Why Do These Things Keep Happening?

I’m often asked if the stories I share in my blog actually happened because some people can’t believe one person could have so many things happen in his life. I assure you that every blog I write is something that I’ve truly experienced, and you won’t believe it, but it happened again Monday.

Tami and I had flown to be with my mom and dad last week because she had to have surgery to repair a bone she broke in a fall. We were scheduled to return on Monday, so it was off to the airport. We turned in our rental car, hopped on the bus to take us to our terminal, went inside and checked in our bag, received our tickets, and were walking away to go to security when I discovered that my laptop bag was gone. I turned around and ran up to the counter I’d just left, but it was not there. I went into a small panic because the bag held my laptop and iPad. I thought that I must have left it on the bus from the rental car company because that was the last time I remembered getting into it. The ticket counter area was in chaos with people everywhere trying to check their bags, but I just couldn’t imagine somebody picking it up if it was sitting by my feet.

So I stood outside where it was cold, windy, and snowing as I waited for the next bus. The driver was amazing and radioed all the other busses, assuring me that they’d find my bag. Nobody replied to his plea, so he encouraged me to ride back with him to check at the main office. I told Tami to go to the gate and I’d be back soon. After stopping at every terminal at O’Hare airport, we finally arrived back at the rental car office only to discover that nothing had been turned in. I had no idea where to look for my bag and now I was out of time and could miss my flight if I didn’t get to the gate. I took the next bus back to our terminal thinking I would check with the airline agent to see if it was turned in, but when we got back to the terminal that entire area had been shut down. I was out of time, so I went to the gate with the thought that I would never see those items again.

We flew home and got into bed around 1:00 Tuesday morning. I refused to worry about what had happened because my mom was doing great and we were home safe. I said a quick prayer and slept soundly. After getting ready Tuesday morning, I was going to call the airline and see if by chance they had my bag and, if not, file a report. When I opened my phone I noticed that I had a message. I went to my voicemail, and sure enough it was an airline representative saying they had my bag and needed an address for mailing. It was so refreshing and I thought of all the time I’d spent running around the airport when my bag was probably just a few feet from where Tami and I had been standing.

I didn’t plan to share that story because I share too many stories like that and many of you probably think I’m losing my mind, but then the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. This week we are celebrating Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ who came to save a lost world. There are people today who are running all over trying to find the answers to life. They feel a sense of loss and loneliness and just want to fill the emptiness that is in their lives. And while they are running all over to find the answer, they don’t realize that the answer is right there with them. I encourage you to look around you and notice those who are looking for an answer. Tell them about Jesus and share your story.

The Truth About Noah

A few weeks ago a new movie came out titled Noah. I don’t get out very often to see movies, but I decided that I wanted to see this depiction of a story I learned as a child in Sunday School. It had to be in my top 10 favorite stories to listen to because of the magnitude of the miracle that happened. So, I woke up early on my day off and headed to the theater.

After the movie ended I was disturbed by what I had just seen. I understand that the movie was not put together by a Christian organization, but I’ve heard over and over again that while some artistic interpretations were interjected into the movie, it stayed along the storyline presented in the Bible. To all of that I have to say, BALOGNA! I sat and watched a movie that took an amazing story of God’s love for one man and his family who remained righteous while the world was out of control and turned it into something that caused me to hurt for those who would be deceived by the lie it created. I’m not going to tell you the whole plot of the movie, but let me tell you the true story found in Genesis 6-7.

Noah was a man who was passionate in his faith to follow the guidance of God. When God decided that He was going to destroy every living, breathing thing on earth, He saw Noah. His love for Noah caused Him to want to protect Noah and his family. God spoke to Noah about His plan—His plan to destroy the earth with a flood—and how Noah was to build an ark to save his family and every other species of life. God specifically told Noah how to build the ark, the size, the wood to use, how to water proof it, etc. Noah and his sons were obedient to what the Lord commanded and built the ark. When Noah was 600 years old the flood waters came and, just as God had told Noah, every living creature not on the ark perished in the flood.

