From Anonymous to Infamous

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6

 
I recently had the opportunity to watch a sports documentary called “Catching Hell.”  It tells the story of Steve Bartman, a 26 year old man whose life went from anonymous to infamous in the blink of an eye. 

 
As a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs, Steve had to be thrilled to see his favorite team make it into the 2003 postseason.  What’s more, with a potent starting lineup and a bullpen filled with talented pitchers, 2003 was as good a chance as any that the Cubs ever had to break the “Curse of the Billy Goat” and make it back to the World Series.  Imagine how excited he had to be when he and three of his friends were able to acquire front row seats down the left field line at Wrigley Field for Game 6 with the Cubs only one victory away from their first World Series appearance in 95 years.  It was history in the making – if only he knew why.

 
Move forward to the eighth inning of the game.  The Cubs are leading the Florida Marlins by a score of 3-0.  There is one out and Cubs ace Mark Prior is on the mound facing Luis Castillo.  Castillo gets out in front of a pitch and has lifted a fly ball into foul territory, down the left field line, close to the seats, heading right toward Steve Bartman.  This is a baseball fan’s dream come true.  Bartman and the others around him prepared for the coming prize without a moment’s thought to what was happening in front of them on the field.  Cubs left fielder, Moises Alou, had ventured over toward the wall tracking the path of the ball.  His head was up, his eyes fixed on both the ball and his glove as he moved into position to make the play.  Finding the wall, Alou braced himself and then leaped to make the catch, but the ball never made it to his glove.  Instead, the ball caromed off of the fingers of another set outstretched arms – the arms of Steve Bartman.  Alou was furious.  Convinced he would have made the play he reacted harshly, slamming his glove and glaring at Bartman.  TV and radio crews began to debate whether the play was fan interference, so the replay aired over and over again, showing the fans, the player, and the ball trickle away from its destiny.  Filling time as the umpires reviewed the play and sensing the uneasy feeling that now fell over Wrigley, the announcers made repeated jokes and comments regarding Bartman’s actions, calling him out and noting that his safety might be in jeopardy.  These things were unsettling for the fans, but after all, the Cubs were still in command and only five outs away…

 
But then the wheels fell off.  A hanging curveball, a surprising error, and a seemingly endless series of Marlins hits followed the foul ball.  Suddenly the comfortable 3-0 was buried under 8 unanswered Marlin runs.  The game turned.  The series – although far from over in actuality was now all but conceded.  The curse lived on and Steve Bartman was public enemy #1. 

 
He was heckled, had objects thrown at him, was cursed at, threatened and for his own safety was escorted from his seat by security.  His friends left him as he sat in a security office.  He had to be disguised just to leave the stadium and after being recognized by irate fans, taken to a security staff member’s apartment to wait until the coast was clear.  But it doesn’t end there.  The media discovered his identity and reported it as part of their coverage of the game.  Media and police camped outside of his family’s home waiting for him as he remained in hiding for the whole thing to blow over.  Sadly, his beloved Cubs would lose game seven and missed the World Series.  To this day, he remains a target of reporters wanting an interview and a few fans wanting a pound of flesh.  He didn’t even have the ball to show for his troubles.  Another fan sitting a few seats away eventually caught the ball and later sold it for over $100,000.  Of course, over the years Steve has had more than a few lucrative offers to cash in on the incident, but he has quietly refused them, giving all appearances that he has moved forward clinging to his anonymity in the face of the world wanting him to embrace his infamy.

