Misfits

As we go through life, we meet a few people that seem to have “it”. But, what is “it”? That’s a good question. There are those schools that you want your kids to attend and the businesses that people huddle in mass to buy from. They seem to have “it”. Mentors and leaders that attract larger gatherings of followers because of their charisma. They must have “it”. Could it be the groups of kids we think of as cool or the “in crowd”, the popular ones with which we long to associate? It can be Scouts, sports teams, school programs, or church groups, all of these offer their approval of you when you are allowed to join. We work so hard to make ourselves look the part of their advertised membership traits. How often do we look at our effort to belong and find that we have become something very unlike who we really are?

Throughout the years, one of the personality traits that I have worked on the most in myself has been being genuine. It isn’t always the prettiest journey, many times I do it completely wrong, with far too little tact, love, and compassion. My quest to be genuine has at times turned into a mission to help everyone else realize their faults instead of correcting my own. That is definitely not the way to work on your own personal character flaws, by showing others theirs. I am so embarrassed and ashamed when I realize that I have done that. I have used my own desire to change and belong to something better, to judge others. So wrong, and sadly so common.

Self-worth doesn’t come from the groups or clubs we belong to. Even the best of us have faults, and surely focusing on those isn’t the way to live a happy and productive life. In fact, the Bible talks about our inability to do what’s right, saying, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. That’s not a reflection of our worth, it’s just a fact that we are born into an imperfect world. Our worth, if we measure it by the people and things around us, can fluctuate wildly with circumstances.

There is no way we can find a stable idea of inner value if we allow that which surrounds us to dictate our standing.

In fact, many of us might think, “Hey, I’m a good person, look at what I do in the community” or “I volunteer at church or the shelter, so at least I’m not like those people who don’t”. It becomes very easy to set yourself aside from others as better than some, or not as good as most. I’ve spoken to people from both ends of that argument; Sadly, discussing anything but that false belief often leads to arguing the age-old question, where does self-worth come from? Who decides?

Class warfare isn’t all about weapons and a physical battlefield. It's often a struggle of thought and attitude. It's one of my pet peeves when a group of people thinks of themselves as a “higher” class of person than another group. In history, this has made for some of the greatest divides between societies, creating the perceived haves, and the have-nots. I’m not writing necessarily here of the political separations so much, as the spiritual ones. During much of history, the religious elites held high prominence over the average person, dictating how people could come to God for their needs, how they could be healed, and who was worthy of God's love and who was not. If you haven’t heard, Jesus came to reveal that those ideas of segregation among the children of God were no longer going to be acceptable in His church. It’s my belief that He sought to repair the relationship between man and the Creator. To encourage conversation and faith from us, toward a God that has always wanted to be personal and connected to each of us. This isn’t possible when we allow ourselves to feel beyond the reach, mercy, or forgiveness of Him. And it becomes far too easy to let arrogance slip in when we think we’re doing it right, and others just don’t get it.

Jesus taught us about worthiness and knowing our place of honor in the kingdom by relating a parable. While sharing a meal and in the presence of the church leadership of the day, they were discussing which of them should have the most prominent seating. The discussion must have reflected a lot on the class difference that existed among the Jews of the day. Those who had attended religious learning and knew the Torah and all its laws and the difference between them and the working class Jew, barely scraping by and working night and day to provide for a family. Why had wealth become a factor when it came time for the blessing of God? And why would men educated enough to read and write consider themselves to be more blessed than someone that was hard working, providing a home, and raising a family? This is what happens when we allow society to choose our worth. Jesus had just warned them that the people they choose as worthy friends to associate with would easily disappoint them when their priorities didn’t align with each other. He told them to beware that when you place too high a value on a certain group, they may not live up to your expectations, especially if your outlook on value and worth is skewed by worldly ideals such as money and position in society, or the church.

When one of the men boasted a little about enjoying his place and position, Jesus followed up with the following story. He said, “Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come on in; the food’s on the table.’ “Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, ‘I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.’ “Another said, ‘I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.’ “And yet another said, ‘I just got married and need to get home to my wife.’ “The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, ‘Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.’ “The servant reported back, ‘Master, I did what you commanded—and there’s still room.’ “The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.’”

What a great life lesson Jesus gave to them and us with this short story. The invitation went out to the destitute, the corrupt, anyone and everyone, come and enjoy my banquet. Certainly, this was not just talking about how you and I should make dinner plans. It made one thing pretty clear, the message of grace and hope, the message of forgiveness and salvation was not merely for the Jews, the highly educated or religious elites. It was for everyone, equally. Jesus taught them, don’t just invite your wealthy and distinguished friends, invite the lost and the hurting. This is the message for today just as surely as it was for them.

In the church, we often lose sight of those that have made mistakes. It may be a  former member that crossed us or worse. It might be someone who was once a church member that was cast aside for falling from the pedestal they were expected to stay firmly on top of. Perhaps, someone that has a societal blemish of poor judgment or obvious sin. You see, back in the days before Christ, just like now, there were sins that were private, only God knew, and there were sins that were public, everyone knew your story of failure. It always seems like the public sins get ridiculed and harshly pointed out, especially in the church, but the less obvious ones such as pride, lust, envy, or love of power; so many times these stay hidden, without public judgment or scrutiny. What I think Jesus was telling us here was that we are all misfits. I’ll say it differently, we’re all sinners. He didn’t assign a class hierarchy to sin. He invites all of us to His banquet, His grace, His perfect gift of salvation.

So as Christians, and as churches, we need to remember that there is no value greater than another child of God coming to the table of the Gospel. We are all ragamuffins, soiled by our bad choices, our poor performances in life, our hurtful words, and our lack of understanding of perfect love. I speak to me as much as any of you, only Jesus can deliver us from the mess we’ve made. And when we find a table set such as the banquet of salvation that Jesus offers, free for everyone and as simple as a prayer for Him to come in and change our lives, we should leave not one stone unturned trying to find every misfit and ragamuffin we can and show them where to find the bread of life.

Luke 14:15-24 MSG

ShoeBox Thoughts - The Book, it's here

     As many of you know, I have been working on a book that would bring these messages into physical form and today I have finally accomplished that task. Over the past two years I have put together past published works, and some new pieces just to keep it fresh, into a devotional book called, "ShoeBox Thoughts, Messages from the ShoeBox Prophet". I know, it's a surprise title choice isn't it? But my purpose has always been to share these thoughts and life lessons with as many people as I could, so this book is an extension of this blog ministry, perhaps going where the internet cannot, or just giving someone a chance at real world, hands-on time for some basic heart and  mind thinking.

    The past two years were not without hardship in our house; losing my mother, both parents are now with the Lord, and my wife being diagnosed with one of the worst forms of breast cancer, I can say without a doubt, that going through these messages and editing often reminded me the author, that I continue to need them, and to be reminded that I need God's grace and mercy every day. In fact, my wife Michelle says on occasion, you need to go back and re-read what you wrote about how your acting. Just confirming that I will never be more than one beggar, showing other beggars, where to find food and shelter in Christ.

     It is my earnest prayer that after reading these messages, and listening to God's whisper in your ear, that you will share them with those who are hurting and lonely, without the hope that we cling to through the Good News. They need us to show them that "all have fallen short", and we walk together. This book is just another tool to allow us to share the message of love and grace that keeps us afloat and alive in a life of continuing storms.

