March 13, 2019

Be Jesus Where You Can

What is wrong cannot be made right.

What is missing cannot be recovered.

-- Ecclesiastes 1:15 (NLT)

We’re accustomed to storms here in Alabama. They brew up, sometimes quickly, and strike at random against those who are unfortunate enough to be in their path.

It was just another day. Storms stirred up. Meteorologists sounded the alarm, again and again and again. Sirens and weather radios and alerts. The air was filled with sound as the winds picked up. The tornado made its entrance, ripping apart homes and businesses and anything else in its path. An E-4 the weather service would say later. Twenty-three people died. Numerous others injured. People racked with sorrow and shock, clinging to what was no longer there.

Their lives will never be the same. And it isn’t only because of those who died. It isn’t because of the things that are gone. It’s because they have known great fear and seen firsthand the futility of building a life on what can vanish in an instant.

We store up for ourselves treasures. We focus and judge and pretend we understand life. Really? We don’t have a clue.

Love God and love people. Don’t wait for a better day or more time. Do good where you can. Stop trying to figure out if someone is worthy or not. Simple love them and do what you can. Show kindness and compassion. Lend a helping hand. Be generous. Life is short. And fleeting. Look into your heart and live with it open wide. Be Jesus where you can.

August 28, 2018

How Strong Is Your Faith?

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” – Matthew 16:18

She is a rock. Her faith is solid. Her presence is calm. There is a joy that radiates from her. She’s the one you want when your world falls apart.

Life has tested her in ways few could withstand. She lost her first husband in a car wreck. Years later she lost her son, his wife and their two children – her grandbabies – in a horrific wreck caused by a drunk driver. Yes, she has known suffering. Deep, deep pain has brought a testimony of faithfulness.

She has been through the fire, turning toward God for strength while many would turn away.

He was once an alcoholic. I guess he still is. His smile comes to mind even as I type this. He’s been in recovery a long time. He could make excuses. His alcoholic father gave him plenty of reasons to follow in his footsteps. His sister tried to find a different path but eventually she died by her own hand.

He spends his time helping others. He’s walked their path. He knows the pitfalls. He is stern. Excuses don’t work with him. Honestly, I think he’s heard them all. That kindness mingled with firmness draws others to him. They listen as he shares his faith. He gives all the credit to Jesus. He gives all the mistakes to himself.

There’s something different about those who have traveled through the storm and made it to the other side. There is a depth to their faith. The Bible isn’t just words and church isn’t just what they do on Sunday mornings. Jesus is real and so is their dedication to Him.

The news reporter said last night that suicide rates are rising. So is the rate of those diagnosed with mental illness. Everyone wonders why. I wonder why they don’t see it.

We’ve lost our hope in Jesus. We’ve placed it in ourselves, our jobs, our toys, our bank accounts. Except those things will never hold us up, will never fill us up, will never truly satisfy that deep place inside of us. It’s a frantic cycle that can’t end well.

I was truly surprised the other day in Bible study by the number who admitted they’ve never read the entire Bible. These are women who love Jesus. They do. And they study – bits and pieces at least. They are busy. Aren’t we all? Maybe it’s a shift in priorities, where ball practice and dance and dinners out can’t seem to co-mingle with time alone with God.

That’s where we find our strength. It’s where we find hope. It’s where we fill ourselves up to face whatever the days bring. We want a relationship with Jesus but we live as though He’s just an acquaintance we spend time with whenever it’s convenient.

Until one day our lives are shattered in a way we never imagined. We struggle for answers that only God can provide. Our priorities change. Our faith deepens. We finally realize we had it all wrong. Jesus lifts us up, placing us on a rock of deep faith. It’s a solid foundation. We stay and we grow and one day we become that person of deep faith that we once admired so much.

July 11, 2018

Jesus Loves Us

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. – John 11:5-6

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

– John 11:32

“Jesus loves me! This I know,

For the Bible tells me so;

Little ones to Him belong;

They are weak, but He is strong.”

The words to this song by Anna B. Warner echo in my mind. So many of us grew up singing this sweet, reassuring verse. “Yes, Jesus loves me!” That makes everything right in our childhood hearts and minds.

