Now that Crosby, Stills and Nash are coursing through your head, let me tell you how my day has gone.
It is Sunday morning, my bride is in Amarillo visiting the grand kids, it is cool and quiet. I have decided to go work out after a Saturday of dietary impropriety. I took my dad to dinner (at 4:30) and his favorite place is Catfish Haven. Fried catfish, fried hushpuppies, and a nod to non-fried, a baked potato. My only defense is I wanted to be a good son and take him where he wanted to go. And, unfortunately, it was really good.
So I drove home late last night, turned in and was up and running to the health club as early as I could get rolling. Sort of a penance for bad behavior.
Arrived at the health club at 6:15AM and hoping I would be alone, but no such luck. There was a guy there with his 10-12 year old daughter. As I walked in, it was obvious he was trying to instruct in the different machines and it seemed that when I arrived his tone went up a little, his demeanor was rude and condescending. AS is the custom at health clubs, I made no comment, did not make eye contact, and went about my business.
But here is what I heard...
"Not like that! You have to adjust for your height! Can't you see the adjustment knob?"
"Hurry up, I'm way past my hour for a workout."
"You need to work out, that's the only way to get rid of your flab"
At this point I almost intervened. I'm still seething and feeling guilty about not doing so. I'm sure he would defend himself and say that he was "teaching" her how to work out.
First of all, never take workout instructions from a 40-year-old guy who has a watermelon belly and stick legs. Either he doesn't know what he is doing or he doesn't believe it. I have managed to attain his level of physical fitness by not exercising and eating the wrong foods (see above)
Secondly, stop showing out in front of the crowd and belittling your kids.
Here is my take on parenting:
1. It takes 10 times more honest encouragement than criticism to raise a healthy, balanced person.
2. There has be equal portions of compassion/firmness; sacrifice/satisfaction; humility/honesty; respect given/taken.
There should be required course for parents to be, before the festivities begin, each parent-to-be should be given a 100 hour course on what it means to be a parent. Of course this would only accelerate the decline in birth rates in America, but we would be so much healthier. Of course we do have a course..it is called being parented. I have no idea what this guys role models are for parenting, but I suspect he is emulating what he saw as a young boy. He thinks teaching is authority and control and dominance and he is teaching his little girl these life lessons. This young girl is learning that men are overbearing, rude, inconsiderate, hypocritical, demanding, and loud. He is teaching her resentment, insecurity, and ultimately insolence. Her future is going to be one filled with trying to find some guy who will not treat her like her father did. Unfortunately, we have all seen women who ended being attracted to precisely the kind of men they experienced as young girls. I shudder to think what kind of life choices she will make due to her young training. I suspect that if she shows up for his funeral, it will be to make sure that this moron, who made her life miserable, is finally in the ground.
But I have to be careful. I have a little of this guy in me. We have too many friends that imploded later in life due to insecurities buried deep in their souls as little girls or little boys, insecurities that sat like a ticking time bomb. When it exploded later, the shrapnel hit their husbands and kids and friends, and the ticking was so quiet no one heard it. The shattering explosion they heard and felt, but not the impending nuclear event. So I have to wonder what I have buried deep within my kids. Did my training set them up to fail? Will they be able to handle the disappointments without destroying themselves or those around them? I may never know, because sometimes the timer is set to go off when the culprit who set the bomb permanently leaves the scene. BOOM! Where did that come from?!??
Yes, indeed, we teach our children well. But character traits like honesty, integrity, compassion, mercy, and humility are more caught than taught. We live what we believe. Teach your kids this, and the rest will work out.
My bride came across a great quote that reminds me that as my kids approach middle age, my job is not done.."When teaching your son, you are teaching your son's son." Chilling.
Godspeed to all of us out there who still have some teaching to do.
Don
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Living Plan B
There are times when we hear something that seems to stop the world for a moment. Phrases or words that seem to either reorient us into our story, or define the story in a way that causes us to stop and reflect on the profound import of our lives.
