It’s in there

Looking at my name and picture you would never guess that I’m Italian, but it’s true.  My mother’s maiden name is Di Blasio, both her parents immigrated to America from Abruzzi, Italy.

Memories of my Grand Pop are few and far between.  He died quite suddenly when I was young.  He was very tall and had ears so huge that the name “Dumbo” would just leap out of your mouth.  While I cannot confirm it, there is local folklore that when the wind was just right, he could actually float in midair.  He made President Lyndon Johnson’s ears look positively petite.  But the most remarkable thing about his ears was not their size but the volume of hair that grew in them.  It looked like someone had shoved mushroom caps in his ears as a decoration.  There are bald men all over America that were green with envy at the hair coming out of his ears.  He received several offers for harvesting hair transplants just from inside his ears alone.  I would climb up into his lap for a hug, but the hug was a diversionary tactic.  The real reason was to get up close and personal to see what was trapped in his ear hair.  You would be amazed at the debris and life forms entombed in his web of ear hair.

In contrast, I have very loving and strong memories about my Grand Mom.  She was very sweet, loving and always trying to feed me.  At age 13 she could comfortably stand up underneath my outstretched arm.  She was wider than she was tall, and you could die for lack of oxygen if she pulled you face first into her for a hug that lasted way too long.  Her homemade pastas were amazing.  Her ravioli were legendary as they almost floated in midair (nothing like the hockey pucks you get in the frozen food section).  The air of her house was filled with garlic and fresh herbs, everything was homemade.  When you add all the yelling, screaming and Italian cursing, it was sensory overload to the extreme.

Beyond everything else, my Grand Mom’s homemade spaghetti sauce was beyond compare.  And there is only one way to adequately describe her sauce – “it’s in there.”

It was an all-day affair, no shortcuts.  My grandparents were definitely on the low side of the economic bell curve (as a matter of fact, my parents would argue over who was the most destitute growing up.)  While she never had much money, I never saw her use non-traditional or substitute ingredients.  It was made in the largest pot in the house, and that’s saying something.  If she stirred the sauce once, she stirred it 5,000 times.

There is not enough time or space to adequately describe the list of ingredients, recipe and love that went into it.   In these “good old days” there was no such thing as prepared sauce in a jar.  Even if there was, it would not be caught dead in my Grand Mom’s kitchen.  She broke up plum tomatoes by hand with a fork followed by a symphony of ingredients; tomato sauce, beef, pork, veal, Italian sausage along with a host of herbs and spices.  I would watch in wonder as she almost danced with skill and grace, making her sauce, moving between the refrigerator (pronounced “Frigidaire”), sink (pronounced “zinc”) and stove.  About two hours into the process, it got serious as the tasting started, adding just the right ingredients to bring home that taste and consistency that we all loved.  The memories are so vivid and strong I can almost taste her sauce just writing these words.

So now you have some idea why I use the phrase “it’s in there” to describe her sauce.  It started with the ingredients, but there was so much more than that.  There was skill, experience, tenderness and love.

And the “it’s in there” phrase can also be said about God.  He didn’t want to leave us hanging, guessing “Who is God? What’s he like?  What does he want for me?”  When he wanted to show us what he was like, he came to earth in Jesus.  And not just in part, but fully.  In looking at Jesus, the Bible tells us that in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.[1]  Another way of saying this is that God completely lives in Jesus.

When we ask the question, “What is God really like?”  The answer is “Look at Jesus”.  So, what can we learn about God when we look at Jesus.  You might be surprised;

• You see the most nonreligious spiritual leader in history.  Jesus is not interested in popularity, power or prestige.  He’s not concerned with a political agenda, a building program or social change.  His harshest criticism is reserved for the religious power-brokers, comparing them to the dirtiest and most disgusting images of his day.
• Jesus had very little patience with the proud and arrogant, people who thought that they had it all together.  No matter what their position in society, he uniformly condemned everyone who thought they were better than others, seeing only good in their personal moral mirror.
• When asked questions, Jesus gives straight answers.  We don’t see Jesus couching his words or coddling people in some “politically correct” blanket.  Also, unlike some leaders and politicians, you never see him taking back something he said, changing his mind or position.  Jesus speaks plainly about his being God, loving God and people.
• Jesus has loads of love and compassion for people who know they are broken, needing help.  He never turned away people asking questions or for help, even if it required a change in his plans.  He was never too busy to listen, help, touch, heal and forgive.

