"Missing God in the transition," is a statement my pastor, Bishop McBath, made in reference to the rich young ruler, as he preached on Sunday. I dwelt on that statement for a while, my mind losing focus on the preaching, as I tried to make sense of the statement. Realizing I drifted in thought, I quickly turned my attention back to the preaching, knowing that the statement made was something God was highlighting for me to address at some point.
Here I am, a few days later still stuck on the statement, "missing God in the transition." I have had enough time to ask myself the tough question, "Have I missed God in His transitions?" The answer- Yes!
Transition defined is, "the act of passing from one state or place to the next," or "an event that results in a transformation." One can be certain of this about transition; it does not allow you to stay in the same place; you can fight it all you want, but it will let you know, "I am here," and until you transition to the expected state, you and I will be miserable.
Throughout Jesus' ministry, transitioning people from one state to another was his goal, it be in thoughts, in deeds, in health, and in words. However, more often than not, the people missed His transitions. Case in point, Jesus tells the rich young ruler, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me" (Mt 19:21). The rich young ruler's response was very telling. "But when the rich young ruler heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property."(Vs. 22) He missed Jesus’ transition because the young man focused on his property, instead of what Jesus was offering.
How could this rich young ruler be grieved at the author of life when He, the author, was offering the life that the young man desired? It is easy to ask this question when we are on the outside looking in, but we are all guilty of missing God in his transitions.
Three reasons come to mind on how we miss God in the transition.
• The Picture is not clear: Most times when we approach God, we want Him to give us a clear picture of what our lives should be, i.e., before I relocate, I need to know where I will work, how much I will make, and what my house will look like, etc. There is nothing wrong with this expectation, except God tells us to, "Go to a land I will show you," (Gen 12: 1) and not a land I "have" shown you. "Follow me and I will make you fishers or men," (Mt. 4:19), not follow me because I "Have" made you fishers of men. The picture becomes clearer as we follow.
• The Assignment is too daunting: Interesting how the Gospel describes the rich young ruler. He is first rich, he is then young, and he rules. To transition him, Jesus reaches to the very core of his identity; to give it all up. Yes, he could have given it up, but would he have risked being poor and not rule (I assume his money gave him some kind of power to rule), at the expense of his reputation? The assignment to do such a thing was too daunting, hence he settled, when he was supposed to have transitioned.
• The Timing is not right: I heard Dr. Samuel Chand say, "When you are 100% sure, you are too late." We approach life with an attitude of, "it needs to feel right" before we can make that change. However, I am yet to come across a situation in my life or in the Word were the timing felt 100% right. "In His time, He makes all things beautiful," (Ecc 3:11), not our time. When those who wanted to follow Jesus needed more time to finish off personal business, Jesus had this to say, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God."
Other reasons can be given as to why we miss God in transitions; lack of trust, lack of faith, fear of the unknown, the list is endless. But is it really worth it to miss God in His transitions of our lives because of our own insecurities towards Him, not so much the situation? I believe it is worth the risk to go for it with God and not be afraid of the transitions because God's transitions always leads to transformation. All He is asking is for us to believe Him when He says, "I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plan to give you a hope and an expected end. " (Jeremiah 29:11).
May we not miss God in His transitions.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
My Space or His Space?
The first time I heard the term "my space" is when I came to the United States of America. I had arrived at my dorm room and discovered that I would be sharing a room with one other person. Having settled in and having met my new roommate, I figured I could clean our room because it was “messy.” Having been raised in Zambia, particularly by the kind of mother I have, when you clean the house, you clean every area of every room. Everyone's space is your space. It was therefore no big deal that I ventured to clean my roommate's "space," putting her shoes in order, dusting her drawers, and then vacuum the room (mission accomplished).Unbeknown to me, this was very offensive to her, and maybe the culture because I had invaded her space. The nerve I had to even touch her stuff, let allow, rearrange her shoes. I apologized and I never cleaned her side of the room ever again. Her space was her space and not mine. Lesson one!
The second time I heard the term “my space” was in reference to the Internet. My Space is a social interface program that allows you to send messages to friends, share pictures, post comments, upload videos, etc. To access someone's account, you either have to be invited to be their friend, or their account is open to the public, like those for musicians or politicians who want to connect with people. The account holders’ set up these sites. You cannot just get on a site and do what you want, unless you have been given permission. It is their space and they set the rules.
In retrospect, my space, even by its given name, speaks to the personal image, privacy, boundaries, conditions, restrictions, and the list can go on and on. Bottom line, its about you and me!!!
I must admit, the "my space" syndrome has somewhat rubbed onto me. Some of the things that never bothered me when I was back home in Zambia bother me now; like having someone stop by unannounced for a visit. Sometimes I hear my internal thoughts asking, "You know my number, why did you not call to tell me you were coming?" And of course, if truth were told, I have caller ID, so even if you did call, I have the option of ignoring the phone. It is my phone and it is my space. Unfortunately, My Space can be found guilty. Why do I say so?
