journey onWord with us

We are all creatures of habit. Our lives become so conditioned that each day can easily look like the day before.  This month becomes a replay of last month and years pass by without meaningful growth or change.  We are creatures of habit, and too often in a rut!

Two weeks ago I was reminded of one of my ruts while attending a conference in Philadelphia. I have conditioned myself to always have breakfast, and most of the time alone, even though my wife would (and tries to) prepare something for me.  It’s just my time, and I always read the paper while I eat. Hotel food was expensive, so I ventured out to find a quick meal.  Two blocks away I found the breakfast of champions – McDonalds. It was rainy as I started out, and a monsoon by the time I finished breakfast. I was drenched crossing the first street, unable to hail a cab and had to buy an umbrella to journey back to the hotel. To top it off, I had to change clothes (even my socks) before my first meeting of the day. It all happened because I am conditioned never to miss my breakfast and paper. What a rut!

If you and I were to have a conversation about last week, you would readily be able to give me the ways that you are conditioned to live.  You would tell me about someone who is less than fun to work with (and they will never change).  The discussion would then drift into the pace of life that is weighing you down (and never seems to change).  We would probably discuss how there is never enough time to relax with those you love (too much to do).  You may even bring up that you love God and want to grow in faith, but it’s not happening (just squeezing Him in).  We may even discuss how stress has become a constant companion in your life (and never seems to leave).  Yes, we could have had that discussion about last week, and about last month and about last year.  If you and I are not careful, we condition ourselves to live in certain ways that are harmful both physically and spiritually.  What a rut we can get into!

Whether or not the above paragraph describes some part of your life, I am convinced that you know the areas where you are in a rut.  The question is, are you ready to recondition your life? I don’t think for a minute that the conditioned circumstances of your life will magically disappear. But I do believe there is an answer.

In my recent personal reading, I came across a definition of wisdom that has impacted me.  Wisdom can be defined as the mind of God revealed to us. In the midst of our circumstances, He will provide the direction and encouragement we need for each day, and I don’t believe that continuing to live in a rut is His design. Availing ourselves of His wisdom will help us make the decisions that recondition our lives. If you have too much stress, too little time, too much negativity at work, not enough time to spend with your family, and a “just squeezing God in” feeling … what would His wisdom tell you to do? Remember, God does have some thoughts that will help you.

I am not advocating quitting your job, avoiding people, eliminating all stress from your life, or abstinence from eating at McDonalds.  I am recommending that you honestly ask yourself, “Am I in a rut?”  If the answer is yes, please seek the Father’s wisdom for the answer. He has one!

Proverbs 16:3 (NLT)
Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

I have learned in my journey with God, to ask for things and then put all my senses on high alert, expecting that an answer might come from the unlikeliest of places. This happened the other day, while looking for some music to accompany a narrated video I will be doing soon. It would be too difficult to weave the details of the back story in this concise space, but suffice it to say God was in the finding of a song titled, “Hægt, kemur ljósið” by an Icelandic artist named Ólafur Arnalds.

I love the layers of intention and purpose in the created world and God’s fingerprints in the people, places and things of our lives. So I often dig below the surface when things happen like finding the perfect song by an Icelandic artist. I dig to see if there are additional “layers” of intention and purpose. The title of the song intrigued me, and I used an online translation site to help me determine it’s meaning. I typed out the first word “haegt” and hit <Enter>. The English translation was “one can.” I continued with the second word “kemur”, and it translated “comes.” Finally, “ljosio.” That translation returned an unexpected result … “ljosio.” “Huh? That certainly doesn’t look like any English word I am familiar with.”

That’s when I noticed the special native language markers on several of the letters.  To include them, I decided to cut and paste the word directly from the song title into the translator tool. With the proper language markings, the word translated as “light.” Put all three separate translations together and I’ll have my title! Ok, “one can”, then “comes”, then “light.” … “One can, comes light.” What is that?! It doesn’t make any sense!

After a minute of staring at the combination of words that lay in front of me, I decided to try something different. I typed all three words in the translation field, in contrast to the single word approach I began with. I typed “haegt kemur ” in front of the “ljósið” that was already there. This time it translated as, “possible, there is light.” OK, that makes a bit more sense. Still not completely clear, but sometimes things get a little skewed in translating from one language to another. After another minute or so of sitting with those words, I noticed something from the original song title; something that’s barely recognizable, but makes all the difference in the world. There was a comma after the first word in the title that I didn’t notice until that moment. So I added the comma in the appropriate place and hit the translate button one more time … this time it showed, “Slowly, comes the light.”

