A Voice that Echoes Across Generations

Charismatic. Champion. Coach. Friend. Such words can be said of a man whose physical life ended on April 28, 1993. Each year, ESPN sets aside a week to honor the memory of Jim Valvano, featuring a replay of his speech at the ESPY awards and marquee college basketball games, while raising money and awareness of the foundation that features his name, the Jimmy V Foundation that is leading the fight against cancer. This week, each year, we hear words that echo to today though spoken over twenty-five years ago.

What speaks to me each year is the fact that Jimmy V left the world at an early age. There he stood on that stage, speaking to an audience who sat with the same mindset we hold most days - a belief that they had plenty of time. He stood before an audience that held on to every word he spoke and he encouraged them to never give up. He was helped down the stairs by two friends, Dick Vitale and Coach K. So much was wrapped into a few moments in time, but the lessons from that night are still as true today.

1 - Life is brief - we often have that belief that we have so much longer to live. We are sure that we will see our children grow up, that we will know our grandchildren, that we will retire, and will live to an age that denotes longevity. But what if we don't? What if tomorrow is not a day we will see on this earth? The Bible tells us, "Lord, reveal to me the end of my life and the number of my days. Let me know how transitory I am." (Psalm 39:4 HCSB) As Jimmy V spoke that night, he knew that there was a chance he would die soon. Therefore, every moment became more valuable, every word more impactful, and every memory made more cherished. Live today with an eye on eternity. See this moment as a blessing and a every opportunity as special. Jimmy V struggled to get to the ESPY awards that night, but the world was better off because he went. Don't waste opportunities believing that other chances will come along. They might not.

2 - Make friends - Seeing Jimmy V being helped down the stairs by Coach K was incredible. The two had been heated rivals but there near the end, they had become friends. Have friends in life. I recently saw a video where Coach K was reflecting on his friendship with Jimmy V over two decades later, revealing the impact of such a connection that they shared. Friends aren't optional in life. They are a necessity. The very presence of a friend can help us to persevere when we are tired or frustrated, they provide laughter and share in our grief, and most importantly, they get us. They understand what makes us tick and we understand the same about them. What once was a rival was now by his side when he drew his last breath, showing the world the value of a friend's presence in our lives. Jesus even used the friendship relationship to speak about love in John 15:13, when He said, "No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends." Find the ones who will lay aside themselves for you and the ones that you would give up all of your life for them.

3 - Remember the message - His words were to never give up. As he stood there fighting cancer, he also stood as an inspiration because he was living the message he was proclaiming. Don't give up. Keep pushing regardless of the odds you are facing. See how your resiliency in your life might be what inspires someone else to be resilient in their lives. Paul wrote, "Therefore we do not give up; even though our outer person is being destroy, our inner person is being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16 HCSB). Be an inspiration through your determination. In a world of quitters, people are desperate to find others who will push through and keep going no matter what they face.

Following such life lessons will ensure that you will live a life that echoes beyond your time here on earth. You will make the most of your time, love those around you more deeply, and reach heights that are higher than you can imagine simply remembering three B's - brevity (of life), blessing (of friends), and boldness (not quitting).

What Was Missing

Every year is filled with highs and lows. Though, as a pastor and Christian writer, most expect me to put a positive spin on everything, to look at everything as positive in some way, I am honest. There are seasons and spans of times where even I am simply trying to stay alive and draw that next breath. Life can be overwhelming. The statement doesn't reveal some hidden lack of faith, but rather is an honest assessment of what we all face on a daily basis. Some seasons are filled with joy after joy. Other seasons, pain and frustrations leave their marks, a stabbing of the soul that only time and a renewed vision can heal.

Thanksgiving has just passed. Though the week is most definitely one of the busiest of the year, it is nonetheless one of the most fulfilling. Thanksgiving services bring about a focus on what we have been blessed with, the simple joys and blessings that we often overlook. There are times for family and friends. We make a point to verbalize what we are thankful for, the blessings that mean so much to us. And in that, we reconnect with what is missing throughout the rest of the year.

Psalm 100 is a well-known psalm that is preached at Thanksgiving. In the psalm, we see what it looks like to be truly thankful. Evidence of gratitude is found in our shouts of triumph, in our service to God, and in our acknowledgment of who He is and what He has done. In Psalm 100:4, we read, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name." (Psalm 100:4 HCSB).

