Wednesday 10/15

 

I recall something I wrote years ago in response to I don’t know what. I wrote, “Everyone is handicapped. Some physically. Some mentally. Some emotionally. Some spiritually.” Now I think I would like to add one more. Some are handicapped through their own comfort. Some are so immune to the suffering of others. Whether that isolation occurs physically, geographically or mentally, intentionally or unintentionally, for some of us, it is very real. For those who have never suffered through pain and trials, once you personally experience the heart of the downtrodden you are never the same.

 

-           When a homeless person you’ve been encouraging each week comes up to you and excitedly says, “I worked three days this week!” you begin to appreciate how good you’ve got it.

 

-           When a tall thin guy that you spoke to two weeks ago, who at the time was sitting down eating, with beads of sweat covering his face, and you understood it was hot out, but this sweat wasn’t from the heat. When this guy gets to your end of the food line and looks good and it looks like he’s had a good week, (not that I assume he’s kicked whatever he was on), when you can be glad in the moment for him and know that right now, for a little while anyway, he’s okay, you appreciate your own health and well-being.

 

 

-           When you hear some of the stories and begin to understand how people have come to where they are, you consider yourself blessed to own a different story.

 

-           When you see the same people line up every week and know the struggle isn’t getting any easier for them, you wish you had their persistence and resilience (I know I don’t!).

 

 

-           When you realize that some of these people have been in the same clothes for days and days, (and all that that brings with it) and you know that yes, sometimes you can do something about that.

 

When we see the hurting how can we just turn a blind eye? We can’t be everything to everyone, but we can do something for someone. I’m reminded of the story of the boy at the beach. An old man walking by sees him throwing starfish after starfish back into the water. The old man approaches the boy and says, “Son, there must be a thousand starfish washed up on the beach. You aren’t making a difference! You can’t save them all!” To which the boy replies as he proceeds to hurl another back into the surf, “I’m making a difference for this one!”

I’ll close this chapter as I opened it. When we take small steps, they may seem inconsequential at first, but you know what’s inconsequential? Not taking ANY steps! No one is saying that the fate of the world lies upon your shoulders. What I am saying is that the difference you may be able to make in someone’s life may just be giving them the opportunity to smile. If that is all you can do today, start there. Then think of what you can do tomorrow. Even the smallest of actions oftentimes opens up the doors and allows us to see and gives us added opportunities to help in ways we never imagined.

And the God thing about all this is how He takes what we do and firstly changes everything about it. He takes the blessing we meant for others, the piece of our ego that patted ourselves on the back for helping the less fortunate, and the smile we give ourselves in the mirror each day because we are ‘good’ people, and despite all that self-centeredness, God loves us so much not to point that out to us. He appreciates when we help take care of His kids, and we are ALL His kids, and He turns the blessing in our favor. He blesses us with the gift of genuine empathy for others. He blesses us by allowing us to stretch our boundaries and perspective and appreciate life itself, viewed from the other side of the alley. And we know deep down, and even not so deep down, that the blessings we are receiving are far more valuable that the tidbits we invested in our opportunity. When we can see ourselves growing; when we can see how life works, and see that it doesn’t revolve around us, when we can see the world through God’s eyes, we become so incredibly humbled at how much God loves each and every one of us. We become someone that doesn’t just observe the homeless, but someone who has come to realize it is a problem for us as well. We find a new and welcome responsibility to be there for those who at times can’t even be there for themselves. Then, coming from those tentative first steps we took months ago, we want to reach out and encourage others to volunteer as well. We do this not because we need the help, or the homeless need the help (which they do), but because we have been rewarded in our hearts and it feels good. Good because God changed our perspective, not good because we are bringing food to the bridge and patting ourselves on the back. We feel good about seeing young kids help serve cookies. We feel good when we see one of our youngest servers, sweet Elle, grab bottles of water and walk around asking, “Who needs one?” We feel good for the person getting the dessert, but more so because we know that here are kids that are growing into empathetic people. Without empathy, I don’t believe any lasting, meaningful and significant change occurs, in society or in people! 

 

 

                     Tuesday 10/14

                     FAITH

       

       

               Chapter 1 That First Step

“I am shocked by the return of spring. And I wonder,

 Can the same thing happen for my soul?

-Eldredge, Desire

 

 

When we take small steps, they may seem inconsequential at first. Several months ago, I became aware of a group of people in Charleston, SC, (Feed a Friend Charleston) that were feeding the homeless. I became aware of this through a Facebook posting. There was an invite posted to help out and I responded that I would join them as they served dinner for about 40 homeless people under the bridge at the interstate on Friday evenings. I thought it would be a nice thing to do.

