eagle never flapped his wings once, such is the nature of effortless soaring.  His lofty flight was not due to his effort but the powerful upward draft of the winds from the mountain peaks.  There was the word from the Father and the lesson!  For much of my life I have been like a sparrow, busily flapping my arms in my own efforts to soar.  Sparrows do not soar and never get the majestic view from the soaring heights of the eagle.  Jesus describes the life of born again believers in John 3:8 like this, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."    Relying on our abilities, wisdom or strength to lift us will never allow us to reach the heights God intends.  In fact it will keep us grounded more than allowing us to soar.  

My Father continues to remind me to put on his strength daily to find the resources to soar in life.  He also reminds me to stop ‘flapping my wings’ of personal effort and spread my wings to let the ‘wind of the Spirit' take me to heights that I never could imagine!   It was good to getaway and have those reminders again.  I hope they help you soar in the days ahead also!

Unforced Rhythms of Grace

I have been in a hurry most of my life; even when I didn’t need to rush, even when I was not aware that I was in a hurry.  I never learned to crawl as a baby.  I started walking at 6 months.  I never knew how to stroll.  I would try but a brisk walk rapidly evolved.  It has been my unconscious pace for most of my days.  I have been called ‘driven’, whatever that means, even though I always thought of myself as a person who sought to be void of personal ambition according to the teachings of Jesus.  However, my DNA seems to make it hard for me to sit and relax (more on that in a moment).  I tried meditation, which was a joke.  As I began trying to focus on emptying my mind I nearly passed out from trying to decide what the best mantra was.  I have all the initials; OCD, ADDHD, ETC.  My brain is obsessively and hyperactively churning.  It may not always be productive thought but there are usually so many thoughts and opinions bouncing around in my fat head that I am shocked that I have not invented something wonderful to change the world.  Hmm, let me think about that a little longer. 

I also tried golf as an activity to relax.  They say that golf reveals the soul.  I enjoyed the outdoor activity but I found myself growing impatient as playing partners too so long to contemplate hitting the next shot.  When I said, “Guys, I think you can miss them a lot quicker.” it did not make me a popular playing partner.  My wakeup call came when one of my best friends said, “OK, what other fun do you want to hurry up and get finished with today?” I realized that I was rushing through the round to see what score I would get rather than taking time to enjoy the game.  That translated into a revelation that I was rushing through life rather than enjoying the journey. 

As I pondered this condition and his statement I recall memories of my mother never sitting long.  She would always find something to clean, arrange or check on whether it needed it or not.  I once tried to talk to her about slowing down and relaxing to which she tearfully replied, “I don’t know how!”  My golf buddy’s quote reminded me of one Thanksgiving when we were still sitting around the living room trying to digest the feast mother worked so hard to prepare when she asked, “What do you want for supper?” I grew up in Mississippi; we ate breakfast, dinner and supper.  I said, “Mother sit down we are still stuffed from lunch!” She replied, “Well, I want to go ahead and get supper over with!” And there it was, the same behavior my golfing buddy hit me with right between the eyes!  I needed an attitude adjustment or I was going to rush through life and miss the joy of the journey. 

Every action of Jesus had intention and purpose; therefore it is not coincidence that Jesus was born in a time and culture that still goes at a pace that drives Americans crazy.  They say, “You have a watch but I have time!” Jesus speaks to the results of a breakneck philosophy of life that wears us out rather than initiates joy in Matthew 11:28-30.  This was a passage I had memorized early in my life but the reading from the Message opened a new insight as it said; “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

The unforced rhythms of grace seemed to leap off the page at me.  I have been living my life much like my golf game, hurrying to see what score I could achieve, when I needed to enjoy the round and let the score take care of itself.  The unforced rhythms of grace was the central teaching of Jesus letting me (us) know that our faith (a life of keeping company with Him) is the way to live freely and lightly.  The walk with Jesus is not one where we need to ‘achieve to receive’ or earn His joy and love.  Read the passage again, slowly letting each word and teaching soak deeply into your soul and see what He says to you as you slow down, walk with Him, watch then learn as you enjoy the journey:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Look for the Pony

I have always tried to have a philosophy of life that seeks to look for the positive side of any event.  I probably inherited some of that from my parents.  One cannot choose one’s parents but I was blessed to have a mom & dad who grew up in difficult times and learned to make the best of things.  Life can be difficult in this sin-scarred world.  Mankind ushered sin, disease, evil, destruction & decay into this world with our decision to disobey God and try our own ideas.  That is a sermon on original sin that will be for another day.  Today I want to focus on turning things around in a world that can throw us a curve ball or a punch in the gut without any warning, rhyme or reason. 

