I Love Stokesdale

Rarely does a week go by that I don't consciously thank God for Stokesdale.  It's a treat just to live here.
Every time I go into the Bi-Rite grocery store, I see someone I know.  The people who work there are personal friends, and invariably I find other customers to talk to.

Mail gets delivered to me, even with an old address.  The people at the post office know me and where I live, and where I used to live.  Even the Fed Ex and UPS delivery people know where to find me.  Yeah, they know that the church has moved to another address, and they know they can deliver stuff to my house.

And at the post office, no one ever has to wait in line.  If there is a line, I probably recognize some of the people in it.

People care about one another.  When a family has a hard time, the community is there to help out. 

At Parker's, they know what beverage I have with my breakfast.  At Southern Hardware, I know the owner, and he remembers what kind of chainsaw I have.  At Snatchers, they repair my car honestly, stand by their work, and help me find a good deal on tires. 

The Christmas Parade is a parade of friends.  Kids we know wave from floats of churches, clubs, schools and businesses we know.
The fire chief helps the elementary school coordinate with our church, so that we can help raise funds for a school field trip.

A Stokesdale traffic jam has six cars in it.

The season opening of Humphrey's Ridge Restaurant is like a family reunion.  Everyone is excited that the weather is warming up and we can soon swim in the lake.

We are close to Greensboro, Winston-Salem, the airport, Belew's Lake.  We are outside the frenzy of city life, and just a few miles from real wilderness. The Blue Ridge Parkway is about an hour away.  I can see Hanging Rock Mountain from my street.  This is a beautiful part of the country.

Somehow God has smiled upon us, allowing us to live in a small place with a big heart, where we can experience the beauty of his creation.

On Thanks and Thirst

Yesterday we were blessed at Crossroads to have Christ Winter, a representative from Living Water International, share with us about their ministry.  For years we have given to Living Water as part of our Christmas offering, and Chris helped to make our giving more personal.

Chris told us that when Advent Conspiracy and Living Water teamed up in 2006, there were over 1.2 billion people in the world who needed clean water.  Today "only" 884 million people need clean water.  In just a few years, our giving has made a tremendous difference.  Millions of people now have clean water to drink.  It's working!

Living Water drills the wells and trains villagers to take care of them.  Periodically LW sends representatives to check on the wells, perform repairs, and make sure that the water is accessible to everyone.  All these visits provide opportunities to share with people the good news about Jesus. 

As we keep chipping away at the water problem in the world, I imagine that in 10 years we could virtually eliminate the lack of clean water.  Through LW, this work is done in the name of Jesus.  The wells are a constant reminder that Jesus came to be with us at Christmas.  Jesus redeems from the diseases of dirty water, and he redeems from the dirt and hurt in our souls.

At Thanksgiving we celebrate by giving thanks to God .  With a big meal we feast and celebrate the blessings God has given.  But I don't think I have ever raised a glass of water at the meal, just to thank God that we have it to drink.

This Thursday, I'll do that.

Confession

I love writing, especially when it is going well.  Sometimes the words just flow.  The phrases just flow through my fingers onto the screen.

But then there are times that I can't get the words to come.  Sometimes I can't think of what to write.  Other times, I find that the idea is there, but the way to say it is...um...um...well you get the picture. 

I also suffer from writer envy.  When I read good ideas, presented in a compelling, colorful way, I find myself wishing that I had said it.  Sometimes the writer is saying what I have been thinking, but never put into words.  And that's my frustration.  I like to write, but don't make enough time to do it.  I want to write a book, but I'm not making any progress.  I can barely get a blog uploaded.

Recently I came across a file, something I worked on years ago, never published anywhere.  It was just a start of a writing project -- one of those things I started and never did anything with.  It was good.  I was surprised.  Lately, it seems like I can't write anything.

My daughter is doing the November writing challenge.  "Everybody who's a writer knows about this, Daddy."  Guess I'm not a writer.  Anyway, the challenge is to write 50,000 words in the month of November.  She's already got 30k. 

I need to write more.  I need to write every day.  Writing has an impact that can potentially last through the rest of history.  Of course, you have to write something worth remembering.  I'm not trying to write 50,0000 words in a month.  But maybe I can write more than two blogs a month.  And maybe I can write something worth remembering.  I'll never know unless I write something.

There, I wrote something.

