a space of grace

A space of grace

(This is written to describe what I felt was happening when God inspired an unstructured space for people to be cared for supernaturally and in a miraculous way during a recent Christian worship time.)

It takes a confident leader to let this kind of thing happen in a Sunday morning church service. She or he allows the clock to sleep and the carefully written order of service to be burned like a piece of flash paper in a hot burst…for something far better…unplanned and much like sunshine breaking through the blackness of a storm filled sky…a divine space of grace (and hope) opens in time.

Sometimes in a Christian gathering there is a spontaneous and touching phenomenon that occurs usually during focused worship to God. Older God fearers call it an altar call; like an invitation by God himself to enter his embrace. Some say it is a manifesting of heavenly presence called the Shekinah glory; as in the days of ancient Israel when the people were enveloped in a cloud of holiness and were undone, overwhelmed and stupefied by the presence of God.

Time closes its eyes, sleeping in hushed glorious mystery while sensitive, searching and open hearted people call out, responding to the unspoken allure of some perfect loves beckon. They come hands and faces raised, parched and famished like deer who have long wandered in lonely dry hills; into the springs and gardens of God for refreshment transformation, sustenance and peace.

Yes, it is a space of grace. An opening in the heavens where the soul finds satisfaction and there is no more curse provoking mind or body or spirit. Grace Himself strokes every affliction with a healing salve.

A smile appeared where pain had racked an aged face. Sleep slow dances the mind where torment used to enflame subconscious and conscious emotions. Bones are knit, organs balance chemically and mend, while schizophrenic voices and images are stanched by one song of solace, you are free my child be free, you are loved my child be loved, you are home my child be home…with Me.

Right now in the space of grace is up-close and personal time with God. This isn’t church playtime with rehearsed prayers, religious toys or clever media trappings.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty

Leaders who are arrogant bullies or spiritual know it all’s can miss a space of grace easily. They want to control access to God with their schedule, word, agenda or domineering ego. Control the access and you control the people.  No sermon they preach can match or minister like God the Spirit set free in a space of grace opened in vulnerability and humility by a good shepherd sensing that God longs to give His love in a special heartfelt way.

Within the space of grace are often defining moments of dedication, milestone pillars of faith and personal discovery of calling to service. These moments become the catalyst for new beginnings and bold courses of living that set seekers on a course for adventure into Gods great unknown.

Pennies From Heaven!

Pennies from Heaven!

There were 6322 pennies all totaled that went into the machine. Yes, I finally made it to Coinstar to exchange them for cash. For 15 years I have saved these little copper beauties thinking I will sort them by date and start this penny collection. Nope, I never did and at about 100 pounds in weight I decided I had grunted out loud (GOL) moving them for the last time. I heaved them from my car to the shopping cart and into the waiting hungry coin gobbler in Wal-Mart’s lobby! I never expected to receive a life lesson and a fun illustration of life from them.

6322 pennies went into the machine…and six came out in the scupper below. Yes, six rejected little copper coins lying naked and unwanted in a lonely dark pile. They were a curious lot. I picked them up and cradled them tenderly and curiously. Why? I can’t say but there was a simple charm about them and their lonely state of isolation and rejection.  I turned each one over to see just what they might teach me.

The first one was bent a little. I had to look hard but sure enough it was subtly off so that the sensor in the machine said, nope you are not straight enough to make the cut. It’s boink and out you go! This little guy had seen some pressure. It had to be way too much for his strength to stand. It must have hurt and he didn’t spring back to flat. Bent and free and different in separation from the flatties.

Next, was one that was only 2/3 thirds left of his original penny-ness. He is kind of an “nny” with the “pe” gone. A part of him is just MIA. Abraham Lincoln’s hair was part missing! It was either burnt off, corroded or ground down; I can’t say which. It just made me think, that’s wrong bro! You saw some serious warfare to take a shot like that. Like a warhorse ready for a green pasture with a quiet stream, it’s coming soon my little fragmented friend. Soon.

