This morning I woke up around 4:30AM to get some things done for work. As I looked out the large window in the front of my house I was amazed at the density of the fog that had blanketed the neighborhood. I could barely make out anything beyond the reach of my driveway. My spirit dropped a bit as I was looking forward to a gorgeous and sun-drenched day, but based on what I could see…this was not going to be “that” day.
I am not a big fan of fog…especially driving in the fog. Navigating in the fog definitely presents it challenges. I am without doubt more alert when driving in the fog, given that visibility is diminished so it is often difficult to see potential hazards in the road ahead. It also amazes me when I see people switch to their high beams when driving in the fog. If it wasn’t bad enough that they teach you in driving school to not do this, it also becomes painfully obvious because the wall of fog appears to move closer to you once you activate your car’s high beams. Nevertheless some people have to do things their way.
When I think about fog, I remember back in elementary school when one of my teachers described fog as “cotton balls falling from the sky and floating just above the ground” (yes… I attended Baltimore City Public Schools and I’m proud of it J ). A more appropriate/grown up definition is: a cloudlike mass or layer of minute water droplets or ice crystals near the surface of the earth, appreciably reducing visibility (Dictionary.com).
Fog not only exists in the external environment, it also exists in the human interior. There are many types of fog including:
*Mental Fog- clouds of the mind, that generate confusion or inability or unwillingness to make a sound decisions.
*Emotional Fog- clouds of the heart that impact relationships with others and self acceptance
*Spiritual Fog- clouds of the soul that hinders us from seeing God, His plans and His love for us
Many of us have experienced one or more of these “fogs” at one point in our lives. In fact some of you may be under a “cotton ball” right now. I am a witness that the light of God through His truth, power and love can lift you up out of darkness and into His Light, so that you can see clearly though the “fogs” of life. Until the “fog” lifts, God has promised to lead us and to guide us though Faith as we exercise our dependence on Him. While the “fogs” of life don’t always immediately lift, if we trust God, listen to what He is telling us through the “foggy” experience, we will be ever grateful and determined to honor and praise Him when the fog lifts.
What mental fog is causing you to struggle with making a “tough” decision? What Emotion fog is hindering you from loving others and your self with “reckless abandon”? What spiritual Fog is causing you to doubt that God Loves you?
A funny thing happen today…what started as a gloomy day dominated by fog, turned out to be a gloriously beautiful day once the fog dissipated. In reality this beautiful and sunny day was there all of the time, but the fog clouded our view of it. It was not until the fog lifted that we were able to experience the warmth and beauty of the Sun. I urge you today to trust in God through your fog so that you can experience the warmth and beauty of the Love of God.
Be Blessed,
B
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Closet or Garage
Recently I had the satisfaction of completing a home project. Through great effort, sweat, planning and diligence, I was able to add a shelving system in my garage. I must admit that I procrastinated on the project. About 2 ½ years ago I completed a similar project in the bedroom closet that my wife and I share. I completed that project in 1 day. On the flip side, it took me about 1 month to complete the garage shelving. The concept and the skills needed to complete the projects were the same. Find the studs, install the shelving track, make sure it is level and then secure the track to the studs. Pretty straight forward…. So why did it take me 1 day to finish one project and 1 month to finish another?
It recently dawned on me why I flew through one project and not the other that was similar. It was the fact that with the closet project, I was armed with a greater sense of urgency, an intense level of focus and a clear understanding of the need to complete the task. The circumstances surrounding the need for the projects were different. With the closet project the need was more apparent…in my eyes. Let me explain…
As my wife and I had just returned from one of our much needed vacations, we were shocked to find that almost all of our clothes from our closet were on the floor because the builder had not properly installed the closet system in our bedroom. I went from relaxed mode to “Bob the Builder” mode (Can we fix it...Yes we can) in a matter of seconds. By the evening I had gone to Home Depot, purchased the material and installed the closet shelving system, because I knew that we (my wife especially) could not operate without a functioning closet. Once the job had been completed and I hung the last shirt up in the “new closet”. I had an immense sense of satisfaction. The garage project was not met with equaled intensity because I approached it as something that I WANTED to do versus something that I NEEDED to do. In fact the need was the same, as my wife was eventually forced to park outside of the garage during most of the winter, but it was my perception of the need that was different.