At the end of my translating “journey”, a deeper truth began resonating within me. Isn’t this also a picture of what we can do with scripture? Sometimes we consume or consider single verses all by themselves or as individual parts of a larger story, and they end up translating as something that reads, “one can, comes light.” Sometimes we read a passage or story narrative and don’t consider the cultural context or historical time period, and it translates to something that reads like, “possible, there is light.” Sometimes we apply our own wisdom, or ignore God’s special markings, and read just letters, words, verses, chapters or whole books and it translates to “ljosio” — something that doesn’t mean anything in any language, ours or His. However, when we read it right, when we consider the entire context and all of the words together, when we ask Him for wisdom in discerning His special markings … it translates to something that reads, “Slowly, comes the light.”

Think of the story of Jesus making a violent mess of the temple. How does that translate to someone who doesn’t know what a den of illicit commerce greedy people and religious leaders had made out of His Father’s house of prayer? And how does that scene translate absent the critical, yet so often overlooked words of Mark 11:11 that tell us how Jesus visited the temple the afternoon before to really experience and observe what it had become. Consider the “Last Supper” being translated without knowing the story of the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Wouldn’t Calvary look so tragic and hopeless if you stopped with Jesus still on the cross?

“One can, comes light.” It’s still a great song, but it makes no sense with that title. When you include all the words together, include the special markings and critical punctuation, the resulting translation shows the title to be the perfect companion to the song. “Slowly, comes the light.”

I’d encourage you to take a few minutes and listen to the song and tell me if you can do more than just hear the music. Do any of your other senses become engaged?

God answered my simple desire in a way that drew me closer to Him. He gave me the song I was looking for, and I saw Him more clearly through the process of finding it. I’d encourage you to ask God for things, and then put your senses on high alert. Dig below the surface in search of additional layers of His intention and purpose. Read scripture, being careful to consume it in a way that allows you to see Jesus’ righteous and measured cleansing of the temple, His taking the central elements of the sacred meal and making them new in Himself, the Savior of the world dying as the perfect and only Passover lamb, but then rising on the third day as He said. Don’t allow the greatest love story of all time to get lost in translation.

Yesterday was Father’s Day, and I was reminded that while I always wanted to be the best dad, there were times that I fell short of my expectations. I remember one less than stellar dad day when I had a cell-phone conversation with my daughter that, shall I say, wasn’t fair to her. Good news is she’s a good forgiver so my follow-up call and apology were accepted.

Upon returning to my office that day, I had an issue to handle and started the phone call with an attitude. The call ended fine, but I was convinced that my responses needed to be more in line with what I believe. Maybe you can relate! Last Friday, I spent some time with a friend and witnessed real pain, not just the petty irritations of a grumpy old man. God understands when we are grumpy….and when our pain is real and deep. We can all be thankful for his forgiveness, patience and grace.

David, in one of his beautiful psalms provides us a clear understanding of God’s knowledge concerning our pain, our grumpiness, our thoughts….our everything!

Psalm 139:1-6 (MSG)
God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I am going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in!

Can you accept the fact that He knows what you are thinking before you think it, and He knows what you are going to say before you say it? Without a doubt, God is all-knowing and omnipresent. Our struggle is that we give assent to these great truths, yet often live on a path parallel to them. If the Creator of the universe who gave His Son for our salvation already knows everything, doesn’t it make sense that we would want to continually intersect our lives with His design?

It’s easy to agree with that rhetorical sentence, but when we struggle with thoughts, attacks by Satan, real pain and various other stresses, we often move away from or stop short of God’s plan. Quickly, we can find ourselves speaking with harshness, thinking negative angry thoughts, asking why and simply running our lives on a parallel track from His purpose. But He knows everything!

My Father knows before I go grumpy, and when you and I have deep hurts. He knows our thoughts and what we are going to say even before we speak it. In spite of how we drift, and often blow it, He cares (beyond our comprehension), He understands (even when we don’t understand ourselves), and He is willing (with His gentle hand of grace) to meet us at our point of need. No matter what is happening in your life right now, give it all to the Father. He already knows all about it.