Another penny, really two pennies were powerfully glued, boned, welded or stuck together with something strong. Too thick, too close for the machine was their sin…and bounced to the scupper was their fate. I tried to pry them apart with no success. I decided they were supposed to be together? Continued curious prying was no match for their adhesion. They are joined together for all time. Kind of like the Romeo and Juliet of coppers…a numismatic tragedy in one act shoved out of the window down to the waiting scupper. Here for art thou!

This one that I named greenie must have been at the bottom of some pond or buried in earth somewhere for a really long time. Poor little buddy just wasn’t shiny any more. His entire copper gleam faded so very long ago, forever. Ever had a day like that…or a week or year? Fate had dealt him a discoloring blow, forever green and funky, a colorful curiosity to admire and ponder. Somehow the machine could detect green. How it did is unknown but greenie was bounced and just slid on down to the company of the marginalized bent and completely unique.

Interestingly there was an Amusement Park token in my penny bucket. Different size, color, thickness and material from the others, it might be brass. There was no way the machine was going to let this rowdy rascal in. No face value and from out of town! A citizen of another fiduciary culture and economic reality. No cash value is stamped right on his face. Imagine going through life stamped, NO FACE VALUE! Not cool, oh no. Somehow this round shiny friend seemed to be at home in the scupper. He fit right in and cozied up to bent and greenie just fine. They looked good together. Go figure. Circumstance puts interesting personalities together.

Last was the brightest, most lustrous, lovely penny ever. What were you doing in the scupper? You are the poster child for pennies that are accepted I thought. There is nothing wrong with you in fact you are a 2015 mint condition smarty! You are…too good? The machine doesn’t want too good to believe beauty? What is happening here? I understand all the others with their non-typical peculiarities, bends, stuck-ness and peccadillos…but not you. You are a victim of your goodness. You are the genuine article but the machine must see so few of your kind that well it just can’t accept you. Dang! The pure in heart really are blessed and in a funny way. Hmmm!

So, there you have it. An hour in Wal-Mart pushing coins into the gobbler and an interesting phenomenon, (at least to me) a little story of life, perhaps yours, for sure feels like mine sometimes.  A story of six pennies and their special recognition for being different and for service above and beyond the call of duty!

The six are in my pocket right now all together having fun I think. I get them out and look again at their unique nature and special talents. No, there are no two alike in this group.

They don’t know it yet but they have a treat coming. I just happen to have one ounce of the purest gold shaped into a flat rectangle just sitting alone, lonely. It is truly lustrous! I’m guessing that it would like some company. I’m going to join these six in fellowship with the gold bar together kind of like a little street of gold to dance on and accent their unique personalities, characteristics and charm. I think they will find and affinity for each other.

They are kind of like a sacred seven. Isn’t that a good number seven?  They say it is God’s number.  Seven days in a week and one coin for each day as a reminder of how there are special and unique people we will meet along the way…never by chance but by design. I promise to appreciate them. If I don’t get along with them, I will still love them. They have been through more than I have. Their shape and shine are a clue to their story.

Every day I will remember to celebrate the very unique nature of the non-typical special ones that will populate heaven and call it home with me.

Hey, the gold bar would never pass through the machine anyway, eh?

Thoughts

                                                                       Thoughts

On a recent missions trip I had the pleasure of hearing a message by Pastor Wayne Cordiero. He said to the group, “Satan is a head-hunter. Your mind is his battlefield. Your future is his trophy.” Wow!

As I noted this quote like a gem collector picks up a sparkling jewel and places it in his pocket the implications became sobering and apparent.  My thought life may be the most powerful and influential asset of my being.  The proverb IS true that as a man thinks in his heart (his brain) so is he.

Rene Descartes in his search for absolute truth landed on an application of thought to stay sane. “I think therefore I am.” (Cogito ergo sum) In his brilliance he invented a methodology that served his pursuit of truth and allowed him a baseline for his own well being and faith in his own existence.

In Genesis the ancients became corrupt (Genesis 6) because their  “thoughts were consistently evil.” God only found pleasure with a guy named Noah who found “favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

Your mind is the battlefield.

Noah’s mind was the key, his thoughts were on God; what else could it be for “he did everything as God has commanded him.” He was in communion with God thinking about Him and the survival of man.

