Unbelievable Restoration

Imagine someone giving away a 55 foot sailboat. It would have to be in pretty bad shape to go for free. Well that cost should give you an idea of the sort of condition that the TinTin was in when my friend Greg acquired it from a stranger in San Francisco. He then had to pay a hefty sum of $10K just to have this dilapidated vessel towed all the way to a dry dock in Seattle, Washington so that he might begin a drastic renovation.

Greg has committed all of his spare time and an additional $190,000 to restoring this 1985 sloop from Hong Kong. He nearly lost his life after slipping head first off of the front of the boat while making repairs in dry dock during the first year. Greg suffered brain trauma and was blessed to find himself mentally capable and alive after the incident which landed him in a Seattle hospital for a month.

Why would someone commit so much to a broken down boat? The answer is that when Greg saw the boat, he could look passed the scrapes and damages and see what it would be one day with the proper care, as opposed to what it was. Although Greg has invested $200K, the restored sailboat is beautiful and valued at $365K. More importantly, this has been a dream of Greg's to captain a boat such as this to run team building trips when he is not counseling in his office. Greg has renamed the boat the "Epilogue" and you can check it out on his website: www.epiloguesailing.com.

So what's the point? There are days when I don't feel very valuable. In fact, there are moments when I feel I am worthless after making repeated mistakes in my life. The reminder for me that rings loud in clear with regard to my friend's boat restoration is the way in which God sees you and me. To the majority of people who viewed the broken down TinTin, they saw nothing but a liability. However, to a man with a different perspective, he saw opportunity and something worth investing in that would one day have significant purpose. Greg was able to look beyond what was, to what could be.

I believe that this is the way God sees you and me. People may not see our potential and we may even be confused about our unique purpose, but God is always able to look past our imperfections and see what we could be if we were willing to live the sort of lives that He created us to live. Bill Hybels once said, "You have never looked into the eyes of an individual who doesn't completely matter to God." Do you believe that to be true with regard to yourself and the countless people who you pass on the street each day? It is a thought worth considering in my opinion, because if we believe it to be true, then it could impact the way we treat others and the way we respond to God. Is there any area of your life that could use God's touch as you consider His ability to bring restoration? I'm so glad He sees potential when I miss it.

Now That's Power!

While I was on my way to work this morning, I grew extremely frustrated with the increased traffic due to inclement weather. My usual 30 minute commute close to 75 minutes. On one particular stretch of road containing about 5 back-to-back traffic lights, I found myself growing more and more impatient.

At about the third traffic light, my bulldozer driving fantasies were interrupted by the sound of a loud noise. I did what every driver does when you first hear that unmistakeable sound, I searched every direction to see where the siren was coming from. The sound grew louder by the second, and then I spotted the large, red firetruck moving quickly toward me in my rearview mirror. I did my best to negotiate my Silver CR-V off of the road. Every car around me did the same and we watched as the driver passed directly through traffic that had just moments before been impenetrable.

I looked ahead in amazement as cars which had only moments earlier clogged the streets, had now moved quickly right and left to clear a wide path straight up the middle. I was reminded of the movie "Bruce Almighty" when Jim Carey is given God's power and he uses it to do the very same thing in traffic. I sat and thought about how handy that trick would be on mornings such as this.

Alright, back to reality. The firetruck was out of sight and the cars slowed again to a crawl. As I had more time to think during the remainder of my drive, I pondered the power that I had just witnessed. In the midst of a plethora of obstacles, a large vehicle moved straight on through the very heart of congestion with ease. This vehicle was not only uninhibited by cars, it also had the authority to roll through red lights without concern. It was a thought provoking display of power.

My life is often cluttered with obstacles that tend to overwhelm me. I look at a financial burden or a trial that arises and wonder, "How will I ever get through this situation?" At times there are even difficulties which seem insurmountable. When I took more time to consider the concept of traffic as the clutter that can slow me down in life, it was not difficult to see God as the large firetruck the turns almost every head. He possesses the ability to cause situations and people to move this way or that, just when we think that to be impossible. Even when the possibility of moving certain obstacles seems to defy logic, God can sail through the middle in a miraculous way.

How often do I fail to remember this truth? How often is my focus on the traffic, rather than the God who transcends it? The truth is that more often than not, I allow frustrations from daily life to eclipse my view of the All-Capable God who loves me and knows what is best for me even when I fail to see it. This truth made the rest of my drive enjoyable, despite the rain and the traffic. It's funny how our view of God can do that. (Mark 10:27)

What Were You Thinking?