Try having my space with God! It doesn't work! If it does, I have one conclusion; you are miserable and struggling in your life.
Sometimes, if not most times, we treat God as though He has a "my space" account with us. He is invading our space. We want to screen His calls; ignore the door when He knocks; get upset when He rearranges our stuff, and refuse to add Him as a friend. He is there quite all right, but He is almost like a mannequin. If we give Him open access, it is based on our terms and not His. The last time I checked out this kind of attitude, it did not sit well with God. He has a way to demonstrating that He is God and we are not.
For starters, we are made in His image. Genesis 1: 26,27 states:
"Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Based on this scripture, we know that we were created in “His space” so where do we get the idea that it is "my space?" Try selling the thought of my space to the disciples. Jesus walked right into their lives and disrupted their spaces quite all right. In the Gospels when the disciples were attending to their spaces, Jesus did not come and ask them if He could come and be a part of their space; NO! He walked right up to them and said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men" Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16; Luke 5: 27; John 1: 43.
So much for their space! In other instances, Jesus challenged people to crucify self and serve others, as demonstrated by Him washing His disciples feet, ministering to the sick, feeding the hungry and raising the dead.
I can hear the voices saying, well Jesus took time alone from the crowd. Jesus set boundaries. He had His space. You are correct. I am not suggesting that every single time people come calling that we do what they are asking us to do. Some people can be manipulative, so we need to be discerning with each encounter. What I am suggesting is that we examine our motives and find out why we react the way we do when our space is invaded.
The difference between Jesus' my space and what we call my space today is simple; Jesus retreated to seek the face of His father to be strengthened for the mission and to also renew His relationship with the father (Luke 6: 12). Jesus knew why He came to earth as he explained clearly to His disciples in John 4: 34, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work." Jesus welcomed the unannounced visitors; He welcomed being "rearranged" by God (try leaving a home where you walked on gold and you are worshiped 24/7 and then you come to earth were you are ridiculed and insulted for 3 years-that's a major rearrangement). He never screened His calls, cause if He did, the woman with the issue of blood would not have been healed; the woman at the well would not have been delivered; the wedding at Cana would not have had a happy ending.
I believe the notion on "my space" comes from an area of selfishness, if we really want to be honest, or a place of fear, because we do not want people to see who we really are. But I challenge us today to really consider this thing we call my space. Is this life really our own space or is this life God's space? When God invades our space, it is not to make us feel less human, prisoners who have no hope of ever having fun, miserable Christians who cannot tell if they are coming or going! God's space is that of love, fulfillment, purpose, making a difference in the lives of others, enjoying God's grace and mercy.
This is my question: My space or His space?
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
A Journal's Journey
Every once in a while, I take my journals and read through what I have written. One of the reasons I do this is to revisit what I was going through then, how I overcame (if I did), and were I am now as it relates to a particular situation. It is always interesting to see the different expressions of my language as each entry was written. Some of the expressions gave a sense of despair, others joy, while others gave a glimpse of how irritable I was on a particular day.Today, January 22nd, 2008,was one of those days I picked up my journal, and out of curiosity, I wanted to find out what was going through my mind on January 22nd, 2007. Was I sad, happy, irritable, or in despair? I had to laugh when I saw the entry, "The Colts won! We are going to the super bowl" in caps!!! That was a joyous moment indeed.
How one year can change things because the Colts are not going to the super bowl this year.
The journal allowed me to go back in time to re-live the moment, but also bring me back to the reality of life.
Other entries showed a consistent issue I was struggling with-understanding God's love and acceptance of me. I went back about 3 years and saw that the struggle I had then was still the struggle I had in 2008. It was at that moment when I said, "enough is enough. I know God loves me and He accepts me the way I am. This struggle has to come to an end because the enemy is having a field day over this issue." It was as if something snapped in me and my whole perception of God's love towards me was viewed with a new set of eyes. A journey I took in the journal made me come to terms with the struggle and thankfully, a decision to take a stand in understanding God's love.
It got me thinking about God keeping a journal about my life. I wonder what He reads about me every day. The beautiful thing is that God's journal concerning my life is already written and is complete. All that He needs to do is go to January 22, 2008 and see if what He wrote about me then lines up with what I have done on January 22, 2008 now. There are some journal entries that He has written down that I believe He is hoping I get.
