Learning to See

We got the note a couple of weeks ago.  In the precise handwriting of a second-grade school teacher were the words, "Savannah is having trouble seeing.  She needs to have her vision checked."  This was paper-clipped to the school nurse's report that recommended an immediate visit to an optometrist.  We called, made appointments, and last Friday the day came to take my seven-year old to her first visit to the eye-doctor.  Now it must be stated that Savannah has always had a unique way of 'seeing' things.  She expresses her opinion in blunt, unashamed statements that are sometimes funny when they come out of the mouth of pixie-faced second-grader.  She was no different at the eye-doctor.  Asked to read the eye chart, Savannah said, "I know the top letter is an 'E' because I saw it when I came in."  When asked about the fourth line down she squinted and said, "F, Z, an upside-down A, a squiggly line, and is that a sideways number 4?"  No doubt about it the kid needed glasses. 

As the doctor did her best to find a prescription that would work, she had Savannah look through the ocular device that looks like a robotic mardi-gras mask and asked "Which looks better, one (flip the lens) or two?"
Savannah quickly replied, "Neither."
"Three or Four?"
Savannah Shrugged.
"Five or Six?"
"I guess six."
"Seven or eight?"
"Ellie wears number seven in softball!"
This was going to be a long doctor's visit.  The doctor, with much patience and expertise, finally evaluated Savannah's vision enough to get a prescription.  Savannah's vision was poor.  The doc told us that at first reading was going to be hard for her because her eyes had never had to work to focus.  She also said walking and balance might prove to be problems over the first several days because the ground would look different to her but that eventually her eyes would actually strengthen and adjust.  We thanked the doctor and ordered the glasses and were told they would be in next week, which to an excited seven-year-old means eternity.

We picked up the glasses earlier this week and I got to pick up Savannah from school the very next day.  Usually on the way home the child will talk my ear off, but she was abnormally quiet on this trip.  I looked in my rear-view mirror and discovered why.  There sat my my daughter, eyes wide as they took in the scenery that passed by her window.  She could see birds flying in the air; leaves falling to the ground; a squirrel scampering up a tree; a cat sun-bathing on it's master's porch.  Nothing escaped her vision, and she was too amazed to even speak.

I was reminded how often we go through life without actually seeing it.  We get so caught up in the blur of our daily schedule that we fail to see the blessings and opportunities that God places in our path.  When was the last time you paused to look at the changing colors of fall?  When did you last look up to see the starry host of night and marvel at how big God is?  Did you notice the beggar on the street?  The elderly lady in the grocery store?  The clerk at the gas station?  Blessings and opportunities missed because we fail to see.

I don't know about you, but I need my spiritual vision checked.  My eyes are lazy and don't want to do the work of focusing on the things of God.  Will you come with me to the great physician?  I warn you, the results may be hard to handle at first.  We may find ourselves off-balance because we are not used to seeing so many needs.  We may even stumble over ourselves because we are not used to seeing the path God has laid out for us.  But see we must.  So join me as I pray to the Holy Spirit of God, "Lord open my eyes, that I may see."

Change is Constant - God is Eternal

I would hate to be the complaint department at Facebook right about now.  They tweaked their networking site to handle newsfeeds, emails, and other minor things differently and the complaints started popping up on statuses everywhere.  The emotions seemed to range from minor irritation to "I'm leaving facebook forever!"  I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony at how a generation that has seen so much change in their lifetime can get so upset when a free service that is voluntary to use is changed.  Perhaps as a minister this struck me particularly funny because so often it's the "old folks" that get portrayed as sticks in the mud and the young adults are the proponents of "change" and "progress."  Now it seems the shoe is on the other foot.  Let's see how it fits.

Our Generation isn't the only Generation to see Major Change

A few years ago I officiated a funeral for a lady who was 98 years old.   In her lifetime she had seen some significant changes.  As a young girl she remembered traveling to California... by stagecoach.  Her generation saw the invention of the airplane, and the subsequent revolution in travel it would affect.  She saw a World War, a Great Depression, and another World War.  Alaska and Hawaii added their stars to our flag in her middle years.  She witnessed how the interstate system shrunk a continent and how rock and roll united a generation.  Her eyes saw race riots in the 60's and her ears heard the dream of Martin Luther King Jr.  She witnessed a nation divided by war in Vietnam, then divided again by war in Iraq.  She saw the walls of communism fall in Berlin and the Twin Towers fall in New York as terrorism replaced communism as the chief enemy of the United States.  Yet, remarkably, she adapted to each and every change, and even when life was tough, she survived and adapted.  One of the elders asked her to reflect on her life and teach him a lesson she learned.  Her voice, feeble with age but strong with conviction whispered, "Change is constant, but God is eternal."

