5 Ways to Handle Darkness, Silence, and Uncertainty in Our Lives

On Thursday evening, I turned my laptop over to a team of “experts” in my office, so they could convert my PC from Windows XP to Windows 7.  To all you Apple IOS users out there, please hang in there.  I think you’ll get my thinking.

My laptop was with the conversion team all day Friday.  Besides minimal access on my mobile devices, I was mostly in the dark related to office e-mails and applications.  I used this time to meet with several of my team members to discuss their performance over the past year.  I also dealt with some other phone calls and conversations, and I cleaned up some waiting paper work.  The time was not a waste at all, but it did seem a bit strange to be untied from the network.

As I was handing over my laptop to the conversion team, I remarked how I felt like NASA during the Apollo 13 re-entry.  In the clip shown below, the Apollo 13 re-entry pod was making its way back into the earth’s atmosphere after a challenging flight with multiple problems.  Many wondered if the astronauts would make it back alive.  If you remember the story, the re-entry pod lost contact with NASA for an extended period of time as they made their way from outer space into the atmosphere.  For everyone involved these minutes of silence must have seemed like an eternity.

Sometimes we go through times like this.  We feel like God is quiet in our lives.  We don’t hear His voice.  We feel a lack of direction.  We’re scared and lonely.  And we begin to lose hope.  It’s times like this we need some reminders.

5 Ways to Handle Darkness, Silence, and Uncertainty in Our Lives

1. Prayer.  I’m not sure if this is the starting point, but it’s definitely one place to go when you feel like you’re in the dark.  As God for direction.  Ask Him to relieve your anxiety and fear.  Ask God for hope.  And ask Him to speak clearly to you.
2. Listen.  I’m not an expert, but I think we crowd our brains with too much noise.  We’re plugged into the web 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  When we’re in the car, we have noise blaring through the speakers.  We need to carve time out of the chaos of life to be still and listen.
3. Trust.  Sometimes this is the hardest part.  We want to be in control.  We want to know exactly what is going on all the time.  Faith is hoping for things unseen.  “Let go and let God” may sound a little too basic, but there is some truth to this.  We need to trust that God will work all things together for good.
4. Remember.  When you finally find direction, remember who is leading you.  We are often quick to pump up our chests and rest on our own laurels.  “Look what I did!”  We need to stop and recall how God is working in our lives.
5. Celebrate.  Just like the NASA engineers celebrated when the Apollo 13 re-entry pod showed up on their monitors, we need to rejoice in the blessings of God coming through for us.

On Friday evening, I picked up my laptop from the conversion team.  They explained to me what had happened with my machine.  There was some type of restore error which caused a delay in the conversion process.  They stuck with it and figured out how to overcome the problem.  My laptop is now working fine with the new operating system.  The time of “darkness” was actually refreshing.  I feel like I was able to make some connections which could have been overlooked otherwise.

Maybe – just maybe, God uses times of darkness, silence, and uncertainty in our lives to shine even brighter.

When have you experienced a time of silence or darkness in your life?  How did you get through this time?  What advice do you have for others who might be going through a time when God’s voice seems absent?

As I finished typing up this post, I couldn’t help but have this song in my head by Hillsong United.  If you have a few minutes, watch this video and listen to the words.  I think it provides a great reminder to all of us who sometimes feel like we’re unsure of what is going on around us.

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Pause

“I’d rather be busy than bored.”

This is a common phrase that I say – especially at work.

It’s great to have things to do.  It’s wonderful to have goals to pursue.  And it can be invigorating to know that the backlog is full with plenty of work for the foreseeable future.

However…

There can be a downside to this.

When we’re too busy, it can be challenging to focus on all the right things.  It can be difficult to prioritize effectively.  And it can be nearly impossible to catch our breath.

I’m in one of those phases right now.  Work is extremely busy.  Home life is pretty full.  And I’m trying to find time to live out some of my writing dreams.

The best thing we can do at times like this is to simply pause.

We all need a break from time to time.  A pause can give us time to catch our breath, to refocus on the things that matter, and to reflect on the next steps we need to take towards achieving our goals.  There’s something else that a pause provides.  A pause provides the opportunity to make the One thing the one thing.  Here’s what I mean.  When we get busy, we allow our schedules to become our god.  This isn’t good.  A intentional pause reminds us Who is on the throne.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”   Psalm 46:10

Today, I’m taking a pause.

When was the last time you paused?  What benefits have you found from a pause?

What Will Heaven Be Like?

Have you ever stopped to think about what heaven might be like?

Come on.  I know you have thought about it.  Are the streets paved with gold?  Is there endless singing?  Do we sleep in heaven?  Do we eat in heaven?

Something happened at our house the other night that got me thinking about heaven.

Here’s a peek into our post-dinner conversation a couple of nights ago.