 
It’s funny how life can sometimes bring situations like this to us, forcing us to face circumstances we’d never dreamed possible.  Had he known what would come of it, I dare say Steve would have stayed home and watched the game in his living room.  But then again, we rarely see the pitfalls that await us.  Nobody daydreams about battling addictions as a sixth grader.  Married couples don’t think about how they’ll divide their dishes in the divorce as they open gifts the day after the wedding.    This isn’t to say that we, like the Cubs (allegedly) are all cursed.  Yes, the Bible is clear in telling us that because sin surrounds us, troubles will find us.  But here’s the beauty of it: through the death and resurrection of Christ, we are able to overcome the consequences of our mistakes.  Though the world may want to take one moment of our lives and use it to label us for eternity, we find strength, comfort and hope in the sure knowledge that God’s view is different.  The moment He chooses to view was in a garden over 2,000 years ago as His Son rose from the dead.  His victory is enough to give us victory, to break the curse that our sin has left on our lives and to redeem us to the relationship we so desperately need in Him.  The world can think what it would like – but in Christ we find our way, we learn our truth, and restore our life.

 
Troubles will find us, but it is grace that defines us as the Savior refines us.

Peace

May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity – Psalm 122:7-9
God is good. His love and His mercies endure forever. He is filled with compassion for His people, forgiving their sins through His Son and growing their faith through His Spirit. He desires that we, as His dearly loved children, live in that same peace with Him and with one another. His model is one that we can easily see and clearly follow.
So why then is it so difficult to achieve true peace? A peace that is more than simply painting a smile on our faces to cover up hurts or ignoring issues by imagining they just don’t exist. No real improvement can be made by sticking your head in the sand, but yet that is precisely what many of us do when it comes to dealing with the troubles we face. We can come up with all the excuses we want, but excuses aren’t solutions. They are attempts to justify indecision, weakness, and fear. Excuses run hollow when compared to what God desires for us. This is because man’s methods merely provide a coping mechanism while God’s deal with the core issue. The world’s way seeks personal satisfaction where God’s way offers hope and peace.
In God we not only find the true peace that He desires for us, but also the courage and strength needed to pursue and achieve it. Peace is not automatic, but through full submission to the will of the Father in our lives, the tools are within our reach. It is my prayer that we find that peace in every area of our lives, that we might better serve God in every capacity. Let our hearts be filled with the Holy Spirit, who serves as our guide to ensure that we enjoy the fullness of the peace that passes all understanding.

Guarantees

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. – Psalm 37:16-19

 
Abundance comes upon us as God has promised to provide it.  Like many things in life, the method, the amount, and the timing are ultimately in His control.  However, we do have some say in the matter.  Our role comes in the choices we make between being wicked or righteous.  Do we inflate our self-worth to make ourselves seem more important, to place undue credit for our success, for our gifts, and for our lives on ourselves?  Or do we recognize the true provider of all good things and align our lives with Him in order to build ourselves into the full manifestation of who He created us to be in the first place?

 
There are many quotes that talk about guarantees – how life doesn’t offer many and about how some rather negative things like death and taxes defy that rule.  How unfortunate that most people must have their perspective skewed in such a manner.  As Christians, we need not focus our thoughts on negativity when it comes to studying certainties.  In fact, God provides us with many good things upon which we can rely.  What is the limit to God’s love?  What reason do we have to doubt His forgiveness for our sins?  Which promise has He given to us that was eventually broken?  What need of ours has gone unaddressed?  Whose life has not been impacted by the greatness of our all-powerful Heavenly Father?  There is nothing we should worry about.  There is no reason to expect anything in our lives except blessings and joy from the throne of our King.

 
So in a world filled with distrust, broken promises, and sin, how comforting it is to know that Christ has bridged all of it to provide us our path to Heaven and the outstretched arms of the Father.  You know this truth, and consequently, you spend every day of your life living in love and basking in blessings that God Himself has left for you.  May your days be rooted in this premise – whether you face a hectic schedule filled with many demands, or have a day all to yourself.  Be blessed!  You are truly a special creation – a masterpiece of God craftsmanship and an heir to the King of Kings.  May you always know the love of God in all things so that you may prosper in everything you do in His name.

