The Power of Presence

Every time I celebrate a birthday, anniversary or other significant 'life' event I am always amazed at how fast life seems to go by. Sometimes I feel like I want things to slow down a little... at least when things are going my way.....when life's circumstances seem good...at least to me.

Since 2008 it seems like life is getting a little more confusing. There is so much uncertainty... jobs are hard to find... the economy is not good. When people you love and care about are struggling you want to help in some tangible way. We can give of our resources and time but what about advice & counsel concerning direction and purpose?

Many years ago I read a quote by a man who died quite young doing what he felt led to do with his life. His name is Jim Eliot. Jim was someone who loved God's grace so much that he went to a hard place on the planet (the jungles of Ecuador) to convey a message of love. In his lifetime it seemed he was a failure. He was killed before a single person could understand or receive the message of Christ love he was carrying. Later, his widow and children continued the work of loving the people in the jungles of Ecuador... and many received God's grace..... his death was not in vain.... nor was his life.

The Jim Eliot quote I want to share with you in this brief blog is this, "Wherever you are, be all there." Life is not primarily made up of "big" events or noticeable achievements. It's made up of every single small portion of time alloted to each one of us. None of us know for certain how long our clocks are wound for. There is mystery involved in our span of life. One thing is certain.... there is no more foolish or wasteful person than the one who will not live fully in the moment..... The NOW of life.

I am deeply saddened by people who are always living in the wrong dimension of life. They are either stuck in the past or consumed by an unknown future. They struggle with embracing life moment by moment.... and thus never really live at all. The simple but profound mysteries and deep beauties of life are not discovered either by focusing on the past or the future. Life's gifts are most enjoyed by people who throw themselves .... immerse themselves in the precious gift of today. They refuse to be swallowed up by the demons of the past or the ghosts of tomorrow. They walk hand in hand with the God who created them..... for NOW.

Faith allows God to heal the past, forgive our failures and ensure our future will be God's ultimate purpose for our life. When we understand who he is (God) we can fully become who we are in the moment by momentous gift we call the Present.

Jim

Satisfied

Beyond the basic needs of life like water, food and shelter there remains a spiritual search for the satisfaction of the heart. People are born to love and be loved. And yet relationships are so 'complicated'. The very thing that brings us so much joy and happiness can also torment, frustrate and harm. Our imperfections disappoint, hurt and fracture even the best relationships. We don't know what to do when things go wrong. A common strategy of withdrawl or even abandonment through divorce, separation or 'disappearing' is not really a solution as much as a cop out. Until and unless we are healed on the inside of our hurts and disappointments; we become a part of the problem..... hurt people hurt other people. Inside of all of us is an imperfect and damaged spirit. We are broken. When we attempt to build lasting and satisfying relationships without dealing with our broken places we fail and disappoint.

When we are restored to an intimate relationship with God through Jesus there begins a process of soul healing that offers hope in all our relationships. Knowing you are loved perfectly and unconditionally yields a foundation for all other satisfying and stable relationships. People struggle in answering questions regarding issues of the heart.... "What does love look like?" Clearly, how you answer the questions of the heart determines whether you can ever really be satisfied. Love is real but it's also true. No myth will ever satisfy. We all need the real deal. Fortunately, he's been waiting for us all along. Jesus satisfies.

Jim

2011

Looking into the future is a dangerous proposition. Nevertheless, I will offer my own personal view of what I feel is coming in 2011. 2010 in my view is a year of transition. We are seeing a steady transition and erosion of freedom in America. Due to greed and avarice our economy is in a state of shock and dependent on government bailouts. China buys our future debt and slowly and inexorably we become less free to determine our future as a collective society. We continue on our path towards hitting the proverbial 'brick wall' of disaster. Due the large size of our economy and until recently our role as the world's consumer of 'cheap'goods, our demise has been delayed. The balloon of our bubble economy has burst but the air has leaked out slowly. In 2011 we will begin to live a new kind of lifestyle in America. We will come to the sober realization that in fact we are not the big shots we thought we were. Highly talented and educated people will work if at all at jobs way below their pay scale and expectation. The American dream becomes more and more a mirage based on history and not present day reality.

