Dad's Letters

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“So be very careful how you live, not being like those with no understanding, but live honorably with true wisdom, for we are living in evil times. Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for His purposes.” — Ephesians 5:15-16, The Passion Translation

There are certain photos from moments in time that don’t quickly fade. One is the day my parents dropped me off for college. Just before leaving, I still picture them both standing outside the door to my dorm room, looking at me with that “So, is this it? You’re on your own now?” expression. No tears. No smiles. Kind of a numb realization. As much as I was excited to be there, a part of me wanted to say, “OK, I change my mind, let’s go home.” But my roommate was there so that wouldn’t have been cool. And my parents would have blocked my exit anyway.

The rope to the parent-child mooring was loosed, and it was off to the glorious unknown. The time of hand-holding was over. The time of navigating life for yourself had begun.

In the days and months that followed, although my parents weren’t physically present, I never felt very far away from their voice and influence. Mom called just about every week, not to pry but just to see how I was and to catch me up on things back home. And every once in awhile, I’d get these hand-written letters in the mail from dad. Somehow, he knew I was looking for a map on how to steer this thing called life-on-your-own. They were always warm words full of wisdom and never a lecture. But I remember each one had this theme:

Live life well… be careful how you live… I love you.

Like everyone else, I messed up a lot along the way of discovering life-on-your-own. I still do. But I never forgot the spirit of dad’s letters — wise counsel that has stood the test of time. A type and shadow of my Dad who has penned a much more powerful Letter but that still carries the same themes as dad’s: Live life well… be careful how you live… I love you. I really like that last part. Especially because, unlike being dropped off for college, with this Letter, there is never a worry of having to navigate life for yourself. It’s always right there in black and white and red, there to be read and remembered and lived out over and over again. All with an incredible promise, not unlike that frozen image of mom and dad standing in the doorway: “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Thanks, dad. And thanks, Dad. I can’t think of a better torch to pass along…

“My child, pay attention to My words;

    listen closely to what I say.

Don’t ever forget My words;

    keep them always in mind.

They are the key to life for those who find them;

    they bring health to the whole body.

Be careful what you think,

    because your thoughts run your life.

Don’t use your mouth to tell lies;

    don’t ever say things that are not true.

Keep your eyes focused on what is right,

    and look straight ahead to what is good.

Be careful what you do,

    and always do what is right.

Don’t turn off the road of goodness;

    keep away from evil paths.”

—Proverbs 4:20-27, New Century

When 'Not Much' Can Be Huge

"For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." (1 Chronicles 16:9)

The next time you find yourself responding to someone's "What's new?" with "Not much," it's good to remember that there probably really is a lot going on beneath the surface of all that seems routine and obvious and even dull. It is good to know God is no respecter of activity or events of any size for anyone whose heart is His, and that He is just as active in the "not much" of life as He is in the moments and achievements that seem big, and cool, and important to us. 

Quite often, in fact, He'll use a parable—a simple story from our "not much" kind of week—to remind us what and Who in life really matters, and that whether waking or sleeping or driving or going to the hardware store, that He is very much delighting in us and at work in us every step of the way as we stay faithful in even the small things... 

• It is good to laugh like a kid while watching a thunderstorm from a porch, but it is better to duck in awe and wonder in the presence of the rushing wind of God. Selah.
• When each passing day seems pretty much just like all the others, it is good to remember that faithfulness in the routine is how Jesus lived while in the carpenter’s shop for 18 years.
• A busy life is not always a fruitful life, and the wise will continually prune back all that does not produce a heart that beats only to the simple Gospel.
• Like the man who went into his room, closed the door, and lifted up his imperfect prayers to his Father, so is a creative gift given back to its Creator and poured out in solitude—it is never wasted, even if no one else sees or hears it.
• A man on his Journey may feel like he is running in circles and getting nowhere, but the Lord sees perseverance that is strengthening his faith....

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."

