When I ran cross country for Grossmont High school, I enjoyed the leadership of Coach Lib. He did much more than teach us how to run competitively. He gave us great insight into being part of a team, knew how and when to challenge us to reach our hidden potential, and understood the power of motivation. During his pep talks, he would talk about how our character was being built by our choices. When we were faced with obstacles or difficulties he would say, "That's just another potato in the stew of life." That's a positive way to see our struggles - like a potato that can be swallowed and put away for good.
As believers we know God allows things to happen we cannot. He knows that good will come from circumstances He allows which we never could have imagined. Unlike the natural process of digestion, God is able to supernaturally make good out of obstacles there's no way we could chew or swallow. What a comfort this is to us, knowing God remains in control!
This morning our family disembarked at 6:15am Sydney time, had our passports stamped, and headed over to Carousel #4 to pick up our baggage. Our flight from Carlsbad to Sydney had been delayed 20 minutes, shrinking our 45 minute layover to mere minutes. Thankfully the gates were close! But it became apparent as we waited at the carousel in Sydney watching bag after bag pass by without seeing one of our eight checked bags, we had managed to make a connection our bags had not! It was later confirmed that our bags had indeed reached LAX, but were somewhere else than Sydney this morning. We weren't the only ones with missing bags either!
Needless to say this was an unexpected snag in our travels. Laura and the boys had only the clothes on their backs, we were without toiletries, and separated from things considered precious enough to cart 7,500 miles! Though disappointed with this minor setback, we were blessed beyond measure to be met by two women from church who woke up early (and one young man on summer holiday!), faced the traffic and tolls, and met us with joyful embraces. I would rather lose 10 bags forever and receive the love of Christ than to have 10 cases filled with gold without God's love. How blessed we are to have the fellowship, unity, and love of Jesus Christ displayed from His people!
We still do not know how the missing baggage story will end. Will our bags ever be found? I hope so! But even in this God can and will be glorified, and even this setback is just a small potato in the stew of life. We'll chew it up and grow stronger. Praise God He has given us a life worth living and brothers and sisters in Christ to share it with!
04 January 2011
02 January 2011
A Time to Fly
The big moment has almost arrived! Tomorrow my wife and two sons will be boarding a plane bound for Sydney, Australia! People ask me: "Are you excited?" Frankly, I don't know when I wasn't excited. But at the same time it feels unbelievable, that the day that hardly seemed imaginable will become a soon reality. One of my sons have not even been out of the state of California, much less off the continent! A challenge and change awaits us.
Thank God that He is LORD of the heavens and the earth. As the words of David relate in Psalm 139:7-18: "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You."
How marvelous are the works of our God! Though we leave family and friends dear to us, we look forward to friends and family in Christ we join in service to God in Australia. Tomorrow is already written in God's book, but I have a part in walking according to His will. Though we may be out of sight and out of mind of men, our God will never forget us. He will never leave or forsake His children.
Thank God that He is LORD of the heavens and the earth. As the words of David relate in Psalm 139:7-18: "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You."
How marvelous are the works of our God! Though we leave family and friends dear to us, we look forward to friends and family in Christ we join in service to God in Australia. Tomorrow is already written in God's book, but I have a part in walking according to His will. Though we may be out of sight and out of mind of men, our God will never forget us. He will never leave or forsake His children.
29 December 2010
Different People, Same Need
One of the biggest hindrances a Christian faces in evangelism is himself. We have a way of becoming self-focused when answering the call to reveal Jesus to the world through our lives. A common extreme is to become so regimented on a process that we forget to show real love to the people Jesus died to save. Another common issue is we are so concerned about our lack of knowledge or other perceived insufficiency we refuse to even try!
As I waited in a Starbucks to meet with a friend today, I was struck by the vast differences of the people inside. There was a policeman with a holstered gun, a man working on his computer, a man with painted nails and a purple purse, a couple of ladies walked in fresh from a workout, and a job interview was being conducted in the corner. I considered our different personalities, lifestyles, and occupations, and I wondered what I could possible have in common with all these people. I looked again at the man with the purple bag with long nails: what did we have in common besides being in Starbucks this particular morning?
Then the answer came: everyone in this coffee shop has a real need for Jesus Christ. Your occupation, sexual orientation, your history is not relevant to answer this question. The more I looked around and thought about it, it seemed we had much more in common than the sum of our differences. We have all been created in the image of God by God for God. He has breathed into all of us a living soul and we are separated by God by our sins. If we desire to spend eternity with Christ in heaven and enjoy fellowship with God on earth and into eternity, we must repent and trust in Jesus as LORD and Savior. Only selfishness would cause me to focus on our differences when our true needs and those of our fellow men are exactly the same.
Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost. We all must see ourselves in truth as lost before we can be found. We need not always use words to reveal the love of Jesus to this world, but often words will be required. Actions motivated by love will always be required! Instead of dwelling on differences, may we seek to meet that need that all people share in whatever means possible, that they too might experience the saving grace, love, and forgiveness of our Savior Jesus Christ!