There is no single day mentioned in the passage. Never does the writer of the psalm say that we should be thankful only on Sundays or just at Thanksgiving, but rather, always enter with thanksgiving. In that attitude, we find what was missing because we were created to praise, we are expected to be thankful for what God has done, and we find that we are fulfilled as we think about all the blessings of our lives.

What are you thankful for today? What is it today that you want to stop and express gratitude for realizing that though it is here today, it could be gone tomorrow? The world has plenty enough complaining taking place. What will make the world take note is to begin to hear Christians praising every day, not just on good days, not just at holidays, but every day and in all situations. When we begin our day with thanksgiving to God, we are starting the day off on the right foot. He didn't have to give us today. This day is a gift. The very life we have been given is a gift straight from our Creator.

Think about this. If you know Jesus, you have eternity to be thankful for today and every day. As Lamentations 3:22-24 teaches us that the Lord's mercies are new every day, therefore we can be thankful for mercy today! Look at your family and be thankful. Take note of your friends and express the appreciation they may need to hear today. For the roof over your head, the food on your table, the shoes on your feet, and the air that you breathe, take a moment to thank God. Those who are thankful are those who are the most fulfilled in their lives because rather than focusing on what they do not have, they take note of all they do have.

What is often missing in our lives is not a possession that will bring fulfillment, but rather an attitude of gratitude that reminds us of all we have and the reminder brings an overwhelming sense of fulfillment. Don't let thankfulness end with Thanksgiving Day. Carry it on every day and see how it changes the course of your life!

Give Me More

Some moments in life leave us begging for more. There are times when we are desperate for an activity that we seemingly could do every day, such as golf, shopping, or hanging out with friends. In those times, the urgent desperation of the soul is to experience more, to be in that place for a little while longer. If given the opportunity, we would seize daily a chance for just a little more.

Is that our attitude towards the Lord? Do we long for the next time we can be in the house of the Lord, amongst our brothers and sisters, longing to sing just one more song, to hear just a few more verses of Scripture, to pray together just a little longer? A popular thought and sentiment for the last decade has been that we want to be like the early church, the one in Acts that was thriving. Studying what the group of believers looked like, what the attitude of their heart was, reveals where we need some readjustment in our lives to see those days in the church today.

No one cared about the line at the local K&W. If the pot roast burnt, so be it. What they wanted was more. More of worship together. More of the Word of God in their lives. More time in the presence of the Lord. They were unified and were yearning for more of faith and less of the world. Their desire was not a passing phrase, a holy sentiment uttered before walking on with life as usual. Their actions showed that they had found a greater desire, a deeper hunger for truth.

Acts 2 gives a glimpse of what was happening. Luke wrote, "Every day, they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, praising God and having favor with all people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved." (Acts 2:46-47 HCSB) Every day, they were gathered together. There was devotion and passion. A common hunger for more of Jesus drew the believers together and what broke out was a movement of the Holy Spirit that we read about even today, nearly two thousand years following the days they met in the temple complex.

We live in a world that always wants more, but typically wants more of the wrong things. We want more fulfillment, but we look to the fleeting and never quite find that for which we are longing. We want a peace in our lives, but submerge ourselves deeper into a chaotic world and fail to connect the dots that the chaos of the world will never lead to peace. The desire is to feel secure but we look for security in an insecure culture.

All of what we long for is found in Jesus. Fulfillment is in Jesus, who proclaimed, "I am the bread of life. No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again." (John 6:35) Peace comes directly from Christ, who assured the disciples, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you." (John 14:27 HCSB). Security is found when we are in the hands of the Savior of the world, as He assured, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish - ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:28)

May the request of the heart today be, "Give me more Jesus!" Let it be the deepest desire of our hearts in the realization that what He offers far exceeds what the world can offer. May we ask for more times together in worship together and seek out a deeper worship that dives into the depths of the Word of God, wanting more as it continuously transforms us more into His image. If you could have more of anything today, what would it be?

Is He Welcome Here?