The list of examples where Jesus demonstrated God’s love for the broken is long.  He was more than willing to get personally involved in the lives of people that no one else would dare to talk with or touch;

• Lepers – while others feared contamination and being ostracized by family and friends, Jesus touches, heals and restores
• Tax collectors – these are traitors who got rich by ripping off their neighbors, family and countrymen.  Jesus invites himself to their house, meeting and eating with them and their friends.  He follows up dinner with a story about restoration and forgiveness, even calling Matthew to be one of his closest friends/followers.
• Reputation – Jesus is not afraid to be with and forgive people that are so filled with guilt for their terrible mistakes.  He does not try and hold shame over their heads, but offers forgiveness, a clean start and power to change.

Yes, Jesus is the true picture of who God is.  And he is calling all of us to come right now.  There is no self-help “clean yourself up” program.  We are to come to God just like we are.  There is an old hymn that says it all about coming Just as I Am;

Just as I am, though tossed about

With many a conflict, many a doubt,

Fightings and fears within, without

God does not ask us to come with all our questions answered.  He does not expect us to have figured it all out first.  No, his invitation is to start the process of knowing him right from wherever we are.  His promise and commitment is to walk with us, listen and talk with us, give us answers that we need to hear, clean us up, giving us power to change into the people we desperately want to be.

Now is the time to look to Jesus to heal our broken hearts and soul.  We need to look to him for forgiveness and restoration.  So, when we need to see what God is truly like, look at Jesus.  He is the true picture of who God is, because he is God…  “He’s in there.”

Blessings - Chet


Chet Gladkowski writes and speaks on contemporary topics that impact our lives, culture and faith.


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^[1]Colossians 2:9

FUN-da-mental-ist

One of the few things that is sacred in my daily schedule is dinner. This probably comes from my childhood where my dad came home precisely at 5 PM and we ate dinner at 5:30.  This happened Monday through Friday regardless of rain, snow, sleet, or freezing rain. It was carved into the DNA of our family and was as predictable as the sun rising in the morning.

I want to have dinner at a predictable time every day. Yes, guilty as charged, call me creature of habit, but I want to have dinner at the same time every day. It doesn't matter if I'm at home, or on the other side of the country, I like to eat dinner at the same time every day.

We sat down for dinner the other day when, at the appointed time (and you know what's coming) the phone rang. No, it wasn't someone wanting to replace our roof, fertilize the lawn, save us money on our auto insurance or put aluminum siding on our house (as exciting as all those options are) it was a political survey.

Now I don't know about you, but I want to participate in a political survey during dinner about as much as I want my annual physical where the doctor probes every, and I mean every, orifice of my body. All I can think about is pain, discomfort, and total irritation at someone probing into my political psyche.

But perhaps in a moment of weakness or guilt, I took the phone into the other room and decided that I would willingly participate. I asked how long it would take and I was assured it was only a few minutes. So, I screwed up my courage and positive attitude to address the questions.  The person giving the survey was named Rachel. She was delightful and very patient with me as I asked "what was that question again?"

The survey started out with very general questions, as all surveys do, trying to warm you up in order to make you feel comfortable so that when they get to the important questions regarding your political underbelly, your guard is down.  Rachel asked and I answered in a delightful banter back and forth for the first 5 min.

Then the questions decidedly turned more personal and controversial. She was very patient as she explained the difference between:

• Absolutely agree
• Positively agree
• Strongly agree
• Somewhat agree
• Somewhat disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Positively disagree
• Absolutely disagree
• No opinion
• Somewhat no opinion
• Strongly no opinion
• Positively no opinion
• Absolutely no opinion
• I don’t care
• I don’t give a damn

After a detailed 45 minute grilling about my political hopes and dreams, Rachel uttered those immortal words, "we’re almost done I need just a little bit of information." So, she wanted to know things like my age, sex, race, income and all the standard questions we're familiar with to profile us. Then she started to ask about my "religious" beliefs and affiliations. After choosing to be profiled as a Christian, she gave me a list of greater refinements to choose from. I'll let your mind wander about possible options that were presented to me, but at the end she listed fundamental.

I have to tell you, the hair on the back of my neck started to rise at the thought of the word fundamental. How do you react to that word? Would you characterize yourself as being fundamental? Do you think of that word has been positive? Negative? Neutral? If someone labeled you as fundamental, how would you feel?