The immorality of humanity AND their wicked thoughts moved God to sadness. He made a plan to destroy his created beings crafted in the Garden with love, passion and goodness; all of this because their mental evil was so dark and hardened that there was no longer hope for man’s future.

In the human narrative it is a low of lows certainly. Can you think of a worse one?

In the close of Wayne’s message he gave hope and motivation to contend for a new thought life. It went roughly like this: 

You can rise above anything in life, but you can never rise higher than your highest and best thought life.

The choice is mine. I realize the high cost of low thinking and the phenomenal power and goodness and getting this right, of turning my thoughts to God and His plans like Noah, who found favor with God. He saved his life and his family and ultimately humanity! Nice job Noah!

The warfare is real and the power of Gods Spirit in us assures success because I am willing to fight!

In the coming year I am wishing you the best of thinking birthed from a renewed and strengthened thought life. Fold up bitterness and negative thoughts and leave them in the grave for you are risen with Christ and free. Let forgiveness flow!

May these words of Paul from Philippians 4:8 be an encouragement to better thinking. Paul of all people could have dwelt in the past but he did not. He was a target for hellish assault and lived on through it all finishing well.

He looked at the future and all that God would do and could do! He won the battle of the mind!

“And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

God bless you!

Honest Friends and New Cloths!

Isn’t honesty one of the most treasured qualities in a person’s character? I find myself gravitating to really honest people. They have this ability to speak the truth even when they know I won’t like what they say.

I like to be honest with my friends, family and workmates. Sometimes I ask those with whom I am involved with in a project, situation or effort if they want to hear what I have to say about a question or problem we are working on. They say, “Be honest" so I do and most often it turns out well, mostly.

The easy route is making a safe controlled answer akin perhaps to pretending a baby whose diaper needs to be changed really doesn’t smell. We all know something needs to be changed here and the question is who is going to do it? Pass that baby around!

      Doesn’t honesty makes us better people. Lack of honesty hurts people subtly and often severely.

My friend Aaron is one of those loving honest people. After a meeting one day where a lot of good ideas were exchanged with healthy, even heated, pushback Aaron challenged me with some constructive honesty:

He said, “You always apologize to the group after you talk and you say, ‘I’m not that smart.' I think you should stop doing that, just say what is on your mind, it matters.”

Hearing his loving correction was like a searchlight on the self-effacing mask I often wear in public. Ouch, he found me!  I was reflecting a lack of confidence. “I’m not that smart” is a disclaimer saying, “…if you don’t like my offering please disregard it and don’t dislike me.”

From that point on I exchanged the need for confidence and simply exercised my competence. As Canadian jockey Red Pollard said in the epic movie Seabiscuit, “I got better. He made me better. Hell, you made me better.”

                 Honesty makes us better people.  Honest friends are treasures from heaven.

Is there somebody in your life that will be honest with you? Do you have a desire for honest input? Do you remember the short tale by Hans Christian Anderson about the Emperors new cloths?

That little boy in the story spoke honestly when the appeasing crowd just played it safe, watching the naked Emperor stroll by au naturel! It made headlines in the  Kingdom Chronicles the next morning!

Loving honesty is rare and when I find a friend who has it and will offer it to me, I want to keep them as friends for life and value their gift of truth saying! Thanks Aaron for being THAT guy!

Crossing the Chicken Line!

We lost Don on the way in to Pappadeaux in Cincinnati. We were ready to enjoy a long overdue dinner, catch up on life and savor  some great Cajun food that night. I asked Mirna, "Where is Don?" She explained that he sometimes meets people and starts talking about Jesus to them. And she said, "I do it all the time too!"

I looked out the window and sure enough Don was talking to a huge motorcycle guy in the parking lot. It looked like David and Goliath from the bible story only friendly! In a few minutes they finished talking and Don came in to the table and started dipping in to the crispy fried shrimp, calamari and fish bites on the appetizer plate.

I asked him if he knew the guy he was talking to. He said "No, I just had to cross the chicken line and ask if he knew Jesus and wanted a bible?"

The "chicken line." He had me...  What is the chicken line? This is a seafood place for Pete's sake! I wondered if there was another restaurant close by. So I had to ask, "Don, what is the chicken line?"

