Author: Jody Abar

So a little while ago my wife sends me a picture of a text that my oldest son sent to her.  He said, “I’m not going to soccer camp.”  Of course my first thought was, “Heck yeah you are going…..I spent a lot of money for you to go to that camp.”  Now I will admit, I jumped to conclusions, but I was just basing my reaction off of past experience.  Now the backstory……he dropped his phone last night and broke it.  I told him, being the amazing avionics technician that I am, that I would try to fix it.  That of course wasn’t good enough; he was angry that he wasn’t getting a new phone.  But after talking to him, he hadn’t decided to not go to camp because he was mad, but because he wouldn’t have a way to talk to us while he was off alone for 5 days.

That situation did make me think though.  My kids, God bless them, are always trying to play the system.  If I ask them to turn their Kindle off for a minute to read a book, they are like, “Fine, I didn’t want to play it anyway.”  If I ask them to pause their show long enough to take a bath, they are like, “Fine.  I didn’t want to watch it anyway” and then they won’t watch TV again the rest of the night.  And even sometimes, although I do have the perfect marriage…….after an argument will be like, “Fine, I’ll sleep on the couch.”  Only to wake up in the morning with a sore back.

Why do we do things that only cause US pain, and don’t get the reaction from those that our actions are aimed at?  Have you ever intentionally rebelled against God?  Maybe that one time when you didn’t get the job you wanted.  Or that time you really prayed for that loan to get approved for a new house, only for it to come back declined.  Or even in the worst of times when all you asked for was that person closest to you, who was very sick, to not die…..and they did.

Did you say to God, “Fine, I won’t go to church anymore.  I won’t pray anymore.  You aren’t going to get my tithe anymore.”  I can see God just shaking his head thinking, “You people will never learn will you?”

There are numerous stories in the Bible about people rebelling against God.  Moses had gone to the top of Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments and the Israelites, whom God had saved already on multiple occasions, were already building false idols to worship (Exodus 32:1-10.)  There is a whole book in the Bible about Jonah, who willfully ran from God when he was called to go to Nineveh.  He was eaten by a fish for goodness sake…….only to see the error of his ways and proceeded to do God’s will.

So why do we rebel?  First of all I think it’s just in our nature.  But I also believe it is our lack of faith that causes us to turn our backs on God.  We don’t believe that we are where we are supposed to be, when we are supposed to be there, doing what we are supposed to be doing.  We don’t believe that God is following our plan for our lives…..so we try to go it alone.  I’m about 100% sure that going against God’s will has never worked out well for anyone before.

So let us have Faith in God and not act on our own accord.  In Paul’s letter to the Romans he said, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.  And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character;  and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:1-5).”

So I pray that we can all have faith.  We can stop rebelling against God.  God knows what is best for our lives, even when we can’t see it.  Let us not try to go it alone, turn our backs…..but look to the One who knows the plans He has for us.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

How great is that?  How amazing is it that we live in a country where we can eat whatever food we want, we can drive down whatever street we want, we can protest on that same street if we want, and we can worship whatever we want?  Some may disagree with me completely, saying we live in a country of racism, oppression, hate….but my calling for this blog is not to argue politics….but to spread the love of Christ.

So on this Independence Day I’m going to reflect on who truly gave me my independence.  Now don’t get angry with me, mad at me, saying it was the men and women in uniform who died for this country that gave you your independence.  Because I know all about that.  Trust me.  I spent months of my life in hot deserts, on cold ships floating in the middle of nowhere, separated from my family and loved ones.  I served as a United States Marine for 14 years.  But what I’m talking about is a higher independence.  A higher freedom.  I guess you could call it spiritual independence and freedom.

Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  Jesus died so that we may live free, without burden.  Sins are the shackles that hold us down, that keep us from understanding and truly experiencing this freedom.  We all have sin.  I have sin…..and before I turned over my life to Jesus that sin drug me down.  Now, through the blood of Christ we are FREE.