Until we grow up and realize that while Jesus always loves us, He doesn’t always show up in time to prevent a tragedy. He doesn’t always protect us from abuse or death or homelessness. Jesus loves us but sometimes He allows us to suffer.

We know this story of Lazarus. We know that Jesus used his friend’s death to show the glory of God. And we know that when Jesus does arrive, He weeps with his friends and then calls Lazarus from the tomb. We know that belief in Jesus means we will never truly die. But, oh, how death can hurt!

The hardest part of faith is remaining strong when you know that Jesus could prevent something awful and, yet, He doesn’t. The most difficult part of faith is knowing that Jesus can heal, knowing He will heal, but facing the deep truth that sometimes healing takes place in heaven and not on this earth.

The news tells us that it was such a tragedy. A man shot and killed his wife and one of his daughters. He shot another two daughters while still another fled for her life. Then he started a fire that destroyed their home and killed himself. Drugs, they say. A divorce petition and a custody filing. Not on the “other” side of town. A family just like ours. How can it be? How can Jesus allow something so horrible to happen? And, yet, He does.

You’re probably thinking I’m going to give you wisdom or advice, explain the unexplainable, or, at least, help us make sense of it all. I’m not. I don’t understand. We live in a fallen world. It’s a trite truth but a truth still the same. Jesus can step in at any moment and prevent tragedy but usually He allows it to play out. One person’s demons destroys a family and scars his children forever. Because how do you “get over” having a parent try to kill you? How do you deal with the loss of a Mother and a sister? You don’t.

Jesus never said life would be easy. In fact, He said we’d have troubles. He never said He’d protect us from the tragedies and hurts of this world. What He did say is that He’d never leave us alone. He promised to walk with us, to guide us, to turn bad into something good if we’d only give it to Him.

We shout at Him in anger and anguish, with a brokenness that can only come from deep sorrow. We know, like Martha, if He’d only come sooner it would all have ended differently. But, you see, one day it will end differently.

Death doesn’t have the final say. Darkness lost the war. While troubles may cause us to falter and stumble on this earth, we’re only passing through to another destination. We’re headed to a place where drug abuse and cancer and divorce and death don’t exist. We’re on a journey home.

So when life overwhelms you and your shattered heart cries out for relief, focus your eyes on the light. That’s Jesus. Look neither to the right nor to the left. Stay focused. “Jesus loves you! This I know.” And He also keeps His promises. He never leaves us alone. We may not be strong, but He is. And some days that is the anchor that keeps us upright in the storm.

January 7, 2015

God is Good

 

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

His love endures forever.

-- Psalm 107:1

A sweet friend recently received a wonderful medical report. Her pathology results were fine. No cancer. Her Facebook post was flooded with comments. "God is good," some wrote. Yes, He is. But God would still have been good if her test results revealed cancer.

The same thing happened a few years ago when a tornado ripped through our town, killing nine and destroying the high school and numerous homes. Those whose homes were fine, whose loved ones came home, declared God's goodness. Were they saying God wasn't good to those who died, to those who lost loved ones and homes and businesses? I doubt they even considered it.

I am reminded of the story of the man who was born blind. You can read the story in John, Chapter 9. Jesus healed him and explained that neither the man nor his parents had sinned. He was born blind that the glory of God might be displayed in his life.

The sad truth is that we don't learn so much when life is going well. Nor do we rely greatly on God when we think we've got it all under control. We turn to God when this sinful world rips us apart. And that allows God to work in us and through us to glorify God.

God is good no matter our circumstances. God is good no matter what happens. We live in a fallen world. Death and destruction are all around us. God never promised to insulate us from all of that. What He promised is to walk with us through the storm, to be with us, to strengthen us, to carry us when we couldn't carry ourselves.

It's hard to grasp all this. We want a simple answer. And we get angry when bad things happen. We expect God to love us enough to protect us from everything bad. But His intention was never to put us in a bubble and dictate our every move. He loves us enough to let us live, making choices and coming into contact with people who make choices too.

What about natural disasters? Our world groans under the weight of sinful man. Yeah. There was that awful tornado. God carried us all through the days and months and years that have come afterwards. God is good. He never left us alone. He dried our tears. He provided miracles in the midst of horror. Would we have preferred that God made the tornado go away? Of course, we would. But that's not generally how God works.

