Life Lessons From The Mower

If you have ever heard me preach or have heard me speak for any length of time, you know that there is one thing that I have always wanted - a zero-turn mower. Well, we serve a faithful God and I now have one. It does a nice job with our large lawn in a relatively short amount of time.

One thing that takes some getting used to is the sensitive steering of a zero turn - hence the name. If one quickly returned a wave to someone driving by, one may find oneself in a 90 degree turn where one never intended on turning. However, with just a few hours of use, one could be a pro.

With such sensitive steering, and, if one has a fondness for lawn stripes like I do, one has to pay particular attention while cutting the first swath. I, typically, fix my eyes on an immovable object beyond my yard and drive toward it without taking my eyes off of it. If I can accomplish that, then the swath and, subsequently, the stripe, will be straight.

Once the first swath is cut, the rest are far easier as long as one keeps the outside front tire on the edge of the previous swath. However, if one gets distracted and begins to drift off course, then that swath will not be straight and the lawn stripes, in their entirety, will be off. Worse yet, everyone who drives by will see it.

It is a lot like our faith walk. Consider this...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 

(Hebrews 12:1, 2 NLT)

When we keep our eyes on Jesus, the swath of our lives will be straighter, maybe not perfect because we still hold some control over the direction we take, but straighter none the less. 

I sometimes get discouraged when I get distracted and the stripes in the lawn are not as even or as straight as I could have made them. However, it helps me when I remember that the grass will grow and I will have another shot at it.

You may be tempted to look back at the lawn of your life and see the skips, the un-intended turns, the crooked stripes and the vividly obvious mistakes that all can see; however, just as the sun and rain causes the grass to grow, God can forgive, transform and turn around all of these with his love. We can grow through it and, often, he gives us another chance at it.

Even better, the ones who can see the lawn of our lives, you know, that great cloud of witnesses, they are rooting for us and they will cheer when God finishes with us and the beautiful work that he has done in us and through us will be seen by all.

Mow forward!

Dave

ANGRY

Lately I have been feeling more. I sense God's presence more, I sense the anointing of his Holy Spirit and the passion of my calling more. However, I also sense something else more. Someone asked me this question the other day. "Are you angry?" Up until these past two weeks, my honest answer was, "No." However, now, I find myself getting angry. Not at God, mind you. I love him too much, trust him too deeply and know his sovereignty too intimately to be mad at him.

Here is what I'm angry about.

• I'm angry that I can't sleep through the night without getting up and checking the house - making sure that nothing is getting hot and that the smoke detectors have green lights.
• I'm angry that quiet times are hard for us.
• I'm angry that we have a beautiful home and can't enjoy it. 
• I'm angry when people call us lucky to have this home.
• I'm angry because when we stop working so hard on the house, our minds and hearts will be overrun with the memories and the pain that are both still so real.
• I'm angry that we won't be AS happy for Justin's friends and cousins when they reach milestones in their lives.
• I'm angry that we once pastored a growing church that was developing a passion for God, the lost and ministry to the community, but, while we have stepped back to heal, it has been reduced to half of what it was.
• I'm angry because that fact scares Robin and increases my stress.
• I'm angry that the enemy has people convinced that they can stay out of church for months and still think they're OK.
• I'm angry that for so many families, Satan's strike on our family proved very successful - walking away from church and their faith.
• I'm angry at what all this has done to my health.
• I'm angry that people offer to help and then don't.
• I'm angry that Robin now feels that she has to sleep dressed to make a quick exit if needed.
• I'm angry that she no longer feels safe.
• I'm angry that I lost one of my best friends.
• I'm angry that Robin could add many more things to this list.
• I'm angry that we are dreading Christmas.

So, to answer the question, yeah, I'm angry...

But, we have God and we cry, mourn and are angry together - not with each other. For that we are BLESSED! 

Behind Me?

Have you ever heard someone say, "We're behind you all the way," I've had people tell me that and I always wonder, "How far behind me?"

 I mean,  if I stumble will you be close enough to catch me? Or, are you observing me from a distance? Are you so far behind me that I can't even see you or sense your presence? 

People mean well and there are those who, by their actions, have demonstrated that they are, indeed, behind me without saying the words. However, often, if we're not careful, the words easily slip off of our tongue into an abyss of good intentions.

But there is one who not only is behind us. He is in front, beside and in us through His Holy Spirit.