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians he says, “For you were called to freedom, brethren;  only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through the love serve one another (Galatians 5:13).”  In I Peter 2:16 Peter says, “Act as free men and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.  Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”

I woke up this morning humming the hymn “It is well with my soul.”  How appropriate on a day where we celebrate our independence as a nation that I’m thinking of a song that is so calming, so truthful as to where we can be when we surrender to Christ, and gain that ultimate freedom.  “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:32, 36).”

So here is the bottom line….the point of all of this.  The love of Jesus Christ WILL set you free.  Not fireworks, not hot dogs and hamburgers…..not those obnoxious American flag pants….you know you have all seen them.

But on this Independence Day I will summon my inner Isaiah, for I believe this is my new purpose in life, my calling.  My purpose that will maybe one day lead one of you to the freedom that I have found.  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners (Isaiah 61:1).”

I’m not a prophet.  I’m not a great leader.  I’m not a minister, a pastor, a deacon…..anything like that.  But what I am is a follower of Christ.  And as a follower of Christ it is my job to get out and spread the word any way that I can.  God uses our gifts, gifts we may not even know that we possess.  So on this July 4th, 2017, on the birthday of our Great Nation, I pray you have the inner peace, and TRUE freedom that was promised and given to us those many years ago, when Jesus Christ said, “Tetelestai, It is Finished,” died, and 3 days later pushed that stone aside and walked out of that tomb, defeating the devil and death……For all of us.

 

Oh man, sometimes you just have those days.  Those days you just can’t shake off the cobwebs, those days you can’t seem to get your mind right or put that smile on your face.  Today was one of those days.  It could have been the plane that is 3 days past its out date, or the rain, or the soreness from this weekends workouts……or just because its Monday, but today was definitely one of those days.  But here’s the thing.  I know that God is there, and I know that even though He seems far away, He is really right by my side.

I didn’t set the example today that I should have.  I was quick to anger.  When my lunch was delayed I finally said, “Forget this, I’m going anyway,” and threw my papers on the desk and left.  I know that isn’t the way to act.  But man, sometimes it really just gets to you and you need to step away and clear your mind.

But now that I’m finished complaining and feeling sorry for myself, let’s take a second to look at it from a different perspective.  Imagine……just for a minute……in your darkest moments, when you feel like you are overwhelmed and you feel like you just need to go home and take a nap……how bad would it be if God wasn’t there, if Jesus wasn’t carrying you through these times?

I’ve written about how Jesus always has His hand stretched out for you.  Oh trust me, today I was reaching right back.  I was stretching my arm out as far as I could.  But sometimes in life we are meant to go through trials and tribulations.  And today I’m pretty sure was one of those days.  I’m pretty sure I failed miserably, but I know tomorrow will be better.  In fact I know tonight will be better.

In Peter’s first letter he says, ” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  He of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you (I Peter 5:6-10).”

Exalt you when?  He said “at the proper time.”  I know God has a plan for me.  I know He tests me to make sure I’m still obeying Him and that I have faith in that plan.  For goodness sake, the Israelites roamed the wilderness for 40 years to learn the valuable lessons they needed to learn before they were allowed into the Promised Land.  Hopefully “the proper time” for me isn’t 40 years.  But if it is, then so be it.  Because that is the way God has planned it.

I know all days aren’t going to be perfect.  And in my very first post on here I said that if you continued to read this that I would take you through the good and the bad times.  The smooth roads and the bumpy ones.  I accept these down days, these days were I don’t act my best, these days where I should exhibit more faith.  Here is the reality.  If your entire life was perfect all the time, how would you really know that it was perfect?  The bad times make the good times all that much better.  And I stand firm in my faith that the good times will come again.

I pray that you look towards God in your struggles.  Ask Him to help you…..don’t run in the opposite direction.  Have faith that He is there.  That He is testing you for a reason;  that the lesson that you may need to learn is extremely valuable, and that He will not ever leave you…..because I believe even during those times of distress He is standing there, right over our shoulders cheering us on; saying, “You can do this, I know you got this.  I got your back.”

