work | Courage for Today

Footprints for Others

My wife and I love to take an occasional stroll on the beach. There’s really not much more relaxing than walking along the edge of the water and watching all the wonderful sights. I especially enjoy watching all the children playing in the sand and building those sand castle masterpieces. The kids on the beach are so intense with their sand buckets and shovels and are so proud of what they’ve built. There’s just nothing like it.

On our most recent trip to the beach, we were able to do a little more walking than usual. The beach meandered around the coastline for miles and miles. We soon came across a pier that reached out into the ocean water several hundred feet or so. We thought that this would be a nice place to sit a few moments and catch our breath so we both sat off to the side of the pier observing all the busy fishermen testing their skills. We found a nice shady spot next to some large concrete support beams which shielded us temporarily from the heat of the day.

As I sat there, I noticed that we weren’t the first ones of the day at this particular spot. There were the remains of a small sand castle that was fighting to stay in tact from the onslaught of the crashing waves. The small footprints that were once fresh in the sand, no doubt the builders of the sand castle, were now just barely visible. It would only be a few more dozen waves until the sand would be a clean slate again, ready for the next day’s activities. This was in stark contrast to the artwork I soon noticed in the concrete support beam next to us. I wasn’t sure when the pier was built, but –at the time it was built–someone decided to place themselves in immortality by carving a small heart in the concrete with the names of themselves and their loved one. It was hardened in the concrete for all to see for as long as the concrete was standing.

I thought to myself how symbolic this was of God’s Word and our Work in the Christian Life. How often do we work and work and work, doing what we may feel the Lord has called us to do, only to see little reward—–at least in our own minds. We wonder if anything we do in the Christian Life is permanent or simply temporary? The important thing for us, as Christians, to remember is that if we are obedient, there will always be rewards if we don’t grow weary.

That day on the beach showed me two types of Works. One that was temporary and one that was permanent. Whatever you are doing for the Lord, keep it up. HIS work has permanent results and is never in vain. Don’t quit and don’t grow tired. It may be years before you see results, or the results may not even be in your lifetime, but you’ll always leave footprints hardened in the concrete for others to see, not washed away like the sands on the beach.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galations 6: 9 (NIV)

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Understanding God’s Role in Helping Us Forgive Those We Struggle to Forgive

The Workers Are Few

Strength

I have some great memories of playing on the small farm at my Grandfathers, when I was maybe 9 or 10 years old. It wasn’t a huge farm by any means, but for an old City boy like me it was something special. I can remember that he had chickens running around everywhere; fields of corn; a fishing lake; and–my favorite–the old barn. I don’t think I had ever seen a real barn before, but it was everything I had imagined. Lofts of hay were everywhere. At least one horse I can remember was in the barn. There were lots of places to climb and jump and explore. It was a dream world for someone my age.

I remember one particular afternoon, my grandfather decided that he needed to pick some of the corn from the fields and, worst of all, he decided that I needed to help. I can remember not being very excited about helping. I was in my own little world playing in the barn and the last thing I wanted to do at that time was learn how to gather corn from the field. Of course, I went along for the adventure but learned quickly that my hunches were right; I would have rather stayed in the barn.

My grandfather walked with me down the long rows of corn. As we were walking, he was explaining that if the corn wasn’t picked soon, it would all rot and not be fit to eat. The timing was critical. I remember how tall the stalks of corn were, all over 6 feet tall. He showed me how to find the corn on the stalks and look for the corn that was ready to be picked. He then showed me how to take the corn off the stalk; put the freshly picked corn in a basket; and move on down the row to the next stalk. My memories of this farming adventure were not very positive. I remember how hot it was. The sun beaming down on us as we were sweating and itching while moving between row after row after row. I remember how isolated and lonely I felt at times. My grandfather had ventured off several rows from me and I can remember how scary that was. I was in this huge field of giant corn stalks, by myself, and not knowing which way to go if I had to go back to the barn. I also remember how hard it was. I had to look for the corn on the stalk, then look to make sure it was ready to be picked, then pick the corn and lug it around with my basket full of other corn that had been picked. I would much rather have been playing in the barn.

