I just wanted to share a quick story that my good friend, Jody Burgin, wrote in one of his devotions. This story is awesome and very inspirational. Please read it and enjoy.
For twenty years, the great French artist Renoir was in great pain and misery. Rheumatism had wracked his body and crippled his fingers. Sometimes, as he held his brush between his thumb and forefinger and slowly and painfully applied his paints to the canvas, great beads of perspiration broke out on his forehead. His suffering often was so great that he cried out in pain as he painted. He could not stand up to paint, so he was placed in a chair that was raised up and down to give him access to the upper and lower parts of his canvas. Sometimes a doctor gave him sedatives, but the suffering was hardly touched.
Yet Renoir was diligent, painting in pain great masterpieces of beauty and enchantment. One day his disciple Matisse pleaded with him, "Master, why do you do more? Why torture yourself?"
Gazing at one of his favorite canvasses, Renoir replied, "The pain passes, but the beauty remains."
What a wonderful motto this is for breakthrough living. We have gone through great pain and suffering, but it has passed; it is over and gone. Diligence compels us to accept each task as a special assignment from the Lord and use all my energies to do it quickly and skillfully. The result of our effort, the beauty, the victory, remains.
So much of what we have yet to do will be painful, but the results will last. Our pain can energize us and stimulate us to diligently move on and move away from our suffering. Whatever it does, our pain indicates that we are alive and sensitive, not numb and senseless - or dead.
O Christ, keep me painting, doing, working, living in spite of the pain I suffer. Amen.
That last line says it all: Whatever it does, our pain indicates that we are alive and sensitive, not numb and senseless - or dead. Anybody who knows me at all, knows that I have always said, "I like pain because it reminds me that I am alive!" If you are experiencing pain in any aspect of your life, I challenge you to lift it up to God and examine how much you feel alive when He begins to deliver you from it.
Peace!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Drought
Have you ever felt like your life is in a drought or you are lost in the wilderness without God? That is what I have been experiencing for quite some time now. I was reading my daily passages on Biblegateway.com a couple of weeks ago when a book advertisement popped up on one of the side bars of the web site. "The Land Between", by Jeff Manion is a book about all of life's unwanted transitions, (unemployment, foreclosure, illness, family crisis, etc.), and how to apply God's teaching to deal with them.
In the book of Exodus, God leads Moses and the Israelites into the desert to escape from Egypt. God promised Moses a land of their own, "filled with milk and honey". But in order to get there, they would have to endure the desert. The desert is the middle space, the land between two desirable places. Behind them was Egypt, a land filled with bountiful meals and riches, but in order to receive it you had to live under the Pharaoh as a slave. The land ahead was the promised land, the land full of milk and honey, the land that God promised to Moses and the Israelites.
Jeff Manion uses the book of Exodus as an example that compares to our droughts. In life, there will always be trials and crisis. We never know when it will happen, but it does and most times we will not be prepared for it. No one is exempt from crisis. The question is, "How will we deal with it when it hits"? The Israelites chose to whine and complain against God. This left Moses in a very uncomfortable position. Not only was he stuck in the desert, but he had to put up with the whiny Israelites as well.
In my desert place, I have been trying to trust and rely on God. I have never prayed as much as I do now until I got caught in this drought. I have even been whiny at times, questioning God's Word and His promise to me. I don't think God likes it when we whine and I'm willing to bet that He ignores us at those times, just like when we ignore our children when they are whining about something. On the other hand, I am willing to bet that when we pray in honesty to Him, He listens to us and wants to help us, even if His help comes in a form that we aren't expecting.
The chapter of this book that hit me the hardest was chapter ten, "The Disciplinarian". Jeff uses this chapter to explain how God had to discipline the Israelites before He could allow them to enter the promised land. In the ongoing complaints that the Israelites were delivering, they began to demand things as well. They were sick of eating manna and they wanted meat. Moses warns them that the promise of meat will be delivered, not just for a day though but for a whole month. "They would have meat until it comes out of their nostrils", is the way it is written in Numbers 11:20. I sometimes wonder if I could eat meat until it fell from my nose. I'm guessing if it did, I probably wouldn't want it any more. The discipline comes in the form of a plague. There was so much meat that most of it went bad. The Israelites were unaware of this and continued to eat the spoiled meat. This eventually led to a lot of upset tummies and even death among their people. Seems kind of harsh that God would supply them with spoiled meat to teach them a lesson for complaining and for being demanding. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't there supposed to be consequences when discipline is being administered? Here is the paragraph that hit me the hardest from this chapter:
Sometimes God will give us what we demand and let us take the consequences. This is not because He hates us or has given up on us. As harsh as those consequences may be, they are still under the control of a God who loves us and a God who sees. He sees the big picture. He sees what's coming. He knows the events and challenges for which we need to be prepared. In Hebrews, we read, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (12:11).