Often time our inability or unwillingness to distinguish between things that we “want” to do and the things that we “need” to do becomes a barrier to us being able to demonstrate the love of God fully toward others. We sometimes allow our feelings to block out our ability to rationalize and subsequently allow “how we feel”, about people and circumstances, to dictate how we demonstrate the love of God.
God has given us the ability and the privilege to help others; however, sometimes we are only compelled to help when we “feel” like it. Regardless of whether we “feel” like it or not, the urgency of the need that exists in the lives of those around us in not diminished. We are called not only to love, but to love well.
Philippians 1:9-11 (The Message) So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
When it comes to loving others and to demonstrating the Love of God, God’s standard is so much higher than human standards. God calls us to love the “unlovely”, those who will not love you back, those who “use” you, those who can’t repay you, those who curse you, those who mean all types of evil toward you…etc. Simply stated God wants us to love others the way that He loves us (we are “unlovely”, selfish etc).
As we choose to demonstrate the love of God through our relationships with our spouses, our children, our co-workers, our extended family, our friends, our enemies and random people that we encounter, let us approach each opportunity to love with sincerity so that people can see God through our love and be drawn to a closer relationship with Him.
The urgency of the need for love is present. Will you approach your opportunities to love like I approached the garage project or the closet project?
Be Blessed,
B
It recently dawned on me why I flew through one project and not the other that was similar. It was the fact that with the closet project, I was armed with a greater sense of urgency, an intense level of focus and a clear understanding of the need to complete the task. The circumstances surrounding the need for the projects were different. With the closet project the need was more apparent…in my eyes. Let me explain…
As my wife and I had just returned from one of our much needed vacations, we were shocked to find that almost all of our clothes from our closet were on the floor because the builder had not properly installed the closet system in our bedroom. I went from relaxed mode to “Bob the Builder” mode (Can we fix it...Yes we can) in a matter of seconds. By the evening I had gone to Home Depot, purchased the material and installed the closet shelving system, because I knew that we (my wife especially) could not operate without a functioning closet. Once the job had been completed and I hung the last shirt up in the “new closet”. I had an immense sense of satisfaction. The garage project was not met with equaled intensity because I approached it as something that I WANTED to do versus something that I NEEDED to do. In fact the need was the same, as my wife was eventually forced to park outside of the garage during most of the winter, but it was my perception of the need that was different.
Often time our inability or unwillingness to distinguish between things that we “want” to do and the things that we “need” to do becomes a barrier to us being able to demonstrate the love of God fully toward others. We sometimes allow our feelings to block out our ability to rationalize and subsequently allow “how we feel”, about people and circumstances, to dictate how we demonstrate the love of God.
God has given us the ability and the privilege to help others; however, sometimes we are only compelled to help when we “feel” like it. Regardless of whether we “feel” like it or not, the urgency of the need that exists in the lives of those around us in not diminished. We are called not only to love, but to love well.
Philippians 1:9-11 (The Message) So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
When it comes to loving others and to demonstrating the Love of God, God’s standard is so much higher than human standards. God calls us to love the “unlovely”, those who will not love you back, those who “use” you, those who can’t repay you, those who curse you, those who mean all types of evil toward you…etc. Simply stated God wants us to love others the way that He loves us (we are “unlovely”, selfish etc).
As we choose to demonstrate the love of God through our relationships with our spouses, our children, our co-workers, our extended family, our friends, our enemies and random people that we encounter, let us approach each opportunity to love with sincerity so that people can see God through our love and be drawn to a closer relationship with Him.
