Strong Enough

Posted on October 9, 2010 by day1of1

One of the most clever movies in recent years has to be the 1997 film Men in Black.  In an interesting combination of comedy and suspense – the movie tells the story of the secret government agency that monitors alien activity on earth.  As the movie begins Agent K, played by Tommy Lee Jones, decides to recruit Will Smith’s character to serve in the MIB.  After explaining everything to him, Jones leaves Smith for an evening to consider the offer.  As he’s walking away, Smith asks him if doing the job, if making the sacrifices was worth it.  Jones’s answer is simple, but telling…

 
“Oh yeah, it’s worth it.  If you’re strong enough.”

 
Are you strong enough?  For most people those are “fightin’ words,” the kind of thing that will make you puff out your chest, put up your dukes and take on all comers who would dare stand in your way.  What is it about that question that raises such ire?  Is it the challenge, or is it the realization that we may have weaknesses that we are actually working very hard to hide.  We like to be the strong man at the gym.  We want to show the boss that a woman can do anything a man can do.  These shows of strength happen every day on the surface, but imagine if the search for strength takes you deeper into your personality, deeper into your spirit, perhaps you cringe at a more pointed question:

 
You’ve shown your weakness through strength, but are you strong enough to be vulnerable? 

 
This statement seems to be contradictory, or at the least hold a very strange irony.  But the more I consider it, the more truth I see within it.  Don’t believe me?  Consider this…

 
Think about the young child who turns to bullying.  The most common psychological reason for bullying is insecurity.  The child feels that he or she will be shown to be a fake, a phony, someone with faults, flaws, and shortcomings.  Unwilling to let the world see these things, they resort to bullying other children.  By showing their strength, power and toughness, they feel they are overcoming their fears and failures.  Actually, they are merely hiding them, along with themselves, in the bravado of being tough.  As we mature we stop bullying, but the behaviors can continue.  Ever notice how people bury themselves in work, in hobbies, in busyness to avoid coming to grips with their true feelings?  Men are told they are unable to cry, to feel the full emotion of what they’re going through.  Women are inspired by stories in novels and on TV of other strong women who pull themselves up and overcome their hurts through simply burying them behind a façade of strength.  We think that spiritual wounds will heal, just like a physical wound – slap a bandage on it, cover it up, and move on without giving it another thought.

 
Of course, this simply is not true.  Spiritual wounds are more like the leaky window in your house.  Simply pulling the blinds and ignoring the problem will not solve it.  In fact, by waiting the problem only grows larger, does more damage and becomes more difficult and costly to fix.  At the first sign of a leak, we should begin to take steps to fix it in order to limit the short and long term damage.  That’s easy to say when it comes to home improvement, but far more challenging when the improvement project is our own life.  Some problems are big, requiring major renovations that entail a substantial amount of time, effort and cost.  Some problems are long lasting – things that we have lived with for so long that we’ve grown pretty comfortable at managing the problem instead of solving it.  Some problems are painful.  They hurt to the point where our minds and bodies simply block them out, providing us with the safe haven of avoidance.  Some problems are combinations of all three – an emotional “perfect storm.”  It scares us, freezes us in our tracks and prevents us from taking the simple steps of seeking help to deal with and truly overcome the hurts that plague our daily lives.  So out of fear – fear of pain, of guilt, of exposure, of facing past demons, or of letting others see us broken down in our weakness, we hide these things in a shell of strength that belies our hurts but keeps the meddlesome do-gooders away.

 
Thankfully, there is a solution to these problems.  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have been restored to a place where we can call on the Father to lead us to the help we need to overcome.  God leads us to other faith-filled people whose love and compassion for God overflows into their lives, their ministries, and their relationships.  Isaiah 53:5 reminds us that we were healed “by His wounds.”  This healing is not limited to forgiveness of our sins, but it wipes the slate clean.  Lies, reckless decisions, deflated self-value, even anger and apathy toward God Himself can be forgiven and cast away.  We are not slaves to these things.  Our futures are not limited by them.  Our hope is not lost.  But to experience the fullness of what God wants to do in our lives, we must open ourselves up to Him – to be vulnerable so that His strength can be made perfect in our weakness.

 
Put down your guards.  Let go of your defenses and let the power of God provide for you the healing you need.  It is through Him where the light meets the dark and our strength can align with His strength to provide victory, peace, and the future God has promised us.

