Thankful!
This afternoon and evening, I went to the wedding of a co-worker with my beautiful bride. Here’s a picture of us before we left. I’m so thankful for today and for Leanne.
Lead Me
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbbFjWreLiw]Life can be real tough sometimes. Sometimes, being a husband and a father isn’t easy. I love my wife and my kids more than any words can say. And I want to be the very best husband and father that I can be for them. But to be honest, there are many times when I don’t do or say the right thing, and there are also times when I don’t have the strength to carry on. Life has been pretty challenging recently. I am so thankful for friends and family who have surrounded me and supported me and my family through these days – but even they cannot fully sustain me. I’m learning again and again the importance of looking to God for His leadership and His strength when mine is waning.
This song by Sanctus Real speaks to my heart today.
Sanctus Real – “Lead Me”
I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying…
“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?
Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”
I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They’re just children from the outside
I’m working hard, I tell myself they’ll be fine
They’re independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying…
“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?
Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”
So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I’m called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won’t You lead me?
To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can’t
Don’t want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up
I’ll show them I’m willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone
Father, lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone
Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Psalm 119:116
Night Watch
When I was a little kid, I slept with a night-light. I can remember calling for my parents in the middle of the night, because I was scared of the monsters under the bed or the robbers that might be in the house in the middle of the night. Obviously, these things don’t scare me now, but there are things that keep me up at night. Sometimes, it’s something I ate earlier that day. Sometimes, it’s a stressful decision that I need to make at work. Sometimes, it’s a relationship that needs mending. Sometimes it’s the challenges of life.
This afternoon, I took some time to read on my deck, and I came across these verses:
“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:6-8
This is a great reminder for the times when sleeping is a challenge. I can trust God for help. He upholds me. I can cling to that. I’m looking forward to a good nights sleep.
Songs for the Soul
Last night, I was talking with a friend, and he mentioned that his small group was going through a Bible reading program together. From the words of my friend, it sounds like it has become somewhat mechanical and even a drudgery for the group to be going through this exercise. I’m sure that God’s Word is not supposed to feel like this, but I can understand the feeling having experienced it myself. The problem with going the opposite way (not reading God’s Word regularly) is that we miss out on opportunities to hear God’s voice on a daily basis through His proven Word.
I may have mentioned it before, but I’ll say it again. Being in God’s Word especially when we face life’s obstacles is so important. As I hit a rocky patch a few weeks ago, it was a friend who challenged me to spend time in God’s Word on a daily basis. My friend said, “Make yourself do it!” I knew this was the right thing to do, and I’m so thankful that my friend was willing to be bold with me.
This morning, I continued my journey through the Psalms. I have found them to be helpful and even healing. (My dad reminded me several weeks ago that the Psalms are packed with just about every emotion that you and I deal with as we experience the ups and downs of life.) Today, two Psalms really spoke out to me.
The ups and downs of life can cause us to question God and can cause us to feel down. Both of these passages reminds me to put my hope in God even when life gets rocky.
Psalm 43
1 Vindicate me, O God,
and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.
2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?
3 Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
4 Then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
40
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjtpplE39_g]This morning, I was reading Psalm 40, and I was reminded of this song from U2 – one of my all time favorite bands. The song and Psalm seem to fit in so well with my own life, but also with what is going on as I type this post. 8 of 33 Chilean miners have been rescued so far after being locked in a mine a half mile below the earth’s surface for over two months. As I watch the CNN report, I cannot help but be inspired by the faces of the miners as they emerge from the depths of the earth. I also am inspired by the efforts of the rescue team to stay at it for so long to save these miners.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.
7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.
8 I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”
9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips,
as you know, O LORD.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
from the great assembly.
11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
may your love and your truth always protect me.
12 For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.
14 May all who seek to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
“The LORD be exalted!”
17 Yet I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, do not delay.
Plans for Me
I feel like I have recently been in a mental wrestling match with myself about my plans, the future, and trying to live one day at a time. I like to have a plan for things. I like it when I can map things out and know where I’m headed. I have a quote hanging in my office, “If you fail to plan, you should plan to fail.” I think it’s important to have a plan, but I’m also learning that it’s important to be flexible and to trust. Trusting God for my future sounds easy and maybe it should be easy, but I must have the brain of a mule (stubborn). I still get hung up on the “what ifs” of tomorrow, next month, next year, etc.