Have you ever had someone do something nice only to find out later that they did it with selfish motives? Have you ever done something to help others and then been falsely accused of wrongful motives? I once had a woman volunteer to help run our youth ministry committee, only to find out later that she was motivated by a desire to overhaul our programs to better suit her own daughter. Not really the way she couched her desire to serve when she volunteered her time on the committee.

After walking through several experiences like the one I mentioned, you can begin to second guess people's motives. If you have had this sort of thing happen often in your life then the situations can begin to impair your ability to trust the people who you do life with at work and at home. An old friend of mine use to constantly use the phrase, "It takes a thief to know a thief." In other words, we understand when people carry selfish motives because if we are honest, we all struggle with keeping our motives 100% pure. The truth is that we as humans can be a mixed bag of motives.

This not only makes trusting others difficult, but it can also cause us to fall prey to assuming a superiority complex. This happens when we begin to assume that we know why people act the way they do. Maybe we claim to be gifted when it comes to discernment and perhaps there are times that we may be right. However, the truth of the matter is that we do not know the heart, mind and motives of another human. Titus 1:15 says, "To the pure all things are pure..." In other words, if we keep our owns motives honorable in Christ then we are less apt to assign wrongful motives to others.

Perhaps the story that really spoke to me with regard to this issue was in Steven Covey's book,"7 Habits of Highly Effective People." He opens one chapter by talking about a man on a train who let his kids run amuck. The kids were making noises, running back and forth and really bothering the passengers on the train. One particular man who was watching the situation unfold finally decided to do something about it. He was convinced that this father clearly had no clue how to discipline children and was unaware of their current annoyance to the passengers around him. He mustered the courage to confront the oblivious father. In response to his rebuke the father turned to him and quickly apologized. He went on to say, "I'm so sorry, their mother just died and we have come from the funeral. I wasn't sure if I should discipline them for this since they don't usually behave this way, given the circumstances." Of course the man who assumed the father was an awful parent realized that he had misjudged the situation entirely.

Psalm 94:11 says that "The Lord knows the thoughts of man..." Every time I begin to assign motives to others based on what I think they are thinking, I seem to get myself into trouble. I certainly don't want others doing the same to me. I believe that this territory is God's department. He alone knows the thoughts and intents of a man's heart. Let's try as we may to assume the best about others in the same way that we would want them to assume the best about us. Isn't it enough to worry about ourselves and focus on keeping our own hearts pure before God? God is surely able to take care of the rest. (For more thoughts concerning this subject read Matthew 7:1-5).

Open Your Hand

I had the opportunity to speak this past week at a men's breakfast event. We sat at round tables and spent time eating some tasty, yet unhealthy food, sucking down coffee and catching up on life. After about 20 minutes of social feasting, we took some time to discuss the process of becoming the men who God has created us to become. What are the catalysts to that process? What, if anything, might be impeding the process? I couldn't help but notice that some of the responses I was hearing seemed to incorporate an old fashion mentality. That is, the concept that people can advance with God the old fashion way - by earning it. Perhaps it takes more time studying the bible, or going to church, joining a small group, memorizing bible verses or going on a short-term mission trip? Even though all of these practices can help us to connect with God, they do not guarantee a closer walk with God or a transformed life.

As I pondered the process of God transforming our lives, the memory of a short-term mission trip to Nicaragua last spring came to mind. Our church was working with a large group of children from Verbo Orphanage in Puerto Cabezas. On about the fifth day of our trip, we set out to watch the orphans play a baseball game. We tried to squeeze the majority of our 30+ screaming gringos into the home team stands of the stadium in downtown Puerto Cabezas, where our orphans were playing another local team of teenagers. We attempted to cheer as though this was a season finale, championship game. You could see the impact that this type of encouragement was having on the orphans. They were clearly doing everything in their power to beat the opposing team. When the orphans hit the game winning run in the final inning, this sent the team and fans into a full-scale celebration. The team spilled into the streets, and many of the players began to pile into the bed of a staff member's pick-up truck. Jeff, who was driving the truck, motioned for me to climb into the front seat. As I opened the passenger door, I noticed a young orphan boy sitting in the middle of the front seat. His name was Bismarc and I said hello as we sped away, honking the horn and milking this momentous victory.

As we made our way back toward the orphanage, I noticed that Bismarc hadn't really spoken. He looked to be about 9 years of age and his eyes seemed to shift in one direction. He turned toward me and stared at my face for a good minute. Then, as though he had just sized me up, he reached for my hand. I opened my hand to receive his, although I must confess being caught off guard and feeling a bit uncomfortable. Bismarc then stretched his hand out as if to regroup, so that we could interlock fingers. I sat there processing my discomfort and what had just taken place. He seemed quite comfortable with this posture as he then leaned into me, like a lost child who had just found his parent. That was when my heart warmed toward Bismarc. It wasn't until we reached the orphanage that he finally let go. He simply smiled in my direction and then sprang out of the truck and bolted for his dorm.

