Up and Down...

James 4:14 "...you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."

I love to ride my motorcycle.  It's a 1998 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic 1500 - a big "Harley-like" cruiser, and I've been riding it on my daily 10 mile commute to school for the past few years. No mishaps, that is until a couple of weeks ago.  On my way home, a little car and I went for the same spot at the same time, he nicked my handlebar, and I suddenly found myself bouncing on the pavement.  One second I was upright and enjoying life; a second later I was on the ground and not having quite so much fun. 

I'm amazed at how abruptly life can change. I think my guardian angel must be in line, asking to be reassigned.  He certainly worked overtime protecting me.  What could have been really serious resulted only in broken ribs and a collapsed lung.  Even my motorcycle sustained only minor damage - a few scrapes and a broken windshield.

I also love how, with every mishap, God provides opportunity for ministry.  He surrounded me with people in the hospital whom He wanted to touch and He directed our conversations quite naturally to spiritual topics.  God is the redeemer, not only of our souls, but of every situation!

Another benefit for me was the outpouring of love and concern from so many people.  I especially love the cards my students made for me.  I was able to call the school and thank them via "speakerphone".  One of our 1st graders whispered to his teacher, "I think he's better because he read my card."

God is so good to us.  I am thankful for the "wake-up calls" that remind me to treasure each breath, each moment, each relationship.

"It's not about me..."

John 13:14-15 "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you."

"But he cut me!" Those were the words of a first grader who was explaining why he had hit his friend. No, he wasn't bleeding. His explanation was shorthand for, "He cut in front of me when we lined up to go to class.". "Cutting" someone is a big deal to a first grader. From his egocentric perspective, he was being disrespected; his rights were being trampled upon. It called for swift and dramatic action.

I have a difficult time holding back a chuckle during such conversations. Then the Holy Spirit taps me on the shoulder and says, "He reminds me of you." What?! No way!! Then I remember how I reacted earlier in the day when an impatient driver rushed up in the right hand lane and cut in front of me. I wanted to slug him! He cut me!

The point Jesus makes in these verses is that it is not all about me. Egocentric thinking has no place in a Christian's life. If I am to live out the truth of Jesus' words, I will be focused upward and outward rather than inward. My goal will be to serve others and, in so doing, serve my Savior.

Lord, You know that I'm naturally self-centered. Please redirect my focus today. Help me to see others' needs instead of my own. Please use me to bless someone who desperately needs a touch from You. Amen.

"Keeping my feet clean..."

John 13:10 Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."

"Take off those dirty shoes before you come into the house!" That oft-repeated admonition from my childhood still rings in my ears.  If it were summertime, because I rarely wore shoes, the verbiage changed slightly to, "You'd better clean those feet..."  No matter how hard I tried, when playing outside with my neighborhood friends, I just couldn't keep my feet clean.

I find that to be true in my spiritual life as well.  Try as I might to avoid sin, I inevitably find myself with "dirty feet" at the end of the day. As I look back over the day, the Holy Spirit does a good job of revealing where I fell short of my Father's expectations. Thank God that He has made provision for me to get clean again!

1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.".  It is easy for me to walk around oblivious to my dirty feet. I'm so thankful that, just like my mom did, the Holy Spirit says to me, "clean your feet before you come into the House!"

Sharing the miracles...

John 12:17-18 (cf. 4:28-30)  "So the people, who were with him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also, the people went and met Him,because they heard that He had performed this sign."

"You've got to come see this!" That's a phrase we've all exclaimed more than once. Whenever we hear or witness something out of the ordinary, something spectacular, the natural response is to tell someone else about it so they can share the experience.

That's what the Samaritan woman did after Jesus had amazed her by revealing things about her that no stranger could have known. It's what the Jews did, who had witnessed what was arguably Jesus' greatest miracle.  Time after time we read in the Gospels how people who encountered the life-altering power of Jesus immediately spread the word and brought others to meet Him.

I wonder why it is that I am so quick to talk about the latest spectacular play performed by my favorite athlete, but not so quick to share my latest answered prayer.

Lord, please help me to keep my priorities straight today. Let me see and share what You are doing with the same excitement as when I talk about the Padres' latest win.

Picked by the Captain!

Eph 1:4 "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him."

I was watching some children choosing teams for a recess basketball game recently and it took me back to my elementary school days. I remember that my sense of worth was determined by the captain of the team. All of the "hopefuls" would line up and one by one they were chosen, starting with the best players. When would I be picked?  Was I good enough to be picked first or would I be the last choice, the one nobody really wanted? Usually I was somewhere in the middle.

The first of the spiritual blessings Jesus has given us is that He chose us. When?  Before He created the world!  Honestly, that is beyond my understanding... that the Creator of the universe would take notice of me, would love me so much, value me so much that He would choose me to be His child. Not only did He choose me, He also determined my value by proclaiming me to be holy and blameless. He set me apart as someone special. Wow!  Not only that, but He also empowers me to act that way...to live out that identity.

Lord, thank You for choosing me to be on your team. Please help me today to make You proud. I love being your child!

Blessed by the Best!...

Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."

My friend, Don, when asked how he's doing, inevitably responds, "I'm blessed by the Best!"  It may sound trite, but when I think about it, that phrase describes a Christian's everyday experience.

Just ponder the words of this verse for a moment. There isn't a single spiritual blessing I will enjoy in Heaven that isn't available to me right now! If that is so, why do I so often act like I'm on the verge of spiritual bankruptcy, devoid of power and resources?  God's Holy Spirit lives in me, His Spirit of power, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead!!!  He wants to demonstrate that power in you and me. We just need to trust Him and watch Him work.

Lord, thank You for blessing me beyond my ability to receive it. Forgive me for my lack of faith. Release in me your blessings and power today, that I might be used by you to bless someone who desperately needs it.  I can hardly wait!