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Unwavering

Posted on October 7, 2010 by day1of1

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” – Romans 4:20-22

 
Abraham was told that he would become the father of a nation – that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars in the sky.  Of course at the time he was given this promise it probably had the feeling of a cruel joke.  Abraham, 100 year old man married to Sarah, the 90 year old love of his life – not exactly the pair you’d expect to be gracing the cover of any parenting magazines.  But God had made a promise to Abraham – His word spoken over their lives would come true.  But having said that, I’m still curious how Abraham was able to do it.

 
Not the “become the father of many nations” part, although bouncing a healthy baby boy on a 100 year old knee strikes me as a challenge.  I’m wondering how it was that Abraham was able to wait as long as he did and maintain his hope without wavering.  Unwavering faith is a tricky thing.  For Abraham to believe that God would keep this promise isn’t hard.  But to hold on to that belief for years and years, waiting for the kids to come, feeling the disappointment of continued infertility.  Imagine the conversations they must have had over the years; waiting, wondering, but never giving up, never losing the faith that God would be true to His word.

 
I admire Abraham for his strength and patience in the demonstration of his faith.  God’s promises are true, His timing is perfect, and His plan aligns completely with His will for our lives.  But even though we know this, see it, and have even experienced it a time or two in our past, we still seem to find ourselves struggling with placing our faith totally in His hands.  Perhaps we trust Him for certain things, but struggle with the issues that we find most important.  Maybe we have specific qualifications or parameters that we place on God’s promises which make it harder for us to wait.  Or maybe as members of the post-modern era we simply aren’t very patient.

 
But then there’s Abraham – whose unwavering faith would ultimately be credited to him as righteousness.  I wonder how many times people told him he was crazy for waiting for a child, especially considering his advanced age and the years of trying.  I wonder if even Sarah shared this doubt, after all, she did laugh when the angels foretold of the pregnancy.  But we are told Abraham never doubted, not once, not even for a moment.  What amazing faith, and what an amazing result.

 
As we see this, we too have something to learn from Abraham’s faith.  By placing our faith totally in the hands of God, we allow our will to align with His.  The Holy Spirit becomes active within our lives and we are given renewed strength at higher levels than we have ever known before.  This is because we are no longer relying upon our own strength or resolve but upon the strength of God at work in our lives.  Our past mistakes no longer have any bearing.  Our impatience is replaced with resolve.  Our futures are certain.  Our peace is assured.

 
Live each day with the unwavering faith that God’s promises to you will come to fruition in the right time, the right place, and with His desired outcome.

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Nine Months

Posted on October 3, 2010 by day1of1

Nine months is a magical timeframe.  It immediately connects to pregnancy and the new life that develops in that time.  It is amazing what God can do in that time frame.  Sperm and egg join and develop into a life – not merely a baby, or a person, but a life. 

 
That life will have countless impacts upon the world.  That baby born nine months later will be the object of untold love by parents, grandparents and family.  That child will be someone’s best friend while creating and sharing memories with hundreds of people along the way.  They will accomplish remarkable things in school, athletics, music, drama, or some other area of interest.  They will earn trophies, awards, diplomas and salaries.  Ultimately, they will be chosen by another to be loved above all other – joining together in a relationship that will create more children and grandchildren to be loved.  They will accomplish great things, ultimately leaving an indelible mark on the lives of their loved ones before receiving their eternal reward with God in heaven.  It’s a long and amazing journey, but it all starts in just nine months.

 
As life begins within that timeframe, it might be worth our while to assess our lives every nine months – to see how we have grown and changed over that time.  I find myself doing that very thing this morning.  I am sitting in the terminal at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, awaiting my flight home.  Nine months ago, I found myself in the same airport, preparing to make the same transcontinental trip.  Looking back to only January, I am astonished by the amazing twists and turns my life has taken over that time.  I won’t go into detail – that would take too long.  But the man sitting here today is vastly different.  I’ve learned much, grown in many ways, and have experienced the most remarkable highs and lows of my life.