In the movie, the disastrous ending was that Noah had failed God’s mission because he was supposed to wipe out the human race and only the animals were to survive. This is not the truth of the story but many may be foolish enough to buy into the lie. Noah and his family were the ones God chose to protect because of Noah’s personal relationship with God. In life, just because something man creates looks amazing, with unbelievable graphics and animation, doesn’t mean it’s scriptural. Know what the Word of God teaches about events that have happened throughout the history of mankind. Be willing to take a stand to declare the truth so that others are not misled. In our lives we will be often be confronted with half-truths that may sound good, but they are not scriptural. Grow in your faith and knowledge of the Lord so you don’t fall prey to half-truths. If you haven’t seen the movie Noah, my advice is to save your money and do something better. If you have, read Genesis 6-7 and remember the true events that happened to Noah and his family.

Have You Ever Seen Chaos?

Last night I was walking through the chaos that we call a home and did not like it very much. I couldn’t turn on lights, get in drawers, or walk outside without seeing a big mess. Tami and I knew when we started down this path a few weeks ago that we’d have to deal with these type of situations to get to the prize at the end of the line. It’s not easy because I’m a clean/control freak in my house. I want things to be where they’re supposed to be and to have easy access to them. We have a great contractor who helped me find peace in the midst of chaos. I’ve known remodeling guys who just leave you hanging and offer no explanation of why they are doing what they are doing. This leads to frustration and high levels of stress that you shouldn’t have to carry. Our contractor was good at reminding us of the ultimate goal and what we’ll see if we stick to the course. Although there may be times we just want to say “Put it back!”, our faith in his abilities and design imagination keep us going down this path.

In the church, we often go through seasons of change. Change is not a bad thing, but if you are in prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit’s guidance then you may be the one changing. We serve a very creative God who can see the end design even though we can only see the next few days that lie ahead of us. God looks at that long-time believer who feels that anything beyond the norm in church is almost ungodly and shouldn’t be tolerated, while at the same time looking at that new young Christian who just got saved off the streets and doesn’t even understand the difference between communion and water baptism. This is the kind of church that I want to be a part of on a weekly basis: a church that preaches the truth of the gospel to a lost world. Those caught up in the rules and regulations need wisdom to bring balance because sitting next to them is some young believer who makes you smile because he or she has so much to learn.

You see, I’m called to not minimize the importance of showing love and respect to the Creator of all but instead to show all people that God loves them right where they are. Even if they don’t look the way I feel they should look, act the way I feel they should act, or talk the way I feel they should talk, I understand that just like me they are children of God saved by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Yes, there have been many times I’ve left a church service chuckling inside at something a young believer has done, but that’s OK. There are many Sundays I left church with Tami chuckling at me and what I’ve worn. In her eyes, I have no designer flare and can dress pretty horribly. I’ve heard all my life that we are to love and accept people as they are, so my question is this: why do we feel we have to change them immediately after they get saved? Let them learn through sound teaching and doctrine, prayer, and the greatest source of change, the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 

Speaking a Different Language

This past week I have spent a lot of time with Latino workers who cannot speak English. As I’ve been with these men, I feel like I’m missing opportunities to make an impact on their lives because I can’t really communicate with them. We smile and offer kind greetings, but beyond that we are hopeless. How sad that I live in an area where so many men and women don’t speak my language and I can’t express what I’m feeling with them.