The Lord reminded me the other day of our verse in Matthew that says in part that the Harvest is plentiful, but the Laborers are few. I can see why. Just like my experience that day on the farm, our attempts to labor in God’s Fields face the same obstacles:

The Lord’s work is uncomfortable sometimes. Remember, when we labor in the Lord’s work, we trying to reach people that are usually resistant to God’s word. There’s often tension and friction and even conflict. Unfortunately, it takes endurance on our part to carry on even when the going is tough.
The Lord’s work is lonely sometimes. Many times I have worked on projects or events for the Lord and wondered why? I wondered why was I wasting my time when seemingly no one cared or noticed.
The Lord’s work is not easy. In most cases, the Lord leads in directions that will grow us and shape us. That’s not usually comfortable. Its’ much easier to stay where we are.

That corn on the cob later that day with dripping, melting butter was delicious. But, few, knew what was involved to get to that point of enjoyment. Timing is critical. We don’t know how critical our part is in God’s overall plan. If you and I are not obedient and don’t follow God’s direction, it may be too late for some.

Has the Lord called you to be a Laborer for HIM in a certain area? Is so, are you willing to work and endure the heat; loneliness; and difficulty of the Field of Harvest, or are you ready to return to the barn where it’s comfortable?

Designer Clothing

Self-Worth

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalms 139:14)

I was traveling down memory lane the other day and thinking back on when my children were younger and the many memories I have of them growing up. I could tell you story after story of the good times; the fun times; and the not so fun times. But, one particular story comes to mind, involving my son when he was probably three or four years old. At that time of my career, I was required to wear a suit and tie to work. On one particular weekend, my son decided that it would be fun to wear one of my suits to play in. He had managed to slip on my pants that were much, much too long. He had wrapped one of my ties around his neck and was clomping along in my size 13 shoes, barely able to walk without tripping. It was hilarious to watch. He was so proud of himself that he had dressed up in Dad’s work clothes. I “played work” with him for a little while and we both had a fun time pretending that he was dressing up and going to the office for a hard day’s work.

The funniest part of this dress-up day to me was that he was so determined to wear my clothing—–even though it was obviously several sizes too big for him. In his three or four year old mind, he believed that simply wearing the clothes of someone else, even when they didn’t fit, transformed him into to that person for a brief moment. Unfortunately, my clothes were much too heavy and too long for him and as well intentioned as he was, my clothing just ended up being a burden as he was trying to walk around the house. He would have been much better off simply wearing his own clothes that fit him properly.

This long-ago memory reminded me of my own Christian Faith when, at times, I have tried to be someone I am not. Over the years I have learned that God anointed each of us with our own set of “designer clothing.” You are wonderfully made, in God’s image. In fact, you already have “designer anointing,” custom made just for you. Instead of trying to be like someone else or trying to fit into a mold meant for someone else, learn to be confident in who God made you to be.

In today’s pressure filled world it is so very easy to be jealous of what others have or the skills that someone else has. I know; I’ve done it myself. Take my advice and don’t try to wear what doesn’t fit you; it will only weigh you down. Wear the custom fitted, designer clothing that God meant for you and allow Him to work in your life. You’ll be surprised at the weight lifted off your shoulder.

When We are Packed to the Hilt

Grace

I was driving down the road last week on my way to work in terrible Atlanta traffic. I usually don’t pay much attention to the cars and trucks around me but, on this particular day, there was a particular vehicle that caught my eye. The vehicle I noticed was a normal sized pick-up truck towing an open trailer. The truck was visibly in good shape, fairly new, with good tires and appeared to be well maintained. The truck and trailer captured my attention because the trailer was so full of furniture and materials that the truck could barely pull it and was only traveling around 30 MPH or so. There were at least two couches I could see; 3 refrigerators; multiple dressers; boxes stacked on boxes, and lots more I couldn’t even identify. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why this person wouldn’t make multiple trips and haul less on each trip, rather than trying to haul everything in one trip. It was obviously unsafe and my only thought was that either the truck or the trailer was going to wreck or cause a wreck at any moment. I decided to pass the truck and trailer and continue on my way towards work.

