The Strength I Never Knew I Had

When I was growing up I always thought I would become a surfer, but after my first few attempts, I realized how difficult it was to even stay on the board! So when you are sitting on the beach or watching TV and you see surfers riding the “big wave” it is nothing short of a demonstration of strength, determination and beauty!

I heard about the tragic shark attack with surfer, Bethany Hamilton in 2003. Many of us believed that this talented young woman’s career was at an end – that this tragedy would change the direction of her life in negative ways. I mean seriously, how difficult would it be to lose an arm and continue to compete in an extremely challenging sport? I remember thinking how difficult it would be for Bethany to adapt to her new life. As a young girl, your looks are so important – fitting in is essential and a lot of your self-esteem is based upon who you are from the outside. But as we learned, Bethany overcame all these obstacles and in the process discovered there was a bigger plan for her than she ever could imagine for herself….she became the person that God created her to be!

Sarah Hill is Bethany’s youth pastor in Hawaii – she has always been so close to Bethany before and after the accident. Sarah came to our service and told us not only Bethany’s amazing story but her own as well – which I found equally compelling. Sarah too, has seen tragedy. She had an abusive childhood, suffered a broken neck and back in a surfing accident and struggled in knowing who God was and what role He played in her life. But time and again, Sarah had faith and her life today is full of rich relationships…she continues to impact hundreds of lives with her story.

Why does God let tragedies happen to good people? This is the haunting question I think we all ask from time to time. People who struggle in their faith often wonder how a loving God can do such things and if He isn’t responsible, then how can He sit back and let it happen? Even the strongest of faiths can be rocked by a tragedy. We often think it is “more than we can bear”. We become victims of tragedy and our lives never reach their full potential.

In Bethany and Sarah’s lives, God has used their tragedies as a light to others, to share God with the world, and to make them stronger. He shows them that He NEVER gives us more than we can bear – that God knows our true strength and that He has a plan for us – one greater than we could ever imagine.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 says “For I know the plans I have for you” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen”.

So this means that God hears our prayers – He knows what we need and what we can handle and He guides us through it. It makes sense to me – it has happened in my life. When I think of my most difficult times – I realize that “surviving” it – made me stronger, my faith deeper. I learned more about who I truly am and I became a better person.

What events have devastated you? When have you shown strength you never knew you had? Do you have the faith to KNOW that God has a plan for you that is greater than you could ever imagine for yourself?

We all have a story…for many of us, it is still partially unwritten. We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can always respond in a way that helps us grow and teach others. These amazing stories of strength and faith reassure us that we too can respond to our challenges in a way that will show strength we never thought we had.

Just a few thoughts of a guest blogger “From The Back Row”

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Fear…A Four Letter Word?

I first heard about The King’s Speech when a buddy of mine who attended the Toronto Film festival told me it was the “talk of the event”.  However, when my wife said she wanted to go see the film, even with the feedback from my buddy, I was a bit apprehensive.  I am really not into heavy drama’s about British royalty.  But being the good husband that I am (HA!), I agreed that with enough popcorn and candy, I could make it through!  To say I was more than pleasantly surprised is a huge understatement!  For me, the sign of a great movie is centered on whether it sucks me in to the point that I can literally feel something the main character is feeling.  If you have seen the movie you will DEFINITELY recall the beginning where Prince Albert (who suffers from a serious speech impediment) is at the microphone and attempting to give a speech to a stadium full of people.  WOW did it suck me in…the deadening silence, the expression on his face, the anticipation, THE FEAR!

Fear can be a devastating emotion.  However, psychologists will tell you that “fear” is actually a survival mechanism intended to keep us safe.  Immediately upon sensing fear our brains go into decision mode…we decide whether we “fight” or take “flight”.  Supposedly we used this trigger mechanism a lot back in caveman days when large animals with big teeth roamed the neighborhood!  Today, this mechanism is still very valid when we are confronted with fear.  For me personally, “flight” seems to be my personal decision of choice.  But here is the issue with choosing to take flight when confronted by “fear”.  When you choose to flee, you don’t stretch yourself physically, emotionally or spiritually.  Fear becomes an inhibitor instead of a catalyst for growth and we simply don’t realize our full potential.  The realm of potential lies in the things we “think” we can’t do (the realm of fear) but in reality are possible.  The result is we don’t realize our potential and we miss significant opportunities.

