I got word recently that a parent was talking really negatively about my son to another parent, behind our backs when my son wasn't even around. It hurt and it hurt a lot. The truth of the matter is that these parents really have no idea of the years of abuse and neglect my son went through. There is no telling this person how much my son has had to overcome. Yes, I get more frustrated with my son more than anyone and people have no idea of the things he and I have to overcome. I do not use his past as an excuse. I constantly have to remind him, "You are not a victim, you are an over comer!" I would wish that the parent would have displayed a little more compassion, a little more understanding and a little less gossip.
What is worse: we in the Church, in the midst of our pain and frustration, tend to gossip and share. I have been guilty of this. We all have. What breaks my heart though is that we tend to excuse it and we as Christians tend to be no different than non-Christians.
Then it made me realize the heart and pain of THE Father God. We all stand guilty of sin and infractions. There is no doubt we are sinful and broken - each and every one of us. To make matters worse, we have an accuser, (this is what "Satan" means), an adversary, an enemy who seeks to tear us down in front of the Heavenly Hosts. We, like Satan, can easily become accusers. We are condemned for our sin and Satan knows it. What he fails to see or acknowledge is that Christ has set us free from our sin, the consequences of our sin and, most importantly, the accusations of our sin.
God forgive us all. God give us the heart of The Father. God let us feel Your pain when we accuse.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Adoption Journey
I have to be careful not to throw the little guy under the bus! While I want to share many of the things that are going on in our lives, I don't want him to be embarrassed. It has been a while since I have been able to write. Life has been a huge whirlwind! If you have seen the recent pictures of the tornadoes that have ripped through the Mid-west, that is what my life has been like recently!
We finished a big night production called United, where the students lead everything. It only took some coaching on my part and some mentoring from other adult leaders. Then we went right into the Jamaica phase AND Atlanta Fest at a place called Stone Mountain. Fortunately, I have some great Youth Adult volunteers that pulled off Jamaica spectacularly while our Mission Team and I were in Jamaica! This is all on top of our Tuesday Night Bible Study and coming back on the morning of the 18th (5:30 AM) and preaching two services on the 19th!
I could say SO much about Jamaica, but I want to catch everyone up on the adoption process! First, I have to say I have the MOST amazing and supportive Church in the UNIVERSE! Not only have them been gracious and accepting of Aaron, but they have been preparing his room (Army decor - a man after my own heart, hoorah!), but they are also throwing him a "Welcome To Loganville" Party to REALLY make him feel welcome. They have also been very supportive of him on the Mission Trip and made him feel just as much a part of the team as anyone else.
I've got to set this one up a little bit: Our first day in Jamaica, we actually went to the beach in Montego Bay. (Suffering for Jesus, right?) It is just the way our schedule worked out. Usually, beach day is at the end of the week, but of course, nothing goes as "normal" for The Orchard! At the beach I discovered that, while Aaron thought he could swim, he could swim about as good as putting a pair of flippers on a rock! The flippers won't help. So, I spent time as his "water taxi" carting him around with a snorkel on each of us so that he could see all the colorful fish at the various reefs. (This after he drank about a 1/2 gallon of sea-water and regurgitated 1/4 of it back up! Yummm, chum for the fish!) After a half day of doing this and swimming "with him", he finally got the hang of "relaxing" in the water and when he got tired, turning on his back to float. (A great achievement! In a previous life many years ago, I have actually been a Life Guard, Life Guard Instructor, Water Safety Instructor, and Swim Instructor - who knew that would come in handy at my age!) Anyhoo - Aaron really got the hang of it - especially after we spent more time in the pool. (He preferred the taste of the fresh water over the taste of the saltwater.) SPOILER: this next point is important: Needless to say, Aaron took to swimming like a fish takes to, well, water! (Awesome - another "consequence" to hold over his head if he misbehaves! Can you see where this is going?)
Apparently, OSHA has been put out of business in Jamaica! Every building seemed to be comprised of stairs that had no barrier or hand rails or what have you - nor did many of the roofs. Many a curious teen had taken a stroll up to the very top of the hotel roof to get a gander of the incredible Ocean view! It was truly amazing and I was only mad at myself for not thinking of doing this until AFTER these folks got caught and there was a general announcement about staying off the roof. (At least they could plead ignorance - I had no such luxury; well, at least for this situation!)
