Saltwater For Her Soul

I was only 8 years old when I began to recognize a transformation occurring within my grandmother. She had developed a very serious case of lung cancer, along with other complicating conditions. I remember rather vividly some weekend trips to the Oregon Coast with my beloved grandparents the last 2 summers she was alive. As she would muse of her desire to walk along the beach and allow the embrace of soothing ocean waves to reach her the mind of my gigantic, yet utterly gentle grandpa was already at work. To the mind of a little boy my grandma would explain how the saltwater helped to sooth her feet and truly made her feel well.

All of this was more than enough for me to decide that we certainly should go. I loved the beach already, and if it was going to make my grandma well then there couldn't possibly be anything further to figure out except what to take along. Before I knew it we seemed to have crested the hill as we traveled along the hi-way and the ocean was in sight. Yet, well ahead of any ocean wave there seemed to be a surge of peace and healing that overcame my grandma. I was certainly excited for her to be done with all of this cancer business and for those rude sores to remove their grip from her body. My grandparents would take what must have been incredibly relaxing strolls as the edge of the waves would slide smoothly across their feet, back and forth. Of course, I couldn't notice the rapidness of her healing that simply must have been taking place with all of that ocean saltwater because I was too busy challenging waves twice my height. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to know that she would soon be well and was therefore content to watch them walk along as I fought to my heart's content.

I've thought about those days and memories many many times these last 20 years or so. Most recently I thought of them as I jogged along a beach alone enjoying the same gentle embrace of the ocean my grandma had once known. Her own fight with cancer ended when I was just 9, and she only 63. I still remember the scene in our living room as my mom got off the phone and delivered the terribly dreadful news to us kids. I was truly heart-broken. It just didn't seem to be real, but before long it sunk in. In spite of her passing so many years ago it was just this week as I was enjoying that jog when I finally realized the saltwater healing she spoke of. As they both walked along in the sand and the water there was a peace of such depth that must have been instilled in the well of her soul. I believe the several trips she would make there as she attempted to fight off her enemy was for the healing she desired inside. Ultimately I believe the Lord was meeting her again in those times and places and preparing a healing for her far greater than she could have ever known as long as she lived here.

She never intended the saltwater to be for her hands and feet, but for her soul. I thank my God that He used something so basic as water, sodium, and sand to bring her restoration and the healing she truly needed.

Psalm 23:1-3a

The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul.

Whatever the dark valley you or your loved one may find yourself in may you allow the Lord to lead you beside still waters and restore your soul.

Chasing Barry Sanders

A funny thing happened on the way to the grocery store yesterday. As I was driving down the hi-way with my wife and kids, we spotted what appeared to be a little puppy running this way and that, in the middle of the road, oblivious of the 50 mph traffic. As an animal lover in the first degree, I could not allow this emergency to go by without responding. So, with a fortuitous break in the traffic, I made a u-turn, pulled into the shoulder, and began my best impersonation of Pavlov... unfortunately, I had with me neither dogfood or bell.

I was able to coax the little dude (of course, it could have been a female, but aren't all dogs really boys?) within arms reach several times as I improvised (not having any dogfood) with a ripped plastic bag and a rock... his vision must not have been up to the usual standards. But, I digress. As he came near I attempted to coral the little fella but each time he escaped my grasp. This resulted in a harried chase down the side of the hi-way, sidewalk, and side streets which seemed necessary as he consistently would have gone back into traffic if not for "shewing". Eventually the chase concluded under the carport of an apartment complex parking lot, about a 1/2 mile from the original scene.

My wife even assisted in my attempt to liberate this sopping wet, grimmy, ball of a dog from apparent danger... but to no avail. When we had him nearly detained, he became increasingly irritated (clearly he didn't understand that our desire was to keep him from harm by not allowing him to go where he'd like - especially when that would most possibly mean beneath the wheels of a 1-2 speeding mass).

Dejected at my failure to help this dog, and finally gasping for breath, I succombed to the realization that little "Barry Sanders", as my wife and I decided to name him, would not be rescued. As I returned to our vehicle and settled my distraught little girl in the back seat, my beloved wife turned to me and simply said "you can't help him if he doesn't want to be helped". Of course, she was absolutely right, but that reality will not prevent me from chasing other "Barry Sanders" wherever they might be. For, it is my duty, it is my call and yours, to venture wherever we must to help those scared, lonely, cold and wet balls of fur created by God.

