Leftovers

Yesterday at lunch time I went home to eat with the kids. We did the normal routine of trying to decide what to eat. You know how it works. Look in the pantry. Look in the freezer. Look in the frig. Weigh the options. Decide. The verdict? In less than 30 seconds we had layed on the kitchen counter three incredible choices. Poppyseed chicken and rice, a unique take on soft tacos made from chuck roast (8 hrs. in the crock pot, no less), and a big, cheesy burger. Now here's the deal. The food had already been prepared, already been paid for, and the prep time was less than two minutes on each. Are you kidding me?! I confess that sometimes leftovers just don't do it for me. You know what I mean? Been there, done that, let's move on. But for some reason, yesterday those leftovers struck me as what they really were...the blessings of God. How good is God in that not only did He provide for me once, but there was so much provision that I was able to enjoy it again. And not only had He provided the meals (the first and second times), He provided the frig to keep the food and the microwave to reheat the food. WHAT?! While much of the world was wondering if they'd have anything to eat, I had been given the blessing of leftovers.

Thank You, Lord, for leftovers.

An Integrated Life

Have you ever heard the various aspects of a person's life referred to as separate entities? My work life. My home life. My family life. My recreational life. My church life. My life as a husband. My life as a father. My life as a brother. My life as an employee. As if these aspects can be defined apart from one another? I have not only heard these aspects referred to in such a way, I have referred to them this way myself. Worse, I have actually tried to live as if each were entirely distinct. This mindset has produced frustration and at times deceipt (for self and others).

We have but one personality, one life and one opportunity. Today, I can choose to be who I am, where I am, all for the One for Whom I was created.

Today, I can live an integrated life. You can too.

MJ is gone.

So much could be said. Maybe soon. Right now...

SADNESS

In Case You Missed It...

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Have you seen the Disney movie Enchanted? Its beginning is not unlike other Disney animated features. There's a young maiden, happy and industrious, singing beautifully, while myriads of woodland creatures assist her in the chores of the day. She is dreaming and longing for her true love's kiss. The fellowship is sweet. The animal's harmony spot on. It's perfect. That is until she is cast into a well by the evil queen of "animated land." Amazingly, the well into which she's flung dumps her into New York City. She is now fully human, and fully distressed. She slowly realizes that the life she thought she had is not a fairy tale after all. But she also comes to realize that, in fact, true love does exist. And when all hope seems lost, and the sad end is inevitable, true love's kiss does arrive. She has been rescued. With her new found love and life she takes to the battle, fighting against the one who has sought her demise.

I identify with that. From my earliest memory everything seemed "song and dance," "fairy tale" perfect. Music in the air. Everybody smiling. I thought everybody loved everybody. You know, join hands and sing We Are the World or something. Then in almost an instant I realized this is no fairy tale. There are shadows and darkness. There's an enemy. I begin to recognize the shadows and darkness in me. Unkindness. Wrong attitudes. Selfishness. Lust. Pride. It was all there, lurking. Some days held at bay, others ruling over me, but always there.

But into the expanding story of darkness entered my hero, my true love. When everything seemed lost, and it was, Jesus Christ took my darkness upon Himself. The Bible says, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." God rescued me through the death of His Son, Jesus. He continues to rescue me daily through the presence and power of His Holy Spirit. And one day He will rescue me forever by bringing me into His Kingdom.

My True Love has gradually been making His desire for rescue my desire as well. The Bible says that Jesus came to seek and to save those who were lost, to rescue them. He has given me the same assignment. Seek them. Tell them. Put them in the path and place of rescue.

Paul said to Timothy, "At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strenghtened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

Quote of the Day

"Much of the gospel is about being salt so that we can help return a people who wandered to a God who never left."
-Nancy Ortberg, from her book Looking for God (An Unexpected Journey Through Tattoos, Tofu & Pronouns)

Lord, Help Us

In the sixth grade my English teacher was Ms. Coleman. She was one of my favorite teachers that year. Ms. Coleman was animated, creative and funny. Parenthetically, she is also the teacher who, when doling out punishment, would have the miscreant write the following sentence, "Self-discipline is the epitome of a good student." I do not ever remember hearing the word epitome before that time, and thought for several months that the word was pronounced with the last syllable rhyming with home. Well, Ms. Coleman had us memorize a poem by Edgar Allan Poe. This was my first real exposure to one of America's greatest, and most well-known writers. As another aside, you may not know that this year marks Poe's 200th birthday. (Happy Birthday, Edgar!) Now, when discussing Poe, most people are directed to The Raven, but Ms. Coleman had us focus our attention on the lesser known, Annabel Lee. It is the story of lost love. I can still hear Ms. Coleman reciting it. "It was many and many a year ago in a kingdom by the sea..." "My darling, my darling..." Many years have passed since sixth grade and I can still recite Annabel Lee. I do not think the recitation of this poem will matter much eternally, but what I do know is that the small things Ms. Coleman said and did that year still matter to me all these years later. Thanks, Ms. Coleman. And thanks, Mr. Poe.

This past Saturday I went into a gas station to make a small purchase. While at the register, paying for my items, the attendant who was serving me called out to a gentleman who was walking out the door with two cases of his chosen beverage (which I hear is not actually Milwaukee's best). He laughed. She laughed (kind of). He said, "I always put it in the truck before I pay." She laughed again (kind of). He walked to the register, put his beverages on the floor and said, "I don't like to have to stoop down." She said, "Fella, I don't know what you used to do, but you gon' have to pay me first." She told him the total. He paid. She laughed. He laughed (kind of). She got the money. He got the brew.

There are three good lessons from this story...

1. Just because we've done a particular thing, a particular way, with the same particular results for a particular period of time, does not necessarily mean it will always be that way. (Nor should we expect it to be.)

2. Our personal comfort, or lack thereof, should not be an excuse to do something, if that excuse is not what is required to achieve a greater good (in this case, obeying the law).

3. If we are willing to do what is required, we will, in the end, see that it worked out OK anyway.

Exhibit A: DAVID
"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips..."

Exhibit B: PAUL
"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him..."

Exhibit C: ???
God, create in us a passion so deep, a love so strong, a joy so unshakeable, and a faith so secure, that we worship You alone. We want to be displayers of Your glory, exhibits of Your grace.