It was two weeks away from the beginning of the school year that I would be starting eighth grade in a new school because we had recently moved to Wichita Falls, Texas and we were still living in temporary housing on base. There was noone my age to hang out with and I was tired of being with my younger brother. I was feeling upset, mad, lonely, and abandoned. I was missing my friends and had not yet met anyone new.
As I was walking back to the temporary housing unit from the one swing, one slide, half-court playground, I was really upset. I reached the unpaved, stone parking lot in front of the temporary quarters and I fell and bloodied my knee and palms. I looked down at my hands and thought to myself, “God, why do you hate me?”
I picked myself up, grabbed a couple of the stones and started throwing them into the open field by the parking lot. As I was about to through the last stone, I looked at it instead and said, “God, if you really care about me, show me by changing this stone into something else, anything else but a rock, I don't care what it is, just change it.” I waited, and I waited, and I waited some more. Finally I threw the stone back down. I said, “God, if you are really there, show me a sign - any sign.” I stood there for a few more minutes and then walking away in discuss saying, “That’s what I thought.” I was in the same mood the rest of the week.
On Friday my dad told us we were going to go to the chapel that Sunday with someone he knew from work and then go over to their house for lunch. We were all looking forward to this because we only had a stove top in our temporary quarters and we were all ready for something else to eat that did not come out of the can or from the base dining hall. Since I was still either mad with God or not sure there was a God, I decide that sitting in church in order to get a real meal was worth it.
The base chapel had a youth service at the same time as the regular service, so I went to that hoping that I would at least meet someone my age. Finding none, I sat there stewing-in-my-own-juices as my Mom use to say. One of the others who were there asked the leader, “God does all these great miracles in the Bible, how come He doesn’t do that now? How come He doesn’t give us as sign that He’s real?”
The leader’s answer was simple, “Jesus said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”
Wow! I got an answer! And it was also funny to me because the sign God gave me was someone saying that we should not ask for signs. I started to laugh and was asked what was so funny. I started to tell my story, but for some reason I just said, “nothing,” and sat quietly the rest of the the time thinking about this answer, this “non-miracle” to everyone else in the room, this small, very personal miracle.
Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Luke 4:12
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Devotion for the Week of January 15, 2007
In my books that are on shelves throughout my house and in my office are a few collection of cartoons. In one of those books is a Peanuts cartoon of Lucy and her brother Linus holding a wishbone together. Lucy was explaining to Linus how the wishbone worked telling him that if he got the bigger part of the bone, his wish would come true. Linus asks Lucy, “Do I have to say the wish out loud?”
Lucy answers, “Of course, if you don't say it out loud it won't come true.” Then Lucy, being the bossy big sister, makes her wishes first. “I wish for four new sweaters, a new bike, a new pair of skates, a new dress and one hundred dollars.”
Linus then made his wishes, “I wish for a long life for all of my friends, I wish for world peace, I wish for great advancements in medical research."
After hearing this, Lucy took the wishbone and threw it away saying, "Linus, that's the trouble with you. You're always spoiling everything."
What are you wishing for in this New Year!
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
Lucy answers, “Of course, if you don't say it out loud it won't come true.” Then Lucy, being the bossy big sister, makes her wishes first. “I wish for four new sweaters, a new bike, a new pair of skates, a new dress and one hundred dollars.”
Linus then made his wishes, “I wish for a long life for all of my friends, I wish for world peace, I wish for great advancements in medical research."
After hearing this, Lucy took the wishbone and threw it away saying, "Linus, that's the trouble with you. You're always spoiling everything."
What are you wishing for in this New Year!
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Devotion for the Week of January 8, 2007
Last week I saw the movie, Night at the Museum and I really enjoyed it. Now, while I enjoyed if for all of the reasons most people enjoyed this film, I had an additional reason. One of my favorite historical figures was a character in this film, Teddy Roosevelt. For those of you who don’t know much about Teddy other that what you saw in this movie and the fact that the Teddy Bear is named after him, let me briefly explain why he is my favorite historical figure.
Theodore was born in 1858 in New York. He was a bit of a runt with a frail body, feeble eyesight and he suffered from asthma - yet he became one of the most powerful men on earth. But not just power for power's sake for he also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906.