Visiting with God

I have often wondered about prayer.  What is praying, really?  Sometimes I wonder what "counts" as praying.  If I am thinking about a friend with a need, am I praying?  Do I have to ask specific things for the person?  Do you have to pray out loud, or is it OK to pray silently?  What if I fall asleep...have I really been praying?  What about day dreaming?  Does that count as prayer?

Fil Anderson's book, Running on Empty, has really challenged my thinking about the spiritual life.  I recognized myself in his descriptions of his own prayer experiences.  Like Fil, I have spent countless hours bringing requests before God, telling him what was happening and what he needed to do about it.  I have been very careful to say just the right words.  I have prayed the scriptures, prayed while walking, prayed on my knees, prayed with cards and lists.  There is nothing wrong with any of those practices.  But the form of prayer is not really what prayer is about.

For many of us, prayer is just a monologue.  It is a formula of worshiping, praising, confessing, asking and thanking.  When we are through, we say amen and go about the day.

But prayer is not a monologue.  Maybe prayer is more like a conversation.  I have spent many hours talking to God and then listening for God's voice.  Usually after a long litany of needs and requests, I will pause for a minute, just in case God wants to get a word in edgewise.  "OK God, here's your chance to speak, if you want to say anything... How 'bout it?... Nothing?... OK.  Amen." 

If I don't rush the conversation, I will listen for God more patiently.  I might actually hear his voice.  Still, these conversations can feel like times of prayer that "count."

While talking with friends this morning about prayer, it occured to me that prayer is really more like a visit.  During a visit, there will be times of speaking, listening and silence.  You can do something while you visit, or not.  A visit is about being with someone, not going through a formula with just the right words, for just the right time.

I think that prayer is like visiting with God.  Sometimes it can be structured, sometimes free flowing.  But it's all about relationship.  I just need to make time to be with him.  I need to be in his presence so that I'm not too distracted to hear his voice and speak to him.  I can't let time with God always be something that I barely squeeze into my schedule.  On some days that may be necessary.  But there have to be some days every week when I can put away all my distractions and visit with the Creator.

I want to stop worrying about whether my time with God counts as prayer.  I want to begin enjoying his presence, opening my heart to him, hearing his voice and experiencing his embrace.  God doesn't need to be something else on my to-do list.  He is someone I like being around.  More profoundly, I am someone he likes to be around.  Wow.

Faring Well or Welfare?

I’m simple guy. When I find complex issues, I try to boil things down to simple terms. Lately I’ve been thinking about the American welfare state. Something about it bothers me. Well, more than one thing, actually. But what is the real problem here?
People (children!) don’t have enough to eat. The solution is easy: give them food. So, we give food away in public schools with free lunch programs. In many schools there are also free breakfasts. Their families may receive food stamps, so there is food at home for them, too. That should take care of the problem, right?

Then we have people who can’t afford a place to live, so we create government housing projects. Everybody knows what you mean when you say “the projects.” Tenants can get reduced rent, with the balance paid by taxpayers.

For others, we help them buy houses. It is much better to own a home than to rent, right? So we require banks to lend more freely and then we guarantee the loans with government money. Everyone wins, of course.

Unless you look at the results. This war on poverty is being lost. Statistics show it. There are more poor now than ever. What is the problem? I believe it is a problem of attitude. Entitlements given by the government create attitudes of dependence.

People tend to develop an attitude of dependence toward their provider. When people depend on the government, they develop a relationship with a bureaucracy, a system. They develop loyalty to the system and work to maintain the system. When something threatens the system, the source of their livelihood, they perceive this as a personal threat. They fight instinctively to keep the status quo. This passion to maintain a free ride robs individuals of personal initiative, and, I believe, damages their souls. We are only fully human when we can share in the creativity which is part of God’s image in us.

When funding is cut for government programs, regardless of the reason, those dependent on government often become angry and lash out. We saw this recently in Greece, when riots broke out after public assistance was reduced. Never mind that the government is bankrupt.

Dependence on government breeds a defensive attitude, guarding the goose that lays the golden eggs. There is a visceral response when the goose is threatened or when the goose stops laying. People act out of anger or fear. They believe that their only hope is in the system. Ultimately politicians control their lives, because politicians control the flow of assistance. Politics, then, is everything.

This system has lots of unintended consequences, including a corrupt political system, a housing bubble, growing poverty, lack of productivity, lack of responsibility, materialism, and cynicism.