I’ve learned through life that we can even speak the same language and yet be in different worlds. Tami and I have been married for nearly 32 years, and yet there are days when it seems like we don’t even understand what the other is saying. Yesterday was a classic example of this when we were out shopping for new French Doors to replace our sliding glass door. Our house was built in the late 1990s, so our sliding glass door is smaller than the standard door installed in new homes today. We discovered that we would have to special order one and started going through the questions to pick out the door for us. As the sales rep went through the many questions, he came to questions dealing with color and styles. I have learned through the years that it’s best to let Tami choose what she likes to keep the process moving. I’ll say something if I really don’t like what she’s picked out, but most times I’m fine with her taste in décor. Well, we started getting questions about what we wanted the windows to look like, what style of handles would we like, and how would we like the door to lock. I would look to Tami for an answer and she’d tell me that she didn’t understand, so I’d show her pictures and explain different features but kept getting the deer in the headlights look. As we left the store I knew that Tami had no idea of what we’d just picked out because her mind couldn’t grasp it. Later that evening when we were alone I explained everything and she could finally imagine what we were talking about. I will have to go back to the store and make some changes because once she understood she could express what she wanted.

In life we are all going to come across these types of situations, and I’ve learned that I need to find a way around the communication barriers. With the work crew at my house I find someone who can speak Spanish and ask that person to help me. At the store I keep asking the sales rep questions until I understand what we are talking about. My question for you is this: how do you find the answers when you have questions that relate to your spiritual life? Do you turn to the Bible? How about prayer? And God has placed in your life spiritually mature Christians who can help you. Many feel like the truths of living a godly life are a foreign language and don’t try to discover the deeper things God has for them. But I can assure you, if you start pursuing those spiritual truths, they will begin to make sense and you will be able to live a life complete in the Lord. Remember what Jesus taught us in Matthew 7:7: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Did I Just Do That?

Have you ever had one of those moments when you’ve said to yourself, “Did I really just do that?” Well, I had one of those moments Sunday evening. Tami and I are starting a massive remodeling of our house. During our consultation with a designer we were throwing around several ideas on things we could do to update our kitchen. One of the things that Tami and I have seen in several newer homes is a sink island that offers two ways to get into the family room. We really like that style and thought we might see what it’d look like in our home. The consultant and her construction supervisor said that they didn’t think it would work because they thought our plumbing didn’t come from under our slab but instead through the walls. They just left it at that and headed on to their next meeting. Well, I wouldn’t take their word on it, so I decided on Sunday that I’d go on a plumbing expedition.

I have a reciprocating saw and it was just itching to give it a go with me. So I pulled it out, crawled under our kitchen sink, and went to work. About the time I started, our daughter and her husband walked in to join the expedition. I made my first cut thinking I’d cut out the cabinet in pie-like pieces until I could break it away and reach down to the slab. My first two cuts were perfect, and as I started my third cut my son-in-law said, “Don’t hit the water pipe.” Duh…I know that! But it wasn’t two seconds later that I heard the sound of pressurized water, and bam…it hit me and was spraying everywhere. I’d hit the water pipe.

All I could think was, Thanks Justin! ha! No, I knew exactly what I needed to do. I ran outside to the main water shut-off valve and turned off the water. Good news: no more spraying water. Bad news: no water at all. Here it is Sunday evening and I have a broken water pipe and stores are going to be closing. I knew that I couldn’t waste any time, so I headed out immediately to our nearest hardware store to see what I could do.

At the store I discovered this wonderful product made just for guys like me. It’s a tape that looks like the material casts are made of and you soak it in water for 30 seconds, then wrap it around the leaking pipe. After 30 minutes of drying time your leak will be fixed. Excited but a little skeptical, I bought it and headed home. It was easy enough to find the hole, so I opened up my kit and couldn’t believe my eyes—someone had taken the special tape and I had nothing to wrap around my broken pipe. So here I go, back to the store to get another package of tape, and this time they were closing. I opened the box to make sure the tape was there, exchanged the package, and headed home praying it’d work. I soaked the tape, let it cure, and turned on the water. Sure enough, it sealed the leak, and here it is Tuesday evening and still holding strong. What a handy man!