God is good. Always. Us? Not so much. But God always loves us and is willing to help us. God never abandons us. He never leaves us alone with our mess, our tragedy, our sadness.

God is good. All the time. God is good.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Today We Remember

Afterward the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” -- Genesis 15:1

Where were you one year ago today? If you live in the Deep South, you remember the night well. Tornadoes ripped apart many areas, killing hundreds. Tuscaloosa lost more than 50 people. Devastation littered the city.

And then the storms moved toward Birmingham. A dear young woman and her two children emerged from a basement unharmed. Their home was gone. It took her frantic husband two days to get a flight into Birmingham. They’re still not back in their new home, rebuilt on the same site. The scars will linger forever.

Her father said something profound in the days immediately afterward: It’s amazing how little a house means when you realize that your daughter and grandchildren are okay.

He was right. Many, many people who lost everything they owned were grateful for their lives. Others grieved, and continue to grieve, for those that didn’t survive. How does anyone explain why one person dies and another lives? There are no answers to that one.

Have you ever faced a storm of such magnitude? Have you ever truly been afraid, in circumstances you couldn’t control? What happened? If you’re like most of us, you cried out to God. And He answered.

Because God never leaves us to face anything alone. Ask anyone who has been there. It’s almost like you can reach out and touch God, He is so close and His Presence is so great. Another reminder that we belong to Him and He protects His own.

Today is a day of memories. Some are sad as we remember those who died that day. Some are amazing stories of survival. Others are stories of gratitude and achievement because there’s nothing like disaster to bring out the best in people. We want to help. We want to serve.

Tornadoes and other natural disasters remind us of what truly is important. And it’s not things. As much as we like our stuff, people are what matter most. And pets. My friend’s kids rejoiced when their dog was found. They’d lost all their toys and everything that was familiar to them but they had their dog and that was what mattered. A small spot of normalcy in a world that was forever changed.

Bad things happen in this world. They just do. But we can know that in all circumstances God is with us, holding on to us, protecting us and loving us. Today we’ll remember and give thanks to a God who tells us to not be afraid because He is with us.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

God Is All We Need

I follow close behind you; your strong right hand holds me securely. -- Psalm 63:8

Tough times challenge us. We don’t know the why. Somehow we think that will make it better, easier to deal with. If only we can understand why this bad thing has happened.

And we know that somehow God will turn this to good. We know there is a reason for all of this. We know He is with us. But somehow it just doesn’t feel like it. Ever been there before?

It’s at that point that we start to wonder: Is God really who the Bible says He is? Are all His promises really true? Is He really going to guide us through this mess? Are we really going to be alright in the end?

Questions. We are filled with questions. Beth Moore once wrote, “Sometimes we stand to learn the most about God from the situations we understand the least.” She’s right. Because when we are faced with great tragedy, we come face to face with faith in our God. We either reach out and grab hold with everything we have or we fall away toward Satan’s lies.

One thing I love so much about God is that we can come to Him with honest, straightforward emotions. We can be angry and hurt. We can be scared and vulnerable. He won’t leave us in that place, alone to face whatever is happening. God really is right there with us. And He can take all the pain and hurt we hurl at Him.

And at the end of it all, when we are spent and empty, God is right there to hold us up, to carry us through, to strengthen us for this journey we did not want to take. We learn that God’s promises are true. We feel His Presence as we take baby steps forward. We don’t know where we’re going or how we’ll get there. But He is with us. Maybe that’s all we ever really needed to know. God is with us. And that is enough.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Moments Change Us Forever

O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?

-- Psalm 144:3

Life can change forever in seconds. Literally. It is in those moments of despair that we understand with crystal-clear clarity what is important and what isn’t important.

My friend and her husband were out for a leisurely Sunday afternoon ride on their motorcycles. The fall weather was the perfect mix of sunny warmth and brilliant blue sky. She remembers suddenly being unable to steer her motorcycle as she went into a sharp curve. She ended up in a ditch about 20 feet from the motorcycle. She’s lucky to be alive.

The ambulance rushed her to the hospital. Friends rushed to her distraught husband’s side. The doctors worked tirelessly to save her leg -- and, thankfully, succeeded. Then, the following day, more surgery, this time on her crushed hand. She faces a long recovery. Thankfully, she will recover.