The urgency of the need for love is present. Will you approach your opportunities to love like I approached the garage project or the closet project?
Be Blessed,
B
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Good 2 Great
It has been my experience that every relationship that I have been involved in has endured challenges that have either made the relationship stronger or have resulted in the severing of the tie. As I step back and reflect in some of the many life lessons that I have learned, I am comforted by the fact that I am a better me today because of the many different people that I have encountered along my journey in life.
Some of these people came into my life for only a brief moment, while others are permanent fixtures in my life…Some came only to take from me, yet others never took but only gave to me…Some came to attempt to drown me in my own tears, while others brought the comfort of words that restored and renewed my mind, heart and spirit… Some came to promote and to magnify my fears, while others provoked me to take bold steps toward my destiny.
Recently I have reflected on these truths as they relate to my relationship with my wife. While most people think that we are a “model couple” and that I’m the best husband and father in the world J, but we go through challenges (I like to call them opportunities), just like everyone else. We have a good marriage. Most people would love to have a good relationship. We help each other, compromise on ideas, support each other in the pursuit of our dreams, express our love through actions and through words, worship God together at Church and at home, pray for and with each other etc… That is all good… but good is often the enemy of GREAT.
It is in the moments where we have been faced with tremendous struggle, when we have overcome disappointments, when we have made the decision to be more transparent before each other, that God has allowed us to experience GREATNESS. Just as muscles only grow stronger through strength training (during this process the muscles are “torn” and grow back stronger as they heal), our relationship has only grown stronger when we’ve fought through the pain, fatigue and hurts of life and we chose to love deeper and more genuinely than before.
In many of our relationships, we have settled for just operating in “good” mode. We accept that fact that since nothing is really going “wrong” then we are ok. Every true relationship (which is deeper than just being acquainted with a person) should be one that is growing. You should be promoting growth in others and they should be promoting growth in you or else the relationship is fruitless and stagnant.
Today, as you reflect not only on your relationships with others, but also on your relationship with God, challenge yourself to take your relationship to the next level. There are too many marriages, families, churches etc. on “cruise control”. When you are in “cruise control” you are not fully engaged in your progress. I believe that this is the perfect time to take full control of our relationships and to expand them beyond our comfort zones so that we can effectively demonstrate to the world what true GODLY GREATNESS looks like.
God is ready to demonstrate His Love to the world through our GREAT relationships.
Be Blessed,
B
Some of these people came into my life for only a brief moment, while others are permanent fixtures in my life…Some came only to take from me, yet others never took but only gave to me…Some came to attempt to drown me in my own tears, while others brought the comfort of words that restored and renewed my mind, heart and spirit… Some came to promote and to magnify my fears, while others provoked me to take bold steps toward my destiny.
Recently I have reflected on these truths as they relate to my relationship with my wife. While most people think that we are a “model couple” and that I’m the best husband and father in the world J, but we go through challenges (I like to call them opportunities), just like everyone else. We have a good marriage. Most people would love to have a good relationship. We help each other, compromise on ideas, support each other in the pursuit of our dreams, express our love through actions and through words, worship God together at Church and at home, pray for and with each other etc… That is all good… but good is often the enemy of GREAT.
It is in the moments where we have been faced with tremendous struggle, when we have overcome disappointments, when we have made the decision to be more transparent before each other, that God has allowed us to experience GREATNESS. Just as muscles only grow stronger through strength training (during this process the muscles are “torn” and grow back stronger as they heal), our relationship has only grown stronger when we’ve fought through the pain, fatigue and hurts of life and we chose to love deeper and more genuinely than before.
In many of our relationships, we have settled for just operating in “good” mode. We accept that fact that since nothing is really going “wrong” then we are ok. Every true relationship (which is deeper than just being acquainted with a person) should be one that is growing. You should be promoting growth in others and they should be promoting growth in you or else the relationship is fruitless and stagnant.