These can be words that define a nation, We the People...Ask not what your country can for you...I have a dream. All have shaped us as a culture, the DNA of these words change who we are and how we view our world, our hope, our past and our future.
Or the words can be personal. words that change the scope of our future..I do...I promise...I will never...I never thought...
Somewhere early in our journey we develop a picture in our heads of how this life will look. The house will always be clean and full of fun people, the car will always start, the boss will continue to heap praise, Sleeping Beauty will always wake up pretty and compassionate, the kids will grow up to be strong and confident and will always come home to visit.
My bride was talking to one of our kids about the disillusionment they are experiencing, about some decisions they are making that are heartbreaking for them and for us. And my bride in her quiet, understated, attention averse way said, "We all live plan B" In an instant my bride summed up in 5 words a truism of our existence. We truly live Plan B. These few words sum up all the failed promises, the broken dreams, the illusions shattered by reality. Somewhere along the way we discover that the picture in our heads is nothing more than an illusion. We compare our reality with a myth, and walk away disappointed.
We have found that parents get sick and die. We have found that bosses treat us poorly. We have found that sickness and heartache tracks our kids down and attacks without compunction or mercy. We have found that religious leaders treat us as commodities and not community. We have found that the greatest disappointments are those we find in ourselves. We have found that the answer to prayer can be painful silence. No, indeed, this was not Plan A.
It is a temptation to look around and feel that everyone else is living Plan A, which only deepens our disillusionment. Others have it all together. And so we compare the illusion of their Plan A to our mundane Plan B, and we lose hope, we lose faith, we lose joy- with ourselves and those close to us.
But I look at the old book and realize that a mere two chapters are spent on Plan A. I realize that the mission is spelled out in Plan B. It is in this story that I realize that Plan A is imaginary, but Plan B is lived! Plan B is carried out with sacrifice and passion, with suffering and joy, with loss and victory. Then I begin to take inventory of what Plan B has brought me. Compassion for those suffering loss of a child, sympathy for those who lost a mate, value of friends sustained through the years, satisfaction with an existence of life making and love making, and finally a sense of significance through the mission of one who better understood the value of Plan B, even at great price.
The grandeur is in the embracing of our Plan B life.
So for those who are lamenting the missed opportunity of Plan A, embrace Plan B. Plan A is imagined...Plan B is lived.
Godspeed
Don
These can be words that define a nation, We the People...Ask not what your country can for you...I have a dream. All have shaped us as a culture, the DNA of these words change who we are and how we view our world, our hope, our past and our future.
Or the words can be personal. words that change the scope of our future..I do...I promise...I will never...I never thought...
Somewhere early in our journey we develop a picture in our heads of how this life will look. The house will always be clean and full of fun people, the car will always start, the boss will continue to heap praise, Sleeping Beauty will always wake up pretty and compassionate, the kids will grow up to be strong and confident and will always come home to visit.
My bride was talking to one of our kids about the disillusionment they are experiencing, about some decisions they are making that are heartbreaking for them and for us. And my bride in her quiet, understated, attention averse way said, "We all live plan B" In an instant my bride summed up in 5 words a truism of our existence. We truly live Plan B. These few words sum up all the failed promises, the broken dreams, the illusions shattered by reality. Somewhere along the way we discover that the picture in our heads is nothing more than an illusion. We compare our reality with a myth, and walk away disappointed.
We have found that parents get sick and die. We have found that bosses treat us poorly. We have found that sickness and heartache tracks our kids down and attacks without compunction or mercy. We have found that religious leaders treat us as commodities and not community. We have found that the greatest disappointments are those we find in ourselves. We have found that the answer to prayer can be painful silence. No, indeed, this was not Plan A.
It is a temptation to look around and feel that everyone else is living Plan A, which only deepens our disillusionment. Others have it all together. And so we compare the illusion of their Plan A to our mundane Plan B, and we lose hope, we lose faith, we lose joy- with ourselves and those close to us.