Our culture labels someone being fundamental in very negative tones. They are thought to be old-fashioned, restrictive, despising anything new, regressive, hating everyone and everything that does not exactly agree with that.

Now I want you to sit down and take a deep breath because I'm about to say something that probably is going to upset you. You may or may not agree, but I doubt that you will have no reaction. Please remove all sharp objects and anything from which you might harm your computer, yourself or another human being.

Everyone is a fundamentalist.

We all have thoughts and beliefs that guide our daily lives. We all have a set of rules, presuppositions and lists of what is right and wrong. We not only think certain things are right or wrong, we know they are.  We will defend them to the death and oppose anyone or anything that looks to change or challenge our view.  This is the essence of being a fundamentalist.

So, if were all fundamentalist the question becomes is there a right view? Are there any absolute, unmoving truths that we can base our life on?  The simple and straightforward answer here in North America is definitely "NO".

If you have any question about our culture not believing in any truth, don't believe me. In our "salvation by survey" culture, CNN interviewed a number of people on the street. The overwhelming results showed that the answer was no. Even studies performed by the Barna Group, an independent survey organization, decidedly show that our culture does not believe in absolute truths[1].

The culture, news, media, Internet, friends and neighbors all know with certainty that there are no absolutes.  If you wonder about this, go ask someone. I know this sounds weird, but sneak a question into your conversation and say, "I was reading this blog the other day and it said I needed to asked you this question. Do you think there's any absolute right or wrong?”

We have seen the poisoned fruit of rampant fundamentalism throughout history. Take a look at Nazi Germany, Communist China, Cambodia, and military governments in Africa for proof. In each and every circumstance, the government was right and the rights of individual were cast aside at the cost of millions of lives.

You may be thinking that fundamentalists are a fairly new phenomenon. But you may be surprised to know that Jesus ran in to fundamentalists and his reaction was stunning. He called them "hypocrites, snakes, children of serpents, blind guides, fools, full of greed and self-indulgence, [2]” Not exactly the way to win friends, influence people or to be politically correct. Jesus had very little patience with people who demanded blind obedience to their particular view of the world with no room for grace, love and forgiveness.

However, Jesus had tons of grace and forgiveness for people who knew they were wrong. We see Jesus welcoming Matthew and Zacchaeus (hated traitors and tax collectors[3]), touching and healing lepers[4], receiving gifts and worship from prostitutes[5]. At the end of his life, after being tortured and crucified with indescribable pain, he prayed forgiveness on those who were murdering him[6].

In looking at all the possible truths and people to believe in, Jesus is by far the most loving, forgiving and attractive.  We don’t have to “fix” ourselves or “earn” his love because he knows that we can’t.  Jesus said that he was God in very clear words and actions.  He took our pain and brokenness on himself, renewing us and giving us what we truly need – forgiveness, grace, a fresh start and power to change.

When Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth[7]?” He was standing right in front of him.  Jesus is right in front of us, offering to give us exactly the same thing, ultimate truth, ultimate love and a new life.  Now that’s a fundamental that I can believe in.

Chet Gladkowski writes on contemporary topics that impact our lives, culture and faith.


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[1] The Barna Group, “Does Absolute Truth Exist”

[2] Matthew 23:13-35

[3] Matthew 9:9, Luke 19:2

[4] Matthew 8:3

[5] Luke 7:37,38

[6] Luke 23:34

[7] John 13:38

Burnout

I desperately wanted to write something light and funny this week.  I really did.  I wanted to make you laugh about life and enjoy.  I wanted to poke fun at myself, talking about my inability to use my new iPad, which any 4 year old can instantly grasp and surf the galactic internet.  I was ready to describe in embarrassing detail how it took three trips to the grocery store to get everything I needed to make chicken fajitas and salsa.  Really, three trips. That ties my personal best of three trips to Lowes in order to fix a leaky faucet.

I really wanted to give you a gift, lifting our spirits so we could all smile and take a break from life.

But I couldn’t.

The economy continues to slog along.  I personally refuse to use any positive word (move forward, grow, recover) near any reference to our economy.  World events seem to be in an ever downward spin, like the whirlpool in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”  Political pronouncements from our leaders make us wonder if they have any clue what life is really like for the rest of us.  In dismay we ask if there is any hope for the country.

