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Have you ever had to plead for mercy?  Have you ever had a desperate need or desire and had to swallow your pride, acknowledge your place and persevere in your plea?  We meet a woman in our scripture reading for today (Matthew 15:21-28) who has me considering these questions in my own life and offering them as a challenge in yours.

In the events of Matthew’s gospel, we have just witnessed a dramatic failure of faith by the disciples, another episode of the bold and the pitiful starring the religious elite, and one of Jesus’ closest followers asking once again, “now, exactly what did you mean by that story?”  No one would blame Jesus for being a bit frustrated or even angered with His own people at this point.

At the close of His parable translation with Peter and the disciples, Jesus “went away.” (Matthew 15:21)  I think I’d be ready for that too.  But the event that soon follows makes it resoundingly clear that His “retreat” was not an escape, and was anything but random.  While in the district of Tyre and Sidon, a Canaanite woman approaches Jesus with a cry for help.  Her daughter is severely possessed with a demon, and she cries out for mercy to the Lord, Son of David.

This is a woman who has a desperate need and desire, and a clear understanding of “her place” in the shadow of the King.  She is powerless, but persistent, and continues on in her plea even after the Master passes by with not as much as a word in response.  The frustration that Jesus would have rightly felt with the disciples after the events of the recent days seems to get the better of them.   They pursue Jesus and beg Him to please deal with this woman who is “crying out after us.” … so little faith in the boat, so little understanding of the story, and now so little patience and compassion in responding to this “outsider” in grave need.

As I read and reread the story, I was overwhelmed with the enormity of this woman’s faith.  What an amazing response of humility, steadfastness and belief as Jesus first ignores, then rebuffs her with His divine disclaimer that He “… was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  She doesn’t relent, and cries out again, “Lord, help me.”  I close my eyes and try my best to experience the desperation and determination in her voice.

As if she hadn’t endured enough already, Jesus rebuffs her passionate cry again.  “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  Is there a circumstance in your own life where you can relate with this woman?  Desperate, powerless, ignored, scorned, yet not even the hint of a retaliatory tone in her voice. “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”  And there it is … the only response that you could never say if you possessed even an ounce of pride or self-determination, yet the only response that is right and just to offer the Master.  I am nothing, You are I AM!

The faith of a Centurion and the faith of a Canaanite woman …
Two “enemies” in the eyes of earthly kingdoms …
Two models of true faith and a Kingdom not of this world.

“O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”

May we hear those words from our Master in response to our faith.  May we believe as fully and as humbly as the woman from Canaan.  Jesus met her where she was.  The retreat that was seen by some was, in fact, a pursuit.  He pursues us in the same way.  Have you answered as she did?

We do not read and study the words of Jesus to learn.  We read and study because He is the Bread of Life, and His crumbs have the power to redeem us, and to change us.  Have they redeemed you?  Are they changing you?

I was blindsided at 7am this past Thursday morning.  I had been watching for signs of trouble and had seen none.  I felt confident that the day was going to go exactly as I had planned.  When my phone pinged with a text message, I still felt no apprehension of anything being awry.  So I could not quite understand as I read, “Your flight has been cancelled.  Call the airline help line asap.”

I had been visiting our daughter in Los Angeles since Sunday.  My return flight was leaving at 11:00 that morning flying through Chicago and then into Cleveland.  I soon learned that “blizzard-like conditions” would be beating down on Chicago just about the time of my arrival there.  So “Okay,” I thought, “let’s just re-route me and get me home.”  The lady on the phone was very nice as she cheerfully told me she could get me out of L.A. on Saturday morning!  All I could utter was, “But, but … that won’t work!”  My husband and I had concert tickets for Friday night.  My daughter had a busy schedule the next 2 days, but now she had an unexpected houseguest, and my “but, but…” went on and on.  The lady on the phone, while sympathetic, assured me that was my only option.  My plans had just been drastically changed.

In our recent reading, we studied the famous feeding of the 5,000 in the Gospels.  You remember, Jesus feeds 5,000 men with only 5 loaves and 2 fish that a little boy offered … and those 5,000 men may have had wives and children with them, so He could have fed upwards of 10,000 people who day!  But here is the back story:  the 12 disciples had been traveling with Jesus from town to town where He was mobbed every time.  The disciples were exhausted from the crowds and the traveling, and they were hoping for a little R&R out in the countryside.  But their plans were drastically changed.