When I got up this morning I had no intention to write today.  I was going to take the day off.  But you know what?  I have discovered that it’s not really about what I want to do, what my plans may be.  God is in control……and at some point this morning he said, “Listen up.  I’ve got something for you today.”  So hopefully something that God wishes to speak about, through these words I type, may help one of you out there in something you may be going through in your life.

You know those times when you head out the door somewhere and you realize you’ve forgotten something you need?  I do it all the time.  I’ll get to the main road where I’m supposed to turn left for work and I’m like, “Oh man, I forgot my lunch.”  So I turn to the right, circle back around to the neighborhood and run in and grab it.  I know that’s just a simple illustration of my point, but I believe that God has brought me back to him.  I have circled around and He is firmly in control of my life.  He made me turn right, when all I wanted to do was turn left.

When’s the last time you went to church…prayed….talked to Jesus?  I spent 20 years away from God.  I graduated High School and moved away from my home church.  I honestly believe that I went to church one time on my own accord in the past 20 years.  But I know now that God never left me…..He never pulled his hand back and said, “To heck with you, if you are aren’t going to listen, I’ll go find someone else who will.”  That’s not the kind of God I serve.

I was talking to my step mother the other day and she told me at one point in her life some things happened and she quit going to church.  She quit for a long time.  And then one day she went back and hasn’t stopped going since.  This morning as I got to church and we were talking to a friend, I got a text on my phone.  It was a picture from my dad and he said he had gone back to church this morning.  I don’t know how long its been since he has gone to church, but he went today.

God NEVER gives up on us.  He NEVER pulls his hand back.  Jesus said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)”  He is always there…….waiting……if he must, for us to return.  In Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).  One of the brothers takes what his father gives him and leaves….only to squander what has been given.  He later returns home where his father embraces him and celebrates that he is home.  The brother, who stayed behind, is angry for he was there the whole time…..working for his father.  But Jesus says this, “But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost but has been found (Luke 15:32).”

We have ALL been lost.  I have been lost, at times, more than you can imagine.  I have turned from God…..the decisions I’ve made would have any loving father slam the door in my face if I ever returned home.  But with Jesus this will never happen.  The door is always open, His hand is always reaching out.  He won’t bend over and grab you, you have to reach out for yourself, you have to want it, you have to make the first move.  But as soon as you reach out your hand………He will scoop you up into his arms like you’ve never been away.

Like I said, I’ve done it….I’ve run away.  But let me tell you this……since I’ve come home, the blessings bestowed on my life are innumerable.  And it’s not wealth….its not fancy cars or a big home….its the relationships with my wife…..the relationships with my children…..the relationships with my family……the peace that I experience at work, when I once wanted to quit my job and run away.  Jesus is here for you.  All He wants you to do is reach out and grab his hand.

I pray that if you are out there somewhere….struggling with a decision on whether or not to rekindle your relationship with God, whether or not to go back to that church you quit, or go to another one you may have found.  Don’t wait another day……GO!!!!!  He wants you so much more than you may want Him.  I pray that you find Him somewhere in your life this week, and maybe this time next weekend you have returned home, you have gone back to a place you left so long ago.

So I awoke this morning to another beautiful day….the birds are chirping, the sun is out, the crabs and lizards are running around my porch, and from my vantage point there doesn’t seem to be a cloud in the sky.  But as I went to sleep last night, the storm was raging.  The lightning flashing.  The thunder booming.  But even though the storm was all around us, and the rain fell and the winds blew, my house is still standing this morning.  For anything to be able to survive a storm, it must be built on a firm foundation.

Everything that is built to last is built on a solid foundation.  Skyscrapers aren’t built on just a foundation, but their supports are driven deep into the Earth.  And like all architectural structures, we must be built on a strong foundation if we are going to survive the storms of life.  “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house;  yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.  Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house;  and it fell and great was its fall. (Matthew 7:24-27.)”

What are you building the foundation of your life on?  I can speak to this with the greatest certainty that if you build your life on sand…..you EVENTUALLY will come crashing down when the storms come; and trust me…..the storms will come.

