I have learned over the years that even something we consider to be so simple is still designed with purpose by God and thru the simplicity of the situation, God will show Himself in a big way. (as if anything He ever does is small.)
This Thanksgiving was truly a blessing to me and my family and we truly enjoyed the day and days surrounding it. (and not just because of the ham I cooked on the pit, smoked with hickory wood for 2 hours....yea buddy!!) Thanksgiving is a day that we all gather around and remember what we are thankful for and all that God has done and is doing in our lives. It is a day we enjoy family, friends, fellowship, games, and that ham. (I'm just saying!! ) We reflect on the recent past and the journey that God has brought us through to get to this point. This year was no different and I can stand with my wife and say that God has been.....yes...He has been!! In the past year, we have lost family members, friends, and experienced the joys of becoming pregnant and the process of learning to deal with the fragility of a pregnancy and life. Put on bed rest only a couple months in, we understood that God has called us to a place to see Him in a way that was greater than our understanding. We were called to step down from ministry positions we held and pulled out to return to where He wanted us and we did just that. We understood early that God was at work and we did not want to miss what He had for us. In the end, what He had in that was a beautiful baby boy, born healthy and gifted named Isaiah. Moreover, in the midst of it all, we were able to gain so much more and that is just how God is. We had our home remodeled, made some large purchases that were needed. Not "wanted" but "needed." We made some adjustments in our life and were able to take on all that came our way and stand on the plan God has had for us. Friendships have strengthened, our marriage continues to grow in such an awesome way and God was just getting started.
On Thanksgiving, with the newness of our son, we were not able to travel but God plans it all right? (rhetorical question!!) We went over to my brothers home to celebrate with family who came in town and some family I have not seen in years. The joy of just seeing their faces made the day all it needed to be. My children had a good time hanging out and seeing their family again and, yes, enjoying that ham!! oh my!! After spending some time there, we loaded up and headed over to the next spot we received an invitation to weeks before. The location was the home of my ex wife and her boyfriend where they were celebrating with family and friends alike. We went over there and had a good time hanging out and talking with everyone and the kids enjoyed being able to spend this holiday of "Thanks" with both of their parents as oppose to one or the other. The blessing in this is greater then just spending time over there and being able to "get along" as most view situations like this. The blessing is the example we had the chance to take advantage of and did by showing my children, the family, friends, and ourselves that God is able in all things and thru all things He teaches. So often we look to make excuses as to why not "try" something or we just look for the bad in things and people to avoid making the step to start the "good" that God gives us freely. We spend so much time speaking negative in to each other's lives and exhaust ourselves trying to find examples of why NOT to take a step forward to something greater then ourselves. With all our efforts to do that, if we applied it in the other direction, we could achieve things we never imagined otherwise. God is always trying to show us, we just choose not to listen. As we sat there and talked, laughed, and shared stories, I had a moment where I just laughed to myself and God and said that there is nothing He can not do and even in something as simple as this may seem, He is teaching us something so much greater. To many, it may seem small and feel it should be that way. To those, I would say if you are divorced, with or without kids, call your ex and invite them over for the holidays with their family and see where it gets you. God will create the opportunity for us to do all things, we just have to be ready and make that move to take the challenge. As we left for the night, we hugged everyone good bye and loaded up. My ex wife and her boyfriend said separately, being in different places in the house, "Thanks for coming over and spending time." We responded to them both the same, saying "thanks for the invitation." It was not until the second response that I realized what God was saying and that He was effectively at work in us all at that moment. God always extends the invitation to us....the problem is, we don't always accept it. So as we reflected on the past year, we realized that God extended us an invitation to go on a specific journey with Him and trust Him thru it all. We did, and though we often wondered why the journey took some of the turns it did, we stayed on course to finish with Him. We endured some challenges and made it through because we knew He had us in mind in the end. It started with His invite and ended a year later with us finally understanding what it all meant with the simple remarks to one another as we left that evening. On this Thanksgiving, we were glad we accepted their invitation and enjoyed the time we spent over there. When the invitation is extended to you, will you accept it? Trust me when I say, it is worth saying "yes."