Today, as you reflect not only on your relationships with others, but also on your relationship with God, challenge yourself to take your relationship to the next level. There are too many marriages, families, churches etc. on “cruise control”. When you are in “cruise control” you are not fully engaged in your progress. I believe that this is the perfect time to take full control of our relationships and to expand them beyond our comfort zones so that we can effectively demonstrate to the world what true GODLY GREATNESS looks like.
God is ready to demonstrate His Love to the world through our GREAT relationships.
Be Blessed,
B
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Do It.
Like most people, I listen to music on my way to work. The type of music I listen to usually depends on my mood or what I feel like I need to hear before I step into the office. If I need to mellow out, I’ll listen to some light jazz or some old R&B. If I need to get amped, I’ll listen to some Hip-Hop (usually old school or Holy Hip Hop). If I’m facing struggles I listen to inspirational/gospel music. It really depends. I usually look for meaning and messages in the music.
This morning while I was flipping through the stations, I stumbled upon a traditional gospel song called “Do It”. No…the song was not about God telling Adam and Eve to be fruitful and to multiply. J I really wasn’t in the “mood” for this particular style of music this morning so I listened for about 3 seconds and turned it to another station where some Otis Redding was playing. Something in me said…turn it back to “Do It” so I did. The song retold of some of the Miracles that Jesus performed in the Bible. It told of Jesus healing the sick, giving the mute people the ability to talk, giving those that were blind sight etc. The chorus simply said “Whatever you need to do Lord do it…Like you did it way back then, I need you to do it again…Whatever you need to do Lord, Do it”.
As I was listening to this song the words hit me in a special way. God is still doing these miracles today to those who have put their trust in Him.
*I once was blind and lived my life only for "My" benefit. I couldn’t see the things of God or the potential death traps, dead ends or destruction that were ahead of me on the road that I was on in life, but God opened my eyes and now I can see my life through His eyes.
*I once was mute and could not speak of the goodness of God and His power to love unconditionally, to bless with “reckless abandon” and to deliver me from sin and from my self destructive ways.
*I once was lame and could not walk on the path of righteousness. I was not strong enough to walk God’s path for me. Now I walk though the power of God and I stand on God principles and Love as my firm foundation
*I once was sick in my spirit and I tried many of the “world’s” remedies to ease the pain that I felt in my soul, but once I turned my “illness” over to God He made me whole.
*I once was Dead to God and His will. After I put my trust in Him, I became alive and I now live with the intent to live a life that is pleasing to God and that fulfills His plan for me.
In a world filled with challenges and struggles many people find it hard to see God working in the lives of people. Some people don’t believe in miracles or think that they only occurred in “Bible Times”. I’m convinced that I am one of the many “walking miracles” that exists today. I bear witness to the fact that God is still in the “miracle business” because only He could have produced such a change in my life.
What is your story? Are you a walking miracle? Why not share the hope that is found in your “miracle story” with someone today? You may hold the key that unlocks the door to someone’s eternal destiny. Your story is unique to you and only you can tell it the way that it needs to be told and the way the people in your sphere of influence need to hear it.
Share your miracle…and watch a miracle happen.
Be Blessed,
B
This morning while I was flipping through the stations, I stumbled upon a traditional gospel song called “Do It”. No…the song was not about God telling Adam and Eve to be fruitful and to multiply. J I really wasn’t in the “mood” for this particular style of music this morning so I listened for about 3 seconds and turned it to another station where some Otis Redding was playing. Something in me said…turn it back to “Do It” so I did. The song retold of some of the Miracles that Jesus performed in the Bible. It told of Jesus healing the sick, giving the mute people the ability to talk, giving those that were blind sight etc. The chorus simply said “Whatever you need to do Lord do it…Like you did it way back then, I need you to do it again…Whatever you need to do Lord, Do it”.
As I was listening to this song the words hit me in a special way. God is still doing these miracles today to those who have put their trust in Him.
