Your Story

Each of our lives has a story to tell. How are you telling your story? When the book of your life unfolds will others see victory, godly living, integrity, honor, humility, grace? Will there be chapters filled with anger, resentment, jealousy, selfishness, pride, unkindness? The good news is, though you are NOT always the author of your circumstances, you are the author of your story and you get to decide how it reads.

My father has recently been undergoing a battery of tests and we have been given little hope of recovery from the doctors. At nearly 81, his story may be drawing to a conclusion. My dad and I are as close as a father and daughter can be so the thought of losing him is painful, but I will never lose the story that he has written on my heart. More than his DNA, I carry his legacy of unconditional love, mercy and grace. His life has been my classroom. I have watched him deal with difficult people, difficult situations, and struggles of many kinds with integrity and gentleness. I have watched him love those who society has given up on. I have seen him pour himself into those whose lives have been transformed because of him. Conversely, I have watched him react with compassion when others turn and walk away after he has invested so much in their lives. Never have I witnessed self-pity or pride or a weariness so heavy that he wants to stop giving.

It is a wonderful gift to give your children… a story that is so full of peace, joy and contentment; of servanthood and compassion. It makes me wonder at the story my kids are receiving from me. It causes me to want to encourage you to consider the same and look to God for the transformation that can take place within each of us only after we submit to Him. It is His Spirit within us, whom we receive when we decide to follow God, that will begin to chip away at anything we see that is unsightly and offer to him for remodeling; His Spirit that adds the beauty that will replace the ugliness we surrender to Him; His grace that takes a wretched person and molds us, as much as we will allow, into the person He made us to be.

May I please encourage you to consider your story. Consider the kind of submission to the transforming power of God that allows Him to write it as He designed. Stop being who you can be on your own and be the person you can be if you let him embrace you, lead you, direct you, and make your story one that your kids will someday tell with pride. If you give them nothing else, give them the example of a life lived with Jesus as your closest companion. They will gain much for which to be grateful in a classroom like that.

 “Don't do anything only to get ahead. Don't do it because you are proud.

Instead, be free of pride.

Think of others as better than yourselves.”

Philippians 2:3

Getting Fit

“If you do what you’ve always done, you get what you always got.” If you are struggling, as one who has decided to follow Jesus, to be filled with grace and humility, compassion and kindness, gentleness and patience… join the club! We all struggle, but there is a way to victory. God In US! Think of this analogy…

We have had a wii fit  for 3-4 years. We have enjoyed it from time to time, but mostly it has been unused… until recently when I made a commitment to pull it out and insert the exercise dvd and use it 5 days a week to improve my health and fitness. Every morning I get to choose whether or not I am going to stick with my commitment or sleep that extra half hour. That decision determines how rapidly I will see my goals met.

Liken that to our walk with God. When we decide to become a follower of God, the Spirit of God makes His home within us. As He coaches and directs us, we begin to morph into His likeness, reflecting His goodness… when we follow His lead. It isn’t an automatic thing. Every moment we have a choice to either submit to him shaping us and making us healthy and fit in our inner spirit OR continuing to live and act as we always have. If we say we are following, yet are not a reflection of him, it is like having the best exercise equipment and using it for a clothing rack.

When our commitment to following God is weak, what is the benefit of being a follower of Jesus? If we aren’t willing to walk with Him in the details of our lives, our lives will not change.  The mature believer learns that in order to be transformed by the Spirit of God, we must listen and obey. It is not what we can do to be good. It is what we allow Him to do in and through us that changes us.

It is not easy to let go of the anxiety that drives us to negative behavior, or the anger that seems to be etched into our DNA, or the habits that have been established over the years.  It can be a difficult thing to let go of the reins and allow God to steer us on to a better place. Trust me, these exercises are not easy for me. It is not natural for me to get up and work out. But I know what I want and I know that if I continue to do what I have always done I will continue to be unhealthy, unfit and overweight.

If you are ready to reflect the goodness of God in your life so that even your family can see that it is good to follow Jesus, it’s time to listen and obey that inner voice that wants you to be transformed so you can achieve the purpose for which you were created. He will, if we allow him, change you and others will see the evidence of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in your life.

Want to raise godly kids? Let them see God in YOU!

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly

as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…”

Colossians 3:16

MVP, GPA or GOD?

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Love him with all your strength.

The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts.

Make sure your children learn them.

Talk about them when you are at home.

Talk about them when you walk along the road.

Speak about them when you go to bed.