When Theodore was a boy he decided he wanted to do something important with his life, so he started expanding his mind and strengthening his body. This ambition continued throughout his life. He was elected to the New York Legislature at twenty-three; candidate for mayor at twenty-eight; served as the U.S. Civil Service Commissioner under two presidents; President of the Police Commission of New York; and became a National Hero as leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War at forty. Then in just three very busy years he was first the Governor of New York, Vice-President of the United States, and then President. He was not a big man physically, only 5 foot, 8 inches tall. It was not the size of the man that mattered, but the size of the ambition. He had a fire in his belly that directed him to do something worthwhile with his life.
And its not just politicians that can do great things through their ambition. Both Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr. had ambition. Nobody accomplishes very much in this world nor contributes very much to the world without a dose of ambition. In fact, given enough ambition, even the least likely of people can make a difference in sharing God's love.
So, this begs the question, “What ambitions has God given to you?”
Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand."
(Romans 15.20-21)
Theodore was born in 1858 in New York. He was a bit of a runt with a frail body, feeble eyesight and he suffered from asthma - yet he became one of the most powerful men on earth. But not just power for power's sake for he also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906.
When Theodore was a boy he decided he wanted to do something important with his life, so he started expanding his mind and strengthening his body. This ambition continued throughout his life. He was elected to the New York Legislature at twenty-three; candidate for mayor at twenty-eight; served as the U.S. Civil Service Commissioner under two presidents; President of the Police Commission of New York; and became a National Hero as leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War at forty. Then in just three very busy years he was first the Governor of New York, Vice-President of the United States, and then President. He was not a big man physically, only 5 foot, 8 inches tall. It was not the size of the man that mattered, but the size of the ambition. He had a fire in his belly that directed him to do something worthwhile with his life.
And its not just politicians that can do great things through their ambition. Both Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr. had ambition. Nobody accomplishes very much in this world nor contributes very much to the world without a dose of ambition. In fact, given enough ambition, even the least likely of people can make a difference in sharing God's love.
So, this begs the question, “What ambitions has God given to you?”
Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand."
(Romans 15.20-21)
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Devotion for the Week of January 2, 2007
A few years back at a state fair far more spectators gathered for a certain event that was rarely viewed by more that those who were directly involved in the event. This event was the Horse-Pull. The Horse-Pull is a strength competition for horses where a sled is hitched to a horse and various weights are put on the sled.
The reason this certain event had gathered a large number of onlookers had to do with the fact that two horse that had broken records in their parts of the state where in the statewide competition. As predicted, these two horses reached the finals. The horse that was crowned grand-champion pulled a sled with 4,500 pounds on it. The runner-up was close with a 4,400 pound pull.
Now some of the other owners in the competition were wondering how much these two horses could pull together and they got the owners of the grand-champion and the runner-up to agree to having the horses yoked together and pull a sled. Now separately these two horses pulled a total of almost 9,000 pounds. But when yoked together and working as a team, they pulled a sled that weights 12,000 pounds!
Imagine the powerful force we could exert if we all pulled together as a team.
So, if the first thing we should remember is that life reaches a level of worth when we give something of ourselves to other people, then the second thing we should remember is that when people cooperate with one another, their combined effort is often greater than their individual endeavors could produce.
Together, we can make our world a more Godly and loving community.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30)
The reason this certain event had gathered a large number of onlookers had to do with the fact that two horse that had broken records in their parts of the state where in the statewide competition. As predicted, these two horses reached the finals. The horse that was crowned grand-champion pulled a sled with 4,500 pounds on it. The runner-up was close with a 4,400 pound pull.
Now some of the other owners in the competition were wondering how much these two horses could pull together and they got the owners of the grand-champion and the runner-up to agree to having the horses yoked together and pull a sled. Now separately these two horses pulled a total of almost 9,000 pounds. But when yoked together and working as a team, they pulled a sled that weights 12,000 pounds!
Imagine the powerful force we could exert if we all pulled together as a team.
So, if the first thing we should remember is that life reaches a level of worth when we give something of ourselves to other people, then the second thing we should remember is that when people cooperate with one another, their combined effort is often greater than their individual endeavors could produce.
Together, we can make our world a more Godly and loving community.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30)
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