The Dent

27 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by Seeking Peace in Christian Living, Life

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I have driven on ice in Texas for the past 35 years and never had a dent or ding to my vehicle. My dad taught me to drive on ice when I was 15. He had been stationed in Greenland in the Air Force so he knew all about ice driving and shared it with me. They were lessons that have paid dividends over the years so that I’ve never missed a day of work or had any injuries due to ice. Slow and steady wins the race on those days.

Last Thursday, we had ice on the ground when I came to work. No problems for me. I was in my office when the receptionist came in and told me a coworker had run into my truck and wanted me to come outside. Well, sure enough, the lady was trying to pull into a spot close to me and slid right into my back door. Man, she felt horrible. She told everyone at work about it, put it on Facebook and apologized to me multiple times. I constantly reminded her it was only metal. No people were hurt and that was all that was important. Three other people at work came and asked me if I was okay. Of course, I said. I only felt bad for my coworker who never meant to cause harm and was only doing her best to be a good employee.

Life is like that. We go for years and nothing too bad happens and then someone dings us even when they didn’t mean to. It makes me wonder how many times I have dinged other people emotionally or spiritually without meaning to do it…and may have been completely oblivious to it.

Insurance will pay for the damage. It will be fixed and we’ll both go on. No blood, no foul. It isn’t always that easy with the emotional and spiritual damage we cause. Sometimes those dents last a long, long time. I pray for heapings of grace and mercy when I have run into someone else without meaning to and even more grace and mercy when I did it knowing I could choose another path.

I’m thankful Christ has already paid the insurance bill for the dents I cause.

Grace and peace.

A Night With Spiritual Giants

05 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by Seeking Peace in Faith, Life

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Addiction, grace, Holy Spirit, hope, mercy, Recovery

I’ve missed many days and have much ground to cover. The summary is that I’ve taken a job in Central Texas and am spending my first week in a new place where I know no one. It is a lonely existence for a guy who usually doesn’t suffer from loneliness. Maybe it’s just knowing my friends and family were close and now I am in a foreign land alone. Anyhoo…

Last night I decided to go to church on a Wednesday for the first time in a year. Honestly, I believe the Holy Spirit said “we’re going to church tonight” and I just followed. I showed up knowing no one and wondering what it would be like. A nice gentleman greeted me when I walked in, told me about the 1 Corinthians class (looked like the median age would be 70), a marriage class (maybe someday) and a class for people involved in a addiction rehab treatment. Well that peaked my interest for sure.

Over the past few years, I’ve developed a heart for the homeless and for people who keep getting run over by problems they can’t control and don’t know how to deal with it. The addicts certainly fall in that category. I know enough about turning to the wrong things to ease your pain to understand how hard it can be for lots of people. So, I approached the class with a little trepidation and great interest.

Wow! I didn’t know I was entering a room with people who would speak deeply into my heart, who would bring tears to my eyes, who would encourage me so much. There were probably 50 or more people there, coming to a place where (in their own words) they have felt loved and accepted like no place else.

Avery looks to be in her early 50’s but could be younger. She’s been addicted for years and in and out of prison numerous times. She’s completed the rehab program, living in an apartment on her own and loving God. The teacher played Chris Tomlin’s Amazing Grace and you could see the truth of it on her face. To listen to her talk about grace blew me away and I knew I was in the midst of a spiritual giant. To here her talk about finally spending a Thanksgiving with her family because they are letting her back into their life now that she is clean is a story of grace and mercy that pierces the heart.

Megan finishes the program next Tuesday and will move away. She also looks older than her years, streetwise and her words convey very hard years and huge mistakes. She also talks about grace and how the Holy Spirit speaks to her and does it in ways that make you forget anything else is happening and all you can see and hear is Megan and her love for God.

Bobby looks to be late 20’s/early 30’s. He’s hard and tattoo’d but his words make me want to crumble. My job is taking me away from my son and our Thursday night ritual. I may miss a few baseball games. It is KILLING me. My stomach is in knots every time I think of the days I may not get to see him I normally would. Bobby hasn’t seen his kids in 3 years. CPS took them and he doesn’t know where they are. He is hurting. He wants to get his life on track and he wants to see his kids. Oh Lord, remind me of Bobby often so I will pray over him and his recovery and I will remember the blessings I do have.

I sat in a room of addicts last night and prayed that I will one day have their faith and their knowledge of God’s word. Even more, I prayed I would have their faith in God’s grace for my life. They are spiritual giants and the Holy Spirit led me into their presence to hear Good News I needed to be reminded of last night.

Grace and peace.

Paul and Me

18 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by Seeking Peace in Christian Living, Faith, Life

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faith, grace, love, mercy, Paul

I’m sure it would have been cool to hang out with the Beatles. Or the Rolling Stones. Motley Crue. Willie. Mumford and Sons. You get the idea. How often I thought it would be fun to hang out with the rich and famous and live their lifestyle for awhile.

Maybe I’m on the verge of crazy but…

I wish I could hang out with Paul. Paul who was Saul. Paul who was jailed and beaten. Paul who had unusual strength. Paul who may have been more famous in his time than any of those listed above.

I’ve recently reconnected with a friend who encourages me in my blogging. When we used to see each other more, my life was very different. It looked good on the outside and I hid the blemishes well. (Blemishes is a pretty way of saying catastrophic failings.) Now, the “blemishes” are better known and have been exposed. I want to reconnect with him, share things I have learned and how it is shaping me and soak up what I can from what he has learned from his journey.

Yesterday, I was thinking about Paul and me. I can’t really fathom what Paul went through but when I read his writings, I feel connected and I think it is one piece of scripture that I read that gives me the feeling we are linked. Maybe I see myself worse than I am. Maybe I see myself just as I am. Whatever, if he asks where I see myself now, I would reference Paul’s first letter to Timothy, the first chapter and verses 12-17.

Paul says he is the worst of sinners. Maybe, but I sure think I can give him a run for his money. Sure, he may have stoned some people and had others put to death physically. I think I have done that to people emotionally, or God forbid, spiritually. I connect with Paul when he says he is the worst but that isn’t why I love this passage of his writing. It’s the rest of the story because it gives me great hope. So often I am mired in my past. Jesus is fixated on today…and what He is calling me to in the days to come. Paul knew that. I want to know it too. I want to live in it, revel in it, reap joy in abundance in the knowledge of God’s grace and mercy and love.

It’s a journey; a journey I hope to travel with my buddy Paul, walking in the footsteps of my Savior.

Grace and peace.

Here’s part of Paul’s letter from The Message (emphasis mine).

^15-19Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever.

Deep honor and bright glory
to the King of All Time—
One God, Immortal, Invisible,
ever and always. Oh, yes!