Years ago I ran across a story that gave me my catch phrase to help me make the most of the moment, no matter what came my way.  The phrase that reminds me to make the best of a difficult situation is, “Look for the pony!”  Now I know there are great Bible verses to give the same result.  I have preached, taught and memorized them for regular use.  However, this one has become a favorite; perhaps because the story that leads to “Look for the pony!” usually brings a smile to my face because it is slightly humorous and a little irreverent.  For that reason I never shared it in a Bible study or sermon.  However, I am not preaching or teaching even though I do think there is sound theology behind the phrase.

The story goes like this; Once upon a time (that is not really how it starts but you have to admit it is a good beginning for stories).  Behavior scientists have always been fascinated with twins as study object for human behavior.  A set of identical twins was selected for a particular study because in spite of being identical twins their behavior and attitude could not be more different.  One was always smiling and having fun.  The other was always sad, cross and grumpy.  The study consisted of taking the twin with the bad attitude and placing him in an environment that should bring joy to any child.  He was placed in a toy store and told he could play with and have any and all the toys he wanted.  The happy twin was placed in a dirty old empty smelly barn in the middle of a pasture.  They would be observed and see how they responded to the environments that differed from their normal personality.

Virtually any child placed in a toy store with permission to play and keep any and all toys they desired would have a field day playing with and enjoying the toys.   However, the twin was observed simply sitting with a dejected look in the midst of toy heaven.  After much time passed with no change or observed desire to move out of the dejected negative attitude and behavior the child was asked, “Why didn’t you try to have fun and play with the toys?”  He gloomily responded, “If I had played with any of the toys they would probably have broken or something would have gone wrong so what’s the point?” The behavior scientists concluded the results of the study on this child showed that environment is not the key in changing a philosophy of life. 

The observation on the happy child placed in the old empty smelly barn in the middle of a pasture was quite different.  This boy detected immediately that much of the smell was from horse manure, a common odor in a barn.  Instead of moving away from the unpleasant element causing the foul smell he progressed toward the manure getting close enough to slip causing his clothes to become stained with manure.  This brought a bigger smile and a more rapid advance toward larger piles.  It seemed the more manure he encountered the wider the smile became.  Finally the experiment was halted as there was concern that he had become emotionally unbalanced.  What normal child finds increasing joy in larger exposure to horse manure?  When asked if about his strange behavior he responded, “With this much manure there has got to be a pony close by.  I am looking for the pony!”

The difference does not depend on the environment but on the way you set your attitude.  Life will have its ups and downs.  The difference is the attitude we choose no matter the circumstance.  So, no matter what you think of the story, as the difficulties of life seem to pile up on you remember to; LOOK FOR THE PONY! 

I Won 63 Games in a Row!

My mother’s sudden unexpected death in 1997 sent me into a time of depression.  She was the hub of our family wheel.  She was the one who brought smiles and laughter to every situation.  The impact and circumstances of her passing on my life and the lives of all our family caused a crisis of faith leading me to question life’s purpose, God’s plan and wondering about the point of doing anything constructive.  I still functioned and went through my paces in life and fulfilled responsibilities and duties but there was an emptiness that led to a time of deep depression. 

After my family would go to bed I had trouble sleeping and would go to the computer and seek to fill the empty time.  I played FreeCell.  For hours I would play this computer card game that is a variation on the old game of solitaire.  I spent so much time that I became quite good.  Leaning toward my OCD nature I began keeping score.  I won 63 games in a row!  This was quite exciting until I looked around and realized I was sitting in a dark room at 4 am all alone.  I had accomplished something that was absolutely worthless.  It had no significance for this life or the next.  In fact, I was embarrassed and reluctant to share my glorious achievement. Why would anyone want to brag about the many hours thrown away on something totally useless?  I only share it now, after all these years to try to make a meaningful point.  