After leaving Aaron in the capable hands of some leaders who specifically told him, "Don't go on the roof," which he apparently took as a, "Feel free to wander around on the roof" invitation, I had to leave to a different work site. Needless to say, I was none to happy when I heard of what had happened! As a natural consequence after investigating the crime, I told Aaron that he would not be allowed to go in the pool that evening. You would have thought I told him that we were about to rip his toenails off one by one and dip his feet in alcohol! He was ready to fight! He barreled out his chest, clinched his fists and declared, "I'm going to the airport!" How he was going to get there and what he would do when and if he got there was not part of his cognitive planning yet as he stormed out of the hotel toward the gate. I hollered after him, "Look buddy, if you go outside of those gates, you will also be grounded from swimming tomorrow as well. This was enough to give him pause... but only for a second or two. He really must have thought he would be able to board an International flight without any adult supervision for he went out of the gate and promptly turned to the right! The problem is that the airport... was to the left! You would think he would have noticed this as he took his stroll on the roof and the airport is very prominent from that position.
Like a trapped
We finished a big night production called United, where the students lead everything. It only took some coaching on my part and some mentoring from other adult leaders. Then we went right into the Jamaica phase AND Atlanta Fest at a place called Stone Mountain. Fortunately, I have some great Youth Adult volunteers that pulled off Jamaica spectacularly while our Mission Team and I were in Jamaica! This is all on top of our Tuesday Night Bible Study and coming back on the morning of the 18th (5:30 AM) and preaching two services on the 19th!
I could say SO much about Jamaica, but I want to catch everyone up on the adoption process! First, I have to say I have the MOST amazing and supportive Church in the UNIVERSE! Not only have them been gracious and accepting of Aaron, but they have been preparing his room (Army decor - a man after my own heart, hoorah!), but they are also throwing him a "Welcome To Loganville" Party to REALLY make him feel welcome. They have also been very supportive of him on the Mission Trip and made him feel just as much a part of the team as anyone else.
I've got to set this one up a little bit: Our first day in Jamaica, we actually went to the beach in Montego Bay. (Suffering for Jesus, right?) It is just the way our schedule worked out. Usually, beach day is at the end of the week, but of course, nothing goes as "normal" for The Orchard! At the beach I discovered that, while Aaron thought he could swim, he could swim about as good as putting a pair of flippers on a rock! The flippers won't help. So, I spent time as his "water taxi" carting him around with a snorkel on each of us so that he could see all the colorful fish at the various reefs. (This after he drank about a 1/2 gallon of sea-water and regurgitated 1/4 of it back up! Yummm, chum for the fish!) After a half day of doing this and swimming "with him", he finally got the hang of "relaxing" in the water and when he got tired, turning on his back to float. (A great achievement! In a previous life many years ago, I have actually been a Life Guard, Life Guard Instructor, Water Safety Instructor, and Swim Instructor - who knew that would come in handy at my age!) Anyhoo - Aaron really got the hang of it - especially after we spent more time in the pool. (He preferred the taste of the fresh water over the taste of the saltwater.) SPOILER: this next point is important: Needless to say, Aaron took to swimming like a fish takes to, well, water! (Awesome - another "consequence" to hold over his head if he misbehaves! Can you see where this is going?)
Apparently, OSHA has been put out of business in Jamaica! Every building seemed to be comprised of stairs that had no barrier or hand rails or what have you - nor did many of the roofs. Many a curious teen had taken a stroll up to the very top of the hotel roof to get a gander of the incredible Ocean view! It was truly amazing and I was only mad at myself for not thinking of doing this until AFTER these folks got caught and there was a general announcement about staying off the roof. (At least they could plead ignorance - I had no such luxury; well, at least for this situation!)