There will be a collective sense of despair as people realize that the choices they have made personally and corporately have them them in a place they never wanted to go. For those with faith there will be a deeper sense of dependence on God in prayer. There will a return to searching and seeking truth in the Bible. For those without a clearly defined faith there will be deep confusion and a sense of hopelessness. Some will strike out with acts of rebellion and defiance seeking for a return to the past through desperate acts.

Being prepared for the future begins with a proper orientation to where we are today. We are in desperate need of a moral center based on absolute truth. No matter how much you want to be somewhere else in life... reality is what it is. We need God.

Jim

Looking in the Mirror

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is look in the mirror. There is the mirror that we face each morning as we prepare to meet the world head on. We spend time making ourselves 'presentable'. We cover our faults and buff what we can't cover. The older we get the longer and tougher it gets to obtain the image or appearance we feel we must present to others. It's hard to just be ourselves in a world that judges appearances as reality.

There is also a mirror that reads our inner person... our souls. Through our perception of truth, our souls issue a daily report on our inner selves. For many the concept of truth is fuzzy, if not confusing. What can we tune ourselves to for spiritual guidance that will enable our souls to be at peace when we look inward? In the New Testament book of James chapter 1 and vs. 23 we read, "Because if anyone is a hearer of the word (truth) and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. But the one who looks intently in the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts--this person will be blessed in what he does.

There is a conscience embedded in our soul that won't let us stay 'ugly' on the inside. God wants to put the lasting beauty of a transformed character into all of us. There is one mirror we dare not avoid in life. The mirror of truth found in the word of God. Today, choose to place yourself in the presence of the perfect law of freedom.... and get beautiful from the inside out!

Jim

Words of Infamy and Warning

A few minutes after 7 a.m. on December 7th, 1941 Lt. Kermit Tyler, an Army fighter pilot was manning the aircraft tracking center near Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He received a phone call from a nearby radar station. Two army privates watching a radar screen informed him of a large group of approaching planes. It was Tyler's second day on the job. He wasn't sure of the equipment or his job. He made a judgment call as to the seriousness of the information and said 4 fateful words, "Don't worry about it." The radar had picked up the first wave of the Japanese bombers and fighters who began arriving over Pearl Harbor at 7:55 a.m. and devastated Battleship Row, plunging the United States into World War 2. The words and poor judgment would haunt Kermit Tyler until his death this week at the age of 96. That's a long time to realize you got it wrong....dead wrong.

The warning signs of impending catastrophe and trouble are often difficult to discern and understand. The prudent and wise take heed and prepare. The foolish press on into harm's way and ignore all notes of caution and warning. We live in perilous and challenging times and many are issuing warnings to prepare for massive challenges ahead. Today, I am praying for the ability to heed the warning signs of impending trouble. I choose not to take the easy course. I don't want to be remembered by others as providing a false sense of security and poor counsel. When it comes to matters of life and death, "Don't worry about it" is the most hateful thing anyone could ever say.

Jim

I'm Sorry: Forgiveness and Consequences

There is a huge downside to fame. Your whole world is on display when things go wrong. And being human and sinful you can be assured.... things will go wrong. No matter how talented you are. No matter how rich you are. No matter how intelligent you are. We are all still capable of horrible things. People can be excellent and in control of so many areas of their lives while sin bores a hole deep into their soul.

Another downside to fame is its most insidious and dangerous side effect...pride. We can begin to believe that we are invincible and can do no wrong. The apologies of the broken tell us of feeling 'entitled' to do things other mortals would never consider. The rich and powerful begin to cross boundaries of sensuality others would resist either for lack of opportunity or more respect for others. The inflated ego of pride destroys our souls just as quickly as it inflates our view of ourselves. The pride filled man or woman makes no apologies for decisions or attitudes until their world collapses around them by force. Even with tears in our eyes an apology forced upon us by circumstances rings hollow. There is often mixed emotion in such an apology. There is often a tinge of the 'victim' syndrome. 'If I wasn't so famous this would not have happened'.... anger at the press.... anger at the loss of self esteem and image....at the loss of all the good we would or could have done.