I believe some of the entries points could be as follows:
* He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6)
* The Lord will accomplish everything that concerns me (Psalms 138: 8)
* He is my very present help in time of need (Psalms 46:1)
* Be still and know that I am God (Psalms 46: 10)
* Cast all your cares on me because I care for you (I Peter 5:7)
* For I know the plans I have for you (Jeremiah 29:11)
* Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3: 5-6)
I wonder if He turns the page and the entry for the day is, "Wait for the Lord: Be strong and let your heart take courage, Yes, wait on the Lord," (Psalms 27:14 NASB), but when He sees me, I am impatient, trying to figure out what He wants me to do. I am weak and I have lost courage. A conflict in the journal entry between the author of life and the life He is offering to the recipient.
How do I resolve the conflict?
By willing to trust that the author of Life because He has the complete journal of my life.
I believe God’s journal for our lives is His Word, along with the specific dreams and visions He has placed in our lives. We can always go back and find a point of reference were reading that particular scripture changed us for the better, or challenged us to grow, love more, or even rebuke us when we have missed it. God’s journal for our lives is complete. We see it everyday, but do we apply what we see in our lives?
My prayer is that the journey that God took to write us in His journal will bear the much needed fruit, that as He turns the pages of the journal, we are turning our lives in accordance with the pages that He has written-It is a beautiful journal, if we can only read it and align ourselves to it.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Cruise Control
For the many times I have taken road trips, I have never used the Cruise Control system because I have been told that using it makes one burn more gas. I will have to look into that claim. One of the advantages though to using cruise control, is the fact that you allow your feet to relax, provided there is no traffic slowing you down.
Having seen Leah use the system as she drove, I figured I would use it when my turn came. Driving twenty hours from Virginia Beach, Virginia, to Carthage, Missouri, was an adventure. Leah, and her two kids Hanna and Trevor, had invited me to spend Christmas with them and her family. I was excited, looking forward to the trip and meeting up with her family. Twenty hours did not seem like such a big deal, especially if we would be taking turns helping each other drive.
The roads and the weather were clear. The speed limit was 70 miles per hour-perfect. As I took over to drive, I ventured to set the cruise control at 75 miles per hour. What I experienced right after was not what I had anticipated. I felt like I had lost control of my driving. My right foot felt like it had no purpose. The temptation to step on the gas paddle was so strong, even though there was no need to do so, the car was in cruise control mode. On a few occasions, allow me to be honest, I succumbed to stepping on the gas or break paddle because I thought I was losing my mind not having control of the driving. This went on for a good twenty minutes as I tried to be comfortable with the cruise control. At one point in those twenty some minutes, I was so tense, I could feel my shoulders tighten and my neck hurting, I wondered if it was worth using the system. Regardless, I stayed with it until I become comfortable in letting it take over and the journey become more delightful.
Me being me, I try to learn lessons from things I go through or encounter whenever I can and this cruise control was becoming a lesson in and of itself. The lesson of control and letting go was evident...thanks to a technical system. A part of me wanted to let go to allow myself the luxury of letting the system take control, but a part of me wanted to control the system because that is all I knew to do. Sounds like the battle I have with Lord most times, the feeling of Him telling me to let go and let Him take over, and me fighting to hold on to stuff because that is all I know to do. In the process of these battles, I tense up because I know God knows more than I do, but the idea of letting go is so foreign that it is borderline frightening.
But I have to let go for my own benefit. Proverbs 21:24 states, "Man's ways are ordained by the Lord, how then can he understand his ways?" God is the one who understands us and knows what is absolutely beneficial and He is relentless at wanting us to know that lesson. He will go the extra mile to drive that point across-case in point, Matthew 11: 28-30
states:
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
John 7: 37 states, "... Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."
God is relentless and He will continue being such until we get comfortable with Him running our lives.
My perception of God sometimes is what makes it difficult for me to give Him full control of my life. I sometimes look at Him as a fellow human being:
- It feels like I am burdening Him with all my problems and I do not want to come across needy to Him.
- He cannot fully help me out because when I needed Him to "come through" the last time, He did not and that kind of left me hanging and hurt.
- He is not really that concerned about what I am going through right now, so I might as well do it myself.
As I got comfortable with the cruise control, I prayed a simple prayer to God. "Lord help me be comfortable with you leading my life. I pray that I let go of the gas and break paddle in my life as you drive me. Please open my eyes so that I can enjoy this journey because I am utilizing what has so freely being given to me, your lead. Please cruise control my life Lord."
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
God Dreaming Through You
I once heard Oprah Winfrey say, “God has bigger dreams than you have for yourself.” For some reason, that statement sparked something in me that I have not been able to shake off. I have known that God wants to use me, no doubt, however, something about “God has bigger dreams that you have for yourself” did something for me. A few months later, one of my professors, while teaching in class said, “God is dreaming through you.” That did it for me-my quest for needing to know what God is dreaming through me and how He will fulfill those dreams has been my passion.