As I am writing about this experience with the homeless, it brings to mind a car sticker I see every now and then. It is a sticker of a dog’s paw, done in black and white, and it says, “Who saved who?” If you aren’t familiar with it, it is a reference to the effect rescuing animals has on the rescuer. The rescuer may often feel they are the ones bestowing a blessing and it turns out that they are the ones being blessed. Many times, we feel as though we will be investing more than we will receive back, yet we do it because we believe it is a good and noble thing to do, and we feel sorry for the animal and its plight. Yet most often, it turns out that we are the ones that are blessed far beyond what we had anticipated. This was much of my motivation when I responded to the invite. I never anticipated the

effect volunteering would have on me! This brings me back under the bridge where I had joined with about seven other adults to set up dinner.

The first evening I just showed up empty-handed to help serve. Others had prepared pans of hot meals and purchased all of the other food. There are always two hot dishes, salad, bread, cookies, fruit, iced tea and water. There are tables and chairs brought in as well. I was very impressed with all of the work that went into this effort.

Before we began serving, we all stepped aside to pray and to thank God for the opportunity to serve and to ask His blessing on us and those that have come to eat. Then as we would make our final preparations, Pastor Jay would go speak a Word to the attendees. When we were ready, the line formed and people of all colors and persuasions came together to eat as one. 

I recall last evening as I was filling up the paper cups with iced tea, I heard an older man laughingly say as he was being handed a cookie, “I’ve only got two teeth, but I’ll take one!” I looked up to see the biggest two-toothed smile I had ever seen. (I think the beer guy in the Wrigley field bleachers years and years ago only had one tooth, but that’s another story, and his smile wasn’t nearly as big!) It brought a smile to my face as I saw the happiness radiating from him. 

There have been several times when I have had to just pause and reflect on the hearts of those we were serving. We sometimes view the homeless as just people needing a meal. But, these are people with hearts and souls, dreams and desires, and hopes that have been set aside as they deal with the struggles of just surviving. Several weeks ago, as a middle-aged woman was accepting her choice of cookies from a couple of our youngest servers  (I imagine the two girls were probably just third graders) she took out two homemade bracelets and handed one to each girl. The look of joy on her face as she saw the smiles on the faces of these two young girls was priceless. Most of the people we serve have close to nothing, yet she sought to give some of the little she had to say, “Thank you” and to do what she could to put smiles on the faces of these two young girls.

I can’t help but think of the lasting impact on the girls. I think of how they will cherish not only the bracelets, and not only the smile from this lady who looked as though she has been living a very hard life, but looking back years from now as to how they were impacted at such a young age by this experience of helping others. Praise to their parents who sought to expand their child’s horizons beyond the comfort of their middle-class neighborhood. I wasn’t there the first day these girls showed up under the bridge under the interstate, but I can imagine their nervousness and apprehension as they set out to help. Thoughts of nervousness, curiosity, wonder, and yes, probably a little bit of fear too, probably ran through their minds as they sat in the car driving with mom. To think of their initial experience that first day and compare it to the smiles on their faces after receiving the bracelets must be an amazing contrast. The independence they exhibit now as they set up their cookie offerings will bring a smile to the face of all who seek to instill empathy in their kids.

A similar story evolved again last night. After I finished re-stocking my table with iced tea, I glanced across the alleyway and saw a guy in his mid-thirties finishing his dinner. I didn’t see that he had anything to drink, so I grabbed a bottle of water and headed over to him. I asked if he wanted a bottle of water and he said, “Yes, thank you.”

(I’ll take a moment here to recognize the thankfulness and politeness of many of the homeless we serve. It was not something I expected, but in all reality, I didn’t know what to expect. But so many are so determined to make an effort to say, “Thank you!” and “God bless you!”)

After I handed this man his water, he said, “I’ve got something here for you guys.” And as he stepped over to his white kitchen trash bag, he reached in and took out two pictures; they were oil on canvas pictures, about 12X12. As he took them out and started to hand them to me, he said, “I thought I was going to have a place, but I don’t.” Ouch! I asked him to hold the pictures. I told him it would mean so much to the young girls serving. I asked him if he would like to give the pictures to them himself. He said he would, so we walked over to the serving tables, he carrying his treasures. (I was impressed with the condition of the pictures, being lugged around in a thin bag as they were. He took great care of them.) I tapped the two girls on the shoulder and asked them to step out as someone had something for them. Their faces started as a look of confusion and then lit up as he showed them the pictures. It turns out he had four pictures and as the girls were choosing theirs, two young boys stepped in to see what the fuss was all about. After the girls had chosen theirs, the boys were all happy with the remaining two. Having gifted his prized possessions, I thanked him as he set off back across the road. The kids were all very excited and after they showed their gifts to their moms, one of the moms went across to say thank you. All the kids followed her. After she thanked him, she took out her phone and asked if she could get a picture of everyone together. You had to see the smile on his face! I couldn’t help but have to wipe away a tear as I watched him stand proudly behind the group of four youngsters.