Normally, I blog on Tuesdays, but this week, I decided to throw in an extra one. When the Lord begins to hit me with something, my natural reaction is to preach about it and write about it. Last night, after giving a devotion to our Sunday night group at church, I continue to think about the subject matter. Is He welcome here? We say that we want to know Christ and that we want to be consumed by Christ, but the choices we make in our lives reveals the truth. That goes for me, too.

Two situations. Two groups of people. Two different reactions. We read a story of a man set free from the bondage of demons. In the region of the Gerasenes, he lived amongst the tombs, ran around without clothes on, cut himself, and could not be restrained. Jesus set the man free, driving the demons out of the man and into the pigs. The reaction of the people was unique. In Mark 5, we read, "Then they began to beg Him to leave their region." (Mark 5:17 HCSB) Go away. Please leave here. A miracle had happened in their midst as the man who lived amongst the tombs had been set free and given a new life, but their reaction was "Go away." Now the man who had been set free by Jesus wanted to continue on with Jesus, but the rest of the people wanted Him to leave.

A second group heard about Jesus from the woman at the well. As she spoke to Jesus, He revealed His identity to her. At first, she perceived Him as a prophet and admitted that she knew a Messiah was coming. Jesus said to her, "I am He, the One speaking to you." (John 4:26 HCSB) She ran and told everyone, who came to see for themselves. The reaction of the Samaritans is priceless. "Therefore, when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days." (John 4:42 HCSB) They begged Him to stay. They wanted to know more and longed to hear more. The desire of their hearts were to remain in the moment for as long as they could.

The reason they wanted Him to stay was clear. As we read a few verses later, "And they told the woman, 'We no longer believe because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world." (John 4:42 HCSB) Can't you imagine how they were when Jesus was in their midst. They didn't care about food, sleep, the normal aggravations of life, or even the weather, for the Author of life was giving them insight on the meaning of life, unlocking the door to eternal life...and they wanted more!

As we look around, we see where the Lord has done amazing things. We have witnessed the Lord's hand at work in our lives and in our nation from the beginning. We have seen how, as a nation, our country has reacted like those in the region of the Gerasenes, telling the Lord to go away, to get out of the public square, to get out of our schools, to leave the scene and only appear when we need Him. What about our homes and our lives? Have we done the same?

When we see Jesus as the Savior of the world, we become like the Samaritans, wanting more, longing for just five more minutes. Everything is set aside because nothing else matters than having a place that is welcoming to Jesus. Rather than spending our time and effort on what doesn't matter, we spend our time coming to know the One who will always matter. Instead of focusing on what is here today and gone tomorrow, we fix our eyes on Jesus, the One who walks with us today and holds our tomorrow. We give up the world and we live a life of worship. So, it comes down to the question, "Is He welcome here?" Our lives answer that very question.

A Global Mission

An orphan in Uganda wonders if anyone cares about her. A rice farmer in India questions the meaning of life and if there is more to this existence than simply working in a field day after day. In the mountainous region of the Alps, a woman wonders how the mountains came to be, a question she had not pondered before today. And in the United States, a teenager posts another picture with a smile on their face, trying to portray that their life is filled with joy but hiding an emptiness inside because their is a void they cannot explain. A global mission field stands waiting, but do we see our role in mission?

Our church hosted a Serious Writer Christian writer's conference last week, the North Carolina Christian Writers Conference. Looking at the desire of the conferees and the faculty, one thing was clear - the goal was to change the world. Each author had a gift they wanted to use to speak light into the growing darkness, to give hope to the hopeless, to share the good news with those living in despair. As I watched the conference unfold, I began to think about our role in the global mission.

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:29-10 HCSB)

Go. One word. A command. As Jesus knew the Ascension was drawing near, He told them to go. Rather than rest in the comfort of what they had known, what they had experienced, He called them into the uncomfortable, the dangerous, that which could prove costly. Their leader did not give them an option; He gave a command. The places where the gospel would take them would be challenging and rejection was probable. But, He said go. Work was to be done for the kingdom of God and they had a role.

Such is a truth for all of us today. We have a role in the global mission of spreading the gospel. Such a role is to be in the forefront of our minds every minute of the day. We use our talents, gift, abilities, and resources so that the gospel can reach those who need hope, who need salvation, who need Christ to fill the void in their lives. But we sit still. We stay in our comfortable norms, believing the Great Commission to be the Great Suggestion. All the while, Christ is telling us to go.