Adapting to a Changing World

Our generation (I speak to my peeps who are 35 and under) has seen a fair amount of change.  September 11 forever changed how we travel and how we view safety and security.  The internet has dramatically altered how we communicate and gain information.   Cell phones have morphed from a brick with an antenna that only the rich could afford to devices that perform hundreds of functions and nearly everyone has one in their pocket.  Blogs have given a voice to the undervalued and the overrated.  Televisions are no longer large cubes on a tabletop, but flat screens on a wall that can double as portals into the worldwide web.  Just this past spring, revolutions in Arab nations have altered the politics of the Middle-East.  Yet we adapt.  We change.  We cope.

So why do we get so upset when something as insignificant as Facebook changes?  Because, we desperately desire something to be constant.  Why does the older generation resist change in the church?  Because, through wars, depressions, recessions, civil rights movements and political upheavals, the church has been a constant to them.  What we need to realize, in both technology and in the local church, change is a constant.  When we need to cling to something that is never going to leave us, forsake us, or abuse us, we need to realize that we don't need a something but a someone.  God is that eternal constant.  God is the "anchor for the soul" (see Hebrews 6).  God is eternal.

The next time something changes and it unnerves you, remind yourself of Who is your anchor, because change is a constant, but God is eternal.

A Prayer for My Country

Oh Lord, how did we end up here?  As I look around I see people who are hurting, angry, scared and indifferent.  Pundits proclaim they have the answers.  'More education! More money! More Government! Less Government! Less taxes! Less God!'  It's enough to make my head spin.  I hardly know where to turn, so I turn to You.  How have we gotten so far apart?  Not even the 'Christians' agree on what our nation needs!  Some say we need to get involved in every part of the political process.  Others say that our nation is demonic and patriotism is idolatrous.  Me?  I can't help but love the land you have given me to be my home.  The rolling hills that You created reveal an artist's heart.  The sound of surf-pounded beaches remind me of the waters of your unquenchable Spirit.  The buildings I have not built, and the food I have not grown and the freedoms I did not fight for remind me of Your blessings and Your provisions.
But now, as I look around, I see disasters.  Blizzards, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires and tornadoes sift us like flour.  A poor economy, unemployment rates and a failing stock market make what once seemed like a stable future look shaky.  Our leaders seek to make each other look bad instead of seeking You.  Are You trying to get our attention?  Are these the pangs of childbirth that You warned us about?  Are You about to send Your Son?  Oh I hope so!  I long for that day when all nations will dissolve and the Bride of Christ will rejoice with her Savior.  Or are these warnings of something else?  Is judgment about to befall a country that has forsaken You in so many ways?
I find myself like Isaiah, wanting to repent on behalf of his people.  Lord, I repent for the sins of my nation, for they have been my own.  I repent of self-sufficient pride that says I no longer need You.  I repent of materialism that has crowded You out of my life.  I repent of being so comfortable that I did not bother to move to help my brother.  I repent of seeking entertainment over enlightenment; of seeking pleasure over purity; of seeking my good over Your glory.  I repent of being apathetic to Your call and ignorant of Your Word.  I repent of leading people to a cause rather than to the cross.  I repent of   not recognizing Your voice as You called desperately for Your sheep.  I repent of language that seeks to tear apart instead of bring together.  I repent for being distracted when I should have been determined.  I repent of seeking freedom apart from You instead of realizing that freedom can only be found in You.  I repent with tears.
Have mercy Lord on me and my country.  Raise up a generation who will bring people to Your throne.  Nonetheless, Your will be done.
Lord, please come quickly.
In the glorious name of Jesus, the King of Kings, I pray.
Amen.

Earthquakes, Cancer, Hurricanes and other Signs of the Apocalypse

It has been an interesting week to say the least.  On Tuesday, Virginia had it's largest earthquake in over a century.  It was felt from New York to the Carolinas.  Fortunately, except for those close to the epicenter, the damage was minimal, but it definitely got the attention of everyone on the east coast who thought that earthquakes were a west coast phenomena.  On Wednesday, I got a phone call to see if my wife could help out a friend who is a Vice-principal.  This friend has a husband who has cancer and the future is very unclear for them.  Even now as I write this, Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the east coast threatening fury like a woman scorned.  The news station in the coffee shop where I sit is listing all the states that are having mandatory evacuations of their coastlines.  The fear and concern of the residents interviewed is palpable.