The Master’s Lock

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps. – 1 Peter 2:21

 
For several years, I worked as the athletic director of a K-8 school.  The job brought with it many of exciting responsibilities and many, many mundane ones.  One of the more important and least impressive jobs that I had every year was the task of distributing combination locks to the students for use in the locker rooms.  We provided the locks so that we’d have easy access to open them if needed.  But because the students bought the locks from the school, I was also tasked with the “important” job of teaching the students how to open the lock.

 
If you know how to open a combination lock, it’s easy.  First, you must spin the combination dial a minimum of two full revolutions in a clockwise direction, finally stopping on the first number of the combination.  From there, you make a full revolution counter-clockwise before stopping on the second number.  Finally, you turn the dial clockwise again until you get to the third number of the combination then pull.  Simple right?

 
Not really.  Every year when I passed out the locks to our new fifth grade class, I always banked a few extra minutes into the schedule to teach the kids how to open their locks, and even then I would still have a few who needed extra help and practice to get the lock to open.  This wasn’t designed to embarrass anyone.  The bottom line was for many of these kids this was the first time they’d ever been asked to open a combination lock.  Opening these types of locks for years has a way of making me forget how tricky it was the first time I had to try when I was a fifth grader.  We forget that most anything is easy if you know what you’re doing.

 
So once again, I’ve shared with you information that you read and think to yourself, “Duh! Thanks Captain Obvious.”  Identifying letters and colors became easy once we learned them.  So did reading, blowing a bubble, and tying your shoes.  So why of all of these things in life did I choose opening a lock for my analogy?  It’s because unlike all of these other things which can be learned and perfected in many different ways, there is only one way to successfully open a combination lock and that is to follow the procedure correctly.  In many ways, the choices that the world gives us are like those many other tasks I’d had listed above.  When it comes to learning how to excel at those things, there are lots of different options and methods from which to choose.  But because the lock only opens one way it is essential to know the specific steps and follow them perfectly. 

 
Of course, there is another way that you can get around the procedures and open the lock – get a pair of bolt cutters and cut it open.  This is an effective method but it is also one that can create a lot of unwanted consequences.  Say you decide to use the cutters on someone else’s lock.  Now you’ve opened it, you can have access to anything you want, but what you find is not for you, could be harmful to you, and might get you into an awful lot of trouble.  And if you use the cutters to break open your own lock you can take pride in knowing that you’ve opened the lock with more speed and ease, but by ignoring the process you’ve caused irreparable damage and left yourself open to dangers and hazards with no chance to correct it.

 
We must remember that locks are designed by God to protect and prevent us from being harmed.  Some locks are permanent – keeping us away from the things toward which we should never venture.  Other locks are temporary, prohibiting us from getting into things we are not yet ready to take.  It is God who knows what we should and shouldn’t have, when we should have it, and how it will benefit us at the proper time.  And when that time comes, the Holy Spirit will give us the correct combination and teach us the proper procedure for opening the lock safely, securely and in a way that maximizes the blessing of whatever He has chosen to give us.  Peter’s words serve as a powerful reminder that we must humble ourselves to follow in the footsteps of Christ – the One whose perfect model freed us to receive the greatest gifts that God has to offer.

 
It can be hard to follow the steps and not do it our own way.  It can be harder when you know what to do but are being instructed to wait patiently for the right time.  But thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives we have the ability to put our trust in Him so that we can lock up the joy found only in the loving arms of God.

Foul Ball

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. – Psalm 9:9-10

 
I did something tonight that I haven’t done in a very long time: I took time to sit and watch a baseball game (okay, it was only the last three innings, but that’s significant after years of not paying much attention).  Late in the game a foul ball was hit down the left field line.  The ball boy easily fielded the ball off of the wall and immediately turned to the stands to present the ball to one of the several children standing there with their gloves (and their hopes) stretched out.  I noticed that three of the five boys at the rail already had a ball in their gloves – undoubtedly from foul balls previously handed over.  Recognizing this, the ball boy passed them by to give the ball to the next kid in line who didn’t have a ball.  I’m sure the child was delighted with the good fortune of having been given the ultimate souvenir from a major league baseball game, but I must confess that I’ll have to assume it.

