The Tooth be Told... (groan!)

We had our first lost tooth in our house last night. In all honesty, we COULD have had that same first lost tooth about six days ago. However, our son had a few fears and misgivings about just pulling that sucker out. I totally understand, though, because while I don’t really remember that particular experience, I do recall that at younger ages, the fear of the unknown and possible pain scared me into inaction on more than once occasion.

We knew we had to do something yesterday when he came in from his after school care, and he could exhale and the tooth would freely flop back and forth on the gum. The root was exposed in the front and the back and I wasn’t really sure what was even holding the tooth in place. When I suggested that he simply grab ahold of it and pull it out, the idea was met with instant weeping and gnashing of the remaining teeth. (That one would flop out of the way, and could not gnash.)

I pulled the child into the bathroom, and we talked for a second. I explained that I understood that he was scared, and that I couldn’t promise that there would be no additional pain. I simply told him that I was afraid he would knock it out while he was eating and accidentally swallow it. I also suggested that it probably would not hurt, but even if it did a little bit, it was probably less painful than when the root would bounce against the already exposed gums without going back into the socket. I told him that I was his dad, and only wanted to help him, even though he was scared. He finally relented, but was still nervous and gave a shout when I put my fingers in his mouth to pull. He was still making noise about five seconds later when he realized I was done and had removed the tooth painlessly about four and a half seconds ago. Suddenly the tears turned to smiles, and we celebrated the new milestone in our family.

Isn’t it funny how something so little can cause us great stress and worry? I’m the same way with shots. I’ve had them, and I know intellectually that shots carry with them some discomfort, but nothing warranting the cold sweats and nervous shakes I get just before that needle is in my skin. In fact, it’s usually done before I have time to really work myself into a panic. Yes, I am a needle-phobe. I’m okay with that.

I choose to believe that while God does not enjoy our fear or pain, sometimes it’s that very pain that grows us and moves us closer to Him. That very fear that is being driven away (1 John 4), is the wall that is being removed that opens our hearts for God to work there. God did not take away that loved one to teach YOU a lesson, but through your grieving, God will certainly be with you and provide comfort. God did not cause the economy to go south just so you would experience unemployment in your family to teach YOU a lesson. What He will do is use different avenues to provide for you, and to let you know that He is still there with you. God did not make your spouse cheat on you to teach YOU a lesson. (See the pattern, here?) However, in your pain and heartbreak, God is working to pull you through the hard time, and mending you where you are broken.

In those times, if we lean on Him and allow Him to be our strength, we also hear some words that will shape us and change us. Hard experiences change our lives already--there’s no getting around that. Not all of the change has to be bad. In fact, if we draw on our faith in God, and follow His leading in our lives, we can emerge from our darkest days stronger and healthier than we were going into those days. No, we would not wish the hurt on anyone, but I’ve heard many people say that it was through that hurt that they could let God do what was best for them, and bring about the best possible end to a bad situation. That’s when they can truly look back and celebrate a new spiritual milestone in their life.

Running, running, running.

On my way to work this morning, I saw something that really impressed me. There is this man that jogs up and down a road that I drive on to get to and from work. (Baxter Road for those that know.) I see him almost every day, and it occurred to me a few weeks ago that this seems odd, especially since sometimes it’s in the morning that I see him and sometimes it’s afternoon. Occasionally, it’s both.

Does this guy just run all day? Is his endurance world-record setting? Is he a marathon runner? Is he a cyborg from another planet sent to dominate all the running events in the 2012 Olympics?

One of the things about this guy is that he appears to be in his late middle-ages. I’d guess in his mid to late fifties. There is certainly nothing odd about people that age exercising. I know a couple around that age that are half the couple they used to be due to the exercising they have been doing! I guess what really got me this morning is that it was raining. Not pouring-down, torrential rain, but steady, and enough to make me want to just call it a day already, and sit inside in front of the TV all day, doing nothing productive. (Hey, I’m here, aren’t I? I didn’t actually do that.)

In spite of what some would use as an excuse to skip out on the exercise, this man just bundled up, and continued his run. His commitment to the running came through, no matter what the environment around him provided.

The parallel to that, which we all knew was coming, is that as followers of Christ, we need to have the same kind of commitment to our relationship with Him. There will be PLENTY of distractions in this world that we could use as excuses to fall away and not be committed. There will be several opportunities each day to simply conform to the world and not stand out for Jesus. Temptation lurks around more corners than we want to admit giving us a chance to give in to sin, and to ignore what God’s Word tells us is His standard that we are asked to uphold.

Are we going to let a little rain in our life keep us from our commitment? I know I have, and I’m ashamed of it. What’s a little water? I shower in it every day, why not run in it as well? Beyond that, I accept God’s blessings and what He chooses to give me many times. Why do I hold on so tightly and refuse to give my life back to Him in spite of the environment around me? Let’s lace up!

