A Somber Moment...

This past week has been a bit challenging. On Tuesday I had the honor of attending a fellow colleague’s funeral – only 33 years old and suddenly taken from us. He left behind a wife with 4 children and another one on the way. Devastated would be an understatement on the part of the family and close friends, while questions of why filled the minds of everyone else. The church was packed for the funeral and the ceremony was absolutely splendid – extremely moving, yet with a sense of knowing that even if absent from us here on earth, our brother was now present with the Lord. A somber moment indeed – and a moment for me to reflect yet again how life is “like a vapor” as the Bible says. The comfort of “The Gospel," seems so close at times like this.

Then yesterday I received word that a dear friend of mine – almost a “spiritual father” if you will – slipped into eternity. Although he had lived a wonderfully long life – filled with unselfishness and ministry to others – it hurt. Another friend of mine was gone. I felt somewhat crushed and alone – so I turned to my source of continued strength – the Scriptures, or Holy Bible if you will. Oftentimes, when we don’t know what to do or where to go we can turn to the Scriptures for direction, comfort and hope.

The Scriptures tell us that Jesus Christ is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. A true friend is one that doesn’t leave you when the money runs out, when the good times run out, or when the free meals run out. A true friend is one that stays with you no matter what you do. A true friend can’t keep you from running away from them, but they are always there for you when you get back. That’s what’s so amazing about having a relationship with Jesus Christ – He’s always there.

How about you? Have you been through a difficult time in your life? Has life not gone quite the way you wanted it to? Have you been crushed by some devastating dilemma in your life? Have those who said they were friends run out on you. Today is the day that you can turn to Jesus Christ and ask Him to come and help – to be the friend in your life that doesn’t run away when things go wrong – to help restore a right relationship with God. May life’s somber moments help all of us realize how precious life is, and how all of us need the reassurance that comes with letting Jesus Christ have Lordship and leadership of our lives every single day.

Dog Gone!

Yep, it’s hard to believe, but sometimes dogs like to roam! We just acquired a free gift in the form of a 16 month old husky, collie, border collie mixed dog. She is fun and loves to run and play with the kids, but just like a youngster, she gets bored. So, when we least expected it, she dug under the fence and roamed the neighborhood in search of friendship and adventure - three times! After working through my frustrations at having to handle yet another challenge, we have all come to realize that spending substantial amounts of time with our dog is mandatory. We now have to keep her on a leash when no one is in the yard with her for fear that she’ll dig yet another escape route under the fence.

Sometimes we can become bored as Christians. Yep, I know it is all supposed to be happy and fun-filled now that you have let Jesus Christ have lordship of your life. But the reality is that life still goes on and living life as a Christian (or non-Christian for that matter) can get pretty hard at times. When we allow ourselves to become distant from God it is easier for distractions and delusions to persuade us that there is a better way - even if we have to “dig our way out!” But after gaining our hard fought freedom to run outside the boundaries of God’s provision, we find that what looked so good - wasn’t.

Outside the boundary there is a scarcity of food, water, and all the other blessings God has promised us. But unlike the scolding we gave our dog when we found her digging, God has given us a free will to do as we please. Thankfully, He has not put us on a leash, because that is not His plan! I am so grateful that when we do realize the foolishness of our frolicking God welcomes us back with open arms. Jesus Christ has already paid the price for all of our wrongdoing, but we can’t enjoy God’s provision until we have allowed Him full Lordship of our lives. Only when we invite Jesus Christ to take Lordship and leadership of our lives on a daily basis, will we move beyond boredom into an exciting life in which every day is a new beginning.