 
Ecclesiastes 3 talks about the times of our lives.  I’m not going to post it here, but I would encourage you to read the chapter as you consider my words.  However, I will sum up my thoughts on it through the words of verse 11…

 
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

 
Life is filled with countless opportunities which can leave us asking God, “Why?”  What I have learned is to change my question to, “What are you teaching me, Lord?”  In this change, I find more joy in the positives, peace for the difficulties, confidence in the process and hope for the future.  The things I’ve gained will stay with me forever.  The things I’ve lost will be restored in God’s perfect timing.  But through it all, God will be glorified and I will be blessed.

 
My plane is boarding – my journeys are about to begin.

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For What it’s Worth

Posted on October 2, 2010 by day1of1

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” – Luke 15:3-10

 
Ever bought anything on eBay?  It’s become a very popular Internet destination for people looking for bargains or for people looking to make money by selling their treasures.  While some may dismiss the site as little more than an electronic garage sale, it does provide many people an effective marketplace to buy and sell their wares.  For me, it provides an effective tool for teaching a simple economic and spiritual fact.

 
In an economic sense, eBay teaches us about the values of objects.  I have a modest baseball card collection with several cards listed at values of several hundred dollars.  This is great news in terms of conversation, but just because a baseball card collector’s guide gives the card a $200 value doesn’t mean that’s what it’s worth.  Now if I put it on eBay and let the world bid on it for a week, the highest bidder will determine the actual value of it.  So the economic truth we learn is this: an item is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.

 
In a spiritual sense, this gives us a clear understanding of the love God has for us.  Think about it: what price did God pay to buy you back from sin?  Could a greater price have been paid than the death of His own dear Son?  We must live everyday in the certain knowledge of our true value as it was established by God Himself.  We are a precious commodity that God desired above anything else in all creation.  

 
This tells us two things that should affect our daily lives.  First: because we were bought at such a great price, we must live our lives caring for ourselves in a way that maintains our value.  Secondly: God models for us the way we ought to respond to those things in our life which we value.  God’s love for us and His desire to reclaim us led him to actively pursue us until we were His.  The parables show us how to pursue a coin or a sheep.  But think about the things in your life that you have lost, those people and things that you worry about – how far would you go to reclaim…

  • The love of your life?
  • A lost child?
  • A dream you’ve longed to pursue?
  • The peace you’ve lost due to financial struggles?
  • The assurance that your loved ones have a faith relationship with Christ?
     

If we truly value these things, we will take them to God in prayer, asking Him to act upon it as well as giving us the strength and wisdom to restore what has been lost. 

 
Is it worth it?

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Much to Risk

Posted on September 29, 2010 by day1of1

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. – Mark 10:13-16

 
Here are a few questions I’d like you to answer…

 
When was the last time you laughed uncontrollably?

When was the last time you cried inconsolably?

When was the last time you learned something you never knew before?

When was the last time you experienced something that you will never forget?

 
As adults living fast-paced, high stress lives, we have to take some time to really think about when each of the things last happened in our lives.  So are you ready for the irony?  My five year old daughter did all of these things today before noon.

 
Many people go through life feeling emotionally detached from the world around them.  For some, this is unintentional and for others it is deliberate.  We lost sight of the joys and sorrows in an attempt to simply maintain the status quo.  We brush aside opportunities to learn, to feel and to grow out of a lack of time, a lack of understanding, or a lack of interest.  No matter what the rationale, we are leaving an awful big portion of our lives unlived.  Why is that?

 
I think many of us (myself included) live lives where our primary goal is the management of risk.  As parents, we err on the side of caution when it comes to the health and well being of our children.  As good stewards of our resources, we carefully budget and diligently plan our investment strategies.  As effective time managers, we schedule our days carefully so that we don’t waste our time or allow any opportunities for activity to pass us by.  We grow and mature and become so skilled at managing risk that we simply forget how to take one. 

 
This is not what we were made to do.  This is not how we were instructed to live.  Think about the lives the apostles led.  Did they manage risk, or did they step boldly in faith?  Think about those people who are most successful in business.  Did they get there because somebody felt they were entitled to the position despite having done nothing to earn it?  God didn’t create us to be reckless. Instead, we were made to be His special creation; designed in love to carry out the awesome plan that He has for your life in boldness and free from fear, shame, guilt, and error.  Risky behaviors in the truest sense of what God desires of us are those things that would immediately set you apart, that would drive you to be out front no matter what’s going on in your life.  These are the things that make us peculiar in the world, and because of this many of us do our best to stifle it – to minimize the things within so that it does not embarrass us in front of others.