A Simple Question

I was asked a very simple but meaningful question the other day. From one pastor to another I was essentially asked what kind of ministry I was most passionate about. I was then surprised by the difficulty I experienced in actually phrasing and providing a response to this question. I told this pastor that I don't feel particularly compelled to minister to one particular group of people over any other, and that generally I simply desire to see all kinds of people coming to know Jesus, discovering that God has gifted them to minister, and then seeing them equipped to carry out that ministry, whatever it may be. I suppose those in church circles might call this evangelism and discipleship. While that probably is an accurate description I think something can get lost in the translation of these words as they are so often used. I prefer to think of it as a relationship and a journey. Yeah...that's what gets me excited, helping people truly connect with Jesus and then embrace the journey He has uniquely designed for them which is to be embarked upon right beside Him.

Still, even as this is basically what I was saying I'm afraid it doesn't say a great deal about what actually stirs me. There are a multitude of ways that a person could be used of the Lord to help others come to know Him and then find and embrace their own ministry. Basically, what I said is that I think the Great Commission (basically..."Go to everyone and help them come to know and love God and others") Jesus gave to all believers is good and I agree with it. I might as well have grunted like a caveman uttering God good...people need God. That is to say I probably didn't offer the kind of response that was really sought. It's not as though I haven't thought through this before, but I suppose it had been a while since someone had asked me that kind of a question. So...here is another attempt to answer it with a little more practical detail.

Ever since it seemed I had a desire to minister to other people I've had a passion for preaching. I remember reading the book of Jeremiah on one occasion and he spoke of the Lord's message being like a fire that was shut up in his bones if He didn't deliver it to the people. I've often felt something that perhaps approaches such a description. When I've stumbled upon something in scripture that seems to me vitally important for others to hear and understand it's difficult to contain the words and emotion that well inside of me. However, my usual audience is a mountain filled sky, a field of sage brush, and the occasional Magpie or Robin. When I have opportunity to deliver such a message to others I feel like Eric Liddell (Chariots of Fire) who said "when I run, I feel His (God) pleasure." Of course the preparation that can go into a message can be nerve wracking at times, just as my ever patient and beloved wife has often seen...And nothing I'm writing here should have any reflection upon the actual quality of my preaching. :)

I also have a similar passion for writing. This is something I've only discovered within the last 5 years or so. I suppose it comes from a desire to first communicate with the Lord the thoughts and feelings that if not written can become like building pressure, perhaps not unlike the arising of steam within a pot. It's my hope that the things I write and share with others might just serve to encourage them a little more in their journeys with Christ.

Finally, I love having opportunities to sit with another person, sharing a cup of coffee, and listening to their stories. If there is something for me to offer in the way of encouragement or exhortation through the emptying of a cup or two then I feel blessed. Yet, whether or not I have anything to offer it seems to me that people always have a need of really being heard. I don't think we do this enough for one another. So many times we are too focused on our own concerns that we don't take the time to simply be available to others. And although this is something I enjoy doing I know I don't do it enough either. Still, it is something I treasure and hopefully after that cup has dried my friends find themselves feeling filled up and their load lightened.

There...those are the things that stir my passion as a minister of Christ. I suppose this exercise is far more helpful to me than anyone else who might happen to read this, but it is important to know how God has wired us to serve Him and others. And that may just be the point for you as well. For if you love Jesus as I do and you desire to walk with Him then be assured He has anointed you a minister of His gospel. His Great Commission is every bit for you as it is for anyone else. So then allow me to ask you the same question that was posed to me. What passion or passions has God stirred or is stirring in you in the way of ministering to others? I'd really love to hear what you have heard.

To Resolve...or Not?

Someone asked me the other day what my resolutions were for this new year. It was a fairly simple question for me to answer because I really don’t have any. However, I then explained that while I believe very much in the value of making worthy resolutions it seems there is something lacking in the motivation behind these when they are centered only on a calendar date.

So does that mean New Year’s resolutions are never worthwhile? Of course not! I think that just maybe we ought to base our desires for personal change and growth on something more than the passage of time though. And perhaps we ought to tell those that care about us the things we want to grow in. Then, they can either tell us if we're completely off our rockers, or encourage us in good change.