 
As the boy squeezed the ball in his glove, he turned his back to the camera to show the other boys what he had been given.  What I saw was the look on the face of the other boy – the last one in line and the only one of the boys in that group yet to have gotten a ball.  I was transfixed as I watched him turn to his father with a look of disappointment and despair.  It was late in the game and he knew he was running out of opportunities.  Had nobody else gotten a ball, he probably would have been okay, but to be the last one waiting was clearly upsetting to him.  The game continued on and I must admit I didn’t give it much thought until the final out had been recorded.  Then it dawned on me: there hadn’t been another ball hit down the 3^rd base line.  No opportunities for him to join in the happiness the others felt.  I can only imagine what he must have been feeling.  I don’t have to imagine the way his dad felt.

 
As the father of two, I want what’s best for my children.  I may not always get things right.  I might not give them everything I’d like, but I work as hard as I can to give my children the best of everything.  I know what it’s like to work to provide something special for my kids only to have circumstances beyond my control bring my plans and their hopes crashing down.  It is a sickeningly helpless feeling to watch your child experience hurt or pain caused by someone else or by no one in particular and to have no control over the outcome.  I’ve observed promises that have gone unkept.  I’ve watched people play significant roles in their lives only to abruptly leave without warning or explanation.  I’ve seen them look into my eyes in search of an answer, a word of consolation, or an assurance that the injustice can be undone.  Sadly, more often than not, they only find a hug and promise of something better spoken in a way that tries to mask the hollowness of words they don’t want to hear as much as I don’t want to speak them.

 
This makes me wonder what God sees when He looks at all of His children.  Many of us are living like the boy who never received the opportunity to get a ball.  We do all we can: we try to get ahead, we work, we sacrifice, we budget and establish a financial plan but nothing seems to go right.  Frustration sets in and we begin to lose our comfort and composure.  We grow frustrated and impatient, and we make silly mistakes that will create bigger problems in our lives, our homes, our churches, and our communities.  But in spite of our own short-comings, we are blessed to be able to turn to our Heavenly Father and know that we are loved and all of our needs are being met in the way that best suits us.  Like the dad at the ball game, we will have His full attention to help us.  But unlike the earthly dad, He is not limited by what He is able to do.  His response to our cries will be exactly what we need for that moment and for the rest of our lives.  We may not always see it and we certainly won’t always understand it, but through the faith built up in us by the Holy Spirit, we can trust God to give us what we need, when we need it in the right way and in the perfect amount. 

 
May we always remember to turn to Him in good times and bad, relying upon His strength to guide us through everything life has to offer.

Soap Opera

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. – Genesis 50:15-21

 
I’ve never understood the appeal of daytime soap operas.  Some of these shows have been running for decades, many of which featuring the same characters experiencing some of the most amazing lives imaginable.  One would think that romantic and professional ups and downs would be enough drama for most people, but not the writers of the soaps.  Love triangles, kidnapping, amnesia, visits by aliens, plots to break up couples, identity swapping, even demon possession are all common place among the daytime shows.  How is this entertaining?  I couldn’t imagine anyone getting caught up in these shows, wishing they could trade lives with any of these people?  Is it just to make them feel better about their own lives: “I’m struggling to pay my bills, but at least my husband’s evil twin didn’t sneak into my house to steal my baby to sell it on the black market to buy a new speed boat” (If I see this show up on a plotline somewhere, I’ll expect a royalty check).