After leaving Aaron in the capable hands of some leaders who specifically told him, "Don't go on the roof," which he apparently took as a, "Feel free to wander around on the roof" invitation, I had to leave to a different work site. Needless to say, I was none to happy when I heard of what had happened! As a natural consequence after investigating the crime, I told Aaron that he would not be allowed to go in the pool that evening. You would have thought I told him that we were about to rip his toenails off one by one and dip his feet in alcohol! He was ready to fight! He barreled out his chest, clinched his fists and declared, "I'm going to the airport!" How he was going to get there and what he would do when and if he got there was not part of his cognitive planning yet as he stormed out of the hotel toward the gate. I hollered after him, "Look buddy, if you go outside of those gates, you will also be grounded from swimming tomorrow as well. This was enough to give him pause... but only for a second or two. He really must have thought he would be able to board an International flight without any adult supervision for he went out of the gate and promptly turned to the right! The problem is that the airport... was to the left! You would think he would have noticed this as he took his stroll on the roof and the airport is very prominent from that position.
Like a trapped
Youth Justice Advocate Ministry
I was wondering today; it seems that there is very little "mission" approach in the world of juvenile justice. What if, some brave souls and supporters, were to see the Juvenile Justice System as an opportunity to share the Gospel with hurting children? For instance, what if a Christian was supported as a missionary to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children. For most CASA workers, they are volunteers. What if a "missionary" became a volunteer for CASA but was supported by the Body of Believers to allow this ministry to happen? Would this be another way to help an overworked DFACS system? Would it give a voice for children, but most importantly, give a voice for Jesus when young people needed it the most?
I was just wondering. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I was just wondering. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Benefits to sin and suffering
Okay, it would seem really odd for a Pastor to say that there are actually benefits to sin and suffering, so I will start with the most unusual one first: the benefits of sin!
No, I do not mean that there are benefits to sin in the sense of we get to live sensually and any way we want in a hedonistic way that fulfills all our fantasy's or selfish desires. Truth be known, that lifestyle has some serious short and long-term consequences to it no matter what it's advocates might say. What I mean is that there actually are some benefit to our sinful nature, but those benefits only come to those who "get it".
The first benefit to a sinful nature is what happens when we recognize our sinful nature. For those of us who recognize, not only our own brokenness, but the brokenness of the world, we begin to see reality for what it really is. We also begin to see things that point to the fact that we all need a little bit of humility. We begin to see that we are all broken, messed up and in need of something that saves us from our brokenness that is WAY bigger than we are. For those of us who gain that recognition, we also begin to see just how much grace we need to display toward others. After all, when I recognize just how broken I am, I can have a little bit more compassion on someone else - no matter if they recognize their brokenness or not.
I also recognize that my sinful nature is very difficult to overcome on my own. It makes me recognize that I have a difficult time enough "changing myself" so how in the world can I begin to assume that I can change someone else? When I recognize my need for grace, and even more importantly, my need to be an extender and host of grace, I invite myself into a community that not only offers love and grace, I enter a community that offers loving accountability.
If I fail to see my sinful nature, I put myself above others thinking that I am "better than them". Isn't that what most people do anyway? We make statements like, "Oh well, at least I am not as bad as so-and-so." Jesus addressed this when he talked about the self-righteous Pharisee and the sinner tax collector in Luke 18:9-14.
The benefit of recognizing my sinful nature is that it stresses my need to be in a loving community - something that seems to have taken a back seat in our narcissistic and individualistic culture. A lack of recognition of our own brokenness instills in us a sense of "I am right, and you are wrong." It further believes, "I am above accountability" and it patronizes others because a person who lacks humility sees themselves above reproach.
When I recognize the benefit of my sinful nature, it makes me realize that I am called to live in community with others and Jesus. After all, this fulfills the Greatest Command: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and the second is just like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."
As to the benefits of suffering, there are actually quite a few. First, if we never suffered, we would not be able to have empathy with the other 100% of humanity. It is our suffering that, once again, invites us into community. No one on this earth is immune to suffering. The sufferings might be different and those unique sufferings allow us to be in ministry to others who have suffered similar fates. Who better to minister to a physically abused child than someone who suffered abuse as a child and overcame? Who better to minister to a family who has lost a child than another family who has lost a child and yet overcame? Suffering connects us to each other and, more importantly, our suffering connects us to God who suffered greatest and longest first. From the first rebelliousness displayed by Satan to the rebelliousness of his first (and all subsequent) children to the very crucifixion of Jesus, the Son, God intimately knows suffering far beyond what any human being has ever known.