It was at least 25 years ago on a Saturday evening. We had been out with another family for the day, and I was just relaxing after returning home, sitting on the floor in our family room. Our daughter Lindsay was still very young and was writing something on the side of my face. What should have been fun for dad was getting annoying, and it hurt. So with great spiritual insight (yea, right!), I sharply asked her what she was doing. She was writing “I love you” on my face. Can you imagine how dumb I felt? Far too often in life we all find ourselves making quick decisions, snap judgments and, in a word, failing others and ourselves.

Because of selfishness for “my time,” I almost missed a scene that I remember vividly to this day, and will never forget. Can you remember moments with your family, friends or colleagues where you sensed failure? It could have been in what you said, or didn’t say, or even by your reactions. If you are anything like me, it is easy to see where you have failed yourself, others and especially our Father. God has chosen to let us view the failures of some of His most choice servants as we journey onWord … in the Word. Abraham probably never forgot how he failed Sarah by lying. Moses went to the grave never entering the Promised Land because of failure. David failed morally and Peter denied Christ. I think it is fair to say, that failure will always be a part of our lives. How then should we view our failures without excusing them?

In thinking on this question, two statements come to mind that help me with perspective. I trust they will encourage you as well. In his book Failing Forward, John Maxwell used words from Mother Theresa that I have never forgotten. She said that “failure is the kiss of Jesus.” Her words remind us that we are weak and need grace from our Lord. How must Peter have felt before Jesus restored him? With all of the demands of our families, jobs and sometimes even churches, it is easy to become consumed and eventually wound those that we love. But when the inevitable failure occurs, we are reminded of our weakness, and long for His kiss.

Another quote that reminds me of my propensity to fail comes from the song, “We Fall Down” sung by Mark Lowry. In the song, these words are stated over and over: “saints are just sinners who fall down and get up”. It may sound funny to you, but those words are comforting to me. Christ-followers are going to fail … after all, we are sinners. But when we fall down, we get up and keep going. Again, if we look at Scripture, some of God’s great servants failed, but moved forward in His grace. “Saints are just sinners, who fall down and get up”. Don’t let any failure keep you from getting up and living with joy.

We all have regrets. We have failed, and will fail again. However, if we let yesterday hinder us and tomorrow cause fear, we lose today. Just like me, you can remember being selfish with a child, or failing someone else. Look at your failures as “… the kiss of Jesus.” Always let falling down be an opportunity to get up. And for goodness sakes, when your child writes on your face, don’t get frustrated!

If you feel like a failure right now, feel the kiss of Jesus.  Then give that failure to the Father and get up!

Recently, my Wednesday morning group was given an interesting assignment, while studying the book of Colossians.  We were to read chapter 3, and the handout for that week focused primarily on verses 18-21.  You may not immediately recognize them being given just their chapter and verse reference, but it will likely only take a few words for you to begin reciting them by heart.

v. 18   Wives, submit yourselves …
v. 19   Husbands, love your wives …
v. 20   Children, obey your parents …
v. 21   Fathers, do not embitter your children …

You’ve probably read or heard sermons on these verses countless times before.  Maybe you’ve even heard them preached at you countless times before.  As familiar as they were to me, the assignment drove me to a far deeper place of understanding and personal application.

The simple instructions on the handout read … “Following the verse, write what this means to you from your perspective.”  I decided rather quickly that I was going to take a slightly different approach in honoring the assignment.  For each verse, I would get quiet with God, ask Him what He meant for me to hear and then transcribe His response in the lines provided.  I wanted to truly listen and have the Word literally speak into my life.  I have read and “studied” scripture before, but this practice of listening felt new.  It was a sacred time in conversation with God, and He answered the desire of my heart in a meaningful way.

As I write this morning, I am standing at the threshold of the anniversary of one of the most mysterious days of my life.  Twenty-two years ago on the 8th of June, I promised to have and hold my dear, sweet Kristyn til’ death do us part.  In the years since, I have come to appreciate that day as one of great mystery.  Two becoming one, giving her a token of my love and affection, saying “I do” … how could I possibly have understood all those things; how was I possibly ready; did I have any idea what I was saying?!  It has been an amazing journey with her, and the words I am about to share in answer to that Wednesday morning assignment are products of that journey.  What a mysterious and precious gift I was given and I’ll have and hold until death does us part.

