The neighborhood kids ran down the sidewalk carrying baseball bats and gloves. He stood in the front yard and watched them laughing, doing what friends do, and being 12-year-old boys.…
“Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen. Nobody knows but Jesus.”
~~old African American spiritual
Sunday morning church. A few, a hundred, or maybe even thousands of people sitting together in one room—each with a different story to tell and each with a different path traveled. A man sits alone in the back row because he doesn’t want anyone to see the tears appear now and then. A woman sings along with the worship songs, her face luminous with joy. What has brought the man to be downtrodden? What has the woman navigated through to be able to sing with such exultation?
It occurred to me, while sitting in the service one week, that no one really knows everything that has happened in my life to bring me to the place where I am. And, in the same way—I don’t know the whole story of that person sitting next to me. It’s so easy to look on the outside of a person’s life and assume so many things—good or bad. We can become judgmental of why people do what they do without having all the facts. Every journey is different. Think about it—no two lives can be compared equally. There are just too many variables with backgrounds, personalities, childhood influences, experiences, etc. During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was very clear regarding our assessment of other people’s lives:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1, NIV)
Two of my boys and I were sitting at a light, the third car back, that day when a garbage truck took the corner too fast. It tipped up on two wheels and nearly fell over on us. I couldn’t react to move the car out of the way. Had the driver not been able to right the truck and be on his way, we would’ve been crushed.
Did we survive? Yes. Did God protect us and the others? Yes—absolutely. The initial event lasted how long? Five seconds, tops.
Then, why did my insides feel all wiggly for the rest of the day? It’s not because I questioned whether or not we were okay. I knew we were. Or, if God had been the One to protect us. I knew I had experienced a miracle firsthand. And, yet the after affect—the residue—of what happened lingered for hours. Even when I wasn’t thinking about the incident, my body remembered and would not stop shaking. (more…)
“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14, NAS)
We weren’t exactly ready for the Pro Bowling Tour. Strikes and spares seemed to elude us—one or two pins were left standing to mock us on a regular basis. “That shoulda been a strike!” we said many times. So, our team became “The Shoulda Beens.” It was perfect.
I want to shout out that very same thing some days. There is a real danger, spiritually and emotionally, when we look too much at what should’ve or could’ve been instead of what is. This is a battle for me. The reality is that we all have stuff in our yesterdays that can provoke regrets and guilt. Our past does play a role in who we are today, but God is lord of our past, present, and future. He knows all about our “shoulda beens,” and the struggles we have because of them.
“Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14: 28-30, NAS)
We read this passage and wonder how Peter could’ve been full of trust and walking on the water one minute and then, in an instant, sinking beneath the surface. It’s obvious to us, 2000 years later, that he stayed on top of the waves as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. Peter, Peter—how could you be so faithless, so flaky?
Oh, I think I’m very much like Peter. The storms of life come along (illness, financial struggles, etc.), and I wonder why I feel like I’m sinking deep into the dark, dangerous water of life. If I step back and get still before God—I will have to admit that I took my eyes off of the Lord. Why is it so easy to look at the turmoil nearby instead of focusing on the One who can save us from seemingly overpowering circumstances?
I believe in big miracles and healings—those of the “Parting of the Red Sea” magnitude. I’ve heard testimonies of cancer there one check-up and gone the next. They happen. And, I know it is the Maker of the Universe who brings them about.
But, have you ever thought about all the less noticeable healings that have taken place in your life or have happened to people around you?
I remember dealing with colds and the flu and various bruises and scrapes when my three boys were growing up. Of course, I prayed for God to heal them. However when recovery came, I’m not sure I recognized it for what it really was. Those restorations to health were all miracles of healings, and not necessarily small ones. That cold could’ve gone into something more serious like pneumonia. Minor injuries could’ve morphed into a more critical condition. “Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you.’” (2 Kings 20:5, NAS)
“Need You Now” by the artist, Plumb. You can see video with full lyrics at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ylnx0NA9X4
Verse 2: Standing on a road I didn’t plan
Wondering how I got to where I am
I’m trying to hear that still small voice
I’m trying to hear above the noise
Life gets so busy and filled with noise. A multitude of voices come at us, telling us what is right and what is wrong. The din of the world becomes so deafening that it is difficult to separate out God’s voice from rest of the clamor. Then, we wonder how we got to where we are at this moment.