*I once was blind and lived my life only for "My" benefit. I couldn’t see the things of God or the potential death traps, dead ends or destruction that were ahead of me on the road that I was on in life, but God opened my eyes and now I can see my life through His eyes.
*I once was mute and could not speak of the goodness of God and His power to love unconditionally, to bless with “reckless abandon” and to deliver me from sin and from my self destructive ways.
*I once was lame and could not walk on the path of righteousness. I was not strong enough to walk God’s path for me. Now I walk though the power of God and I stand on God principles and Love as my firm foundation
*I once was sick in my spirit and I tried many of the “world’s” remedies to ease the pain that I felt in my soul, but once I turned my “illness” over to God He made me whole.
*I once was Dead to God and His will. After I put my trust in Him, I became alive and I now live with the intent to live a life that is pleasing to God and that fulfills His plan for me.
In a world filled with challenges and struggles many people find it hard to see God working in the lives of people. Some people don’t believe in miracles or think that they only occurred in “Bible Times”. I’m convinced that I am one of the many “walking miracles” that exists today. I bear witness to the fact that God is still in the “miracle business” because only He could have produced such a change in my life.
What is your story? Are you a walking miracle? Why not share the hope that is found in your “miracle story” with someone today? You may hold the key that unlocks the door to someone’s eternal destiny. Your story is unique to you and only you can tell it the way that it needs to be told and the way the people in your sphere of influence need to hear it.
Share your miracle…and watch a miracle happen.
Be Blessed,
B
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Can you Hear Me Now???
This weekend my wife and I attended a marriage conference entitled a “Weekend to Remember”. During most of the sessions, we were in the main conference room together, however during the last day; they separated the men from the women. There were probably about 750 couples in attendance and the hallway between where the men and the women were meeting was quite narrow. That being said, you can probably imagine the anxiety that I felt when the men were dismissed and we were told to find our wives. There were wall to wall people and just turning around was a task. It was very difficult to see around people. I tried to call her on the cell as I gazed through the crowd….but nothing…I thought to myself, if I could only hear her voice, calling my name. I know that I would be able to locate her through the crowd.
We have all had a similar experience. Whether it has been at a party, at an amusement park, at an arena etc…. no matter what the size of the crowd, we can pick out the voice of our loved ones if they are in “range”. Among the thousands of other voices that flood the surround background, the voice of our loved one is distinct to us. It triggers something within us that commands our attention. As long as I’m within the range of the reach of my loved ones’ voice, I will hear them calling.
God is calling out to us today. God loves us and we who are His children recognize His voice. The questions are:
*Are you within the range of His voice or are you “far removed” from the range of His voice?
*Are you too focused on the other voices in the room that you have no interest in responding to the call of the one who loves you?
*Do you hear Him calling you but are you choosing to ignore His voice?
*Are you afraid to heed to His call because you are ashamed to acknowledge that you know Him for fear of being rejected by your “friends” or family?
*Are you too busy to want to know what He wants or what he is trying to say to you?
No matter where we “hide” we can never hide from God and His voice. God will get His message to you. The choice is yours as to how the message is delivered and received. God can speak through the storms and God can whisper through a stillest of winds. Believe me…He knows how you get your attention.
If you are familiar with cell phones you know that cell phones have a meter on them that determines their signal strength. The closer you are to a tower and the fewer the obstructions that are between you and the tower, the stronger your signal strength. The same is true of our ability to communicate with God. God is like the cell phone tower. The farther we are from Him and the more we allow sin, situations and self to get between Him and us the poorer our reception will become and the weaker our signal strength will be.
God is on the phone right now. He has dialed the # to your heart….Today He is saying…
”Can you Hear Me Now????” What will be your reply?
Be Blessed,
B
We have all had a similar experience. Whether it has been at a party, at an amusement park, at an arena etc…. no matter what the size of the crowd, we can pick out the voice of our loved ones if they are in “range”. Among the thousands of other voices that flood the surround background, the voice of our loved one is distinct to us. It triggers something within us that commands our attention. As long as I’m within the range of the reach of my loved ones’ voice, I will hear them calling.