I believe each one of us has a dream. One of my greatest dreams was to come to the USA to go to school and I remember telling God, “If you open doors for me to go to America, I will believe you for ANYTHING and it will come to pass;” I will have to live with that confession because God knows I have had my share of struggle when it comes to believing Him for anything! A week in the States would have satisfied my curiosity of believing in my dream-11 years later and counting, I am still in awe at how God “came through.”
Being a sports fanatic, I have dreams I want to see fulfilled (Going to an NFL, NBA, MLB game…preferably to all games of my favorite teams). The list can go and on. I remember when my friend surprised me and took me to an NBA game, I was ecstatic. At my age, you would have thought I was 3 years old who had just been given the best candy in the world. The excitement, the atmosphere, seeing the players at American Airlines in Dallas, Texas was amazing. I could not believe this was happening. My NBA dream was realized...well, a part of it because I am believing to go to an NBA finals game.
What I have described above are dreams that in the long run do not have an effect on eternity (other than the plans that God has revealed and allowed me to walk in while living in the USA). God is awesome in that He honors our dreams, from the smallest non-essentials, I call them, to the greatest essentials. Therefore, if He can honor our dreams that are “non-essentials,” how much more does He have dreams in Him for us that He wants to see fulfilled that have eternal value?
The first glimpse we see of God dreaming bigger dreams for us is when He declares, “I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out; plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:11-The Message Bible). God’s dreams for us are centered on purpose that translates to eternity, which brings about fulfillment.
What kind of dreams does God dream through us?
¨ Being the instruments that He will use to bring men and women to the saving grace of God:
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS.” (Romans 10: 14-15 NRS)
¨ Being instruments who will see people who are bound, heart broken, prisoners in the spirit, being set free from the bondage of Satan:
“…He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed. To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 18-19 NRS)
¨ Being instruments He will use to see the fabric of our society flourish and become what it was meant to be and not be destroyed by lawlessness and disobedience:
“…You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem (you can replace it with your own city name) is desolate (physically and spiritually) and its gates burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” (Nehemiah 2:17 NRS)
¨ Being instruments He will use to bless people in every way imaginable, from the least act of service to the greatest act of service:
“And I will make you a great nation, and I will you and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessings; and I will bless those you bless…and in you all families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12: 2-3 NRS)
Two dreamers come to mind when I think of men and women who allowed themselves to dream on behalf of God; Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Theresa.
Martin Luther King Jr., a civil right’s activist, known also for his, “I have a dream” speech dreamed of a different kind of America for his Children for America: An excerpt from the speech:
“…Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream…I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight…”
Mother Theresa also dreamed:
"We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing."
Both individuals chose to believe in the power of the dream God gave them for a better society and humanity. Against all odds, difficulties, challenges, oppression, to mention but a few, they fought to see their dreams realized because their dreams were birthed by God and grew in God!
Again, I go back to the question I asked earlier: What kind of dreams does God want to dream through us? If we know, may we cultivate those dreams until they become a part of us, a dream so strong that nothing will stand in its path. If we do not know what dreams God is dreaming through us, no need to panic-He promises that the work He has began in us, He will be FAITHFUL to complete it. If we are discovering what the dreams He has for us are, let us continue praying to get clarity and not get destructed. God is dreaming through us because He is just that kind of God-and why not dream through us? Are we not made in His image? We are, and all the reason to dream just as big as God dreams-in and through HIM!!!!
I believe each one of us has a dream. One of my greatest dreams was to come to the USA to go to school and I remember telling God, “If you open doors for me to go to America, I will believe you for ANYTHING and it will come to pass;” I will have to live with that confession because God knows I have had my share of struggle when it comes to believing Him for anything! A week in the States would have satisfied my curiosity of believing in my dream-11 years later and counting, I am still in awe at how God “came through.”
Being a sports fanatic, I have dreams I want to see fulfilled (Going to an NFL, NBA, MLB game…preferably to all games of my favorite teams). The list can go and on. I remember when my friend surprised me and took me to an NBA game, I was ecstatic. At my age, you would have thought I was 3 years old who had just been given the best candy in the world. The excitement, the atmosphere, seeing the players at American Airlines in Dallas, Texas was amazing. I could not believe this was happening. My NBA dream was realized...well, a part of it because I am believing to go to an NBA finals game.
What I have described above are dreams that in the long run do not have an effect on eternity (other than the plans that God has revealed and allowed me to walk in while living in the USA). God is awesome in that He honors our dreams, from the smallest non-essentials, I call them, to the greatest essentials. Therefore, if He can honor our dreams that are “non-essentials,” how much more does He have dreams in Him for us that He wants to see fulfilled that have eternal value?
The first glimpse we see of God dreaming bigger dreams for us is when He declares, “I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out; plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:11-The Message Bible). God’s dreams for us are centered on purpose that translates to eternity, which brings about fulfillment.