Over the past 6 months or so I have slowly rebuilt my foundation.  It’s never to late to do a little renovation.  Just take one of the boys favorite shows for example.  Chip and Joanna Gaines are always rebuilding old houses on their show “Fixer Upper.”  As long as the basic bones are there, the house CAN be rebuilt.

I used to listen to Fox News 24/7.  Not that it isn’t important to keep up on current events, but if you fill your mind with negativity all day everyday, it can only lead to a negative life.  Now I listen to sermons from Stephen Furtick, Joel Osteen, the occasional sermon my mother sends me from her church, while I’m driving to and from work everyday.  I’m in church every Sunday morning.  On my phone I have a Bible app where I get my daily reading in on my downtime at work (while I’m loading software on planes.)  I’m not saying I don’t listen to Fox News anymore, but if there isn’t some breaking story on….I change it.

Okay….so what am I really trying to say here?  The point I’m trying to get across is this……When the storms blow in, when life starts to really get hard, what is your life built on?  What do you fall back to?  Are you trying to lose yourself in that moment by switching on the News, drowning out your struggles with some blaring music on your radio, or are you looking to God?  These days I look to God.  I don’t look to Neil Cavuto or Bill O’Reilly anymore to help me forget about my struggles.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30.)”

The renovation of my house is not yet complete, but I know that when the skies start to get grey, when the Doppler Radar starts to have a little more red on it than I like, that I will be just fine.  My faith that Jesus Christ is with me, holding my hand and walking with me in the good times, and more importantly, carrying me in the bad, makes getting through stormy days all that much easier.

So the real question is this?  Are you going to continue to live your life on sand or are you going to start your own personal renovation….a renovation that will solidify your foundation….a renovation that will place your life on the solid rock of Jesus Christ.

 

You ever have one of those days when you feel like you are under constant attack…like you are being hit from every direction imaginable with something?  Whether its unexpected bills, unexpected loss, unexpected circumstances at work that take you off your feet……..that knock the wind out of you and put you on your back, things that you think, “There is no way I can recover from this!!!”  It happens to all of us.  We start our day and everything seems to be going great, and then BAM!!!!!, out of nowhere it starts.  It’s almost like sitting on your front porch and watching a storm blow in.  First you see the dark clouds….uh oh, are the windows closed?  Then thunder and lightning.  The wind.  And the next thing you know you are in the middle of a devastating storm, gathering your children and pets and hiding in a bathroom.  The good news is that eventually it will all blow over.  It may be rough, and it may be scary, but it will pass.

Yesterday was one of those days.  For those of you that don’t know, I work in the aviation industry.  I work in a service center, similar to when you take your car in to the car dealership for maintenance.  Well, we had two planes we were prepping for today’s departure.  The last day before a plane leaves is always stressful, but I’m pretending to be in charge this week with my boss on vacation, so that adds an extra level of stress, an extra level of responsibility.

The day started with me waking up late for work, no big deal, I build extra time into my schedule.  Then I got stuck by a train….getting a little closer to being late.  I clock in with a minute to spare.  I print my work reports knowing one plane is about finished, the other had two problems overnight I thought might be fixed.  Of course they weren’t.  By lunchtime we were up to three problems (Cue the lightning and thunder.)  I go to the park.  I talk to God and find my peace….ready to attack this head on in the afternoon.  By 1:30 a fourth problem arises.  The customer is getting antsy about his departure date….his mood changes (Full blown storm.)

(As I left work, two problems had solutions but weren’t completely fixed……the other two, who knows?  Here’s to crossing our fingers, and lots of prayer.)

Here’s the thing and it wasn’t until after I got home that I realized what had happened.  You see, yesterday was my 15 year wedding anniversary….. to an amazing, confident, loving, beautiful woman.  I was being attacked…..by the devil himself.  He knew how important the day was…..and he was coming after me…..dead set on making my night the worse imaginable anniversary as possible.  But guess what?  As the day went on I knew exactly what was happening…maybe not the exact reason, but I knew I was being hit by a full frontal assault.  It was at that point I made it a game.  No matter what he did, he wasn’t gonna get me down.

