Mood Swings

My wife and I just got done sitting through a meeting with an insurance agent. While these types of meetings are important and needed once in a while, I would argue that they are NEVER enjoyable! This one just happened to be worse than most. 45 minutes of mentally debilitating agony…but not any of it was his fault (directly). You see, my allergies have been going absolutely nuts over the past 48 hrs. I didn’t want to be outdoors at all today in the first place. And this guy wasn’t only a nice salesman…he was a fellow pastor from the Pacific Northwest as well! Needless to say, I was not my normal self. Because of how I was feeling, I hardly said anything to him. I felt bad for the guy.

My inability to remain constant toward others due to the ever-changing variables of day to day life reminded me of how amazingly steady and faithful Jesus is. I am so thankful that he doesn’t allow allergies, a stubbed toe, or bad hair day to compromise his love and care for me.

Look at what James 1:17 says:

Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

This week, may we all recognize those times when we are not able to remain consistent in our efforts to model Jesus to others. More important…let us do something about it that would put a smile on the face of God.

Whose team are you on?

Colossians 1:21-23 reads:

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

I don’t know about you, but this passage has always been a bit difficult for me to read. I can vividly remember my life prior to knowing Jesus. I wasn’t a horrible, mean, hateful person. For the most part, I think people enjoyed being around me. I was self-titled a ‘good’ person. According to Paul in the passage above, however, I was an ENEMY of God! It was more than simply not knowing him…everything about me was against him. I am so thankful for Christ’s sacrifice that allowed me to cross over to his team. I am no longer his enemy…but his advocate, partner, teammate, and friend.

If you are on God’s team and serve him in your life, may you take some time to really recognize and appreciate how blessed you are to be on his side. If you are still ‘alienated’ from Jesus (as Paul puts it), may you consider switching teams this week. They always need another player and you don’t even have to try-out! The best part is that the perks last forever. So give God’s team a chance. They will welcome you with open arms.

- Detour Ahead -

Well, it’s been almost two weeks since the last posting and I’m just now getting a chance to get caught up. Our family’s trip across the country was the most challenging adventure yet. Although we didn’t have any vehicle-related problems this time, we did encounter a number of detours. Our trip began with a snowstorm in Wyoming. Road closures caused by a fatal twenty-car pile-up led us to change our route…adding an entire day to our travel time. The next big detour was in Nevada. Of all the locals that gave us directions into Arizona, it apparently never dawned on any of them that our 26 ft truck and auto transport would present a problem at Hoover Dam. We drove to the top and were met by Homeland Security officials who re-routed us because a full inspection of the contents of our truck was impossible. This sent us trekking through the Nevada desert until we finally connected to historic Route 66. From there, we were forced to play catch-up…driving 10-14 hrs a day in order to arrive at our new home by Saturday night.

Does our story remind you of any ‘detours’ in your life? We’ve all been there. We have a plan and a way to get there, but then something happens that forces us to either change our goal or change how we will get there. The thing to remember is that persisting in our faith is the key in these situations. Frustration often leads to desperation. This week, may you pray against the detours of life. When they do come, however, may you also come to understand that there may be a reason God wants you to take a different route to your next destination in life.