Where I Am Today
A walk in a park
Full of beautiful trees
Next to a flowing river
With a bridge near by
And a busy four-lane highway.
Listening for birds, but hearing traffic noise.
Where I Want to Be
In the middle of a storm
The waves crashing
The wind screaming
Asleep on a boat
Listening for God, and hearing nothing else.
. . . And a great storm developed on the sea so that the waves began to swamp the boat. But he was asleep.
Mathew 8:24
The baseball game was like none I have seen before. The home team loaned some players to the visiting team just so everyone could play. When a player hit the ball, everyone on both teams cheered. When the player in the field caught it, everyone cheered again. It was almost impossible to tell who was cheering for which team. I’m not even sure anyone knew who was winning and who was losing?
The rules were totally wacky. Three outs did not mean the other team came up to bat. That didn’t happen until everybody got a turn to hit, which of course, everybody did because three strikes did not mean a player was out. Three strikes just meant someone would set the ball up on a tee where the player could keep swinging until he or she – yes the boys and girls played together on the same team – got a hit. Once the player hit the ball, they would run to first base. The first baseman might make the play and everyone would congratulate him, but the runner was never out. He was pretty much guaranteed a chance to run the bases and make it to home plate.
Obviously, the coaches didn’t know what they were doing. They weren’t playing by the rules. They were helping the other team and cheering for everyone in the game. They were letting everyone play. Everyone was learning. Everyone was having fun, but this just wasn’t right. Where were the winners and losers? How would we know who was the best and who was the worst? How would we know who to give the trophy to?
It was one of the best baseball games I have ever been to, and it was church league T-Ball at Duluth First Baptist. I know some of the more competitive folks may be saying, “Why play the game if you aren’t going to play right and keep score?” I say, there is already too much “score keeping” going on in this world, and especially in the church. If there is any place where the mature should be helping the young; if there is any place where everyone gets in the game; if there is any place where we encourage those with three strikes to keep on swinging; it ought to be the church. Remember the goal. It’s not to beat the other team, but to get everybody across home plate.
See 1 Corinthians chapter 3
Our cat suffered from a blood clot last night. This morning, Tammy and I took him to the vet for the final time. One last visit, to end the suffering. Once the sad deed was done, I went on to work.
The remainder of the work day was pretty normal. The trip home was not. The car lurched. The engine quit. Smoke starting filling the inside. My car was on fire.
I pulled over, coasting to a stop, got out of the car and opened the trunk. The flames were just starting to grow near the battery. I grabbed something from the trunk and fanned them out. As the smoke cleared, I could see the problem. The clamp that holds the battery in place had come loose and shorted against the positive post of the battery. With the loose clamp removed, I cranked the car and headed home to bury the cat.
We had 15 years with the cat. For that, I am thankful. The fire in the trunk could have quickly escalated into something much worse, but it didn’t. For that, I am also thankful. It is the end of a difficult day, but I am at peace because through it all, God has been with me. For that, I am very thankful.
My son and I went for a walk yesterday and saw something unexpected. We started out walking to our church, which is only about four tenths of a mile from our house. When we got there, we decided to walk down a path on the back of the property. That path led us down a steep hill, where ultimately, we made our way into a small patch of woods. I decided to show my son something I had found once before. Continue reading »
I took the day off yesterday and Sam and I went fishing. We didn’t catch any fish, but we had fun anyway. Sometimes it’s not what you do or how well you do it, but who you do it with that counts. The memory of that day is definitely a keeper.
Years ago, my wife and I were traveling down a dark lonely road. We had just been to a foster parent training session and now we were taking the two lane county highway towards home. We lived in the country and it was late, so we had the road all to ourselves, or so we thought.
The night was dark and wet. A drizzly rain had set in. Just enough to keep the smooth black pavement covered in a coating of moisture. I was driving a 1976 Ford Mustang. Of all the cars I’ve ever owned, I hated this one the most. I don’t care how much gas costs, putting a 4 cylinder engine in a Mustang is just not right. It was simply a heavier, slower, Pinto. Continue reading »
If they had celebrated April Fool’s day back when Jesus was around, do you think he would have participated? I’m thinking there is no doubt. He may have even started the whole thing. When you get to Heaven, just ask the two guys who took a walk on the road to Emmaus.
See Luke 24:13-32
It’s warm and sunny outside. Spring has sprung in Atlanta, just like God promised it would.
“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”
– Genesis 8:22
I just knew it was coming. Remember this post? The Trade Off
I found a letter in the pocket of an old coat. Evidently, the writer had been going through a rough time and was appealing to his Father for help. As you can see in the excerpt below, I suspect that he has trouble trying to keep everybody happy. Somebody needs to tell him it just can’t be done.
Father, there is a heavy weight down in my soul, and I’m not even sure why it’s there. Maybe I’ve been too long in the battle. Why do the little things get me down? Why can’t I just drop all the burdens and tune out all the expectations of everyone but you? I don’t want to cause the hurt of others, but I suppose hurts will come, despite my best efforts. My efforts are not good enough anyway. Sooner or later, someone will be hurt or disappointed.
It’s only you, living in me that makes my life a success. Peace comes when I quit trying to be right. Quit trying to do right. Quit trying to live right, and instead, live WITH the one who IS right. Live in the moment, with you, leaving the past and the future in your hands.
How should I live now? Not, How should I live then?
What should I do now? Not, What should I do when . . .
Where should I be now? Not, Where should I have been?
Living with You now, and finding peace within.
Jesus saw many wonderful things. He saw water turn to wine. He saw the stormy sea suddenly calm at his command. He saw blind men receive their site and sick people healed. He even saw dead people raised to life. But the thing that surprised him? The thing that filled him with wonder and made him marvel? It was a soldier, who simply understood Jesus was the man in charge . . . of everything.
See Mathew 8 or Luke 7