²⁴ "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Proverbs 18:24

Our culture teaches us to play it safe, keep your distance, don't get too involved. But that doesn't

reflect Christ. Christ sticks close to live through us, not just for us, but for others to see. And, for others to see well, we need to be close.

Who are you behind? 

I PASSED A MAN, OR, DID HE PASS ME?

Today, I was driving out of the development that our apartment is in and I noticed a young man running. From behind, he looked like a seasoned runner, conditioned legs and a smooth stride.

I was impressed at his discipline as he was running on a day when many would not.

It reminded me of how fast the years go by. I didn't even know our son, Alex, had left the apartment to go running.

Leading On Empty

I have heard that there is a book by this title out there. I haven't read, perhaps I should.

Today, I find myself in a very unfamiliar place. I'm not lost, but I don't know where I am, exactly, either. It's weird, it's frustrating and I don't like it.

Inside, for myself, God has given me peace through this time; however, and curiously, it seems as if this peace is only enough for me.

My pastor's heart is still beating and I desire to be the leader that God has called me to be but, I am struggling to get back into that leadership role.

God's Holy Spirit encourages me, yet, for the first time, I struggle with having the energy, the concentration and, sometimes, even the desire to encourage others. How's that for honesty and transparency.

So many times during the last month I have heard people comment about how strong I am. I immediately think to myself that they must be seeing me in a fleeting stronger-than-others moment.

So, if you ask me how I am doing, I will answer, "Personally, OK, but being the leader and pastor that I need and want to be? Not so good."

I find myself relying on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit more than ever before, which is a lot, because I always have relied on him - he's all I have.

This will be a long journey, but I will make it through Christ.

Comfort from the Psalms

Usually, I read from a 5 lane, daily Bible reading plan. While I still strive to do that, I am finding the most comfort from the Psalms.

I am amazed at how the Holy Spirit is speaking to me as of late. Even though our hearts are broken we are encouraged by the knowledge that God knows our heartache and has a plan to redeem the events of April 27, 2013 for His Glory!

I hope to be able to put into writing what God's Holy Spirit is speaking to my heart.

The Whole Truth

 "Why are we using a book for our Bible Study, why can't we just use The Word?" "We need to just get back to the Bible"

Good question - a question that deserves an answer. Great statement - one which I can agree.

We often hear these things from well-meaning individuals who do hold The Word in the highest esteem as we all should.

Growing up in church I have attended mid-week Bible studies since I was a child. And during those 40 years, I have experienced many presentation styles and materials for Bible Study. The common factor and focus of all the studies was, of course, The Word.

Why the added material and expense of a guide? Why not just use The Word?  Truth is, you can - IF the Bible Study leader/facilitator is taking the time to fully exegete each passage before he or she leads the study. Using The Word without published study/teaching guides becomes problematic because so many fail to complete the task of inductive study beforehand.

For instance, take a passage from the Old Testament. What do you do with it? After praying for the Holy Spirit's illumination and guidance, seek to:

Step 1: Grasp the text in their town. What does the text mean to the original biblical audience?
Step 2: Measure the width of the river ( time, culture, context) to cross. What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?
Step 3: Cross the Principlizing Bridge. What is the theological principle in this text? Only this principle can cross the bridge.
Step 4: Pass the New Testament checkpoint. There is a checkpoint in the middle of the bridge that "cars" traveling from the Old Testament must stop at. Does the New Testament teaching modify or qualify this principle, and if so, how?
Step 5: Grasp the text in our town. How should individual Christians today apply the modified or qualified theological principle in their lives?
STEP 6: Discover how God wants individual Christians to share what they have learned from the passage.

The danger in not following the steps of sound hermeneutics - accurate interpretation, is that a Bible study group can end up with a 1-50 car pile-up at the Principalizing Bridge by trying to bring something that is time and culture bound to then and there into the here and now. Additionally, knowledge without application is, well, pointless.

While quite rewarding to the leader and participants and well worth the effort, this process is quite time consuming and if one desires to lead a Bible study without incorporating the use of a study guide, leaders guide or book, then that one must accept the responsibility to complete the task above in it's entirety.

It's very easy to let the words of a question or a statement roll off of one's tongue. However, the responsibility of doing the work must accompany the authority of making such statements and asking such questions. The two are inseparable. To arrive at the whole truth the work must be done, completely by the leader or with the aid of a credible leaders' guide. However it is done God's Word is worth it!