If my assignment answers contain any truth, or are of any profit in your own life, that is solely the work of the Spirit.  I share them with you not to elevate them or myself or offer them as answers for you.  I simply desire to share the heart of one who is on a journey … as a husband, as a father, as a son, and as a child of God.

Verse 18, “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”

Mark, you have a grave responsibility.  I have just asked something of Kristyn that is likely a thing which neither of you fully understand.  Be careful, but I also believe this is way easier and far more rewarding than what you have the ability to discern now.  Abide in Me, so that your will is displaced by Mine.  Submission is an issue of posture and of the will, not of authority, so neither of you should be fixed on it as such.  There can only be one head, that much is true, but being of one will, especially when it is Mine, is possible, and profitable, and joyful.  Kristyn’s obedience in this is of great reward to you both and to My kingdom.  Recognize that obedience, celebrate her for it, and take care that neither of you ever use it for their own gain.

Verse 19, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”

Mark, do this one thing for me.  Try always to remember and acknowledge that Kristyn is first and always, a daughter of mine.  Life, and the enemy, would rather you view her as a woman, your wife, your best friend, a daughter of an earthly father and mother, a sister, an aunt, and a great many other things.  These define your union with her as an earthly and worldly thing, and it is first and always not an earthly and worldly thing.  There is great mystery in your union; live your life exploring that.  Never demand that you be first in her life, and never elevate her to that position in yours.  Ask me to help you love her the way that I love you.  Stay close enough to observe if she is in the Word and if she is talking regularly with Me.  Encourage her in that.  Engage her in the truth of Me, and how that works itself out in her life as your wife, and your lives as parents.  There is so much in your lives that can distract you from all this.  She is my daughter, and I have given her to you to be a help in that.  Ask me to help you love her like I love you.

Verse 20, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

Spencer and Connor, obedience is essential.  It’s not meant to be a restriction, that’s an effective lie that Satan has created.  If I gave you glasses that allowed you to see the world as I intended it to be, you would see your parents obeying Me, and you obeying them.  I have given them the most precious earthly gift in you and the great responsibility of raising you to love and obey Me.  It may not seem this way to you, but you do that (obey Me) when you love and obey them.  I expect you to not always want to, and sometimes for it to be painful to, but please know that obedience is essential.  It’s not just a big lesson that will pay off later, obeying brings good things now.  You might be tempted to think that doing your own thing will make you happy, but that is also one of Satan’s lies.  I’ve promised in the Bible that I’ll bless you if you obey, and I always keep my promises.  That goes for you too, Mark.

Verse 21, “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”

Mark, cast your burdens on Me so they don’t show up in how you respond to your boys.  Mark, depend on My sufficiency when you’re tempted to dig down and persevere in your own strength.  Mark, stop for two seconds and test the wisdom you are about to share with your boys to discern if it came from Me.  Failure in these things, even in the best of moments, will produce undesirable fruit.  Failure in these things, at the worst of moments, will turn your boy’s hearts from me and from you.  Look into their faces in that moment and you will see the word that is translated here as “discouraged.”  Look into your own heart in those moments, and tell me that you aren’t discouraged also.  Mark, pray for your boys every day and every time they come to mind.  Keep your heart close to mine.  Cultivate the soil of your spirit, feed it my Word.  Be mindful and intentional in these things and you will stand ready to meet the moments your boys need My counsel, correction, or encouragement in the form of their earthly father.

At Journey onWord, it is our strong desire that you be in the Word.  We believe Hebrews 4:12 … that the Word of God is alive and active, that it penetrates and judges.  We believe Isaiah 55:11 … that the Word goes out from the mouth of God, and does not return to Him empty, that it accomplishes His purpose in our lives.  Read the Word, but don’t stop with only that sense; experience it with all your senses. Listen, and allow the Word to speak into your life.  Let the Word touch the very sacred center of who He created you to be.  Smell the fragrance as you live out its Truth in the lives of others.  Taste and see that it is good!