What did I learn form this? First, don’t invite your son-in-law to watch you when doing a project that can go horribly wrong. Second, even the smallest of holes in a pipe can put out a lot of water. The hole was less than 1/16 of an inch, but that’s all the water needed. Third, don’t panic; figure out the best course of action and then react. Little water was spilled and the hole was repaired in a short time. In life, I need to practice the same principles. Don’t panic when things seem out of control but stop and think of the best solution for the situation. With the Holy Spirit’s guidance and acting in faith those problems will be overcome.

What's Really Important

Last week at our couples retreat I shared that Tami is not the greatest of drivers.  Now, she is an amazing wife, mother, and grandmother.  She is an organized and task-driven person, but she just lacks some focus when it comes to the more boring routines of life.  Through the years I’ve been amazed at some of the driving maneuvers she’s performed.  Here are a few for your reading enjoyment.  I’ve seen bumpers ripped off cars because Tami caught them with her bumper while backing out of parking spots.  She has backed into the car of a woman she was going to follow to an event while the woman was waiting to back out herself.  Tami backed into the driver’s side door of her grandfather’s new car, side-swiped a post in a church parking lot, blew out tires while turning a corner too quickly and hitting the curb, and ripped off the passenger door mirror because she got too close to road construction barrels.  These are all due to a lack of attention while driving, and it used to drive me crazy when she called to tell me what she’d done.  I would often get angry and be more concerned about the car than about her well-being.

Last June, our car was hit in the passenger door by a young woman who went through a stop sign.  She hit right where Tami was sitting, and the force caused us to go into a sideways slide.  The accident seemed to last a very long time but ended a few seconds later when our SUV rolled over.  Our guardian angels were definitely watching over us because other than a few cuts and scrapes, some sore muscles, and a bad headache for Tami where her head hit the door, we walked away unharmed from that accident.  I came to realize that no car is worth the health and safety of my family.  I came to realize it was not fair of me to be so critical about a possession and I needed to worry more about the one I loved.  Yes, my beautiful wife may not be the greatest driver, but that’s not why I married her.  I married her because she completed me.  Her gifts, talents, and support are far greater than any dent in a door or bumper laying on the ground.  I am doing my best to not be critical of the things that don’t matter in the grand plan that God has for John and Tami.

God has a grand plan for each of us...don’t allow a few bumps to rob you of the joy of being involved in the plan He has for us.  Enjoy the ride that God has waiting for you and find how to get the most out of it for you and your family.   Oh, before I forget, while telling the couples about some of Tami’s driving mishaps, she stopped me during the retreat to inform me that she had a mishap earlier in the day.  What can I do but just smile and say, “That’s my Tam!”  

I Just Don't Understand

Last week, Tami and I went to a meeting that ended around 9:30 p.m. We didn’t have a chance to eat dinner prior to the meeting, so we decided to stop for a quick dinner while heading home. We chose a restaurant close to our house that has great food and quick service.

We walked in and asked for a booth where we could sit and debrief about the busy day we were wrapping up. The hostess told us that there were no booths available and proceeded to take us to a large room with several tables and booths. We again asked to sit at one of the open booths because they were larger and more comfortable but were told they were closed, so we were seated at a tiny table that could barely hold two people. Less than two steps to our left was a table for four; we asked if we could sit there and were told it too was closed. So here we sit, at a table that won’t be able to hold our food and drinks, while two steps away is a table with enough room for everything and five steps away is a nice, large, comfortable booth. We started laughing because of the insanity. Our waitress couldn’t take a few steps to reach us at a different table, but we had to put stuff on the floor to fit our dinner on the table. Oh, and one more interesting fact: before we left they brought in a couple and sat them in one of the booths we had requested!

On Sundays, we gather together to worship God.. we're not told where we can or cannot sit. You’ll be blessed if you just open up your heart to the praise & worship and message that will challenge your heart. You will hopefully be greeted by warm, friendly smiles from people who are happy that you're at church. You won’t gain any calories and in fact will burn some calories. But the greatest thing is that you will experience the love of God if you open your heart up to Him.