The daily grind seems to be just that; monotonous sameness that drags us from one day to another, empties our tank, brings us down.  The demands of life continue to accelerate, making us busier but it feels like we accomplish less.  We seem to be in a rut, like the hamster running in their wheel, spending all sorts of time and energy but getting nowhere.

It was Yogi Berra who said it best, "It's déjà vu all over again."

In listening to people from every walk of life, I see more stress and burnout than ever before.  I know the term burnout is well worn, but it seems to accurately picture what we see and experience.  And if you think I’m being negative, start a conversation with any stranger by asking, “So, how’s it going?”  Be ready for a “dump” of frustration, exhaustion, hurt and anguish.

To let you know that I actually listen to my own advice, I was in line at Wal-Mart the other day and asked the person next to me.  “Hey there, how’s it going?”  They unloaded about their husband, kids, grandkids, neighbors, taxes, government, you name it.  I know that some of you are thinking, “Well, isn’t that what you’d expect from people that shop at Wal-Mart?  After all, Wal-Mart attracts ‘that’ kind of person.”  So, I asked the exact same question to a well-educated Vice President at a high-tech company.  While his response was focused on different things, it was longer, louder and more intense.  For him it was his boss, his bloodsucking relatives, his girlfriend’s son, his daughter who’s ruining her life and his ex-wife.

• In a survey of 4,500 teachers, 24 percent say they're burned out and 32 percent say they wouldn't choose a teaching career again[1]
• The economy continues to be the focus as the greatest source of stress[2]
• 76% - money
• 70% - work
• 65% - economy
• 49% - job stability
• Stimulant prescriptions have risen 7-fold to more than 75 million per year[3]
• Pain killer opiate prescriptions (hydrocodone and oxycodone) has more than quadrupled to more than 219 million annually[4]

With all this intense pressure in our lives and families, it’s no wonder that our children are impacted;

• 91% of children know their parents are stressed as they see yelling, arguing and complaining[5]
• 47% of tweens say they are sad
• Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24 (behind accidents and homicide)[6]
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students

As we go looking for answers, falling under the pressures of life, we extend this same negative attitude towards God.  We feel that he hates us, condemns us and has abandoned us.  We think God is saying, “Look here, I’m against you. You have been rebelling against me. I hate you and I am forced to punish you.”

Boy, do I have some good news for you.  God is saying something entirely different to us.  He says to you and to me, “Yes, you are broken, broke and unable to get free.  But I have already paid the price and penalty for you.  I want you to know that you can come to me.  Peace has already been made for you in Christ Jesus, if you will just turn and come to me.”

God is not an angry neighbor who is waiting around the corner just to pounce on you, finding fault. God has His arms outstretched and is saying, “Come, and I will give you rest.”

Most people think that we have to do something to win God over. My friend, God is trying to win you over—the shoe is on the other foot.  God is ready; he is asking you if you are ready.

Some people will see this as an excuse to do whatever they want, abusing their personal freedom to indulge.  This is not what God wants or intends.  His desire is for us to find true freedom and power in life by releasing our rights and giving ourselves to him.

All of us are looking for relief. All of us are in need of restoration and refreshment.  And if you don’t mind me saying, we also are in need of forgiveness and reunion with God.  He has made the way, he has paid the price.  And like a gentlemen, he does not force it down our throat.  He offers it as a gift for us to accept or turn away.

His answer sure sounds better than trying to cope and just get by on our own.  It’s the best news ever.

Blessings - Chet


Chet Gladkowski writes on contemporary topics that impact our lives, culture and faith.



GladAssociates@gmail.com - email, Facebook & Twitter
GladAssociates.blogspot.com - blog
GladAssociates - YouTube
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[1] www.wthr.com

[2] Stress in America Findings, American Psychological Association

[3] National Institute on Drug Abuse

[4] Prescription Audit (SPA) and Vector One

[5] Stress in America Findings, American Psychological Association

[6] www.suicide.com

"The Scream"

Sometimes it’s hard to understand what something is worth and what people are willing to pay for it.  This week, "The Scream" by Edvard Munch went up for sale.  Estimates said that the painting would sell for around $80 million, but it blew right by that and sold for just under $120 million.

