Balancing Act

I was watching little Hannah the other day. A friends kid, she is learning to walk. Crawling to walking to running seems to take only a couple of weeks. But Sunday it seemed that she found spots on the earth where gravity was greatest. I call them gravity storms. It kept pulling her down. But she kept getting up. I'll bet in the end she wins. She will have found balance. I remember teaching my kids to ride bikes. There were times that you wondered if they would ever be able to. A crash into the neighbors car or the brick retaining wall around the corner seemed to stifle their own hopes as well. But they persisted and soon you hear, "Look dad, no hands!" They mastered the fine art of balance on the bike. Did you ever try to walk on one those playground beams. You know the ones that are about 12" off the ground. They are pretty easy to walk on because you can't fall too far. Perhaps the worst you could do was skin the side of your ankle bone if you slipped off. I don't remember the first time I walked on one, but I'm sure the challenge was only in keeping my balance. I doubt that I had any fear, because I really didn't have anywhere to fall. There was simply no time to yell "Heeeelllllpppp Mmmmooooommmmm, Iiiiiiii'mmmmm Fffffaaalllinnnngg! If you tried that you would really have to pretend you were atop the Empire State Building. But as I got older I began to try walking on higher things. Fences were really difficult if the top rail was round pipe, but flat boards were okay. When I got into construction I could walk on some beams, but I was really uncomfortable unless there was something really close by to grab onto. Have you noticed that some iron workers and carpenters seem to be able to walk on these things as if they were squirrels on a power line? Why is that? Simply because they have experience. And confidence came from experience. If you have ever fallen off a roof you know it's a scary couple of seconds. When you fall, and if you survive without any breaks, you are told to get back up there right away. If you don't the Fear Factor sets in and you now face a greater challenge. It may be the same thing you've done for months or years, but now you have the distasteful memory of gravity's last victory. Oh to have spider feet! Well I've noticed that in many instances in life we learn to walk the fine line between success and failure. Take raising kids for example. If you don't discipline them they will run amok and won't learn the valued lessons of the disciplined life. On the other hand if you discipline them too much you run the risk of damaging their spirit and their respect for you. Both extremes are unproductive for you and your children. Been there, done that. So we look for the balance in this and in all things. I could elaborate but I think you already get the picture. There is one area though that I want to expound on. It's the balance of a spiritual life. We are made up of spirit and flesh. We spend parts of our day in each realm. To break it down even simpler there are actions that we do routinely and there are thoughts that we think we should be doing. Consider the person who is working on task all day long, yet he knows his co-worker is going through a stressful time in their life. He wants to talk to them yet sometimes he holds back. This is made more difficult if we feel God is the prompter, because we fear failure greater if we look like Fools of Faith. It seems that all too often we walk in the fleshly, natural realm and God interrupts us with a prompting to do some task for him. That spiritual moment is the substance of change for so many situations, yet many times it challenges us be what we want to be. We all dream of doing God's will and helping someone, yet when push comes to shove we can't find the balance point. For us to be effective we must find equilibrium in our character. When our spirit directs us to act, our fleshly vessel must make the requisite transit from fear to faith and from doubt to deed. Otherwise we quench the Spirit and realize that we have fallen off the balance beam. Another failed opportunity, another doubt to overcome. Unless we get back on the beam and finish our walk, it will be harder next time. And who will that benefit? No one. If I've spoken to you today, it's because God asked me to. He wants you to be your best and he needs to use you for his work. After all who else can do it if you're the only spiritually minded person present? So get back on the beam and repeat after me, "Look Lord, no hands!"