UPDATE 12/5/2017:

     Use the link below to check out my sales page for ShoeBox Thoughts, both versions are now on one page for your convenience. It is for sale on Amazon, and various outlets around the world.

Use this link to visit Amazon to buy your copy today

Click here to go to my Amazon sales page for Paperback & Kindle

     Also, you can follow the link below to my authors page on Amazon. It will give some additional background from time to time, and also gives others links back to this blog. 

Use this link to see my author page and follow my books

    More than anything, I want to say thank you to everyone here that has commented and left me notes or sent email. I am doing life every day just like you are, and the encouragement and friendship mean a lot to me. I hope to return to writing more blog pieces now that the editing for this project is complete, it has been a great experience but an exhausting one creatively. Now, back to writing.

God’s mercy and blessing be with you all.

Randy

Prodigal

        Many times in my own life, I have judged myself. Judged by critical standards and by soft, far too forgiving standards. I have run from authority, and run toward it for shelter after doing something dumb or immature. The one thing that my parents gave me as a gift, without financial cost or my working to earn, was the acceptance that they had for me being me. Not that they looked the other way when I was wrong, they didn't. They usually let me know it when I was doing something of concern to them. Unfortunately that didn't always translate to me making a change or doing what they wanted, there are sure some pitfalls that I could have saved myself from drowning in. But that's life, that's learning, and sometimes, that's painful.

         In our lives there will be paths that we must walk alone. Sometimes they will be hurt, and sometimes we just chose the wrong one. You and I have both done that; we have been on a path toward destruction, one that could have ended up very badly for us. Somewhere, hopefully you made a change, saw a way out, a light at the end of your tunnel. However, perhaps you still live in fear and darkness, I tell you that many days I feel as you do in that dreadfully murky place. The future is easy to obscure, and hope is a fragile thing when life reminds us that we are not in charge. When we put our hope in finances or careers that can disappear quicker than they are earned, we run the risk of opening the doorway to disappointment and losing our real self-worth. Likewise, failing to spend time with family and friends can leave us feeling unloved, and desperate. Or maybe you're not getting along with a spouse, parent or child, what happens to those whom we know if we give up? Is it us that are lost, or those that we disagree with? Have you hurt someone while on this path or been hurt through someone else's choice to walk away or their direct intention to cause you pain?
  Regardless of the source, there is peace and shelter for your heart. There is also a guide to how to deal with those who are lost, or adrift in life's sea of despair. If you are the ship sailing with no direction and no anchor, there is hope and grace for you too. But maybe your asking, why should anyone care? Why do I write to you when I don't know you? And especially, why would God care what happens to a person that has chosen to walk away from the love and warmth of a family or God? 

        While Jesus was in ministry in and around Jerusalem, he often angered the religious leaders of that time by teaching and hanging out with ordinary people, and on occasion eating with that crowd of "sinners". A crowd that the leaders deemed unworthy of such direct contact, if Jesus was indeed who he said that he was, or even just a temple rabbi. They looked at such non-clean people as unimportant and lower class. When Jesus got the chance to tell them why, he said something like this, if you had a flock of animals that were making your living with, and meant everything to the survival of your household, you wouldn't want to lose even one of them. In fact if you did find one missing,  you would leave the other 99 in good care and go to attempt to retrieve the one that was lost. Without a doubt, you would even be happy or celebratory about getting back the one that was lost. His point was this, why wouldn't he be trying to reach out to the lost? More over, why is it not surprising to us, those cast aside by "the religious", that the leadership of the church or local government wasn't happy with him. This meant that they would have to share their power; but more than that, it would have meant that they shared their importance and status with the lowly public. Those motives of judgment aren't old or new to this world, there was self indulgent greed then, and there still is today. But a true shepard, isn't worried about losing power or prominence, it's about finding the lost.
  Now back to you and I, it should be a little more obvious now what kind of attitude that we need to have when it comes to seeking and serving the hurting, the abandoned, and the lost. No matter what stage of despair or regret that you and I find ourselves in, there is grace and hope in the shepard, Jesus. Our torn and raggedy lives are the very thing he seeks to renew. But how do we do that for others when we are ragamuffins ourselves? How will people look at us when we try to help someone else from the heap of our own ruins? Well first of all, get your heart in the right place, make sure that you're not seeking something in return; helping others isn't about the reward, although there will be one. If you seek the reward most of all, your help will be as worthless as an umbrella of mesh in a downpour. If your motives are righteous, that means without greed or self grandiosity, then don't worry about what others think or say. That isn't to say that good council shouldn't be listened to, you should always seek the ear and wisdom of someone that you know and trust to keep you accountable and on task. But the nay-sayers, let them scoff at you for your efforts, you're in good company. Remember that the religious leaders hated Jesus because he sought out the meek and the hurting, no matter if they were the "in" crowd or not.
  If you are like me, long before now you have asked the important question of why. Why do we need to help each other? Why do we need to change at all? Why does God want us to do this seeking for Him, can't He do it? And why Randy, do you write these irritating questions? I'm not sure that I can answer the last one, but the first questions are a little easier. In  John 21: 15-19, Jesus asked John one question, three separate times. He asked John if John loved him. Each time John answered, Jesus replied with feed my sheep, to the immediate irritation of John I might add, it was as if the group of them needed to know the simplicity of the message and the mission. Find those in need, do something about it. Paraphrased here as: Live as a follower of Christ, serve as best you can to find and "feed" the lost, and love one another as brothers and sisters in one big family. It seems to be that middle one that really gives people the most trouble, serving.
       Thinking again of the prodigal story, I am reminded of the father running out to meet his son. His son was dirty, smelled like a barnyard, and hadn't even uttered any words of apology, yet his father met him on the road, with a big hug and kiss. Tell me again how you and I can't have grace and forgiveness because of what we have done in our past. Time after time, Jesus told his disciples to go, feed my sheep, go and make others like yourself. He taught them not to look at the outside, and that sin was sin, call it what it is, forgive the ragged sheep, and bring them home.
        I know that each of us have our idea of what God must think of us. The truth is, in his eyes we are as filthy as any drugged out prostitute, or as unlovable as an abuser of others, but through the sacrifice of His son, and His representation of our lives before the Father, we each become the perfection that is only found through being born again. It's not science or science fiction, it's not something that you show someone in your hand, but it's as real as the sun that warms the daytime. We are all prodigal children. Sometimes we are the sheep needing to be found, and other times we are the ones doing the finding, I think that's all in God's plan. He uses us right where we are, still a little dirty from the barnyard of life. And without a pedigree of whose at the top of the list and whose at the bottom. Read the passage in John 21 again, go ahead, I'll wait. It's one description for all of the lost; I read nothing in there about the really nice award winning sheep getting priority or the ugly, half bald, sheep getting pushed to the back of the line. Just all of us raggedy sheep in this together, and one Father ready to run down the road and meet us at the point when we realize that we can go home to him. Whether you are searching for sheep, walking the prodigal path back towards home, or still feeding the pigs in the slop, never judge others by the way they look on the outside, and don't stop thinking of yourself as a child of the King. He said that he stands at the door of every prodigal heart and knocks, hoping to find each and every one of His lost and hurting raggedy children, a status and mission by the way, which you and I both share.

Luke 15: 6 / John 21: 15-25

Sorry to Bother You..

Do you feel like you are bothering God when you pray?