With Mirna watching and smiling with love and delight Don shared how that when he needed  courage to do something (like start a conversation with a stranger about Jesus) he gets it by drawing an imaginary line, a "chicken line". Then he said, "You step over it and you aren't "chicken" any more!"

                                                       I got it! I want it! I neeeeed it!

How many times do I want 1 second of courage, just 1, to say or do something I really want to or need to do? Often!

The chicken line helps. I can draw the line, step over and boom; the conversation is stared, the deed set in motion or the problem begins to be resolved. Go figure, the chicken line can help! Silly? Perhaps. Useful? Yes.

So to those who are courageous spiritual giants and have all the hutzpah you need, I salute you! When I grow up I want to be like you. Someday...until then I got me a chicken line!

Isn't a comfort zone an easy place to live where all is familiar and all is safe. To enter the unknown, break the ice with a stranger, start anew in a pursuit, confront an injustice or just step one more step into the future, might take more courage that you feel you have.

                 You do have amazing courage. Welcome to the chicken line...draw it and GO!

Thanks Don for mentoring me that day with the little ol' Chicken Line! Hey, we are crossing it today, together my friend!

Adventure, ad-venture, aDVENTURE

Adventure

No matter how it is spelled it might be misunderstood. As I sit here in the corner of my local Starbucks writing there is little of true adventure observable. There is a gal killing a bee with her homework, smashing it vehemently on the window. 

Adventure 1. An undertaking involving danger and unknown risk, 2. An exciting or remarkable experience, 3. An enterprise involving financial risk. 

Merriam Webster usually gets it right. This isn't a coffee shop encounter mostly. It's tame here. Shackleton would not be challenged here. There are only conversations and coffee tools banging, cheerful greetings and a man telling his friend why his wife doesn't understand him loud enough for everyone to hear; and dead bees. No adventure, not according to Merriam Webster. 

Real adventure seems to thrive on surprise and shock or sudden peril and loss of security. It vaults us into doing what we believe we could never do and find ourselves falling headlong into it and doing it! Liking it with wonder...thankfully.

 A good friend of mine has a tagline something like this, "those who say it can't be done should not interrupt those who are doing it!" If I am doing the previously thought of as impossible thing let me finish before you tell me it can't be done! Fair enough?

Adventure lives in dreams too doesn't it? It is like an elusive prima ballerina that dances in your subconscious and teases your spirit. She is there and waiting to dance with you. "You can dance can't you?" She smiles. Well I think I can! Adventure calls and won't be satisfied until you dance with her too. We dance with boredom to much?

Risky, uncertain, costly, thrilling, robust, rewarding and necessary...for living...and essential to say we are really alive. 

Remember the old movie (1998) called Simon Birch. Young Simon was smaller than other 12 year olds and the subject of sympathy and ridicule in life. He had a razor wit and simple candor that confronted the religious and endeared the pure in heart.  

All of Simons life he understood that he had a purpose bigger than his current sad sorriness. As a marginalized and misunderstood young man no adventures were anticipated for Simon...until, one day on a field trip his bus slipped from an icy country road into the numbing blue waters of the French River in Ontario. Simon becomes the unlikely hero who is pressed into service and saves the life of another in his epic adventure of sacrificial rescue. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uryfQ9ZD1Wg

Adventure can find us or we can look for it or we can hope it never happens. You may be in the beginning of an adventure right now. The door is open and the wilderness of uncertainty beckons with a cloaked future filed with promise and peril, purpose and pleasure. You don't know and I don't know how it will all turn out. To borrow the phrase from Gene Edwards, "only God knows and he isn't telling..."

To turn away from adventure means never knowing...really knowing what could have been. That could be worse than any risk adventure might present, perhaps worse than death itself. 

What  would life be with out the thrill of an adventure into the unknown? What awaits the hearty soul of woman or man who will step out and brave the unknown to discover, behold and revel in what few or none have experienced before. 

Is there is an adventure in your soul? Is there a bigger destiny than you could ever imagine growing closer to you? What will it take for that adventure to begin? Are you ready to dance with the uncertain? Some questions can only be answered by action...isn't this the nature of true adventure?