 
This is a shame, because in doing so we are missing out on a great deal of what life has to offer us.  For example, my daughter doesn’t care what others might think of her emotional reactions to life around her.  Her joys, sorrows, hurts, and celebrations are hers to savor and hers to share.  Others are welcome to join her but they cannot, nor will they deter her from displaying them – at least for now.  I think this is a big part of what Christ meant when he described the faith of a child.  It’s not only about keeping it simple and being committed and obedient, but it is also about being open to the fullness of what God wants us to feel – unfiltered and unbridled.  This begins today for me as I set out on a path that will lead me to risk much, but my faith is unwavering in the One who not only saved me by His sacrifice, but promises to reward me for my obedience.  May He bless you, bless me, and fill us all joy beyond compare every moment of every day of our lives.

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Practicing Patience

Posted on September 26, 2010 by day1of1

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus – Romans 15:4-5

 
Paul’s words hold a tremendous truth: the word of God is the source of patience and comfort for our lives and upon this foundation we build the hope that will sustain us through the most difficult of times.  Now for those of you whose lives are filled with nothing but peace and joy, you probably don’t need to read any further.  But for the rest of us, we can also learn how to experience maximized peace from Paul’s simple declaration.

 
Have you ever heard someone give you the advice that you should never ask God for patience, because in doing so He’ll bring you plenty of opportunities to develop it?  I must confess that I’ve spoken these words a time or two – usually at times when I was going through a period of stress and was pressing God for deliverance.  Of course, such an idea is totally off base.  For starters, there is nothing we shouldn’t bring before the Lord our God.  If an extra measure of patience is needed, then ask for it.  God is not waiting to zap us for asking, so don’t be fooled into avoiding Him.  In truth, the issues that we experience in practicing patience have little to do with God and a whole lot to do with us.

 
A spiritual mentor of mine shared this thought regarding patience:  “Patience is the thing you tell yourself while you’re waiting.”  You see, for most people, patience is all about passively sitting back and being content while you do nothing.  This approach will inaccurately make patience synonymous with helplessness.  That is why so many people struggle with patience.  Patience is not passive – it is an active work in our lives that we must diligently pursue in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds.  When we do this, we find that patience is not only attainable but ultimately more rewarding.

 
As I meditated on this, I couldn’t help but look at two elements in my life where I have succeeded and struggled with patience.  My success is in my weight loss.  I have managed to lose a tremendous amount of weight over the past few months and I am tremendously proud of this accomplishment.  But over that time there have been several stretches where my weight plateaued.  Despite staying true to my diet and exercise regimen, I wasn’t losing weight.  At those times, Elder Randy was there reminding me (in ways that only he could get away with) that I wasn’t heading back to the couch with a bag of chips to put the weight back on, so I needed to be patient.  In this context, patience meant to keep dieting, to keep exercising, to tweak a part of the regimen, and to continue to confess through my prayer life that the weight was going to come off.  This is what I did and what I continue to do.  It doesn’t make the process quicker, but my spirits are uplifted with the knowledge that God is blessing my diligence and doing amazing things in my life.

 
While I see this clearly in my health, there are other areas of my life where, despite my understanding of this, I still find myself struggling to demonstrate the patience I should.  There are lots of reasons, explanations, or excuses I could give for this inconsistency in my approach.  Finances are obviously important to life.  Raising children is an important and demanding part of any parent’s life.  Career goals play a tremendous role in our decision making today and into the future.  Maintaining healthy relationships with our spouse or significant other are crucial. 

 
For me, these areas are priorities, making it easier to be controlling and harder to be patient.  Both approaches are active, but only one includes God.  When I’m controlling it I say I want it done now, that I can’t wait until it’s over, that I dislike the process, that I’d give anything to get what I’m after.  When I’m being patient I say (and believe) that God is guiding me in this process, that I’m learning the lessons I need along the way to sustain long term success, that I’m receiving exactly what God has desired for me to have and at the right time in my life to enjoy it the most. 

 
By keeping these truths at the forefront of my mind, I learn to appreciate what God is doing in my life in totality.  It also allows me the opportunity to resubmit myself to Him each day in worship and prayer as we keep working toward our ultimate goals inside of my kingdom destiny.  Or as John Waller says in his song, While I’m Waiting…

 
“I will move ahead, bold and confident.  Taking every step in obedience.”

