I came home for lunch yesterday to see my grandson fully engaged in the task of eating. Nothing else mattered in that moment for Jack. But he didn't eat alone. His smile drew us in. He held his food up so that we could see what he was eating as if saying, "Do you want to get in on this action? You got to get some of this. It is amazing." Eating isn't just a job for him, it's an adventure!
As I watched him unashamingly devour his food, the words Jesus spoke in John 4 came to mind. When Jesus was asked if he was hungry, he responded by saying, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish he work." Jesus sought out God's will like Jack sought out a slimmy piece of egg - with passion and purpose. Jesus "ate up God's Will" with an openness that invites us all in. Jesus even invites us to get in on the action by "following him".
I immediately thought, "Does my desire to do God's will match the enthusiasm Jack shows in eating eggs and crackers? Would I describe God's will as a generous piece of bananna cream pie, or more like ths spinach most of us try to avoid?
Doing God's Will is a treasure that many of us take for granted. God has a perfect design for the quality of life we all desire. If only we would be willing to devour God's will with unashamed passion. To do so would require us to trust God's ways over our own. As a perfect, loving God who offers a wholeness of life that is impossible to attain on our own, we might want to listen.
Just think about how much of your day is consumed with seeking God's will in your decisions. Resolve to put Christ first in everything you do. If you do, Christ promises us a life of belonging, grace, fulfillment, purpose and much more. Your life will become an invitation to others who will want "some of what you got". Once you've tasted the beauty of God's will in your life, everything else tastes bland. Bon appetit!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Treasures from my Grandson
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Treasurers from a Mutt
We had to bring to the Vet and "put down" our 14 year old dog TBone yesterday. He has been in our family since 1998. We picked him up from the pound when we first moved into our home. Our son Craig was the one doing the picking and he was looking for the dog next in line to the "sleep chamber" (if you know what I mean). TBone was almost two when we got him. He's part something and something else, we still aren't sure.
We never planned on loving a dog like we loved TBone. I was more of a "dog lover" than Lisa, but they were still pets. TBone, however, just won us over. It might have been his calm demeanor, or his loveable face. Maybe it was his habit of crossing one leg over the other when he laid down. There were lots of little things that made TBone special. For me, the big thing I loved about TBone was how much he loved me. He was a dog that just radiated loyalty. When I would walk around in the backyard, he would wait until I passed then walk behind me. When I would sit, he would set his face on my lap and just look up. I can't remember a time when TBone didn't want to come to me when he saw me; even in the last days when he couldn't come. There was never any doubt about his devotion. Maybe dogs are God's way of giving us an earthly example of unconditional love and devotion because understanding the depth of God's love almost seems incomprehensible. Either way, there's a great feeling about having a dog that loves you that much. I'm not sure cat lovers can say the same thing.
Seeing how dedicated TBone is in following me makes me wonder what kind of a follower I am to Christ. Does my life radiate loyalty, love and devotion for Christ? Do I face each day looking forward to spending time with Jesus? Some might think it almost insulting to make the comparison, but for me, it's a compliment. For those who saw TBone and I together, there was no doubt my dog loved me. When it comes to following Jesus, I want there to be no doubt I love Jesus. I would think following Jesus requires as much, if not more.
How about you? What does following Jesus mean to you? Which relationship makes a greater statement about love - your pet's love for you, or your love for Jesus? I pray that it's the later. Look each day for opportunities to show your love to Jesus. Follow Him faithfully. Be like Mary, in the Bible, who sat at Jesus' feet to learn. Pray that God would give you a love for Him that can truly be described by those who meet you as "loving with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."
Thanks for teaching me about unconditional love, TBone.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Lessons from a Toddler
There is a lot we can learn from children if we take the time to watch. My grandson Jack will have his first birthday this month. I was watching him navigate his world the other day when he stopped to play with his green turtle (don't ask).