God is calling out to us today. God loves us and we who are His children recognize His voice. The questions are:
*Are you within the range of His voice or are you “far removed” from the range of His voice?
*Are you too focused on the other voices in the room that you have no interest in responding to the call of the one who loves you?
*Do you hear Him calling you but are you choosing to ignore His voice?
*Are you afraid to heed to His call because you are ashamed to acknowledge that you know Him for fear of being rejected by your “friends” or family?
*Are you too busy to want to know what He wants or what he is trying to say to you?
No matter where we “hide” we can never hide from God and His voice. God will get His message to you. The choice is yours as to how the message is delivered and received. God can speak through the storms and God can whisper through a stillest of winds. Believe me…He knows how you get your attention.
If you are familiar with cell phones you know that cell phones have a meter on them that determines their signal strength. The closer you are to a tower and the fewer the obstructions that are between you and the tower, the stronger your signal strength. The same is true of our ability to communicate with God. God is like the cell phone tower. The farther we are from Him and the more we allow sin, situations and self to get between Him and us the poorer our reception will become and the weaker our signal strength will be.
God is on the phone right now. He has dialed the # to your heart….Today He is saying…
”Can you Hear Me Now????” What will be your reply?
Be Blessed,
B
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Just Across the Room
Have you ever had the privilege of having someone come across your path whom you are prompted to help in a significant way, even though you may never see or hear from that person again? This happen to me with a gentleman named Mr. Charles that I met over a year ago. I met Mr. Charles as I was preparing to get ready to go to work. An unexpected knock on my door changed both his life and my life forever.
Mr. Charles was an African immigrant who came to America to make a better life for his family. His good intentions were met with evil opposition as the family that he came to live with, held him captive, abused him and refused to allow him to work other than to watch their kids and to cook and clean their home. One day he managed to escape and he reached out for help as he knocked on my door. I listened to his story and was almost brought to tears. I felt that I had to do everything in my power to help him and that is what I did (with the assistance of my neighbor…shout out to Mr. Green) for the rest of the day and well into the evening.
That day, I took Mr. Charles to get something to eat….we went to 2 police stations…we called several agencies and we reached out to a local Catholic Church (Mr. Charles had begged to go to a Catholic church as that was his denomination at home). We were turned away and rejected everywhere we went…until I took him to my home church. There my Pastor took time out of his busy day to sit and to talk with Mr. Charles and to make provisions for Mr. Charles going forward. I also had the privilege of leading Mr. Charles to Christ. As he invited God into his life to be his Lord, his entire appearance changed. His face lit up and he smiled as bright as the sun that was in the sky that summer day.
Mr. Charles’ plan was to go back to his homeland. Until then I would see him in the neighborhood off and on until I stopped seeing him at all. I often wondered what happened to him. I wished for the best, but I was not certain that he was alive and well.
That was until about 2 weeks ago. I received a phone call out of the blue one evening and it was Mr. Charles. He was calling me from back home in Africa. He said that he was so grateful that I took time out to allow myself to be used by God to help him. He expressed his eternal gratitude and said that he had been looking for my number for some time because he wanted to say thanks and to let me know that he was alright.
My heart was overwhelmed with joy as I spoke with him. It was amazing to me that just doing what was right and what I was led by God to do, made such an impact on someone else’s life.
I was reminded of this story last week at Bible Study. We are going through a series entitled “Just Walk Across the Room”. The focus of the study is evangelism. Some of the keys to successful evangelism are:
*Being yourself
*Being friendly
*Being available
*Taking a risk to help and to reach others
*Listening to and responding to God’s “prompts”
*Identifying the correct approach
In this case I “walked across the room” to help someone in need and he responded to the call of God. I was the only person at that time who could have done what I did through the power of God to reach Mr. Charles. My life experiences had equipped me to respond to this “interruption” in my life and to see God’s larger plan. My plan was to go to work. God’s plan was that He had work for me to do.