All Nations. Every nation, every language. From those in the wealthiest of places to the most impoverished inner cities and villages of the world, the gospel is to be proclaimed. Knowing that we cannot physically visit every nation ourselves, how do we reach them as we are called to do? We find our place in the global mission. For writers, we write so that we reach others where they are. For every Christian, we partner with those on the ground in these regions. Operation Christmas Child offers the local church an opportunity to leave a global footprint for the kingdom. Prayer has the power to cross the deepest oceans and reach those in the highest elevations. Looking beyond what we see and experience every day to see how God can impact those who experiences are far different gives us the vision to be involved in the global mission.

Teaching Them. Helping them to have a relationship with Christ is the goal. Equipping them to stand against the tactics of the enemy and experience the peace that surpasses all comprehension is the goal. Rather than just pushing them to make a decision for Christ, the global mission is to take it a step further and make disciples. How do we do that? We begin making disciples at home and we teach them to be disciple-makers in their lives. Again, we partner with others to make Jesus known throughout the world and we do so for the cause of Christ, for the glory of God.

Jesus is with us always. Just the words "global mission" sound overwhelming. That is a great number of people and an immense amount of territory to cover, but this mission is not based on our strength or the perceived limits of our abilities. Christ is with us. His strength is more than enough for us. His abilities are even greater than we can imagine. That little thing that we do for the Lord for the global mission can be multiplied far beyond our greatest imagination when it is placed into the hands of the Lord. Remember, He was able to feed thousands with a few loaves of bread a couple of fish.

I watched those writers seek to make a difference. Offering up what God had given them for His glory to tell His story made me think about what all of us are doing to reach those who need to be reached the most. What's your place in the global mission of the church and what are you doing to proclaim Christ throughout the world? Have faith. Put it in the hands of the Lord and watch Him do what you never dreamed possible.

What's Left Behind

Today is a day where I remember where I was twelve years ago. Anniversaries have a way of doing that. The difference is, this is the anniversary of the death of someone I never met. On television, I had watched him every time his team was playing. A few times, I was in the same building watching as he yelled instructions from the sidelines, drew up plays on a whiteboard, and paced the area in front of the bench. Twelve years ago, I checked into my hotel room, longing to fall asleep after a long day, turned on the television and heard the breaking news. Skip Prosser, Head Men's Basketball coach at Wake Forest, had passed away.

For those who know me, Wake Forest is a part of my heart. That night, though exhausted, I stayed awake to watch the coverage. I listened to players talk about the coach they loved, the coach who had provided fans with some of their most memorable moments. You expect that. The hurt was still fresh. The shock of what had happened was present. The images of what had been was still fresh in their minds.

Eleven years later, I built a proposal for a Wake Forest devotional book and my agent presented the idea to a publisher. They accepted it. So, I began to conduct interviews with former players, a thrill for me and an opportunity to learn a lesson from the stories they shared. Former players like Kyle Visser, Taron Downey, and others shared memories of a man who had made an impact on their lives. More than eleven years after his death, they shared the words he spoke that they would never forget. Stan Cotten shared his memories and without a doubt, Coach Prosser had left a mark on so many.

When we think about life, we think about what we have to do in a day. We think about the obligations and the necessities, but do we think about what we can do in a day? Every day is an opportunity to make an impact, to leave a mark on someone's life, to build a legacy that will live on long after we have drawn our last breath on this earth. Here is something that I read in Scripture that made me think about what legacy I may be leaving behind. In Hebrews, we read, "Don't neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices." (Hebrews 13:16) Looking at the words, it seems simple enough, but what gets in the way is the word "sacrifices".

It's easy to do what is good for ourselves. But every day, we face endless opportunities to set aside ourselves and do for someone else, to sacrifice of our time, of our knowledge, of our attention, and in doing so, make a lasting impact, a legacy, that time will never wipe away. The only way to make sure a mark is left is to pour all we have into others around us, knowing that God can use those moments, those words, and those interactions to alter the lives of those we touch. Today may be our last. It may not be. But it is a chance to leave a mark so that when that day comes, what is left behind is bigger and more impactful than what we could ever imagine.