Life is a precious gift.  It is fragile and fleeting.    James 4:14 describes our life on earth as “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”.  My mother only lived 68 years, which seems younger as I approach that age myself, but she lived life fully.  She left us with a legacy of laughter, love and joy for life and I realized how much I was wasting that legacy while honing my skill as a FreeCell player. 

The first real sermon I preached in a church used the text from John 10:10 where Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  Sitting alone in a dark room staring at computer screen until the wee hours of the morning does not constitute an abundant life.  This was my wake-up call.  I want my days on this planet to be meaningful.   I don’t need to waste time perusing or worrying about things that have no eternal significance.  I am 63 years old.  My grandmother had 98 years of life while my mother had 68.  I do not know that I have tomorrow but I have today!  I have right now!

What can I do today, this moment that will have real and lasting meaning?  How can I make the most of this moment?  My father had a plaque on his desk that said, ‘For every moment you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness’.  It was his reminder that it was important to do all one can to fill each moment with happiness.  Let the angry, disappointing, discouraging moments go as quickly as possible and focus on happiness.  Forgive and forget as soon as you can.  Jesus tells to go to the person who has something against us as quickly as possible to make things right (Matthew 5:23-24).  True worship (communion with God) cannot occur when we are at odds with our fellowman. 

Life is too short to waste on things that do not have real or eternal value.  

Come to think of it the only thing in this life that has real or eternal value is relationships.  Your relationship with Jesus allows you to have eternal life.  Those who have a relationship with Him have the promise of eternal relationships as we are united in Heaven after we leave this life.  So stop spending (wasting) time being consumed with something that will not last.  Invest your time, thoughts and energy building growing loving relationships that will last forever.  

What's the Difference?

This morning began like most mornings.  Before getting out of bed I expressed thanks to my Lord for the day.  I do not know what will happen but the fact that I woke up is a gift and it means the day has something which God has for me.  So, I prayed, "Thy will be done".  That is how Jesus taught me to pray in Matthew 6:10.  Then I had my morning exercise.  If I wake up face down I do a push up to get out of bed.  If I wake up on my back I do a sit up to get out of bed.  Now that the morning exercise routine is complete we will see what the day holds and what God's plan for the day may be.

My car would not crank.  OK, God, how does this fit into your will for my life today?  When things don't go as planned God seems to have a cute way of reminding me of another verse.  I Thessalonians 5:18 tells me to, "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus".  Well, I am thankful my truck cranked and I have jumper cables to crank my car.  I am thankful I have time and money to get a new battery this morning.  Living a life of thanksgiving in all circumstances following God's will is really the best way to live (remember this sentence).  Just keep reading for the "rest of the story".

The young man (it seems that most of them are young to me now...go figure) who was replacing my battery and I began chatting.  When he asked, "What do you do?", the conversation became more serious and God's direction for me this day started to become more clear.  This young man needed some spiritual guidance in his life so my dead battery led to a divine appointment. 

"How do you know the difference between love and lust?"  Although he was not yet thirty years old, poor relationship decisions had led disastrous results.   He wanted a family and lifetime companion that would bring happiness, joy and meaning to his live.  I told him how my wife and I had experienced this for the 34 years of our marriage, and expected it to carry us for the remainder of our days.  He was seeking what most are seeking.  So, here lies the lesson. 

The New Testament was written in Greek.  Our English language has one word to express the many feelings and emotions we call  love.  "I love ice cream, sunny days, the Bulldogs (insert your favorite sports team, I graduated from Miss. State), sleeping late and I love my wife."  Hopefully, one has different levels of feeling and emotion over those and other items we claim to love.  The Greek language has several words expressing those feelings and emotions.  The Bible focuses on three to teach us how we should love one another and how God loves us. 