 
Soap operas don’t often emulate real life, but sometimes the stories do compare.  Think of the Joseph and his brothers – it’s totally “soapy.”  This story provides an excellent example of God’s desire for forgiveness.  If anyone had reason to seek revenge against anyone, it would be both Jacob and Joseph against the rest of the brothers.  Joseph lost years of his life in captivity and incarceration, while Jacob needlessly carried the burden of losing a son who was still alive.  It’s the stuff of daytime soap operas and the kind of thing that the world defines as unforgiveable.  Of course, the offense doesn’t have to be this severe to get people to treat each other badly and refuse to forgive or reconcile.  It’s unfortunate too, because this simple decision turns into a reaping and sowing situation.  If you sow wheat, you harvest wheat.  If you sow forgiveness, you harvest forgiveness.  If you sow weeds, you’ll harvest weeds.  If you sow resentment and spite, you’re garden will be filled with those things.  Taking the analogy a little further – once grown, the fruit becomes the food upon which we live for a season, filling our bodies and our lives with more of the same.

 
This is certainly not God’s plan for us – an interesting thought for us to add when you consider the message sent to Joseph by his brothers.  In fact, it could have read, “Your Fathers left these instructions…”  It was Jacob’s desire that the siblings resolve their differences, but this was also God’s desire.  So with tears, Joseph submitted himself to the wills of his Fathers, demonstrating his total forgiveness in love toward his brothers.  Rivals no more, they lived out the rest of their lives as a family.  God blessed them and from this time their family developed into the great nation that He had promised Abraham generations ago.

Archived

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Philippians 4:8

 
I can’t think of anything on the World Wide Web that has become more pervasive than Facebook.  Millions of people all over the world are logging into the site every day – posting their thoughts and activities, sharing pictures, searching for information, playing games, and connecting with old friends and new.  There are lots positives. There are lots of negatives. But whether you spend hours on the site or avoid it like the plague, Facebook has impacted our lives like nothing else we’ve seen.

 
On a recent visit to the site, I decided to clean up a few of the old messages that were sitting in message box.  As I scrolled down the list of old messages, deciding which to keep and which to remove, my cursor hovered over the X in the corner of one of the boxes.  What I saw at first surprised me, then it caused me a little bit of concern.  In most programs, clicking the “X” will delete the message.  But the word that appeared was not “Delete” – it was “Archive.”  This didn’t bother me at first; after all if I’m archiving the messages, I would have access to them later and could delete them later.  But upon further investigation what I found was that the messaging feature worked exactly like a delete key in every way.  Once the messages were archived, they were gone from my view and I was unable to access them – just as if I had deleted them.  But the fact that Facebook was telling me that these messages were not deleted, only archived leads me to believe that those messages went somewhere and could be accessed by me (or somebody else) at a later time.

 
I must admit I didn’t like the thought of having my every thought and utterance posted in what I believed to be private messages saved up.  I don’t make a habit of posting inappropriate things, but I still wouldn’t want every line of every message I’ve ever sent kept and available for further review.  But then again, I shouldn’t be surprised by this; I’m sure that this is something clearly stated in the user terms of agreement that I carefully read and fully understood before checking that box when I first signed up for my Facebook account (I’m certain that you read yours too, so feel free to confirm that with me).

 
I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I don’t like the idea of an entity like Facebook having that level of control over me.  But as I thought more about it I reminded myself of a simple truth – if I only post content that would be acceptable in a public setting, I would have nothing to worry about.  The only thing that could get me in trouble would be to post statements, pictures, and links that I don’t want the whole world to see.

 
This is the same message that God is speaking to each one of us when He encourages us to limit our thoughts and words to those things which are “noble, pure, etc…”  Our first reaction to that kind of message is to get offended and think that we shouldn’t be confined in our ability to express ourselves in whatever way we choose.  But where we lose sight of the bigger picture is when we take our individual right to expression and extend it out so far that it creates conflict with others or ultimately reflects poorly upon us.  These are worldly things that many people consider basic rights for which they would vehemently fight.  As I see it, they fall into the category of gifts given with a responsibility for me to use them appropriately.  God created me with a mind to process information, but what I choose to do with that information is entirely up to me.  With His help and guidance I can do just that.