But I look at the old book and realize that a mere two chapters are spent on Plan A. I realize that the mission is spelled out in Plan B. It is in this story that I realize that Plan A is imaginary, but Plan B is lived! Plan B is carried out with sacrifice and passion, with suffering and joy, with loss and victory. Then I begin to take inventory of what Plan B has brought me. Compassion for those suffering loss of a child, sympathy for those who lost a mate, value of friends sustained through the years, satisfaction with an existence of life making and love making, and finally a sense of significance through the mission of one who better understood the value of Plan B, even at great price.
The grandeur is in the embracing of our Plan B life.
So for those who are lamenting the missed opportunity of Plan A, embrace Plan B. Plan A is imagined...Plan B is lived.
Godspeed
Don
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sleepless In Seattle
Traveling has always held a certain fascination for me. It may, in part, be because my folks rarely traveled. I remember the one big vacation of my childhood was to Six flags over Texas and being at that odd age where I was either too small or too tall to ride the rides. I remember my mom telling my dad, "we have to find something for him to ride, everyone else has ridden a ride." This was back when Six Flags had the stagecoach ride (with real horses) and bison grazing in a pen. My most vivid memory of this trip was the swimming pool at the Holiday Inn. When you are accustomed to a muddy creek, probably only 20' wide, then the pool seemed as big as a football field. Of course I got water in my ear, which caused an infection...well, it was fun at the time.
There is something in my nature that gets very restless with the routine. The Meyers-Brigs folks peg me at ENFP...strongly each area. Which means that about the time everyone is settling in and beginning to enjoy the event, I'm wondering, What's next? Are we through here yet? Let's move this party along! My bride does not find this aspect of my nature as endearing as you would imagine. But she has a little of this in her as well. We bought a new house a few years ago and it wasn't 15 minutes before she is making a list of things she wanted to change, new paint color, new door knobs, new faucets, on and on. this is the a slightly different version of my nature. And, by the way, I don't find that as endearing as you would imagine. I would rather gather a fun group and go on a road trip!
But I have the perfect work situation for me. travel all over the USA, either selling or mediating problems, move on to the next stop. This week is Seattle, then Phoenix, then City of Angels, then home late Thursday night. Conflicts to be resolved, sales to be boosted, reps to be managed, then out again, before the dust can settle, on to the next event.
The two major drawbacks for me at this stage in life are: 1. Sleep, it is almost impossible to get a good nights sleep in different time zones, traveling late at night, up early (thanks mom and dad for drilling that in early) and 2. Finding rest for a body that travel beats up. I'm finding that every once in while, as much as I resist the notion, the body has to rest. Muscles and brain and probably spirit need a moment to stop and reflect and just gear down.
So here I am in Seattle, got in late, slept poorly, ready for the battle. I am Starbucks enforced, prayer fortified, ready for the day.
Godspeed to all those who slept in, I'm a little jealous, but not much.
Don
There is something in my nature that gets very restless with the routine. The Meyers-Brigs folks peg me at ENFP...strongly each area. Which means that about the time everyone is settling in and beginning to enjoy the event, I'm wondering, What's next? Are we through here yet? Let's move this party along! My bride does not find this aspect of my nature as endearing as you would imagine. But she has a little of this in her as well. We bought a new house a few years ago and it wasn't 15 minutes before she is making a list of things she wanted to change, new paint color, new door knobs, new faucets, on and on. this is the a slightly different version of my nature. And, by the way, I don't find that as endearing as you would imagine. I would rather gather a fun group and go on a road trip!
But I have the perfect work situation for me. travel all over the USA, either selling or mediating problems, move on to the next stop. This week is Seattle, then Phoenix, then City of Angels, then home late Thursday night. Conflicts to be resolved, sales to be boosted, reps to be managed, then out again, before the dust can settle, on to the next event.
The two major drawbacks for me at this stage in life are: 1. Sleep, it is almost impossible to get a good nights sleep in different time zones, traveling late at night, up early (thanks mom and dad for drilling that in early) and 2. Finding rest for a body that travel beats up. I'm finding that every once in while, as much as I resist the notion, the body has to rest. Muscles and brain and probably spirit need a moment to stop and reflect and just gear down.
