July 12, 2011 in
Fear, True Stories with
Spiders don’t bother me. Some people are freaked out by them but I’m not. My phobias lie more with water; however, spiders are definitely moving up on the list as they find more creative tactics to scare unassuming individuals. Yesterday, Lexi and I were sitting on the chair in the living room when I noticed a very tiny spider climbing on the lamp shade. No big deal, right? Normally, I’d use a shoe to kill a spider but I figured that a shoe would endanger the lamp. I decided rather to use a paper towel to capture and kill it, but when I captured it in the paper towel, it jumped on my hand. I admit it. I screamed…like a man, of course. Even though the spider was small, it was probably all fang so my terrified scream was justified. My manly scream must have frightened it because it leaped off of my hand onto the floor. As far as I know, he (or she) is still missing.
I’m not sure when people began fearing spiders, but it is likely that some of the fear is due to misunderstanding or not enough information. My spider encounter yesterday probably did not endanger me in the least, but because I was unfamiliar with jumping spiders I reacted in fear. There are plenty of things in my life that I fear, but most of those fears could be overcome if I took time to understand and gather information. Facing fear is better than having your back turned to it.
For those who follow Christ, your fears do not have to be faced alone. David, having been captured by his enemy, wrote the following words, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You” (Psalm 56:3).
June 2, 2011 in
Fear, Funny Stories, True Stories with
A couple weeks ago I was stopped at a red light and I noticed that the car in front of me was identical to the second car I drove while in high school and college. I shared the car with my younger brother, Tim, and it was a red Chevy Beretta with a manual transmission. I hadn’t had that much experience driving a “stick-shift” unless you count the time my friend, Robby, tried to teach me to drive his ancient, powersteering-less car in the church parking lot. Other than that, I had no road experience. Rather than easing me into driving the Beretta, my dad told me to get into the driver’s seat and take him on a ride through the crowded streets of Charlotte, NC. After a few minutes I began to get the hang of it even though starting and stopping was difficult. My dad is a patient guy and coached me through the whole process; however, the worst part was yet to come. Anyone who has ever driven a car with manual transmission knows that starting out on a hill is very complicated. If you do not perfectly sync releasing the clutch and pushing the gas, there is a good chance that you could roll back into the car behind you. In order for me to practice, my dad took me to what seemed like the steepest hill in Charlotte – the intersection of Margaret Wallace Road and Independence Blvd. It was cruel of him, but if I could learn to start out on this hill I would be able to start out on any hill. Sure. I stalled out a few times, but I didn’t give up. I cranked the car back up each time I stalled and kept trying until I got it. If I would have quit trying, I would have had to face the hill again. It was unavoidable since I drove on this road every day.
Delaying what you fear only prolongs the inevitable. ”For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
October 11, 2010 in
Fear, God, Security, True Stories with
Every single night, without fail, my kids want to be tucked into their beds. They absolutely refuse to go to sleep unless either Leah or I (usually both of us) has made sure they are safely in their beds and that the bed sheets are adequately covering their little bodies. Most of the time the “tucking in” process also includes a room temperature check/adjustment as well as a hug and a kiss. I’m convinced that sometimes this process is unjustly extended so they can stay up later, but most of the time I believe they want to be tucked in to feel safe and secure. Before they close their eyes and drift off to sleep, they want to be assured that mom and dad are nearby. We are. We always are. When they call for us, we will be there.
Every kid in the world wants to be tucked in because children find comfort and protection from their mother and father. Like a child, you were created to find safety and security with God the Father. Proverbs 18:10 reminds us that “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” God is nearby. He is. He always is. When you call for Him, He will be there.
What makes you feel safe and secure?
September 30, 2010 in
Faith, Fear, True Stories with
My commute to work this morning was a little unusual. My routine 5 mile trek was complicated by some fog which hadn’t quite cleared out of the area. I snapped a quick picture while sitting at a stoplight and it clearly shows a big patch of fog waiting to swallow my car. When the light turned green, I proceeded with caution into the great unknown. Upon entering the fog, I discovered that as long as I kept moving, the road in front of me opened up. But the moment I stopped, I was engulfed and the road ahead of me was hidden.