Hannah was getting Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups out of her Halloween stash in the pantry.  Leanne and Isaac were joining in on the fun.  And I was feeling left out.  Chocolate has not been one of my friends since I learned that caffeine was causing my migraine headaches.

And so I declared, “When I get to heaven, I’m eating some chocolate!”

And Leanne quickly responded, “When I get to heaven, I’m having a glass of wine!”

You see, Leanne cannot have alcohol.  This isn’t generally a problem in our house; however, there are times when Leanne would like to enjoy a glass of wine with family or friends.

Will there be chocolate and wine in heaven?

I don’t know for certain.  But I am pretty certain that heaven will be way better than we could ever imagine.  In fact, we’re told in Revelation that all the pain and suffering of this world will be swept away when we get to heaven:

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.  Revelation 21:4

I long for the day when things will be new – when the junk we deal with here will pass away.

What do you think heaven will be like?  Just for fun, what do you hope will be in heaven (like chocolate or wine or baseball)?

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Perseverance – Taking Trials To The Extreme

When you think of perseverance, what or who comes to mind?

I think of a marathon runner who trains for months suffering through weather and injury and then runs 26.2 miles to the finish of a race.  This takes perseverance.

I think of a doctor who studies for years and years learning everything possible for the opportunity to treat people medically.  This takes lots of perseverance.

I think of a couple who want to be parents but struggle through the pains of infertility – maybe using in vitro fertilization or maybe adopting.  They pour all their energy, time, and money into becoming parents.  This takes perseverance.

I think of a cancer patient who deals with the ups and downs of chemotherapy and radiation meanwhile hanging onto a thread of hope for another year, another month, another day.  This takes perseverance.

In each of these cases, perseverance is only achieved when someone decides to endure the trial they face.  They may consider giving in, but there is something that keeps them pushing – something causes them to fight – something reminds them to persist.  They keep going even when it’s hard, when hope seems dim, and when many would rather give up.

I don’t know what kind of trial you are going through.  I don’t know what trial you have yet to endure.  But there’s something we each need to know about the trials we face.  In the first chapter of his letter found in the New Testament, James talks about the importance of trials in bringing us to completeness and maturity.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

Did you catch that?  James says we should consider it pure joy when we face trials.  I don’t know about you, but this is tough for me.  I remember going through a pretty challenging time a few years ago.  I was facing a very tough challenge at work; meanwhile, my wife was struggling through significant health issues.  It was not a time of joy for me.  I was lonely.  I was distraught.  And I was hanging onto a thin thread of hope as it felt like the world was collapsing in around me.  It’s funny now.  I honestly didn’t even think about this passage from James which I had read many times before.  Yet I was supposed to find joy in the midst of trials.

I can look back now and see God’s hand in my life despite the challenges I faced.  I can see how God used these trials to produce perseverance in my life.  And I can see how these trials led to a deeper maturity.  God is good.

James goes on to share how blessing follows those who persevere through trials.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  James 1:12

Like I said before, I don’t know what trials you may be going through.  But I would encourage you to hang in there.  Look to God for your strength and hope.  And know that God can work through the junk you are dealing with today.

How has God blessed you through trials?  What keeps you going when life gets you down?

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Happy Halloween! – What’s Behind Your Mask?

Happy Halloween!

Sorry if I just offended you.  I hope you’ll keep reading.  I grew up enjoying the fun of trick or treating in costume.  My parents sorted out my candy when I arrived home.  And I overindulged in candy for the next several weeks.  We carved pumpkins.  And we participated in the school Halloween parades.

Part of this left a scar on me – I was a flower and flower-pot in 4th or 5th grade.  I’ll never live this one down.

In 3rd grade, I was a Mexican – not a politically correct move these days.  One year, I was a box of corn flakes.  And I was a pretty scary ghost in 1st or 2nd grade.  (I’m sure my parents could dig up pictures of some of these costumes.)

My kids are excited to dress up for Halloween again this year.  We carved pumpkins (as you can see above).  And we’ll probably eat more candy than we should.

There’s something we all enjoy about dressing up in costume and wearing masks.  It doesn’t just happen on Halloween.  It happens every day – at work, at school, and even at home.

You don’t believe me?

Look in the mirror.

Can you see what I’m talking about?

At one point or another, we all pretend to be someone or something we aren’t.  As guys, we try to be ultra macho or super intelligent.  I think many women dress up in an effort to appear glamorous or easy.  Sure, I’m generalizing a bit.  But here’s the deal.  Most of us are hiding something.  We’re covering up the fact that we have issues.  We’re covering up some kind of perceived flaw.  We’re trying to present ourselves differently than we really are.  It’s like Halloween everyday!

Maybe it’s time to take off the mask – to leave the costume behind.