     It seems to happen just as you get to the best part of your conversation, or just as the most important point of what you have to say is coming out of your mouth, the phone rings or the door bell chimes, and all at once your thoughts are thrown under the proverbial discussion bus. If you have children then it can and will happen just about anytime, important or not, the interruption. The point in time where someone else's concerns or thoughts become front and center, and that thing that you had hoped to share, important, life-changing and all, just has to take a back seat. These moments are when you come to realize that most peoples priorities are not the same as yours.
     This scenario really seems to strike a personal note, when we are sharing our hurt feelings, or a special burden that we are dealing with. It is all to easy to feel unimportant when others have a different view of what should come first, either in life, or in simple conversation. Learning to listen is a very important part of being in a relationship, what ever kind of relationship it is that you are in. Teddy Roosevelt had a saying that I heard many years ago, it goes like this, "people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care". Simply put, if you spend all of your time in a relationship expounding on how smart you are, or how good you do something, and lack the skill to hear others when they need you too, then all of your educated mastery and effort aren't helping them one bit. To others in your relationship, you might just seem like an uncaring know-it-all; someone a bit too self-centered to really be interested in the thoughts or concerns of others.
     One thought that I have had over the years was how does God care for each one of us, listen to us, and take interest in our toils, while doing all of the rest of the things a universal God would have to do? Does He care about the little aspects of our lives like school tests, and stress at work? When I fail to plan well enough for my monthly bills or put myself into financial hardship due to bad decisions, is He going to help with that too? When I pray for things that I care about, why do I feel like I am interrupting Him and taking Him away from other things far more important than mine. Isn't He needed somewhere else for life and death things like healing cancer or stopping the persecution of His followers? Surely He is.
     Like the good parent, He is always listening for our call, and knows our needs before we do. How He does it all and hears each one of us without distraction, even scripture says that understanding some things of the realm of heaven are simply beyond our comprehension. If I some how had the knowledge to write it all down, and tried to explained it here in this message, it is likely we still would not understand any of it. He is God. A being of wisdom and mystery, and answers for some of our questions will just have to wait. But some questions have answers in plain sight, such as the question of Him really caring about our lives or not, both for the grand and finite issues, there is a direct answer. In 1 Peter 5:7 it says to give all of your troubles to Him, because He loves and cares for you. There is no definition mentioned of the severity of the troubles or the value according to their importance, size or limit; in fact, it says give Him "all" of your troubles. The way I see it, that means both big and small. That's every school test and quiz. Best friends that have an argument with each other, all the way up to spouses that are giving up on their commitment, He cares. Lost puppies and kittens to children who have run away, He cares. Our stressful lives rob us of our joy in life, I am quite sure He also cares about that. It would seem that no concern or crisis of ours would be too large or too small because He said, bring all of your troubles to me. It isn't a bother, it's love.
     It is our good fortune that in God's kingdom, we never need to wait to talk to Him. We are not interrupting when we pray, we are empowering the spiritual realm and acting just as we were taught. Jesus went straight to His Father in prayer many times, and He taught us to do nothing less. Just make sure that you don't wait until a crisis occurs to make that connection. Though I know and believe that even your first whisper towards heaven is heard and answered, it doesn't make sense to live life without that connection of grace from God. It is free after all, no roaming fees apply, nothing embarrassing required.
     God's plan for us is to realize this kind of lifestyle in our day to day walk. Praise and prayer are regular activities of a righteous life path. Although we often struggle to set aside our 'perfect' time or place, God doesn't have that problem. He is always available, always waiting, and compassionately listening for our quiet call of His name. In Thessalonians 5: 16-18, God says to stay positive and pray all the time, pray through good times and bad, no matter your place or status. It goes on to say that this is God's exact life plan for everyone, constant and consistent prayer. As ragamuffins, we are all tired, worn, and occasionally feeling a little less than worthy to bring our needs before an all-powerful, omnipotent being. But time and time again, that is exactly what we are instructed to do. Each  of the disciples of Jesus had to learn how to deal with failure and loss. They said the wrong things, ran from what was right and honorable, denied their status and involvement with Christ; and yet He continued to pursue their hearts and minds, convincing them one by one, that He really was who He said he was, and that He loved them in spite of their scars of failure and their tears of sorrow.
     What great news to you and I, there is no line to form, no number to take, we only have to speak His name, and His promise says that He is listening. Remember not to confuse that fact that you don't get what you want, with Him not answering. A great deal of the time, He answers with His plan in mind, and not ours. But He does answer. But if you never stop to ask, thinking that he can't possibly find interest in your needs or hurts, you will never know the peace or joy, that comes to you when you see the full and complete process and end result, answering your cry. You are not an interruption, not wasting your breath, or crying out your voice into an empty void; you are a child of the King, and He has said it in His word, and proved it throughout history to His people, that He longs to hear us call His name and commune with Him. I am quite sure that there is no happier occasion in His kingdom, than when a long lost child begs for Him to hear his or her voice. In a loving family, welcoming home those who have been away is a special moment; from a few hours to a hand full of days or years that have slipped by, you and I are welcomed before the Lord, invited no less, by His Son. He is our example in finding an audience of acceptance and love, One who always hears, and is never bothered by our presence or interrupted by our prayers to our Father.


1 Peter 5: 7 / 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (MSG)

Fatherless...