A Beautiful Mess

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.  Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.  Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. – Psalm 25:16-18

 
A beautiful mess – a contradiction used to show just how messed up our lives can sometimes get.  Everyone who walks the path of life will find themselves dealing with troubles and difficulties.  Many of us even experience times where our life feels more like a three-ring circus.  And while these words might ring true to those people who venture off course every now and again, my heart, and this post, goes out to people who today, find themselves in places where they never dreamt they’d be.

 
So what does it take to create a beautiful mess?  In human terms a beautiful mess is one that has become so large, so powerful, so devastating that you can’t help but see the artistry in how it was constructed.  Meteorologists and storm-chasers are often fascinated by the power and fury of a dangerous storm.  Tornadoes and hurricanes are photographed, recorded, studied and somewhat celebrated for their beauty.  I always found that a bit strange considering the devastation, property damage, and loss of life which storms of this magnitude can produce.  But yet to some there is a beauty found in the clouds that drives them, in spite of the danger, to continue to pursue the storms.

 
The same can be said of our lives.  Some messes are small; easy to stop and a breeze to clean.  Other messes start small but build over time, reaching a point where they become too big to contain.  We quickly see ourselves losing control – unable to go back and change the decisions we’ve made or to avoid the consequences to follow.  And it seems that once we reach the place where we feel we’ve come through the worst of it, the mess returns once again; larger and more difficult to contain than ever before.  It’s at these moments when we recognize just how complete the mess has become in our lives, and we are left with a critical decision on how we should proceed.

 
Our messes are one of the very few things in life that we can claim to be our own.  You would think this commonality would help us put our issues into perspective, but sadly it does not.  Despite our certain knowledge that every life has a certain level of ick, we work diligently to keep our own messes hidden from view.  This is why so many people choose to face their troubles by retreating – grabbing hold of the things around us that will give us the comfort and strength to cope with the mess.  The choices are as varied as the people making them – family, work, volunteering, drinking, relationships, hobbies, etc…  Each of these things can bring a level of relief, but they are temporary at best.  Because the problem is not being faced head on, it is not being solved – merely deferred. 

 
To truly rid ourselves of the messes we create, we must turn to Christ.  In Him, we find the strength needed to rid ourselves of the mess once and for all.  Through the forgiveness Christ won for us on the cross we not only break free from the sin but from the cycle of guilt and fear that the enemy uses to try to keep us burdened by dirt long washed away.  With forgiveness in place and the Spirit guiding the way, we move to a new paradigm – a place where through daily renewal He removes the mess of our sin, revealing the beauty of a creation made in the very image of God – a beautiful mess indeed!

 
You call yourself a beautiful mess, and that is what you are. 
The plans you made began to fade; you only see them from afar.
But do not fear; your Savior’s here. His power will suffice.
You’re free from sin, find strength within the outstretched arms of Christ.

Swimming

Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Selah.  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD. – Psalm 4:4-5

 
Ever lie in bed – your head swimming with the thoughts that are filling your life?  Frustrations over situations that you have little to no control over?  Anger problems and issues that seem to return, to grow and never go away?  Pain from wounds that seem as though they might never heal?  There are some days where you see the world that lies in front of you and you simply don’t know what you need to do.  There are others where you know exactly what you need to do but finding the strength to overcome what you are feeling to get to what you need to be doing seems more difficult than the problem itself.  And of course, there are days when Satan may choose to bless you with two or three or more of these types of issues at the same time, causing you to lie in bed and your head to swim.