So here I am in Seattle, got in late, slept poorly, ready for the battle. I am Starbucks enforced, prayer fortified, ready for the day.
Godspeed to all those who slept in, I'm a little jealous, but not much.
Don
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Have It Your Way
This past week I had a short, one-day business to trip to Tampa. It was just a quick, in and out, show the product, jump back on the plane, head home. So when I landed, i decided to take taxi to the appointment. That way I don't have to rent a car, get directions,figure enough time to return it, catch my flight. It seemed much easier and more efficient, and probably would cost less.
So I wheeled my sample bag and roller briefcase to the cab stand, told the guy where I was going, gave him the address. He informed me that the location was pretty close to the airport and there would be a $15 minimum charge, no problem, I'm still ahead.
The taxi pulls up, I throw my stuff in and pile in behind it. I absentmindedly gave the address to the taxi driver, who sounded like those guys in the commercials for Jamaica, and settled back.
In a heavy accent, and what sounded a little brusque to me,
"What's the best way to get there?"
I'm stumped and just little taken aback. I don't know, I've been there, but I can't tell you where it is. "Umm, it's about 5-10 minutes from the airport." Stupid answer I know, but I felt intimidated, almost speechless, and a little panicky. I don't know where I'm going. I've ridden in taxis all over the US and other countries, New York, Chicago, Lisbon, City of Angels, I have never been asked the best way to get there!
Then I developed a little bit of attitude (I know, shocking) In my head I was screaming, "Dude! it's your JOB to know the best way to get there!" I pay you money to know, not ask me. "I don't know where it is, but I need to be there in 10 minutes." Then I noticed a well-worn Mapsco (early low-tech version of a GPS, actual map with pages and everything) But the driver insisted on calling the home office, apparently to complain about the lack of quality fares coming from the airport. When the home office was no help, he then reluctantly pulled a GPS from the glove box and looked it up!
We were two turns and about 4 blocks away.
It occurred to me that this infatuation with customization had gone way too far. I think corporate America needs to go back to the basics, make a product or service, market said product or service, and deliver said product or service. I go to specific restaurants because I like the way THEY fix it, not fix it to my personal tastes. Yes it is a risk, but that is what life is all about, coming up with the right product, at the right time, and having everyone jump on your bandwagon.
His tip was unexceptional, but, dang it, his service left me a wreck going into an important meeting.
I don't want to have it my way. Fix it your way, and if I like it, I will come back. The last thing the world needs is life customized around one old coot.
Keep your mapsco's handy, apparently we are going to need them.
Godspeed,
Don
So I wheeled my sample bag and roller briefcase to the cab stand, told the guy where I was going, gave him the address. He informed me that the location was pretty close to the airport and there would be a $15 minimum charge, no problem, I'm still ahead.
The taxi pulls up, I throw my stuff in and pile in behind it. I absentmindedly gave the address to the taxi driver, who sounded like those guys in the commercials for Jamaica, and settled back.
In a heavy accent, and what sounded a little brusque to me,
"What's the best way to get there?"
I'm stumped and just little taken aback. I don't know, I've been there, but I can't tell you where it is. "Umm, it's about 5-10 minutes from the airport." Stupid answer I know, but I felt intimidated, almost speechless, and a little panicky. I don't know where I'm going. I've ridden in taxis all over the US and other countries, New York, Chicago, Lisbon, City of Angels, I have never been asked the best way to get there!
Then I developed a little bit of attitude (I know, shocking) In my head I was screaming, "Dude! it's your JOB to know the best way to get there!" I pay you money to know, not ask me. "I don't know where it is, but I need to be there in 10 minutes." Then I noticed a well-worn Mapsco (early low-tech version of a GPS, actual map with pages and everything) But the driver insisted on calling the home office, apparently to complain about the lack of quality fares coming from the airport. When the home office was no help, he then reluctantly pulled a GPS from the glove box and looked it up!
We were two turns and about 4 blocks away.