     It is a most difficult thing, fatherhood. Until you experience it, and become one, you have no idea how you will react or what emotion you will show, with that mini version of you staring back into your eyes. I must say that my experience with my own dad was one of respect and honor, but also acceptance and the unconditional idea that he loved me for who I was. I admit that verbally saying that he loved me was not his strength, I rarely remember him saying anything of the kind. But, he showed us every day in the way that he loved our mother, and took care of things that mattered. We knew that he loved us by his actions and his dedication to our family.
     In all my years of listening to sermon after sermon, I have heard countless references to God as our heavenly Father. To me that was great, because my real dad had always held up his end of our life together. He wasn't abusive to any of us, he always provided for our needs, and he never quit doing that until the day that he died. But what about those whose fathers here on earth aren't so credible. What happens when your earthly dad, the one who beats up on your mom, comes home drunk from work, or doesn't come home at all, is the man that you love to hate? How do you ever see God as your loving and good father in heaven when you only know pain or disappointment from your own? I sometimes imagine that it might be easier never to have known your father, than to have lived through the horror of an abusive or unloving one. I really can't say that for sure not having lived that path, but I would struggle the same as some of you if I were in the same position.
  So we come to a question that is a difficult one, and one that I can only speculate on; but I lean not on my own understanding or experiences, but on something far more trustworthy and steadfast, the love and forgiveness of Jesus our Lord. You see, I could expound to you a whole list of Bible quotes and psychological language taken from the latest medical reports, noting the steps you need to take to get beyond the upbringing and disappointment of your past; but one, I wouldn't have the first clue what those reports meant, and two, words don't tend to heal anything without faith. We come back to faith a lot when we talk about grace and forgiveness. The faith that God has it all under control, and knows exactly what is going on. The faith to forgive others for things that they have done to us, because God tells us too. Faith enough to except that those things which we can't control, have meaning and purpose, sometimes only known to God. Grace is what we accept from Him to fill the gaps left by our failures, and hopefully, what we grant to others that fail around us. This doesn't mean that we accept failure as justified behavior, mistakes have consequences, but grace says that we forgive you; know in your heart that God loves the failed, just not the failure.
     If you haven't had that father figure in your life that can support you and love you through your mistakes and your victories, then I have great news for you, that is exactly what God desires from your relationship with Him. His chance to prove to you that  He cares for you, and has great faith in your talents and abilities. He knows your needs and your limits. He cheers for your successes and weeps with your pain. Doesn't that sound like the kind of dad you would want? I am sure that there are many of you that still cannot wrap their thoughts around what that would be like. Whether you have a great dad that has been there for you in life or not; or you have simply lost faith that a Being that created the universe could ever care for you enough to value your attention, I tell you that Jesus came to prove once and for all that God wants each one of us to know the depth of His love. There is no other explanation for His dedication to heal and help those that He met. To sit down and eat dinner and visit the hated. To subject Himself to ridicule and death for the sake of teaching us to love one another.
  Those of us that believe in Him, and think of Him as friend and savior, are called to mirror His teachings. To show the love and grace that He lived out every day. It's a sad fact to me that we fail so much at this one ideal and commandment. I suspect that we all know the disappointment of being treated in an unloving manor by people that we thought were different, Christians especially. We need to realize that we all are those same people, failed humans. Compassion and a loving spirit have not been my strong suit for most of my life. More than a few times I have been embarrassed when friends refer to me as the 'angry' man. We all have the ability to give off a perception through our actions. What we need to examine is what kind of perception do you want to be known about you. No matter your level of success or achievement, none of us look good when compared to Jesus' life. Every once in a while, if I put Him in the right place in my life, my mirror shows Jesus to someone, and that is a good day. What if we could find a way to do that more often? What would that take to accomplish that personally, or as a church body? Years of going to church and volunteering? No. Becoming that church leader that isn't afraid to speak up when you know the other person is wrong? No, not at all. Judging others and doing good works are not the answer. I believe that it takes a willingness to open yourself up to the softening of your own spirit, to cheer for others, instead of seeking the lime light for yourself, and helping people even when they don't think that they need it.
It comes down to a decision to live differently. Not 100% perfect, I just don't believe that we can really do that. Rather, changing one piece of your attitude at a time. We learn to do many things in life by starting small and working our way up to proficiency. Why would learning to love like God be any different. If we could only change our outlook 10% of the time, wouldn't that make a major change in how people perceived us? The tragedy of those whose father figure has left them without real knowledge of what family compassion is like, might be offset and partially healed if those around them really mirrored the love and graceful attitude of Christ. A forgiveness that doesn't care where the other person has been, or what they have been up to, but freely loves on them without regard for outward failures and obvious deformities.
The attitude of many that have struggled through the abuse of a childhood without love or compassion is one desperate for genuine acceptance; Real people, who live life wearing the rags of personal torment or disease, knowing that they look just like everyone else in the sight of God. That is the ragamuffin truth in life, that none of us are worthy to judge others based on our own perfection or success, many of us are worn and tired, and in no condition to brag or show off, nor should we. I am now fatherless here on this earth, my dad passed some years ago, but his life still influences my thinking and my heart. He taught me life lessons by living them with me, letting me experience them on my own, but never leaving me to feel alone. If we could be that kind of influence on those around us, how many lives could realize the love of a real father, a real family, through our actions. We are all on our own through this battlefield journey, we alone choose our directions and our attitudes to bear, but as sure as the sun rises each day, we are never alone in the devastation of this life. There is One who stands at your side each day and every night, unwilling to leave you just in case you call His name. In Psalm 68:5  it says that He is the Father to the orphaned, the knight in shining armor to the widow, and in His house He makes homes for the homeless. To each of us He brings hope and unconditional love, fatherless or not His acceptance is there, that's His promise to every one of us.

Psalm 68:5
Randy

Gloriously Gifted

I could use countless illustrations to compare ordinary people to each other. Colors of hair, skin, or even clothes are all differences that set us apart. However, our similarities far outweigh those differences, bodies of one over-all race, human. For now, I want to compare the makeup of the church body to our human bodies. If you aren't even sure about all of this talk of Jesus, and "being saved", lend me your ear for just a few more moments, what I am about to say isn't just for the churchy people. It's about our importance and self-worth in a world that takes no prisoners when it comes to low self esteem or braggadocios, better-than-thou behavior. Both extremes are dangerous, depressing, and far from your real purpose in life.
Equality and tolerance, we hear these words a lot these days, and more often than not, in a description of how someone is not acting, rather than how they are. Why is it that we, as a race of somewhat intellectually developed beings, can't treat each other with consistent mercy and grace, while respecting our differences? Prepare yourself for a sophisticated and highly controversial proverb, because no one is perfect! I know, disappointing isn't it? The worlds problems cannot really be that simple can they?
When you mix together millions of imperfect people from varying backgrounds, stir in a few different religions, and then separate them in geographic areas that create very opposing societies, you end up with power struggles, greed, enslavement, poverty, class warfare, property disputes. This list is as long as it's peoples heritage. The people of earth are, at their core, very flawed. We want what others have, take what is not ours, devalue our own worth, and shame others for things in their lives more public than our own.
Whether you are a mature Christian and life-long church-going Pharisee supreme, or just a struggling failed human of the doubting and fearful nature like most of us, let me illustrate how we overcome these ingrained tendencies, and why we need each other so much. If you take a look at your own body, a quick inventory will confirm that most of us are born with legs, arms, eyes, ears, a heart, lungs, liver and so on. If you are a great musician, then maybe your hands are very gifted at the keys of a piano, or the bow of a beautiful violin. Perhaps you're a fabulous track star or a football standout, and your legs are your winning quality. As a producer and sound engineer, my ears, and the knowledge of what I am hearing and how to manipulate sounds, makes my ears valuable to a great sound production.
Now lets take those thoughts and put them into this perspective, are any of those parts more important than the others? I'm sure that in dangerous situations, we would protect our gifted parts, appendages and organs; if you lost an arm, you could still live, but if you lost your liver you would need a replacement to be sure. The loss of a leg or a foot is devastating, but we can learn to live without it. If you lose your stomach or your lungs, your not going to survive without major intervention and replacements. What I am trying to point out here is this, all of these things are part of your body. Some look very important from the outside. Hands that make beautiful music, eyes that see the perfect colors of a landscape. But without the whole body, without your liver, heart, lungs and all of the other vital organs that work to keep you alive in quiet unison with the rest of your body, you not only could not function, you would be dead.
This is exactly how it is in the world of people. Some of us are called to be feet. In other words we go out into the world to do our work, which is sometimes our mission. Some of us are a mouth, we speak or teach about our passion. There are hands and arms to make music and learn skills, to do the things that need a personal and integrated touch. But then there are the people that are the heart; they supply the fire and passion to go and to build. The lungs, people that help us breath in the beauty all around us, that keep us human by taking the time to extract the oxygen of life into our system. All of us have a combined and purposeful life that is integrated with the lives of those around us. Knowing this, it is really ridiculous to think about how some people act, thinking of themselves as superior to those around them in some way, whether it's race, gender, or brains. Can a foot see the beauty of a sunset? Wouldn't the eyes do that job better? And a hand cannot convert your food into energy as your stomach and systems do.
Unfortunately, most of the world doesn't think that they need anyone beside themselves. The selfish nature of imperfect people is a hard habit to break. But even more disappointing is that our churches have invited in a model of judgement, one that says this kind of person is more valuable as a member than that kind of person. Or they elevate the gift of one person as more "mature in God" than another. I don't intend to argue which gifts are more valuable than others with you, besides, the non-Christians might still be reading along. All of us should look again at 1st Corinthians 12, and then ask ourselves if we still need to argue about this question at all. In this chapter, we find the author explaining where  gifts come from and who is behind the decision to give what to whom. Verse 4 explains that His varying gifts are handed out all over, but they all originate from God's spirit. God's ministries and displays of power are in obvious action around us every day, but God Himself is behind every single one. Each of us is given a tool or something to do, that shows others who God is. All of us, in amazing variety, is handed something by the spirit of God, to some it's wise counsel or clarity to understand life's issues. To others he hands the ability to heal the sick, or perform miracles, or perhaps just be a good listener, and a trusting ear. Still there are those who are gifted to proclaim God's messages, call out spirits, speak in tongues, and those that interpret those things as well. All of these are from God, but are gifted to us individually, by His will, so that we can use them to gloriously bring praise and acknowledgement to Him. If that is a little too religious sounding for you. it means that God grants us these individual gifts not to make us look good, but to serve others. Serve. The idea isn't to categorize them and decide which ones are better than others. No. It's pretty simple if you will check your ego at the door.
The gift God grants to you isn't about you. It's about making you something more than you were before you asked Him to help you grow, and change into a person more like Him. As ragamuffins, we have nothing that He could want when it comes to talents or things. What He wants is your willingness. Willingness to show others grace and love. Willingness to share your gift of leadership or healing. He wants to set you apart from who you were without Him.
Certainly I write to you not as a scholar or a PhD, not even a preaching pastor with a sizable church to prove my important status. But I write to us both, because God has called me to do it, and the gift that He has handed out to me asks me to bring others the healing and merciful good news that He knows our imperfections. He knows that you aren't always right, and that you have made some really dumb decisions in your life. You know what, so has everyone else. The hand and the foot have been wrong, just like the lungs, eyes and mouth. Our existence here starts out as one of failure and defeat, but as beggars often do, we have found a safe place to eat and to sleep. A place that gives us rest, and helps us to find footing again.
God knows and expects us to all be different. What a shame when we put others down for not meeting our expectations. He calls us to love every ragamuffin in His creation. Their choices and lifestyles may be different, and honestly, might even be offensive to us in some ways, but real judgement is the Lord's. I don't remember ever reading about God handing out the gift of judgement. But love, grace, forgiveness, respect, and mercy, those actions could change the world around us in profound ways. Every day, in our walk through this life, God asks from us, whom He calls His children, to display that which He has richly blessed us with. Each of us, are His gloriously gifted.