—Mother Theresa

Thirsty

(Photo: Wall Street Journal)

“To hunger and thirst after righteousness is when nothing in the world can fascinate us so much as being near God.”—Smith Wigglesworth

The early morning coffee may be brewing and the aroma may be intoxicating, but someone wise and healthy once told me to take a drink of water first—your body needs it more than coffee. I had my doubts, until I tried it. It was like a jolt of cool, refreshing energy flowed from head to toe after a night’s sleep. (The coffee still was worth the wait, though.)

It happened again in a different way yesterday as my daughter and I were nearing the end of a 5K run on a wicked hot and humid day. We began it by looking forward to stopping for an iced coffee on the way home, but as the heat and activity began to take its toll, the only thing that sounded good and right was…water. Pure water. No seltzer, no energy drink, no fruit-flavored water. Just plain water.

Why is that? One reason is that our body is made up of anywhere from 45-75% unflavored water, depending on age and other factors. It’s how God made us. And when you’re thirsty, only the real thing can satisfy and restore that which has been depleted. Alas, God seems to have a type-and-shadow explanation for everything in our lives...

“If anyone is thirsty,” Jesus said loudly to the crowds during the multi-day Feast of Tabernacles, “let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:37)

...Such a strange thing to say. It was nearing harvest time. The people had been celebrating God’s faithfulness and had probably been eating and drinking all sorts of things. The Feast of Tabernacles celebrations, say Bible scholars, included a ceremony called the water libation where a pitcher of water was poured out by the priests on the altar inside the temple as an expression of Israel’s hope for rains to come and produce an abundant harvest. Only water would bring life and fullness. But it’s believed the ceremony had a deeper meaning than that—it was a longing for satisfaction of a spiritual thirst that couldn’t be satisfied by anything but God, and a longing that God would come once again and pour Himself out with refreshing and renewal and hope in the midst of their lives under political turmoil, economic stress, and trying to obey the seemingly impossible commandments of God...

And perhaps somewhere, someone could be heard singing the song of the psalmist: “O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)...

The more things change, the more things stay the same…

And Jesus stood up in the midst of it all and said in effect, “Hey! Look here. Here I am. I Am what you are longing for and looking for, even if you don’t realize it.” And what’s more, He happened to speak these words on the heels of condemning the religious leaders of the day for being judgmental. “Stop judging by mere appearances!,” Jesus said a few verses earlier in John 7:24.

And as it was then, so it is now: Whatever condition our condition is in, the invitation—a pleading invitation—is to come to the judgment-free zone of mercy and grace, just as we are, to the One who has made us who we are, to be healed, forgiven, restored and filled or filled again with Him and find true satisfaction of thirst that an iced coffee or Gatorade or anything else that is “Jesus plus…” will never assuage. 

“Maybe when I’m ready. Maybe when I’ve got my act together. He doesn’t want to see me like this right now. Not today. I ain’t got nothin’. Maybe…” And echoing the prophet Isaiah, Jesus might reply even now…

“Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;

And you who have no money come, buy grain and eat.

Come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without cost—simply accept it as a gift from God.

Why do you spend money for that which is not bread,

And your earnings for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And let your soul delight in a]abundance.

Incline your ear to listen and come to Me;

Hear, so that your soul may live…”—Isaiah 55:1-3, Amplified

It is another hot and humid day in New England when thirst will likely be rampant, and just as on that run yesterday, when only pure water will truly satisfy. A good day to remember, and to give praise with a grateful heart, that Jesus’ invitation to “Come!” and be satisfied has no qualification, experience or age requirement…or an expiration date.

Everywhere

 

You are reading this today because of an angel. I have no other explanation for it.

Yesterday, I was in desperate need of a new power adapter for my laptop on a holiday weekend — and with the battery level sinking, I began to feel a strange panic of not being able to access what has become mission control for essential emails, writing, photographs, Bible study, music and learning what is new in the world. It wasn’t an off-the-shelf part either because my laptop is several years old, but I quickly googled for stores anyway in hopes that one might be open that might have what I need and that might not be too far away. Hope rose when I found one not that far away that claimed that what I needed was indeed in stock.