Maybe it’s time to practice transparency.

Maybe it’s time someone in your life knows the true condition of your heart.

I know it’s not easy.  I know it takes courage to expose yourself this way.  I know it’s even scary.

What will people think?  Will people still like me?  Will I still have friends?  Will I be accepted?

But give it a try.  I think you’ll find freedom.  I think you’ll find grace.  I think you’ll find a love unexpected.

God, investigate my life;
get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
then up ahead and you’re there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can’t take it all in!

Denny

A few weeks ago, I learned that someone my age passed away.  Seventeen and a half years ago, we had worked together for our former employer.  We both put in long hours.  We learned a lot through the experience.  I left the company when the company went through some traumatic events and changes right before I got married.  And he stuck it out as the company emerged like a phoenix from the ashes.  I learned yesterday that he stayed at the company for a total of twenty years before jumping over to my company.  He spent his last two years working in a different office and department, so I had no idea.  It would have been nice to reconnect after so many years.

I’m not sure how or why he died.  After doing some investigation, I learned that he did have a young son.  It doesn’t appear that he was married.  There are so many things I’d like to know.

Life has a funny way of reminding us that life is fleeting and relationships matter.  At the age of 41, it seems unfair that he would depart from the world leaving his son without a father.  But I guess I’m reminded that life is short.  We’re not guaranteed an extra year, an extra day, an extra minute.  His passing is a reminder to make the most of my life.  His passing also reminds me that relationships matter.  We lost touch as soon as I left the company.  Life can be like that.  People come and go from our lives.  In some regards that is natural.  But his passing reminded me that each and every relationship matters.  I don’t want to take my relationships for granted.  I pray that my interactions today would be intentional – that I would live and respond as if its urgent.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.  Isaiah 40:8

God, thanks for Denny.  Comfort his family.  Help me to be intentional with my life and my relationships.  Thank you for today.

What is one thing you can do today to be intentional with your life and relationships?

Of Thunderstorms And Dreams

I woke up a few weeks ago a little groggy thanks to a dream and a storm that woke me up in the early hours of the morning.  The thunderstorm shook the house for a while as I could hear the storm approaching and passing.  It sounded like a drummer pounding the drum head in the sky for thirty or more minutes.  As it passed by, I eventually fell back asleep.

A short time later, a dream woke me up.  In my dream, someone shared some disturbing news with me which led me to breakdown in tears.  And then I woke up again.  As I laid in bed, I reminded myself that it was just a dream, and I began to pray.

I wonder if this was just a coincidence or if God was sending me the storm and the dream as a reminder.  Do I believe that God still speaks today?  Yes.  I believe He speaks through His Word – The Bible.  I believe He can speak through life’s circumstances and surroundings.  But does He speak through storms and dreams in the middle of the night?  It’s a good question.

I’m not an expert on dreams (can you tell?).  But I’m thinking that our dreams are sometimes simply a response to our fatigue level, the happenings of the previous day, and the pizza we ate the night before.  But my hunch is that God can and does still speak to us through our dreams.  If that’s the case, does this mean that one of my loved ones is in trouble?  Or is it simply a reminder to reach out to this person and to pray for them more regularly?  More questions.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 91

Reminders From The Optometrist

A couple of weeks ago, I had an appointment with the optometrist.

When I was in first grade, I had to get glasses.  I was farsighted.  I’m not an eye doctor, but I apparently needed glasses to correct my vision.  Believe it or not, I was able to abandon the glasses around sixth or seventh grade when eye tests showed that my vision had corrected.  Amazing!  Eye tests in high school and college actually showed that I had better than 20/20 vision.

Here’s a picture of me in third grade sporting my Bob Griese brown plastic framed glasses.

After an initial eye exam sixteen or seventeen years ago when my wife and I got married, I went many years without a return visit to the optometrist.  That changed last year when I started dealing with migraine headaches.  Someone suggested that I visit the eye doctor.  My vision was still pretty good, but I had apparently reached the age in which reading glasses would be helpful.  (If you’re not 40 yet, just wait.)

My visit to the optometrist a couple of weeks ago confirmed that my eyes were continuing to change ever so slightly and a new prescription would be helpful for reading and computer use.  So my vision is apparently getting worse.  And I would suspect that this will continue for the rest of my physical life.

As I was thinking about how our bodies breakdown and wear out as we age, I was reminded of these words from the apostle Paul:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  2 Corinthians 4:7

The note in my bible says, “It was customary to conceal treasure in clay jars, which had little value or beauty and did not attract attention to themselves and their precious contents.  Here they represent Paul’s human frailty and unworthiness.”

There’s no question that our bodies are frail (see my post from a few weeks ago about  a visit with my Grandma).  I’m sure it’s not just my eye sight that is beginning to break down.  We’re not getting any younger.  Right?