1st Corinthians 12  (Msg)

Would You Believe..

Luke 1: 5-25 - Zachariah, God's plan in spite of our disbelief.

  As we grow through our teenage years, and into young adulthood, there are many questions that we ask ourselves, how to find a job, who our real friends are, what comes after high school or college? All of these mysteries and thousands more, they flood our minds with possibilities and fear, with the insecurity of a future yet to be written. Our purpose growing through this is to be mindful of our path and consider what we have been taught; using what we have learned from our life lessons and mentors to make decisions that will be good ones and benefit our lives, instead of creating consequences from making the wrong choices.
  Certainly that is a positive goal, to make all the right choices, and follow God's perfect path for our life, but what do you do when that isn't the case? If you're worried that no one has made the kind of mistakes that you have made, relax. Everyone has failed. You are a member of a very public and widely inclusive group. Most of our life, we make decisions based of what we know to be true, or what we have been taught, but have you ever questioned what you believe? Or why you believe it? I think we all have gone through that stage to some degree. I never questioned the existence of God, but I most certainly questioned how I believed in Him. What he wanted from me, and how would I know if I was hearing Him, or just doing what I wanted and calling it God's will. I know that I wondered why there were so many different types of churches, and why some grew larger than others and seemed to reach successfully into their communities, and others stayed the same, decade after decade. As life continues it's wandering journey, our questions will evolve, some get answered with causes for joy and sorrow alike; careers, spouses, children, death. None of us know all of the answers, so the best advice is to know someone who does. Now if it was just easier to figure out how to understand His responses.
          If you think that God can't work through you because you lack faith, or connection as a Christian, let me tell you about a man named Zachariah. By all accounts, Zachariah was a Godly man. He did have a flaw though that a lot of us can identify with, he had prayed to God for a lifetime to give him a son. Year after year, it didn't happen. Have you wondered like I have, "God, why don't you hear me", "why don't you answer me the way I want you too"? Zachariah had grown old, waiting on God to answer his prayers, maybe even a little resentful, apparently the answer was no. In Luke 1, the story of an unbelieving Zachariah is told, not to embarrass, but perhaps to give us hope, and an example of God's grace. Though Elizabeth and Zachariah were an honorable couple, in good standings in the church, and apparently with God, Elizabeth could not conceive. At the time, without medical explanations to bring reason to this sad situation, I am sure many around them scorned and made fun of them. They may have even been accused of having some hidden sin in there lives, something that caused God to "punish" them by keeping them from having a son. Just to be clear, God doesn't want to punish us for sinning, His desire was and is to forgive us. When the angel finally came to Zachariah and he told him that Elizabeth would conceive, old Zach just couldn't believe it. I get the feeling that Gabriel, God's honored sentinel solder, was a little frustrated with Zachariah's disbelief, so much so that he asked Zachariah if he knew who he was talking to.
          To make a believer out of Zachariah, Gabriel told him that he would not speak again until the baby was born. I'm not sure which would be worse, the fact that suddenly you have no ability to speak, or that even as an official of the church, you lacked enough faith in God to believe an angelic announcement of your blessing. Imagine telling your family, friends and church the real reason why you are compelled to silence, but it's a rather good lesson for us. Zachariah's doubts, and unbelief didn't stop God's plan from being fulfilled. John was born into the world just the same, as the bearer of the good news to come.
          Has God called you to pray for someone at school or work? Maybe you feel the tug on your heart to teach a small group in your home. Would you believe, a calling to write a book about your ragamuffin walk with Jesus? (I wouldn't). Rarely are we called in an obvious manor, with great signs and wonders appearing in the sky, or being handed to us packaged neatly and concise, with directions and a manual for how to proceed. Usually its more like Zachariah, we doubt ourselves and we can't imagine God being serious about what He is suggesting to us. Doesn't He know that we are not qualified, not capable or equipped to do what He is asking of us? I'm sure as you read this, you recognize those questions, and you also realize how ridiculous they are, being asked of the One who hung the stars into place. The God who made a bush to burn, but not be consumed. The Father who sent His son to live with us, walk with us, teach us how to be more like Him, and then ultimately die for us. He knows our short-comings and inabilities. Yet He has a plan to use us for His purposes and take our experiences and make them tools for good in the realm of God.
          The day that John was born, just as the angel had said, Zachariah opened his mouth and spoke again. What has God placed in your life that requires faith and a first step to continue or succeed? As we learn from the story, believing is not always easy. We have rules of this world that we try to place on God, forgetting that He is the author of all things supernatural. Remember that whether or not you go along, you may end up right in the middle of it anyway, God has a way of convincing us that He's right. The question for you is very basic, can you set aside your doubts and fear of inadequacy? Maybe we can trust Him, at least long enough, for Him to show us why He has put us where we are. You may be the Bible study or youth leader, the one person to reach out to your unlovable neighbor, the coach of a child who needs a Godly mentor, the friend that takes the opportunity when it comes, to pray and talk to someone in need, or the writer whose not really a writer, but a simple beggar showing other beggars where to find bread.
          For most of my life, I have struggled with not knowing exactly what God's plan is for my future. In fact, truthfully I have been my own Zachariah many times over. Not that I've stopped talking for months because of it, but God had to break me from thinking or doing what I thought was right in my life, in order for me to ever consider His plan. There is a call that goes out to each of us. It's specific to what God wants for you and from you. Though you may be like me, and wonder what God could make of your ragged and worn life, He has a plan. And He has placed you in life, where you have just the right knowledge and experience to succeed, if He is in it. But first, 'would you believe?'