But as I walked through the door, something seemed chaotic, which tends to happen when there are lots of shoppers with lots of questions and too few employees to answer them or staff the checkout lines. I was on my own. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to find the right aisle. I walked it several times, looked high and low, and looked several more times. Nothing. Bummer. Everything else but what I needed. OK, one more trip down the aisle and back. And way at the bottom of the shelf tucked away was something kinda-sorta what I needed. I stooped down but it didn’t look right. I was just about resigned to walking out and thinking of some Plan B.

Then, the voice of an angel towering over me. That’s what I choose to believe, anyway, even though it was this big kid with a deep voice. Because of all the tucked away places in such a large and busy store with not enough help to help the customers appeared what I was convinced was the only employee available to stock shelves. And of all places, he just so happened to be doing that right next to me.

“Can I help you find something?”

“Yeah, well, I’ve looked high and low but I’m pretty sure you don’t have what I need.”

He asked what it was, and then, “You’re touching it right now. That one. That’s it. And here, you’ll need this adapter, too. You’re all set.”

I was overjoyed and filled with relief, and my knee-jerk thought was, “wow, what a coincidence, thank You, God!”

And then I remembered what kept “randomly” showing up when I opened my Bible this week: The importance of searching and seeking in everyday life.

Those two words may be the most important things for walking this Walk steadfastly through thick and thin, and finding God everywhere even when a lot of places and situations are ugly and painful. Or just plain stressful.

One day this week, the verse was “I will search for the One my heart loves,” Song of Solomon 3:2, and I wondered what the difference is between searching for God and seeking God. To seek is to look for or pursue something specific, as in “seek first the kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33). Search is similar, but it means to do all of that everywhere — be alert, be aware, look for God any and anywhere. Like even in a random aisle in a big store when you don’t know what to do.

This morning, the theme continued. Jesus is speaking in John 5:30: “By myself, I can do nothing… I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.” Humility? Yes. Dependence? Absolutely. But awareness of the Father everywhere? Winner. The same Jesus who says…”Follow Me.” To go and live likewise — to not be so self-absorbed that you don’t see the beauty and love of the Lord everywhere and all around you, and to make it a part of you somehow so you can somehow share it. A place. A landscape. A rainy day. A routine task. Observing compassion shown by a stranger to someone at the checkout line. A random person passing by whose innocent words in conversation jump into your life with a megaphone. A song from Heaven itself that grabs you and pulls you in to keep pressing “replay." And even, and maybe especially, in the most random of places and situations of everyday life, like a computer parts aisle in a big box store.

“He speaks to me everywhere…” Yes, yes He does! If only I will remember to pay attention.

“A man may go into the field and say his prayer and be aware of God, or he may be in Church and be aware of God; but if he is more aware of Him because he is in a quiet place, that is his own deficiency and not due to God, Who is alike present in all things and places, and is willing to give Himself everywhere so far as lies in Him... He knows God rightly who knows Him everywhere.” — Meister Eckhart

Perfect Timing

 

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“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven…”—Ecclesiastes 3:1

Ever since high school, I have been fascinated by watching drum corps in action — either on black and white PBS shows or more recently, the movie Drum Line and video clips of 21st century drummers going through their paces. For someone who has a difficult time remembering his own cell phone number, I think one attraction has simply been “how do they memorize all that?!” But there is something more: a fascination in the precision, the perfect timing. And perhaps for good reason. Because if you choose to believe it, just about everything in life is a type and shadow of some aspect of the Creator of the universe and the Savior of the world, and something He is trying to show us about Himself and our lives...

We are each created in His image, and so whether it is a drum line of dozens, or a ballet troupe, or an automobile assembly line, it’s no wonder many of us are drawn like a magnet to things of wonder that are done with precision and perfect timing.

...Because it’s who God is and what He’s always been about…

• “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”—Romans 5:6
• “At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you.”—2 Corinthians 6:2
• “But when the right—appropriate or appointed fullness of—time came, God sent his Son...”—Galatians 4:4

What is amazing is that God works with this perfect precision timing outside the realm of our concept of time. He is not confined to our watches or calendars because “To the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day “ (2 Peter 3:8) and “To You, In Your eyes, a thousand years is like the passing of a day.” (Psalm 90:4). And sometimes, that all comes to life...