Freedom Is Here

For anyone who knows me at all, it’s no secret that once I had kids, I discovered my own control issues. The biggest symptom of the problem has been my temper. I’ve been pretty up front about it with others, and used it as teaching examples of how we all have different things that haunt us. I’ve prayed about it, cried about it, asked for much advice and prayer from others, and just when I think I’m getting a leg up, another bad day comes along and leaves me lashing out at the kids over something that really is small and insignificant.

Now, for the record, I have not abused my kids, and I’m not just a 24/7 scream machine. I just believe that there are better ways to discipline my own children, and so as a consequence, I’m harder on myself than I need to be about the occasional lapse in judgment. My parents encourage me by assuring me that it happened to them many more times than I actually remember. In fact, one such incident that I don’t remember but have been told about is me and my brother fighting when we were older kids, and my mom finally had enough and threw us out of the house for awhile. Apparently one of us was in our underwear...maybe it was me and I’ve just blocked the memory. To this day, I don’t remember the encounter at all.

Regardless of what your feelings are about my parenting skills, at the end of the day, I have to be able to look in the mirror and be okay with the kind of dad I am. But really, that’s not even accurate either. At the end of the day--I need to be able to seek God’s guidance and wisdom, and allow HIM to correct, shape, encourage, or whatever HE chooses to make me the kind of dad He made me to be.

Unfortunately, I’m not always in the right state of being to get to that place, and I walk around with guilt over a shouting fit, or a punishment for my kids that didn’t fit their crime. This is where the doubts come in: “...you’re a terrible dad--good dads don’t yell at their kids. Good dads don’t spank their kids when they’re angry. If you were a good father, you’d stop thinking about how annoyed you are and would focus more on their wants…”

This is not the voice of God. These thoughts are flaming arrows from the enemy, targeted at a weak spot in my armor. When they land just right, the flames of guilt engulf me, and keep me from moving forward and learning from my mistakes.

Here’s where Freedom comes in. There’s a song that Hillsong United sings that I’ve heard several times now at different events, and I’m beginning to internalize the message of it:

And everything comes alive
In my life as we lift You higher
Let Your freedom arise
In our lives as we lift You up
Sing it out
Sing it out
Your freedom is here

When I’m struggling with guilt, I need to remember that God’s grace covers all the sins I’ve committed--including the mistakes I have made as a parent. That forgiveness gives me another chance to get it right, and hope that my kids won’t be nearly as messed up because of it as I dread. When I lift up God’s Grace, and worship Him for who He is, Freedom comes alive in my life. That guilt is melted away. When I go and apologize to my kids for shouting, I’m having to exercise humility. When I humble myself, God is made greater, and the remaining chains of guilt are broken free.

God’s freedom extends for all sins. We may still have to deal with real consequences of our actions, but our spirits can be set free from the bondage that sin causes, and eventually, we can learn to drop those oppressive holds faster and sooner. We don’t want to sin more just to make that grace look better (See Romans 6), but we know that we will mess up, and when we do, our repentance and humility before God will allow Him to come in and heal us, restore our hope, and give us the strength we need to move on.

What chains hold you down? Is your hope being swallowed up by the flames of doubt and discouragement? Open your heart to God’s forgiveness, and experience freedom like you never have before.

Just because I like the song, here’s a quick listen...

Do YOUR Part, Trust God to do HIS.

Every once in awhile, we get visitors here at the church during the week that come in from their every day walk of life, and they have questions or concerns and wish to speak with a minister. In the last couple of months, I’ve had an opportunity to sit down with two different people. There was a nineteen year old girl, and a twenty year old guy. Both of them came in just looking to talk with a minister, both of them had some past experiences that had led them to seek out some help.

In the first situation, this girl was struggling because she didn’t feel loved. To make a long story short, she was unappreciated by her own family, and had been through relationships that left her feeling so bad about herself that I believe she truly believed she was unlovable. It broke my heart as we sat and talked. I did the only thing I knew to do to encourage her, which was to tell her that she was a treasure to God. She was created in His image, and He loved her so much that Jesus came and died so that she could have a relationship with God now, and could live with her forever in heaven.

As we talked some more, I was able to remind her over and over that people will let us down, but God never will. The exciting news was that when I asked her about what she thought, she wanted to pray to ask Jesus to be her Savior, and to come live in her heart! It was very humbling to be used in that situation. I always struggle with what to say, but obviously the Holy Spirit worked in spite of me and she is now a sister in Christ! I invited her to church, and encouraged her to find a place where she could be fed spiritually and be challenged to continue this new walk of faith. I gave her a new Bible and a devotional guide and prayed with her before she left. It was a very encouraging encounter!

The young man that I talked with came from a different, but equally tough past. His choices had led him to a place where he was living a hard way, and had some consequences. The thing that got me was that some of his friends that were making similar choices were now gone. In fact, three of them had died in the last month.