For me personally it’s hard to get my brain around numbers that big.  To get a handle on the magnitude of this number, imagine a stack (not end to end, but a stack) of 120 million dollar bills[1].  That’s;

• 39,960 feet tall
• 132 football fields
• 7.5 miles

This means that you could stack dollar bills from;

• The White House, to the Washington Monument, to the Lincoln Memorial four times with quite a bit left over
• Lake Wales airport to Chalet Suzanne, with a little bit to spare

As we look at this painting, we see a very intense and disturbing image.  But the story behind the picture is even more powerful.  Munch writes in his diary;

"I was walking along a path with two friends – the sun was setting – suddenly the sky turned blood red – I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence – there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city – my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety – and I sensed an infinite scream passing through[2]."

Did you hear and experience his words…

• feeling exhausted
• trembling with anxiety
• an infinite scream

It seems like these feelings and words were written just the other day as I listened to several friends…

• Have to sell the house, we can’t afford the mortgage
• Doctors found a lump and its growing
• Business associates lied and stole from me
• Working 4 part-time jobs just trying to make ends meet
• Several broken marriages/relationships
• Child is in jail again

“The Scream” is more than a portrait of one man; it’s a power picture of who we are and what we experience.  We all experience hurt, pain, brokenness, rejection, exhaustion, anxiety.

We've all met people that put up a front that everything is OK.  I have a friend that tells everyone how wonderful his life, family and career are.  They all seem so self-confident and happy in all they do and say.

On one occasion I casually asked my friend a question about something he wrote.  His immediate and strong reaction was to lash out with hatred and venom.  After licking my wounds to recover from the verbal and email lambasting, I wondered where it came from.  Months later, in a moment of vulnerability, he shared his feelings about the devastating impact of his parents’ divorce.  I was able to put the pieces together, he was confident and positive on the outside, but just under the surface was a hurt and insecure child.

One American athlete tells the story of his lifelong dream to be an Olympian. He labored, struggle and sacrificed everything towards his goal of becoming a gold medalist. Through sheer willpower, discipline and courage, he made the Olympic team.  Success, awards and praise seemed to follow him everywhere.  He entered the Olympic stadium, and with the entire world watching, he walked up to the starting blocks for the race of his life.  With the starting gun about to go off, the gold medal was within reach.  The culmination of his entire life was right in front of him, all he had to do was win this one race.  Then, out of nowhere, his mind was suddenly flooded with the distracting thought; “I wonder if my father is watching."  That momentary distraction cost him the gold medal[3].

If we’re honest with ourselves, we’re in exactly the same place. We put on an exterior that shows nothing but confidence and success. But on the inside were hurt, weak, yearning to be loved, comforted and healed.

I've looked all around for an answer to my personal pain, weakness, failure and need.  I tried a number of “self-medicating” solutions for healing and relief from the painful screams of life.  At the end of the day, all these failed because they were dependent on the problem – me.

Jesus offers a totally unique solution to our problem.  He does not say that we’re OK and can heal ourselves, doing things to fix life.  Jesus comes and says that he takes the weight of our weakness on himself and gives us newness of life.

Jesus said, I came to give you life, and may have it abundantly.  John 10:10

He alone is the solution to “The Scream” of our lives at a price we can all afford…belief in Him.

© GLAD Associates, 2012

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[1] Contact GLADAssociates@gmail.com if you’re interested in the math behind these calculations/measurements

[2] Nice 22.01.1892, Edvard Munch

[3] Jesus, Among Other Gods, Ravi Zacharias, Page 14

Normal

Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, I came to expect certain things were “normal”.   My “normal” world view said;

• Spaghetti does not come out of a box and it certainly does not come out of a can.  Being raised by a first-generation Italian mother, pasta was always made by hand and started with a five-pound bag of flour and a dozen eggs.  She never used one of those hand-crank metal pasta machines either; it was cut by hand using a “chitarra”; something that looked like a guitar that took too many steroids.  Sauce always started with a pound of beef, a pound of pork, a pound of veal and a pound of Italian sausage.  It took hours of hard work and skill.  I didn't know Spaghetti came out of a box till I was 20.  I would no more eat a can of Chef Boyardee than stick a hot wrench in my mouth.
  
  
• We “NEVER” drove or parked on grass or dirt roads.  Cars were new and clean while dirt and grass were filthy.  While I have been able to share this valuable insight on numerous occasions with the less knowledgeable, the most memorable and lasting incident occurred when I informed my date that, “Walking in the woods would dirty the bottom of my shoes.”  It may be difficult for some to believe, but that that girl became my wife 36-plus years ago.