I really didn’t think about it much anymore that day; however, on my way home that afternoon, I noticed the same trailer parked on the opposite side of the road. It appeared that the wheel had come off the trailer or perhaps there was an axle problem as the trailer was learning toward one side. A lot of the furniture that I noticed on the trailer that morning was no longer there; I could only assume it was hauled separately or stolen. There were many of the same boxes and smaller items still sitting in the trailer. It was fairly obvious that the truck originally pulling the over-loaded trailer decided to disconnect the trailer and continue on without it. Perhaps this was out of necessity but, nonetheless, I am quite sure the truck was able to continue on its journey at a much safer pace.

As Christians, we all tend to live our lives very similar to the truck and trailer I observed that day. We live our lives carrying around burdens from our past that simply overload our lives. We do everything we can to improve our everyday life and live as God would have us to live then, inexplicably, we “hook-up” to our trailer of life burdens that we just continue to carry around. Maybe we feel like we can’t carry on without taking these burdens with us. Maybe we think these past burdens somehow contribute to the present. Somehow, we know that isn’t the case; yet, we continue to carry them anyway.

I want to be clear that I am not referring to positive memories of loved ones or positive life memories that have shaped our lives. What I am referring to are those negative, unnecessary events that God has long forgiven us of or forgotten but we can’t seem to accept that forgiveness. Let’s spend a little time looking through a typical “trailer” that we tend to hitch up and carry around each day. A typical trailer might be packed with: Grudges against someone for something they said to you many years ago; guilt about a poor decision that you wish you could have changed; something you said to someone that you wish you hadn’t said; bitterness about how life has “treated” you; hurt towards someone that mistreated you; and on and on.

Whatever events in your past are carried around in your “trailer,” I realize the hurt and the pain is real. No one can minimize or take that away from that.. Only our Heavenly Father can heal you from those hurts and help you to forgive those that need forgiving and move on with your life. If you have prayed those hurts and burdens to God, HE has already forgiven you; there is no need to continue carrying those with you. Disconnect your trailer and free yourself from the burdens of your past.

Don’t Try to Dig Up What Faith Has Planted

Faith

My wife loves to work wonders in her small garden on the terrace of our city condo. When I say garden, it’s not vegetables and fruit, but small plants and trees and an occasional flower. There’s something relaxing and rewarding about planting a seed or sapling in soil and nurturing it along the way. At first, there appears to be nothing but soil and water and fertilizer and the seed itself. Over time, after much patience, with the right combination of sunlight and TLC, the results of her efforts begin to pay off and growth begins to take shape.

I remember one particular small tree that had not been doing well at all in its current container. She had tried everything and decided that relocating the plant would be the plant’s best hope for survival. After much effort and much patience in waiting for the tree to regenerate and grow, the plant eventually died. As it turned out, the trauma of moving the plant to new soil and a new container ending up being more harmful than if we had left the plant where it was. It would have been better to be more patient and allow the plant to blossom in its original container.

How much is real life like that? Are you at one of those seasons in your life when things just don’t seem to be working out? Maybe you’ve tried and tried to work things out and you’re ready to give it all up. Maybe you’re ready to change directions entirely. Occasionally, God does tell us to change directions and take a different course; however, sometimes, God wants us to stay planted and simply have more faith that our current plans will generate fruit. Be careful that you don’t dig up what God has planted and that you allow ample time for God to develop His plans for your life. Remember, that our timetable is not always the same as God’s timetable for our lives.

My Bus Ride That Ended Nowhere

Encouragement

Sometimes I think back on events that happened in my life as a young person and wonder what in the world I thinking at the time. One such event that comes to mind occurred when I was a young teenager, perhaps 14 or 15 years old. I was offered a job–my first job—working in a barber shop shining shoes for customers. I don’t really remember how I even came to find out about the job but, nonetheless, I was able to work at the barber shop during the summer weekdays when school was not in session, as well as on Saturdays. I didn’t get paid much at all, mostly tips, but for someone who had never worked a “real” job before, this was a gold mine of an opportunity. I was able to earn a few bucks each day and actually had some real spending money which seemed like a fortune to me at the time.

