Moved to Change

Have you ever felt truly inspired? A moment, an event, a powerful speaker bringing a moving speech, scripture, nature, people, places, things… I’m talking about something that happens in your life that makes you want to be a better, or at least a different, person. I’ve read a lot of books and heard a lot of moving sermons/speeches in my life and some of them caused me to want to change. I got married and wanted to be the best husband that ever lived. I watched the birth of my daughter and my son and both times I felt motivated to be a great example for them. My grandson came along and everything changed as I want to be a positive part of his life.

I believe everyone has these same feelings whether we act on them or not. We all feel moved and motivated to change at certain times by specific outside forces. What about when those events and things are absent? What about the times when God is silent, the universe isn’t singing your song, the pain seems to stack up like a swat team on a door just waiting for the right moment to strike and cause chaos in our life? You do know these times I’m speaking of? A flat tire on the way to an appointment you’re already late for. Another child sick when you already had to miss work last week to take care of child number one. An unexpected medical bill school fee, or payment right at Christmas when the funds were already tight as it was. Now what?

Do we…should we shut down, give in to the seemingly unstoppable nervous breakdown and just crawl in the proverbial hole and stop trying? I mean, I get it, its terrible timing and seemingly painfully predictable. Just when I get things the way I want them or at least headed in the right direction, the world plots to take my spirit. And I also, am left wondering if it’s worth fighting anymore.

Well, I’m the annoying preacher. I am trying to live according to scripture and trust that God is faithful to His word. So here is what I have attached to my life during these times:

Galatians 6:9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

       A few things about this that has spoken to me on more than one occasion. It doesn’t say anything about feeling good or feeling bad. It says don’t get tired/weary of doing good. Doing good. Actions are suggested. Do something. Are you depressed? Brighten someone else’s day. Feel alone? Reach out to someone else and the let them know that they don’t have to be alone, you’re there for them. Feel like the world is stacked against you? Stack it in someone else’s favor.

        Right time. This is speaking of God’s time and not my Apple Watch time. God’s time isn’t limited to our watches and calendars. God’s time isn’t in Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter. God’s time is that He knows your yesterday and your tomorrow and when you trust him he always works things out. His time!

        Don’t give up. Maybe it’s just the stubborn in me but this one makes more sense than either of the other two. Don’t give up. The world is seemingly against you, God is not. The world seems to be throwing more on me than I can take… God says, “My time!” When Jordan was 6 or 7 he felt he was being bullied during our church boys’ ministry. He explained that a kid that was bigger than him would always pick him to wrestle with and he was afraid of this kid. I explained that the next Wednesday I would come out with him but he couldn’t run or cry when this bigger kid wanted to wrestle. The day came, the scene was set and just as Jordan said would happen, this larger kid came up to him and pushed him and asked if he wanted to fight (honestly, it was a bunch of boys after church acting like boys). Jordan looked over his shoulder at me and then he jumped on this poor kid like a spider monkey. After some ruckus he was on top of the kid laughing and the big bully was crying. Without getting all of your drawers in a wad out there in 2017, I told Jordan to let him up and then I ask him a question. “What was different today that you weren’t scared?” His reply changed my world forever, “Oh dad, I was still scared but because you were standing there, I knew you wouldn’t let him hurt me!” Wow. Didn’t really see that coming… But there it was… “I knew you wouldn’t let him hurt me” And he was right, I wouldn’t have. I ask him to do his best and don’t give up and he trusted me and he came out on top. Still scared. Still doesn’t like to fight. But I believe he knows that if he has to, there is one man that will fight for him. Me!

            This week I sat in a nursing home with a man in his 90’s. He had been a pastor for more years than I have been alive. So I asked him what advice he would give to a preacher that was trying to figure everything out. His response was in God’s time and not mine, “Stop trying to figure it out. Trust in the Lord and do the best you can. He’ll work out what needs to be worked out if your doin it for His Glory”

            So I am trying to stop trying to figure everything out. I’m trying to trust God even when I can’t see Him working. And I refuse to give up. Because this little guy will hopefully stand at my grave someday and be able to say that my example, along with a heck of a lot of other men, was something that taught him to Do good, Trust God’s timing, and Never, ever, give up.

Have a great week,

Pastor Dad aka Papa