 

       

Chapter 1 That First Step

“I am shocked by the return of spring. And I wonder,

 Can the same thing happen for my soul?

-Eldredge, Desire

 

 

When we take small steps, they may seem inconsequential at first. Several months ago, I became aware of a group of people in Charleston, SC, (Feed a Friend Charleston) that were feeding the homeless. I became aware of this through a Facebook posting. There was an invite posted to help out and I responded that I would join them as they served dinner for about 40 homeless people under the bridge at the interstate on Friday evenings. I thought it would be a nice thing to do.

As I am writing about this experience with the homeless, it brings to mind a car sticker I see every now and then. It is a sticker of a dog’s paw, done in black and white, and it says, “Who saved who?” If you aren’t familiar with it, it is a reference to the effect rescuing animals has on the rescuer. The rescuer may often feel they are the ones bestowing a blessing and it turns out that they are the ones being blessed. Many times, we feel as though we will be investing more than we will receive back, yet we do it because we believe it is a good and noble thing to do, and we feel sorry for the animal and its plight. Yet most often, it turns out that we are the ones that are blessed far beyond what we had anticipated. This was much of my motivation when I responded to the invite. I never anticipated the

effect volunteering would have on me! This brings me back under the bridge where I had joined with about seven other adults to set up dinner.

The first evening I just showed up empty-handed to help serve. Others had prepared pans of hot meals and purchased all of the other food. There are always two hot dishes, salad, bread, cookies, fruit, iced tea and water. There are tables and chairs brought in as well. I was very impressed with all of the work that went into this effort.

Before we began serving, we all stepped aside to pray and to thank God for the opportunity to serve and to ask His blessing on us and those that have come to eat. Then as we would make our final preparations, Pastor Jay would go speak a Word to the attendees. When we were ready, the line formed and people of all colors and persuasions came together to eat as one. 

I recall last evening as I was filling up the paper cups with iced tea, I heard an older man laughingly say as he was being handed a cookie, “I’ve only got two teeth, but I’ll take one!” I looked up to see the biggest two-toothed smile I had ever seen. (I think the beer guy in the Wrigley field bleachers years and years ago only had one tooth, but that’s another story, and his smile wasn’t nearly as big!) It brought a smile to my face as I saw the happiness radiating from him. 

There have been several times when I have had to just pause and reflect on the hearts of those we were serving. We sometimes view the homeless as just people needing a meal. But, these are people with hearts and souls, dreams and desires, and hopes that have been set aside as they deal with the struggles of just surviving. Several weeks ago, as a middle-aged woman was accepting her choice of cookies from a couple of our youngest servers  (I imagine the two girls were probably just third graders) she took out two homemade bracelets and handed one to each girl. The look of joy on her face as she saw the smiles on the faces of these two young girls was priceless. Most of the people we serve have close to nothing, yet she sought to give some of the little she had to say, “Thank you” and to do what she could to put smiles on the faces of these two young girls.

I can’t help but think of the lasting impact on the girls. I think of how they will cherish not only the bracelets, and not only the smile from this lady who looked as though she has been living a very hard life, but looking back years from now as to how they were impacted at such a young age by this experience of helping others. Praise to their parents who sought to expand their child’s horizons beyond the comfort of their middle-class neighborhood. I wasn’t there the first day these girls showed up under the bridge under the interstate, but I can imagine their nervousness and apprehension as they set out to help. Thoughts of nervousness, curiosity, wonder, and yes, probably a little bit of fear too, probably ran through their minds as they sat in the car driving with mom. To think of their initial experience that first day and compare it to the smiles on their faces after receiving the bracelets must be an amazing contrast. The independence they exhibit now as they set up their cookie offerings will bring a smile to the face of all who seek to instill empathy in their kids.

A similar story evolved again last night. After I finished re-stocking my table with iced tea, I glanced across the alleyway and saw a guy in his mid-thirties finishing his dinner. I didn’t see that he had anything to drink, so I grabbed a bottle of water and headed over to him. I asked if he wanted a bottle of water and he said, “Yes, thank you.”