Twelve years ago today, a basketball coach passed away. But he was more than a coach. We have the chance to leave just as big of an impact when we use our time, talent, and resources to touch the lives we come into contact with for the glory of God.

Build That Wall

The king’s cupbearer was building a wall. Fortifying the defense of Jerusalem was the focus of Nehemiah, as his heart was moved by the rubble found around the city. Could he have left the job for someone else? Sure, he had a choice. Could he have looked at the job before him and said a rebuild was just too strenuous to be completed? He could have. However, inside of him burned a calling, a mission so great that he could not turn away from the work for any reason.

Opponents attempted to sabotage the work, trying their best to thwart the efforts of the people, hoping to undermine the leadership of Nehemiah. Their minds were set to stopping the rebuild, so they did their best to distract and destroy. Messengers were sent, hoping to stall the process when the opposition realized that Nehemiah and the people were making progress. To stall, they requested meetings. Nehemiah kept working. With persistence, they sent messengers repeatedly, especially after Nehemiah dismissed them by saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3 HCSB) In looking at the story of Nehemiah, there are three things to remember about the work we are called to do.

1 – See your work as important – Nehemiah didn’t see what he was called to do as a small job. The work had a purpose; therefore, the work was important. When we belittle what we are doing as “nothing big”, we are already minimizing the importance of the work in our minds and to those around us. Nehemiah told Sanballat and Gesham, “This is a great work!”. Any work you are called to do for the Lord is a great work, even if others may not see it as such. What God has called you to is kingdom work and every role in the kingdom is equally important. See what you are doing as important and approach it as such.

2 – See the completion of the work as necessary – How many activities and works of our lives are left incomplete? I have dozens of things that need to be carried out to completion. Some were started without a complete determination to see it through to the end. Nehemiah didn’t start to build half the wall, abandon it, and feel like something was accomplished. He started the work with a dedication to finish the work. The very thought process that the work can be abandoned is a sabotaging of the work on our own part. Begin it to finish it.

3 – See distractions for what they are – Nehemiah had to face mockery, attempts to discourage, attempts to distract, and even false accusations as he sought to complete the wall. Any time you are called to do the work of the Lord, you will face similar oppositions. Satan will try to stop you by saying you can’t do the work. He will use critics to try to discourage you from continuing the work. Satan will try to tear you down your resolve and try to shift your eyes onto other things. Nehemiah recognized the tactic and refused to be lured away. Nothing was more important than the task he had been called to do. See distractions as the efforts of Satan and respond like Nehemiah by saying, “Who are you to stop the Lord’s work from being finished?”

The work of the Lord is to be done, completed with a heart of determination and dedication. Never is it easy to finish what God has called you to because Satan never sits back and allows the work to go unimpeded. You are doing it for the Lord. Some will mock. Some will disparage. Some will distract. But you, the called of God, are to remain focused and finish that wall you were called to build.

Taking a Step is Success

Hitting the "send" button meant there was no turning back. I checked the screenplay. Repeatedly. I ran through the mental checklist of what I needed to make sure was correct before I sent it. I checked the guidelines at least ten times, avoiding being disqualified over a submission error. My lack of self-esteem continued to tell me there was no point in sending it in because I am not talented enough to win a contest. A moment of truth came as I sat in a cabin alone and prepared to hit the "send" button or simply close the computer and go on with life.

I hit "send". Immediately, my stomach churned. I imagined the contest director opening the email and shaking her head, thinking, "This has to be the worst thing I have ever read." I couldn't turn back because the email was sent. Praying began as soon as it sunk in that this was now real. I had taken a step I had never taken before. I had stepped out on a ledge. A fall may come but at least I took a step. Normally, the voices in my head, those doubts and discouragements that are blaring every day, win out, but not this time. I was determined to get a step closer to my dream of reaching people with the gospel through movies.

I learned a Peter-style lesson through this. Those who take a step are never failures. Regardless of the outcome, those who at least pursue their dreams successfully avoid the question of what could have been. As Peter saw Jesus walking towards them on the water, he called out to Jesus, "Lord, if it's You, command me to come to You on the water." (Matthew 14:28) Jesus told Peter to come to Him, and with that word, Peter stepped out onto the waters. In this truth, we learn something from the day Peter stepped out of the boat.