The highlight of this turtle is that it plays music when you move it. Jack gave it a nudge and it began to play that all-to-familiar tune that sticks in my head at the most unusual moments. As the turtle started to serenade us all, Jack began to rock back and forth to the music (an 11 month old's version of breakdancing). To my knowledge, his parents don't let him stay up for Dancing with the Stars or America's Best Dance Crew. His dancing is a natural response to the music.
How many of us pay attention to what's going on around us and check to see if our actions are just a natural response. When it comes to our faith, people just assume they will grow closer to God, but make no conscious, disciplined effort to do so. But is growing closer to God our natural response in life? The Bible says no. Romans 3:10-11 says, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God." The Heidelberg Catechism (a reformed confession written in the late 1500's) says that we all have the tendency to hate God and our neighbor (Lord's Day 2, Q & A 5). In other words, when the music of life starts playing, our natural tendency is to move away from God and people, not towards them. Our natural tendency is to focus on ourselves first, not others. Our natural tendency is to keep people and God out.
If we truly want to know God more and grow in our faith, then we need to make the effort to do that. God promises to reveal Himself to us, but we are called to be obedient to His will and seek Him with all of our heart. Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Someone asked me the question, "Where is Heartland going?" My response was our mission, which is to make devoted followers of Jesus who Love God more than anything else, care for others more than themselves, and serve the world with passion and purpose. Where we are going is not a natural response to being a Christian. It takes commitment, discipline and devotion. It requires us to reprioritize our life and sometimes go in directions we "naturally" don't want to go. But it's worth it.
I might not have to teach my grandson how to dance, which he will one day be grateful for, but I do need to work with his parents to teach him how to live. We can take great comfort in knowing that even though we won't naturally learn how to love God, we belong to Him and He promises to teach us how to love and how to live. Let your Father in heaven teach you.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
"It may feel like Friday, but Sunday's coming!"
I borrowed the expression from a video clip we used in church last Sunday. It reminds us that Friday might seem hopeless, dark, broken and hurting, but there is a Sunday that's coming. Jesus didn't leave us in Friday; He led us to Sunday!
I don't know how your life plays out, but mine seems to be filled with more than my share of Fridays. We have had some unexpected expenses on our truck that require money we don't have. We've been dealing with the emotional stress of getting the home of Lisa's mom ready to sell. It's hard to let go of 47 years of memories. I struggle with balancing my life, living out my strengths, being a better dad and husband. Somedays, it just seems like Friday.
But every Friday has a Sunday coming. Every season of winter offers the anticipation of spring. We shouldn't forget that the life Jesus offers isn't something we hope to realize in the future, it's a life we can live now. Words like freedom, healing, restoration, contentment, purpose and more all speak to a life that is available to us NOW!
I want to encourage us all to take the Easter message to heart. It's a message of resurrection and liberty. It's a message of wholeness and joy. Let the power of Easter speak to your life today. Remember, it may feel like Friday, but Sunday IS coming!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Sifting Through the Rubbish
Why blog? I've been thinking a lot about why I would want to take on the world of blogging. There is so much information out there, the last thing I need to do is give more information. But that's not why I want to blog.
The apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:7-8 says, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ...". I look at my own life and it makes me wonder how much "rubbish" have I collected over the years, compared to the "treasures" of knowing and experiencing Jesus Christ in my life?
There's a show called "Hoarders" on TV right now that people are intrigued with. It's about people who just can't seem to let go of things and the pile of rubbish they have accumulated is destroying their life. I think Paul was talking to the hoarders of his day, people who were pursuing the things of this world, holding on to them, and then wondering why they just couldn't experience the joy of life that Jesus promised.
My goal in blogging is to sift through the rubbish of this world and find the treasures of life. I want to be a treasure hunter! But like gold miners who panned for gold, you have to sift through a lot of dirt to find the gold nuggets. I invite you to sift through the rubbish with me. I invite you to be a Treasure hunter. Take inventory of your life and ask yourself what you are hoarding. What parts of your life consume you to such a degree that you miss the treasure moments of knowing Christ personally? Jesus said in Matthew 6, "Seek first His [God] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you as well." Maybe we all need to let God be the organizer of our life and help us sift through the rubbish.
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