(I’ll take a moment here to recognize the thankfulness and politeness of many of the homeless we serve. It was not something I expected, but in all reality, I didn’t know what to expect. But so many are so determined to make an effort to say, “Thank you!” and “God bless you!”)

After I handed this man his water, he said, “I’ve got something here for you guys.” And as he stepped over to his white kitchen trash bag, he reached in and took out two pictures; they were oil on canvas pictures, about 12X12. As he took them out and started to hand them to me, he said, “I thought I was going to have a place, but I don’t.” Ouch! I asked him to hold the pictures. I told him it would mean so much to the young girls serving. I asked him if he would like to give the pictures to them himself. He said he would, so we walked over to the serving tables, he carrying his treasures. (I was impressed with the condition of the pictures, being lugged around in a thin bag as they were. He took great care of them.) I tapped the two girls on the shoulder and asked them to step out as someone had something for them. Their faces started as a look of confusion and then lit up as he showed them the pictures. It turns out he had four pictures and as the girls were choosing theirs, two young boys stepped in to see what the fuss was all about. After the girls had chosen theirs, the boys were all happy with the remaining two. Having gifted his prized possessions, I thanked him as he set off back across the road. The kids were all very excited and after they showed their gifts to their moms, one of the moms went across to say thank you. All the kids followed her. After she thanked him, she took out her phone and asked if she could get a picture of everyone together. You had to see the smile on his face! I couldn’t help but have to wipe away a tear as I watched him stand proudly behind the group of four youngsters.

 

 

                             Monday 10/13

Introduction

. 

I never started out writing with the idea of one day writing a book. It seems strange sometimes, even now. But over the years, I would journal and just write for enjoyment. I would send texts and email letters to encourage others that were struggling with one issue or another. Eventually, I had notebook after notebook filled with stuff. It struck me that maybe I should organize and compile all these writings into a book, so that others might be encouraged as well.  I have come to learn that many times encouragement doesn’t need to take the form of wise advice, but instead, it shows itself as a listening ear and supportive words (and a hug if possible). People can get so worn down and distracted from their heart’s desires that life becomes hum-drum and boring. They begin to live life fearing change because who knows what lies ahead, maybe it’s worse!

So, in an effort to try and help people lift themselves up out of this morass I decided to write more and share some of these texts and emails I have sent out over the years. I will attempt to encourage people to be bold enough to take necessary steps to lead the life they know deep down they are meant to live. I will try to show people how and why we should all have the courage to step out of our comfort zones. My deepest desire is to be practical, not to throw up some pie in the sky method to fulfillment. I want this to work for people. I am not writing a book just to write a book. I have seen people make changes in their lives in both directions, good and bad. The hollow smile of someone on the wrong path rings sad when compared to the inner joy found from true and honest selffulfillment. My goal is to help you, yes you, not just someone else, to realize that God loves you. Yes, He loves everyone, but, He loves YOU!  When I share a message I wrote previously, text, email etc. I will set it mid page and in italics. Bible verse references will be centered for easy reference. All biblical references will come from the NIV unless otherwise noted. I try to use the words ‘many’, ‘sometimes’, and ‘some people’ so as not to make any allinclusive statements. Even when I think all people should react in some way, I need to remember that we are all different. We come from different environments, different histories and different moods even at the time. So yes, there is plenty of room for exceptions to every rule and every statement. We would be foolish to assume otherwise. 

 

Realize that through all the choices you've made in your past, from career choice to school choices to choices of friends, through good choices and bad, God has taken what you've given Him and used that to mold you into who you are today. Whether you are still being molded or find yourself where you believe you were meant to be, don't ever stop growing, don't ever stop searching. Don't be afraid of more molding and more refining. Step out and take that chance. Because failure is not a lack of success, failure is giving in to fear. Failure is not trying; not taking that risk. Failure is complacency. Failure is being content with not allowing God to work in your life. Failure is a paralyzing fear of taking action towards the unknown. Failure is not trusting God to work all things for your good. And remember, God’s heart for you is good. He did not set you up for failure.

