Courage For Today

grandsons

The Peace in Learning to Enjoy the Journey

Encouragement

My wife and I had a great time this past summer visiting Stone Mountain Park, here in the Atlanta area, with our grandsons.  We had the opportunity to spend the day with them seeing the various sights and attractions and just had a wonderful time.  One thing that my grandsons had really wanted to do that particular day was climb to the top of the mountain.  Stone Mountain isn’t a particularly tall mountain and fortunately has walking trails to the top, but for a 5 and 6 year old, along with grandpa and grandma, it is a formidable task.

Even though our grandsons’ enthusiasm was much greater than mine and my wife’s, we relented and decided to start the slow trek up the mountain.   The beginning part of the trail was slow and gradual.  It seemed like we were taking forever to climb just a short distance, but I had to remind myself that it took 3 of their strides to equal 1 of ours, so I found myself walking ahead of them, then having to stop and let them catch-up, over and over again.

I was tired and sweaty, just wanting to get to the top of the mountain so I could rest and then start my way back.  I learned early on during our hike that this wasn’t going to be the case.  We had to stop and look at every large rock with someone’s name carved in it.  We looked at unusual plant formations.  We examined large trees that were growing crooked and we explored small rock overhangs that reminded the kids of caves. My grandsons viewed the hike as an exciting adventure.  Climbing the mountain was a trial to me and I was simply looking for the hike to be over with quickly before I succumbed to dehydration and heat stroke.  My grandsons were not focused at all on the trial of climbing the mountain; they were simply enjoying the journey of the hike.

I know when I face a trial in life, no matter what it is, I tend to dwell on the problem.  I want the trial to be over with quickly and let life get back to normal.  While I never enjoy being in the midst of a trial, I was reminded by my grandsons that I should always learn to enjoy the journey.  What can I learn during the course of the trial?  How can I grow?  What is God trying to teach me?

At some point, the trial will be over and we’ll be joyous for sure.  But, the real joy should not be that the trial’s over, but in celebrating what I learned during the journey.

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It’s Always About the Encounter

Encouragement

One of my grandsons’ favorite activities is swimming.  I don’t think it would matter if they were swimming in a pool; in a lake; in a stream; or even splashing in a puddle of water.  If they can get wet, they will do it.  When they come visit us at our pool, it’s all out fun and excitement.  They can’t wait to slip on their swim trunks and head off to the pool.

I don’t know about you, but when I actually do get into the water during one of those rare times, it’s slow and easy into the water for me.  It’s just too cold usually.  First, it’s my feet and ankles.  Then up to my knees, and slowly inching my way up until I can go under the water.  I’m not one of those people that immediately jumps in the water.  My grandsons, on the other hand, are jumpers.  As soon as they hit the pool deck, it’s off they go.  Straight into the water.  No shock for them.  They don’t wait for to see if the water is warm enough.  They don’t wait for us to give them detailed swimming instructions.  They don’t wait to see who might be looking at them or observing what they do.  They don’t wait to see if they have all their swimming gear in tact.  They just jump.  And they jump some more.  For them, it’s not about getting all the answers and insight about swimming.  It’s about enjoying the water.

It reminds me so much of a conversation I had with an acquaintance many, many years ago.  This person was struggling with Christianity in general and the Bible, specifically.  He spoke about how the Bible was confusing to him and that he had too many questions that couldn’t be answered.  He cited several examples and I could tell that he really, really wanted to be a believer in Christ, but just couldn’t make himself take that leap of faith until he found all the answers to his questions.  To his surprise, I agreed with him that Christianity and the Bible had many unanswered questions, even in my own mind.  There were many things I didn’t fully understand and wouldn’t ever know the answers to until I reached Heaven one day.  He seemed a little perplexed and confused that I would embrace God, as I do, with so many confusing issues swirling in my head.

I spent the next several minutes explaining that my relationship with Christ was not about answers.  it was about an encounter.  It was about an encounter with an almighty God that changes live.  I explained how God had truly worked in my life and changed me.  How God had worked miracles in my own life and my family’s.  And, I shared how my relationship with Christ was personal and intimate.  I may not understand all HE does and why HE does things, but there was no question that I had the encounter and relationship that forever changed my life.

I went on and shared that I didn’t wait around to see if Christianity was the next “big” thing or popular with others.  I didn’t wait around to see what others were doing with “their” Christianity.  I didn’t’ wait around to get the next greatest Bible translation so I could understand things better.  I just jumped in the water.  I didn’t care about all those other things.  I just wanted Christ and what he brought to my life and I haven’t had one regret.

I’m not quite sure why the Lord brought this particular message to me on this particular day, but I’ve got to believe it’s because someone reading this passage is struggling with this same issue.  If you are, don’t wait for all the answers, because you’ll never find them.  Instead, embrace the encounter and the new relationship that awaits you when you accept Christ.  I promise that you won’t regret your decision.

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Building our Foundation With Blocks of Faith

Strength

Since my daughter; son-in-law, and grand-children are on the Mission Field, I don’t get to see them that often.  When we do have a chance to catch up with each other, it’s always play time for the grand kids.  Like typical boys, they love to play any game or with anything that involves action.  They especially like to play with building blocks.  They love for me to build a tall tower of blocks only to have them knock it down as quickly as possible.

They anxiously wait for me to build another tower only to roll over in laughter as they smash it too the ground, over and over again.  I try to build my tower with a strong, sturdy foundation but my weak structures of blocks are no match for two toddlers.  What was so amazing was that the results of all the falling blocks didn’t seem to really matter to my grandsons because they had total confidence that I would simply rebuild another tower.  While I focused on the falling structure; they focused on the next rising tower to be built.

There isn’t enough time for me to tell you all the times that life itself has knocked me down.  Suffice it to say there have been many, many times.  I can’t sit here and tell you that it hasn’t been frustrating and heart breaking at times because it certainly has been.  I can’t sit here and tell you that there haven’t been times that I’ve wanted to give up, because there certainly have been.  I can’t sit here and tell you that there haven’t been occasions when if only I had done one more small thing, the result would have been as I had wanted.  In short, life has certainly thrown me some curves.  At times, it just seemed like the taller I tried to build my life structures of blocks, the harder they fell.

Over time, I began to realize I was going through all my life’s trials the same way I had been playing blocks with my grandsons.  I focused on the failures and not the future successes.  I changed my outlook.  I began to look at every so-called failure in my life as a learning opportunity.  I would have quiet time with the Lord and simply ask, “Lord, I don’t understand why this particular event is happening now in my life.  Help me to understand what I should learn from this.”  I would keep an actual written journal of events as they happened and what the Lord taught me through each experience.  Over time, my confidence increased and I actually became excited to find out what lesson the Lord would teach me next.  The Lord’s Building Blocks for My Faith were there all the time—–I just had not seen them.

Where is your Walk of Faith today?  Are you focusing on how hard your “blocks of life” are falling, or are you focusing on how the Lord is teaching you and making your stronger for future Walks of Faith.  The difference is your focus and attitude.  Only you, with God’s help, can change that focus.

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