 
The career I’ve desired, the home life I’ve sought, the security I’ve longed for, the woman of my dreams.  I praise God everyday that I’m waiting with the sure knowledge that they’re coming according to His promises.

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The Way of the Lord

Posted on September 24, 2010 by day1of1

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. – Psalm 86:11-13

This psalm is interesting to me because of the way it frames our relationship with God.  It spells out many things that a believer will do to praise God – walking in truth, fearing and glorifying His name, etc…  But when you look at it more closely, you can see that before anything can come from us to Him, there must first be a gift given by Him to us.  “Teach me your way, O LORD, and…”

Before we can do anything in the Kingdom, before we can offer our lives in service and praise, we must first come to know God – who He is, what He has done for us, and how much He loves us.  Thankfully this isn’t a difficult thing to do.  Because God’s love for us is so great, He makes Himself available to us continually.  God has opened Himself up to us so that we might know Him and have Him be a part of our lives.  His involvement opens doors that would prevent us from having the fullest possible measure of peace and blessings in our lives.  God’s desire is fill us with these gifts, and He does so through His word living in our lives.

But what then should we do with this?  Many Christians hear it, receive it, and then simply go about their lives with a passing knowledge of what God is about – kind of like a factoid they picked up on a TV show or website.  But for those people who take this on and live out what God directs each day – they experience amazing, life changing situations that will fill their lives completely with the awesome power of the Spirit of the Lord.

I know this to be true because I have seen it first hand in you – the men and women of faith in my life.  Over time, you have shared with me many things that have happened in your lives.  As we’ve talked about these things, I have found a common theme – God is at the center of every part of your life.  He is the source – the center around which everything you do, say, think, and feel revolves (even if you don’t know it or believe it at the time).  God has taught you His ways and you have done more than simply listen – you’ve embraced it, you’ve applied it, and now you live it fully and completely.  And because of this change in your life, God has kept His word.  The love of God in you is evident.  It’s unmistakable because He has done and continues to do things that are nothing short of miraculous.  In you, He has developed character, strength, wisdom, and fortitude.  He has a plan for you, one that He has begun to set into motion.  And what’s most exciting about this from my vantage point is simply this:  with the collection of gifts and abilities that He has assembled in you, it is obvious that what is coming for you will be nothing short of magnificent.  May every day of your life bring deliberate training for that day when God opens up His floodgates and presents you with that great gift.

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Win Loss Record

Posted on September 22, 2010 by day1of1

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. – 1 John 5:4

Winning and losing.  It’s the difference between the good  and the truly great.  You can put up incredible numbers or possess superhuman ability, but if it doesn’t translate into wins, you will never be given elite status.  To be a champion, you must win a championship.

On the sports field, winners and losers are often recognized with ease, but in the day to day grind of our lives it doesn’t always work that way.  Take the game of baseball for instance. Baseball is a game where numbers aren’t just important, they’re legendary. The greatest players are measured by their numbers: 300 wins for a pitcher, 3,000 hits for a batter, or 500 home runs for a slugger. Achieve these benchmarks and you’re almost guaranteed a spot in the hall of fame as one of the all-time greats. I can spout off dozens of great players whose statistics prove they are truly the best.  But consider how this one statistic and may be a more accurate reflection of real life.

In 1972, Gaylord Perry of the Cleveland Indians recorded one of the oddest worst seasons in baseball history.  He appeared in 41 games and posted an incredible 1.92 Earned Run Average (meaning opponents scored less than 2 runs against him for every 9 innings he pitched all year).  But despite having such a low ERA, Perry still managed to lose 16 games.  So it begs the question, was it a great year or a lousy one?  Was he an asset or a liability?  Is he a winner or loser?

The answer is both.  He was highly successful in limiting the number of runs opponents scored against him, but lacked success because his team lost 16 games he started.  This mirrors life in the way we find ourselves in situations where we have no clear winner or loser, but experience elements of both.  Consider the last argument you had with the person you love most.  I bet you raised some good points.  Probably landed a few zingers and maybe even called him/her a few names to boot.  So at the end of the fight, who won?  You may have spoken your mind, but at what cost?  You may have cleared the air, but did you leave words lingering in that new air which will echo in your memories for a while, if not forever?