The reality is that the road back to who we really are begins with a surrender of everything to God our creator. To be frank, we have to stop believing the lies of self importance. We are not God and the world will go on without us whether we can believe that or not. It is important for us to believe that. The heroes of our world are made and destroyed very quickly in the times in which we live. With an instantaneous media, we can be brought high and low in a sudden barrage of twitter, facebook or television.

Forgiveness is real... but alas so are consequences. The road back from moral failure is an arduous journey of many miles. None of us would want to endure the journey that Tiger Woods and his family are on right now. In spite of all the fame, money and luxury his life is now more lonely than anyone could ever imagine.

I don't want to throw a rock at Tiger Woods or anyone in the public eye. He is living a very public hell of his own making. Tiger Woods it appears is very sorry. The question remains to be answered whether that sorrow will lead to a changed life. Tears of regret don't change our lives till they move us in the direction of changed attitudes and behaviors. I am praying for Tiger Woods and his family. I'm also praying for all of us whom fame and fortune might bless... that pride and ego not deceive and destroy what would otherwise be the best times of our lives.~ Jim

A Shared Life

Life lived alone and separated from meaningful relationships is like a prison sentence without bars. We were meant to live in harmony with others. When our relationships are good, life is good. In spite of technological advances and 'social networks' we have less intimacy in relationships and not more. We 'know' more people but the fruit of that knowledge is often more loneliness and emptiness. Where can we find friends who will always 'have our backs' in life? So much depends on our own insecurities and satisfaction with life. When we look in the mirror and don't like what we see the cycle of dissatisfaction perpetuates itself in our relationships.

Jesus was asked what was the most important moral truth in the eyes of God. He said, "To love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.... and to love your neighbor as yourself." Truth be told very few of us really know how to do that. The most central truth of life itself remains a mystery in practical every day existence. To really love others and ourselves? In fact we are really doing the opposite. We are trying to work angles for our own self preservation and comfort. Love implies totally committing ourselves to another's well being. People are in so many complicated ways broken on the inside. We need to recognize that and call on a truly loving God to heal us first. Hurting and broken people hurt and break others. When our souls are healed, content, satisfied and at peace.... our relationships are healed, content, satisfied and at peace.

We put so much energy into people and relationships and wonder why we don't enjoy a shared life. No matter what the experts tell you we can't do it ourselves.... alone. There is a vertical dimension to healthy horizontal relationships that cannot be ignored. Our brokenness needs to be dealt with through forgiveness and restoration to a loving God. "For God so loved all of us in this way, He gave his One and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life"~Jn 3:16.

The root determines the fruit. When you know you're loved unconditionally you're in a place of health and life. When you're controlled by fear and insecurities your relationships are doomed from the start. I want to take an inventory of my relational life. I want my life to be characterized by healthy and life giving relationships. I want to be free to embrace life without fear and disappointment. I want to live a shared life.~Jim