1 - Do not base life on what others choose to do. Peter stepped out in faith even though everyone else stayed in the comfortable confines of the boat. Though they were too fearful or too cautious to take a step, Peter wanted something more. He was willing to risk it even though the others played it safe. What if Peter had chosen to stay with them? What if Peter said that he wasn't going to be the only one? The beauty is that we do not have to wonder what may have happened because Peter did not wait to see what others would choose to do. He went.

2 - Even if you fall, you can say that you stepped out. We know the story and we know that after a few steps, fear set in for Peter. But here is what we often forget. Those first steps of faith would never be undone. He walked on the water towards Jesus. He stepped out in faith and courage. Nearly two thousand years later, the story is still told of that day when Peter did what no one else would do. He walked on the water with Jesus.

3 - If you fall, Jesus is there. Peter began to sink, but even in that moment of anxiety, Jesus was there. Scripture said that Jesus immediately reached out and took hold of Peter. The same is true for us. When He calls us to step out of the boat and onto the waters, He is calling us with the assurance that He will be there with us. We are not alone and knowing that we have taken that step to follow Him, He will not allow us to be overcome. He was there the moment Peter needed Him. He is here in the moments where we need Him as well.

Know this. Even taking a step towards what God is calling you to do in your life is success. That first step is often times the toughest and even the loneliest step you will take. Others may mock you. Some will question you. Those in the boat will critique what you are doing and will tell you things you should have done. Here is the thing. They stay in the comfortable of the known while you are taking a step to follow Jesus into the unknown. Success is chasing a dream, regardless of outcome, knowing that whether you ultimately succeed according to man is not as important as successfully striving to follow God.

Shattered, Shaken, but Salvaged

Ecclesiastes 3 says, "There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Yesterday, the Lord began the breaking process in my life. One of the great women of faith came to me after the service, with tears in her eyes, telling me that she knew the Lord was about to do big things in my life. She spoke of how she hoped it would be in the church where I currently serve. She fought back her tears as she implored me to continue holding on in the testing period that I found myself in, to refuse to give up. She knew only a fraction of what was going on and she could not have imagined what would be the result.

As she spoke, I could feel the frustration grow even more intense within me. I did what we do as pastors. I forced a smile. I nodded. Graciously, I thanked her for those words. But in my mind, I immediately began to get more irritated with life and with circumstances and how I felt like nothing was how it should be. Never could I have imagined what God was beginning with the words of a faithful woman of God, something that would be painful but necessary, excruciating but imperative. He was about to break me.

Frustration comes in so many forms. From the aggravation of feeling like our lives are on hold, like when the wait for what is next seems never-ending, to the frustration of feeling like every area of life is falling apart, when frustration sets in, it overwhelms. The season of frustration I have gone through in my life has seemed like the length of years that the children of Israel were in the wilderness, wandering around and wondering if they were getting anywhere. Today, it finally hit the breaking point.

As I drove to take our taxes, the stress of a million things sitting unfinished with a million more to do consumed my every thought. Then came the uncertainty of things. Those thoughts only added to the chaos storming through the cells of the brain. Unable to take anymore, I threw in a CD a friend had given me, hoping some worship music would calm my mental storm. Aptly named "Way Cool 2", I listened to the songs and tried to refocus on anything other than what had been brewing previously. Then, it happened. "Thy Will", the song by Hillary Scott and the Scott Family, began playing and as I drove, I broke.

What had been held inside so long could no longer be contained. Trying to be all things for all people had taken its toll as I could not be who I needed to be for myself and for the Lord. The very things I knew were going to happen, the dreams of the heart that kept me pressing on another day, seemed to be crashing into a million pieces on the floor. The very vision for what would be had become nothing more than travelling through the dense fog of unrealistic expectations, wading through worldliness infecting the things of God, and desperation. With each line of the song, I could see how she had captured the very frustration that I have lived in and then, it hit, when she sang:

"I don't wanna think I may never understand that my broken heart is a part of Your plan."