What I thought “The King’s Speech” did a great job conveying was how fear, legitimate fear, can impact the potential for significance.  In Prince Albert’s case, his fear of public speaking was keeping him from positively impacting all of Great Britain.  But as important, the movie conveyed the positive impact a solid support structure (in this case, his wife Elizabeth and his “doctor” Lionel) had in not only helping him identify and realize his “potential” but in addition, “loving him” through fear and leading him to a life of significance.

To me, it makes perfect sense that fear can hold us back.  And it makes sense that surrounding myself with a support structure helps me to both identify my potential and encourages me to persevere through my limitations and on to significance.  I also understand from many of the stories in the Bible that another ingredient in overcoming my fears is trust that God has my back.  Yes, I know this sounds just a bit “churchy”.  But if we study the real life of Jesus, we see it played out time and time again.  Just a quick Biblegatway.com keyword search on “afraid” results in lots of verses where Jesus is encouraging people to “not be afraid” and to move forward.  And we hear it in the words Paul contributes in the New Testament as he encourages other Christ followers to persevere through their fear.

So does this change your perspective on fear?  Does it make you just a little bit anxious about what might be on the other side of fear?  Are there steps you can take to conquer fear and not flee from it?  What do you think when you hear the word “fear”?  Is it “scared”, “failure”, and “pain”?  Or is it words like “challenge”, “growth” and “significance”?

Seeing fear differently “From The Back Row”

And The Oscar Goes To….You?

Each year the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science host the “grand daddy” of all award shows…The Oscars! While I start out on that “special” Sunday night committed to watching the entire show, the truth is I get through about an hour of it and then get a little bored, and change channels. However, in that single hour I always seem to see the awards presented to the Best Supporting Actor and Actress. For some Hollywood types being up for Best Supporting Actor has got to be a bit humbling. While an Oscar is an Oscar regardless of why you win it, I have to believe that a lot of Hollywood actors and actresses would prefer to have the spotlight on them in a leading role. More on this in a minute!

This week we watched a movie called “Conviction”. The story surrounds a sister and brother that grow up in very a tough environment but through the experience create an unshakable bond that stays strong into their adulthood. To make a long story short, the brother, as an adult, is convicted of armed robbery/murder and sentenced to life in prison. The sister (played by Hilary Swank…in the leading role) vows to do everything she can to prove his innocence. To fulfill this vow she decides to become a lawyer and represent him. HOWEVER, to become a lawyer she must first get her GED, then get accepted and go to college, then get accepted and finish law school and finally pass the bar! Talk about commitment…talk about love! While Hilary does a great job in her role and this main story line is incredible, I want to focus some attention on the role in this movie played by Mini Driver…the supporting actress to Hilary Swank. Mini meets Hilary while in law school. The only common bond they share is age…they are the oldest students in school. But Mini pursues this relationship using that seemingly minor bond and ends up being the support structure for Hilary and her quest to save her brother. Throughout the ups and downs of Hilary’s quest, Mini is there. Even when Hilary’s family members and her husband walk away…Mini is there. She cries and laughs with Hilary, encourages her, gives her tough feedback when appropriate, rolls up her sleeves and helps regardless of task, and while many other people judge the situation, Mini’s character never judges. Simply put, she is present and engaged. She shoulders every burden as if her own…

In Galatians Paul calls this type of engagement the fulfillment of Jesus’ Law. Said another way, Paul defines this as Love…the most important commandment according to Jesus. In essence, Paul is telling us that modeling Jesus means we have to carry the burden of others…to be the best supporting actor and actress for those around us…even strangers. So I started thinking about this and a lot of questions surfaced. Am I willing to engage like Paul suggests and like Mini’s character demonstrated? If not, what is holding me back? Have I missed opportunities to engage? Would I have the “staying power” that Mini’s character had given the circumstances? If not…why not? Am I too busy? Not thinking about it? Feel like the other person is not interested in my engagement? Don’t know how? Too hard? I said a lot of questions surfaced!