As I stepped out of the vehicle, I was still processing the exchange. I came to find out that Bismarc had been abandoned by his parents and physically abused by his grandmother before ending up in this living arrangement. He had no real reason on earth to trust a complete stranger like myself after being rejected by the very people in his life who were suppose to love him. And yet it seemed that his desire to be loved was strong enough to cause him to risk rejection and abuse yet one more time. He merely sized me up and then opened his hand to me. As I pondered the experience, I am not so sure who was ministering to who.

The more I think back on that occasion, the more I am convinced that this is precisely the sort of relationship that God desires to have with us. We are the wounded orphan that makes our way through life, wondering who we can trust. Some of us carry more scars than Bismarc, while others of us may be confused enough to think that we don't need a loving father like God. Meanwhile, our heavenly Father sits and waits with his hand stretched open in our direction, fingers poised to interlock with our own. He is not looking for people to perform "spiritual" acts that may somehow curry his favor. Rather, He waits patiently for us to look to Him and realize that He can be trusted completely. He waits for us to reach out and take His hand so that He might guide us in life and bring us comfort when we struggle. It is only in the context of this loving relationship with our Father that we are truly transformed into the individuals who He created us to become.

Not the Way I Planned My Day, But...

Tuesdays are meeting days for me at my job. I was getting ready to head into my second meeting this morning when I received an unexpected call from my eldest son. He began, "Dad, I was in a car accident and I'm not sure what to do." Of course I began by asking if he was alright and then as the conversation unfolded I realized that I most likely wouldn't make my next Meeting. I grabbed my car keys and drove toward the scene of the accident. Although I was extremely relieved to hear that he was unharmed, I couldn't seem to shake the anxious feelings that filled my mind as I drove to meet him.

Do you ever make a mental check-lists with regard to what you desire to accomplish on a given day? Some times I don't even grasp how much is on the list until my day takes an unexpected turn and I realize that I may not be able to complete every task. As I searched my mind and emotions to understand the anxiety I was feeling, it became clear to me that regardless of my mental check-list, I would not be able to complete the work that I had intended to do. The source of my stress, in other words, came from my sense of feeling behind in the office due to this unforeseen accident, as well as the weight of the accident itself and all that it entailed.

My day seemed to unfold from there. I went from speaking with a police officer to guiding my son to a garage, dropping his car with a mechanic, calling the insurance company to file a claim, then grabbing lunch before giving him a ride to his classes at the community college. Hardly the day I had planned. As I waited in line at the salsa bar, I had a quiet moment to collect my thoughts. The thought that came to mind was, "God, not one event has occurred today that was a shock to you." In fact, there is not an event in the universe that can escape God's mental check-list. What an awe-inspiring concept to ponder while waiting for salsa.

I returned to the table with more salsa but surprisingly, much less of the anxiety which had accompanied me to the bar. What changed? I had decided to let go of my agenda for the day and ask God how I might make the most of this occasion. It occurred to me that I had been given a window of uninterrupted time to connect with my son. It could be so easy to miss a moment like this one, but not today. In fact, I would guess that there are many parents with kids who have long since gone, that would cherish an opportunity like this. I decided to savor the conversation and enjoy the time God had given me today with my son. I do love him despite his accident-prone driving habits. Where does he get that anyway? Oh yeah...

The reminder for me today was a simple truth that I can all too easily forget. That is, while I may have my own agenda or mental-list with regard to a given day, God can see what is yet to come that isn't on my list. The trials or turns which may seem as annoyances or cause for anxiety, could be the very things that God desires to use to do His best work in and through our lives. So simple and yet so easy to miss. I sure am thankful that God is not only all-knowing, but He also loves us and has the ability to transform a trial into a blessing. (James 1:2-4)

Me & Grandma Pam

The picture above was taken of me and my grandma around Christmas time my freshman year of high school. I have nothing but amazing memories of my grandmother and the role that she played in my life. She has wrestled with Alzheimers over the past 10 years, and our family and those who loved her have been pained to watch this horrible disease take it's tole on her mind and body. That reality made her passing this week bitter-sweet; bitter in that she will be missed by so many and sweet in the sense that she will no longer live with the fear and pain that accompanied her disease. It is also sweet to know that she will be much happier in heaven. I was fortunate, along with my brother Rick, to be by her side when she breathed her last. She was the best grandma ever!