Prayers went up almost immediately after the accident. From the Bible study meeting at church when the call came to the Facebook prayer warriors who rallied. The pastor rushed to the hospital. So many of us hit our knees. It was really scary there for a while.

But God was there. He was with my friend and her husband in the seconds after the crash, before the ambulance and state troopers and before their friends. God watched over the hospital staff as they rushed to find and then repair the severed artery in her leg. He guided the hands of the surgeons. And He held her husband up when the reality of what he might lose was more than he could bear.

It reminded me of the words of David: Oh LORD, what is man that you care for him? God cares for us. He loves us. He is there with us when our world crashes around us. And He is there for the long haul, to help us pick up the pieces, to help us deal with a changed reality.

Because life after near death does change you. It prioritizes things. It prioritizes people. It prioritizes God. What matters? What is important? Who were you then? And who are you now? The same but changed. Different. Aware of how fragile the moments of time that make up our lives truly are. Embrace your life, while you can.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

It Comes Down To God

In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord.

-- Isaiah 6:1a

Sometimes it takes a shocking event to shatter our notion that trouble belongs to someone else. We somehow assume that bad things, horrible tragedies, belong in someone else’s story. Not ours. Never ours.

A friend started her day caring for her elderly mother and stepfather. Her stepfather was admitted to the hospital. She asked for prayer for this man who cares so for her mother. A few hours later she stood vigil beside her own husband.

Sudden changes. A heart attack. Severe damage. Emergency surgery. “It doesn’t look good,” she said, as she asked for prayer. The doctors aren’t optimistic. The next 48 hours are critical. And on and on.

Where do you turn when the doctors have done all they can? When you’re staring death in the eye -- whether your own or that of someone you love -- there is only One who can offer comfort, strength and healing. God. That’s what it comes down to. You and God.

Strange that it always seems to take something so traumatic, so life changing, to make that clear. Some people think I’m crazy when I tell them things don’t matter. I wasn’t always that way. A phone call. Grief that lingers even after all these years. Priorities change. You change.

We pray. God can do anything, heal anyone. We cling to hope because so long as there is breath, there is hope. And when hope is gone we remember the promise. His promise. The separation will only be for a short time. Eternity shines ahead of us, past the darkness of fear and grief.

As I write these words, this dear man clings to life. I pray for a miracle. For God’s healing touch. That He will show Himself to this family who loves Him so. No matter what the coming days bring.

　

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Thank God For Protection

I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. -- Psalm 118:21

What was important to you yesterday morning? What was the focus of your life? Were you busy getting the kids to school and yourself to work? Were you stressed about a job situation or worried about money? Or maybe you just felt overwhelmed by the demands of a life on the go?

It’s amazing how quickly everything can change. When the sirens sounded and another storm approached, most people thought it would be just another small event. Oh, there might be some destruction. A few people might even lose their homes. But nothing major. Nothing widespread. Nothing that would impact on anyone you might know.

The storms killed close to 200 people in Alabama alone. That number may go up. Tuscaloosa looks like a war zone. Neighborhoods in Birmingham are gone. Rubble and chaos reign throughout so much of the northern part of the state. Citizens are too busy trying to find people who are missing to even consider the enormity of rebuilding shattered lives.

The tears flowed from the survivors. Of course they did. But there was an overwhelming sense of thanks. One man stood in front of what had been his home. Splintered wood and shattered glass mingled with remnants of a life. He pointed to a bathtub. He’d rode out the storm inside it, hanging on as it swirled and moved in the wind. He’s alive and grateful for that.

A young mother and her two young children hid in a Birmingham-area basement with relatives who lived nearby. Their house is gone. Of all the relatives in the area, only one house remains. They gathered there in the darkness to await a shattered dawn. Yet, there was reason to smile. They were alive and healthy. And the children’s dog, feared lost in the storm, was found alive and unharmed. Joy amid the dark devastation.

Life has forever changed by those impacted by the storms. Even those who had only minor damage will understand what could have happened. How fragile life is. How quickly all those things we value can be destroyed.