What I don’t question, however, is that Jesus loves like this and He asks us (well actually commands us) to do the same. I believe He wants us to keep asking ourselves these kinds of questions and I believe He wants us to “try” and “try again” and to “keep trying” to engage. But how do we get started? Maybe a great next step is to set aside one day this week and actively look for opportunities to engage. See how many opportunities present themselves. Look for a common unity, no matter how minor it seems, and think about how you might build on relationally. Basically think about how you can become the Best Supporting Actor or Actress for another person.

A challenge “From The Back Row”

Pass The Popcorn…and The Swiss Army Knife

Have you ever REALLY thought about the happiest moments in your life? Ever REALLY considered WHY these were the best memories? On Sunday we were asked to “close our eyes” and “click our heels three times”…oops that was a different movie. Seriously, we were asked to close our eyes and think about the happiest moments or string of moments in our lives. While these types of exercises can be a bit hokey and uncomfortable to do…I did it! Now my problem with doing an exercise like this is that I want to process it with other people…specifically my family. Doing this in a crowd really didn’t support that action! For whatever reason, I have a hard time remembering the great moments in my life. Not because they don’t exist…lots of them do…but maybe I am not good on the spot, maybe I am one of those guys that live in the moment. Hey, I don’t even remember how the best movies end so to think back and remember moments from years ago is a stretch for me. Okay, so I digress. The point is that at lunch Sunday I was able to talk to my family about what they remembered. What a great discussion! I heard stories that involved our extended family, stories about people who WERE strangers and ARE FRIENDS now. I heard about our times serving in Nicaragua and on the streets of DC. And I heard from my daughters that some of their happiest times were with each other…as sisters (don’t get the wrong idea here about our kids…this SHOCKED both my wife and I because all we see them do is fight!). To net it out, it was all about story and the people in them. No one talked about a happy time “when they were alone”. Story and People. I have to say that I walked away from that lunch…well…happy!

SPOILER ALERT

This week we looked at the movie 127 Hours. If you watch the trailer you will get a gist for the movie/story. Basically, a guy that has disengaged from the people in his life gets his arm trapped by a falling boulder…alone…in a canyon…in the remote desert of Utah. As time runs out on his life, he starts to see the importance of the people in his life. He realizes how happy he really was when he was fully engaged with people and how sad when he thought about the times he had missed (like his sister’s wedding). The movie also showed him dreaming about the people in his life who have yet to come (wife, son etc.). These memories and future possibilities, become some powerful for him that he realizes that he must live – he wants to live – he wants to be with these people – this “thirst” for people give him the courage to actually cut off his arm with a Swiss Army Knife, escape and live. WOW…he cuts off his arm?!?!?! Those are some powerful “happy moments”…but also a powerful sense of loss for the times he missed and may possibly miss in the future.

I have to say I left this movie with a lot of questions. Questions like…Am I disengaged from people? Who? Those I know those I don’t? What is causing me to be disengaged? If I look back over my life, do I have regrets because there are “people things” I should have done that I didn’t? And the big question…are there memories, when I close my eyes, that would cause me to “cut off my arm” to re-live? I have to tell you that some of my answers I loved…but… some of my answers to these questions caused me to cringe. And I am okay with that…I am far (maybe I should bold the word FAR) from it. But what I do know is that God wants us to be engaged with people. We are to be in community with people. To have each other’s back. Jesus summed up the way His world should look with the answer He gave when the Pharisees asked Him about the most important Commandments…Love God, Love Others. What I loved about this movie (or at least the parts I saw) is that it provoked questions and thoughts. It made me think about how Jesus would use this movie as a parable and what lesson He would teach me. What I left the movie with is that maybe it’s time to assess how I, or we, are doing with regards to BOTH commandments, take some risks and move yet another step towards Jesus.

Just a few questions “From the Back Row”

See You Next Christmas!

Easter can be a crazy day for Churches. Expectations are high because, like Christmas, the average population for a given Sunday service can triple. Extended families, people new to church, people that haven’t come to church in a long time and of course the “regulars” all show up. There are hats, lots of colorful dresses and even some suits and ties. It is a proverbial melting pot of people and backgrounds.

Lots of care goes into making sure everything is right in the hopes that people will come back for more the next week. It seems there is something innate in all of us…something that stirs our soul, gets us “spiritual” and we end up in church!
But my question is why is it that some of us only seek God on these special days?

