Into the Ocean of Unknown

I've just learned some exciting news from friends. Patrick, a musician, has long had a dream of being a part of a performing group. This week, he was sworn in to the U.S. Army to be a part of the Army Band as a saxophonist. He'll ship out in June, knowing full well that life will soon be drastically different than what he's known as a school band director over the last 10+ years. The excitement that he and his wife Misty feel about the opportunities and unknown changes for the future is contagious; I'm excited for them!

This change won't come easily, as they certainly know, but the risk toward fulfilling a drea is certainly worth taking. Andre Gride, a French writer, said it this way, "One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." Columbus' first voyage was 71 days of uncertainty and sameness, until that thrilling moment on October 12 when Rodrigo de Triana, a sailor on the Pinta, spotted the lands of the Bahamas.

So many of us choose to sit on the shores of life, wondering what the world looks like on the other side of the oceans of our unknowns. Patrick has worked hard, physically and musically to be prepared for this new challenge, and I think his efforts and courage are biblically sound. In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul tells his friend to fan into flame his God-given gift, and to exercise that calling with a spirit of power, love and self-discipline, not fear. Whatever our gifts/talents/skills/interests may be, taking steps toward using them, though frightening at times, will only bring about a greater strength of character in us and greater faith in the character and nature of God Himself.

Blessings, Patrick and Misty. Through your step of courage and faith, I pray God will reveal more of Himself through the twists and turns of this adventure into the ocean of this exciting new unknown.

Toilet Humor

I guess the fact that I spend a good chunk of time with 4th and 5th grade boys has had an effect on me. Couple that with Darin's "Urban Legends" series, and I can't help but share the following two "toilet humor" stories.

I found this urban legend today:

While babysitting for a new family, a teenage girl went upstairs to use their toilet, not knowing they had recently varnished the toilet seat. When she tried to get up, she couldn't. She tried and tried, and began to panic. Finally, she unattached the seat and pulled her pants over it as best she could. When the family got home, she told them about the incident, and they took her to the emergency room. She was extremely embarrassed about the whole thing, especially since she'd just met this family. What made the night even worse was that the doctor that was treating her was very good looking. Fortunately, he had a sense of humor.

"Please tell me you've seen this type of thing before," the red-faced girl asked him.

"I've seen a lot of these," the doctor replied, "but never framed."

And a second story:

There was a young man who wanted to express his deep love one Valentine's Day to his then-girlfriend. Steve, in an effort to be creatively romantic, boxed up the lid of a toilet seat for Kathryn as a gift. He had rigged it with a working clock on the top cover, and when lifted, framed in the "sit-down" part was an enlarged photo of the two of them together with the caption, "Time with you is never flushed." Now, what girl wouldn't swoon over that?

Unfortunately, this second story is neither an urban legend nor a joke. It really happened. The young man, Steve, was a friend and groomsman in our wedding. What's even more amazing is that Kathryn actually married him later on! But somehow, that toilet seat has disappeared.

Popping Pineapple

So we were simply standing around in the kitchen, enjoying a pleasant conversation with my parents last Saturday night, when an explosion sounded from the south end of the room. Upon further investigation, I noticed a distinctive odor coming from the top shelf of the pantry - pineapple. There in front of me was a sealed can of pineapple slices with drops of moisture on the rim. "Where did this juicy/watery substance come from?" I wondered. Pulling out the can, I could find no evidence of a leak, and there wasn't anything on top of the can, so, washing it off, I was about to place it back on the shelf when I realized the can behind it no longer had a lid! And there were white, chunky pieces floating around in the juice. Did you know that after 3 years, cans of sliced pineapple will go bad?

Checking the date, we realized we'd bought the cans in '04. Why we moved them from Corsicana last summer I don't know. I'm just so thankful I didn't serve that to anyone we know and love!

I'm sure there's a spiritual application here somewhere, but let's just leave the moral of this story at check expiration dates from time to time.

By the way, I checked every other can in the pantry. No more explosions are expected in the near future. So if you come over to eat, you don't have to be afraid.

Me, Myself and I

As a child, I remember hearing my mom and dad use this expression, and thinking it was incredibly funny. As an adult, I find myself using it, too, usually referring to a moment of personal schizophrenia. But sometimes I live out this expression nonverbally. Sometimes, my actions cry out, "Me, Myself and I," far louder than my voice could ever carry.

