Like a good little nerd, I was reading the cover story in the October issue of National Geographic magazine. The article, simply entitled Redwoods: Super Trees, speaks about the value and beauty of redwood trees, which have the potential to be the tallest trees on earth. Although the article addresses issues such as saving the trees and other conservation efforts, the author also writes about a unique process in the forest between the older trees and the second generation trees called release. The writer, Joel K. Bourne, Jr., describes this phenomenon for the reader by saying, “With their high tolerance for shade and ability to sprout, some redwoods can sit almost dormant in the shade of their elders for decades. Yet as soon as a dominant tree falls or is cut down, breaking the canopy and allowing new light to enter the forest, the suppressed redwood springs up with new growth” (October 2009 issue, p. 38).

As soon as I read this statement I paused and re-read it again; it was one of those moments in which I felt as if God was providing a spiritual application to an earthly illustration. In my lifetime I have seen many “elders” and “dominant” leaders pass off the scene which has opened up the forest to many of the “suppressed” (I don’t mean this in a negative way) leaders. For many years, some of you have stood strong in the shadow of an elder who provided shade and protection, but now it is time for you to step into the light and “spring up with new growth.”

I believe Paul wrote some similar advice to those “suppressed” leaders who were getting ready to assume the place of their elders, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you (1 Timothy 4:12-16, NLT).

Are you ready to step into the light?

One day Jesus encounters a man who works for the IRS and asks him to change occupations. Instead of cheating people out of their hard earned money by collecting a little extra for himself, Jesus asks this man named Levi (Matthew) to work for Him. Without hesitation Levi closes his office, abandons everything he owns, and follows Jesus (Luke 5:27-28). This is a dramatic life change. After his early retirement from tax collecting, Levi holds a party in his home in honor of Jesus (his new boss) where the who’s who of losers and local outcasts attend alongside Jesus’ disciples (Luke 5:29). The people answering the door at Levi’s house obviously didn’t get the memo about sticking to the guest list because somehow the stuck-up religious people crashed the party accusing Jesus and His disciples of eating and drinking with losers (Luke 5:30). The so-called religious leaders thought that if Jesus and His followers were representing God, they should be a tad more discreet about the company they kept; after all, the scribes (interpreters of the Old Testament law) and Pharisees (group of people consumed with external rules) would never be caught dead befriending such outcasts.

When Jesus got word that the partypoopers had busted up the celebration, He immediately defended Himself and His disciples’ associations saying, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come not to call those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent” (Luke 5:31 NLT). Jesus’ defense here is simple. Rather than waste His time catering to people who thought they had God all figured out, He would instead spend His days offering hope and life to those who needed it most.

A lot of religious people are more concerned about who they can stay away from rather than being concerned about who needs Jesus.

Today is my birthday. Don’t worry. If you forgot to send me a gift or leave a cute little message on my facebook page, I’ve already forgiven you. Just don’t expect me to remember you on your birthday!

In case you are wondering, I turned the big three five. Maybe it’s an age thing, but with each passing year I really contemplate what legacy I’ll leave to my family, friends, church, and those who know me best. Since a very young age I have prayed that God would allow me to leave a mark on this world, great or small. Even though I cannot say that I have prayed this every single day of my life, it is the prayer of my heart. This past week I had the unfortunate opportunity to attend the funeral for a very young man (45 years old) who had given more than a decade of his life to take the message of hope to a group of people in Canada. As I listened to others speak about his life, I was pretty certain that the man who passed away had no idea about the far-reaching legacy he had left.

In that moment, I realized that it is often in death that our true legacy is discovered.

What will people say at your funeral?

During my senior year of high school our class took an “end of the year” field trip to a place called Cane Creek Park. This park is located in Charlotte, North Carolina but the name of it is very deceptive; in reality, this “creek” is more like a large lake. When our bus arrived at the park, we all piled out and a few safety rules were given in order to prevent us from getting in trouble. For my group of friends these rules equaled a challenge to disobey. Don’t get me wrong…I was not really a rebellious teenager but I enjoyed being around a group of people who liked to live on the edge and since I have never been an extremely daring person I would oftentimes find myself in awkward situations where I was forced to go along. This field trip was one of those scenarios.Rule #1: Do not go to the other side of the lake. Rule #2: blah, blah, blah. As soon as the lecture was completed, my friends headed for the other side of the lake. I decided to tag along for fear of being called a wimp or other degrading names! Even though the distance across the lake was not too significant, the walk around seemed like it took forever. I cannot say for sure, but I it took about 30 minutes. Upon our arrival, we just hung out and laughed at the rest of our group who was still stuck on the other side of the lake…that is until they began eating lunch. At this point, the long walk back around the lake did not seem too exciting so one of my idiot friends came up with the idea of swimming across. For me, this was an easy answer – NO! I am scared of water and especially hate unfamiliar bodies of water. The rest of my friends were of the adventurous type so they thought it was a brilliant idea. They began discussing the options and finally came up with a plan. Steal a nearby canoe and row across. This may have worked if there were only 2 or 3 of us, but if my memory is correct there were 6 or 7 of us. Leaving out most of the details surrounding this ignorant arrangement, I found myself in a canoe with four people and a couple others swimming in front of us. Somehow we made it across, but not before our chaperones spotted us as well as the park ranger. Needless to say, we were in trouble. You would have never found me making this type of decision on my own, especially considering my fear of water; however, a little influence from others goes a long way. In fact, influence is a major part of our life and many of the choices we make are based on some type of influence. A person we respect, a book we read, or something we hear in the media can altar our perspective in an instant. Proverbs 4:23 warns to “above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.” Be careful about who or what you allow to speak into your life.