All that surrounds us clamors to invade us. None of us would like to admit the extent to which external circumstances dominate our internal thought patterns. Whether people or events, something on the outside is always vying for your attention. Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius gave us a humorous, yet at the same time, resonant insight centuries ago: I am going to be meeting people today who talk too much—people who are selfish, egotistical, ungrateful. But I won’t be surprised or disturbed for I can’t imagine a world without such people.

Nor should we! Frustrating people and emotional circumstances will always surround us, but should also never dominate us. Under our own power, those words are easier said than done. But in Christ, we can live inside out.

In my personal reading, I have been often reminded of a devotional book written early in the last century. The book was written by James Allen and is entitled, As a Man Thinketh. The inspiration for the title and the text was taken directly from Proverbs 23:7(a): For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. It resonated with me that our perspective on life is often driven by the controlling influences of our mind. We will always be confronted with positive and negative circumstances, but they should never control us internally. However, since everyone has daily battles within, it is important to be clear that God understands our struggle and gives guidance. We have His Spirit to direct us, His Word to teach us, and we have been given freedom to communicate with Him in Christ. Availing ourselves of what God has provided can change our view of life from the inside out, by the transforming of our minds.

So where are your thoughts, and how are they controlling your days and weeks? James Allen said: “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts will take you“. Frankly speaking, most of us have some ingrained habits of the mind that cloud our perspective. With the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, change can come. It is imperative that our lives go from being dominated by all that surrounds us to being directed by His Spirit. Any Christ follower can live with the mind of Christ. Whether our weeks (and people) are great or incredibly draining should never be the issue. The real issue should be, is my mind renewed, and are my thoughts in line with God’s perspective?

If you know Christ and are struggling from the outside in, determine to reverse that order today (to living inside out). You may have found that it is easier to be more frustrated than patient, and more overwhelmed than at peace. Having the mind of Christ takes discipline, but the results are worth it. Let this principle guide you … When I allow my life to be controlled by His Spirit, I can handle all that surrounds me. For an on-looking world to ever see our faith working, we must think right, because how we think determines how we live.

All Christ followers have a choice – to let all that surrounds us invade us, or to let the One who lives within us guide us.

Last Wednesday, I did a Mike (code in our family for making a mistake).  My appointment was about forty-five minutes from my office in the middle of rural America.  Although my last journey to this particular location was five years ago, I knew the way (famous last words).  To make a long story short, I went at least twenty miles out of the way simply because I didn’t use my GPS.  To make matters worse, I passed by the correct exit three times before finally arriving at my destination.  IF ONLY I WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS!  Yesterday while doing some reading, my eyes zeroed in on a verse that reminded me of following directions.

Psalm 119:5 (NLT)
Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!

At the very beginning of the longest chapter in the Bible, we find these penetrating words.  To be honest, they jumped off the page at me.  Why?  Because I so often find that my actions are in violation of the decrees I speak about, write about, and try to live by!  Without a doubt, I believe that the word “decrees” in the above passage is a synonym for God’s Word.  The Psalmist is conveying long-term endurance in obeying the Word of God.  I can easily sense the Psalmist’s desire from the words “… consistently reflect your decrees.”  The problem with this verse for me, and I am sure for you also, is the word “actions.” Intellectual assent to obeying God’s decrees is one thing, but living a life where actions consistently reflect His decrees is another thing altogether.  In Christian America, we too often agree with His Word, quote the principles, memorize the verses, but stop short of personally internalizing the truths.  Therefore, you often find it hard to distinguish Christ–followers from just good people.

If you are like me, you’ve got the basics down of good Christian living. I talk about the principles of God’s Word daily, and even write about them, but if I am not careful I violate the very principles that I passionately convey to others.  Now to be honest, I am not talking about denying the Word or turning away from it in rebellion.  My thoughts on this verse for you and me are more of a subtle knowing (intellectually), but not doing (actions).

My wife would have never gotten lost last Wednesday.  She would have followed the GPS above all else, and not taken for granted that she could find her own way.   The contrast between her logic and mine is exactly the conflict we see in following the decrees of God’s Word.  If you want to do a Mike, then just live life, agree with the principles and struggle needlessly.  Following the directions (letting my actions consistently reflect Your decrees) won’t remove all the obstacles from life, but it will provide a guide to navigate them.