What am I as a Christian to make of this?  Earthquakes happen all the time.  Hurricane season comes every summer.  Everybody knows somebody that has cancer, or they have fought it themselves.  But it seems everything is accelerating.  We live in a time where economic uncertainty has become a fact of life.  Revolutions are happening all over the Middle-East.  Just a few weeks ago there were riots in the streets of merry old London.  When I talk to people, worry is evident in their words.  Worry over the future.  Worry over what their children will face in their lives.  Worry over whether or not America has seen her last golden age.  And so I am left wondering what words of comfort I could possibly offer.  So I turn to God's Word to see what He has to say about this.

There is a curious passage in Luke 13 where some people upset about Pilate killing Galileans approach Jesus for an explanation.  Talk about a moment to see the shepherd comfort His sheep.  This is a golden opportunity to see how God answers the age-old 'why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people' question.  We lean forward, eager to hear what Jesus has to say.  But Jesus does not answer the way we would expect Him to, instead He says,

Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

 What?  No comfort from the lips of Jesus?  No reassuring promises that everything will be alright?  Instead, Jesus takes the opportunity to warn us, not once, but twice, that these events should remind us to get right with God.  Every generation has known trouble, some more than others.  But trouble should remind us of one thing:  get your relationship with God right before you worry about the other things of this world.

Now this seems to be a calloused approach by Jesus.  These men asking the question may have had a family member killed by Pilate.  Perhaps they knew the men killed in the tower collapse that Jesus references.  But Jesus wants to remind them of what is truly important.  The reality of our situation is this: we are only on earth for a brief period of time.  In the hourglass of eternity, 70-80 years is not even a grain of sand.  What Jesus is doing in this passage is reminding them, and us, that life is fragile, brief and if we want to enjoy eternity, then we better have the eternal matters right.

So, as you shake with the quakes, or prep for the storms, or cope with a disease, be reminded that there is a God who wants a relationship with you.  As you look ahead to uncertain times, make sure your eternity is certain by getting right with Jesus.  Invest in things that matter by spreading the good news of Jesus to all you meet, for their lives are brief too.  Once you do those things, then I invite you to pray with me, "Lord Jesus, come quickly."

MacArthur by Mitchell Yockelson

The history buff in me couldn't wait to get his hands on this book.  I wasn't disappointed.  Yockelson's prose is easy to read and made this biography of one of America's most iconic heroes an easy page-turner.  Yockelson starts with the childhood of Douglas MacArthur, detailing how he grew up as a military kid, moving from post to post whenever his father was transferred.  MacArthur grew up seeing the west while it was still wild in many ways and loved the military life.

Yockelson then describes MacArthur's West Point days, as well as his adventures in WWI during which he would earn 7 silver stars, two distinguished service crosses, a Purple Heart and be recommended (though denied) for the Medal of Honor twice.  From there MacArthur served as Chief of Staff under Hoover and FDR before being assigned to serve in the Philippines.  It was while he was there that the U.S. was drawn into WWII by Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Again, Yockelson tells of MacArthur's wartime exploits with enough detail to keep the story moving, but not so much to bog the reader down.  After WWII came MacArthur's time to serve Japan by rebuilding it's government.  Of all his accomplishments, it was his treatment of the Japanese people that I found most noble about this great general.  As they describe, he did not treat them as vanquished foes, but as allies in need of help.  YOckelson concludes with MacArthur's brilliance in the Korean War, his clashing with Truman and subsequent firing, and his final speeches to congress, and then a decade later to West Point.  Sprinkled throughout was the story of a man who tried to honor God the best way he knew how, by honoring his country.

I found the book informative, easy to read and fair.  Yockelson doesn't sugarcoat over some of the messier details of MacArthur's life (like the mistress he had while serving as Chief of Staff or his surly attitude towards Truman over Korea and China), but he does treat the life of MacArthur with the respect deserved of a man who gave so much for his country.  A must-read for any history fan out there.

Letter from Camp

I have had a blast serving multiple weeks of camp this summer.  If I were a kid and had to write a letter home that described some of the things I have seen, it might have looked something like this:

Dear Mom and Dad,

Camp has been fun so far and I just couldn't wait to write home about it.  Yesterday I met a kid named Jimmy.  He was covered head-to-toe with poison ivy!  When he's not itching and scratching, he's at the nurse's station getting pink stuff poured over him.  Jimmy says he's famous, but nobody knows it yet.