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
2010.....God's at work again.
The season is changing, we have set our clocks back one hour to gain some extra sleep but if your like me, you stayed up an extra hour or more knowing you would "get it back" somehow. The temperature is getting cooler for most and the stores are filling up with the "spirit" of the holidays. (though they started in July!!) What does all of this mean? The end of the year is approaching and soon we will close our eyes on 2009 and wake up in 2010, God say the same. What does all that mean?
Spending years in the church and eventually changing my method of celebration bringing in the New Years from the clubs and various other spots to the church house, I have become familiar with the traditional, coined phrases Pastor's use to motivate the congregation going in to a New Year. I sit back and laugh at some of the stuff we come up with and how it all seems to be "right on time." I remember 1994...I'm gettin more. Or 1999, the year I get mine. 2003, God's blessings for me and 2006 simply titled, "this is it." So many more and I am sure the titles change with the various church's but none the less, we have all heard it at some point. As we gear up in those previous years and get all excited because it is was 2009, my year to shine and about 3 months in, reality hit hard and you wondered if God was even listening to you anymore. Some of us lost family, friends, jobs, homes, and we all know what the market did to our money. Or for others, 2008 didn't end so "great" so it blurred your vision going in to the new year and never seemed to look up. Oh sure there were moments of clear skies but the clouds seemed to quickly re-group and rain on your parade. For some, the years have proven to be that blessing they shouted about as they closed out the previous year. For those, they have pulled in a harvest and celebrated the blessings and have received what God had for them in that year. I know for me, for a few years, man...I felt like God forgot about me. I had different titles for the different years as they approached and it seemed my titles fit great. I went through my season(s) of struggle and endured some tremendous hardships. One season, 2005...was the year I fell so far behind. I had many other "names" for it but this is the cleanest one. As I went through those times, I was shut down by all that was going on around me and it wasn't until 2006 that I was able to receive a title that God gave to me for the year. It was not a title that a Pastor used or one that I created, God provided this one. The thing I love about God is He will keep it simple when we need it simple and He did so at that time. As the new year approached, He let me know that in 2006, I was "fixed." The year started out rough of course but it was due to the new legs I had to walk this walk and the new mind I had been provided to think through situations like He wanted me to. The new arms and hands to carry the load for my children and others the way God intended, and the new heart I had to get used to with the clear vision. 2006, I am fixed. Mid-way through the year I was concerned because nothing major happened and I didn't know if I was doing something wrong and was missing what God was trying to do but God came strong and told me to move church's and settle where He wanted me. I did right before the holidays and with my mind focused on what God was doing and nothing else I worked in my ministry and as I was doing all God had me to do, He brought me my wife, led my brother to Christ, put me in a new job, and restored my life to a better place then I was before. 2006, I am fixed. I was no longer struggling with my past. I no longer felt the pain of my errors but the joy of what God was doing. I didn't look for a title from any one else, God provided it for me through my testimony. I have never looked back and though seasons come and go, they are much different now because even when they get hard and most would give up, including myself...before, I am reminded that "I am fixed." See, once God gives you a title, He never takes it back and never changes His mind on it, it just is what it is and no one can change that. I am forever fixed and I have been restored. So in those season of hardships, I know that God is doing a work and I look for the lesson and wait on God's hand of Grace to pull me out.
As 2009 comes to an end and 2010 approaches, what is God saying to you? What title has He given to you to claim this year? Have you asked? Are you listening? For me, 2010 is simply titled, "again and again" and to me that means that God's blessings are still flowing and even when the storms come, the blessing is the joy I have in the midst and the growth I have in the end. Seek God for your title, don't get caught up on what others say it "should be" because that may not be where God has you at this moment and you don't want to miss out what God is doing in you. It may be a tough season ahead and you may already be in it. Just know that God has not forgotten about you at all, He is doing a great work in your right now. As the season progresses, look for the joy and hold on to it. The hardships will not last forever and when it is over, your life will never be the same and you will be better for it all. God doesn't bring you through storms to make you worse off then you were. Rain has never killed life on earth, it restores it, grows it, and provides life for others through it. Get you title.....get it from God!!