It occurred to me that this infatuation with customization had gone way too far. I think corporate America needs to go back to the basics, make a product or service, market said product or service, and deliver said product or service. I go to specific restaurants because I like the way THEY fix it, not fix it to my personal tastes. Yes it is a risk, but that is what life is all about, coming up with the right product, at the right time, and having everyone jump on your bandwagon.
His tip was unexceptional, but, dang it, his service left me a wreck going into an important meeting.
I don't want to have it my way. Fix it your way, and if I like it, I will come back. The last thing the world needs is life customized around one old coot.
Keep your mapsco's handy, apparently we are going to need them.
Godspeed,
Don
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Quiet Time
My favorite time of the day is just before the sun comes up. Today, as I write these words, the house is cool and quiet, my bride is still snuggled in sleeping as one with no hurry or plans. The entire universe seems to be resting, recovering from anther hot, Texas, summer day. It promises to be another hot one, but this morning, this July 4th morning, it is so calm, so...nice.
My thoughts and ideas that seem to swirl woke me this morning, but the cool Texas morning, the hot mug of coffee have diverted me, at least momentarily from the constant churning activity in my head.
My curiosity about things spiritual make me wonder if the Jewish carpenter turned rabbi would enjoy this morning. He was a spiritualist, he liked the moments of quiet reflection with his Father, and his thoughts. Do we share this moment of quiet contemplation? For the moment do we let the cares of ministry, and sectarianism, of self-centeredness, of pride, of planning and organizing, of chaos and confusion simply be set aside, and a moment with the Father be enough? Can our natures be at peace with what I prefer to call "wasting time with God"? Even now, as I try to express what this means to me, the mundane is creeping in. Lawn mowing, breakfast to be cooked, gathering up for the holiday and the all the events, all conspire to end this moment. But there is a slice or remnant of "peace" that will find a place in my spirit. It snuggles in close to my heart and reminds me that, just as I cherish the moments of snuggling with my children and grand-children, so the Father enjoys our moments of nearness to Him.
Godspeed today.
Thanks for the moment, Father.
Don
My thoughts and ideas that seem to swirl woke me this morning, but the cool Texas morning, the hot mug of coffee have diverted me, at least momentarily from the constant churning activity in my head.
My curiosity about things spiritual make me wonder if the Jewish carpenter turned rabbi would enjoy this morning. He was a spiritualist, he liked the moments of quiet reflection with his Father, and his thoughts. Do we share this moment of quiet contemplation? For the moment do we let the cares of ministry, and sectarianism, of self-centeredness, of pride, of planning and organizing, of chaos and confusion simply be set aside, and a moment with the Father be enough? Can our natures be at peace with what I prefer to call "wasting time with God"? Even now, as I try to express what this means to me, the mundane is creeping in. Lawn mowing, breakfast to be cooked, gathering up for the holiday and the all the events, all conspire to end this moment. But there is a slice or remnant of "peace" that will find a place in my spirit. It snuggles in close to my heart and reminds me that, just as I cherish the moments of snuggling with my children and grand-children, so the Father enjoys our moments of nearness to Him.
Godspeed today.
Thanks for the moment, Father.
Don
Monday, June 29, 2009
I Do..Again..I Guess
There is a phenomenon happening right now with a lot of couples our age. We are in the "half" that didn't divorce in the previous 30-35 years. The bringing into this world a group of kids didn't get us. The teen wars were survived. College has been accomplished. In-law kids have been added. And for a lucky few grand kids have enriched the ride. Career losses and changes have been survived. We have hit what I call the 30-50 stage in life. 30 years married, about 50 years old. Most of us who have made it this far have been married longer than we were single (although, I'm not sure you can count the first few years, we were being house-broken, learning the language, we were not much of a catch in those years)
So this new trend is to "renew" your marriage vows. We went to one this past weekend. The event was in a barn, it was hot as blazes, and according to the people who attended the original wedding, it was close to the same temperature. Everyone stood around and tried to stay hydrated until they decided to "renew" their vows. It was a restatement of the original vows, though shorter, no sermon, no music, no bridesmaids, no groomsmen, just the original preacher, the bride and groom, and their only daughter, and her husband. It was sort of sweet, but it hard to appreciate the tenderness of the moment when sweat is running down your back and legs.