Luke 1 (msg)

Revision

  We live in an era where the family structure has taken a beating with the popular opinion that "it takes a village" and not necessarily good parents to raise and train our children. While I don't deny that good mentors and even a few great teachers along the way taught me some important things about life and myself, the thought that I am talking about here are parents that relinquish or even shrug their responsibility to nurture and raise their children to be the best that they can be. I am always shocked to hear people agree that parenting today is harder than ever and that they welcome the influence and uninhibited input from our schools and media. I may be wrong, but looking back in my family's past, I see plenty of tough times. My parents came from relatively poor families, and as kids, my brothers and I had to work for things that we wanted. Extravagance was never part of our lives. So it seems perspective makes a big difference when you are looking at your surroundings, both financial and spiritual. As small children, we all learn our value and self-worth in a few short years. We pick up the mannerisms and habits of our parents or guardians, good and bad. If you have ever struggled with your self-image, an addiction, or abusive behavior because of what you learned as a child, then the rest of this message is focused for our mutual thought and healing.

     What formula in life can take children who overcome a family history of drug and alcohol abuse or physical and mental exploitation, and lead them to become happy and healthy adults, seemingly free from the hereditary hangups of their past? How do you take a tragically bad memory, learn and grow from it, without digging it up all the time? Just referring to it in a discussion can seem to cause us to relive it again and again. My mom and dad both came from families where alcohol and the abusive behavior of their fathers were almost considered normal. Neither my mom or my dad brought up those bad times very often, most of the time they only referred to their families' in good ways and how they had learned from the bad experiences that they never wanted to burden their children with such pain. And they never did.

     They were so convinced that they could alter who they were, that they took what were sometimes extreme measures, to make sure that the example that they set for us boys was not one filled with the same abuses that they had grown up with. They began by first dealing with their own lives. I think they decided that if they didn't have those things in their lives, then we would learn that it wasn't necessary to have them in ours either. Within their self-examinations, they also returned to roots involving the church and began to seek out God. Both of my grandmothers were very good women; although my mother's mother admitted that she wasn't a very good judge of men, married four times and eight children; one day as a young boy I asked her if she was ever going to get married again, without any time to consider the answer, she retorted, "I surely don't need another man in my life". For all of my life, and until her passing, she was true to her word. My father's mother was a very religious and kind spirit, she provided the very early dialog that pointed my mom and dad towards the church. I think that was the final step for them in finding what could make a difference in changing their life... Eventually, they found and started to attend a very actively growing and friendly church. In the lives of my brothers and myself, that church and the determination that my mother and father had to change their lives for the better, created a paradigm shift within our family, one that would change the course of who and how my brothers and I grew up. Certainly, we were not perfect, we made our share of mistakes and got ourselves into plenty of trouble, and still do on occasion. However we all grew up to find success; success in business, success in marriage, and success with our families and children. How can you look at that outcome and not realize that mom and dad had really figured out something big?

     You may find yourself being that person who needs to do the changing, or you may be the one hoping to live through something horrible and are simply trying to survive. I encourage you to find something positive and real, not fantasy or a temporary fix, to put in your field of emotional and spiritual vision. Try not to focus too much on what is painful or wrong in your life; instead, seek out the One who made every part of you. The creator of who and how you are. It may seem overly simple, but God does have a plan for you, and it isn't being abused or abusing others, or yourself. I don't want to talk specifics about steps to success here, there are plenty of groups and organizations out there that do that. I am talking to you directly and saying, we all have our life moments when we have to rise above the noise that is the evil and sorrow of this world. My point here is simply to reaffirm to you that it is possible to overcome such adversities. Regardless of the method that you choose to make change happen, be encouraged that success is within your grasp. Remember that you may not be able to change your past, but you can decide that your future will be different. You choose each pathway in your life, and how you choose will determine not only your destination but the legacy you leave when you're gone.

     There are so many self-help books out there, and slickly advertised plans that are guaranteed to "fix" your life and make you happy, it boggles the mind to think about the money we all spend, trying to find that permanent fix to our addictions, depression or failed marriages. But it's like someone who's trying to quit smoking. They can chew the special gum, get hypnotized, wear a hidden patch, or go to meetings with other smokers that all talk about quitting in-between "smoke" breaks, but until they decide to quit, until that, "I'm quitting right now" moment comes to them, most of these other answers will be short-lived and ineffective. That said, let's look at our own lives, the real picture of it, not the mask we wear in public, at church or to work. Maybe you always feel overwhelmed with mountains of depression or an addiction that controls your every train of thought; In the quiet of your own heart, and without the distractions of your life crowding inward, ask yourself for an honest answer to this question, do you really want to make a change? Is it time for a paradigm shift in your life? If so, then now may just be your time to put your mind, heart, and soul at work together toward a common goal, to make the things you need to change in your life, become reality.

  Start by seeking God. Have a conversation with Him, and be honest. Pray for strength and wisdom to identify the habits and the people in your life that need to change, or completely be rid of. Sometimes we hang on to people and things that just remind us of where we have failed. Choose those whom you can talk to, and don't just dump on them, listen; and be open to the thinking that you can change. To be clear, I am not saying that everything or anything is your fault. Change sometimes means that we are giving others too much responsibility in our lives. There are far too many avenues to explore here to usher in a new you in this short message, but if I can keep it simple and just say, God understands who you are. He knows your habits, and how hard it is to put them down. All He asks of you is to try. To seek help where it can do you good. Find friends and a church that makes a difference in your life, one where you are moved to stretch your spiritual legs and grow. Real followers of Christ, Christians, are still at best, sinners. So don't put anyone on a pedestal. Live in His grace, it is free, and it's the only secure path to finding peace. Learn to love yourself in spite of what you see in the mirror of your memories. God's forgiveness is fathomless, that means as far as it is from the earth to the sky, and then a thousand times more, He has forgotten your failures. Choose to end your addictions, abuses and bad habits and give them over to His love and grace. That probably will not be an easy thing, it usually isn't, but it is a worthwhile endeavor. You and your family can start today on your path of deliverance from whatever separates you from the perfect path God has chosen for you. Do not give up when you fail. The disciples failed, lied and hid-out to save themselves during their painful learning process, and God picked them up, dusted them off and helped them to become more than they could ever dream. You can live a life of purpose, overcome your past and its hold on you, but the first step is yours, you have to seek God and accept the grace and love that He will pour out on you. It's not easy, I know all to well the trap of fear and complacency when it comes to change, but the joy and freedom that will come from winning this battle, and the story you will have to share with others that suffer from the same trials you have won victory over, will shine the light of glorious transformation over your life, and prove beyond a doubt, that God is a God of renewal and revision for the beggar standing at the doorway of grace.