Time prevents me from giving more examples of my “normal;”

• Leaving church exactly three minutes and forty-seven seconds early was the optimum time to avoid traffic in the parking lot
• Putting mayonnaise on each individual layer (bread, mayo, meat, mayo, lettuce, mayo, tomato, mayo, bacon, mayo, cheese, mayo, bread) was the only way to make a proper sandwich

After getting married we moved to Wilmington, Delaware.  Then to Danbury, Connecticut.  Then to Scottsdale, Arizona.  And finally to Lake Wales, Florida.  Imagine the stress and cross-cultural disorientation of landing in Imperial Polk County (pronounced “Poke” and yes, that’s the official name of the county) in central Florida.  One of my new found friends in Lake Wales informed me that the three basic food groups here were “Bar”, “B” and “Q.”


As you’re reading this, I bet that you have come to the settled conclusion that not only is my view of “normal” twisted, but you have serious doubts about me as a person.  And that’s OK because I have the same exact thoughts about you and everyone else.


So, what really is “normal” for us here in Polk County?  And for that matter, everyone else here on planet Earth.


I don’t know where you come from; your color, cultural heritage, if you are rich, poor or somewhere in the middle.  What you’ve done or what’s been done to you.  But I think we can all agree on something, and that’s this world and our lives are broken.  Life and things always seem to go downhill, from good to bad.  People get old, get sick and die.  Things go from new to old and broken.  All you have to do is nothing and your kids room goes from clean and orderly to dirty and a shambles.  An orange grove goes from beautiful and fruitful to dead and full of weeds.  All it takes is time and nothing else.


So, where does God fit into all this?  What are his thoughts, feelings and reaction about this "normal" state of things and our lives? As I reflect on this very important question, I come to two words;


“Jesus wept.” John 11:35


That was his firsthand reaction to experiencing the death of his friend Lazarus and its impact on family and friends.  Jesus does not turn away or abandon those hurting people.  He personally experiences the loss and enters into their pain.  It hits him right in the gut and tears flow from his eyes and heart.


He didn’t stand up and yell, “Well, that’s what you deserve, you and everyone else.  I made everyone and everything perfect but you’ve screwed it up.  You turned away from God so this is your just deserts.  Death, pain and destruction are what you asked for, what you’ve earned, so go ahead and enjoy it.”


And, in comparison to a perfect God, he could have said that and been absolutely right.


But Jesus came looking for “normal” people, just like you and me.  Hurting, bleeding, broken, lonely, separated, weak, sick, dying, insecure and uncertain.  As we experience this “normal” life, his perspective on pain is not someone that dumps on us; but as God who has responded to comfort and restore.  He doesn’t sit in some faraway place and send judgments to ruin us, but comes as a savior to restore us.  Jesus feels our pain and longs to restore us and our brokenness before God, each other and life.


But more than just feeling and experiencing our pain, Jesus offers restoration and renewal.  His offer is not through what we do but through a personal relationship with him.  Instead of a checklist, Jesus says that we agree with him about being “normal” and turn over our weakness and brokenness to him. In exchange, he takes us back and gives fullness of life for our emptiness.


If I were a betting man, I’d bet the farm that we are about the same.  I’ve tried to do things right, but I always fall back to “normal.”  There have been times when I was going to “get my stuff together,” change my life, walk the straight and narrow path.  But I always slid back into the same old habits.  Sound familiar?


That’s where the relationship with Jesus comes in.  We bring our hurts, habits, humiliations and hang-ups.  In brokenness we agree that we’ve failed, can’t fix ourselves and need his help.  He takes our “normal,” receiving us as his children and starts the restoration process for time and all eternity.


So, as we noodle on what’s “normal,” let’s run to Jesus.  He is the only one that can truly take us and save us from “normal.”

Taking aim

In the ever continuing struggle for truth, justice and weight maintenance, I try and play golf on a regular basis for exercise.  It’s about the only sport (other than NASCAR) where you get to ride in a vehicle while you do it.

I like golf because it’s a simple game – the goal is to get the ball into the hole.  That’s about it in a nutshell.  And to make golf simpler, there are an abundance of signs to help you along the way.  At every hole there’s a sign with information about the shape/length of the hole, where water and sand traps are.  There are markers to show you where to hit the ball from, signs/arrows where the next hole is, red sticks showing where out of bounds is (I’m all too familiar with these last markers).  And to help you get to the goal, there’s even a stick with a flag on it (called the pin) to show you where the hole is.