Transition

Everything is changing. It's changing so rapidly and with such force that we are all in a place of transition of one kind or another. Transition. It's the word for 2010. When we sense change coming we often try to "hunker" down and hold on to the past. The wise person doesn't try to cling to a past which no longer exists. They move forward with an attitude of trust in God who is already present in the future we so deeply fear. Transition is defined as a passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another. The key word is passage... which can also be described as movement. We are all going somewhere. We are not as in control as we suppose. The search for meaning and purpose in the midst of uncertainty becomes a heartfelt and desperate cry, "What is going on?" Desperate times are a reality in a broken world. God is often heard clearest during times of great adversity. But we need an ability to hear beyond the winds blowing around us to the VOICE that remains ever true, ever loving, ever constant. God doesn't just call out to people in scripture. He is calling you and me right now in this moment to a place of rest in him. God is going somewhere and he never gets lost. The call to salvation is not just a spiritual call to a heavenly nirvana. It's a call to walk with God in the midst of uncertainty, change, and transition. When we get close enough to God to hear his whispering direction for our life we don't just save ourselves. We bring hope to the people we love so dearly. God is building something that endures and outlasts the storms of life. Jesus call is to seek first his kingdom. The rule of Jesus is not that of a tyrant or an insecure dictator. Jesus rule brings a prosperity of the soul that the whole globe is searching for. There is a great shaking going on. When our world comes undone we are left grasping the air as we fall. Only when we are really connecting to the everlasting King will we be secure and at peace. While we search for answers and a set of map coordinates, God is waiting for us to come home. The way home is in fact a person and not a set of geographic coordinates. Jesus said it well in his first call to his followers, "Come, follow me!" We run from trials and troubles looking for refuge. Instead of running away from life... we need to run home to the great lover of our souls. Jesus bids us, "Come to me , all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves."~Mt 11:29

Jim

Is God Calling Me?

Our world is filled with people who have claimed to hear from God. Some have done amazing things filled with love and compassion. Some have performed great acts of violence and atrocities. It's no wonder we are careful when we claim to be hearing the voice of God giving us guidance and direction in life. One of the great tragedies in modern life is when we see religious people promote themselves in business like fashion for selfish gain. At the advent of television in previous generations and now in the internet and the 'always on' of the twitter world we are saturated with the real and the false. How to discern? How to embrace and relate to the real and lasting while rejecting the false and pretentious. I woke up this morning around 5 a.m. with this phrase rummaging around in my head, "The man or woman of God doesn't need an endorsement or a product to sell. They need a burden and a people to serve." At first glance you might wonder who would want a "burden" in their life. But from God's perspective a heart felt burden is often the first call from heaven. God does care about broken people and places. And he wants to intervene and heal. But often his first call is to someone just like you and me to show us how he feels about what's going on. Man pities and moves on quickly. God has compassion and lingers and calls us to himself. When we are gifted with a burden we begin a relationship with God that involves people. The burden is to serve a people in our midst. It's a calling to be with people in every sense of the word. Not to do a 'project' and move on when the headlines fade. God doesn't do projects. God is love and that demands ongoing relationship and commitment beyond a deadline or a dollar amount. God is with us forever and his love is not extinguished by a change in circumstances. As I write this note the world's attention for a moment is fixed on the tragedy of Haiti's earthquake. A few years ago it was Indonesia and the tsunami. The world and its short attention span will move on. But those who hear the call of God won't. Their first call is not to a project or a place but to a loving Father who never let's go of us.

Jim

Back to the Future

We're all moving into our futures together. Some of know where we're going. Some of us think we know where we're going. Most of us have no clue where we're going. If you believe in the Bible you have a sense however tenuous that God is ultimately in control. When disaster strikes, doubt gets a foothold and anxiety crowds out our dreams and vision of a good future. Sometimes the very thing we need to establish a prosperous future gets waylaid by a seemingly random tragedy. Do we REALLY believe that God works all things together for the good of those who love him, those who are called according to HIS purpose? Our knowledge of what we really believe is subject to unannounced exams. They are called trials and not mid-terms! God is at work not trying to make our lives "easier" but more pure and truly Holy. We want safe and predictably happy lives immune from life's tragedies. But that life is a myth and a deception. Even if it was real it wouldn't satisfy because God wouldn't be there. It's interesting that God takes a different view of tough times. In the book of James he tells us "Consider it a great joy, my brothers whenever you experience various trials, knowing the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

Some of us will get to our future and not like ourselves very much. We might try to skip our real life exams and become people who lack the maturity and character we need to live in our future. It's time to admit we need to allow God to test us, try us and mature us... so we can get back to the future God has prepared for us! See you there!

Jim