Pam was actually a step-grandmother to me and my siblings, although she loved us like her own. She had grown up in Scotland and enlisted in the service as a young single woman. She married my grandfather after World War II when she came to travel America. She was one of the highest decorated women during the war, serving as the Head of the Women's Royal Air Force. She had been invited by Bob Hope, whom she had met during one of his USO tours, to stay at his home in California. Bob asked my grandfather, a retired Rear Admiral, if he would take Pam out to entertain her with golf. That was the beginning of their relationship and the two were inseparable after that time. They never had children of their own, but she treated her grandchildren as family, even after our grand father passed away in 1967.

I have fond memories of my mother dropping me off at my grandma's home in Potomac, Maryland. I would stay for great periods of time and she loved me as her own. We would go exploring on trails, fishing on the Potomac, she would help me read, encourage me as I climbed trees, teach me about the outdoors, and simply helped me live life as an adventure. She possessed a loving spirit, even though I tested any and every adult in my company during those years, I never saw her lose her patience. We spent time with her every Christmas and two weeks every summer at Bethany Beach, Delaware from 1969-1991. Great memories!

In the summer of 2003, when Pam's disease was quite advanced, I spent a week painting her home. She had a live-in nurse by the name of Fatima, who cared for her needs. During that week, I ate my meals with Pam when I wasn't outside slinging paint. I saw that she was responding to our daily conversations, even though she had lost most of her memory at that point. I asked Fatima how long it had been since my grandma had been out of the house to do something adventurous. Fatima responded, "It's been years." I said, "Well get her ready, we are going to the movies." We got Pam dolled up and took her to see the movie Seabiscuit. Pam seemed excited about the outing and was completely enthralled with the movie, as she helped me polish off our popcorn. It thrilled me to hear her laugh and see the smile that I knew so well back when she was leading the adventures. What a memorable evening!

My grandmother will be sorely missed by the people who knew her best. I hope to be as selfless as Pam was in her life. She possessed a unique ability to care for people and make them feel special. Her love for God and for people was contagious. I believe that was the reason she was voted citizen of the year in Potomac, Maryland back in the 1990's. Her service wasn't only recognized by her family, but also by her church, her neighbors and all who were fortunate enough to know her. Pam was an amazing example of how to live life to the fullest, loving God and the individuals who came across her path.

Leaving a Legacy

Attending my friend Pete's funeral this past Saturday left me with a bitter-sweet mix of emotions. I was so sad at the loss of this close friend and sadder still when I considered the loss experienced by his wife and kids. As I sat near the front of this church, I watched the large room fill to capacity. I reached for the box of tissues at my side, as the first speaker took the podium.

The first speaker was Pete's only brother. He did an amazing job holding it together emotionally as he worked his way through his well crafted chronicle of Pete's life. He shared humorous memories that helped the audience recall Pete for who he was, while at the same time relieving the emotional tension that was palpable. He then turned the microphone over to a mutual friend by the name of Shawn.

Shawn recalled Pete's ability make people laugh, as well as his love for his family, his friends and most importantly, his God. He mentioned Pete's commitment to Christ and the 10 years that he spent volunteering in youth ministry, impacting the lives of so many teenagers. People were moved by this man's selflessness, as they sat and listened. Why were people so inspired? Because Pete didn't have to do any of those things, however, to our benefit, he chose to serve others in his lifetime.

The events of this past weekend caused me to reflect and ask what kind of a man am I, when it comes to loving my own wife? How am I doing when it comes to loving my 4 kids? When I am faced with a person in need, am I quick to serve or do I think of excuses to keep myself from being too inconvenienced? What does my relationship with God look like? Do I make time for Him each day? If so, do I make enough time for God to speak into my life through the truth of the Bible and work of His Spirit? I want to answer 'yes' to every question, but the truth is, "sometimes I do and sometimes I don't."

I recently took my youngest daughter Hailey to the Air & Space Museum. I was trying to build some positive memories, but more than simply having a good time, I wanted to leave a legacy. I want my faith to influence my daily attitudes and actions. I believe that there is a correlation between the significance of my relationship with God and His ability to use me to love and serve others as I was intended. Without this relationship, I drift from selflessness to selfishness in a very brief time. I am not OK with this! I want my life to count.

I want to live with a crystal clarity each day about what really matters in life, so that when I am faced with decisions, I chose wisely. How about you? What kind of choices have you been making when it comes to your daily life? What kinds of choices are you making concerning God, your loved ones and the others who you come in contact with each day? It is the small daily choices that we make which later define our lives and possible legacies. Let's make them count!