Courage For Today

room

When We Have Full Storage but Empty Faith

Encouragement

Recently, I have been spending time trying to re-organize and clean my storage unit.  If any of you have ever tried to clean out your garage or storage unit, then I don’t have to tell you how much fun it is.  I never realized how much “stuff” I accumulated over the years until I started the project.  I began by trying to create a pile of items that I could donate; a pile of items that I could trash; and a final pile of items that I wanted to keep and store.  It’s actually more difficult than you would think to sort items in this manner.  I found myself getting sentimental and wanting to keep things that my head said I had no business keeping, but my heart said otherwise.  I ended up keeping things that I probably would never use again but I convinced myself that there just might be a time down the road I would actually use them.  Unfortunately, I only had limited room in my storage unit so I was forced to create some space for the items I really did need to keep.

As I was slowly, but surely, making progress in my re-organizing efforts, it occurred to me that holding on to so many things of the past actually prevented me from making room for the things of the present and future.  There was no way I was going to ever have any room to add anything new because I had been too focused on items in the past.  Our Christian faith is so much like that.  We fill our lives with so much “junk” that we aren’t able to recognize what God may be trying to do in our lives.

Whenever God wants to send us in a particular direction, our tendency is to reach back and pull out a storage box from the past.  If God is leading you down a particular career path, we somehow find the storage box labeled “Reasons I Can’t Do This.”  If God is moving you to forgive someone, we search for the storage box labeled, “People Who Don’t Deserve Forgiving.”  If God asks you to witness to someone about your faith, we locate the storage box that says, “They Might Be Offended.”  If God says “Worship Me,” we find the storage box that says, “I Don’t Have Time.”

I can tell you that pulling all of the old boxes out of storage was exhausting.  It was a great feeling to de-clutter and know that my storage unit now had room for bigger and better things.  As Christians, we all spend way too much time worrying about our past and bringing out old baggage that is no longer relevant in our lives.  Instead, concentrate on what God is doing today in your life.

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Sitting at the Captains Table

Self-Worth

My wife and I received a pleasant surprise when we returned to our ship’s cabin on a recent cruise.  It had been a long hot day on the beach and we were ready to return and rest and get ready for dinner that evening.  When we arrived to our room, we both noticed that there was a small white envelope propped up on our dresser addressed to us.  My wife and I looked at each other rather puzzled wondering why there was an envelope on our dresser and how did it get there?  Of course, curiosity got the best of us and we had to open the envelope.  Inside, there was a simple invitation for us to attend dinner the next day with the Captain of the ship and actually have the opportunity to sit at The Captains Table.  The invitation went on to say that, after our dinner, we could actually visit the Captain’s Bridge and see how the ship is navigated and view what goes on behind the scenes—sights normally off-limits to the average tourist.  We were totally shocked.  We had no idea why we received the invitation and had no idea what we did to deserve it, if anything.  The invitation told us the date, time, and dress code.  We were quite excited but didn’t know what to expect.

On the day of the Captain’s dinner, my wife and I were dressed as nicely as possible in our formal wear.  We followed the instructions in the invitation to meet in a specific place in the dining room where we would be met by our concierge.  Upon arrival, our concierge led us to our particular table where we met other guests and nervously awaited the appearance of the Captain.  The dining room was immaculate and sparkling clean.  Our dinner table was adorned with a pure white linen tablecloth set with the finest china and silverware along with the most gorgeous centerpiece. It was obvious to my wife and me, along with the other guests, that no expense was spared to make the dinner as impressive as possible.  Soon afterwards, we were joined by the Captain who was dressed impeccably in his white Captain’s Dress uniform.  The dinner was great and we had a memory that will not soon be forgotten.

After our dinner, we were asked to meet in a certain part of the ship for our tour of the ship’s bridge and control areas.  We followed what seemed to be a maze through the innermost parts of the ship and finally arrived at the entrance to the bridge.  We were met by armed security guards who searched us thoroughly and advised us of the rules and protocol.  We weren’t allowed to touch any equipment; only observe and ask questions.  Upon entering the bridge, we met the Captain (again) who was closely accompanied by other security agents.  While it was very interesting and the Captain was very polite and patient with our questions, it was apparent to us that we had to keep our distance and not make any appearance of getting too close to the captain or certainly not make any threatening gestures.  Our true access to the Captain was very limited and controlled.

I was reminded today of what a special privilege we have as Christians—–the privilege of a personal relationship with Christ.  We don’t need a special invitation from our heavenly Father to approach him.  In fact, He is already waiting with open arms. We don’t need to go to special entrances or follow a maze of requirements to “qualify” as Christians.  We simply go to our Father as the imperfect beings that we are.  We don’t have to be wary of security guards that watch our every move or who allow only “certain” individuals to pass.  We don’t need to worry about how we dress or how we look.  As Christians, we have direct access to our Heavenly Father through prayer.  The same Heavenly Father, who created each of us and our universe, is as close to you as a simple prayer.  He accepts each of us just as we are; where we are.

It’s so easy to take this privilege for granted and to even believe it’s too good to be true or real.  For some, it’s hard to believe something so good can be so easy to obtain.  I can only tell you from personal experience that God has always been there for me, even when I didn’t realize it.  When I finally did understand that I needed Christ in my life, it was as if God’s table was already decorated and adorned and HE was there waiting for me all the time. Perhaps you’re considering accepting Christ in your life or perhaps you accepted Christ sometime in your past but haven’t lived the life you know you should live.   The good news is that our Heavenly Father’s table is never full.  He has an empty chair ready and waiting for you.  All you have to do is accept Him and take your rightful seat.

