Route 24!

While you wait oil changes, next day air early AM delivery UPS, Freaky Fast Jimmy John sandwiches, and faster internet, who can deny that the United States is in a hurry for instant gratification! It is amazing how we “need” things right now! Even when we are little we can't wait till we are 15 so we can drive, then we can't wait to graduate college and get married. After that we rush into marriage, then children, and retirement! It is a hurry, run, can't wait life! No stopping to smell the roses, let alone plant some. Once we reach the next thing it disappears into a new goal! Then when were older we seek anti-aging cream and hair die in a desperate grasp for what we blew bye to reach were we are. Maybe your tired of hearing negative things about our easy luxurious life in the USA, I am not condemning it, just admitting its true! It is so sad how we look for “then” and miss “now” because “then” is beautiful. It is true “then” is a beautiful time, but so is “now” because all of life is a gift from God full of amazing jewels!

In The Book of Virtues, William J. Bennett tells a story called “The Magic Thread”. The Story is of a strong able young boy named Peter, who unfortunately is flawed with impatience. One day while scampering through the woods as young boys do he happened upon a old woman. The woman gives him the chance to skip the “boring” and “mundane” things in life so he can get on to the “exiting” and “fulfilling” things he was anxious to get on to. The change came through a ball with a silver thread pealing off. If he was to pull the thread in would literally skip him forward in time. So the next day while in a rather unexciting class he tugged the thread and instantly he skipped forward to the end of class! As life went on he skipped school altogether and went on to marriage and kept on going to “whats next”. But sadly, when he comes to the end of his life Peter realizes the emptiness of such existence. In his impatience he has skipped all of lives meaningful memories. All he had to look forward to is the grave.

I know what none of will ever get the chance to skip life as Peter did, but it makes a good point. Don't waste were God has you right now. No matter what you have on your goal sights. Maybe graduation from high school, college, marriage, retirement, or something smaller wait on God's time by serving right now! Focusing on that thing rather that God ruins life itself. Like the songs says, “I'm in a hurry to get things done. Rushing, rushing till life's no fun. All I really got to do is live and die. But I'm in a hurry and don't know why”! Troy Meeder in his book “Average Joe” says it so well. “After spending years searching for grandeur, I can tell you with certainty that real joy, fulfillment, and life lie in the quite of an early morning sunrise, the laughter of children, the soft whisper of a wife – even in something as simple as a hot cup of coffee in front of a wood stove on a cold winter's morning. Those are the moments that make life full and rich”. Zac Brown Band also lays it out plainly in their song “Chicken Fried”. They sing; “It's funny how it is the little things in life that mean the most. Now where you live, what you drive, or the price tags on your clothes. There's no dollar sign on a peace of mind, this I've come to know.”

This summer God gave me an awesome opportunity to work on youth ranch in Taylor, Missouri (hisranch.org for those interested). While there, a group of friends and I took several trips to central Illinois to visit friends and family. There were two routes we could choose from, a slightly quicker route taking the interstate and bypassing all the small towns, and then Highway 24, a two lainer road taking us through woods, farming communities and one gas station towns. Without fail we chose to stop and smell the roses with route 24. We made some great memories that will last a lifetime. We didn't just spend time together, we spurred each other on to good works. I would trade those trips for the world. So here is my challenge for you, take a “route 24” view on life. God has made a beautiful thing called life, lets now blow it by to see whats around the corner. God has got that under control, now worries! Seek God and He promises that “all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). It is not the getting to point B that matters, it is the A to B! Seek God, wait actively on Him! Take a route 24!

Greyhounds and Rabbits!

If your like me, it seems that life has a way of taking our focus off of what really matters. We seek a comfortable life, a newer car, a remodel on the house, or maybe a nicer saddle (okay maybe that more my problem than yours)! Every paycheck we tend to see it as one step closer to happiness! Worry about being able to make it surrounds us. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Therefore do not worry, saying, 'what shall we eat?' or 'what shall we drink?' or 'what shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For you heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33). We seek after these things in life that really are meaningless in the large scheme of things! Yet we devote our whole being to seeking it out. But to us it is bigger than life, we just can't go on without it.

In the world of greyhound racing dogs are trained to run after a fake rabbit. These dogs devote all there energy in a quick short race after a fake quarry. There focus is unwavering, there muscles rippling through there sleek body as it gives it all. His devotion is note worthy, it is admirable, however it is pointed to a priceless goal, a fake rabbit. It doesn't happen to often but occasionally a dog will finally reach his prey. Can you imagine the momentary sense of accomplishment! He has run and run for this moment! But then despair, it is fake! What a feeling of despair! So much time spent training for this, and it was all for nothing. Only for that time back to run after the real rabbit! Once a dog has caught the bait he is usually retired because he refuses to run after what he knows is superficial bait.

Look around you, there are people all around running in the “rat race” of life. Seeking a corner office, a bigger home, college education, or a high respect in the church. None of these things are wrong, but are just distractions from what really matters. I am not condemning a “comfortable life”, but at what cost are you claiming it? Sometimes humans too reach there “rabbit”, but often times not till there life is close to over. They look back at there life and the family and friends they could have invested in. They could have spent more time investing in love (eternal) instead of money (temporal). You never find a retired mad who's advise to the younger is to “work hard, and you'll reach your goals”. They always say, “spend more time with those you love”. If you really stop and look at it, what is a nicer home if you don't have the memories in it because your making money to support it? What is corner office if you are always sacrificing to go to it? God knows your needs! He cares and will fulfill them, your kids won't remember how much you gave them, but they will remember the times you spent with them. Deep inside you know what your “rabbit” is! I encourage you to lay it down and go for “The real thing”. There is no despair involved when you finally reach it, only joy!

Worthless? Priceless!

The other day when I was listening to a wonderful story of how God had worked in a young Christians life I heard an interesting statement from the convert. He was responding to a question about how Satan tempts him. He said that He will try to tell him that he is worthless and that he (Satan) wants control of his life. What irony! That Satan puts value in your soul while he is telling you that your worthless. The very fact he is tempting you contradicts that. Your not worthless, your priceless!

I just got done working on a youth ranch in Taylor, MO working with handicapped and underprivileged children. God brought 5 others to the ranch for the summer besides me, and do you know what? Each one of us had a very unique story of how God brought us all to the ranch, starting years and years ago. God had been working with each of us individually, in a unique way pursuing us! Listening to those testimonies it wasn't like God was distant as we struggled to were we where, he had been active in all of our lives individually! “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

Did you know that God knows everything about you, He knows when we go to bed and wake up. He takes the time to become familiar with our habits! (Psalms 139:1-3). Its not like this is all in some database either, God knows and cares about it all! He even chose when and where you were born (Acts 17:26). “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God” ( I john 3:1).

But your value to God doesn't come without cost. Unfortunately the adversary, the devil, would like your soul as well. But God values us so much that He would never let us be tempted greater that we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). And the power that over comes is not ours, it comes from the one who loves us more than we do! “He who is in you is greater that he who is in the world” (I john 4:4). The key is allowing God to fight for us! So know that no matter how you feel about what God is bringing you through right now, He loves you more than will ever know and the very fact your feel this way proves it! God bless!