What kind of dreams does God dream through us?
¨ Being the instruments that He will use to bring men and women to the saving grace of God:
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS.” (Romans 10: 14-15 NRS)
¨ Being instruments who will see people who are bound, heart broken, prisoners in the spirit, being set free from the bondage of Satan:
“…He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed. To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 18-19 NRS)
¨ Being instruments He will use to see the fabric of our society flourish and become what it was meant to be and not be destroyed by lawlessness and disobedience:
“…You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem (you can replace it with your own city name) is desolate (physically and spiritually) and its gates burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” (Nehemiah 2:17 NRS)
¨ Being instruments He will use to bless people in every way imaginable, from the least act of service to the greatest act of service:
“And I will make you a great nation, and I will you and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessings; and I will bless those you bless…and in you all families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12: 2-3 NRS)
Two dreamers come to mind when I think of men and women who allowed themselves to dream on behalf of God; Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Theresa.
Martin Luther King Jr., a civil right’s activist, known also for his, “I have a dream” speech dreamed of a different kind of America for his Children for America: An excerpt from the speech:
“…Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream…I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight…”
Mother Theresa also dreamed:
"We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing."
Both individuals chose to believe in the power of the dream God gave them for a better society and humanity. Against all odds, difficulties, challenges, oppression, to mention but a few, they fought to see their dreams realized because their dreams were birthed by God and grew in God!
Again, I go back to the question I asked earlier: What kind of dreams does God want to dream through us? If we know, may we cultivate those dreams until they become a part of us, a dream so strong that nothing will stand in its path. If we do not know what dreams God is dreaming through us, no need to panic-He promises that the work He has began in us, He will be FAITHFUL to complete it. If we are discovering what the dreams He has for us are, let us continue praying to get clarity and not get destructed. God is dreaming through us because He is just that kind of God-and why not dream through us? Are we not made in His image? We are, and all the reason to dream just as big as God dreams-in and through HIM!!!!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Guess Whose Coming to Dinner
Guess who’s Coming to Dinner?
“Have you watched this movie before?” My roommate asked, as she came in with a bunch of movies from school. “What movie?” I responded, sitting on the couch, watching Jeopardy. “Guess who’s coming to Dinner?” “Yes I did, a while back.” “Is it a good movie?” “I liked it because Sydney Poitier is acting in the movie.” I responded. A Communication student, my roommate had brought the movie from the Library to watch as part of her assignment, but did not have the time to watch it right there and then because of other pressing issues.
A few days went by and there was no mention of when the movie would be watched, well, up until my roommate asked me if I had taken the movie because she needed to watch it. The due date for the assignment was fast approaching. I told her that I had not taken the movie, but had “seen” it the day before exactly were she had last placed it-or did I? She “looked” through the pile of the six movies but still could not “see” it. She called friends who had stopped by to see if they had taken the movie by mistake. Each friend said that they had not taken the movie. She turned her room upside down trying to locate the movie, but to no avail.
A few days went by and she still could not find the movie. On the fifth day, she came back from work frustrated because she could not understand how the movie went “missing.” I offered to go through the pile of the three VHS tapes and three DVDs just to make sure. I mean, six things to go though…it cannot be that complicated now, can it? As I began looking through the tapes, I heard my roommate say, “The movie is a VHS.” I had initially picked up the DVDs, but when I heard her specify what kind of format the movie was, I quickly turned my attention to the three VHS tapes stirring at me. “Guess who’s coming to Dinner” was not there.
At that moment I heard my roommate utter another sentence, “Oh my gosh, it is a DVD, not a VHS.” She had just seen the movie when I placed the DVDs on the floor. “What?” I exclaimed. “You are kidding me right?” “No,” she said. At that moment, I looked down again to make sure that she was not pulling my leg, and sure enough, “Guess who’s coming to Dinner” had been there all along, not as a VHS, but as a DVD.
My roommate had spent about five days looking for a movie that was there all along. Wasted energy, wasted emotions, wasted time, frustration, anxiety about the pending assignment and library fees, name it, looking for something that was there all along. Her mind, and up to that point, mine, had been “trained” to look for a VHS and not a DVD...go figure.
How often do we look for a “missing item” when in actuality, it is not missing, but our minds and eyes have been trained to look for something else? The Pharisees and the Jews, anticipating the coming of the Messiah, missed the Messiah because their eyes wanted to see the kind of Messiah that fit their perception.
“And the multitudes were amazed, and began to say, ‘This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?’ But the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.’ (Matt. 12: 23-24, NAS)
“The Jews were grumbling about Him…and they were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?” (John 6: 41-42, NAS)
Not to be hard on the Pharisees, how about the Prophet Samuel when he was told to anoint one of Jesse’ son to be the next King of Israel in I Samuel 16: 1-13?