My personal example of this is the house that we live in. The house that we said that God opened the door for us to because He wanted to bless us with it. The house that I thought I HAD to have. The house that I thought everybody would admire me for. The house that has been on the market now for a year and a half. The same house that has become my own personal prison. Even now, I am whining and complaining about it. But I have been receiving and continue gratefully to receive my discipline. I believe that I have experienced the most spiritual growth of my life in this past year and a half. I have grown closer to God and continue to rely on Him to keep His word and deliver us from this financial burden. He hears my cries and gives me hope. I pray honestly to Him everyday, and several times throughout the day, and ask Him for His provision. I know God wants the best for me, as He does for all of us, but I cannot receive what He has for me until I totally surrender to Him.
This season of drought will be over soon, only to yield to a new season of trials and tests, but I am remaining patient and my excitement grows every day to see what He has in store for me.
So, what does your desert place look like? Will you allow God to work in it? Will you give thanks for the good and the bad? Just some things to think about while you wander around in the land between.
Peace!
In the book of Exodus, God leads Moses and the Israelites into the desert to escape from Egypt. God promised Moses a land of their own, "filled with milk and honey". But in order to get there, they would have to endure the desert. The desert is the middle space, the land between two desirable places. Behind them was Egypt, a land filled with bountiful meals and riches, but in order to receive it you had to live under the Pharaoh as a slave. The land ahead was the promised land, the land full of milk and honey, the land that God promised to Moses and the Israelites.Jeff Manion uses the book of Exodus as an example that compares to our droughts. In life, there will always be trials and crisis. We never know when it will happen, but it does and most times we will not be prepared for it. No one is exempt from crisis. The question is, "How will we deal with it when it hits"? The Israelites chose to whine and complain against God. This left Moses in a very uncomfortable position. Not only was he stuck in the desert, but he had to put up with the whiny Israelites as well.
In my desert place, I have been trying to trust and rely on God. I have never prayed as much as I do now until I got caught in this drought. I have even been whiny at times, questioning God's Word and His promise to me. I don't think God likes it when we whine and I'm willing to bet that He ignores us at those times, just like when we ignore our children when they are whining about something. On the other hand, I am willing to bet that when we pray in honesty to Him, He listens to us and wants to help us, even if His help comes in a form that we aren't expecting.
The chapter of this book that hit me the hardest was chapter ten, "The Disciplinarian". Jeff uses this chapter to explain how God had to discipline the Israelites before He could allow them to enter the promised land. In the ongoing complaints that the Israelites were delivering, they began to demand things as well. They were sick of eating manna and they wanted meat. Moses warns them that the promise of meat will be delivered, not just for a day though but for a whole month. "They would have meat until it comes out of their nostrils", is the way it is written in Numbers 11:20. I sometimes wonder if I could eat meat until it fell from my nose. I'm guessing if it did, I probably wouldn't want it any more. The discipline comes in the form of a plague. There was so much meat that most of it went bad. The Israelites were unaware of this and continued to eat the spoiled meat. This eventually led to a lot of upset tummies and even death among their people. Seems kind of harsh that God would supply them with spoiled meat to teach them a lesson for complaining and for being demanding. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't there supposed to be consequences when discipline is being administered? Here is the paragraph that hit me the hardest from this chapter:
Sometimes God will give us what we demand and let us take the consequences. This is not because He hates us or has given up on us. As harsh as those consequences may be, they are still under the control of a God who loves us and a God who sees. He sees the big picture. He sees what's coming. He knows the events and challenges for which we need to be prepared. In Hebrews, we read, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (12:11).