I floated the idea of my bride and I doing the same, when she (to my great relief) told me the original vows were fine. They were, after all, vows. One and done, no need to restate them. Now, if I wanted to renegotiate our vows she would be willing to go down that path. It is my opinion that I got the much better deal the first time around, I have no interest in renegotiating.
The best thing about the "renewing" of the vows was the soundtrack. Beatles, Creedence, 3 dog night, man we had good music in those days. My hair grew out a little just listening to it.
We decided we were just going to put the arm on the kids to throw us a party. The vows are fine. We have decided to let well enough alone.
Godspeed to all you 30-50 folks. Far out.
Don
So this new trend is to "renew" your marriage vows. We went to one this past weekend. The event was in a barn, it was hot as blazes, and according to the people who attended the original wedding, it was close to the same temperature. Everyone stood around and tried to stay hydrated until they decided to "renew" their vows. It was a restatement of the original vows, though shorter, no sermon, no music, no bridesmaids, no groomsmen, just the original preacher, the bride and groom, and their only daughter, and her husband. It was sort of sweet, but it hard to appreciate the tenderness of the moment when sweat is running down your back and legs.
I floated the idea of my bride and I doing the same, when she (to my great relief) told me the original vows were fine. They were, after all, vows. One and done, no need to restate them. Now, if I wanted to renegotiate our vows she would be willing to go down that path. It is my opinion that I got the much better deal the first time around, I have no interest in renegotiating.
The best thing about the "renewing" of the vows was the soundtrack. Beatles, Creedence, 3 dog night, man we had good music in those days. My hair grew out a little just listening to it.
We decided we were just going to put the arm on the kids to throw us a party. The vows are fine. We have decided to let well enough alone.
Godspeed to all you 30-50 folks. Far out.
Don
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Jesus Loves Me This I Know..
This is going to be a "venting" blog. So if you are a sensitive church leader, you may want to stop reading and go to more uplifting sites. But this needs to be said.
We came close to missing our annual Mexico Mission Trip. Apparently it was pretty dicey up until just a few weeks before we left. The elders at the little church we traveled and worked with agonized over the practicality of sending about 40 members, teenagers and adults, into a "dangerous" situation. I had faced this before at another church, and watched as the youth minister fielded parent's questions about the safety and security of going to Mexico. I distinctly remember talking to a dad about letting his two teenagers go, he was wanting to cancel, I was telling him that me and my bride were going.
"Would you let your kids go, if they were here?"
"Absolutely, we would all go."
"What if they were to get hurt or killed? Can you live with that?"
"It would devastate me, but, yes I could live with them being hurt or killed doing Kingdom work. Mission has never been about safety, but about sacrifice."
He walked away, from both the conversation and the moment to teach his kids that sometimes sacrifice doesn't fall into our concept of security.
It is my feeling that this unhealthy obsession with security is at the heart of what is wrong with American Christianity today. You can see it in the preaching from the past 50 years. We spend more time preaching about salvation than about sacrifice. Here's a little hint from scripture, mustard-seed-size faith buys the entire salvation package. But we focus on it because it is part of our portfolio. We worry more about the house, cars, furniture, job, savings, investments than we do about kingdom work.
This little church in eastern Oklahoma put up their building on a second note for the church in Monterrey Mexico to buy the land. Would your church, or mine do that? I don't think so. Could they have lost the entire thing? Yes. Were they willing to take that risk? Apparently. I love that attitude about the little church. They squelched the "security" inclinations to do what was...right. Do you think their kids learned something about faith-living? Do you think there is a different view of what God can accomplish through them, and ultimately for them?
Have you ever put the entire bundle on the table? Bet the entire thing? Have you risked your career, home, marriage, respect for kingdom work?
Would you like to feel like the "salvation" issue is a minor issue instead of a major concern. Then roll the dice, take a step out. THEN your faith means a little something.
