Living in light of eternity

There is a saying that goes, "You can't see the forest for the trees." It reminds us of a problem we often have in our Christian life. We lose sight of the big picture. We fail to remember when the drama began, how it began, and how the Lord was faithful through it. Especially in dramas that last longer than a television series. Even shows like "24" and "Lost" are forced into "recap" summaries that remind us of what exactly what is happening, how we got there, and what still needs resolving. Jesus pointed out this problem with the Pharisees by saying, Matt 23:24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (NIV) It is human nature to focus on the small, less important things, and miss the large priorities of life. It's also easy to lose sight of how your life is playing out, especially when it takes a while for the issues to be resolved. A problem hits; we get upset; we pray; God answers by dinner time; all is resol...

When I take some time to reflect I often think of my good friends Charles and Ann Towery as examples of one thing or another. When considering "oneness" in marriage I immediately think of a rather strange experience I had with Ann about a year after Charles passed away. We were visiting and having coffee together in her new little house next to the big one out at the "6T Ranch". As we were catching up, laughing, and making observations on various things, I had this strange experience. It was as if Charles were in the room with Ann as we talked. His presence and personality were vivid, like the smell of dinner on the stove or new fire in the fireplace. Now I'm not making a case for ghosts or seances or anything like that- I don't believe in such nonsense. I'm making a case for "oneness". I honestly believe that over their 50+ years of marriage, Charles and Ann had found a profound type of oneness together. Their personalities had been wo...

There is the story of the Indian tribe stuck in a prolonged blizzard in the dead of winter. The chief sends out some scouts to forage for food. After three days they return with the report, "Well, there's good news and there's bad news. Which do you want first?" They want the bad news. "There's absolutely nothing to eat except buffalo chips." "Well, what's the good news?" the chief asks. "There's lots of it." I think worry is a lot like buffalo chips , there's lots of it. There will always be something to worry about. For the person prone toward anxiety, there seems to be an almost limitless supply. Whether it's the economy, politics, world events, or more personal things like school, job, family, children, grandchildren, or health, it's always something. When I was younger I didn't seem to have as much trouble with worrying. Maybe I had youthful optimism. It seems that after you have a few more lumps and...

I have recently noticed a tendency among many Christians. I would call it "moralizing". The Collins Essential English Dictionary defines this as "to discuss or consider something in the light of one's own moral beliefs, esp. with disapproval." Certainly we, as followers of Christ, are called to be moral. But I wonder if we are called to "moralize". I think we fall into "moralizing" when we interpret almost everything in light of its moral meaning. Many things in life should be interpreted through a moral grid, but not everything. There is white, there is black, and there is gray. Not everything in life is either black or white. And just because I deem something as black, doesn't mean I necessarily need to speak out about it or criticize others for not seeing it my way. Job's counselors could be described as moralizers. They could perceive all Job's faults, but could offer no real help. They could speak for human cond...

I recently had an interesting experience talking with a young 5th grade teacher. She had just graduated from a university in Texas and secured a good teaching position. In today's economy, that's quite an accomplishment. She liked the students but was extremely frustrated. I asked her what the problem was. After very little thought, she said, "I just want to reach people for Jesus Christ." As she shared these thoughts, she started to cry a bit. I was listening intently and I got teary eyed also. I know that passion. Frankly, I was thinking, " I remember feeling that way." It was so moving to see a person with a compassion for the lost, and a passion for sharing Christ; that deep concern you feel when you consider the destiny of someone who does not know Christ and the future that awaits them if they don't rectify their situation. I believe that deep feeling of compassion is one of the hallmarks of the Spirit-filled life. Matt 9:36 36 When h...

This time of year my mind always goes back to the 6T Ranch and Charles and Anne Towery . Charles passed away on January 1st, then several years later Anne went to join him on January 29, 2003. That particular New Years day was one I'll never forget. We got the call that Charles had passed. We were invited to come up to the ranch. So we loaded up our three children and headed up the Katy Hockley Cut-Off. Several friends of the family were there, and Anne greeted us in an unusually warm and gracious manner, considering she had just lost the love of her life. Although "lost" is not exactly accurate. After a bit Anne asked, "Do you want to see Charles?" At first I didn't understand what she meant until Nona whispered, "He's laid out in the sunroom ." I don't normally like to go to funerals, and "viewings" even less. There is something about a dead person laying at the other end of the room. But this was different. Anne escorted our f...

Johnny could hardly believe it- he was finally in High School. All through his long career in Junior High, he had dreamt of going to South High- the big hallways, the spacious lockers, and the new pride of being one of the “Mustangs”. He’d always thought it would be so cool to be a “High School Student”…But now it was his first day, and as he walked up those stone steps and entered the giant doorway he had to admit, he was a bit scared... And he should be! South High, like many schools had a “caste system”. The first thing Johnny noticed was how much smaller he was than most of the guys- and a lot of the girls too. I guess they were right when they said he hadn ’t experienced his “growth spurt” yet. Most things went along pretty well that first day except two- navigating the halls, and lunchtime. Johnny never could have guessed how much the freshmen could get pushed around trying to get into their lockers. And he found a group of older guys that you just had to steer clear of. He calle...