We talked about the effects of our choices, why it’s important that we choose God without being forced into that relationship, and how choosing to live within God’s standards actually provides greater freedom than taking advantage of the “freedom” we have to participate in worldly things. I was filled with hope as he began to talk of the evil in the world and his desire to spark a movement to change things for the better, and to get people back on track with what God wants.

Sensing the need to talk more about how the Holy Spirit can guide that process, I shared with him some of Peter’s story of change (Acts 2), and how Paul was completely changed by the Spirit. (Acts 9) I’m only human, but I really sensed that he had not ever accepted Christ and received the Holy Spirit, so I shared some more about that. However, even after a long conversation, this young man didn’t want to do that. He says he did all that when he was younger, and was, in fact, a Christian. Unfortunately, when I asked him what that meant, it didn’t seem to line up with what I believe Scripture says. I did end up praying with him, and left the invitation to come back to church anytime and see me. As he left, I was discouraged, and second-guessed everything I said to him.

In each situation, even though there were similar motives to come in to a church, the outcome was different. In fact, each turned out exactly opposite from what my gut instinct was at first. I really believed the girl would continue to doubt her worth in God’s eyes, and based on the conversation about sin, I expected the young man to accept Christ.

Jesus says we are to “make disciples.” Sometimes I forget that in order to become a disciple, we have to start the journey at the beginning. I can do NOTHING to “get someone saved.” In fact, I have a really hard time trusting anyone who says they had someone saved, as I once heard a popular youth evangelist say. Really, all I can do is to plant a seed and share the story. From that point, it is totally up to the work of the Holy Spirit to move in the heart of the individual. Once someone has started the journey, it is up to fellow believers to encourage them to grow, challenge them in their depth, and to hold them accountable to their faith.

When folks reject the message, they are not rejecting us--it’s the Gospel of Jesus, so they are rejecting Christ. (Luke 10:16) It’s not our job to take it personally when someone does or does not pray to receive Christ when we’ve offered that chance. It’s our job to tell them, and continue to pray for them and love them. God will work in His way and in His time, whether we understand or approve of it. In fact, it’s laughable to consider that God works in the hearts of others just to appease our need to put a notch on the “got people saved” belt.

Not every encounter you have with someone will end up the way you want it. But, if you are faithful to boldly share God’s love at every chance you get, God will use it for His glory. Be faithful to God based on what He wants you to do, not on what your understanding of the outcome might be.

Upping The Game

I admit that I’m a soccer dad. We usually don’t get as much attention as the “soccer moms,” but the truth is, we exist, too. Both of the twins have played soccer now for three seasons, which span fall of last year, spring of last year, and the current season going on right now. While that doesn’t sound like much, when you try to get home from work, dress the kids (why do soccer socks have to be so difficult?), and get them to practice on time, and then do very much the same thing for games on Saturday, it can be chaotic.

The last two weeks have been really cool games to attend. Not just because of the weather, but because as I’ve watched my two boys, It’s like something in their heads just finally clicked. All of the sudden, they don’t just look like kids running after a ball, they look like soccer players. They have started dribbling the ball with purpose, they are passing to their teammates, scoring goals, and they are helping to talk and communicate with the other players on the field, helping the team on the whole. If I had to put words to it, it’s like they’ve “upped their game” and have moved into a new understanding and application of the skills they’ve worked to learn.

Now, let me switch gears for a moment. I play guitar. While I’m not the greatest you’ll ever hear, or even worthy of throwing away the old strings from Joe Satriani’s guitar, I have played long enough to be confident in the abilities I do have. However, a few weeks ago, I was setting up for our usual Wednesday night session, and was playing my guitar to make sure it was set up correctly with no problems. All of the sudden, I started doing a few things I didn’t know I could do. While my guitar hadn’t changed, I was seeing the neck and strings in a whole new light.

I had something of a break-through that took all the skills I have learned and put them into practice on a different level. I guess I actually “upped my game” when it comes to playing. I’m still not claiming to be worthy to polish Mark Tremonti’s old guitar case, but I feel as though I can do a bit more now than I could even a few weeks ago. As a result, my confidence is up, and I’m excited about playing more!

When you live as a follower of Christ, there are many things you will learn. There are Bible stories to read, scriptures to memorize, worship songs to sing, and sermons for which you can take notes. As a result of these actions, you will continue to acquire “skills” of a growing Christian. Like my sons on the soccer field, and me on guitar, there will be different times when you experience break-throughs, and new clear understanding that will actually help you to “up your game,” and show you new ways to apply the knowledge and help you to better discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Unlike soccer and guitar, these things have eternal, lasting value. Not only will you be potentially stronger and more faithful, but your ability to share your faith with others will grow. Who knows how many more disciples you will help to make? (Matthew 28:19-20)

My sons may never be as skilled as Pele or David Beckham. I may never acquire the same skill on guitar as John Petrucci. None of us will ever be as perfect as Jesus Christ, but because we can abide in Him (John 15), we have potential to continue to “up our game” as long as we have breath. What’s holding you back from taking your life as a Believer to the next level?