If you are a Christ-follower, there’s probably agreement with every sentence of this article.  But to make the concepts real to you, permit me to share a few statements that are action oriented. They deal directly with a life of faith and God’s decrees.  While reviewing these words, if you sense that there is a contrast between your actions and His Word, be honest and admit it. He already knows you are struggling!

…trust Him in every circumstance
…forgive others when they hurt you
…worry is wrong, it’s sin
…pray without ceasing
…walk by faith, not by sight
…in everything give thanks

My point is not perfection … that’s Heaven!  But if you desire a life where your actions would consistently reflect His decrees, know it is possible.  The six statements above are a good place to start seeking consistent obedience.  Please know that they are not manufactured, however.  Grow in His Word, yield to His Spirit, and determine that by faith you will see victory (not perfection) in these areas.  So the choice is clear: Do a Mike, or follow His Decrees!

Quiet down before God, be prayerful before Him.

Those words taken from Psalms 37:7 in The Message sum up the journey, and struggle, that I have faced this week. In an effort to practice embracing God in each moment (after all I did write about it), I have been keenly aware of my desire vs. my struggle. It only makes sense to me that every Christ-follower would want to live with a quiet center and prayerful heart. Why is it then that so few live with ears in tune to what the Lord is trying to convey? My personal conviction is that the quiet center available to us is filled with noise (I battle the noise, do you?). We can all find excuses for the noisy and distracted lives that we lead, but when the noise and distractions cause us to miss what God is saying, no excuse is good enough. Is your heart quiet and prayerful this week?

My personal reading has taken me to a book called Thirsting for God by Gary Thomas. Really thirsting after God will cause redirection in anyone’s life. I find that seeking the Father slows me down internally, and fuels the desire for that quiet center. See if the following quote from Thomas’ book resonates with where your journey is currently.

Living a busy life is like running a marathon—we tax our ability to care, our ability to focus, our strength to manage disappointment, our sense of peace and rest. Consequently, we live on the edge of exhaustion, irritation and anger. We have to re-gather ourselves, guard our peace, and focus so we will be free to care about the things that really matter and fully give ourselves to the tasks God calls us to address.

Could those words be spoken of you? If so, you have felt that guilty tug when someone needs your assistance but there is little energy or emotional reserves to help. We are all human and subject to seasons that are extremely busy and taxing. But to live with noise, distractions and chaotic schedules that limit our listening to God and hinder our walk with Him is unacceptable. You and I can quiet down and be prayerful before Him.

In the book, Thirsting for God, there is another penetrating and very convicting statement that we all need to hear.

The spiritual life is impossible in a heart full of noise and occupation.

Our lives become more about fitting God in, and less about living life from that quiet center. The noise around us does not have to invade us.

Countless times, I have read of Jesus getting away and praying. Luke says: But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. I can imagine that those were special moments and times of refreshment. I need exactly that in my life. But oh how the distractions and noise become addictive. For me, it’s a choice: will I or won’t I live with a quiet heart, and seek to embrace God in each moment? How about you? There can be no greater indication of our need to fight the noise and distractions than looking at Christ’s pattern. He needed to get away from the crowds, and He needed to pray. None of us can claim lives with more noise and chaos than the Son of God. But listening to the Father was obviously important to Him. Could it be any less important for us?  I believe a quiet center is available to me; do you?

My goal in this post is not to instruct, but to relate. My selfishness often drowns out the voice I most want to hear. Recently I have been challenged to grow quieter, and embrace Him in each moment. Progress is slow, but I’m determined to have what is available to me. For me it starts in my time with the Father. But then there has to be a conscious choice all day long to slow down, relax and be a listener. I want to hear what He has to say. Your noise and distractions are probably different from mine, but you have them. Are you working from a quiet center, or just fitting God into your schedule (easy to do)?  My thoughts in writing this were skeptical – that no one would really take the challenge. But if there is one person reading this that is ready for a quiet center (and I hope it’s you), I am praying for you!

Celebrations mean different things to different people.  My father-in-law was a decorated war veteran, having received a silver star with oak leaf cluster, a purple heart and five bronze stars.  He was a true war hero.  He knew what it took to put his life on the line for his country.  When Memorial Day would come each year he really understood its significance.  Having never served in the military, I can easily look at this special day as just a holiday and miss its significance.