As I waited in a Starbucks to meet with a friend today, I was struck by the vast differences of the people inside. There was a policeman with a holstered gun, a man working on his computer, a man with painted nails and a purple purse, a couple of ladies walked in fresh from a workout, and a job interview was being conducted in the corner. I considered our different personalities, lifestyles, and occupations, and I wondered what I could possible have in common with all these people. I looked again at the man with the purple bag with long nails: what did we have in common besides being in Starbucks this particular morning?
Then the answer came: everyone in this coffee shop has a real need for Jesus Christ. Your occupation, sexual orientation, your history is not relevant to answer this question. The more I looked around and thought about it, it seemed we had much more in common than the sum of our differences. We have all been created in the image of God by God for God. He has breathed into all of us a living soul and we are separated by God by our sins. If we desire to spend eternity with Christ in heaven and enjoy fellowship with God on earth and into eternity, we must repent and trust in Jesus as LORD and Savior. Only selfishness would cause me to focus on our differences when our true needs and those of our fellow men are exactly the same.
Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost. We all must see ourselves in truth as lost before we can be found. We need not always use words to reveal the love of Jesus to this world, but often words will be required. Actions motivated by love will always be required! Instead of dwelling on differences, may we seek to meet that need that all people share in whatever means possible, that they too might experience the saving grace, love, and forgiveness of our Savior Jesus Christ!
28 December 2010
Peace from Proximity?
Has someone ever asked you an unexpected question? On Christmas Eve my great-grandma, affectionately known as "Mama Pachita," asked me such a question. To this point, her question usually has been, "Mijo, why don't you speak Spanish?" As I knelt by her chair to give her a hug she bluntly asked, "Why do you have to go so far? What if you are gone when I die?" She struggled to cope with the idea that I would be moving from San Diego to Sydney across the Pacific ocean about 8,500 miles away. This is not a question I could answer. I quipped that she had lived a long life until this point, and I didn't think that would soon change. Though still in great health, the thought of me being gone when she passed away disturbed her. As I lay down to pray and sleep that night, her question remained in my mind.
I suppose I don't consider the ramifications of my own death that often. I have taken responsible steps to provide for my family through a Living Trust and life insurance, but I spend no time thinking about how the world would be different if I wasn't around. The other night I watched the classic "It's a Wonderful Life." George Bailey played by James Stewart is given the opportunity to see what the world would be like if he had never been born. The movie drove home the point that one person, no matter how insignificant he or she feels, makes a profound impact on the people they contact. Their choices, character, and love actually make more of a difference than being financially secure.
In her practical wisdom, my great-grandmother's question made a profound impact upon me. Her statement showed that where I am on the globe matters because I am important to her. If she had died before asking that question, I never would have known how much I matter to her. Lesson learned? Take the time to let people know they make a difference in your life. Also, never forget to thank God for the difference His presence makes in our lives. I am limited to a tiny spot on the globe, but God is infinite and eternal. Wherever we find ourselves in the world, God is near when we draw near to Him.
One of my favorite exhortations in 2 Timothy 2:3 reads, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." One of the hardships soldiers must endure is separation from family, friends, and what is familiar. They are called to fight as a united unit to accomplish the directives given by commanding officers. God has called our family to serve Him in Australia. Separation is hard, but God through His gracious love meets all our needs. He knows the desires of our hearts, our motivation, our struggles, and fulfills every promise made to us. Romans 8:18 gives us confidence in God's plan for each one of us who labor for His name's sake: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." I believe this wholeheartedly!
Peace does not come from physical proximity, but only from the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ! Praise Him, for He will never leave or forsake us!
I suppose I don't consider the ramifications of my own death that often. I have taken responsible steps to provide for my family through a Living Trust and life insurance, but I spend no time thinking about how the world would be different if I wasn't around. The other night I watched the classic "It's a Wonderful Life." George Bailey played by James Stewart is given the opportunity to see what the world would be like if he had never been born. The movie drove home the point that one person, no matter how insignificant he or she feels, makes a profound impact on the people they contact. Their choices, character, and love actually make more of a difference than being financially secure.
In her practical wisdom, my great-grandmother's question made a profound impact upon me. Her statement showed that where I am on the globe matters because I am important to her. If she had died before asking that question, I never would have known how much I matter to her. Lesson learned? Take the time to let people know they make a difference in your life. Also, never forget to thank God for the difference His presence makes in our lives. I am limited to a tiny spot on the globe, but God is infinite and eternal. Wherever we find ourselves in the world, God is near when we draw near to Him.
One of my favorite exhortations in 2 Timothy 2:3 reads, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." One of the hardships soldiers must endure is separation from family, friends, and what is familiar. They are called to fight as a united unit to accomplish the directives given by commanding officers. God has called our family to serve Him in Australia. Separation is hard, but God through His gracious love meets all our needs. He knows the desires of our hearts, our motivation, our struggles, and fulfills every promise made to us. Romans 8:18 gives us confidence in God's plan for each one of us who labor for His name's sake: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." I believe this wholeheartedly!
Peace does not come from physical proximity, but only from the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ! Praise Him, for He will never leave or forsake us!
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