As you reflect on your life, think about those people who “walked across the room” for you. They didn’t consider helping you as an interruption…they considered it an opportunity. Think about where you would be right now if the people who have made the most significant positive impact on you in a personal way, were too “busy” to do so.
A seed of friendship (or an act of kindness) often blossoms and assists others in making life changing decisions to establish genuine relationships with God.
Someone walked across the room for you…Who is waiting on the other side of the room for you?
Be Blessed,
B
Mr. Charles was an African immigrant who came to America to make a better life for his family. His good intentions were met with evil opposition as the family that he came to live with, held him captive, abused him and refused to allow him to work other than to watch their kids and to cook and clean their home. One day he managed to escape and he reached out for help as he knocked on my door. I listened to his story and was almost brought to tears. I felt that I had to do everything in my power to help him and that is what I did (with the assistance of my neighbor…shout out to Mr. Green) for the rest of the day and well into the evening.
That day, I took Mr. Charles to get something to eat….we went to 2 police stations…we called several agencies and we reached out to a local Catholic Church (Mr. Charles had begged to go to a Catholic church as that was his denomination at home). We were turned away and rejected everywhere we went…until I took him to my home church. There my Pastor took time out of his busy day to sit and to talk with Mr. Charles and to make provisions for Mr. Charles going forward. I also had the privilege of leading Mr. Charles to Christ. As he invited God into his life to be his Lord, his entire appearance changed. His face lit up and he smiled as bright as the sun that was in the sky that summer day.
Mr. Charles’ plan was to go back to his homeland. Until then I would see him in the neighborhood off and on until I stopped seeing him at all. I often wondered what happened to him. I wished for the best, but I was not certain that he was alive and well.
That was until about 2 weeks ago. I received a phone call out of the blue one evening and it was Mr. Charles. He was calling me from back home in Africa. He said that he was so grateful that I took time out to allow myself to be used by God to help him. He expressed his eternal gratitude and said that he had been looking for my number for some time because he wanted to say thanks and to let me know that he was alright.
My heart was overwhelmed with joy as I spoke with him. It was amazing to me that just doing what was right and what I was led by God to do, made such an impact on someone else’s life.
I was reminded of this story last week at Bible Study. We are going through a series entitled “Just Walk Across the Room”. The focus of the study is evangelism. Some of the keys to successful evangelism are:
*Being yourself
*Being friendly
*Being available
*Taking a risk to help and to reach others
*Listening to and responding to God’s “prompts”
*Identifying the correct approach
In this case I “walked across the room” to help someone in need and he responded to the call of God. I was the only person at that time who could have done what I did through the power of God to reach Mr. Charles. My life experiences had equipped me to respond to this “interruption” in my life and to see God’s larger plan. My plan was to go to work. God’s plan was that He had work for me to do.
As you reflect on your life, think about those people who “walked across the room” for you. They didn’t consider helping you as an interruption…they considered it an opportunity. Think about where you would be right now if the people who have made the most significant positive impact on you in a personal way, were too “busy” to do so.
A seed of friendship (or an act of kindness) often blossoms and assists others in making life changing decisions to establish genuine relationships with God.
Someone walked across the room for you…Who is waiting on the other side of the room for you?
Be Blessed,
B
Thursday, February 5, 2009
L.I.P.
Stimulus….Bailout…Bankruptcy…War…Recession…Depression…
Foreclosure…Catastrophe…Loss…Unemployment…The Housing Market Collapse
These are just some of the “Buzz” words that I pulled from various headlines just today. It appears that the world is spinning out of control like Taz (the Tasmanian Devil) from the Looney Tunes cartoons. If you listen and believe everything you hear, you could almost compare the current world situation to being on a plane in which the pilot and co-pilot have had heart attacks and the plane is accelerating toward the ground and a deadly crash is imminent.