Unfortunately some of us have had bad experiences with the available conduit to God (aka Church). Maybe others have “had” a relationship with God in the past but are upset with Him for some reason and we write Him off. And maybe some of us just have a hard time with the “God thing” because He doesn’t “reveal” Himself like He did to people in the Bible. And for others, quite frankly, maybe they just have a really hard time believing parts of Jesus’ story. I agree that it can be very difficult to grasp the fact that Jesus died and then actually came back from the dead! Note…we are not alone on this last point. Did the disciples really not recognize Jesus days after He left the tomb? Luke 24:13

Despite the reason, maybe the real issue is due to the fact that our society rewards, and we are sometimes obsessed, with instant gratification. Maybe we have a hard time with the fact that it takes time and investment to build lasting relationships…the kind that God craves.

Time and again, Jesus brilliantly told marriage and wedding parables to describe our relationship with Him and His Kingdom. It seems that Jesus is asking us to be “all in”. Like a marriage it takes hard work and a lifetime of investment. And just like a marriage, God as our partner, has specific expectations of us…and like most partners, we will fail. But in a great marriage the relationship is grounded in love and forgiveness and centered on a common set of goals. We forgive each other, celebrate the great times, and cry together when things go awry. One thing for sure…God forgives, loves and leads like no other partner in this world. Consider Easter…isn’t that a great example of perfect love? John 3:16

So as you contemplate coming back next Sunday…maybe it’s time to reset your view of what our relationship with God is supposed to be. From what I can tell, deepening our relationship with God is all about the journey. Maybe it’s time to move towards God…understanding that it takes time to develop a deep relationship with Him. To exercise a little faith…to meet God half way. Maybe it’s time to trust God’s love for us.

See you next Sunday in the “Back Row”?

If I Told You Once I’ve Told You a Thousand Times!

Parents know the frustration of getting your kids to do and remember certain, seemingly easy things. How many times have you found yourself saying…”Pick up your room”? Or, “clear your dishes from the table”. Or, “treat your sister/brother (or for that matter you the parents) with respect”. Or, “take out the trash”. The list is endless! We can sound like a broken record! And your kids response? “I forgot”…ugh! Is the hair going up on the back of your neck just thinking about it? Okay, stay in this frame of mind as you read on…

This week we are in the Book of Luke…specifically Chapter 14: 1-24 and Chapter 15. In actuality, we could be talking about any of the gospels (Matthew, Luke, Mark and John). These are the books that recount Jesus’ life on earth…and they are filled with “how many times do I have to tell you the same thing over and over” moments! For example, in Chapter 14, Jesus finds himself at the house of a Pharisee on the Sabbath (for more on Pharisees click here). I am not sure if Jesus is an invited guest or just shows up…but He is there. Here is a quick summary of the story…

- Jesus shows up or is invited to the dinner
- There is an “unclean” man that is at the dinner as well…most likely brought by Jesus himself. Nothing like bringing an “unclean” guest to someone else’s dinner party…can you imagine? Luke 14:1-2
- In typical Jesus fashion, He starts to mess with the Pharisees by asking if He should heal this man on the Sabbath
- The Pharisees get tongue tied…the man obviously needs help but it is the Sabbath!
- Jesus Heals the guy and then lectures them on something they should already know…that the heart of God is to put others first even if it means going against the “religious standards of the day”! Luke 14:3-6

But it gets better…

- Jesus observes that while there are plenty of seats at the dinner table, there is commotion among the Pharisees as they fight for the best seats…those at the head of the table
- Seeing the seemingly childish actions by the Pharisees, Jesus launches into “story mode”…reminding them AGAIN about the heart of God relative to putting others first especially those considered to be the “least among them”. Luke 14:7-24

And Finally…

- And if this is not enough, Chapter 15 is dedicated in its entirety to three of Jesus’ famous stories or parables…that of the lost coin, the lost sheep and the “Prodigal Son”. All of which tell the same story. Three times…the same message.

Sound familiar? Every day Jesus taught, talked and walked the same message over and over and over. Why was it that the Pharisee’s just couldn’t seem to get it? Was Jesus’ message such a threat to their social and religious standing in society that they refused to hear it (Maybe they were just Jesus’ rebellious kids)!
Regardless of why, Jesus was intent on relating the heart of God. It didn’t matter who the audience was or how many times He had to say it. God utilized Jesus daily to tell the “Good News” about the “Kingdom of God”. So what happens today? How is the “heart of God” supposed to be? Who is supposed to go after those far from God and relate and model the “Kingdom of God”? To be honest…you and me. We are to carry on this legacy of Jesus. So what is holding you back?