For me, it’s all about aiming at and hitting towards the pin.  Hitting the ball off the tee is ok, but if I can hit that shot into the green and towards the pin, then I’m going to have a good round.

Last time I played there were good shots and some not so good shots.  I could tell you about the drives that went directly to jail (a.k.a. woods, lake); they did not pass “GO” and did not collect $200.  Or the shot where the dirt went further than the ball (let’s not dwell on the negative).  But the shots I remember most are the ones where I took aim, envisioned the shot, stood over the ball, took a breath, swung, stayed balanced, hit the ball and watched as it landed on the green and stopped close to the pin.

It feels so good when you take aim at something, prepare, execute and see results.  I don’t care if it’s fishing, cooking, painting a room, washing your car.  There is something about setting a goal/direction, working/walking towards that goal and then finishing.

This may sound like a weird idea (but you wouldn’t be reading this unless you expected something weird), have you taken aim and set spiritual goals for yourself?  Do you have any goals (or even just one) for inviting God into your daily life?  Are you intentionally seeking God in some meaningful way?

Let me share three helpful ideas on how to start doing this;

• Seek – We need to purposefully seek after God.  This is more than flipping through some preacher on cable TV, or sitting with your arms folded in church.  Seeking God is constantly and consistently pursuing after him on a daily basis.  Think about the last time you lost your keys or cell phone.  Did you just sit back with your feet up and arms folded, thinking that they would just show up?  I don’t know about you but I just about come unglued if I can’t immediately lay my hands on them.  In the same way, with equal focus and intensity we need to constantly and consistently seek after God.  Colossians 3:1 - Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
• Set – Once we have committed to seek God, the question of how immediately pops up.  While there are many things that could be said about “how” practically to do this, I’m going to suggest that it starts with setting our mind.  We need to focus our mind and lives around the person of Jesus Christ, who he is, what he has done, his purpose for us and our lives.  Like a compass keeps pointing north no matter what happens and where it is, so we need to keep our mind and life pointed towards Jesus.  When we set our focus, this immediately implies that other things will no longer be our focus.  Directing our time and attention towards Jesus also dilutes our focus on other things.  Colossians 3:2 – Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
• Solve – When the Bible talks about “working hard” on our relationship with God, the word picture is like solving a puzzle or math problem; it requires time and work to bring it to completion.  And that effort is not sporadic; it takes time, over time.  When I first met Mary Ann, she was interested in all sorts of plants, flowers, vegetables, trees.  To me, they just grew in the ground and that was about it.  Now I can “solve” the question of what plant we’re looking at by their leaves, the shape/color of their blossoms.  You have to realize that being able to “solve” the question about plants is nothing that I would choose on my own, but because of love for her, I am willing to invest time and effort to learn.  All relationships need time, attention, correction and renovation.  We are to be committed to our relationship with God through Jesus, no matter what, working hard to “solve” it, bring it to conclusion and fulfillment.  Philippians 2:12 – Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

On one occasion I hit a decent drive down the left side of the fairway.  I felt OK about the drive, it wasn’t terrible nor was it great, but I knew that everything depended on that next shot to the green.  I had about 135 yards to the hole, and since the green was uphill, I couldn’t see the hole.  But I could see the pin and the flag flapping in the breeze.

I didn’t do anything special, didn’t take any extra practice swings, didn’t breathe a special prayer under my breath, I didn’t even mumble to myself “Just don’t screw up too badly.”  I just did what I’ve done thousands of time before, swung and hit the ball.  As the ball left the club, I thought “Oh no, I’ve hit it too hard.”  After a few seconds then there was that distinctive “clunk.”  “Oh no” I thought again, “I’ve hit the pin and the ball ricocheted into the next time zone.”  Somewhat dejected, I approached the green.  Since I hit the ball too hard, and heard the “clunk” I immediately started looking beyond the green for my ball.  Then I heard a loud scream.  Someone in our group discovered the ball in the bottom of the cup for an eagle-2.  We laughed, high-fived, taking pictures on our cell phones to commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime achievement (a.k.a. luckiest shot of my life).  But the best news of all – I have a witness!

Now I’ve never hit a shot like that before, nor am I likely to do it ever again.  But it is a vivid reminder to know what your goal is, aim at it and take action towards it.  As memorable as that shot was, it’s nothing in comparison with knowing God through Jesus Christ.  Living daily with him; moving towards goals that focus on developing that relationship, becoming more like him day by day.