The pressures and the challenges that we face personally and collectively can seem overwhelming. We can easily get pulled in various directions by the cares of this world and these days…peace of mind seems so hard to find.
People are turning to all sorts of “temporary” fixes to “ease the pain”. Unfortunately some have even looked toward death as their only hope to find peace and to end their quest to find solutions to their problems. In doing so, they think that they will be able to “Rest in Peace”…but…
How can we live in peace???
Philippians 4:6-9 (The Message)
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
True peace can only come through a relationship with God. Knowing that God’s power is superior to any problem that we face can give us the confidence and blessed assurance that we need to turn our problems into praise.
The key is to be grounded. Too many people build their lives on weak foundations that are centered on their own strength, intellect and abilities. So when the storms of life (like the one we are currently experiencing) start to rage, they collapse. A person who is grounded through an eternal relationship with God, can withstand whatever comes his/her way for it is not his/her strength that is allowing him/her to stand.
You may be facing what seems like insurmountable challenges in you marriage, in various family relationships, in you career, in your finances, in your community, in your church…etc and you may be searching for peace. I urge you today to evaluate your relationship with God. Many of us have tried it our way and already know where that will lead us. We have sometimes been the architects of the plans that lead to self-demise.
Why not try it God’s way? Why not shift your focus from your problems to God’s solutions. By having God’s perspective or take on your life you can begin to see how the “challenges” you face are just a small piece of the Great Masterpiece that is “You”. When you have His perspective you can have joy through uncertain and desolate times for you know that everything is working together for your ultimate good as you seek to love God more and more each day.
Let today be the day that you find peace through your relationship with God.
May you L.I.P. (Live in Peace)
Be Blessed,
B
Foreclosure…Catastrophe…Loss…Unemployment…The Housing Market Collapse
These are just some of the “Buzz” words that I pulled from various headlines just today. It appears that the world is spinning out of control like Taz (the Tasmanian Devil) from the Looney Tunes cartoons. If you listen and believe everything you hear, you could almost compare the current world situation to being on a plane in which the pilot and co-pilot have had heart attacks and the plane is accelerating toward the ground and a deadly crash is imminent.
The pressures and the challenges that we face personally and collectively can seem overwhelming. We can easily get pulled in various directions by the cares of this world and these days…peace of mind seems so hard to find.
People are turning to all sorts of “temporary” fixes to “ease the pain”. Unfortunately some have even looked toward death as their only hope to find peace and to end their quest to find solutions to their problems. In doing so, they think that they will be able to “Rest in Peace”…but…
How can we live in peace???
Philippians 4:6-9 (The Message)
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
True peace can only come through a relationship with God. Knowing that God’s power is superior to any problem that we face can give us the confidence and blessed assurance that we need to turn our problems into praise.
The key is to be grounded. Too many people build their lives on weak foundations that are centered on their own strength, intellect and abilities. So when the storms of life (like the one we are currently experiencing) start to rage, they collapse. A person who is grounded through an eternal relationship with God, can withstand whatever comes his/her way for it is not his/her strength that is allowing him/her to stand.
You may be facing what seems like insurmountable challenges in you marriage, in various family relationships, in you career, in your finances, in your community, in your church…etc and you may be searching for peace. I urge you today to evaluate your relationship with God. Many of us have tried it our way and already know where that will lead us. We have sometimes been the architects of the plans that lead to self-demise.
Why not try it God’s way? Why not shift your focus from your problems to God’s solutions. By having God’s perspective or take on your life you can begin to see how the “challenges” you face are just a small piece of the Great Masterpiece that is “You”. When you have His perspective you can have joy through uncertain and desolate times for you know that everything is working together for your ultimate good as you seek to love God more and more each day.
Let today be the day that you find peace through your relationship with God.
May you L.I.P. (Live in Peace)
Be Blessed,
B
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