“Then it came about when they entered that he looked (Samuel) at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ (Vs. 6-7, NAS)
Could it be that we are looking for that “missing” ministry, when in actuality it is right there in front of us? That “missing” job, when it is right there in front of us. That “missing” time of rest, when in actuality it is right in front of us. That “missing” help, when in actuality, it is right there in front of us. What is it that our minds have been trained to look for when in actuality God wants us to look for and see the ‘DVD’ and not the ‘VHS?’ We could save ourselves five days of looking for something that was already there in the first place. May our prayer be that we have the eyes to see what God needs us to see. May our personal perceptions not hinder us from God’s perceptions.
Needless to say, my roommate and I laughed at what had transpired. I was happy that she found the movie. Right there and then, we decided that it was time to watch it, considering all the drama that we, actually my roommate, went through “trying” to find something that was not missing J -it is, after all Sydney Poitier-a class act. I know who’s coming to Dinner!!!
“Have you watched this movie before?” My roommate asked, as she came in with a bunch of movies from school. “What movie?” I responded, sitting on the couch, watching Jeopardy. “Guess who’s coming to Dinner?” “Yes I did, a while back.” “Is it a good movie?” “I liked it because Sydney Poitier is acting in the movie.” I responded. A Communication student, my roommate had brought the movie from the Library to watch as part of her assignment, but did not have the time to watch it right there and then because of other pressing issues.
A few days went by and there was no mention of when the movie would be watched, well, up until my roommate asked me if I had taken the movie because she needed to watch it. The due date for the assignment was fast approaching. I told her that I had not taken the movie, but had “seen” it the day before exactly were she had last placed it-or did I? She “looked” through the pile of the six movies but still could not “see” it. She called friends who had stopped by to see if they had taken the movie by mistake. Each friend said that they had not taken the movie. She turned her room upside down trying to locate the movie, but to no avail.
A few days went by and she still could not find the movie. On the fifth day, she came back from work frustrated because she could not understand how the movie went “missing.” I offered to go through the pile of the three VHS tapes and three DVDs just to make sure. I mean, six things to go though…it cannot be that complicated now, can it? As I began looking through the tapes, I heard my roommate say, “The movie is a VHS.” I had initially picked up the DVDs, but when I heard her specify what kind of format the movie was, I quickly turned my attention to the three VHS tapes stirring at me. “Guess who’s coming to Dinner” was not there.
At that moment I heard my roommate utter another sentence, “Oh my gosh, it is a DVD, not a VHS.” She had just seen the movie when I placed the DVDs on the floor. “What?” I exclaimed. “You are kidding me right?” “No,” she said. At that moment, I looked down again to make sure that she was not pulling my leg, and sure enough, “Guess who’s coming to Dinner” had been there all along, not as a VHS, but as a DVD.
My roommate had spent about five days looking for a movie that was there all along. Wasted energy, wasted emotions, wasted time, frustration, anxiety about the pending assignment and library fees, name it, looking for something that was there all along. Her mind, and up to that point, mine, had been “trained” to look for a VHS and not a DVD...go figure.
How often do we look for a “missing item” when in actuality, it is not missing, but our minds and eyes have been trained to look for something else? The Pharisees and the Jews, anticipating the coming of the Messiah, missed the Messiah because their eyes wanted to see the kind of Messiah that fit their perception.
“And the multitudes were amazed, and began to say, ‘This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?’ But the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.’ (Matt. 12: 23-24, NAS)
“The Jews were grumbling about Him…and they were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?” (John 6: 41-42, NAS)
Not to be hard on the Pharisees, how about the Prophet Samuel when he was told to anoint one of Jesse’ son to be the next King of Israel in I Samuel 16: 1-13?
“Then it came about when they entered that he looked (Samuel) at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ (Vs. 6-7, NAS)
Could it be that we are looking for that “missing” ministry, when in actuality it is right there in front of us? That “missing” job, when it is right there in front of us. That “missing” time of rest, when in actuality it is right in front of us. That “missing” help, when in actuality, it is right there in front of us. What is it that our minds have been trained to look for when in actuality God wants us to look for and see the ‘DVD’ and not the ‘VHS?’ We could save ourselves five days of looking for something that was already there in the first place. May our prayer be that we have the eyes to see what God needs us to see. May our personal perceptions not hinder us from God’s perceptions.
Needless to say, my roommate and I laughed at what had transpired. I was happy that she found the movie. Right there and then, we decided that it was time to watch it, considering all the drama that we, actually my roommate, went through “trying” to find something that was not missing J -it is, after all Sydney Poitier-a class act. I know who’s coming to Dinner!!!