Does anyone really win a fight?  Can you claim a victory of any sorts when it comes at the expense of somebody you love?  Battles cause damage, damage must be repaired, and repairs take time, resources, and effort.  So are we really winning when we find short term victory at the expense of a long term defeat?  Hardly.

So how can we avoid this?  How do we break the cycle.  It comes in the changing of our focus from self to Savior.  On our own, we can’t win.  The Bible speaks of this clearly in several places.  Our best efforts, even if they are truly remarkable fall short without help.  Consider Gaylord Perry once again.  He won 24 games and gave his team a chance to win every time he stepped onto the mound.  But success was not up to him alone. He depended upon the actions of his teammates.  Had he thrown a perfect game, his teammates would still need to score at least one run to give him the victory.  He is incapable of winning the game on his own.

In life, we also find ourselves incapable of attaining our full victory through our own actions.  We may be kind, loving, generous, selfless, reverent, and even smell fresh, but unless our sins have been washed away in the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ, we cannot achieve our ultimate victory of eternal life.  God has provided us with a great many gifts, and they will produce amazing kingdom blessings.  But what’s more, we receive abundant blessings even today as we live lives aligned with the perfect and precious will of our Father in Heaven.  This may not eliminate all of the losses, but through the work of the Spirit we can minimize the number of losses we face as well as the impact they have on us.

No matter how the numbers add up, we can be hopeful and victorious in the One who won for us the greatest victory imaginable.

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Parenthesis

Posted on September 20, 2010 by day1of1

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

 
Ryan Bingham, played by George Clooney in the 2009 film Up In The Air is a classic study of the modern business traveler.  He has taken his business drive to levels that most people would consider obsessive.  He has calculated how many minutes rolling luggage saves over a traditional suitcase.  He has become an expert at picking the right airport security lines to eliminate wait time.  His goal is to earn 10 million frequent flier miles.  Here is a business traveler who not only enjoys living out of a suitcase – he thrives on it.  The crisis of the plot for Ryan is not additional travel, but an elimination of it.  He’s not afraid of losing his job by being grounded.  He’s afraid of losing his way of life.  His apartment in Omaha is as plain and regimented as his travel schedule.  Simply put, his happiness is based on his itinerary.  His Blackberry is his Bible and the hospitality industry is his family.

 
With this kind of introduction, you might think that Ryan is cold and calculating in all of his dealings, but as the story develops, we find that he is not void of feeling.  Here is a guy who gets paid by companies to come in and fire people – a seemingly heartless job.  But what we discover is that Bingham has found a way to do his job effectively, efficiently, but in a manner that best protects the dignity of the person who’s life he’s altering.  This strange element of professional compassion is left in his work and kept far, far away from his personal life – where his only passion lies with his airline miles.  That is, until he met Alex Goran.

 
Alex is the female version of Ryan.  They complement each other perfectly.  Work hard and travel harder.  Their common ground is in the desire to achieve elite status in business.  Their mutual understanding of meeting common needs leads to a no strings attached relationship whenever they can cross paths.  This quickly turns into a relationship where they start intentionally looking for rendezvous spots.  Their relationship continues to grow, gaining steam and complication.  Finally after counseling his future brother-in-law to not run away from the altar, Ryan himself decides to go to Alex and pursue the relationship he’s always avoided, always feared.  The door to Ryan’s future opens and inside it we find a mother with children and a husband.  Ryan is hurt and confused.  Alex is surprised and clearly concerned about this unexpected visit.  In the midst of this awkward conversation, the following exchange is given…

 
Ryan Bingham: I thought I was a part of your life.
Alex Goran: I thought we signed up for the same thing… I thought our relationship was perfectly clear. You are an escape. You’re a break from our normal lives. You’re a parenthesis.
Ryan Bingham: I’m a parenthesis?

 
For a guy who fires strangers for a living you wouldn’t think this was the worst thing he’s ever been called, but imagine the thought.  In a sentence, parentheses bracket additional information that is not critical to the text.  You can remove it and nothing is really lost.  I imagine if you were to look at the people in your life, some of them would qualify as parenthesis, but who might those people be?  The woman at the shoe store in the mall.  The guy who puts pizza coupons on your front porch every Tuesday.  That person on Facebook who you went to high school with but never actually had a conversation?  These are parenthesis.  People you care about, people you depend upon and who depend upon you, people you love must not be placed into parentheses.  They may represent different parts of the story, but whether they come with question marks or exclamation points, they must be cared for as the valuable part of the plot of our lives they are.