Luke 9:10-14
Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick. Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.”

But Jesus said, “You feed them.”

“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” For there were about 5,000 men there.

The disciples had been looking forward to some quiet, some rest, and maybe even some one-on-one time with Jesus. Instead a crowd of at least 5,000 people found them and then Jesus tells them they have to feed them!

You know the story – one of the most recognizable, amazing miracles in the Bible then takes place.  Everyone is fed … and there were leftovers, too!

Now let me tell you the end of my L.A. story.  I had to calm myself down first and re-direct my thoughts in order to practice what I preach – God is in control!  Then I remembered something from a book I am currently reading on prayer – the author says to ask God to surprise you when you pray…and that is exactly what I did.  And I was surprised!

By staying in Los Angeles two unexpected days longer, I got to be with my daughter when she finally attained the professional goal she has worked toward for almost 3 years!  I was there to hug her and cry with her and take her for the biggest piece of chocolate dessert you can imagine … Thank you God for that surprise!

My husband took a family member to the concert where they heard the Gospel in the clearest of terms.  I had been praying for this person, asking God to provide a way for me to approach them about the Gospel.  His way was obviously to keep me in Los Angeles … Thank you God for that surprise, too!

God is in control.  Even when we think the day, the plans, the everything is falling apart … God is in control.  If we can re-focus, re-direct, and open our hearts, we might just see God surprise us!

We all have stood at a crossroad, looking back at our past and wondering about God’s design for our future.  On the one hand, it is easy to look back and see all of the good that has happened.  On the other hand, we can all gaze into our past and find those wish we could live over moments.  Have you ever reviewed the past, present and future of your spiritual journey and concluded that yesterday was better?

When Moses arrived at the burning bush, he brought with him a rich and storied past — forty years as the prince of Egypt, and another forty years as a shepherd. You may have heard of the shepherd years, called his backside of the desert experience.  Standing there, confronted with his future and God’s plan for him, excuses dominated.  A quick read of Exodus chapter three makes it very clear that Moses was less than confident as God’s appointed deliverer for Israel. However, in the face of low self-confidence, he chose to follow God.

As I rub shoulders with Christ followers, I am struck by the fact that so many have lost their zest for the journey. They can remember spiritual milestones and answers to prayer. But there are also fresh memories of church hurts, and being bruised along the way. Churches are filled with individuals who once served and used their gifts, but are now fading into the background.  We may all need seasons of rest or even healing.  But those seasons should be just that, and should never be prolonged at the expense of missing the Father’s future design for us. Moses had eighty years of experience when God confronted him with the new phase of his journey. I am so glad, and encouraged that even through his excuses, Moses obeyed!

You may not be standing in front of a burning bush, but you are standing at a place with future opportunities. Don’t let anything in your past become a weight that holds you back from the God-designed future you can have. The emotions that say yesterday was better will cause you to look at tomorrow with a clouded view. God didn’t waste adversity in the life of Moses, nor will He for you. He wants all of your past, good and bad, to help prepare you for a Son-filled tomorrow.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

Your starting place today should be fixing your eyes on Jesus. Gaze on His life, and seek to become more like Him. Seeking Him will give you perspective on your yesterdays, and confidence about your tomorrows. Just as Moses possessed a past and a God-designed future, so do you! I choose to believe that your yesterday was not better, and that your future can be filled with the blessings and peace of our Lord.

Never live looking back!

It is amazing what you can find in a basement.  A friend recently told me that after making a decision to bring his treadmill out of storage, he found a missing baseball glove.  Basements become magnets for all that we plan to use again someday, but many times never do.  I happen to live in one of the rare homes where the basement is organized (my wife’s obsession).  The treadmill is not a clothes rack, and all Christmas decorations are boxed and labeled (she may have issues).  My wife recently placed a framed story on my basement bookshelf that she had received as a gift. It was a great story, placed strategically so that I could see and reflect on it.  Lines from the story have (and will) resonate with me, as I look from my desk up to the bookshelf. What a welcomed addition to, of all places, our basement.