It’s at times like these that I like to go to one of my favorite set of verses in the Bible.  I would love to put it all in here, but its a little long.  I’ll challenge you to some homework…its a very powerful section about wearing the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-24.)  But I will put this for when the devil has sent his legion to do everything they can to stop you in your tracks…”Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.”

The devil will attack you.  The devil will send his demons to surround you, poke you, prod you, make you want to quit.  They will whisper in your ear, “You aren’t worthy, you can’t do this, you are a loser, why don’t you just quit?”  Everyone seems to believe in angels…probably because of how majestic, beautiful and powerful they are.  But no one seems to think about demons.  And for every bit as majestic that angels are, demons are their equivalence in horrible, nasty, rotting, disgusting things.

So when the devil has sent his army after you, Suit up!!, don’t let him win.  For Jesus Christ is standing by your side.  He is your strength, your courage, and your ultimate defender in times like these.  Fight the good fight.  Run the good race.  And no matter what happens…..keep the faith.

 

So I woke up in the middle of the night last night with this on my mind.  Nothing in particular has happened lately in regards to this, so I’m not really sure why it was there, except for God put it there.  I’m sure we have all had some type of experience with this at some point in our lives, so let’s dive right on in the this one.

I have children.  I have two……special……boys.  The oldest is a loner, but getting older, and that, “I think I know more than you attitude” is starting to occur more and more than I’d like.  The younger is an emotional wreck most of the time.  The smallest thing like, “Do you have your goggles for the pool,” on any given day, can set him off to where you think the world is about to end.  For the most part they both listen and do what they are asked, but there are times when no matter how hard we plead…..things just don’t get done.  Why is it that they just can’t do what I want them to do?

That’s just a simple example of what this is all about.  But what happens when sometimes things happen that can cause pain, grief, discomfort?  Sometimes you want someone to thank you for a gift you sent them, and they don’t.  Sometimes you want someone to ask you how your day was, after a bad day, just to show they care……and they don’t.  (I’m sorry honey, I know I am personally guilty of this one.)  Sometimes you want them to be as excited about something that you are excited in, to join you in your dreams and move as fast as you are moving right now.  And sometimes you just want someone to tell you that they love you……but once again, they don’t.

We can’t make others do things that they don’t want to do.  We can’t place our hopes, dreams, and expectations on others.  I have learned this more than once in the past year, in regards to the dreams I have for my life.  One of the most important life lessons I have learned is that we have to love people where they are.

I think that is why our relationship with God is as amazing as it is.  The whole premise is based on free will.  We all know the story of Adam and Eve, and how they could have had it all, but Chose to disobey God’s one and only rule.  Ever since, it has been on us to choose whether to follow God or not.  Deuteronomy 30:19-20 says, “I call heaven and Earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

So if Adam and Eve can’t even follow God’s one rule, then how can we expect everyone that we want to do something, no matter how big or small, to do it……just because we want them to.  People do what people do.  It’s not always intentionally to hurt, even though sometimes that may be the result of their actions.  Sometimes we are just too dumb to know better.

So here’s an idea, and it may be a difficult concept for our minds to wrap around, but how about instead of getting mad or upset because people aren’t acting the way we want them to and doing the things we want them to do…..instead we focus more on what we can do to serve them.  Paul, whom I’m learning more and more everyday was a pretty amazing guy, in his farewell to Ephesus said, “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of’ the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).”  And how could I write about the way people treat each other than to not mention the most famous verse of all when we speak of serving others, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in one statement, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

So the next time you start to think, “Why won’t this person just do what I want them to do?  It’s only for their own good,” maybe take a breath, look at the situation and realize it may not be about you.  They may have perfectly good intentions for the way they are behaving, and maybe, just maybe, you are placing your purpose, your dreams in them.  Love them where they are at.  Pray for them.  Pray,yourself, for Guidance.  And better yet, figure out a way that you can serve them instead of always thinking about what they can do for you.

