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Plodding Along

So yesterday I mentioned the way those kids where plodding through the corn maze, like they were on some mission.  They were marching down the rows of corn, plodding, always moving forward, but really to what end.  As I trailed that last girl, I wandered to myself, ‘wow, this feels like a microcosm of my life’.

Have you ever felt that way.  Plodding, get up, work, practices, homework, bills, sleep, and tomorrow – do it again!  It’s very easy to get in this march of life.  Down through the corn maze – up on the rat race, plodding, moving, but never really getting anywhere.

2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

3 What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?  Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 (New International Version)

oh yes, depressing, meaningless.  So here he are sojourners, navigating the corn maze, plodding forward, never looking back, but  to what end.   Well, check out Psalm 39.  David says

4 “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

He asks God to make it very clear to him that we are plodding along frail, like a vapor, so that He would place his Hope in  God alone.

7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.

And then he ends the Psalm by crying out and stating the he is just a traveling, traveling with God.

12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.

I personally find some strength there in knowing that this feeling of vanity is normal, and it has a purpose – to send me searching for my Creator.  So I will continuing the plodding, but not aimlessly.  Oh sure, my days will be filled with vanity and worthlessness, as yours will be. However, there is a hope that will bring comfort to my days when I look for him through the maze.

3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
(Psalm 43:3a, New King James Version)

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Corn Ma(i)ze Adventures

Over the weekend I was so blessed to be able to assist in the “chaperoning” of a group of junior and senior high kids to the local corn maze.  This adventure started out as any good chaperoning trip should – an hour long ride on a bus.  Then we had the somewhat expected bus trouble ( blowing out a tire on the interstate), the highs and lows of drama ( Tennessee Won- YES, oh no Tennessee Lost- bummer) and then the fateful assignment from the youth leader.  In the past it might have been the prayer for for food, or monitoring the boys restroom, or keeping one of “those” kids in your group, but tonight it was watch the dating couples.

Oh no, my heart froze, the dating couples in a corn maze, after dark! Luckily I had my trusty 15 inch maglite so I could pretend to be a officer of the law.

After finding the couples after they had already had escaped once on the hide ride, we went into the maze.  A group consisting of 5 junior high boys, the 2 boys and their dates, myself, and 2 other chaperones entered the maze in that order.   Quickly, the smaller boys dispeared into the corn as if they had been wisked away by aliens, only to have to be removed from the maze later in the evening apparently by the “corn cops”.   I knew they were on their own, but I had a mission to stay on.

By this time, we had somehow found the outside loop of this maze, and march in long straight lines, in boy then girl order.  These kids moved at rates of speed that seemed supernatural.  They didn’t communicate with each other.  They just kept plodded forward – heads slightly angled towards the ground, shoulders hunched over. It was so bad that all three of the chaperons expected at any moment the kids to turn around possessed by the corn with eyes wide and manic expressions on their faces.  It had become a little bit frightening. This continued until we reached one of the “check points” in the maze and hollered “hey y’all, lets stop here”  But no,  undeterred, they continued blindly, on their seemingly possessed march through the corn.  In desperation, my partner hollered out the name of one of the boys who then awoke from his state of hypnosis and returned to us.    It was quite an adventure.  After reconnoitering at the post for a few minutes one of the girls returned to us, and eventually we were able to round up the other couple, when they exited the maze via the entrance.  I dunno how.

But here is one thing I know.  That plodding – that determined focus to move forward, undettered by the distractions of life – that’s something to ponder today.  One can look at it from two perspectives and I have been waffling on which one to attack.  The first way could be to say that’s how we should live life – undeterred, focused on the path ahead, eyes on the prize.  The second, well that’s for tomorrow.  So, today, keep trudging through the corn, but know were you are going – heavenwward in Christ Jesus.

13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:13-14 (New International Version)

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A New Heart

I woke up this morning to my favorite Friday song – Sammy Kershaw’s Finally Friday.

It’s good to be right on top of a few days of away from the grind of work, but there’s still one more day at the ol’ mill before we can “let the good times roll”.

But what’s so great about having a day between us and the weekend is we have another day to choose to serve God.  You have another day to so the renewing gifts of the God you serve.

For example check out Ezekiel where he is telling the people of Israel that when they return to him he will restore their hearts.