Before I finish up this simple query I do have one last question. If New Year’s Day should not be considered the best source of motivation when it comes to personal change, then what is? Well, the Lord always desires to speak to us and call us away from bad habits, or simply into healthier ones. To me, this is truly good news because God is not bound to only encourage is to resolve something new in our lives when January 1st rolls around. Also, if I happen to fail at an annual resolution it doesn’t really matter because the Lord will continue to speak to me, as well as equipping me to embrace His resolutions for my life.

So, go ahead and make those resolutions, but try and do so with an understanding of what the Lord desires for your life. Let Him be the one that guides you and equips you for your journey…And may you call upon Him to do so continually.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

My Victorious Lord

Lost and Broken
Confused and Torn
I look to You my Lord

Words of Life
Gently Spoken
You’ve healed my wounded soul

I will serve You
And I’ll bow before You

Your blood has cleansed me
Your feet crushed my enemy

Standing up now
Moving forward
Your sword is in my hand

Your truth revealed
My future’s sealed Lord free the captives now

I’m Your soldier
I’m marching with You

You’ve come to free us
You reign victorious

Can You Hear?

The ability to hear is indeed an amazing sense God has given to humanity. With it we can make momentary judgements between danger or peace, calm or excitement, sadness or joy. In a crowded room we can be bombarded by a multitude of sounds, and yet distinguish the voice of one calling to us from the other side. On a busy city street we're confronted by the rumble of tires, the screeching of brakes, the horns of irritated drivers, and still we can make out the remote beep of our own parked vehicle. Or, in the midst of a wide open wilderness we might discern the distant roar of a river's fall, the busy chatter of flitting magpies, a rustling of aspen leaves, and quickly perceive the piercing cry of an eagle.

As easily it seems for us to use this gift of hearing we've been given it somehow can seem very hard to hear the voice of our Creator. While it may not be the audible sense of hearing that is required the skill involved is quite the same. I found since truly beginning to follow Jesus that He has much that He wants to tell me. Hearing Him however, requires my willingness to listen.

Will I turn the radio off while I'm driving to work even for a moment? Will I take time to really notice other people that have real need? That may seem like a strange question in relation to hearing God, but might He have something to tell me by noticing, dare I say caring, of them? Am I willing to take a few minutes to ask the Lord what He might think about the enormous decision I'm about to make? And what about the little ones? Doesn't He care about those too?

Then of course, if I'm really concerned with knowing what the Lord would say to me, that is if I really want to hear Him I'll open the pages of His Bible. And I won't just read the words I find there, rather I will allow His words to read me. I'll take a few moments and consider the message before me and I might even ask Him if He has anything further to show me, then I might just wait. Of course...that's if I really want to hear.

The Sublte Fade of Cynicism

What do you do when the fading leaf of cynicism has fallen to the ground and is beginning to settle in the soil of your heart? Like any attitude, ill or healthy, we can quickly recognize the things we feel toward others and develop opinions about these individuals based on our feelings. We may even feel justified in a particularly negative attitude if we know of wrong choices or behaviors, having been displayed by them. Yet, what do you do when a momentary response has subtly changed, like a fading and falling leaf, to become the new way of interacting with this individual?...and...despite the recognized illness and hurtfulness of the other's behavior we seemed to have lost the ability to really love them?

Oh, and I do not mean the kind of contrived love that can be identified by the quick way we respond to those we know we should love and return their spoken sentiments to them like a neatly folded napkin tucked into its drawer. What do we do when the love that Paul spoke of isn't resident within us, at least concerning this person for whom we've become cynical?

As I sit here in a cozy Northwest coffee shop the Lord didn't take much time to show me that I had my own illness of cynicism eating away at me. He used the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, verses 6 and 7 to be exact, as a mirror to my soul. I realized, at least concerning a certain individual, that the love I spoke was no longer rising to the the protection, trust, hope, and perseverance that my dear friend Paul said should at least in part define love. Then I was further convicted when the Lord reminded me that in the youthfulness, and foolishness, of my own life I had done many things which caused me to be soiled and shamed in His presence...Yet, in His great grace and love me He took me in, truly washed me clean, and called me His own. So, how can I not display the same kind of concern and compassion for another?

So, once again, I ask you my dear friends, what do you do when cynicism keeps you from truly loving another?