The beautiful thing is that this verse reminds us that despite our human frailty, we have access to unending power and strength.  God’s grace is sufficient for each one of us.

So I’m hoping my new glasses will be a reminder to depend on God.  He’s all I need.

God, thank you for this new day.  Give me your vision.  Thank you for supplying all my needs, and thanks for the reminder through a simple visit to the eye doctor.  Today, I ask that you’d be with those who need eye care but don’t have it.  Use your followers to help those around the world in meeting this physical need.  More importantly, open my eyes to those around me who need Your vision.  Use me to point them to You – the ultimate optometrist.

Do you wear glasses or contact lenses?  What physical aging sign are you experiencing that can point you to God?

Lessons From The Weed-Whacking Incident

Friday night, I decided that it was a good time to get the weed-whacker out of the shed.  I like cutting the grass and working in the yard, but there’s one thing that I don’t like about yard work.  I can’t stand weed-whacking!  With my kids growing up and becoming more  responsible, they have taken over the bulk of the lawn mowing job.  For some reason though, the weed-whacking is almost always left for me.

Everyone knows that it’s important to wear long pants, gloves, and eye protection when operating the weed-whacker.  Right?  You’d think I would have learned by now.  For some reason, I did not put safety glasses on when I started weed-whacking.  I did a great job avoiding the flying debris that was kicked up by the rapidly rotating trim line.  I was making great progress when I ventured over to a small “flower bed” that is home to three forsythia bushes.  As I was weed-whacking around the bushes, I suddenly poked myself in the eye with one of branches from a forsythia bush.  It was so quick and painful.  I was convinced I had done major damage to my eye.

I gently turned the weed-whacker off and put it down.  After standing around in hopes that it would feel better after a few minutes, I decided I should try to make my way into the house to clean out my eye.  I washed it out over and over again, but it still felt awful.  I could see, but my vision was pretty blurry.  What was I thinking?  Needless to say, I was frustrated by my lack of precaution, and I was concerned that I may have caused permanent damage to my eyesight.

Saturday morning, my vision was still blurry and my eye was still pretty sore.  As the day progressed, my vision and my eye seemed to be getting better.  Sunday was much better, and I’m happy to say that I’m okay now a few days later.

My Friday night run in with the forsythia bush reminded me of the need for safety, and it also got me thinking about a verse from the book of Matthew:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  Matthew 7:3-5

You see, I’m the one who usually gives my kids (and others) advice on being safe.  And in the rest of life, I’m quick to judge others for the faults and failings.  We live in a world today where so many people are quick to blame others and to point out the problems that others have.

Perhaps, we owe ourselves and others a better response.  Here are a couple of ideas:

1. We need to look in the mirror.  Before we start playing the blame game, we need to deal with our own failings.  I’m not talking about beating ourselves up.  I’m simply suggesting we tackle our own issues before we go pointing out the errors of others.
2. Respond with love.  Instead of being judgmental, let’s find ways to be helpful.  In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul reminds us that “love keeps no record of wrongs.”  Instead, it hopes and endures.
3. Look to Christ.  I know it’s cliche to say, “What would Jesus do?”, but this gets back to my previous point.  When we follow Christ, we treat others in the way we wish to be treated.  We sacrifice our own interests for the interests of others.  Plus, I think He’ll help us deal with our own failings.

I’m thankful for the lessons from my weed-whacking incident.  And you can bet that I’ll be wearing safety glasses the next time around.

What lessons have you learned from working around your house?

Of Bees And Bee Stings

Last night, our family dedicated a couple of hours to weeding the herb garden and the flower beds.  While we were weeding in the front yard, I had an encounter with a nest of ground bees.

We were making great progress, and I was working on an area that is notorious for being hard to weed.  There is an area of ground cover juniper.  In this area grass grows up between the juniper branches and needles.  It takes a pair of gloves to get through the needles, and I have to get down on my knees when weeding this area.  I was about half way through this area, and I was excited to see that this area was getting cleaned up.  As I started to get a large hand full of weeds, I felt something buzzing around my head.  At first, I tried to brush it away, but I quickly stopped when I realized that there was a pinching feeling through my gloves.  Suddenly, I realized that I was being stung by a bee and there were several other bees swarming around me.  I quickly stood up and threw off my gloves making sure there were no other bees around me.  Remarkably, I was only stung once.

I’m guessing, my hand will be hurting and itching later today.

The bee sting got me thinking some key “Be” verses from the Bible that merit some extra reflection.

• He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10
• Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.  Mark 13:33
• Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  I Corinthians 16:13
• Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  I Peter 5:8-9
• Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Ephesians 4:32
• Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12

I’m sure this is just a start.  What other “Be” verses can you add to the list above?  When was the last time you were stung by a bee?