Peace

  The dictionary says this about peace, that it's the state of tranquility or quiet; a place of security and freedom from oppressive thought; being in harmony and without the aggression of war, or disagreement. Take a journey with me and imagine yourself on a wooded pathway, the trees filter the sunlight through to the ground, and a wisp of mist floats above the ground cover, with its multicolored flowers sprouting from vines and bushes, so beautifully placed that it appears that a gardener had planted them there just for the ones on the path to enjoy.
     Standing alone and quiet, you close your eyes to hear the sounds of nature all around you. The chorus of birds chirping on the branches above you, the slow and gently warming breeze flowing around your body, and through the grasses and ferns on the forest floor. The faint sound of a small distant waterfall as it flows gracefully to the stream winding through these woods. You walk slowly along the dirt path, running your hands over the branches of the tiny trees as they learn to grow skyward and join their family of giants. Just for one moment, there is no rush from work, no bill to pay, no sick child to tend. No telemarketer on your phone, or leaking faucet in your house dripping to remind you that your list of honey do's is growing by the day. Only the sounds of the birds, the wind, and your footsteps break the silence. There are only you and the sights, smells, and sounds of peace.
  I wish this kind of place and peace were that easy to find whenever we needed it. In fact, the older I get, the more that I find that I need it, and seemingly the harder it is to be found. If your life lacks peace and tranquility, then we are in the same boat. Maybe we have missed the opportunities that God provides to us for finding our daily retreat, by lacking the vision to see it when it comes along. If we are so focused on success that we miss our children's laughter or musical number that they perform for us, perhaps we miss Gods invitation to enjoy the flowers of peace. Have you ever made plans to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee with a book, or the paper? How often do these plans work out? In our desperation and desolate hour, we call out to God for deliverance, but have we regularly called out to Him in real praise? Our busy lives and the temptation to have success at any cost will most certainly derail any opportunity God puts in front of us to enjoy the flight of the birds through the treetops, or feel the warmth of the afternoon breeze through our wooded meadow. I find myself guilty of these distractions as any of you. Not that I've given it all for success in business, actually I gave up my personal business to spend more time with my family years ago. But I allowed other things to slowly work their way into powerful positions in my life's schedule. Some of these were church and ministry-related, so I told myself that God called me to do it, therefore, the sacrifice was divine. Be very careful with that line in your life. God can and does call us to sacrifice for His work, but rarely have I seen that sacrifice come through the cost of our families, and friends worth. I say to us all, guard against being too busy or "called". Serve your family first, for if you lose that battlefront to the enemy, what will the rest of your life's work mean when you're called home.

If you need peace as a regular part of your life as I do,then you must first learn to seek it, accept it and finally enjoy it.

     It hasn't been that easy for me to find and I bet the same can be said for you in your life. when we need it the most, we are often too far from it to see it. This is where the seeking part comes in. In John 14: 25 - 27 Jesus is trying to explain that He is leaving the apostles. That the plan of His destiny had already been set into motion, and that He should follow the Father's will right down to the very last detail. From Palm Sunday right through the rest of the week, He was following the plan of God. So obedience and a faithful heart are at the core of serving God, but peace, how do we seek peace? That same passage goes on to quote Jesus saying, "This friend of mine, the Holy Spirit who will be sent by my Father because I have asked Him too, will make your eyes to see all of the things that I have talked to you about, remind you of every word, every council, and every story. I am leaving you in the very best of hands, complete and connected as whole children of a loving and grace-filled God. That is my going away gift to you, Peace. I don't go away leaving you the way that I found you, alone, abandoned and void of the knowledge of my love"
  It seems that before you were even born, a map was drawn with the words and directions from Jesus and given directly to us, on how to find that peace that we each long for so desperately. I believe that it doesn't come through success or owning a lot of nice things, we cannot create our own peace. He said that His friend, the Comforter, was coming to remind us of the things that He taught. Lessons like Love is kind, it never demands it's own way. To treat others as we would want to be treated. That grace was abundant and free for every one of us. That those who prayed out loud just to be heard by others would find no reward in His kingdom. That the only way to the Father was through Him; He is the way, the truth, and the light.
  How often do we go through life forgetting the amazing truth of those lessons? God loves us in spite of who we are; He loves us because of whose we are. If you long for the quiet of the forested meadow, with the tall trees and the smell of the flowers and pines filling the air, and the sounds of all nature at your ears, then you long for the worship of our King. For in our silence, the rocks and the hills cry out to affirm that He is Lord. Maybe that is why we find such solace in that setting. Deep within ourselves, we know that they are singing our song, praising our Father. Seek out your way to praise Him in private. Find a way to move your branches and chirp your song, but do it in a way that it is between you and God alone. Start slowly and without a big production, remember this is your meadow song before your Father. Your peace is there, in that place. Don't be too busy to try, it might only be a few minutes each day, or you might decide to make more time for it, whatever the case, seek Him, praise Him, alone. In that quiet space, you will find rest, you will find comfort, and peace will find you.

The basis for biblical quote from John 14: 25-27 (MSG)

Thunder in the Desert - Alternate Ending

    I was reading recently about a man that had been lost in the desert alone for nine days. His ordeal was surely one that I cannot imagine. The thirst from not having water to drink would make anyone desperate and willing to drink just about anything in order to stay alive. In his story, life-saving rain came at just the right moments every few days; just enough to keep him alive, when he was too weak to manage for himself. But hours and days came and went, when there was no rain, no deliverance. I'm sure that he thought the end was near many times; that his story in this world had come to a desolate and lonely conclusion, there in the dry and isolated desert.

    Life can be a series of events that range from your happiest day to being lost in your own desert. Whether it's a desert of failure, in school or work, or one of financial ruin. Perhaps, the cruelty of human weakness in the form of illness has come to you, or you can't control an addiction that seems to weigh over you like a massive boulder quarried from shame and self-loathing. Our personal deserts of depression or despair, often come into our lives without warning, and can leave us wondering where God is when we obviously need Him the most.

    Imagine yourself in the midst of a quiet, starlit night. Your surroundings are dark, blurred forms and it’s hard to see far from where you are. Your eyes strain to make out definition and shape. It's a dry and lifeless place. What little light there is from the stars is intermittently blocked out by clouds which have no color, only darker shades of grey to black, and in the distance you see the faint flashes of lightning at the horizon. After days in the heat of your dry existence, you long for drops of rain to touch your burned and aching skin, to wet the tip of your tongue if only to cool it for a while. Not only is this the image of a desperate person in a dangerous physical place, but I think it also describes our lives in those times when we find ourselves in our darkest, driest moments. Those times when our spiritual tongues and lips are dried and cracking from the lack of living water.

    (*) When we've gone as far as we can emotionally go, and we are desperate for the relief of compassion, grace, and forgiveness by the understanding of what it is we are going through. This is the training ground that God uses to help us relate to each other, and to give us insight for what others are going through. It’s not to say that you cannot have compassion without experiencing the same tragedies, but our own trials teach us wisdom, either through success or defeat. On occasion, we all learn through failure, what not to do; what it is like to lose a job, have a life-threatening illness, or not be able to pay your bills. Our ability to help others is vastly improved through our own journey’s path. With our experiences and lessons in life, we may be someone else's flashes of lightning, or promise of rain.