There is an alternative. It’s not new. It is thousands of years old. God instructs his people to take care of the poor. “There should be no poor among you” (Deuteronomy 15:4). Jesus tells the rich ruler to give sell everything he has and give to the poor. The apostles instruct churches to take care of the poor.

Taking this charge seriously, a church might have a food pantry, a clothes closet, budgeting classes, job training courses. They could give these goods and services freely.

Those who receive these gifts are likely to develop an attitude of dependence as well. But here is the important difference. They may depend upon these Christians for food, shelter, clothing, counseling, training and assistance, but they know that these things are given in the name of Christ. These poor would depend ultimately on Christ. They come to depend on God himself. This is really where God wants everyone to be, depending on him.

What springs from an attitude of dependence on Christ? Not fear or anger; not a protectionist spirit of keeping the goose alive. Dependence on God produces a sense of responsibility.

God doesn’t threaten to cut people off from food and shelter. He promises that he will provide all of life’s necessities – and more – to all who seek his kingdom first. The Bible tells us to be productive and to provide for our families, but always to depend on him.

Dependence on God has positive side effects, including increasing compassion, growing personal initiative, and a decrease in poverty. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Dealing with Struggles

We all have struggles, and working through those struggles can strengthen us.  In fact, James told his readers to consider it pure joy when they encountered trials (James 1:3).  We can be joyful because we know that God will use the hardship to strengthen us.

But in the middle of the situation, it can be really hard.

I am learning to remind myself of a few truths when I hit the hard times. 

First, I remember that I don't have the full picture.  There are pieces of the situation that I don't see and may never see.  God is at work behind the scenes.  He is doing good stuff, because that's what God does.  I have to trust him that he is in charge, and trust that I will see him working for good in due time.  He may be leading me to change my attitude or actions or habits.  He is making me more like him, and that is a long process.

I also remember that my emotions lie to me.  Everything seems like it is falling apart in the midst of a trial.  In my mind I know that it's not all that bad, but my emotions distort reality.  I remember that I will see more clearly soon enough.  I may just have to wait it out, but I will get there.

I can't forget that God has always come through in my trials.  Some have hurt worse than others, but through all of them, he has worked good, in his time.  Of course, I repeat Romans 8:28 to myself:  "We know that God works all things together for good, for those who love him and are called according to his purpose."

I also go to the Psalms for some company.  There I find the psalmist experiencing the full range of emotions.  In one psalm he is jubilant, in another he is wondering how long God will abandon him.  He keeps it real.  Life doesn't seem so bad when I realize that others have been in hard spots like mine.  They have survived and even thrived through the hardships.

Finally, I trust God not to abandon me.  Whatever my trial, Jesus is here with me. 

Trials are never fun.  But they are worth it.  If I can keep my sights set on Jesus, and know that he is leading me to a good place, the struggle is lifted to a higher plane.  It is God's supernatural work in me.  And that's good.

The Cost of Staying in Touch

On a recent Sunday three of our teens shared  about their summer overseas adventures.  One served as a student ambassador in Spain, France and Italy; another worked with missionaries in Poland to up-fit an old building as a homeless shelter; the third served in the jungles of Ecuador among the indigenous people there.

Their stories were inspiring, of course.  They saw God at work around them and through them.  They all agreed that it was easier to notice God and stay in touch with God on their trips.  They saw God at work in circumstances, in people and in their own hearts.

Back home, however, they found it hard to maintain that connection with Jesus.  This seems to be a common experience for short term missionaries.

I wonder why that is.  Maybe we are just too distracted in our normal lives.  We have so much clamoring for our attention, that we lose sight of God in the fray.  The natural overtakes the supernatural.

Or maybe we pay better attention when we are out of our normal routine.  We don't know what to expect, so we count on God to take care of us.  We are constantly praying and looking for him to answer.  At home, we get complacent and imagine that we can handle life without troubling God for his help.

Now the question is:  Which way would we rather live?  Lots of people, I imagine, would rather live in touch with the supernatural. 

So the next question is:  Are we willing to rework our lives so that we pay more attention to God?  We would need to set aside our distractions (oh, let me check my email real quick...).  We might need to be less entertained and risk (dare I say it?) boredom.  In the quietness, God speaks.

We may need to vary the normal routine.  We could volunteer at the school, at the hospital, or homeless shelter.  We could take on projects that will fail unless God shows up.  We could embrace opportunities to get out of our comfort zones.

I know it is worth it.