Simple observation. Profound application. When our path is unclear we often delay or even stop our forward motion until we are fully aware of what lies ahead. The problem with this thought process is that waiting for a path to become clear wastes valuable time and causes us to miss opportunities to walk in faith. Although walking in faith does not come naturally, God expects it in the life of His followers and He has promised to reward those who walk in it (Hebrews 11:6).
September 22, 2010 in
Communication with God, Disappointment, Faith, Fear, God, Life, Perspective, Relationship with God, Thoughts, Tragedy, Trials with
Why does God feel distant? Why is God remaining silent? Why does it feel like God has abandoned me? These are questions I have asked plenty of times since becoming a follower of Jesus. Typically these questions begin surfacing when an unforeseeable circumstance arises and the outcome cannot be governed by me. I may pray for divine intervention, but when rescue does not arrive quickly I doubt God’s nearness. I may search the Scriptures for peace, but when the answer is not clear I am overcome with confusion and bitterness. I may seek wise counsel for clarity, but when the explanations are unsatisfactory I am filled with uncertainty.
I’ve been contemplating this dilemma lately. Is there a way that these questions can be reconciled? I believe there is a clear answer. My feelings do not determine truth. In other words, the way I feel is not an accurate reflection of reality. David, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote these words in Psalm 37:25, “Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned….” According to Scripture, God NEVER forsakes or abandons the righteous. Although I may feel alone in my circumstance, the truth is that God will NEVER leave me.
God’s proximity is not measured by my perspective, but by His promise.
September 8, 2009 in
Character, Failure, Fear, Funny Stories, Guilt, Life, Perspective, Reputation, Transformation, True Stories, Truth, Weakness, Wisdom with
My eyes burst open and I quickly looked at the alarm clock on my nightstand; although I cannot remember the exact time, I’m certain the clock revealed that it was well after midnight. The sound of the front door opening had been enough to thrust me out of sleep and into ninja mode (whatever that is). Most people would have sprung out of bed, but not me. Still half asleep and lying in bed, I slapped both of my arms down on either side of me as if to brace myself for what was about to happen. Listening more intently to the sounds coming from downstairs, I heard the pitter-patter of my dog’s paws walking through the hallway. “Great,” I thought. “The thieves had broken into my house and were now taking my dog captive. They must have muzzled her, though, because I never heard her bark.” As all these thoughts were running through my mind, I glanced over in order to see if my wife was hearing what I was hearing; however, she was not there. I then became extremely alarmed because I would normally send her downstairs to check out any unfamiliar noises. Who was going to do it now? Gradually, I came to my senses and realized that the reason my wife was not in bed was due to the fact that she was letting the dog out to use the bathroom.
The mind has a tendency to play tricks on a person, especially those who are absorbed with guilt. The wisdom writer reminds his readers of this truth when he says, “the wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions” (Proverbs 28:1). Hidden sin and unresolved conflict can result in a person living their life in fear of getting caught, even when no one else may know what they have done. A guilty conscience tends to have a misconstrued view of reality, while the clear conscience can experience a life of freedom. I think I’d rather spend my days being bold as a lion instead of feeling as if I am being chased by them. How about you?
August 18, 2009 in
Determination, Fear, Leadership, Life, Motivation, Trials, True Stories with
My front yard was starting to look like a jungle so I figured it was time to bust out the old push mower, even though it had not been a week since I last mowed. I filled it with some gas, pulled the cord, and began cutting stripes into the front yard when suddenly something fell from the sky and hit me in the head and then in the back. Great! Over-sized drops of rain were falling at unusual speeds making each drop feel like it was piercing through my skin. I didn’t want to leave my grass half finished (what would the neighbors think?) so I continued on in the rain (which eventually stopped) until the job was completed.
Far too many people run for cover when the rain begins to fall leaving things half finished. It may be time for you to, once again, pull the cord and finish what you started.
