Same Difference!

I’ve had the opportunity to work with many, many churches over the last few decades.   Earlier I was thinking about this ever-growing list of churches and ministry situations that I’ve stepped into.  I departed each of these situations (some much more quickly than others!) with some indelible marks on my spirit.  Which is a testament to God and the many ways he allows us to be impacted.

Old Church, New Church, Big Church, Children’s Church, or maybe just:  The Church

Different buildings in different parts of town.  All filled with different groups of people.  With different doctrines.  Different histories.  Different priorities.  Different ways of approaching God.  Different, different, different.

Try Harder!

We “attack” life, don’t we?  Most of us, anyway?

Or we at least like to “get motivated” to go out there and do, do, do!  

Achieve, achieve, achieve!

You know… “Carpe Diem” and all that.  Think about it: Seize the day!  Seize it!  Throttle it!  Throttle today into submission.  Make it give you what you need.  If not now, then when?  Seize it, I tell you!  Seize it! SEIZE IT! NOW!!!

[deep breath]

It’s exhausting.

“1,068.”

As I pushed the keys across the counter, I answered the girl’s question.  ”One thousand sixty-eight.”  She raised her eyebrows and whistled in amazement.

“Long way.”

“No kidding.  I’m exhausted.”

Ya Gotta Have Faith!

One of the greatest innovations in the true spectator sport of ‘channel surfing’ is the availability of the “Info” button.  The magical ability to know, by the simple press of a button, what a particular episode or movie is about is truly awesome!  Maybe you take this ability for granted.  But I, for one, grew up on rabbit ear antennas and changing channels by twisting a large knob on the front of the TV.  So I love being able to find out exactly which one of the 178 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation we’re watching.

"Bones and Brennan investigate after a man is found dead."

I bring this up because of a recent description I ran across while channel surfing last week.  I imagine many of you have at least a passing familiarity with the FOX television series Bones.  This particular show has been around, according to my exhaustive Wikipedia research, since September of 2005.  So maybe you, too, will see why I thought the following episode description was amusing.  After hitting the “Info” button on a Bones episode one evening I read the following:

Bones episode description:  Booth and Brennan investigate after a man is found dead.

“Oh for grace…”

I want to start by sharing some selected thoughts today. Take them in… as snapshots of life. Don’t over-think any of it. Don’t “think ahead” of any of it.

Just let the images float through your mind. Insert yourself into the picture.

peace… with my Lord so near

my path grows brighter every day

I am safe. I am secure. From anything that would frighten or disturb me.

Fellowship, joy, blessedness and peace… just by relying on him

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Sign me up for THAT ride, friend!

Contractually Obligated

Confession time:

I’m unemployed.  And so is my wife.

Now, this isn’t actually news to regular readers here… (see previous posts like this one).  But I mention it to again frame up the situation.  This same framework that makes up our “situation” isn’t exactly completely of our own construction, of course.  One doesn’t usually design your life around being asked to resign a few days before you get married.  That’d  be weird.  And likely detrimental to the overall health of your marriage (or even your life, depending on your wife’s temperament).

So we find ourselves in this situation.  We didn’t really make it, but we’re here, nonetheless.  We also both feel very strongly that God is calling us to another place (honestly, it’s a completely different state, but more on that later).  And as we wrestle with this and try to leave, we learn that we’re locked into a lease that the owner (not the management company!) .  Which says we have no right of early termination.

Just Married…

While Anna and I were on our honeymoon in Hawaii (Is that too cliché?  Maybe, but whatever, man.  It was AWESOME.), we spent an entire day in a passenger van with a few other couples.  Granted, we did stop and see some really cool things along the way.  But in retrospect, it kinda feels like we just spent a day in a van… with some other people.

As we began the aforementioned long day in a van with some other people, we did the whole “first day of school” thing where you tell everyone your name, where you’re from, and something about yourself.  Seated in the first of the four rows of seats was a couple in their late 30s from Philadelphia.  In the back of the van was a young couple from Sydney, Australia.  They then mentioned, in their awesome Australian accents that somehow made everything they said more interesting, that they, too, were on their honeymoon.  So naturally, we asked when they got married.

They said the ceremony had been the previous Friday.  Having already introduced ourselves as having been married since Saturday and perhaps sensing an opportunity for a quick laugh, I breathlessly asked what it was like after being together as husband and wife for that extra day.  He said it was all downhill after day 3.