A Day I Will Never Forget

April 16, 2016. The worst day of my life.  It was a cool, crisp Saturday morning. At the time, I was stationed at Naval Air Station Willow Grove just outside of Philadelphia. My wife had gone to work and I was at home with my young son. Out of the blue I received a phone call that I never thought I would ever receive. You see, I was what was called a Casualty Assurance Calls Officer. You know those guys in the movies that knock on doors and tell loved ones the worst news that someone could ever receive; the news that their son or daughter had died.  Ironically, I had just returned the night before from a Casualty Conference at Headquarters Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia.

The news knocked the wind out of me.  Even though I had been “trained” to do what I was about to do, I was not ready.  No one could ever really be ready for this.  I ran around the house trying to get my uniform on, all the while trying to find a last-minute babysitter to watch my son.  Luckily one of my coworkers lived only a mile away.  I dropped my son off and headed to my wife’s work before reporting to the Squadron Headquarters Office to get the information I would need.  I arrived at my wife’s work, and by this time she already knew why I was coming in.  She took me into a side office and I cried.  At this point in our marriage we had known each other for about 10 years.  This was the first time I had ever cried in front of her.

I went on in to work, learned of the situation that had happened and coordinated the events that were about to occur with the other members of my team.  We all headed off to the house of the unsuspecting parents.  When we arrived I could see that they had just gotten home, the trunk of their car was open with groceries inside.  But we were taught, never, never, never give the news until you are in the house.  About that time the mother and father came around the front, saw me standing there in my uniform, said, “Oh my son is a Marine….”  And that’s all it took.  The look in their eyes changed immediately.  They knew exactly what I was there to do.

The rest of the events that occurred aren’t important to this story, but those events ever changed the lives of so many people, including my own.

God’s Son

Those unsuspecting parents never knew what was coming.  Now imagine this.  God knew, from the beginning of time, that one day he would send his son to Earth to die on a cross.  We all think of Heaven as a happy place, with no sadness to speak of.  But can you honestly tell me, that even though God knew and knows how it will all turn out, it still didn’t destroy him.

Why does it upset us when we see and hear the descriptions of the pain and suffering that Christ went through on that last day?  It’s because we are human, and it’s because we can’t stand to see how our Savior was mistreated.  But here’s the thing, and it wasn’t until recently that I realized this.  All the abuse, the crown of thorns, the carrying of the cross, the nails DRIVEN through his hands and feet……was a happy ending.  The plan that God had put in effect forever ago was coming to pass.  And it was coming to pass so that we may have eternal life.  The suffering and pain that Jesus went through…..was all for us.

God loved us so much that he sent his only Son to die for us.  Paul says in Romans, ” For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39.)  So as horrible it must have been for God and for Jesus, they knew all along that these events must transpire and it was all for the good.

The Aftermath

Months later when my time with this family was drawing to an end, my Commanding Officer called me into his office.  He gave me a letter that the father had written him, which was presented to me.  He told my Commanding Officer that his son would have been proud to serve with me, that I conducted myself in a professional manner, and that it was an honor to have gone through this tragedy with me.  Still to this day its hard to understand that.  I destroyed their lives, or so I thought.  But it’s not always about what we see, and it’s not always about us.  Looking back I believe I was chosen, I was placed in that family’s life for a reason.  I was an integral part of an age-old plan to comfort them in their time of need.  So when you are having you “worst day ever,” try to put things in perspective and know that it is God who has put you there, and God has put you there for a reason.

 

 

 

 

Webster’s defines potential as “existing in possibility: capable of development into actuality.”  We all have potential.  We all have the potential for greatness and on the other side of the coin, we all have the potential for….not so greatness.  Where are you right now in your life?  What is your mindset?  Are you allowing fear and doubt to blur your vision and rob you of your God-given potential?

I always knew I had the potential to be great but I didn’t always act on it.  I drifted through life, knowing that there were greater possibilities out there but never reached out and grabbed ahold of them as they flew by.  I never went the extra mile.  I believe we are all frightened at times.  What happens if I go after this, or I go after that and I fail?  Here is the reality.  We were all made in God’s image.  It says so in Genesis.  So doesn’t that mean that we all have the ability to be great?