When we come out of our desert, we are usually thankful to be rescued, happy and relieved to be back on our feet. When that happens, don’t forget your calling. We are all witnesses of what God has done for us. To be that voice in the wilderness that gives hope when others are lost and thirsty. To tell our story, and relate to a hurting friend or possibly a complete stranger, that there is hope for them right where they are. In John 1: 19-23, the people of Jerusalem asked John who he was, they were perplexed by his teaching and thought he could be a prophet or someone even greater, but John just kept on preaching.. He was a very loud and boisterous personality as we know him. You may not be an outspoken beacon of teaching like John, which is okay. John told them that he was thunder in the desert, that he prepared a way for the coming Messiah. And that is our job as well.

What does it mean to “make a way” when John is responding to the crowd? I believe it means that he was sharing his own experiences and trials with them. That through his life’s up and many downs, he was shining a light on how grace and forgiveness had been poured out on him. I’m sure that with his reported temperament, that he did it in a way that was on fire for the scriptures and prophecies of the Jewish people. With a loud and direct manner about him, he was certainly hard to miss for the theocrats of the day. We each “make a way” using the skills and talents that we are gifted with. Some people write songs, words, and music that inspire emotion and reach out to people in ways that John possibly never could have. There are storytellers, managing leaders, children's workers, greeters at your church, and servers at your favorite restaurant. An almost endless list comes to mind of calling styles that serve as conduits for making the way of the Lord.

While in our desert we learn how to trust God for our next drink of water, our food, and our very lives. Once out of the desert, we can share the hope of being rescued with others that are still in their isolation. But during all of those times, we are called to be God's messengers. We are responsible to share the good news whether we are in times of tragedy, experiencing joy and happiness, or not really sure where we are; God is not a far away ethereal being, only reachable through highly religious and specific rituals of the chosen few. Absolutely not. He is walking the path with you, beside every step. You cannot lose Him or get hidden from His sight. And a simple and soft whisper of His name is all the further you will need to go before He answers. No, He does not reserve His attention and love only for the “worthy”; if that were the case, none of us would ever know of it. It is a gift, as between friends, without strings or entanglements, He gives to every single one of us, the friendly, the mean, the saintly, and the criminal. For all.

The question is, how will you make His way known through your life? He has walked through your desert with you, given you water when you were dry, laughed when you were happy, and cried when you were hurting. Our call to be His messengers isn’t necessarily a call to become a ‘John of the Wilderness’. Your calling may be with your friends and family, to change the destructive course that your parents or grandparents chose. Perhaps you are a teacher or work with children, and maybe you can’t openly share about what God has done in your past, but you can show them through your attitude, the difference you have in your life. Trust me, looking back I can tell you I knew when a teacher or mentor was a Godly person. They were different. Maybe I didn’t realize it at that moment in time, but it made an impact that I always remembered, and admired. You may be a doctor that gives hope and at the same time honors God when something beyond your ability goes right. The truth is that no matter where you are, no matter what you do, God has called you to be his messenger. Pastors are not the only ones called to reach out and minister to people, we all are. Through the way you live your life, and love those around you, the life that you present to others will get their attention. Just as John’s life raised the questions of the leaders in Jerusalem, and compelled them to search him out and ask him what was so different about him and who was he, those around you will notice that you are different than most people that they know. Be diligent. Be ready. Live the best life that you can to acknowledge that you are blessed by God, that He walks with you, and that no matter what isolation or worry comes to you and your world, you will be His voice of thunder in the desert.

Blessings - Randy

John 1:19-23 (msg)

(*) - The following content is an alternate conclusion that differs completely from my previous message entitled, "Thunder in the Desert". 

Thunder in the Desert

          Recently, I was reading about a man that had been lost alone in the desert for nine days. His ordeal was surely one that I cannot imagine. The thirst from not having water would make one desperate enough to drink just about anything in order to stay alive. In his story, life saving rain came at just the right moments to keep him alive, when he was too weak to manage for himself. But there were days that came and went, when no rain fell. I'm sure he thought that the end was near many times; that his life's story in this world had come to an end, there in the California desert.
          One of the dictionary's definitions of desert is, 'any place lacking in something'. It sounds so unassuming, yet a place where any and all organisms struggle to survive is not a place to be. Life can be a series of events that range from your happiest day, to being lost in your own desert. Whether it's a desert of failure in school or work, or one of financial ruin. Perhaps the cruelty of human weakness through disease has come to you, or you can't control an addiction that seems to weigh over you like a massive boulder quarried from shame and self-loathing. Each time you see an end to your circumstances and pain, it turns out to be a mirage of lifeless vapor.
          Imagine yourself in the quiet, starlit night of a dry and lifeless place. The sky is intermittent with clouds, and in the distance, you see the faint flashes of lightning at the horizon. The delusion of hope grips your heart again. Days into your ordeal, you are ready to move toward the promise and find out, for certain, if the rain is real or not. After a seemingly eternity of thirst and heat, you long for the drops of wet redemption to touch your burned and aching skin, to wet the tip of your tongue if only to cool it for a while. This is the image of not only a desperate person in a dangerous physical place, but it also describes our lives in those times when we find ourselves in our darkest, driest moments. Those times when our spiritual tongues are dried and cracking from the lack of living water. When we've lost our direction or misplaced our purpose. We wander in our search for what makes us happy, or fulfilled, and yet rarely discover the answer on our own. The desert can be a place of great peril, and even death. So it is spiritually. If we stay in the desolation of a purposeless life, we will eventually die to the ways of good, mercy and hope. The desert will consume us.
          Unlike the man in my story, we do not have to wait and hope that the thunder will bring us spiritual rain. In John 1:19-23, God calls us to be His prelude. To announce that He is coming to a world of desolation and drought with the healing everlasting water. In John 4: 13-14 Jesus tells the woman that His water will forever quench our soul's thirst. In a few short chapters, John tells us that as we wander in our desert we should keep telling others about what God has done in our lives. Even when we are thirsty ourselves, dry and parched, we should point the way to His living water. In fact, I think that we are the most useful to God, when we've come through our own solitary wasteland. When we have seen and felt the sorrow of loosing a loved one, we are ready and trained to help those in need. To come through a life crisis such as the failure of a business, or betrayal of a friend, this is our desolation ordeal, and if we put our faith and resolve in the right place, it makes us a very credible voice to others in similar situations. I'm not saying that you have to die to understand what death means, or that unless you have been divorced, you can't know the feeling of abandonment or failure. Some people are gifted with the ability to empathize with those in need. But for most of us, the experience of life circumstances trains us to know when others truly need our grace and support.
          I believe that the church was called to help fulfill this function, to share with each other's passion and loss, in ways that would strengthen one another. Sadly, many times that seems to be the lacking ingredient as the modern church searches for purpose, instead of hearts. But do not give up on your search for genuine lives being lived with passion and those willing to share what they have experienced and learned from their conflicts. We do not come together to judge or count sins, we come together to find strength, and endurance. Find your place of belonging, where God's message is emanating from hearts full of grace and a natural caring for others, living day to day by His unchanging words and promises.
          If we are to have a chance for others to see our lives as a light of credible understanding, the fact that we have lived the same crisis or tragedy is a big first step. We are to be that thunder in the distance, the hope of good things to come. Seeing our survival, our continued resilience under fire, gives others an example of what may be close at hand for them, if they pursue with diligence the path towards the well of the living water. Our desert is not one of complete desolation, even though many times it does feel that way. There are many today on this journey with us, as well as those who came before and will come after, and we all look to each other for that promise. That hope of thunder in the desert.

John 1:19-23 / John 4: 13-14 (msg)