The difficult thing about this job was that I was not old enough to drive. Of course, this meant that one of my parents had to drop me off and pick me up. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing although, over time, I could tell it became somewhat of a burden to them because they had their own schedules and couldn’t always work around mine. Over time, we noticed that there was a City bus that picked up passengers not too far from our house and continued on its route to the shopping center where the barber shop was located and further on its route through the City. I can remember my Dad finding out about the particular bus number I would have to take and the routes it would follow, as well as where to get on and off. It was a big step for me to get “dropped off” at the bus stop; wait for the bus to arrive and, then, pay attention along the journey so I would know just when my stop was getting close. I remember that we even rehearsed the route–going and returning–so I would know exactly what to expect. I felt like such an adult getting to ride the bus by myself and going to work without my parents dropping me off and picking me up.

Unfortunately, the best laid plans sometimes don’t work out as expected and this was no different. There was one particular day that I remember riding the bus to work with no problems at all. I waited for my upcoming stop and pulled the bell to alert the driver. The driver stopped right on queue and off I went to work holding my head high. I worked my normal day, shining those shoes as best as I could (which wasn’t very good by the way) until closing time. As was typical, I said good-bye to my bosses and began the short walk to my designated bus stop and awaited my chariot to bring me home. I waited. And, I waited. And, I waited some more. Those of you that ride buses regularly know what I am speaking of. I began to worry and panic. Remember, there were no cell phones in those days. I began to worry that my parents would wonder where I was. I couldn’t easily let them know the bus was late. In fact, if I walked to a find a pay phone and call them, I might miss the bus which would make me even later. This became crisis time; decision time for me.

Finally, I saw a City bus coming toward me in the opposite direction on the other side of the street. It looked like the same bus I would normally catch. It had the same bus number. It had the same colors. Everything about it looked exactly like the bus I would normally catch–except it was going the opposite way. I made the quick decision to cross the street and get on that bus just to be going somewhere. For some reason, I thought that the City buses just ran a continuous circle route. I knew the bus was going the opposite way but I thought it would continue on and eventually circle back in the direction I wanted to go. I figured that at least I was on the bus and would just take a longer, more circular route back home. Boy, was I wrong.

The bus continued to downtown and eventually got to the end of its route. I was the only remaining passenger on the bus. The driver stopped the bus, turned to me, and asked me “where are you going?” I told him my home address and he said those famous words that echo in my mind today, “Son, you’re going the wrong way.” He went on to give some directions how to walk to another bus stop to catch a bus going back the direction I needed to go. Once I heard “you’re going the wrong way,” I basically didn’t hear another word he said. I got off the bus, wondered around City streets and was totally lost. I had no idea where I was. I had no idea where the mythical bus stop was. I was really, really scared. After what seemed like an eternity, I found a pay phone and called home. I was able to give my Dad some cross streets and some idea of where I thought I was and he was able to come rescue me from being homeless for the night.

It’s actually quite a humorous story now when I think back on it, but it wasn’t funny at all at the time. As I look around the world today, I see so many people who are religious or who follow things of this world that lead them in the wrong direction. So many things today look like the real thing and appear to be the real thing, yet they aren’t. They deceive us into the wrong things and we end up following what we think is correct only to find out we’re going in the opposite direction—just like my bus ride all those years ago.

There is only one true Christ. There may be those who try to appear the same, look the same, and have just enough of the truth to appear to be the same, but they aren’t. I remember accepting Christ when I was 13 years old and my life has never been the same sense. Sure, there have been ups and downs but through it all, I know that I am going in the right direction and that my route in life will lead me home one day. Always measure your faith against what God says in His word—His Word that never changes—and not what Man says about the word and you’ll never go wrong and end up going in the wrong direction.