The Seabourns

Thoughts

Distilling moments

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Standing there in the chaotic baggage hall not knowing how Kay was doing and feeling 10,000 miles from her, I sang the Matt Redman song 10,000 Reasons. Over and over and over, I quietly sang the words. The sun was going down outside and the words of the song are:
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me,
Let me be singing when the evening comes.

This is not how I envisioned my return trip. I had received word about 24 hours earlier that Kay had fallen and broken a bone in her elbow. After spending the day changing my flights, I was on my way home. I had to get my bag from this domestic baggage claim so I could check in for my international flight. I had been waiting almost 3 hours for my bag. I was also waiting for a text from Kay telling me she was through the outpatient surgery.  Neither was forthcoming.

While I waited, I sang Matt Redman’s song to myself. While 500+ people from 2 international flights plus several domestic flights crowded around 2 small baggage belts in 90 degree tropical humidity. As bags were delivered a few at a time, I blessed the Lord. While I wondered how Kay was faring as the surgeon removed bone chips from her elbow, I blessed the Lord. He is good. I  received the next-to-last seat on the only domestic connecting flight that would have put me in this baggage claim in time for my international connection. Now if only my bag would come. If only Kay’s text would come.

God does that. He puts us in these distilling situations to help us trust him even more. And he brings others around to pray for us and to help us. It’s fragile and frail sometimes, but it works when we work it. It works when we choose to remember that he is faithful. It works when we choose to remember that he is good. It works when we choose to remember that he is full of mercy and compassion.

I think that is why I like the Psalms of David. He pours out his junk in plain language. He does not hold back. But he ends up with God’s goodness and mercy and faithfulness.

Have you read any Psalms lately? The 30’s and 60’s are good places to start.

 

Uncharted territory

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I’m in uncharted territory. Helping my dad as he faces feeling useless. Alzheimers is stealing his mind and he is wondering why God is leaving him here. I’m realizing how much I live in the world of strategic thinking, planning, and executing. I live in the world of grand plans. The Great Commission. Planting 5 million churches. Helping everyone know someone who truly follows Jesus.

I live in the world of options. If A doesn’t work, we try B. If B doesn’t work, we re-evaluate and move forward again. We bathe our decision-making in prayer and trust God to lead us through the strategic planning process.

But there is no strategicness in alzheimers. There is no world to conquer. There is no grand mission. There is only waking up each morning, saying “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” [Ps 118:24] There is only “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” [Ps 16:6]

And it is enough. No, it is more than enough.

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What makes Good Friday good?

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What makes Good Friday good? I like this cartoon from BC cartoonist Johnny Hart.

Good friday cartoon bc

Good Friday is good because of the forgiveness, love and freedom we experience. This video is from the Magdalena Jesus Film, a version of the Jesus film prepared especially to reach out to women. It was inspired by a colleague while visiting Afghanistan. He saw the women covered head-to-foot in burka dress. His heart was broken by their isolation. He asked God how could these women hear about the freedom and love they can have through Jesus. The Magdelena film was a result.

Magdelena This is Freedom

 What makes Good Friday good for you? 

Remaining Dangerous

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Are you infected?

There is an insidious disease among Christians. Over time, we often lose our willingness to do daring and dangerous things, especially within a fulltime vocational organization, and ESPECIALLY when we are in a headquarters and distant from the rawness of field engagements with the kingdom of darkness.

I watched Act of Valor recently. It opens with a thought that the worst thing about growing old is that other men stop seeing you as dangerous. I’m not sure about that statement, but it got me to wondering, does Satan view me as dangerous? Am I still dangerous to the kingdom of darkness?

J.B. Philips wrote

The real danger for professing Christians lies not in the more glaring and grosser temptations and sins, but in a slow deterioration of vision, a slow death to daring, courage, and a willingness to adventure.

While searching the internet for this quote, I found J.B. Philips on Vision.

You’ve heard the saying, “The best Defense is a good Offense.” Yet often, as professing Christians, our focus is more on sin management—not dropping the ball—than building a thirst for the end-zone. It’s as if we only possess a Defensive Playbook—worrying more about being scored against, than scoring. But vision, daring, courage and adventure are in the Offensive Playbook. And the more we practice plays from that book the less our Defense needs to be on the field.

I like the phrase “building a thirst for the end-zone.”

To often in Christian circles, our focus is more getting along with each other rather than scoring. We feel often feel on the defensive, explaining ourselves to each other, making sure all the right people are included, moving ahead slowly and tentatively.

As I thought through some of these things, different people came to mind. People who I have known as dangerous to Satan and his kingdom.

Who is the most dangerous follower of Jesus you know? Maybe it’s someone you know now. Maybe it’s someone you worked with in the past.

What attracted you to this person? What character traits?

Send an email to this person today, if he/she is still alive. Thank them for modeling dangerous living, thirsting for the end-zone, refusing to be safe.

What if we have all we need?

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“What if God has already given you all the people and all the money you need to do what he has called you to do?”

A friend and colleague asked me that question many years ago.

5 loaves and 2 fish were all the disciples needed to feed 5,000.

Toward evening the disciples approached him. “We’re out in the country and it’s getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper.”  But Jesus said, “There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper.”  “All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish,” they said. [Matthew 14:15-17, The Message]

Manna supplied every morning was all the Israelites needed for 40 years but they had to collect it daily.

Randy’s question continues to provoke me to look more deeply. Perhaps God has already given me all that I need, but I’m not seeing it. I tend to look with eyes that see scarcity. God reminds me that he has given me abundance.

What about you? Are you seeing scarcity? Or abundance?