…Earlier this week, I was en route to a getaway for a couple of days. I had the day all mapped out and when I would arrive and what needed to be done when I got there. On the way out of town, everything changed. I noticed a car off the side of the road with its hood up and a young man frantically trying to wave down passing motorists. I know little about the mechanics of a car but for some reason, I pulled over anyway. It turns out the young man was a Christian, albeit a bit rough around the edges because of the stress of the moment. So even though total strangers, we had a common Language right off the bat. His wife and two dogs were still in the vehicle, which was packed to the roof with items. The young man thought his battery was dead and asked for a jump start, and when it wouldn’t turn over, even though I know little about cars, I told him I didn't think it was a good idea to keep trying. I don’t know why I said that, but the (His) timing was perfect. Moments later, smoke started rising up out of the engine, and fortunately whatever it was quickly extinguished—but it made me wonder afterward what might have happened from a spark from the jumper cables. 

The couple was from out of town and knew no one here. I offered them a ride to a nearby Dunkin’s so they would be safe and could make a phone call, but soon, they were able to locate a relative who had AAA and help would be on the way...“You were the only one who stopped, thank you for your help, now please keep going and enjoy your day,” the young man said.

I was delayed almost 45 minutes (!) from my day that was all mapped out. I should have felt irritated, but I couldn’t help thinking of that couple and their welfare as I drove the next two hours. I was glad that I stopped and wondered if it might have been a Divine appointment. Timing. As it turned out, none of those plans for my day had to be shelved when I got to my destination. God’s timing, in a small, everyday life sort of way, was again perfect—far better than those drum lines.

But it was also a humbling reminder of a more important thing — to stop thinking of adding “if it’s convenient” after telling the Lord each day, “Show me how I can serve You today.” Because as the Psalmist says, “My times are in Your hands.” (Psalm 31:15) ...And that’s a very good thing.

“God, interrupt whatever we are doing so that we can join You in what You're doing.”—Francis Chan

Seeing Beyond the Blue-Blue-Blue

While talking with my son the other day about the goings on in our lives, as is often the case, the topic of decision-making came up in the conversation. In the grand scheme of things, mine was not huge but it was still weighing on me. And he didn’t try to talk me into or out of it, but just said five simple words in response. It was if a megaphone from Heaven had pierced through the non-stop springtime clouds and into my heart:

"Perspective is everything, son"...

You only need to look up to see what the megaphone is saying. Because in between these non-stop springtime clouds are glorious blue-sky days—something about the angle of the sun at this time of year that makes everything above blue-blue-blue. But that's not all. Because when you look up into that blue sky, as vast and deep and limitless as it seems, scientists say that the highest clouds you can see are “only” about 7 miles above the ground. But there’s much more beyond that. There’s the boundary between the vast blue and outer space that is about 62 miles away. And there is another layer beyond that where there is no air at all that is about 6,000 miles above your back yard. And some of the stars and galaxies you can see with the naked eye on a clear night are so far out there, they’re light years away.

And it just keeps going and going and going…

Whenever life’s circumstances and decisions, both big and small—but especially the seemingly silly small ones—seem to loom large right in front of you, and when God seems to be out there somewhere but not in the moment, it’s good to look up into that blue-blue-blue, and into the wonderful Words of life, and recalibrate, and remember…

"Perspective is everything, son"...

“The Lord says, ‘My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’”—Isaiah 55:8-9

And this: “As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is His love for those who respect Him. He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from west.”—Psalm 103:11-12

And this: “When I look up into the night skies and see the work of Your fingers—the moon and the stars You have made—I cannot understand how You can bother with mere puny man, to pay any attention to him! And yet You have made him only a little lower than the angels and placed a crown of glory and honor upon his head.”—Psalm 8:3-5

And this: “O Lord God! See, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your long arm! Nothing is too hard for You!”—Jeremiah 32:17

And this:

“God is great not just because nothing is too big for Him. God is great because nothing is too small for Him, either.”—Mark Batterson

Being Like Nick

“If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature. In every wind that blows, in every night and day of the year, in every sign of the sky, in every blossoming and in every withering of the earth, there is a real coming of God to us if we will simply use our starved imagination to realize it.”— Oswald Chambers

Some people scoff at Instagram that it only portrays your life in the best possible light and filter.  It’s not real. I get it.