I also met a kid named Austin.  I think Austin is going to be a gymnast someday because he likes to climb and flip off of the top bunks in the dorm.  Even though the dorm dad tells him not to, Austin waits until he's not looking and dismounts with a 360 degree turn and lands perfectly on one toe! 

My favorite time is pool time.  Our dorm dad does the biggest belly-flops in the world!  He makes the pool look like a tidal wave!  It's more fun than that water-park you always take us to.  We practice baptisms in the pool all the time, although the life guard yells at us when we hold somebody under for too long!

Worship time is fun too.  I think it's funny when the worship leader forgets the words to the song and makes them up as he goes!  Sometimes he tries to do the motions to one song while singing a different song.  Somebody should tell him that he's got it wrong.

I miss the food at home.  We had macaroni and cheese, but the cheese was all brown on top!  Maybe mom can come and show them how to make mac and cheese like she does.  I told the cook that all she needs to do is read the side of the blue box!

My friend Owen got baptized today.  It was really neat.  Some of the adults were crying and the other ones were clapping.  I don't understand it all, but maybe when I get home Dad will explain it to me.  Well I gotta go, the bell is ringing to go to campfire.

Love you guys,
Dave

The Reluctant Servant

A week of opposites.

That is what last week was to me.  We had breakfast at dinner-time and dinner at breakfast time.  We ate desserts first and main course after.  We walked in lines backwards and turned the daily schedule on it's head.  Why?  To illustrate that Jesus wants us to live 'backwards' and 'upside-down' to the way the world teaches us to live.  As far as Sr. High weeks at camp go, it was one of the most effective I have been a part of in quite some time.

Rewind about a week.  I didn't want to go to camp.  My schedule was packed, and I had moved out of the area this camp served two years ago.  But as a favor to a good friend, I agreed to help out.  When I pulled into camp on Sunday night I found my self wishing I had turned my friend down.  There was not an air-conditioned building in sight.  It was hot, humid and buggy.  The mosquitoes in Delaware are so thick you can see them in clouds, and the horseflies double as F-16s when they are not busy terrorizing the foolish camper who left his bug repellant at home.  And the sand.  Because of the camp's proximity to the beach, sand is everywhere.  It's in the dorms.  It's in the showers.  It's in the beds.  It's in your cereal.  Grit and grime become routine at this Christian camp tucked away in middle-of-nowhere, Delaware.  I found myself sorely tempted to look up the number to the local Holiday Inn.  But I am a man of my word, so I stayed, and I'm glad I did.

God specializes at using the mundane to do the extraordinary.  In His book shepherds kill giants and crucified carpenters save humanity.  So I should not be surprised that at a small, remote and run down camp God decided to show up and make His presence known.  The week was filled with incredible moments.  Baptisms stirred the pool on three different nights.  Tears of repentance, mourning, and healing were shed throughout the week, as old lives were left behind for new ones.  Then came Thursday night.

The theme was to lead you must serve, and to illustrate it the dean brought out a tub of water and washcloths.  Kids partnered up and began to wash each others feet.  At first there were nervous smiles and anxious laughter.  But as the worship leader began playing old hymns on the piano, the voices of dozens of teens began to fill the pavilion.  Immediately, I could sense that the Holy Spirit was moving as the teens began to seek out the adult volunteers to wash their feet.  I hung out in the back.  I don't like anyone touching my feet due to being extremely ticklish.  That, and there was something inside of me that said I didn't deserve such an honor.  However, eventually a young woman found me and insisted that she wash my feet.  I protested, but she would not relent.  All she said was, 'If you are to serve others, you must be served.' 

I didn't realize just how much cleansing I needed.  Fifteen years of carrying the burdens and heartaches of others washed away as the water poured over my feet.   Wounds received in serving God's army began to heal as I felt the washcloth scrubbing away the grime from my soles.  If it wasn't for the fact that I was trying not to laugh at the tickling sensation, I would have been weeping like a baby.  In that moment, I was restored.  In that moment God renewed my strength.  After the ceremony I was emotionally spent, but I was spiritually invigorated.

As I drove away from camp the next day, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.  I was leaving a place that had become holy that week because it was visited by the Holy Spirit of God.  There was part of me that wished that I could stay there forever.  But just as certain as it was God who restored me, it was God telling me now it was time for me to serve others.  Now is my time to be a servant with a basin and rags.  Now is my time to take the message of Christ to others, and to help them bear their burdens and wash their wounds.  Now is my time.

Now is also your time.  Go.  Serve.  Wash some feet.