Forwards & Backwards

What a week!

Yesterday I completed a job interview that went well (in my opinion).  And today I had an appointment with the doctor who operated on my foot.  This, however, did not go well (in my opinion).

Backwards…

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's SuperCast!

My doctor appointment:  I was quite excited about getting my cast off today (even though Anna painted the COOLEST thing ever on it!).  I’ve been so frustrated and exhausted by the inability to bear weight on my left foot.  Walkers.  Crutches.  Rolling chairs.  Lots of awkward hopping around.  My right leg is sore from all the extra work it’s had to do.  And my shoulders, arms and lower back complain regularly about the crutches.  And, if I’m honest, my mouth may have been doing some complaining as well to anyone within earshot (God bless my fiancée!  She has the patience of Job.).

Imagine my face as the doctor said, after taking off the cast and removing the stitches, that he wanted to put my foot back in a cast for another two weeks.  TWO MORE WEEKS!!!  I was SO ready for a walking boot.  I am ready (mentally, if not physically) to be able to go to the kitchen, the bathroom, or to bed without all the physical exertion.

I suppose I am grateful that the foot itself no longer hurts.  It doesn’t ache or throb or keep me awake at night.  I know I am doing much better than I was before the surgery (at least pain-wise).  But my expectations were too high for this point on the road to recovery.

Forwards…

The job interview:  I interviewed with a church that has been “on my radar” virtually since the moment I knew I would be leaving my existing position.  The very day I resigned, a pastor friend of mine had left a message for me that he wanted to talk about some “youth ministry things.”  Little did I know that he was calling because the youth pastor at the church he was serving had also resigned.  My friend was simply wanting to get my input on a couple of things as they moved forward.

Surprised to find that I would soon be a “free agent,” he has stayed in touch with me throughout my search for my next job.  Yes, it was out of friendship, but he also has made no bones about the possibility of serving there.  And here we are three months later.  They’re finally at a point to start interviewing and I’m still available.

Like I said, the interview went well.  Things are still in motion and good signs abound.  I’m THRILLED about the prospect of working and teaching again.  But nothing is finalized and I hesitate to say too much too soon.  But this would be an INCREDIBLE opportunity were I to be offered the position…  Prayers are appreciated!

Expectations & Reality

Here I stand (figuratively, of course), discouraged about my foot but encouraged by job prospects.  I do have high hopes for the job thing (much like I had for my recovery progress).  But it’s tempered by the reality that things take time.  And nothing is done until it’s done.

Would you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?

Do we set ourselves up for disappointment by having high hopes most of the time?

What’s your take on expectations in life?  Why?

My Grandaddy’s Walker

The prescription said “Rollator Assistive Device.” It also had my name written at the top. The doctor said that it could be a big help in getting around post-surgery (see previous post). When he described it as a walker with a seat in the middle, I knew exactly what he was talking about. I also knew I probably wouldn’t have to buy one.

My Grandaddy's walker (and MacGyver)

My Grandaddy spent the last several years of his life using what I now know is called a “Rollator Assistive Device.” With a long history of back problems, he was always appreciative of having a seat nearby. And it was also useful for toting things around or giving great-grandchildren the occasional ride.

After phoning some family members, we determined his walker was in storage. My brother retrieved it and dropped it off at my place the day after I was discharged from the hospital. Gripping the handles and seeing Grandaddy’s name on the side brought the realization that it was exactly a year ago that he passed away.

Bearing Weight

So I, in my 30s, find myself using the same assistive device that my Grandaddy used in his 80s. And it got me thinking… This assistive device certainly isn’t the only thing remaining from his life. He left an incredible legacy of faith, family and creativity.

And, more importantly, I saw him lean on Jesus far more than he ever leaned on his walker.

My Grandaddy also happened to be a Methodist minister. And I bring that up because I had some wonderful conversations with him about the call of God that was on his life. As I began to follow my own call into ministry a few years back, those conversations took on an even greater import. I will forever remain thankful for those talks. And that same thankfulness is what comes rushing back as I, too, lean on the same Jesus he knew and loved and, for the moment, the same walker he left behind.

What things (physical or not) have your parents or grandparents left you? What means the most and why?