And speak about them when you get up.”

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

As a parent, which do you think is the most urgent need to impress upon your children: GPA? MVP? or GOD?  Does your response align with your actions? Would others be surprised by your answer?  Often times we feel that something is important, but we don’t demonstrate that with our choices. No one is immune from that! 

There is no question that academics are important. Children must learn new things on a daily basis to build a solid foundation that will insure they are prepared for college and/or life with adult responsibilities.  If their grades in High School are good enough, they may even get a full ride to the college of their choice so they can climb higher than their parents and someday receive their doctorate and a Nobel prize.

In America, sports are a big deal… and getting bigger all the time. Kids learn fitness, values, teamwork and good sportsmanship. There is also that possibility that they will be the one the scouts will see and end up with a college scholarship. Sports keeps them off the streets and busy so they learn to be an effective multi-tasker (and be tired enough they don’t argue about going to bed at night).

As important as those may be, I believe God is infinitely more important in the life of your children. You probably agree. But, if you claim that God is the most important, then what are you doing to prove that to your kids? Do they actually hear you talk about Him? Do they know that He is the Leader you choose to follow? Do they hear you talk to Him? Do you pray with them? Do you say a prayer of thanksgiving before meals? Are your decisions based on what you have learned from being a student of His Word? How important is corporate worship at your house? What can keep you from the Word or from Worship? Homework? Laundry? A game or a meet? Recreation? Friends? Family?

I don’t believe that there is a scorecard in heaven keeping track of the things I listed. I do, however think there is a scorecard on the heart of your kids, metaphorically speaking. They are watching you closely and learning from you… more by what you do than by what you say. If  you want them to love and follow God, then examine where He lines up on your priority list. Not the one you claim, but the one you demonstrate.

As God-followers we are all on a journey to reflect the image of our Creator. That’s hard to do from a distance. Maybe, as we approach the holiday season you need to determine if you have room for Jesus. It is time to take Him seriously. He is GOD. Do you want your kids to know about Him or to know Him?  Satan knows about Him. That’s not good enough for my kids or my grand-kids. I want them to really know… be a friend of… trust… follow the One who made them with a purpose far more important than their GPA or being a MVP. If you feel the same, take a look at the message you are clearly sending them by the decisions you make on a daily basis.

I choose GOD.

LOST!

My friend, while in college was traveling with her church to the Dominican Republic. Her pastor had warned them against all horseplay, as TSA officers would be watching everyone and nobody was above suspicion.  While waiting in line, she recounts this story:

“As we waited in silence, we heard a piercing cry from the back of the line. A muscular man in a black t-shirt and dark jeans began screaming in Spanish and fighting his way through the crowd.  The air became thick.  My heart began to race.

The officers bolted toward the man.  Police placed their hands on their weapons: ready to shoot if necessary.  The man was undeterred. He kept fighting through the crowd, screaming.

All chatter and movement ceased in that terminal, except for the man.  He shoved people aside. His screams became louder.  He kept exclaiming the same few words, like a mantra.

TSA reached him just as he made his way through the metal detectors.  He writhed out of their control.  Gasps came from the line.

And then, the man cried out with a loud groan.  He stooped down, and picked up a two-year-old boy.  "Mi nino! Mi nino!" (Spanish for "my son") the man said over and over.  He held his boy up so we all would understand. His son had escaped from him in the line and this father was merely trying to get his boy back.

We all breathed a sigh of relief.  We got it. Of course this father would be willing to face jail time and even death to get his boy back.

That moment in the airport became a memory burn for me.  Here's why:  This is how our Heavenly Father feels about each of us.  

When we get lost, Jesus leaves everything and comes after us with the fervor of the Hound of Heaven.  He is willing to face humiliation and death so we can be safe in His arms again.”

Satan often waits for us to be “lost” in life, in activities, in distractions from God, in work, in busyness, in relationships… Whatever your “lost” looks like, be assured that he is waiting to pounce and administer the GUILT that will keep us hiding from the One who seeks us with a passion.  I hope that Amy’s story will be a memory burn for you as you allow yourself to be sought after and embraced by the One who loves you most. 

Beyond that, I hope it impacts the way you parent your children. Remember that GUILT is not the best motivator in directing their lives. Teaching them the right choices and walking beside them as they learn brings a better result. It is love that unites us and gives us the power to speak into their lives. Make sure they know that you would give EVERYTHING to make sure they are in the right place, with the Father that was willing to die to be with them.

"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." -- Matthew 18:11