My personal example of this is the house that we live in. The house that we said that God opened the door for us to because He wanted to bless us with it. The house that I thought I HAD to have. The house that I thought everybody would admire me for. The house that has been on the market now for a year and a half. The same house that has become my own personal prison. Even now, I am whining and complaining about it. But I have been receiving and continue gratefully to receive my discipline. I believe that I have experienced the most spiritual growth of my life in this past year and a half. I have grown closer to God and continue to rely on Him to keep His word and deliver us from this financial burden. He hears my cries and gives me hope. I pray honestly to Him everyday, and several times throughout the day, and ask Him for His provision. I know God wants the best for me, as He does for all of us, but I cannot receive what He has for me until I totally surrender to Him.
This season of drought will be over soon, only to yield to a new season of trials and tests, but I am remaining patient and my excitement grows every day to see what He has in store for me.
So, what does your desert place look like? Will you allow God to work in it? Will you give thanks for the good and the bad? Just some things to think about while you wander around in the land between.
Peace!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Hard Lessons
Story:
Dante is a tenth-grade football player full of potential. After football practice one afternoon, his coach asked to see him in his office. Dante was leading his team in total yards and touchdowns. Partway through the season, the coaching staff even began considering moving him up to the varsity team. Rarely had they seen such promise in a maturing young player. Football came so naturally to Dante that he was a dominant force without even working at it. And that was the problem - the reason he was in the coach's office. He just wasn't working at it.
Discipline issues with Dante were becoming an increasing concern. He was constantly showing up late to practice with no reason. He misbehaved during practice and even mocked the coach. He figured that he was so good that he didn't have a need to be coached.
When Dante made it to the coach's office, it was to his surprise to see the varsity football coach also present for the meeting. His coach asked him to have a seat and proceeded by reminding Dante how much talent and potential that he has. Then he said, "But your unwillingness to receive correction, your tardiness and your misbehavior is poisoning this team." The coach then made the decision to bench Dante for the remainder of the season, even if this meant no chance of making it to the playoffs.
Then it was the varsity coach's turn. He concurred with everything that Dante's coach had mentioned. He too, made Dante aware of his talent and potential, but informed him that there would no place for him on the varsity team unless his attitude changed. Disrespect would not be tolerated, no exceptions.
Dante thought the coaches were trying to destroy his image and more important, his football career. But as the season rolled on, Dante realized that the coach was actually disciplining him in order to rescue him, not only for his current position but for his future as a football player as well. That is what good discipline does. It has to inflict pain sometimes in order to save or rescue something. Maybe God has to discipline us in ways that may seem harsh in an attempt to rescue us.
I read a story similar to this recently and was thinking about my son's soccer practice last night and I thought I would compare his situation to the story. Dominick didn't feel like going to practice last night for a number of reasons. He had a headache, it was too hot and I'm quite certain that he thinks that he is too good for practice sometimes. After a grueling hour and a half in 98 degree heat, Dominick immediately began to complain about how hard it was because of the heat and about how much he doesn't think that he needs to be at the optional practice on Thursday evenings. I'm not trying to call him out or ridicule him, he is my son and I love him. But it drives me completely up the wall to hear him talk about his life dream of skipping college, becoming a pro soccer player and moving to Barcelona to play soccer for his dream team. I am constantly trying to reassure him that there isn't one guy on that team (or any professional team for that matter) that hasn't paid their dues. I often use the example of Michael Jordan and how he would show up on a court that was filled with guys much older and better than him and played hoops with them - no matter what.
Dominick is an exceptional soccer player. He has played it since he was 5 years old. He lives, eats and breathes soccer. I love watching him each season and I have noticed how much of a leader he is on the field. That leadership will prepare him for a lot of things in life. I am very reserved on the sidelines compared to a lot of other fanatic parents. I watch and when the game is over, I tell him what I think he needs to improve on. Sometimes he takes that info as an insult and sometimes he accepts it as good advice, I guess it just depends on if his team has won or lost and what kind of mood he is in. He is well aware of his gift and we constantly try to keep it respectable, but even he needs discipline sometimes to keep his perspective on things.
I am thankful that God has provided me the opportunity to father someone and discipline them as well. I know that He is constantly disciplining me in my life and that there will always be areas in my life where I need it most. It may seem harsh sometimes, but I believe that it is in those difficult moments where the most growth and maturity will occur.
Peace!
