I turned 33 yesterday. Not really a milestone birthday. No fanfare. No big party. Just time away with my wife, alone on Friday and Saturday. And then time with the family yesterday. I can't remember a better birthday.
And then I got to thinking. I'm now the same age Jesus was when he died. I mentioned that fact to a friend of mine today and he asked, jokingly, "And do you feel bad because you haven't accomplished as much as him?"
Now, I know there is no way I could ever accomplish what Jesus did. That's not the point.
I don't know what it is about birthdays that make you start considering what you've done, where you've been and who you are. But that's how it is with me, especially as I get "older" (I know 33 isn't that old). Another friend of mine told me today that it's in your mid-30s that you start really contemplating what life is all about, where you place priority and what holds value - real value. Not the value you place on a car when you're 16. I guess she's right.
Over the last several weeks I've spent a lot of time just ... thinking. About life. About God. About where he has me and about what holds value for me. I've thought about a lot of things. But one thing I thought of just tonight. And this is one I'll spend a lot of time pondering in the days and weeks to come.
I'm not sure if Jesus celebrated his birthdays or not. But if he did, 33 was the last one. And that got me thinking even more. (thoughts lead to thoughts in my world)
What if this is the last birthday I have on earth? Have I done all I can to show people what - and more importantly, who I truly value? Because I know Jesus did. And while I can't accomplish what he did (that's why I need him), I can follow his example and live for the things that truly matter.
8/31/09
8/19/09
Simply Putting the Pieces Together
"In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built" (1 Kings 6:7).
Think about that. The quarry this verse is talking about wasn't around the corner, or even down the street. It was in another country! Yet, the preparation was so thought out; the planning was so precise, that all that was left to be done at the actual site of the temple was simply putting the pieces together.
No on site adjusting.
No on site tweaking.
No on site hammering.
All that was left was to put together what God had in mind on the site God had chosen with the plans God had laid out.
How often, though, do I try to hammer, tweak and adjust things on site because I failed to plan sufficiently, because I thought I could do it on my own with my own plans? And how much better would things go if I would take the time to study God's plan, prepare in advance and then follow his lead?
God, help me to prepare for the things you have in store for me with the plans you have laid out. Help me to remain humble enough to see that your ways are better than mine. And help me show others how, if they would continue to follow you, all that's left is simply putting the pieces together.
Think about that. The quarry this verse is talking about wasn't around the corner, or even down the street. It was in another country! Yet, the preparation was so thought out; the planning was so precise, that all that was left to be done at the actual site of the temple was simply putting the pieces together.
No on site adjusting.
No on site tweaking.
No on site hammering.
All that was left was to put together what God had in mind on the site God had chosen with the plans God had laid out.
How often, though, do I try to hammer, tweak and adjust things on site because I failed to plan sufficiently, because I thought I could do it on my own with my own plans? And how much better would things go if I would take the time to study God's plan, prepare in advance and then follow his lead?
God, help me to prepare for the things you have in store for me with the plans you have laid out. Help me to remain humble enough to see that your ways are better than mine. And help me show others how, if they would continue to follow you, all that's left is simply putting the pieces together.
8/14/09
It's A Hard Question To Ask
Would I sacrifice my relationship with God in order to be more comfortable in this lifetime?
I ran across this question the other day. And immediately I thought, "Of course not!"
That was before I really thought about it.
Most of my relationship with God is contingent upon the fact that I need him. In fact, my entire relationship with God is contingent on that fact.
I need his Son.
I need his love.
I need his grace.
I need his guidance.
I need his hope.
I need his patience.
And I need his forgiveness ... forgiveness for things that are in my life that I know shouldn't be. And if those things were gone and no longer needed forgiving; if he somehow magically fixed them, would it change my relationship with him?
There are behaviors, actions, and thoughts that I ask God to remove from my life all the time. They are struggles for me. I know they aren't good for me. I know they keep me from experiencing the most out of life. So, I often ask him, beg him and plead for him to just remove them. I want God to clear them out of the way of that path he wants me to take.
But there's another aspect to the things I struggle with. I think they help keep me tethered to God.
I'm not saying those things are good in any way. They aren't. They are, simply put, sin. But if those things were magically gone, I have to ask myself, would I still remain as tethered to him as I am? Maybe. Maybe not. Or maybe the answer is that I would, just in a different way. Maybe God allows me to struggle with certain things now in order to remain tethered to him so that when they aren't a part of my life, I'll remain tethered to him for other reasons.
I don't pretend to have it all figured out. And if anyone does, they're lying to you. It's just something that got me thinking.
It's a hard question to ask. It's a even harder question to answer.
I ran across this question the other day. And immediately I thought, "Of course not!"
That was before I really thought about it.
Most of my relationship with God is contingent upon the fact that I need him. In fact, my entire relationship with God is contingent on that fact.
I need his Son.
I need his love.
I need his grace.
I need his guidance.
I need his hope.
I need his patience.
And I need his forgiveness ... forgiveness for things that are in my life that I know shouldn't be. And if those things were gone and no longer needed forgiving; if he somehow magically fixed them, would it change my relationship with him?
There are behaviors, actions, and thoughts that I ask God to remove from my life all the time. They are struggles for me. I know they aren't good for me. I know they keep me from experiencing the most out of life. So, I often ask him, beg him and plead for him to just remove them. I want God to clear them out of the way of that path he wants me to take.
But there's another aspect to the things I struggle with. I think they help keep me tethered to God.
I'm not saying those things are good in any way. They aren't. They are, simply put, sin. But if those things were magically gone, I have to ask myself, would I still remain as tethered to him as I am? Maybe. Maybe not. Or maybe the answer is that I would, just in a different way. Maybe God allows me to struggle with certain things now in order to remain tethered to him so that when they aren't a part of my life, I'll remain tethered to him for other reasons.
I don't pretend to have it all figured out. And if anyone does, they're lying to you. It's just something that got me thinking.
It's a hard question to ask. It's a even harder question to answer.
It Wasn't That High. Or Was It?
A few weeks ago my family and I were at Possum Kingdom Lake for the day. Boat rides, rope swings and swimming were on the agenda. What wasn't on the agenda, but ended up happening, was the one memory I'll take from that day.
It wasn't that high, really. Maybe 12-15 feet. But when you're 4 feet tall, 12 feet is huge! Especially when you're jumping from the height into the water. But that's what he wanted to do. The only things he knew were that he wanted to jump and that I was down in the water waiting for him. So, without hesitation, Parker jumped.
It was his first cliff diving experience. And his reaction said it all.
Exhiliration at first, standing there looking down. Just the possibility of hurdling through the air was enough to put a smile on his little face. Then, sheer panic a moment after he jumped. All of a sudden he realized there's nothing that's going to stop him now. No turning back. And then, pure excitement and thrill as he hit the water and came back up.
"That was AWESOME!"
Yes, Parker, it was. Great job, kiddo.
It wasn't that high, really. Maybe 12-15 feet. But when you're 4 feet tall, 12 feet is huge! Especially when you're jumping from the height into the water. But that's what he wanted to do. The only things he knew were that he wanted to jump and that I was down in the water waiting for him. So, without hesitation, Parker jumped.
It was his first cliff diving experience. And his reaction said it all.
Exhiliration at first, standing there looking down. Just the possibility of hurdling through the air was enough to put a smile on his little face. Then, sheer panic a moment after he jumped. All of a sudden he realized there's nothing that's going to stop him now. No turning back. And then, pure excitement and thrill as he hit the water and came back up.
"That was AWESOME!"
Yes, Parker, it was. Great job, kiddo.
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