EROS is the word that describes the physical attraction that garners powerful feelings.  We get our word 'erotic' from Eros.  Physical attraction is usually the way we begin romantic relationships.  "Wow, she/he looks great!"  "I want to spend time with him/her."  These are the common thoughts that lead couples however, relationships solely on Eros stumble when the attraction fades or another attraction develops.

The second Greek word used in the Bible is PHILIA which is best understood as brotherly love.  The city of Philadelphia is known as the 'City of Brotherly Love'.  Philia love is the deep love of best friends who just love hanging out and being together. 

Finally, there is AGAPE.  This is the love God has for us.  Agape is not a feeling or emotion that is conditional upon looks, behavior or comes and goes.  Agape is a decision of the will to be committed no matter what!  I told the young man that years ago I told my wife, "If anyone quits on this deal it won't be me!"  That may not have seemed romantic to her at the time but that type of commitment is the foundation of lasting love. 

The secret is to combine all three.  When you have someone who is attractive to you and is your best friend to whom you have made a decision and commitment to love for the rest of your days, then you will know the difference between 'love and lust'.  Then you will know the joy of God's plan for your marriage and life.  Then you will also know His love for you.  He responded saying, "Wow that makes sense and puts it all together." 

My car cranked up with the new battery.  He seemed to have a clearer pathway for his future.  OK, Lord what's next?  Living a life of thanksgiving in all circumstances following God's will is really the best way to live!

What I Would Tell Me

I recently was part of a mission team comprised of 15 pastors from 4 different states ranging in age from late 20’s to early 60’s.  I was the one at the end of the early 60’s curve.  I share that to make a point later.  We served churches that differed in denomination, worship style and size.  So we were not only exposed to the different culture of the country we visited, we had a chance to get acquainted with different cultures within our own mix of various generations, worship and church experiences.   I found it interesting how I, as the oldest in the group, loved being ‘unplugged’ for much of the journey.  I still  view the internet and social media primarily as an interruption in my life and hope it is a fad that will pass in time. 

I enjoyed watching some of those ‘whipper-snappers’ desperately seeking any and every opportunity to gain a Wi-Fi signal.  One of the young guys, who constantly seemed to have phone in hand seeking social media connection, kept calling the team leader and lead translator by the wrong names.  It is funny how younger folks often don’t connect well in conversation forgetting names of those sitting across the table, because they have been so distracted by social media and how us older guys who avoid social media in favor of personal converse with those across the table still get the names wrong because we just are too old to remember.  I guess some of these things just balance themselves in the natural order of life. 

One of the young guys did ask what I thought was an interesting question; “If you, at your current age, could go back to give advice to yourself at age 35 what would you say?”  Wow, that got me thinking of all the things I have experienced and learned since I was thirty-five.  Would I have some great advice for that guy?  Then I was reminded of a poster I have in my office concerning advice; “Wise men don’t need it! Fools won’t heed it!”  I began to realize that my 35 year old self would probably tell this 61 year old me, in a respectful manner (because we both had mothers who taught us manners); “Thanks for your advice but that was your generation’s point of view.  We are going to be different!” 

Sadly, many our early thirties think that way.  However, as we get to our early sixties many of us realize that Solomon was right when he wisely wrote, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” While we may have new gadgets and toys than the previous generation we still essentially repeat many of the same mistakes.  We still seem to be people who learn slowly and often by our own mistakes…if we learn.  

So what would I say to my 35 year old self?  I would not bore him with my experiences or advice.  I would point him to another whose advice, as a man in his early thirties, still carry life-changing meaning and eternal truth.  I would tell him to listen more closely and follow the advice of Jesus more completely.  In word and deed Jesus advised us to do as he did by living each day doing what God placed him on this planet to do.  This is the way to a fulfilled life with no regrets.  In fact he told us that his coming was to give us a full and abundant life (John 10:10).  He counsels us to place our desires, feelings and personal agenda aside to be a servant.  He directs us to walk away from a lifestyle of submission to selfish appetites, destructive thoughts and action to a life of purity, harmony and love with God and fellowman. 