Dante is a tenth-grade football player full of potential. After football practice one afternoon, his coach asked to see him in his office. Dante was leading his team in total yards and touchdowns. Partway through the season, the coaching staff even began considering moving him up to the varsity team. Rarely had they seen such promise in a maturing young player. Football came so naturally to Dante that he was a dominant force without even working at it. And that was the problem - the reason he was in the coach's office. He just wasn't working at it.
Discipline issues with Dante were becoming an increasing concern. He was constantly showing up late to practice with no reason. He misbehaved during practice and even mocked the coach. He figured that he was so good that he didn't have a need to be coached.
When Dante made it to the coach's office, it was to his surprise to see the varsity football coach also present for the meeting. His coach asked him to have a seat and proceeded by reminding Dante how much talent and potential that he has. Then he said, "But your unwillingness to receive correction, your tardiness and your misbehavior is poisoning this team." The coach then made the decision to bench Dante for the remainder of the season, even if this meant no chance of making it to the playoffs.
Then it was the varsity coach's turn. He concurred with everything that Dante's coach had mentioned. He too, made Dante aware of his talent and potential, but informed him that there would no place for him on the varsity team unless his attitude changed. Disrespect would not be tolerated, no exceptions.
Dante thought the coaches were trying to destroy his image and more important, his football career. But as the season rolled on, Dante realized that the coach was actually disciplining him in order to rescue him, not only for his current position but for his future as a football player as well. That is what good discipline does. It has to inflict pain sometimes in order to save or rescue something. Maybe God has to discipline us in ways that may seem harsh in an attempt to rescue us.
I read a story similar to this recently and was thinking about my son's soccer practice last night and I thought I would compare his situation to the story. Dominick didn't feel like going to practice last night for a number of reasons. He had a headache, it was too hot and I'm quite certain that he thinks that he is too good for practice sometimes. After a grueling hour and a half in 98 degree heat, Dominick immediately began to complain about how hard it was because of the heat and about how much he doesn't think that he needs to be at the optional practice on Thursday evenings. I'm not trying to call him out or ridicule him, he is my son and I love him. But it drives me completely up the wall to hear him talk about his life dream of skipping college, becoming a pro soccer player and moving to Barcelona to play soccer for his dream team. I am constantly trying to reassure him that there isn't one guy on that team (or any professional team for that matter) that hasn't paid their dues. I often use the example of Michael Jordan and how he would show up on a court that was filled with guys much older and better than him and played hoops with them - no matter what.
Dominick is an exceptional soccer player. He has played it since he was 5 years old. He lives, eats and breathes soccer. I love watching him each season and I have noticed how much of a leader he is on the field. That leadership will prepare him for a lot of things in life. I am very reserved on the sidelines compared to a lot of other fanatic parents. I watch and when the game is over, I tell him what I think he needs to improve on. Sometimes he takes that info as an insult and sometimes he accepts it as good advice, I guess it just depends on if his team has won or lost and what kind of mood he is in. He is well aware of his gift and we constantly try to keep it respectable, but even he needs discipline sometimes to keep his perspective on things.
I am thankful that God has provided me the opportunity to father someone and discipline them as well. I know that He is constantly disciplining me in my life and that there will always be areas in my life where I need it most. It may seem harsh sometimes, but I believe that it is in those difficult moments where the most growth and maturity will occur.
Peace!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Give Yourself Away
What does true sacrifice mean to you? What would you freely give up for someone? Is it your time? Your money? Your career? Your life? Last night, I met a guy who gave his all for someone very close to him. Let me share his story.
I only know his first name is Chris. He came to our small group of men to share his story of faith, love and true sacrifice. Chris is a Texas native and has only been in Cincinnati for a short period of time. Upon his arrival, Chris prayed for God to provide him a church home and the answer was Vineyard West Side. Chris came and he immediately felt like this was his family. He has only been to church for a couple of weeks, and already he has found a place where his community would love him and accept him for who he is.
Last night, as our group discussed the topic of sacrifice, I sat across from Chris and watched him slowly open up to share a story that completely broke me. The question came up, "What does true sacrifice look like and do we have what it takes to do it"? Chris answered with this: His wife of fifteen years, his soul mate, had sclerosis of the liver which is a life ending disease. Chris sacrificed everything to take care of his wife until her last breath. He gave up his job to be with her. He had no income to pay for food or transportation. He spent every second of his life to stay by her side and walk this out with her. Eventually the disease would prevail and his wife died in his arms. Chris would spend the next several months receiving counseling and would eventually find himself at the mercy of alcohol to ease the pain of his loss.