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Looks Like We’ve Got A Problem

Strength

I’ve been really burdened lately by the number of prayer requests I have received via email and those shared in The Prayer Room link on this website.  So many of you been so kind to share your many situations in need of prayer, whether it be a financial issue; family issue; work issue or an unspoken, personal issue.  So many of you are in a spiritual desert and have reached their wits end.  Many of you have shared that you have nowhere to turn; there are no other options unless God acts in a mighty way.

I can only tell you that I’ve been where you are now.  I know what it’s like to have no other options.  I also know what it’s like to have God answer prayers in a miraculous way.  I don’t have any magic formulas for you during your particular trial, but let me take you on an imaginary journey that might help you keep things in perspective.

Imagine, if you will, that you are a member of a College Football team.  It’s half-time and your team is losing 63-0 to the opposing team.  The halftime buzzer has mercifully sounded and you and your team-mates dejectedly walk off the field; heads looking down at the ground; to the locker room.  You aren’t looking forward to going to the locker room because, most certainly, the Coach is going to curse the team up one side and down the other.

After what seems like a 7 mile walk, you and your team-mates make it to the locker room.  You all sit on the benches in front of your lockers.  It’s so quiet you can hear a pin drop.  Even though no one says it out loud, everyone is thinking, “what’s the use?”  Why even play the second half losing 63-0?  There’s no way in this world we can win; we’re completely defeated.  After a few quiet moments, the Coach makes his appearance.  You and your fellow team-mates are dreading this moment.  It’s bad enough to be losing by this many points so I surely don’t want to hear any bad comments from the Coach.

For some reason, the Coach is not angry; he’s calm and confident.  In our imaginary example, he addresses the Team and says, “Today, we have a special guest to speak to you at half-time.”  The speaker enters the room and introduces himself as Jesus.  You’ve heard of this “Jesus fellow.”  You know of him and have heard about him, but you don’t know too much on a personal level.  HE begins to address the Team and you since that all is in control.  HE tells you that he understands why you feel defeated. HE tells you that HE understands that you feel over-matched.  But, then, in our imaginary story, Jesus says to our Team, “I want you to go out to the field in these last two quarters and know that I am guaranteeing your victory.”  We all look astonished.  HE says again, “trust me and hear me when I tell you that no matter how bleak things look now, when the game is over, you will be victorious.”  All of a sudden, we sat straighter; we held our heads higher; we were in the fight again.

In our imaginary story, as we headed back to the Field, we were confident. We had been told by our Creator that the score didn’t matter.  It made no difference how down we were; how seemingly hopeless our situation was, we had been guaranteed victory no matter what.

I often think of this imaginary story when I reach those darkest moments.  It reminds me that no matter how many battles I’ve lost or how many battles I have yet to lose, when the Final Gun sounds, I’ve won the Game.  It helps me to keep on keeping on, even when I don’t feel like it.  It helps me to realize that I am not in control; HE is in control.

Are you in one of those defeated, “half-time” moments of life?  If so, remember that you’ve already won the game.

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In God’s Hands

Strength

I can still remember vividly the days that both of our children were born.  I was a typical young father.  I didn’t really think I knew what I was doing.  I certainly wasn’t prepared.  I would imagine that no new parent is ever really prepared.  We all do the best we can do and with a lot of on-the-job training, we somehow manage.

The day my daughter was born was especially scary since she was our first.  My wife and I showed up at the hospital early in the morning.  Off we went with the admission nurses on to get settled in our new “home” for the next several hours, our birthing room. There was nothing special about the room and I was so nervous that it really wouldn’t have mattered anyway.  We could have been in the nicest Hotel and I would have still been just as nervous and anxious.

The birth was joyous and overwhelming with emotion. Mom and baby did fine. I was a proud, new Father, even though I didn’t have a clue what to do. The nurses would bring our daughter to our room for feedings and show us all the important things we would need to know when we got home.  We would see her a few moments and off she would go back to the nursery.  We spent a couple of uneventful days in the hospital and then it was time to check out and go home.

It was the day that we left the hospital that always has stood out in my mind.

As the Nurse helped my wife into a wheelchair, with our daughter, to roll them out to the emergency room exit of the hospital, I went ahead to the parking lot so I could drive our car to the emergency room entrance to meet them.

We helped my wife into the car and then the nurse handed our daughter to me so that I could place her in the car seat.  As she handed our daughter to me, I’ll never forget that she said “she’s all in your hands now.  Take good care of her.”  It was at that moment that the awesome responsibility of parenthood hit me between the eyes.  There weren’t going to be any nurses to help with feedings and diaper changes, or to simply ask questions when we weren’t sure. It was something about the way she said those words to me that made me realize that a new, young life was totally dependent upon me and my wife.

My daughter is an adult now raising her own family.  I think back on the many, many mistakes I’ve made as a parent, but somehow we survived.  I realize that she was in my hands for many years and now she has her own children that are in her hands.

As a Christian, it has always been a source of security for me to realize that I am always in God’s hands.  I sometimes jokingly wonder if He sometimes thinks that he may have bitten off more than he could chew when I became one of His Children. But, then, I realize that my life is no surprise to him. There is nothing in my life that catches God unprepared.  Our Heavenly Father is a confident Father and I often need to remember to remain confident in Him and that he never fails me, despite how I may have failed Him.

Are you in His Hands?

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