 

As you read through this book, keep the following in mind and see how everything fits together. Most everyone has the ability to make a difference; just not everyone has the desire or the motivation to make a difference. I don’t think I have ever met anyone that stepped out of their comfort zone to serve others that hasn’t benefitted from the experience in some way. Whether that experience has helped the one seeking assistance, or has helped us and our perception of life and love, good things come from loving others. You may not now, and you may not ever, be able to change the way your particular church or community functions, but by maintaining your own personal status quo, if that is a life of not getting involved, (which for many, many years was my life), you sell yourself short. We all need to step out. Whether it starts as volunteering to serve meals at a homeless shelter, sponsoring a child, volunteering at a school to help mentor a young child, serving as a Big Brother/Sister; you need not start out in some big role, just take the first step. Ask God for some direction for your steps and proceed. Continue to pray and let Him lead you, but take the step. Not only will you be loving, but you’ll be growing - growing in care, concern and empathy for others; yet also growing your own sense of self-worth and developing an inner peace and joy like you have never felt before. Let’s all keep our eyes open for opportunities, and ask God to show us opportunities, to serve and be strong and bold enough to take that first small baby step! The first step is always the hardest, but it’s also the most important.

Start reading God Did What? for free today.

I will post more each day.

Preface

 

I am writing this book as much for the reader as I am for myself. I don’t pretend to be the one with all the answers. I’d like to be a writer in the vein of Philip Yancey who I recall once described his writing style as that of a pilgrim; setting off on a journey and seeing where it leads us. So, hopefully along the way we will both learn something about ourselves. My life is not and will certainly never be ‘altogether.’

My goal is always ‘more.’ I cannot be content with just the status quo. I remember years ago, when I was just a baby Christian, reading a book about the late Keith Green. He was so consumed with his Christian walk and witness that he was at it non-stop. He seemed more than a 24/7 Christian if that’s even possible. I read that book thinking “Wow, this guy is on fire! If he isn’t careful he will burn up!” And he did. And it was all good; a life well lived. A life lived without passion, without a burning desire and energy to effectuate change and progress is a life devoid of much of its potential meaning and effect. Do we often read stories of the mediocre? Do we look up to average? I guess we do if we are below average, and that should tell us something right there!

I think we all need to have, or had to have had, a complete paradigm shift. Not merely a minor change in the way we look at life, but a major shift in perspective. If we look at life as just something to get through or merely endure, or as something that is controlling us and not as something that we are controlling, then we are missing out on our purpose and our destiny.

If the chicken never crossed the road, would we still be talking about it? Of course not. Likewise, we need to move. We need to act. We need to make decisions. Don’t be like the squirrel crossing the road, hesitant and confused.

We’ve all seen many times how that ends. 

Whatever is going to enable you to take those steps, or that step, that will lead you onto your path of destiny, onto your path of making a difference in the world, in your world, you need to find out what that may be. Many times, this discovery is not easy. This world throws so much confusion our way. The static and distractions we face, all day, every day, often keep us so distracted from the knowledge of our need to grow through life. Many times, our daily grind, the busyness, the exhaustion, and the desire to have a few moments to just be still, keeps us from realizing that where we are is not where we are meant to be. This isn’t the life we are meant for and capable of having. This is not the grand design. Mediocrity is not a goal! Getting by is not a goal! Complacency is to be avoided at all costs! I am not saying that we are all destined to become world leaders, captains of industry, famous celebrities, millionaires or people in the news. What I am suggesting to many is that you are not where you belong. You are not where you need to be. You are not where you want to be. You are not where you dreamt you’d be. You have let those dreams die a slow death over the years.

My goal here is to encourage you to find what is holding you back from living a life that you would be proud to look back on. Proud of how you lived it for the dreams you have or have had for yourself, not for how others may view your journey, not for how accommodating you were to the world, not for the size of your house or your financial status. I want you to realize that you deserve to live a life that not only makes you proud of your accomplishments, but proud as well of the path you took. You want to be able to look back on the way you conducted yourself on your journey and be able to smile and say to yourself “Well done!”  I wonder sometimes (too many times) how some people can look back on their

accomplishments and be happy and satisfied with themselves while ignoring the train wrecks they caused along the way to their ‘success.’

My purpose as I begin to write is not to preach, not to come off as someone who thinks he has got life all figured out, because I don’t. I hope my life journey continues to have me asking more questions than I am comfortable asking. If we think we know it all, if we think we have ever ‘arrived’ or completed our quest, then I believe that is the time we have stopped growing, stopped learning, stopped challenging ourselves and we can begin to look at the start of our spiritual, emotional and probably even physical decline. I do not want to be in decline until I am at death’s door! And even then, I want the life I lived to have had a positive impact on others. I want to have had an impact that will live on long after I am gone, one that will be seen for generations. I desire to live a life that will change the course of other people’s lives for the better, change the directions that families will travel, and to have lived a life that is an inspiration to others so that not only do we follow our dreams, but we use our God-given gifts to be a blessing to others.