Everything inside me melted. What had begun to lack feeling, a growing numbness that was becoming more alarming with each day, began to let go of the pain and the aggravation, the very hurt that could not be voiced. As the pastor, and as a father and husband, the belief that I could not be broken was dangerous, because whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was broken. For once, I didn't care if someone drove by me and saw me shattered. Hiding it had benefitted no one along the way.

"I know You're good, but this don't feel good right now."

Painful is not enjoyable. When expectations are shattered and broken, the resulting sting of pain is memorable. Such a pain is memorable because it is not to be forgotten; it is a display of the power of God to overcome even our strongest defenses. The walls, the barriers, the exterior that we place up in the hopes of no one sensing our vulnerability have no strength when they are torn down by the very One who created us. I can tell you, I only hurt that way one other time in life, and it was a time when God had to break me down. I didn't think I needed to be broken again, and though the circumstances this time were far different from the last, the pain of it will be nonetheless memorable. I had frustrations that began to change me, away from who God had created me to be, morphing into someone who simply could go no further...and it was hurting.

"Sometimes I gotta stop, remember You are God, and I am not..."

As the tears rolled, the truth of those words rang true. I am not God. I am not in control. So often, we live our lives as if our plan, our timeline, our blueprint is what matters. We fall prey to the idea that somehow we are in charge of a life that we had no control in creating from the beginning. To be reminded of who God is and how God is ultimately in charge, that He is the One who is worthy and able to direct where we are to go and who we are to be is humbling.

"I know You see me, I know You hear me, Lord. Your plans are for me, goodness You have in store."

He saw every tear. He knew every frustration and He could sense every aggravation that had built up. Throughout this season, He had never been unaware of it all and He knew that this day would come. In His infinite wisdom, He knew that this moment would come when that CD was put together a year prior, when those words were spoken after the service last night. A frustrated man was about to be broken by a holy and loving God who could watch His child suffer no more. As all of it flowed out, I hit repeat on the song, hoping God would completely empty out what needed to leave.

By the end, I was driving in circles, trying to get myself together to go in the house. The realness of the moment was this - I was broken, shattered in a million pieces, but at least I could feel something again. At least what had filled up my heart and mind had finally flooded out so He could put it all back together. So though I sat shattered and shaken, in the hands of the Potter, this life can be salvaged. And all I could utter, as those pieces lay in shambles on the ground was:

"Thy Will be done."

Carrying the Weight of the World

Aloe Blacc sang that he had tried to carry the weight of the world but he only had two hands. His words speak to the reality of how we are trying to live on a daily basis. Each day, we wake up and we carry so much with us that before we even leave the house, we are struggling to take the next step because of the load we are carrying. Our minds are exhausted. Our bodies are struggling. We feel beaten down and nearly defeated.

Scripture tells us that, as believers, this is not to be our normal. The Lord has more for us in life and with the Lord in our lives, we do not have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Here is what we read in 1 Peter, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7 HCSB) Rather than carrying those cares, concerns, worries, and anxieties, we are called to cast them over to the Lord. He knows what we need. He knows where we are. He understands what we are facing. He has proven throughout the generations to be able to carry those burdens, freeing us from the weight of the worries to live free in the faith.

Some of us carry the burdens of the past. The mistakes that we made, the failures we endured, the hurts and the regret, but again, those are not ours to carry. As we have taken those things to the Lord, as we have asked for forgiveness for those wrongs, we have to accept the forgiveness of God and forgive ourselves. Scripture tells us that we have no reason to carry the past with us. As Psalm tells us, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12 HCSB) The past is over. It is gone and those sins for which we have repented, they are removed from us. They are so far removed that we should regret should have turned into rejoicing. God took them away and no longer when He sees us does He see those mistakes. Such a truth brings about a hallelujah from the soul.

Take a moment to breathe today. You are weary and worn but the Lord tells us that in that condition, He is where we are to turn. Jesus implored, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 HCSB) These words of Jesus are beckoning you to come to Him today and leave those burdens at His feet, placing those concerns in His hands. He is able. He is there and He calls you.

By the grace of God, we do not have to carry the weight of the world. We were not designed to do so. Rather, we are called to give the weight of the world over to the Creator of the universe, in whose hands we know are able to carry the weight. Today, we have the opportunity to let go and let God do what only God can do. Cast it all on the Lord and see how your hands are freed up to do the work He has called you to do.