By age 35 I had already read the entire Bible and would recommend continual study and reading. But, I would tell my 35 year old self to pay closer attention and follow the teachings and lifestyle of that man also in his early thirties.  All the necessary teachings and actions of Jesus can be found in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  One can easily learn and follow those teachings by daily reading, meditating and applying what is revealed and learned every day.  Even my 35 year old self, who struggled with math, could calculate that there are 89 total chapters in those four books so reading only three chapters a day would allow one to read all four gospels in a month.  The slow reading pace of my 35 year old self could read 3 chapters in less than 30 minutes.  Missing 30 minutes of a TV show will never rival what you gain by reading and internalizing the teachings of Jesus for half an hour a day.  After all, I would say to my 35 year old self, those same Andy Griffith shows will still be running when you are my age! 

I would also tell my 35 year old self that his memory will not be as sharp as he gets older so it would be a good practice to read and re-read these truths so they become ingrained as a lifestyle.  A regular practice of this pattern of reading would allow one to read them 12 times in a year.  By the time he is my age he will have read the gospels over 300 times.  Wow, how that could change a life! 

Well, we may not be able to go back and give ourselves good advice or counsel but it is not too late to follow the counsel of the one who still gives us eternal guidance.  Let’s see what he has to say for today; hmmm, Matthew chapters one through three says…

So God Made a Pastor

Recently a Super Bowl commercial received rave reviews showing wonderful pictures while to a recording of Paul Harvey reciting a poem honoring farmers.  I was very moved by the poem and the reading by Paul Harvey.  My grandfather was a farmer.  I will always have special memories of my time as a child helping with the chores (as least he let me think I was helping).  That work ethic still guides me today as a minister.  The poem stayed with me and I penned the following as a way to honor my peers who work long and hard following God’s call as a pastor.  So with apologies to Mr. Harvey;

And Jesus founded his church on the recognition and confession of him as the Messiah and savior of all who place faith in him.  He sacrificed himself on the cross taking on man’s rightful punishment for sin.  He rose from the grave conquering death, sin and the grave and ascended to Heaven interceding on our behalf to this day.  Looking from Heaven he saw the struggles of his church and said, "I need a caretaker!” So, God made a pastor!

God said I need somebody to get up before dawn and pray for my church and work all day studying, preparing sermons and stay late visiting people in their homes, hospitals and community, eat supper and then go to meetings and other visits whenever needed to give guidance and comfort. So, God made a pastor!

God said I need somebody with strength. Strong enough to let people lean on him when their lives are falling apart, yet gentle enough to hold and bless a newborn baby and celebrate life with first time parents. Somebody sturdy enough to boldly speak up when sitting quietly may be more popular, able to face cantankerous troublemakers with steadfastness and then forgive their misdeeds, gossip or slander, able to skip a meal and wear a worn out suit and give his food to a needy person or clothe a poor person and tell them he’s ok and glad to do it because they need it more than him...and mean it. So, God made a pastor!

God said "I need somebody that can answer questions that confound the wise, give hope to those who seem to have lost everything, bring peace to unimaginable conflict, restore faith in those who have given up. And...who, at Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and other special holiday times and seasons, will finish his forty hour week by Wednesday noon. Then, worn out from mental, physical and emotional fatigue, put in another seventy two hours. So, God made a pastor!

God had to have somebody willing to cancel his own day off or personal respite when there was a death, sickness or spiritual need yet stop everything to make certain he did not neglect his family when others called on him so regularly. So, God made a pastor!

God said, "I need someone old enough to have experience and maturity, wise as Solomon and yet young enough to have energy to play softball with the teenagers and chase with the children and jump rope with the girls...and who will stop everything for an hour to help a widow change her tire. So, God made a pastor!

It had to be somebody who'd do the right thing...even when no one was watching. Somebody to study late, study early, pray long and hard...and do without so others could have more. Somebody to look after those who were alone and then finish a hard days work with one more visit. Somebody who'd keep his family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing God’s grace, patience and love, who'd laugh and then sigh and hang in there when most would want to give up...and then respond with smiling eyes, when his Heavenly Father says “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share my happiness!'". So, God made a pastor!