Now we aren’t all going to be the best at everything.  Some people are meant to be athletes, some teachers, some people have the natural abilities to be farmers and physicians.  But then that really all boils down to what our God-given purpose in life may be.  It says in Jeremiah 1 that before you were born God knew you.  He knew your path, the places you were supposed to go and the things that you were meant to accomplish.  I think this may be where our confusion, anxiety, and unrest may rear its ugly head into our lives.  Although we may want to be a baseball player and we may have the potential to do so, it just may not be in God’s plan for us.

I recently listened to a sermon by Steven Furtick, the Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC.  He said, “Maybe you are tormenting yourself over a potential that you didn’t reach because you are judging yourself against a purpose that isn’t your.”

Take a moment….let that sink it.  That statement is extremely profound.  I pray everyday for God to open my eyes to the path I’m supposed to be on.  I know He isn’t going to send down an email with MapQuest directions for the whole journey.  But I know there will be slight nudges everyday in the direction I’m supposed to be moving.  I see it all the time.  There are things that happen, places I end up, things I experience, that I believe wouldn’t be possible without His guidance, and that soft whisper in my ear, “Hey, look over there.”

Let us not get discouraged by things that we think we should have or things that we think are meant for us to do, because in God’s plan, we may in fact be meant for much greater.  Don’t be afraid to ask God for help, for guidance.  That’s what He is here for.  James 1:5-6 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

So reach out for that guidance.  We can’t do it all alone, and we aren’t supposed to do it all alone.  Have faith, for that is a very important part of the equation, and believe that what you ask for, if God ordained, will take place.  God will marry your potential and your purpose into one, and then you will truly be on the path for greatness.

A Weekend Project

A couple of months ago we were at Lowe’s picking up a few things.  We ended up in the gardening section and the boys decided they wanted to plant some seeds.  We got a variety of seed packets and those little biodegradable pots to start them out in.  Now I’m not going to lie, I never thought they would be successful; growing plants from seeds?  We can barely keep the plants alive that are already grown.  We got home and proceeded to plant these seeds.  I tried to keep the chaos to a minimum, “We must only plant a few seeds in each pot.”  But boys will be boys and they took over the project.  So by the end, each pot had 10 or more seeds in them.

After a time the plants began to grow.  We had to go back to Lowe’s to upgrade to big planters for our cucumbers, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts.  Then a few weeks later we had to buy a tomato cage for the cucumbers.  Now just a couple of months after the initial planting party, the cucumbers are about 5 feet tall and flowering.  I never imagined in my wildest dreams that these tiny little seeds would grow into a 5 foot tall plant.

Spiritual Seeds

Jesus once told the parable of the sower and his seeds (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23.)  Each of the seeds that were thrown out ended in a different set of circumstances and not all turned into huge cucumber plants; like the ones on my back porch.  But like the cucumbers, which we watered and fertilized and helped those funny little tendrils find the cage, we all need the love and attention to grow in our spiritual lives.

God gives us all the opportunity to flourish in our spiritual lives; not just a select few chosen ones.  All we have to do is take a second to listen and follow.  I spend my lunches these days walking around a pond a few minutes from work.  It’s the time of day when I can truly reflect on my life, my relationship with God and really try to listen for what he is trying to tell me.  Some days all I hear are the geese and the screaming children playing on the playground, but some days I hear a lot more.

Sowing Seeds in Others

Even before my “Coming to Jesus” moment a little over a month ago I had began to try to be a more positive person.  I started to try to encourage others more. A motivational Facebook post here, an encouraging word to a trainee at work there.  We can all help change the future one seed at a time. I’ve come to not worry about what others say and do so much anymore because ultimately they don’t have any control over me.  There is only ONE that is in charge of my life.  A dear friend at work recently told me when I was having a down day, “Why are you so worried about what they may think?”  When referring to the source of my distress he said, “He didn’t make you, he can’t lift you up.”

Don’t get caught feeding your seeds with the wrong fertilizer.  Those seeds will grow plants of doubt, discouragement, and all kinds of other negative things.  Instead, water your seeds with the love of Jesus Christ, and one day the Lord God Almighty will harvest you up to that eternal garden in the sky.