 
It seems that David knew exactly what this feeling was about when he wrote Psalm 4.  His was a life filled with any number of problems, struggles, and difficulties that made it easy for him to feel frustrated, beaten down, and scared – the way we sometimes feel when we lie in bed, alone with only our thoughts.  Of course, David realized what we often times forget:  we can’t ever be all alone with only our thoughts – God’s promises clearly refute this.  “Lo and I am with you always.”  “Never will I leave you nor will I forsake you.”  These aren’t just happy reminders for us when we’re five years old and fearing the monsters under the bed.  These promises are for all of us – young and old who carry burdens, who feel weighed down, and who struggle to break from the bonds of frustrations, anger, and pain that Satan wishes to use to consume us.

 
And so it is David’s reminder for us to remain calm within our anger.  It mustn’t lead us into a rage but into a focus that allows us to more clearly see the hand of God – to hear His voice and to follow His calling.  Our heads may be swimming, but God has given us the lifeguards we need.  Through Christ we are saved, redeemed in the precious blood He shed for us and restored by His resurrection.  And by the work of the Holy Spirit we know God, build our relationship with Him, and find the strength we need to not only keep afloat but to successfully navigate ourselves from the perils of a life filled with discouragement until we reach that place where God sets us back on solid  ground.

 
“Put your trust in the Lord.”

Weeds

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

 
This summer, I have spent more time working on flowers in my yard than ever before.  In years gone by, my attempts at landscaping were feeble at best.  I have a set of perennials in my back yard for a reason – they come back every year and I don’t have too much work to do with them.  Maybe if I was feeling botanic, I might be convinced to plant a few annuals around a light post in the yard, but that’s it.  But like many others who take this approach to gardening, I have discovered a simple truth.  Just because the plants come back year after year doesn’t mean that they are totally care-free.  The plants need pruning, watering, fertilizing, and sometimes transplanting in order to keep growing healthily.  Insects and pests discover plants and use them for homes and for food.  And finally, the weeds tend to find a way to return no matter how many methods you use to control them.  None of this comes as a surprise to those people who dislike gardening – instead it serves as a catalyst for astro-turfing the entire yard.  But to be fair, this doesn’t surprise a green-thumb either.  Ask them and they’ll tell you that keeping your plants looking beautiful requires a solid memory of what’s worked and failed in the past and a level of diligence in keeping up on the daily needs of the garden.

 
Some of you seeing the connection to the passage from Philippians 3 may already see a contradiction coming here.  You’ve recognized the connection between pruning and weeding our sins from the past but you’re wondering about the memory.  How can we truly forget the past if our pasts can give us good information about what may come in the future?  My feelings on this are simple and equally contradictory…

 
Do both.

 
Forgetting what is behind is a dangerous thing when done irresponsibly.  Many Christians will live lives where they simply overlook bad decisions and the consequences of those decisions in the name of forgetting what had been.  It’s easy to say: “Wow, that wasn’t what I wanted.  It wasn’t good for me.  Clearly God didn’t want this (job, person, opportunity, event, responsibility) in my life so the best course of action for me is to just cut it loose and never think about it again.  If you’re pulling a weed (sin) or controlling a pest (bad influences) then that is the way to go.  But what if you’re pruning back the plant (brothers and sisters in Christ)?  It’s good to cut back the plant to stimulate new growth, but cutting too much can lead to damage that will take years to heal, or make the plant more susceptible to attack.  I’m not proposing that we live our lives with our eyes locked behind us, but we cannot use God’s grace as a free pass for bad behavior or to justify dealing with the consequences of the decisions we’ve made in life.  So you see, we aren’t required to keep the weeds and feed the bunnies with our gardens, but when God shows us places to weed and prune, we must do the work based on what’s best for everyone involved, not to just do what makes us feel better at the time.

 
When facing past weeds in the garden, seek first the help and guidance of the Lord.  As the creator of all things, He knows you, your situation, and what you will need to restore the garden of your life.  His directions may sound odd.  They may even force you to do things that are difficult or unpleasant.  But ultimately, He knows what is best and through the blood of Christ and the strength of the Spirit, He will restore you lead you in the way that you need to go – past, present, and into our eternal future.