One man asked today why it takes something so devastating to make us treat each other with kindness and compassion. I don’t know. Maybe it takes something awful to make us look up from our self-filled world and see the people around us for the valuable, priceless creations that

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tragedy Brings Focus

"I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." -- John 16:20

I headed to Jasper before the sun came up. Another day on the road. Not much traffic driving up. That changed dramatically by the time I headed up the entrance ramp to I-65 and turned toward home. I was surrounded by vehicles with mostly out-of-state tags. I noticed that Indiana was particularly well represented. The beach was beckoning.

I stopped at a service station for more gas and caffeine on the way back. I stood in line in the ladies room with several wonderful folks. A young woman, obviously newly suntanned, was from Indiana. We joked about the snow that awaited her as she headed home.

A few hours later traffic on the interstate I had just recently traveled was at a standstill. A young man from Troy was driving south. His car left its lane, crossed the median and hit another car. The man was only 21 when he died. The car he hit was from Indiana. It carried four 18-year-olds. They were headed home from the beach. And I pray they made it, even though it wasn't the home they'd planned for just yet.

Another car carrying a mother and her two children was hit. Reports said they sufferered physically non-life threatening injuries. They'll no doubt carry the emotional scars forever. A near miss. A second chance. A horrifying reminder that life on earth can end in an instant. Those who saw the accident happen likely learned the same.

How do you comfort grieving parents? How do you find words to explain a moment that changed so many lives forever? How do you show people God's love and mercy amid so much anguish? I am reminded of the time when Jesus returned to find his good friend Lazarus dead. Jesus didn't offer any profound words, though he would later return Lazarus to life. No. Jesus wept. That's what the Bible tells us. Jesus wept.

And so will all those who knew the five young men who died. They will grieve and question and plead for answers that won't come. Because some things are beyond anything we can understand. But what we do know, what tragedy reminds us, is that our time on this earth is limited. None of us know when our last moment will be. It is so important to know Jesus, to make sure all those around you know Him. Eternal life is waiting. We just don't know when.

So give people you love your time and attention. Do the things you always mean to do but never find the time. Enjoy the moment as well as the day. Show kindness and gratitude. Plant seeds of goodness wherever you go. Leave behind a garden of beauty that shows people Jesus' light when you make that last trip home.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

We Cling To Hope

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." -- Psalm 23:4

Words of comfort. Preachers quote them often at funerals. We are comforted by God's presence, by the presence of family and friends who hold us up through unbearable grief.

Death is never easy but it just seems especially horrid as Christmas nears. Death strikes brutally, ripping our hearts open, leaving us fragile and clinging to a hope we cannot see for the darkness that remains. My Grandmother died December 17, 1976. It is always there with every holiday season. Amidst the bustle of presents and baking and family gatherings, is the sadness of loss.

Wednesday a 14-year-old girl died in a tragic accident. She was the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of friends. How will her family find the strength to make it through the days that are to come? How will they cope with the emptiness that comes with presents that will never be opened by a child who will never come home?

God. That's the only way to cope. I can't imagine their grief. I can't comprehend their sorrow. But I do know that when your life is torn apart by the unexpected loss of someone you love, God is all that remains. He is your rock, your fortress, your hidden strength. He doesn't make the grief go away but He carries you through it.

Jesus defeated death. We know that. As believers, we know that we'll see our loved ones again one day. Christmas reminds us of the hope that came with the birth of a baby who came to save us all. In the midst of unspeakable tragedy we cling to that.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

God Has A Plan

"Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?" -- Job 21:7

This just popped out at me as I made my way through the Book of Job. It's something I've asked many times over the years. I understand why Job -- a righteous man in the midst of incredible suffering -- would ask such a question.

I know you've probably asked it yourself a time or two. The question rears its ugly head whenever a drunk driver careens his car into a vehicle filled with innocent people. He survives while the others are killed. We want to know why.

The question comes up as we watch someone we care about die slowly from cancer. Why, we ask God, must You take her. Why not take someone who doesn't do anything for others? Why take the one who gives of herself for others?

I could go on and on with examples. We may never understand on this side of Heaven. But there is one truth: God knows what He is doing. He has a plan. Maybe the life He takes today is so that the ones who are left behind can step up and know Him.

I don't mean to brush aside the agony of losing someone you love. And I certainly don't want to imply that God doesn't care because no one cares more than God. But sometimes we must suffer, sometimes we must travel through the darkness, so that others can clearly see God's light.