I should Have Caught The Ball
I Should Have Caught That Ball
I am not one to brag about my “luck” when it comes to winning door prizes or any such rewards. Whenever I attend events that have prizes, I normally disqualify myself before I give myself a chance because the record of accomplishment speaks for itself-almost a zero. Who wants to go through all the pain and disappointment of losing?
Therefore, it was no surprise when, one Wednesday evening at church during a champions rally, I did not fully engage in the action because I KNEW I would not win any prize.
Now do not get me wrong: the desire to win something is always there. I long to be the one to stand and scream and say, “I got the tickets to go watch the Colts play NE.” It has NEVER happened. I stand in awe at people who always win and sometimes I reason with myself and think, “These people are in with the Maker because they are always winning something. As for me, maybe God will look upon me in heaven.”
Back to the Champions Rally: The instructions were clear-two beach balls would be tossed back and forth within the crowd as the music played. Whoever had the ball when the music stopped won a prize. One of the conditions of getting the prize though was to yell as loud as you could in the presence of about 800 people and say, “I am a champion for Life.” When that whole scenario of going before the people played out in my mind, I really disqualified myself and decided just to watch the fun.
Robert, a good friend of mine sat next to me at this rally and as we saw how the ball passed us by more than 7 times, became frustrated. He turned to me and said, “If that ball comes to our section, I will make sure that we will get a prize. I will hook you up with the ball.” My response was a laugh of nervousness: what if the ball did come or direction, will I catch it? “No,” I said to myself, “It will not come this way-please.” However, as surely as the sun rises from the east every day and sets in the west, that ball came in our direction and the whole scenario played out like a script. The music had been playing for a while as the ball was being tossed back and forth. The ball somehow found its way exactly above Robert’s head. He caught it and then passed it on to me. The music stopped while I held the ball and without thinking twice, I threw the ball back in the air, to the chagrin of Robert, and let someone else have the ball.
I cannot begin to tell you how the people around me were shocked at what I did. Disbelief was the foundation of that occasion at that point. Robert did not even want to hear my explanation, which was a cheap shot, “I thought you would hold on to the ball. I did not think you would give it to me.” To which he responded, “I told you I would, what changed?” As we went back and forth, I trying to assign the blame on Robert, I could hear someone shouting, “I am a champion for life.” There goes my prize I thought. Frustrated with myself beyond measure, I pondered and for the life of me, could not figure out why I let that ball get away from me. So close, yet so far.
As I wrestled with my thoughts as my spirit quietend, the heavenly father stepped in. I could hear that small voice as though someone was sitting right next to me telling me:
“That ball was meant for you, but you let fear rob you of it. If you are not careful, you will let things in life that rightfully belong to you slip away. Put aside fear and the fear of perception and grab hold of that which I have for you.”
I tried to prove God wrong and defend myself. Unfortunately, that did not work. I gave up!
How bad did I want that door prize?
How willing was I to work with the conditions that were set in order to win the prize?
My desires spoke one thing. My actions spoke the loudest though.
A look at the Word of God helped me understand the reality of what fear can do:
Matthew 25: 14-29, “…And I was afraid and went away and hid the talent in the ground. See you have what is yours.” God had given the man what was rightfully his, but because the man did not “understand his master heart,” he let fear control his action and miss the very thing that God wanted to use to bless him.
I Samuel 15: 1-34, “…Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned, I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words because I feared the people and listened to their voice…” The Kingdom of Israel was given to Saul. It was his, approved by God, but he let fear and the voices of people deter him from his rightful place and God stripped him of the very thing that was rightfully his.
Proverbs 29: 25, “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who TRUSTS in the Lord will be exalted.” Trusting and fearing God is what makes the difference. Trusting and fearing man is another story.
In as much as I lost out on the door-prize which had not eternal consequences, God used that scenario to awaken a part of my life that has held back pursuing the things of God, or dreams I have because of fear; what will they think about me? How will they judge me? How will I look in front of them?
Have we ever considered how God feels when we disrespect Him by not trusting him? Is He not the God who said:
“Fear not, for I am with you.”
I John 4: 18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
II Timothy 1: 7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline.”
Am I suggesting that we live a life without fear? That is unheard of. What I am suggesting is that we live our lives with a healthy fear. We need to Fear God. This kind of fear for God, translates into an “awesome respect” for God. All other kinds of fear are detrimental. When God called each one of us, He knew what kind of baggage we came with, but that did not stop Him from calling us. We can have every excuse of why we fear, but at the end of the day, God will not hold us accountable based on how we felt, but on how He Himself felt because He gave us a manual of how to live in His Word.
I did not catch that ball, but as I wrote in my journal of August 8, 2007, “I learnt a lesson that will propel me-I pray from now on…not to let fear stop me. I would rather fail having tried, than not trying because I was afraid.