Be Still and Know Love

Another day, another thought? Not necessarily. I use this blog as a warm-up tool to get the creative juices flowing. But to write at the request of someone is the epitome of what I'm trying to accomplish with this hobby of writing. I went to my computer Saturday morning and I had a request from a wonderful person, who just happens to be my youngest daughter. She asked me to keep writing. It's a way for her to keep in touch with what's going on in my cranial cavity. You see she's a couple hundred miles away from us and most of her telephone conversations are with my wife. So it makes me feel great to see a request from her to digitize my thoughts into readable characters. As a young mom, she works very hard (as all young moms do) trying to keep the household moving on a steady keel while the seas of life slam hard against the hull. I state this only to let you know that in addition to the routines of life, she and her husband have been dealing with a tricky medical situation. Their daughter (my precious granddaughter) has had symptoms that mimic some very serious, potentially life-threatening, physical conditions. Throw that into the sea and you almost have "the perfect storm." I say all that to let you, the reader, know that even though they have faith, we don't have assurances that everything works out the way that we want it to. And they and we know that our faith in God is strong enough to see us through trying times. It's just that we don't want to have to go through anything like this. Not that God doesn't care, or that our faith is weak, it's just that nobody wants the little girl or her parents to suffer. Without rambling too much, let me just boil it down to concern for emotional and physical well-being. So here's my train of thought on my daughter's request. She looks to my writing as a diversion. She looks for hope. She looks to see my love for her showing through my words. Though I've told her many times that I love her she still needs to see it. In spoken words, in writing, in actions. I want her to know, as well as our other children, that I love them deeply. If there were any way that I could trade place with her I'd do it in a heartbeat. That's the way Daddy's are supposed to love their families. But it's not just because we're told to, it's because we want to protect them from every bad thing. But I operate in a realm of realism, a realm of finite options, actions and reactions. Some things I just can't do anything about. There are some things I just don't know the mechanism to change things. These are outside of my realm. I do know someone who does operate in that realm, the realm of the spirit, the infinite, the unseen. And I'd like to spill the beans about Him. He loves us tremendously. He cares for our cares whether they be emotional, physical or whatever. He's a great role model for all fathers. By the way, did I mention his name? If you haven't guessed it's Jesus Christ and he is God Almighty. A word about his word. Have you noticed that many people say that the Bible is just a book of rules and regulations? Obviously they don't see the spirit in which it was written. Manifestly, his book is a collection of love letters to us. Written for us to read in the good times and the bad. Written to comfort us, to correct us, to challenge us. But mostly just to let us know that even though we seem to be far away, he wants us to know how much he loves us. Psalms 46 contains this perspective on the situation: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof... Be still, and know that I am God... (Psalms 46:1-3,10 KJVR) So let the seas rage, let the winds blow, let the mountains fall down. I know that God loves me. And I love mine. Be still and know God.

In The Will

This was the first time I recall this ever happening to me. It came somewhat out of the blue. We had been discussing the development of one department of the business, what it would take, who would run what portion, etc. Usual stuff based on my years in the industry. Then it happened. One moment we were discussing business and the next I was being called aside for a private talk. During this conversation (actually he was talking and I was listening) the owner stated his concerns for keeping the company running in the event of his untimely demise. He has wanted to start a business with Christian ideals, motivations and goals. I have lent moral support as well as Bible-based check and balance. I definitely feel that we need more businesses run under the umbrella of God's principles, so I wholeheartedly endorse the enterprise. Then it happened. Oh yeah, I already said that. His intention is to keep the business going in the event of his passing. Oh yeah, I already said that too. So, here's the good part. He notified me that I am written into his will along with his sons. Half-owner of the company, should that day come. At first I only thought of the elements of his statements, the impact not having quite been realized. Later I called to thank him for his generous gesture. While pondering the many responsibilities and opportunities that would become manifest if this should occur, I then saw an amazing comparison. You may have already seen where I'm going with this, but in case you haven't there is a distinct parallel between this and the way the Lord works. Within the realms of man, we try to build castles, communities, homes, buildings, roads, bridges, etc. We do this with the intent of carrying on our legacy and providing a place for our descendants to live and work with the same values and goals that drive us. The same dynamic is involved in God's kingdom. He has laid down a plan for us that provides for our needs and protection. If we follow his plan a heritage develops that can be transferred generationally. But the higher good in all of this is that God calls us into his family, right alongside of his son Jesus. Sure, we know that the Son of God is God. We know that God robed himself in flesh and walked the earth as Jesus. The Gospel of John tells us... In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) But God's plan was that we too, would become sons of God for the purpose of fellowship with him and the continuation of his work here on earth. We achieve this sonship by the New Birth experience demonstrated in Acts 2:38, and many other verses. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12, emphasis mine) To receive his Spirit is to receive him. For likewise in Romans 8, we see this truth: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; ... (Romans 8:15-17) To be a son of God without understanding our mission is likened to a child that never listens to their parent. The day will come when you are to go out and make your mark on the world but you haven't got a clue where to begin. Our mission and calling is greater than the mission of building a company. Our mission and calling is to reconcile lost humanity with the God who created and loves them. And they know it! For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19 ESV) All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20 ESV, emphasis mine) So know that you have this understanding, count your blessing, grab your tools and let's continue to build the Kingdom of God. Multitudes are counting on you. God is counting on you. After all He's written you in His Will.