When Chris moved to Cincinnati, he met another woman and began dating her. During there courtship, she discovered a lump on her neck. They went to see a Doctor and he delivered the devastating news. Without hesitation, Chris immediately vowed to his new love that he would be there for her. The cancer was already in stage four and had spread to lungs. After months of therapy and hospice, Chris again had the love of his life die in his arms.
After sharing his story, Chris wiped the tears from his eyes and spoke to us with an authoritative voice. He told us that we should not worry if we will ever be up to the task of giving up one's self for the life of another. God would provide! When Chris gave up everything to be with his wife, he still had everything he needed to live. He had food, shelter, transportation and strength to carry on. All of which God provided for him. Sacrifice was not something that he could prepare himself for. The circumstances arose and Chris simply set his fears aside and stepped up to the plate.
I believe that God knew that Chris would have the strength to sacrifice himself not only once, but twice to love and comfort one of God's daughters on their deathbed. Chris knew his role, he knew that God was asking him to do this for Him. It might seem like a crappy thing to be asked to do, but he will be rewarded greatly for it, if not in this life, then definitely the next. Nothing can prepare us for the storms. Nothing can prepare us for the life altering events that can and will take place. The only thing we can cling to is our faith in Christ and know that He is with us, no matter what. And I think that Jesus knows a little about giving up a life to benefit the lives of others. He paid the ultimate price for a world full of sinners.
I believe that it was U2's Bono that originally sang, "And you give . . . and you give . . . and you give yourself away". So again I ask, What does true sacrifice mean to you? Would you freely give your time, money, career or even your life for someone? How can you give yourself away?
I only know his first name is Chris. He came to our small group of men to share his story of faith, love and true sacrifice. Chris is a Texas native and has only been in Cincinnati for a short period of time. Upon his arrival, Chris prayed for God to provide him a church home and the answer was Vineyard West Side. Chris came and he immediately felt like this was his family. He has only been to church for a couple of weeks, and already he has found a place where his community would love him and accept him for who he is.
Last night, as our group discussed the topic of sacrifice, I sat across from Chris and watched him slowly open up to share a story that completely broke me. The question came up, "What does true sacrifice look like and do we have what it takes to do it"? Chris answered with this: His wife of fifteen years, his soul mate, had sclerosis of the liver which is a life ending disease. Chris sacrificed everything to take care of his wife until her last breath. He gave up his job to be with her. He had no income to pay for food or transportation. He spent every second of his life to stay by her side and walk this out with her. Eventually the disease would prevail and his wife died in his arms. Chris would spend the next several months receiving counseling and would eventually find himself at the mercy of alcohol to ease the pain of his loss.
When Chris moved to Cincinnati, he met another woman and began dating her. During there courtship, she discovered a lump on her neck. They went to see a Doctor and he delivered the devastating news. Without hesitation, Chris immediately vowed to his new love that he would be there for her. The cancer was already in stage four and had spread to lungs. After months of therapy and hospice, Chris again had the love of his life die in his arms.
After sharing his story, Chris wiped the tears from his eyes and spoke to us with an authoritative voice. He told us that we should not worry if we will ever be up to the task of giving up one's self for the life of another. God would provide! When Chris gave up everything to be with his wife, he still had everything he needed to live. He had food, shelter, transportation and strength to carry on. All of which God provided for him. Sacrifice was not something that he could prepare himself for. The circumstances arose and Chris simply set his fears aside and stepped up to the plate.
I believe that God knew that Chris would have the strength to sacrifice himself not only once, but twice to love and comfort one of God's daughters on their deathbed. Chris knew his role, he knew that God was asking him to do this for Him. It might seem like a crappy thing to be asked to do, but he will be rewarded greatly for it, if not in this life, then definitely the next. Nothing can prepare us for the storms. Nothing can prepare us for the life altering events that can and will take place. The only thing we can cling to is our faith in Christ and know that He is with us, no matter what. And I think that Jesus knows a little about giving up a life to benefit the lives of others. He paid the ultimate price for a world full of sinners.
I believe that it was U2's Bono that originally sang, "And you give . . . and you give . . . and you give yourself away". So again I ask, What does true sacrifice mean to you? Would you freely give your time, money, career or even your life for someone? How can you give yourself away?
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