I was at the pool with some friends after church this past Sunday and while throwing the ball with my brother and Jeff I saw this really beautiful picture of a fathers love.
We were hanging out and this family walked up to the pool area, set their stuff down, then covered their little son with sunscreen. He could not have been over the age of 3. His dad brought him into the water and the kid immediately got scared. It took a little bit of time for him to become comfortable with the water. The dad would have never let his son be in harms way but the kid was still very scared. A little bit of time went by and the dad stood his son up on the edge and wanted him to jump into his arms. The boy looked like he would take the leap but as soon as he lost his fathers grip he was afraid again. The boy eventually jumped, but would he have known that his father would keep him safe and never let anything happen to him had he not have jumped?
This, to me, was such an amazing portrait of our relationship with the Lord. We are so afraid when we are not the one in control. Your Father has you. He is not going to let you drown... so jump.
"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" 2 Corinthians 6:18
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Forever Young
Last night I had a really great conversation with a good friend. We were talking about what it means to be an adult from the worlds perspective. you have to know my friend to understand his sense of humor but he said that from the worlds perspective of being an adult means taking a knife to your childhood dreams and brutally murdering everything you thought life would be and settling for what brings you the most "comfort".
It is a funny way to put it but think about it, how many folks do you know that look back at everything they dreamed about and realize that their life is very ordinary? When we were young the world was awesome, truly awesome, and we could have every bit of it if we dreamed big enough. God made us this way. So many people crucify their dreams on the the cross and move on with life. This isn't life! It can't be! Instead of surrendering your dreams surrender your life and the Lord gives you your dreams and and says run. I love this, Psalm 103: 2-5 the message "Praise the Lord O my soul. He forgives your sins - every one. He heals your diseases - every one. He redeems you from hell - saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy - a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness - beauty eternal. He renews your youth - you're always young in his presence." He restores our youth. Why is it that as we get older and more "realistic" we give up on the things we have always wanted? The world used to be so full of wonder! It was magical, all of my friends were astronauts and baseball players. We were digging up bones in the back yard, we only knew what we believed in our hearts as true. Since Ive grown up the world has lost its wonder, the world has tried to sell me on what they say is true and has tried its hardest to get me to abandon my heart to follow their rules. The world was beautiful and now it just seems full of rules and responsibilities, not that God does not want us to be responsible (that is a whole blog unto itself). God did not create us to live by a list of visible limits. He created us to explore in His presence and His creation, and to give us our dreams.
Think about the world as you did when you were a kid, remember what you thought of the world? You were right.
It is a funny way to put it but think about it, how many folks do you know that look back at everything they dreamed about and realize that their life is very ordinary? When we were young the world was awesome, truly awesome, and we could have every bit of it if we dreamed big enough. God made us this way. So many people crucify their dreams on the the cross and move on with life. This isn't life! It can't be! Instead of surrendering your dreams surrender your life and the Lord gives you your dreams and and says run. I love this, Psalm 103: 2-5 the message "Praise the Lord O my soul. He forgives your sins - every one. He heals your diseases - every one. He redeems you from hell - saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy - a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness - beauty eternal. He renews your youth - you're always young in his presence." He restores our youth. Why is it that as we get older and more "realistic" we give up on the things we have always wanted? The world used to be so full of wonder! It was magical, all of my friends were astronauts and baseball players. We were digging up bones in the back yard, we only knew what we believed in our hearts as true. Since Ive grown up the world has lost its wonder, the world has tried to sell me on what they say is true and has tried its hardest to get me to abandon my heart to follow their rules. The world was beautiful and now it just seems full of rules and responsibilities, not that God does not want us to be responsible (that is a whole blog unto itself). God did not create us to live by a list of visible limits. He created us to explore in His presence and His creation, and to give us our dreams.
Think about the world as you did when you were a kid, remember what you thought of the world? You were right.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A city on a Hill...
What is the one thing that everyone was afraid of as a child? What is it that makes us uncomfortable walking to our cars late at night? The dark. I think that God planned us to be uncomfortable in the dark. Darkness is, by definition, the absence of light...
Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that we, believers, are the light of the world. Think about that for a minute, you are what keeps Gods light shining. You!
Think about a room that is completely dark. No light whatsoever. Now light a match, a little flame. You can faintly see everything around you. That little flame gave enough light for someone to be able to walk through the room with direction, instead of stumbling through the room falling over every pizza box you left on the floor. Now think bigger, the world we live in is a dark place. What is it that lets us see? Is it the light that radiates from the sun mixed with the receptors in our eyes? Think deeper. Lets not see with our eyes for a bit. Jesus' light gives direction and peace and we are commanded by Jesus himself to be the light of the world. Even in the dead of night there is a small light hanging in the sky that reflects light from a sun that is miles and miles away. You can walk outside at midnight and there is enough light to see, simply reflected from a huge source of light. I like to think about our walks as being little moons that reflect a much larger light.
So I know that most of us are not afraid of the dark. I would bet that most of us do not sleep with a nightlight or with the bathroom light on and the door cracked. Are we really not afraid or do we just understand the dark, and understand that there is nothing to be afraid of? We have been given a power that the darkness runs from, the Holy Spirit! Don't be afraid and let your light Shine!!
Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that we, believers, are the light of the world. Think about that for a minute, you are what keeps Gods light shining. You!
Think about a room that is completely dark. No light whatsoever. Now light a match, a little flame. You can faintly see everything around you. That little flame gave enough light for someone to be able to walk through the room with direction, instead of stumbling through the room falling over every pizza box you left on the floor. Now think bigger, the world we live in is a dark place. What is it that lets us see? Is it the light that radiates from the sun mixed with the receptors in our eyes? Think deeper. Lets not see with our eyes for a bit. Jesus' light gives direction and peace and we are commanded by Jesus himself to be the light of the world. Even in the dead of night there is a small light hanging in the sky that reflects light from a sun that is miles and miles away. You can walk outside at midnight and there is enough light to see, simply reflected from a huge source of light. I like to think about our walks as being little moons that reflect a much larger light.
So I know that most of us are not afraid of the dark. I would bet that most of us do not sleep with a nightlight or with the bathroom light on and the door cracked. Are we really not afraid or do we just understand the dark, and understand that there is nothing to be afraid of? We have been given a power that the darkness runs from, the Holy Spirit! Don't be afraid and let your light Shine!!
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