At Journey, we speak a lot about the words of Jesus. We are passionate about examining the red letters found in the pages of Scripture. But I also wonder about other words that Christ poured into the disciples during the last season of His earthly life. Words not found in Scripture, but that ministered deep into their lives. Can you imagine what it would have been like as He walked along dusty roads sharing insight, advice, grace and mercy with Peter, Andrew, James, John and the others?  Each man likely had a story of the mentoring that took place day by day. I believe He prepared these men in ways that changed them … and also changed the world.  As Christ emptied His life into theirs, these privileged men were being prepared to radically affect human history.

The story in my basement bookshelf frame (The Starfish Story ), reminds me of the difference we can make on one life, and what that one life can accomplish.  It also drew my mind to think of how, two thousand years removed from the cherished insight given by Christ, lives are still being changed by the effect He had on those privileged men who walked with Him.  The story in my basement bookshelf frame goes like this:

A wise man was walking along the beach and saw a young man who was reaching down and picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean. He called out, “May I ask what it is that you are doing?” The young man replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”  “Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” asked the somewhat startled wise man.  The young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”  The wise man commented, “But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference.”  At this, the young man bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it in the ocean. As it met the water, he said, “It made a difference for that one.”

It seems to me that Jesus chose men to pour His life into that would not have ranked highly on the “Most Likely To Change The World” list, but Christ knew what He was doing. The difference He made in Peter, Andrew, James, John and the others, translated into a radical spiritual revolution.  You can’t compare a starfish to a person, but when the starfish is launched into the ocean, what a difference it makes. Christ poured His life into men, and it made a difference.

For Christ-Followers, our lives should not be just about who has poured into us, but who are we pouring our lives into. Remember in The Starfish Story, throwing a starfish back into water mattered to each one! If you and I intentionally pour our lives into someone … It can make a difference to that one. And we can never determine what potentially could come from that one life.  Although Christ loved and spoke to the masses, He also invested in men and women on a deeply personal level.  So should we!

Throwing starfish into the ocean may not be the best way to illustrate that we can make a difference, but I believe you get the point. If you could choose anyone to invest your life into today, who would it be?  Consider what a difference you could make.

You never know what treasures may be hidden in your basement!

It’s been a month and a half now that we’ve been immersed in the words of Jesus.  It’s not possible for me to recount the multitude of intimate and meaningful moments I’ve experienced with Him, even in the earliest part of this year-long journey.  I hope and pray that you could echo back those words out of your own experience.

But here’s a thought that was birthed out of a completely random observation I had this past Monday night while watching my youngest son’s basketball practice.  I wonder if any of you have had a completely different experience than mine so far this year.

I brought a book to practice.  I have coached both my son’s in baseball, and while that experience has been rich and rewarding, I too often find myself slipping into the tendencies of a coach.  I “actively” watch, and a practice or game rarely goes by without some “thoughts” that I offer in the moment, when the memory is fresh for both of us.  So often it starts out as just a small observation … and then we arrive at home ten to fifteen minutes later and I’ve been talking the whole time.  I notice both my boys looking at me from time to time in the midst of competition.  Are they looking for reassurance, approval, or maybe the opposite?  Are they expecting to see a wince or a bowed head, or any number of other body language cues of critique or disapproval?

As I read my book (my plan of defense against “actively” watching), I began to notice a father that sat a few feet to my left.  At first it was an occasional gesture or mouthed instruction, but it wasn’t long before the gestures and comments became more frequent and pronounced.  By mid-practice, just about everything his son did elicited a response.  I closed my eyes and sat a moment in resonance with both the father and the son.

In the fleeting moments before I fell to sleep that evening, my mind traveled back to that experience during practice and the thought I shared earlier began to take shape in my mind.  With all of the words we’ve been consuming since the year began, I wonder if there is anyone that feels a bit like the young basketball player.  A bit like one who is “in the game,” and they’re trying, but they can’t turn around without seeing a less than approving gesture or hearing instruction on what they should have done, or could have done better.  Let’s be honest and admit that we don’t always like what God has to say.  We don’t always hear it from a place of right relationship with Him.  And we aren’t always pleased with the way He works or waits in our lives.  We know with our head that it’s meant for our good.  We “know” that He is always working things out for our good (Rom 8:28), but we just don’t feel that in the midst of our present circumstances.  And maybe that feeling has persisted for a long time.