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.  Ezekiel 36:26-27 (New International Version)

What’s so cool is you can take part in that same gift.  Use today to take advantage of the promise of God.  Draw near to Him, and enjoy the renewing of you mind and spirit.

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Keep Pounding

Last night the pounding continued for me.  It was bad enough that I wrote about my experience with homeless dude and my general lack of concern for my neighbor.  But then last night, the men’s group I have been hanging out with decides that the topic should be about love, and kindness and how we treat the poor.  (geesh, is someone trying to tell me something!!)

But seriously, it is important, even this week Barry O. said that is why he was attracted to Christ:

“It was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead. Being my brother’s and sister’s keeper. Treating others as they would treat me.” – Barack Obama

This whole idea of loving your neighbor is extremely important  One that is probably worth another post.  This morning I stumbled upon this quote

Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. – Mother Teresa

She’s correct, it doesn’t have to be huge, or big, but it needs to be consistent and faithful – which ironically would be extraordinary!!!

Let’s do it up!

9-10So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. (Galatians 6:9, The Message)

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Take Me As You Find Me

This week has been a perplexing week for me.  I have found my mind preoccupied, but not focused.  I have been bugged by the constant battle between being what I want to be and observing what I let myself be.

Last night while on what turned out to be a great run I was listening to Hillsong’s Mighty to Save.  There is one particular lyric that seemed to call to my spirit.

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

Isn’t this were a lot of us find ourselves.  We want to surrender, we want to give our lives to follow what we believe, but yet we sit and look around and see the scars of failures and the waste of fears.  For instance….(start the dream sequence)

Earlier this week, I was driving home and stopped at a traffic light downtown.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone slowly crossing the road.  I was deep in thought and didn’t pay too much attention, until I noticed that standing right in front of my truck was a man, dressed in dirty clothes, standing on crutches staring at me.  Then he reached down and held up a piece of paper that had words written on it in magic marker.  The words said something like “Help me feed my Family”.  I sort of just sat there in disbelief, sort of dumbfounded.  I was thinking things like “what did they just say on Sporttalk(local afternoon radio sports show )?”, “What happens if the light turns green, do I just beep my horn or simply run this dude over?” and finally – “What should I do?”  I was so surprised by the boldness of this guy that I really didn’t know what to do.  There I was stuck at the like, this guy in front on me, staring, his eyes pleading, and I am kind of like ‘Are you looking at me?’  So in sort of a disgusted way, I shook my head.  He looked down disgusted and walked the rest of the way across the street.  What’s interesting is our disgust was the same.  He was disgusted with me; I was disgusted with, well ME.

The rest of the way home I thought about this guy.  I really don’t know what was up.  He could be the number one scam artist in Chattanooga – but probably not.  He was probably just a man in need.  And there I sat with what I think is MY money in MY pocket, driving MY truck going home to MY house to eat MY dinner.  ‘Get out of my way homeless dude, I have MY stuff to do.’  Mine, mine, mine.  But yet, I will sing with all my might,

“Now I surrender”.

Yesterday was evidently National Good Neighbor Day.  And surprisingly this one is actually backed up by a Senate Resolution.  I can’t believe I missed it.  But not to fear, one of your fellow ‘buffeters’ pointed it out to me.   So, I thought back to this guy. And I thought about how easy it has been to make it about me this week.  Not just with dude in the street, but with my boys, with my coworkers, and with my friends.  Interestingly Jesus tells us multiple times that the second greatest commandment in the whole wide world is “Love your neighbor as yourself”. (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:18-20, Matthew 22:38-30, Mark 12:30-32, Luke 10:26-28, Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:13-15, James 2:7-9).  Paul in his Galatian letter said it summed up the ENTIRE law!

Argh…

“all my fears and failures…”

I am so glad that we live in the age of Grace ( can I hear an Amen – or just add it to the comments!)  I am so thankful that I don’t have to earn the love of Christ.  That the love of God is freely given.  That forgiveness is freely given and that it’s really not at all about me.

And that’s what is so perplexing.  I got it for free, but yet I find it so hard to share.  It’s not mine, I am just blessed to live in the light of his glory, and to have it light my way.

Anyway, today’s a new day, filled with new chances, new opportunities and new moments – and he does “take us as he finds us”.  It seems to me that everyday should be Good Neighbor Day.

As some of my coworkers say “Do the Needful”

“Shine Your light and let the whole world see”