Last Friday evening, my wife and I were with some friends for dinner.  Before giving thanks for the meal, the host said he was wearing a red shirt in honor of all those who had given their lives for our freedom.  It caused me to pause because of his sensitivity to what I was looking at as just a holiday weekend.  He got the significance of the price that bought our freedom.  Later that night the same gentleman read an email detailing the incredible devotion of the men and women who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Today, our President will lay a wreath at that very tomb.  The email detailed the unyielding commitment of those who guard that tomb every hour, 365 days a year.  Those who guard the tomb willingly give up personal comfort to live with discipline, precision and self- sacrifice for a cause they regard as greater than themselves.  Without a doubt, they understand the significance that provides all of us freedom on this Memorial Day.  The creed that these dedicated men and women live by is below; What Devotion!  It’s called The Sentinels Creed:

My dedication to this sacred duty is total and wholehearted.  In the responsibility bestowed on me never will I falter.  And with dignity and perseverance my standard will remain perfection.  Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability.  It is he who commands the respect I protect.  His bravery that made us so proud.  Surrounded by well-meaning crowds by day alone in the thoughtful peace of night, this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance.  –Simon 1971

To give you a picture of their dedication, I want to share with you what happened in 2004 as reported by ABC news.  Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC.  Because of the impending danger from the storm, the military members assigned guard duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend their assignment.  They respectfully declined saying, “No way, Sir!”  Soaked to the skin and marching through a terrific storm, these soldiers said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, but the highest honor afforded a service person. They understood the significance of what bought our freedom.

Remembering my father-in-law’s sacrifice, listening to my friend’s sensitivity and learning the dedication of those guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has changed this Memorial Day for me.  I will not let its significance pass me by this year.  What about you?  Flags will fly, parades will take place, and a wreath will be placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier representing to all of us the price of our freedom.  It will be a significant day!

There is another tomb that we should honor today … an empty one.  All Christ-followers are soldiers who were given freedom by the Savior who rose from that Tomb.  Can it be said of you and me that our dedication matches that of the Sentinels Creed?  The day Christ arose was truly SIGNIFICANT!

Do you ever feel like life is a cycle of one confusing event after another? There is so much that happens, and we all wonder “why?” On this side of eternity there are so many un-answered questions. Often there is a sense of feeling disobedient or “unspiritual” if we think or voice honest questions about the tough issues we face. But believe me, God can handle our questions and desires our honesty. Look with me at a few confusing examples that will resonate with all of us.

• I prayed so hard about it, but things still didn’t turn out well.

• Why did such a godly person pass away so young?

• Why do some of the people I love have so much pain? It seems so unfair.

• Parents walk with God in front of their children, only to raise adult children with little spiritual interest.

In your silent moments, some of those very thoughts may have passed through your mind. A godly relative of mine once said to me, “faith is great … after the fact”. Even though I gave him a good spiritual lecture, I am not naïve to the fact that most of us have encountered similar feelings. So how do we balance our confidence in the sovereignty and sufficiency of our Lord with the constant messages of life that attack our faith? We must choose to live by trusting in the absolute truth of God’s Word, and the power of its Author. Agreeing with the Word intellectually may be a given in your life, but battles still rage in the practice of it’s truth.

In his great work, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers gives insight into the confusion(s) of life. He said, “You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey.” Isn’t it true that in our quest to make sense of this life, we far too often use our own reasoning to make it all fit? Unfortunately for us, even our best reasoning falls short in the simplest quandaries of life. If that’s not enough, our human logic struggles to ever make sense of the bigger questions like why some get cancer, and why the wicked strike it rich. Our best choice is to follow the logic of Oswald Chambers. Obeying the truth of Scripture and the prompting of His Spirit will help make the confusions of life clearer. Clarity will come in gaining His perspective, and not by having all of our questions answered.

You have your tough issues, and I have mine. Pull no punches with God; cry out to Him! There is no one more acquainted with your grief. Then accept that He will choose what He wants to reveal to us. He is God! … and we are not.

It is not His design to answer all of our questions on this side of eternity, but He has given us His Word, and His promise of peace. If you are a Christ-follower, don’t worry about what you can’t figure out or fix. Just obey what you know to be true, and submit your confusion to Him.

Psalm 55:22 (NLT)
Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.