If that’s you today, let’s both close our eyes and sit a moment in resonance with the both the Father and the Son.  God is most certainly actively watching us.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. (Heb 4:13)  But in the words of Jesus we’ve recently read, Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matt 6:26)  And yes, All scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (2Tim 3:16).  But in the words of Jesus, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matt 4:4)

So it is clear, the “But’s” I use above are not meant to suggest a contrast between what God says and Jesus says.  And I do not offer Jesus’ words as a positive spin on potentially harsh truths.  What I mean to call attention to, is the reality that we sometimes experience or believe God to be like the father that I observed Monday night (the father that I have been at times).  We see his gaze as expressing disappointment or condemnation.  We hear His words as rebuke and correction.

God’s love for us has no limits, and his eye and care are extended to us in greater measure than we can possibly imagine.  He sacrificed his Son and chose the immeasurable pain of separation from Him for those final three hours on Golgotha … all for us.  His words are useful for rebuking and correcting, but they are not constrained to that purpose.  They sustain our very life.  They feed, and breathe life, and teach, and encourage, and comfort as well.

If you are that young basketball player today, I pray that you hear with fresh ears and read with renewed eyes.  God does not wince when you dribble the ball off your foot and out-of-bounds.  Jesus does not hang His head when you miss a wide open layup.  Draw nearer to Him through the words of Jesus.  Close your eyes and sit a moment in resonance with both the Father and the Son.

Have you ever been to Shreveport, Louisiana? Well, I certainly had not … until last Tuesday evening!  I can promise you that I will never forget my experiences from the overnight trip last week.  In a matter of twelve short hours, I had two encounters that will live with me forever.  I want to share them with you because on any given day your life can take unusual turns that are unforgettable.  Here goes!

On a thirty-minute flight from Dallas to Shreveport, I sat next to a gentleman who was returning from a Colorado ski trip with his friends. We had business interests in common and in a very short flight covered lots of territory.  Our common interests turned to deeper issues, and I truly believe that the Father ordained us to sit next to each other.  I believe God had me in a strategic place to encourage and nudge a Christ-follower to re-launch his commitment to spiritual growth. We have communicated since then, and I am convinced that lives are going to be affected because of our short journey together.  I have come to a place in my life where I understand that divinely engineered moments should be acted upon.

After arriving at my airport hotel that evening, I inquired about the workout facility. My first point of caution should have been that it was in a separate building.  I was committed to working out the next morning, and shortly before 7 a.m. unlocked the darkened workout room.  I noticed immediately that the TV wasn’t working, which was a serious downer. How could I work out without ESPN? I also noticed that the hotel was using this room for the storage of recently stained wood and random Halloween material (so I thought).  In the corner there was a mannequin covered up “collecting dust” (so I thought). As I looked for a piece of exercise equipment that might have a TV attached, something happened that I will never forget. THE MANNEQUIN MOVED ITS HAND!  Then the head moved, at which point, I realized that I was not alone.

It was a startling moment for me and also the young homeless man who had taken up residence for the night. Can you imagine how my heart rate jumped at that moment?!  For some strange reason, I just got on the treadmill and started my workout (my wife wasn’t pleased). The young man got up, adjusted his coat, unplugged his cell phone from the wall and started out.  I looked at him and said, “Have a nice day,” to which he replied, “You too.”  I have told, laughed about, and relived that story countless times over the last few days.  The more I think about it, the more serious it becomes to me. Could this also have been a divine encounter?   In that particular situation, I would rarely (unless God prompted me) have tried to engage that person in conversation. There are obviously issues that brought that young man to be in the exercise room overnight.

This year at Journey onWord, we are reading the words of Jesus and challenging people to truly experience His words, actions and attitudes.  I have become convinced that my attitude towards the young man (the mannequin-that-wasn’t) was less than Christ-like.  Just this morning the words of Matthew 11 stood out to me — and the good news is preached to the poor. Without much thought, we can all look down upon, turn away from, and generally ignore those who seem … poor.