 
As the author of our story, only God knows what roles every person we encounter will have in our life.  Every good story with have its twists and turns.  Some plotlines are filled with suspense, romance, sorrow, defeat or achievement and over the course of our lives, we will experience them all.  How comforting it is to know that in every story, God has placed His Son into the story as a central character.  In Christ we find our leading man, our best friend, our mentor, our confidant, and our Savior – and incredible character, and certainly not somebody lost as a mere afterthought.

 
I may be a parenthesis in your life – a guy you once knew or will encounter for a short time before my influence wanes over time.  But no matter who you find in center of your story, know that Christ is always there ready to meet your every need.  Trust in Him and your life will never be up in the air.

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Oscar

Posted on September 18, 2010 by day1of1

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”  – John 6:60-69

 
I have a dog.  Her name is Oscar.  Yes, Oscar is a girl with a boy’s name.  We had named her with the understanding that she was a he and by the time we discovered the truth the name had already stuck.  She doesn’t seem to mind and none of the other dogs tease her to her face, so I guess it’s okay.

 
Oscar is our family dog, but in truth, she really belongs to my son.  I’m the disciplinarian, so she sometimes doesn’t like me very much.  My daughter is the doting, hands-on, in your face kind of dog lover that Oscar tolerates to a certain point.  My son is right down the middle.  He adores this dog.  He picks her up gently.  He pets her, takes her outside and plays fetch, makes sure she’s fed and cared for, and shows her love every day he’s here.  And of course, Oscar responds in kind.  Much to my delight and much to daughter’s dismay, Oscar always chooses to be with my son.

 
This is not always the way things used to be.  In fact, the sole reason I even considered getting a dog is because of my son’s great (and well deserved fear of dogs).  It started when he was a about four.  He was quite the dog lover, especially his grandparents’ 8 year old golden retriever.  She was very calm and accommodating to a four year olds play habits, so it worked out well.  However, a neighbor’s 1 year old golden proved far more energetic.  She lifted her front paws up , placing them on he shoulders, scaring him and planting a seed of fear in him about dogs.  That seed sprung into a sequoia a few years ago when a dog simply walked up to him, unprovoked, and bit him.  That incident left him totally fearful of all dogs.  So when I heard that a friend had miniature dachshund puppies and they were looking for a good home for them, I decided to give it a chance.  I talked about it with him, showed him pictures and asked if he’d be okay with it.  The dog was cute, tiny, and looked harmless, so he cautiously agreed.  The rest as they say, is history.

 
I have enjoyed the transformation that has taken place in my son while watching him play with his dog.  This would have never happened two years ago, but even as I write this today, he is sitting in the next room playing with his dog.  God brought Oscar into his life to bring about a transformation – to change his paradigm regarding his feelings about dogs and boost his confidence.  God is good in doing these things for us.  As part of his great plan for the kingdom, He allows people, places, and events to influence us, to enter into our hearts and minds so that we might learn and grow from them.  Some of these things are cute, warm, and fuzzy.  Others can be challenges and trials that force us to come face to face with the demons of our past or the bad habits that God is weeding out of our lives.  Think of the apostles – the twelve men who stayed and continued to follow Christ, ultimately giving their lives to Him and to the ministry of sharing the good news.  Like the others, they heard the word, had taken a little taste of its goodness, maybe even felt a rush of excitement over the possibilities the future would bring.  But they would have also faced the negatives – the difficulty of what Christ was teaching, the changes that these things would bring to their daily lives, their families, and their futures.  Instead of the life plan they had chosen, they would now pursue a future that would be unknown, adventurous, but filled with struggles and uncertainties.  Would they be capable?  Would they regret it?  Were they making the right decision?  Many questions raised, but in a moment and through the power of the Spirit at work in their lives they made the transition.  Fear became confidence.  Old expectations were traded for new blessings.  Adequacy transformed into abundance.

 
What has God given you?  What is He revealing in your heart that you need to learn to advance?  What is He offering you that will fill the rest of your life with blessings beyond those you could imagine today?  Seek His face, and in the quiet that comes find His answer.  And when it has been revealed to you, I pray that He will give you the strength to receive it so that your life may be fully transformed.

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