But another way to look at Instagram is that in spite of what the news tells us, there is still a lot beauty in this world, and millions of people around the world are seeing it. Beauty that builds up and doesn’t tear down. Beauty that gives hope and inspiration and even a little bit of joy. Some of it is filtered, and that’s OK, because everyone looks at the same work of art and sees things differently, each drawing out something beautiful we may not have noticed before. It’s why I selectively follow a lot of photographers and artists —many of whom I’ve never met, but I swear I know them somehow. And no matter what kind of day I’m having, I can take a quick browse through my Instagram feed and be awakened once more to the wow and goodness that God has created and painted and is being celebrated all around us...

“…You’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”—Philippians 4:8, The Message

...But there’s another, maybe more important thing: these photos often tell a story, either obvious or that stir the imagination or revive old memories. Often, it’s a timely but forgotten story that God encourages me to remember for good reason. Because we all forget what matters all too quickly.

That’s what happened with this photo, even though not on Instagram, taken yesterday while on a favorite trail. There is a particular vantage point where I like to pause and gaze, because it looks like someone dropped Little House On the Prairie in the middle of the sticks and rocks of New Hampshire. Each day, it looks a little different, depending on the sun angle and clouds, so I turned on my camera and swung around to look…and was surprised to find this scene of a dog and his best friend walking side by side. Not just another dog, though.

I had met these two awhile earlier on the trail. The owner apologized for the dog being loose and running around sniffing at every twig and leaf. “Are you kidding? No apologies necessary!” And I had noticed this dog looked oddly like an amalgamation of the many dogs I had growing up. And so that trail encounter, and looking at that photo this morning, “somehow” revived a much-needed memory about a Sheltie my mom loved and who she named Nicodemus. As a little kid, I had no idea who Nicodemus was, or why she’d want to name a dog “Nicky,” but yesterday’s picture that told a story reminded me of a recent journal entry…

…There’s a certain catchy song that when it comes on the radio, it’s hard not to tap your toe and sing along. It’s a great message about wanting to have “a little more” of Jesus’ qualities and lifestyle in us each day, but I keep finding myself changing the lyrics at the end of the chorus from “a little more” to “a lot more like Jesus and a lot less like me.” Because as another, much older song puts it: “Jesus paid it all—all to Him I owe”...

“Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night, came too, bringing a hundred pounds of embalming ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Together [with Joseph of Arimathea] they wrapped Jesus’ body in a long linen cloth saturated with the spices, as is the Jewish custom of burial.”—John 19:38-40, Living

...According to ancient burial customs, what Nicodemus did was astounding. Nicodemus, who first came secretly to Jesus by night, now comes to the cross by day for any and all to see—including his religious peers—in extravagant love and honor. Because he didn’t just bring some run of the mill embalming ointment. For Jesus, Nicodemus brought enough costly spices for embalming 100 or more common burials! And according to customs, the more respected and loved a person was, the larger quantity of the costly materials their burial received.

Nicodemus was the first to change the lyrics to that catchy tune before it was even created, because he didn’t understand “a little more.” It would seem that he finally knew beyond knowledge that this was more than a good teacher and miracle worker. The Son of God had won his heart forever, forgiven his sins, and he would live with Him forevermore, and so only “a lot more” would do…

It’s more than a good Bible story. That moment on the trail combined with the turnaround-and-look photo of the dog and his master, were a needful reminder from Above that it’s always good to be like Nicky: Remember to love Him boldly, love Him extravagantly. More, not less. No holding back—with your photos, your words and deeds, your very life.… Exactly what He has done for us.