How would Jesus have “seen” my workout visitor? He sees him exactly as He sees you and me … as His child, highly valued and loved.  How would He have engaged in that moment?  I am convinced, as if it had eternal significance. God loves broken people!  I most assuredly will never see this young man again, but I can pray for him … as I believe Christ would want me too.

I told you my story, not because you are going to Shreveport, or will meet a new friend who loves to ski, or be confronted with a deeply hurting person during a morning workout, but you will have divine appointments. What you do with them will have an effect on others.  I hope to spend lots of time encouraging and being encouraged by my new friend from the plane, and I hope my most unusual workout will help me to always value others the way Christ would.

When your story is told, I trust you valued others just like Christ!

Several weeks ago I was on a non-stop flight out of Akron Canton Airport and I came in contact with a number of somewhat unusual people.  First, there was a very young man with a large therapy dog.  He had just arrived on the plane that I would be getting onto; he was continuing on my flight, but he got off to allow the dog to stretch its legs.  The dog garnered a great deal of attention, and the man, being very friendly (and loud), told all of us that the therapy dog was young and “in training.”  When the airline official heard those words, she refused to allow him back on the plane citing their policy of no “in training” dogs allowed.  He tried to explain that he had just flown in with the dog from Boston and he WAS getting back on that plane to continue his journey.  When he was again denied, he attempted to storm the entryway with the dog in tow!  I don’t know exactly where they came from, but 2 large men appeared and restrained the man and the dog … and I was standing right beside all this.

A little shaken, I boarded the plane only to discover I had been seated beside perhaps the most unfriendly airline passenger ever.  He was arguing with his wife on the phone as I attempted to sit down, and he was so rude throughout the trip that I was too intimidated to ask him to let me out to use the bathroom!  My woes continued as the man behind me was the loudest talker ever and the woman in front of me was the … uh … less sweetest smelling person ever!  I just shook my head and thought, “what a cast of characters on this plane tonight!”

As I have been reading the words of Jesus this year, I could not help but compare the cast of characters that I encountered with those that Jesus encountered during His earthly ministry.  Let’s see … from the Pharisees and Sadducees, tax collectors and court officials, rich and poor, the woman at the well and the one caught in adultery, temple officials  and Roman governors, the blind, lame and demon possessed,  to the thieves on the Cross.

And He loved every one of them.

The woman at the well had lived with 5 husbands and was not married to the man she was living with currently, yet Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah to this Samaritan woman.  And she believed.

The highly unpopular tax collector Zaccheus had climbed a tree to see over the crowd and get a glimpse of Jesus. He ended up entertaining Jesus for dinner at his home that very night.  And he believed.

Nicodemus was a big deal, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin.  Fearful but searching, he came to Jesus under the cover of night to find out if He truly was the Messiah.   And he believed.

Mary Magdalene was possessed by 7 demons and made whole again by Jesus.  And she believed.

The brothers James and John argued so much that Jesus gave them the nickname Sons of Thunder.  They fought over who was the greatest and asked if they could sit on thrones beside Jesus in heaven, but He chose them as disciples.  And they believed.

And the thieves on the Cross … one mocked and one asked for mercy from the Messiah.  He believed.

What a cast of characters!    And then there is us.  I wonder if God ever shakes His head as He observes our lives and says, “What a cast of characters!”

There is a cable TV station whose tag line is, “Characters Welcome.”  That sounds like Jesus – all characters welcome.  All loved! All forgiven!  He wants all to believe.

The young man at the beginning of my story … you know, the one with the dog.  They held our flight until they could get everything ironed out.  He finally boarded the plane … with the dog … wearing a huge triumphant grin on his face (the man, not the dog)!

Characters welcome, indeed!  I pray that all the cast I shared the plane with that day believe.

I’m going to rewind a bit in our reading, but I believe it also speaks a resonant voice to the extreme faith we are reading of today.  I think it’s a safe assumption that everyone reading this article has been facing some stormy weather recently (and I know you know I’m not speaking of the Polar Vortex). It could have been a health journey, a job scenario, maybe a financial mountain or just an everyday “will I trust Him?” moment.  God, in His wisdom, uses these refiners to help us learn (and re-learn) dependence. As you read the next few paragraphs, let your mind travel back to a stormy day in the life of Christ and His disciples. Faith will rise to the forefront, and we can certainly relate to the disciples’ dilemma.