Spending years in the church and eventually changing my method of celebration bringing in the New Years from the clubs and various other spots to the church house, I have become familiar with the traditional, coined phrases Pastor's use to motivate the congregation going in to a New Year. I sit back and laugh at some of the stuff we come up with and how it all seems to be "right on time." I remember 1994...I'm gettin more. Or 1999, the year I get mine. 2003, God's blessings for me and 2006 simply titled, "this is it." So many more and I am sure the titles change with the various church's but none the less, we have all heard it at some point. As we gear up in those previous years and get all excited because it is was 2009, my year to shine and about 3 months in, reality hit hard and you wondered if God was even listening to you anymore. Some of us lost family, friends, jobs, homes, and we all know what the market did to our money. Or for others, 2008 didn't end so "great" so it blurred your vision going in to the new year and never seemed to look up. Oh sure there were moments of clear skies but the clouds seemed to quickly re-group and rain on your parade. For some, the years have proven to be that blessing they shouted about as they closed out the previous year. For those, they have pulled in a harvest and celebrated the blessings and have received what God had for them in that year. I know for me, for a few years, man...I felt like God forgot about me. I had different titles for the different years as they approached and it seemed my titles fit great. I went through my season(s) of struggle and endured some tremendous hardships. One season, 2005...was the year I fell so far behind. I had many other "names" for it but this is the cleanest one. As I went through those times, I was shut down by all that was going on around me and it wasn't until 2006 that I was able to receive a title that God gave to me for the year. It was not a title that a Pastor used or one that I created, God provided this one. The thing I love about God is He will keep it simple when we need it simple and He did so at that time. As the new year approached, He let me know that in 2006, I was "fixed." The year started out rough of course but it was due to the new legs I had to walk this walk and the new mind I had been provided to think through situations like He wanted me to. The new arms and hands to carry the load for my children and others the way God intended, and the new heart I had to get used to with the clear vision. 2006, I am fixed. Mid-way through the year I was concerned because nothing major happened and I didn't know if I was doing something wrong and was missing what God was trying to do but God came strong and told me to move church's and settle where He wanted me. I did right before the holidays and with my mind focused on what God was doing and nothing else I worked in my ministry and as I was doing all God had me to do, He brought me my wife, led my brother to Christ, put me in a new job, and restored my life to a better place then I was before. 2006, I am fixed. I was no longer struggling with my past. I no longer felt the pain of my errors but the joy of what God was doing. I didn't look for a title from any one else, God provided it for me through my testimony. I have never looked back and though seasons come and go, they are much different now because even when they get hard and most would give up, including myself...before, I am reminded that "I am fixed." See, once God gives you a title, He never takes it back and never changes His mind on it, it just is what it is and no one can change that. I am forever fixed and I have been restored. So in those season of hardships, I know that God is doing a work and I look for the lesson and wait on God's hand of Grace to pull me out.
As 2009 comes to an end and 2010 approaches, what is God saying to you? What title has He given to you to claim this year? Have you asked? Are you listening? For me, 2010 is simply titled, "again and again" and to me that means that God's blessings are still flowing and even when the storms come, the blessing is the joy I have in the midst and the growth I have in the end. Seek God for your title, don't get caught up on what others say it "should be" because that may not be where God has you at this moment and you don't want to miss out what God is doing in you. It may be a tough season ahead and you may already be in it. Just know that God has not forgotten about you at all, He is doing a great work in your right now. As the season progresses, look for the joy and hold on to it. The hardships will not last forever and when it is over, your life will never be the same and you will be better for it all. God doesn't bring you through storms to make you worse off then you were. Rain has never killed life on earth, it restores it, grows it, and provides life for others through it. Get you title.....get it from God!!
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