August 17, 2009 in
Fear, Funny Stories, Life, Relationship with God, Sin, True Stories, Weakness with
Learning to ride her bike this summer was one of the big accomplishments for my seven year old daughter, Lexi. She began with riding around in the driveway and eventually moved to the streets of our neighborhood…with our supervision, of course. A couple days ago, both her and my son went riding together on the next street over from us, but I could still see them from the backyard of our house. Lexi was enjoying her leisurely ride until a very poofy white dog, who was not on a leash, came running after her. Lexi is not scared of that much, but loose dogs (big or small) freak her out! Instead of pedaling faster to escape the pursuing canine, she abandoned her bike and began to run as fast as her little feet would carry her; however, it wasn’t fast enough. By this time in the chase, all I could hear was Lexi screaming and crying as the dog closed in on her and finally backed her into a place without an escape route. About this time, the owner of the dog showed up and saved the day but Lexi was not impressed with his neglect to keep his dog on a leash. Needless to say, she was pretty shaken up.
As Lexi gets older, I hope she learns the importance of staying on the bike because sometimes running isn’t the best way of escape.
August 4, 2009 in
Failure, Fear, Funny Stories, God, Guilt, Relationship with God, Sin, True Stories, Weakness with
Several years ago we had guests at our home for a weekend, which usually means an adjustment in our daily habits. I’m not talking about bad habits but normal, everyday things you can only do around your own family. Since our house is two levels (and also includes a basement), most of the adjustment only takes place on the ground-level floor. Normal activity resumes on the second floor where it is immediate family only. There is one slight connection between the ground level and the second floor by way of the stairs so that if you stand at the very bottom of our stairs, you can see straight into the upstairs bathroom if the door is open.
On Sunday morning, I got up early to take a shower and upon finishing I exited the bathroom with just shorts and no shirt on; however, as soon as I exited, I noticed that the female guest in our home was about to make her way up the stairs to the bathroom because she thought I was already done. Unfortunately, she saw me without my shirt on and I was extremely embarrassed. Although some guys may not think this is a big deal, I did because I’m not one who enjoys mowing the lawn with his shirt off or playing a basketball game where the teams are divided by shirts and skins. It’s just not me…it makes me feel as if someone has seen a part of me that was not meant for them to see. Now that you know my true feelings, I’m sure this will put to rest all the rumors flying about me being the shirtless model plastered on the wall of Abercrombie & Fitch!
Setting aside the physical aspect of this thought, I believe many of us can identify with the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. When someone catches an unauthorized view of a particular area of our life, we often retreat in shame. No one enjoys being exposed because of a weakness, a seemingly uncontrollable addiction, or an area of extreme vulnerability. Through years of experience, many have become experts at covering up these undesirable parts without realizing that “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). This means that God sees you – all of you…but He loves You anyway. Paul writes that God demonstrated His love toward us, that even though we were sinners, Christ still died for us (Romans 5:8).
July 23, 2009 in
Determination, Failure, Faith, Fear, Funny Stories, Motivation, Perspective, True Stories with
Okay. So there are no vampires in this story, but there is a bat. Yesterday, several staff members, including myself, were walking through one of the hallways on the second level of our church (main campus) when all of the sudden our senior pastor stopped and inquired about an object hanging where the wall and ceiling meet. I had walked through the same hallway yesterday and noticed, what I supposed to be, a wire or wires hanging from the ceiling. “That’s a bat!” our senior pastor said. At first, I thought he was seeing things (he is getting older) so I decided to turn on more lights in the hallway. Sure enough, he was right! There hanging from the ceiling in our church was a bat. Although it was a nice call by the pastor, our attention quickly turned to removing this vampire bat from the church building; after all, I’m sure we would get some e-mail complaints if we left it there for Sunday worship.
My first thought was, “The only way to get this bat out of the church is to whack it on the head and kill it.” Don’t get me wrong. I love mammals, but not in confined spaces where there is a risk of me getting bitten. After a few minutes of searching around the custodial closets, we located a broom handle and I was elected to wield it, but the pastor reminded me, “You’ve only got one shot and if you miss, that thing is going to be flying all over the place.” Thank you for that voice of reason. The pastor and another unnamed staff member who works with our middle school students stood at a far distance so they could see the outcome. I’m certain they were rooting for me to miss so they could, as the pastor said, “see me scream like a girl and run.”
As I nervously approached the bat with my weapon of choice, I began thinking about what I would do if I missed. I mentally planned for failure. Many people never try anything because they have already convinced themselves that they will fail. Countless plans, movements, ministries, businesses, and dreams have never been realized because they never escaped from the mind. What would you be willing to try if failure wasn’t an option?
Postscript: Custodians arrived. Bat was removed safely. PETA is happy.