The context is found in our reading a few days ago from chapter 8 of Mathew, verses 23-27. On that particular day, Christ gave His disciples a stormy lesson. While crossing the Sea of Galilee, they encountered an incredible storm. There is no doubt that Jesus knew He was leading them directly into the storm! Storms also erupt in our lives.  Sometimes they result from our disobedience, but at other times the Father’s design is to send us (like the disciples) headlong into troubled waters.  But even when He directs or allows that storm, He never leaves us without an anchor.

Mark’s account of this event tells us that this was a furious squall.  It was so intense that the waves broke over the boat, and the disciples had some serious concerns about drowning. Can you believe that Jesus was sleeping while all that was going on?  You may not mouth words like those of the disciples, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” but you (and I) have had similar thoughts. They had ferocious waves, and we have our resonant storms. When stormy weather hovers, do you look with eyes of faith, or do you get that drowning feeling? Christ’s rebuke of the storm and His disciples is instructive, even today.

With a rebuke of the wind and waves, Christ created calm sea. The Creator of the Universe was in control of nature. It is amazing to me that Christ-followers accept His control over our eternal destiny, yet we struggle with the daily storms. If you are anything like me, you have met some stormy days with strong faith, but in many others, sinking seemed inevitable. Through it all, we should never doubt that He is in control. Preparation for the rough waters will determine how we respond when the storms arrive. Whether you are new to faith or a seasoned sailor, constant growth in our faith is a necessity.

Christ was conscious that the disciples were exhibiting weak faith. His words, “Why are you so afraid? You have so little faith,” left little doubt of His concern. It would be easy to scoff at their lack of faith … if we didn’t also struggle in similar ways. We all have an opportunity going forward to respond with faith in the midst of our storms. Even when we get that drowning feeling, we can look up, hold on, and ride out the storm with great faith. Today is new. God is still in control.  And you and I can choose to view our personal storms with a sinking feeling, or with eyes of faith, knowing we have an anchor. Which will you choose?!

I was recently listening to an audio recording of my grandfather’s funeral.  I know that sounds a bit odd, but allow me to explain.  The recording was part of a treasured and very personal Christmas gift my Uncle Richie gave me this year.  I have vague recollections of the funeral service, but a clear and lingering impression of the pastor who spoke that day.  He was one of my grandfather’s students at Bible college, and one of “his boys,” as he affectionately referred to the group of pastors he taught and mentored over the years.

I hung on every word of the beautiful and moving portrait the pastor painted of who my grandfather was to all who knew him well.  One particularly resonant and meaningful remembrance was of the very real and unmistakable twinkle that would appear in my grandfather’s eye just before he would say something clever or profound.  You braced yourself when you saw it, and it was impossible to miss.  I loved those moments.

It was what came to mind when I read the encounter in Matthew 9:1-7 between Jesus, the man who was paralyzed and the teachers of the law that were in the crowd that day.  I wonder if Jesus had a twinkle?  It’s so clear and unmistakable from the gospel accounts of His life that Jesus possessed a sharp and clever wit.  He had perfect timing and intuition.  He saw directly into the heart of man.  He knew how to “ask” a question that spoke deep truths and probed to the very center of the human soul.  Every word he spoke was purposed, possessed weight, and provoked just the right emotion.  I wonder if He had a twinkle?

If He did, it was most assuredly on full display as he inhaled and prepared to speak the very powerful and pointed words of forgiveness into the life of the paralyzed man lying on his mat.  “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

The words were personal … the words were purposed … and the words were absolutely provocative.  Those seven words pierced the heart of a disease that was pervasive, yet no one could see.  Jesus healed the man’s most obvious need eventually, but he revealed and healed his most basic need first.  As the author of absolute truth, Jesus knew that the man’s paralysis was secondary to his sin, and His forgiveness was the only cure.  It must have resonated with some, but confounded most others .. and certainly angered the teachers of the law (twinkle).