Our current Ladies Bible Study, "I Saw the Lord," led me to ask some tough questions this afternoon as I was working through this week's pages. One of the first questions was, "Do I make it a disciplined practice to give where and when giving is needed?" This wasn't necessarily referring to money, although that could be included. For me, the question focused most prominently on my time and words or acts of encouragement.

I'm quite selfish with my time. I realize that full well. Especially time with Darin or other family/close friends. But, honestly, I'm even worse when I'm tired. Somehow, I think that being selfish when I'm tired is an excuse for brushing off the loneliness of others or their need to have someone listen.

Jesus certainly got tired and took time away from people to refresh and renew so that he could more effectively minister. That's biblically documented and certainly godly wisdom. But nine times in the gospels it is stated that Jesus "had compassion" on people. My favorite instance is recorded in Mark 6:34. Jesus has been talking and ministering with the disciples so long they've not even had a chance to stop and eat. However, a large crowd (5000+) gathers and in his compassion, he begins teaching them and even feeds them a meal of bread and fish.

I need to have that kind of compassion, especially when I'm tired and hungry! Because I've seen how the focus on "me, myself and I" hurts others. I had a student several years ago whose parents were both incredibly busy and on the road with their careers, and when they did carve out time to spend with him, he never got a vote in what they did. In fact, they usually considered letting him ride with him to their next appointment as "quality time" enough.

Certainly he didn't need to be the center of their universe, but I'll never forget standing in the hallway at school with him one day. The tears formed in my own eyes as he wept, having just learned that his mom had "rescheduled" their afternoon together to include a 2 hour press conference.

The compassion they lacked was the very kind of compassion Jesus demonstrated. Jesus didn't only do those things that caused mutual benefit for himself and others. He willingly placed the needs of others ahead of his own. I don't think it was necessarily because he wanted to, but rather because the compassion that overflowed from his heart dictated self-less actions.

Imagine the impact for the Kingdom if even just once a week, out of compassionate hearts, we said "no" to "me, myself and I" and said "yes" to the needs of someone in our sphere of influence. That's seeking first his kingdom. Let him add "all these things" then, in his way and his time.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

A Different Set of Rules

Sometimes, I think God is using a different set of rules than I'm using to play by in this life. By this, I mean obedience doesn't always look like I think it should. Even more often, the results of obedience turn out to look very differently than I'd expected or might have hoped.

Although similar, this problem is a little different than the age-old question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" because this problem acknowledges the active and deliberate efforts of obedience to a Supreme and Holy God wherein the results of those acts were disappointing or at least surprisingly unexpected.

For example, my friends Laura and Jeff chose to follow God's calling as missionaries to an African country. Some of their co-workers, also following God's call, have been arrested for their Christian witness. Why then, since they acted in obedience to Jesus' command to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel" should something like this have resulted?

We have some other friends here in the U.S. who, although they have faithfully ministered for nearly two decades, have been laid-off from their role because the place where they live is in decline, and the church can no longer afford to pay them. They've been obedient in serving the Lord, proactive in ministering in his name, so why is termination the result?

Or more personally, Darin and I were both pure at the time of our marriage, so our inability to conceive children seems rather odd to us both. Wouldn't the logical result be that infertility should happen to people who were disobedient to the 7th commandment?

Although I have no answers to explain the mind and workings of our omnipotent, omniscient God, I take comfort in this: We're not alone.

The disciples certainly didn't expect Jesus' obedience to look like it did. Even Jesus asked it to take a different route (Matthew 26:39).

Joseph obediently went in search of his brothers, according to his father's instruction, and yet on the other end they were plotting to kill him (Genesis 37:12-18).

David obeyed his father by taking food to his brothers, only to end up fighting a giant (1 Samuel 17:17-58).

Moses obeyed God by leading the people out of Egypt, yet what he got for it was the same meal in the wilderness for 40 years with a bunch of whining complainers (Exodus 3:10; 16:2-17:4).

Hosea obeyed God by marrying an adulterous woman and lived life with a broken heart (Hosea 1:2).

Even Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, in obeying God, first ended up in the fiery furnace from which they were saved (Daniel 3:16-18).

Too often, we want obedience to be attractive and "rewarding." Jesus promises there will be blessing for obedience and his presence ever-near, but we want to believe in a human-conceived reward/punishment system. He's not restricted to playing by our man-made rules.

So, yes, God is using a different set of rules. But he has proven his faithful and trustworthy character again and again, so whatever rules he's using are safe enough for me to live by, even when the results of my obedience don't look like I think they should.