Simply put, God is in the suffering.
Another benefit to suffering is that it makes us long for something far better. Most every human being understands that there must be something "more to this life" than what we are experiencing. Suffering solidifies that thought. Suffering makes us realize that we are living in an outhouse when there is a palace waiting for us. If we already lived in the palace, we probably would be too content to want to move on. To live forever in our broken state would be a travesty to both God and ourselves. We must recognize that death is nothing more than the doorway to eternity and for those who have their hope in Jesus Christ, that doorway does not seem so daunting.
Isaiah 57:1 states, "The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil." This answers the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people." In the words of Billy Joel, "Only the good die young!"
So, there you have it. There seems to be actual benefits to sin and suffering!
No, I do not mean that there are benefits to sin in the sense of we get to live sensually and any way we want in a hedonistic way that fulfills all our fantasy's or selfish desires. Truth be known, that lifestyle has some serious short and long-term consequences to it no matter what it's advocates might say. What I mean is that there actually are some benefit to our sinful nature, but those benefits only come to those who "get it".
The first benefit to a sinful nature is what happens when we recognize our sinful nature. For those of us who recognize, not only our own brokenness, but the brokenness of the world, we begin to see reality for what it really is. We also begin to see things that point to the fact that we all need a little bit of humility. We begin to see that we are all broken, messed up and in need of something that saves us from our brokenness that is WAY bigger than we are. For those of us who gain that recognition, we also begin to see just how much grace we need to display toward others. After all, when I recognize just how broken I am, I can have a little bit more compassion on someone else - no matter if they recognize their brokenness or not.
I also recognize that my sinful nature is very difficult to overcome on my own. It makes me recognize that I have a difficult time enough "changing myself" so how in the world can I begin to assume that I can change someone else? When I recognize my need for grace, and even more importantly, my need to be an extender and host of grace, I invite myself into a community that not only offers love and grace, I enter a community that offers loving accountability.
If I fail to see my sinful nature, I put myself above others thinking that I am "better than them". Isn't that what most people do anyway? We make statements like, "Oh well, at least I am not as bad as so-and-so." Jesus addressed this when he talked about the self-righteous Pharisee and the sinner tax collector in Luke 18:9-14.
The benefit of recognizing my sinful nature is that it stresses my need to be in a loving community - something that seems to have taken a back seat in our narcissistic and individualistic culture. A lack of recognition of our own brokenness instills in us a sense of "I am right, and you are wrong." It further believes, "I am above accountability" and it patronizes others because a person who lacks humility sees themselves above reproach.
When I recognize the benefit of my sinful nature, it makes me realize that I am called to live in community with others and Jesus. After all, this fulfills the Greatest Command: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and the second is just like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."
As to the benefits of suffering, there are actually quite a few. First, if we never suffered, we would not be able to have empathy with the other 100% of humanity. It is our suffering that, once again, invites us into community. No one on this earth is immune to suffering. The sufferings might be different and those unique sufferings allow us to be in ministry to others who have suffered similar fates. Who better to minister to a physically abused child than someone who suffered abuse as a child and overcame? Who better to minister to a family who has lost a child than another family who has lost a child and yet overcame? Suffering connects us to each other and, more importantly, our suffering connects us to God who suffered greatest and longest first. From the first rebelliousness displayed by Satan to the rebelliousness of his first (and all subsequent) children to the very crucifixion of Jesus, the Son, God intimately knows suffering far beyond what any human being has ever known.
Simply put, God is in the suffering.
Another benefit to suffering is that it makes us long for something far better. Most every human being understands that there must be something "more to this life" than what we are experiencing. Suffering solidifies that thought. Suffering makes us realize that we are living in an outhouse when there is a palace waiting for us. If we already lived in the palace, we probably would be too content to want to move on. To live forever in our broken state would be a travesty to both God and ourselves. We must recognize that death is nothing more than the doorway to eternity and for those who have their hope in Jesus Christ, that doorway does not seem so daunting.
Isaiah 57:1 states, "The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil." This answers the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people." In the words of Billy Joel, "Only the good die young!"
So, there you have it. There seems to be actual benefits to sin and suffering!
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