With the sound of His voice or the touch of His hand, he could have awed and amazed.  But He knew the real miracle, the real prize, was healing of an everlasting kind … a kingdom kind.  And not just for the man on the mat, but for all who had eyes to see and ears to hear.

What is your need today … your most obvious, your most basic?  Read the words of Jesus anew … every purposeful, powerful, provocative, revealing and healing one.

It has been bitterly cold of late … dangerously cold.  My mind has been perpetually fixed on the battle that far too many have, just to stay warm.  I have also been in the midst of a conversation with Jesus for more than a week, about something he said during his “sermon on the mount.”  The conversation started in the darkness of the morning over a week ago, as I turned the key to start my car and noted the external temperature reading … -2!  I sat for a moment and spoke a prayer for those in the direst need who were at that moment suffering in the cold.  I put the car in drive and headed for work.

A block from my place of work, I sat first in line at a traffic light.  As I waited, I caught a small figure in my periphery.  As she got closer, I began to see more detail.  My goodness, what was she doing out in such cold with what amounted to a light zip-up sweatshirt?!  And why was it not zipped?!  The unzipped sweatshirt revealed a McDonald’s uniform.  This was a young woman walking to work … in the snow and cold … and by my quick calculation, she had another couple of miles to walk.  The light turned green and I drove right past her.

A hundred questions assaulted my mind that day.  Chief among them, how could you sit and pray before heading to work and then drive past an opportunity to offer warmth to someone in need of it?

My conversation picked up two days later, as I passed an elementary school very near my work.  The school was closed that day (due again to dangerously cold temperatures) so the neighborhood was unusually empty.  As I neared a four-way stop, I caught a glimpse of a middle-aged woman walking in the street, bundled up in a puffy jacket with a fur-lined hood pulled up over her head to shield her from the biting winds.  Although my foot danced back and forth between the gas and brake pedal, I once again drove on.  “What was my problem?!” I wondered aloud.  What is going on?!  Why did I not stop?  Why did I not at least pause and roll the window down, and extend the offer for a ride?

Several days passed, with random moments of revisiting the two scenes, feeling increasing guilty and continuing my conversation with Jesus.  Then came Friday of this past week, and the crescendo of my conversation with Jesus.  The day began with another opportunity as I drove by a “live” Christmas tree lying in the middle of the street, directly in the path of oncoming traffic.  This time I finally turned back to help … after six or seven intersections, AND someone had already done the job as I arrived back at the scene!  This seemed like the final cruel straw in my repeated failures to be obedient to the words of Jesus that I had read over a week ago.  Read, but must have left lingering on the page, not bound up to my heart, hands and feet in following Him.

My story “ends” on Friday evening as I was returning home after picking up dinner.  As I pulled up to a neighborhood intersection less than a mile from my home, a large sheet of clear plastic was blowing across the road.  My first instinct was to let it blow by so it didn’t get caught under my car as I drove by, but then it finally happened … I put the car in park, opened the door and finally stepped out.  I retrieved the large sheet of plastic, rolled it up and opened my back door to throw it inside.  I had noticed an oncoming car approaching the intersection when I had first stopped.  That vehicle was now beside me as I opened my back door.  The driver slowed, rolled down his window, and proceeded to praise me for doing something “many wouldn’t do.”  I smiled politely and waved as he drove off.

As I got back in my car, I was honestly ashamed.  “Really, God?!”  This is what I finally do … and not as a first instinct, I might add … and you direct someone my way to praise me?!  I should have waved for the driver to stop and told him about the first three times I had the opportunity to help.  I should have told him my “big” act amounted to me going 1 for 4 in my chances to do the right thing.  I should have reminded him that this was just a piece of trash, not a real person … or two real people who were out in the cold and could have used a warm ride.  But as I drove, my indignation turned to thankfulness.  Thankful that the God I serve is unfailing in grace and mercy when I fail Him.  Thankful that the God I love is sovereign in caring for those two women, when I did not.

One-for-four would never get you into the Hall of Fame, but the kingdom Jesus proclaimed is not for career .300 hitters.  The kingdom is for the lowly in spirit, the meek and the broken.  Help me, Father as I continue to read the words of your Son.  Help me Spirit, in the opportunities I have to put hands and feet to my faith.  Help me Jesus, to be a true follower of you.