More than half the groups from years past cancelled their trips to Mexico because it was too dangerous. Elders couldn't bear the thought of putting their members at risk. And they sent a clanging message into the world that they don't believe that God's promises are true. Either covertly, or overtly they taught their congregation to bury the talent, they provided the shovel, and instructed them in how deep to dig. Every Elder who made that decision should go before the congregation and confess their faithlessness. Better yet, resign and let the visionaries, the faith-walkers, the Spirit-led decide who goes into the battle and who doesn't.
It was close with the little church in Oklahoma, but the leader of the mission trip said, "Well, Kinney and I would be going if it was just the two of us." I wanted to tell him that he would have to stop in Dallas and pick up Bev and I anyway, we were going, regardless.
Yes, indeed, Jesus Loves me, this I know..becuase he provided mission and purpose for this life, and sancuary for us in the next.
This journey is not for the timid, but for the bold. God expends fully those he loves the most. Find a book that tells the traditional ending for the apostles, most died a martyr's death..not very secure, but very faithful.
Godspeed
Don
We came close to missing our annual Mexico Mission Trip. Apparently it was pretty dicey up until just a few weeks before we left. The elders at the little church we traveled and worked with agonized over the practicality of sending about 40 members, teenagers and adults, into a "dangerous" situation. I had faced this before at another church, and watched as the youth minister fielded parent's questions about the safety and security of going to Mexico. I distinctly remember talking to a dad about letting his two teenagers go, he was wanting to cancel, I was telling him that me and my bride were going.
"Would you let your kids go, if they were here?"
"Absolutely, we would all go."
"What if they were to get hurt or killed? Can you live with that?"
"It would devastate me, but, yes I could live with them being hurt or killed doing Kingdom work. Mission has never been about safety, but about sacrifice."
He walked away, from both the conversation and the moment to teach his kids that sometimes sacrifice doesn't fall into our concept of security.
It is my feeling that this unhealthy obsession with security is at the heart of what is wrong with American Christianity today. You can see it in the preaching from the past 50 years. We spend more time preaching about salvation than about sacrifice. Here's a little hint from scripture, mustard-seed-size faith buys the entire salvation package. But we focus on it because it is part of our portfolio. We worry more about the house, cars, furniture, job, savings, investments than we do about kingdom work.
This little church in eastern Oklahoma put up their building on a second note for the church in Monterrey Mexico to buy the land. Would your church, or mine do that? I don't think so. Could they have lost the entire thing? Yes. Were they willing to take that risk? Apparently. I love that attitude about the little church. They squelched the "security" inclinations to do what was...right. Do you think their kids learned something about faith-living? Do you think there is a different view of what God can accomplish through them, and ultimately for them?
Have you ever put the entire bundle on the table? Bet the entire thing? Have you risked your career, home, marriage, respect for kingdom work?
Would you like to feel like the "salvation" issue is a minor issue instead of a major concern. Then roll the dice, take a step out. THEN your faith means a little something.
More than half the groups from years past cancelled their trips to Mexico because it was too dangerous. Elders couldn't bear the thought of putting their members at risk. And they sent a clanging message into the world that they don't believe that God's promises are true. Either covertly, or overtly they taught their congregation to bury the talent, they provided the shovel, and instructed them in how deep to dig. Every Elder who made that decision should go before the congregation and confess their faithlessness. Better yet, resign and let the visionaries, the faith-walkers, the Spirit-led decide who goes into the battle and who doesn't.
It was close with the little church in Oklahoma, but the leader of the mission trip said, "Well, Kinney and I would be going if it was just the two of us." I wanted to tell him that he would have to stop in Dallas and pick up Bev and I anyway, we were going, regardless.
Yes, indeed, Jesus Loves me, this I know..becuase he provided mission and purpose for this life, and sancuary for us in the next.
This journey is not for the timid, but for the bold. God expends fully those he loves the most. Find a book that tells the traditional ending for the apostles, most died a martyr's death..not very secure, but very faithful.
Godspeed
Don
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)