I am not one to brag about my “luck” when it comes to winning door prizes or any such rewards. Whenever I attend events that have prizes, I normally disqualify myself before I give myself a chance because the record of accomplishment speaks for itself-almost a zero. Who wants to go through all the pain and disappointment of losing?
Therefore, it was no surprise when, one Wednesday evening at church during a champions rally, I did not fully engage in the action because I KNEW I would not win any prize.
Now do not get me wrong: the desire to win something is always there. I long to be the one to stand and scream and say, “I got the tickets to go watch the Colts play NE.” It has NEVER happened. I stand in awe at people who always win and sometimes I reason with myself and think, “These people are in with the Maker because they are always winning something. As for me, maybe God will look upon me in heaven.”
Back to the Champions Rally: The instructions were clear-two beach balls would be tossed back and forth within the crowd as the music played. Whoever had the ball when the music stopped won a prize. One of the conditions of getting the prize though was to yell as loud as you could in the presence of about 800 people and say, “I am a champion for Life.” When that whole scenario of going before the people played out in my mind, I really disqualified myself and decided just to watch the fun.
Robert, a good friend of mine sat next to me at this rally and as we saw how the ball passed us by more than 7 times, became frustrated. He turned to me and said, “If that ball comes to our section, I will make sure that we will get a prize. I will hook you up with the ball.” My response was a laugh of nervousness: what if the ball did come or direction, will I catch it? “No,” I said to myself, “It will not come this way-please.” However, as surely as the sun rises from the east every day and sets in the west, that ball came in our direction and the whole scenario played out like a script. The music had been playing for a while as the ball was being tossed back and forth. The ball somehow found its way exactly above Robert’s head. He caught it and then passed it on to me. The music stopped while I held the ball and without thinking twice, I threw the ball back in the air, to the chagrin of Robert, and let someone else have the ball.
I cannot begin to tell you how the people around me were shocked at what I did. Disbelief was the foundation of that occasion at that point. Robert did not even want to hear my explanation, which was a cheap shot, “I thought you would hold on to the ball. I did not think you would give it to me.” To which he responded, “I told you I would, what changed?” As we went back and forth, I trying to assign the blame on Robert, I could hear someone shouting, “I am a champion for life.” There goes my prize I thought. Frustrated with myself beyond measure, I pondered and for the life of me, could not figure out why I let that ball get away from me. So close, yet so far.
As I wrestled with my thoughts as my spirit quietend, the heavenly father stepped in. I could hear that small voice as though someone was sitting right next to me telling me:
“That ball was meant for you, but you let fear rob you of it. If you are not careful, you will let things in life that rightfully belong to you slip away. Put aside fear and the fear of perception and grab hold of that which I have for you.”
I tried to prove God wrong and defend myself. Unfortunately, that did not work. I gave up!
How bad did I want that door prize?
How willing was I to work with the conditions that were set in order to win the prize?
My desires spoke one thing. My actions spoke the loudest though.
A look at the Word of God helped me understand the reality of what fear can do:
Matthew 25: 14-29, “…And I was afraid and went away and hid the talent in the ground. See you have what is yours.” God had given the man what was rightfully his, but because the man did not “understand his master heart,” he let fear control his action and miss the very thing that God wanted to use to bless him.
I Samuel 15: 1-34, “…Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned, I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words because I feared the people and listened to their voice…” The Kingdom of Israel was given to Saul. It was his, approved by God, but he let fear and the voices of people deter him from his rightful place and God stripped him of the very thing that was rightfully his.
Proverbs 29: 25, “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who TRUSTS in the Lord will be exalted.” Trusting and fearing God is what makes the difference. Trusting and fearing man is another story.
In as much as I lost out on the door-prize which had not eternal consequences, God used that scenario to awaken a part of my life that has held back pursuing the things of God, or dreams I have because of fear; what will they think about me? How will they judge me? How will I look in front of them?
Have we ever considered how God feels when we disrespect Him by not trusting him? Is He not the God who said:
“Fear not, for I am with you.”
I John 4: 18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
II Timothy 1: 7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline.”
Am I suggesting that we live a life without fear? That is unheard of. What I am suggesting is that we live our lives with a healthy fear. We need to Fear God. This kind of fear for God, translates into an “awesome respect” for God. All other kinds of fear are detrimental. When God called each one of us, He knew what kind of baggage we came with, but that did not stop Him from calling us. We can have every excuse of why we fear, but at the end of the day, God will not hold us accountable based on how we felt, but on how He Himself felt because He gave us a manual of how to live in His Word.
I did not catch that ball, but as I wrote in my journal of August 8, 2007, “I learnt a lesson that will propel me-I pray from now on…not to let fear stop me. I would rather fail having tried, than not trying because I was afraid.
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