Now that’s worth a scream, high-fives all around and celebration.

Heavy weight

I recently spoke with Jane, a friend living in a different part of the country, who shared her oh so familiar story with me.  Her situation and environment at work were getting harder and more painful to endure.  Her managers expected more and more while they withdrew resources, support and encouragement.  Those she served also demanded more time and attention.  Whenever someone made unreasonable requests or acted-out, she got zero help or backing.  You could sense the level of frustration and pain in her voice.  Through Skype, I could see lines of worry in her face; her shoulders were slumped from the weight of pain.

And if this was not bad enough, next week was going to be even more demanding and stressful.  In addition to her normal staggering workload, she was expected to perform an extra job.  This additional responsibility was going to be watched carefully, and if she did not do everything as prescribed in a 600-page manual, she could be disciplined and potentially terminated.

Jane is not afraid of measurement or accountability; she truly wants to do an excellent job.  But her ability to succeed while expectations rise like the tide is really discouraging.  Additional weight and pressure was put around her neck while receiving threats of discipline, reprisals and termination. 

With this as a backdrop, we prayed.  We poured out our hearts to God, asking him to provide comfort and relief.  As we concluded with AMEN, Jane did feel somewhat better and encouraged.  But there still was that sinking feeling – had anything really changed?

Little did we realize that God was already listening.

The next morning she was called into her manager’s office.  Because of the constant demands, she was nervous about what it meant.  Her manager said, “You’ve been called to a meeting by corporate, so you will be excused from the extra job next week.”

In an instant, Jane’s heart went from concern to celebration.  More than just an individual situation was addressed when she realized afresh that God is alive and personally involved with her and her life.  Her hope was renewed.

When I got an email about the news, I knew this deserved more than just the normal “Reply All.”  I was able to catch up with Jane later that day, you could hear the excitement and release in her voice.  Together we thanked God for his personal concern and care.

As I write about Jane’s true short story, there are five truths for us:

• God’s nature – God has a personality and nature to which he is always true.  He does not change and we can depend on him not to turn on us[1].  This means that we don’t have to wonder what God is thinking about us, we can be free to trust him.
• God’s control – God remains in control during the storms of life[2].  He is never overpowered or outmaneuvered by anyone or anything[3].  While he is in control, pain and hurt come from our personal decisions, choices others make and the spiritual enemy.  This means that when pain and sorrow do come, he stays by our side, he is not forced outside, he is still in control.
• God’s humor – God has a great sense of humor and laughs at those who think they can ignore him or abuse his people[4].  God is not worried or wondering what the enemy is going to do next.  There is great comfort in seeing God laugh at his enemies.
• God’s timing – God has promised to take care of us, but the timing may not be what we expect.  We want it now while God’s plan and timing are not based on our expectations, what is most convenient or pleasing to us.  We are encouraged to wait on God, trusting that he knows not only what is best but the right time to deliver us[5].
• God’s glory – Glory is the idea that encompasses everything that makes God known[6].   God wants to let people know who he is through these shouts of “glory”, words and actions that point to him.  This can be his actions and expressions that show who he is.  It can also be our words and actions that show/tell everyone about God, who he is and what he means to us.

During an interview with Oprah, someone said; “Trouble is given to make us stronger.”  And on some level, that’s right.  We can and do grow stronger through pain, problems and persecutions.  But if trouble just stops at the “why” level of our heart, it will not fulfill its destiny.  There comes a time when we need to move beyond “why” and onto “who.”  Is God good and can I trust him?

Job came to the same fork in the road through his physical suffering followed by the greater pain of rejection from his supposed friends.  At the end of all his misery, Job and God had a long and straightforward talk.  When all was said and done, Job came to the realization that before his pain, he had only heard of God.  But now, after the suffering, Job sees God and is willing to release his pride and life to the greater freedom of a personal relationship with him[7].

Hearing God is good, but being able to see him is so personal and fulfilling.  I like talking with people as much as anyone else, but you have a greater relationship with those you meet face-to-face.

Isn’t it time for all of us to see our pain in this same light?  Moving from “hearing” to “seeing" - transitioning from “why” to “who”.  I promise you, it makes all the difference in the world.

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[1] Malachi 3:6

[2] Job 38:1-2

[3] Psalm 48:7

[4] Psalm 2:4

[5] Habakkuk 2:3

[6] Philippians 2:11

[7] Job 42:5