Just some thoughts and questions “From the Back Row”

A BIG Fish Story – Part 1

Or is it?

Regardless of your background, I think most people have heard of the Bible story of Jonah and the whale, shark, or whatever kind of really big fish it was that swallowed him whole. It just happens to be one of those stories that seem to get a lot of attention. And maybe it is because it really seems to be a stretch that someone could get swallowed by a fish and live to tell about it…much less be functional while in the belly of this thing (he even wrote a song and sang it while he was fighting off digestive acids, pushing aside the other chewed up fish, etc.). But if we get beyond the “special effects” of this story, there are numerous lessons this story relates about the ways in which we step all over ourselves when interfacing with God and most importantly the Heart of God. You can read the entire story here Jonah (go ahead…it really is a short story!) but to summarize…

• Jonah hears very specific instructions from God…directly (wouldn’t that be nice!)…to go to the Nineveh (more on Nineveh) the main city of his enemy the Syrians and tell them God is really mad and that major consequences are coming! (the residents of this land really were a group of people who did some heinous things Jonah 1:2 )
• Jonah takes off in a boat running in the opposite direction from where God told him to go

So I must pause here to ponder a point. Let me get this straight…Jonah is CERTAIN he heard from God and still chose to run in the opposite direction. On one hand I have to applaud Jonah for taking action! Yes he ran from God…but at least he did something! It can be difficult at best sometimes to know if God is speaking directly to us…and this difficulty can tend to freeze us in place. So we do nothing…we carry on our business…our life…and in many cases ignore what God may in fact be telling us. I am not saying that Jonah was correct in his actions…but then again, waiting to get “all the facts” from God BEFORE we take action may be just as bad as running…in fact it might BE running in the opposite direction. Something to think about…

• God creates a big storm that scares the “stuff” out of the other sailors on the boat.
• The sailors pray to their God and nothing happens. So they tell Jonah to pray to HIS God and ask Him to stop the storm (funny…all of a sudden these sailors, who don’t believe in Jonah’s God, start to realize that maybe Jonah’s God is the God of all creation?) Jonah 1:13-16
• Jonah fessed up to the sailors
• Sailors throw Jonah overboard Jonah 1:14
• Jonah gets swallowed by a big fish…lives to tell about it AND to get back on track and go do what God asked him to do in the first place which is to tell his enemy that God is getting ready to “unleash the fury” (I think that is a quote from a movie!)
• The enemy gets REALLY scared and cleans up their act Jonah 3:6-9
• God spares them
• Jonah cops an attitude with God… Jonah 4:1

WHAT?!?!?! Jonah cops an attitude with God? The same God that had the whale spit him out on the beach giving him yet another opportunity (and probably smelling really bad)? Okay so let’s not armchair quarterback Jonah’s reaction too much! Yes, things didn’t go exactly the way that Jonah thought it would with his arch enemies. Jonah is expecting and spreading the word that God was getting ready to open a “can of…”…well you get the picture. But didn’t God do something even better? It seems like we sometimes get stuck on the wrathful Old Testament God…and like getting stuck on the Big Fish part of the Jonah story, we, like Jonah can lose sight of God’s heart in this story (In Jonah’s case it could have been an issue of pride….God didn’t do what Jonah expected so he gets angry with God Proverbs 13:10, Psalm 10:4 ). We miss that God’s heart is one of mercy …even when we are far from him. Isn’t a major part of this story about how God loves the people who are completely lost? God tells us three times in the Book of Jonah about His heart. Once with Jonah, once with His treatment of the citizen’s of Nineveh AND once with the sailors on the boat. All were lost. And God was there.

God is ready to use us in ways that, on the surface may seem incredible. We are told time and again in the New Testament that WE are the arms and legs of His work. We are the ones to model His heart of mercy and to engage with lost people…just like He did in the book of Jonah. So what is holding you back? Not sure God is really directing you? Pride? Not sure what to say once you engage? Angry at God for something that has happened in the past? Take a look at the story of Jonah again…but this time dig beneath the surface of one of the world’s biggest fish stories!

Just a thought “from the back row”.