As I’ve been processing this and meditating on the word ‘plans,’ Jeremiah 29:11-13 came to my mind:
11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
These verses point very clearly to that fact that God has plans for me that include hope for the future. He simply asks me to come to Him, to seek Him with all I’ve got, and to be open to His plan. I’m learning, and I’m thankful today for this reminder. With this in mind, I can let go of my anxiety and my personal wrestling match.
One day at a time…
Extraordinary Measures
Last night, Leanne and I watched Extraordinary Measures. The movie is about a dad who goes to every thinkable extreme to help his kids in their fight to live with Pompe disease. The movie was very moving and inspiring. I posted on facebook last night that I was so thankful for the scientists, investors, and clinical trial people who make medicines possible. I standby that comment; however, this morning my thoughts on the movie took me a whole different direction.
As a dad and a husband, I kind of get the idea of the movie. I would do anything for my wife and kids. “I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more….” When I thought about this more though (even on the heals of my Helping Hands post), there is a limit to what extreme a human being could go for me. There is still an answer. There is still someone who would go to any (and I mean any) extreme for me and for you. John 3:16 says, “God so loved this world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will have eternal life.” You see, God took extraordinary measures by sending His Son to live his life, die on a cross, and rise again, so that you and I could one day share eternity with Him. Talk about extraordinary.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZV_bMgB-zA]Helping Hands
Over the past several weeks, I have come to realize how important it is to have helping hands in our lives – friends and families who have our backs. When life gets stormy, we need people in our lives who will go to extremes to keep our heads above water. These weeks have reminded me how blessed I am to have these types of people in my life. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had friends pray with me. I’ve had friends and family call me to check in. I’ve had friends bring meals over. I’ve had friends and family take care of the kids. I’ve had family and friends pick up a few things at the grocery store at just the right time. I’ve had friends come over to clean up my flooded basement. And these are just a few of the ways that I’ve been supported over the past few weeks. There is no doubt that I am blessed with an amazing support structure.
I’ve thought about this a lot over the past few weeks. The sad thing is that there are many people out there who do not have any kind of support structure to help them weather the storms of life. They must feel like someone lost at sea without hope or help.
– How and why do people become so isolated?
– How can I help people who don’t have support in the storms of life?
– How can I inspire people to reach out to their neighbors who might need a meal, a blanket, or even just a hug?
These are just a few of my questions. I realize that it’s important at this time to make sure our family gets our feet back on the ground. But I’m still looking ahead to the future – in hope, that I can lend a helping hand to those in need.
Promises, Promises…In Sickness and In Health
I’ve been following the happenings of a college friend’s family over the past couple of years as they have been weathering the storm brought on by the discovery of cancer in their young daughter a couple of summer’s ago. As Nalene, the mom, has made their story public, I have been consistently amazed by their faith as they’ve shared this journey. This morning, I just had to share an excerpt from Nalene’s most recent post. I resonate with what she shares as we’ve recently faced our own challenges. I too am more grateful every day for our Strength, Sustainer, Redeemer, and King. Thanks for sharing!
Two nights ago we finished pre-marital counseling with a couple whose vows are “just around the corner,” and tonight we hosted another young couple for dinner, who are beginning their engagement journey. It caused me to reflect (as my Sweetie helped me clean up the kitchen disaster afterward) just how little we understand those covenantal promises we make on that ONE day that changes our lives forever — when we truly become ONE flesh!
We know with our heads that hard times may come, but we’re full of hopes and dreams, plans for the future. Then, in God’s good providence, He chooses sometimes to send “in sickness and in health . . . till death do us part” moments — sometimes piled upon one another many times over! The knowledge moves from the head to the heart, and we learn in a new and poignant way that our Covenant Lord is the One who truly fulfills those marriage vows for and through us! After the past three years, I am more grateful every day that HE is our Strength, Sustenance, Redeemer, and King.
Joy Comes in the Morning
Life is interesting and crazy and all other kinds of adjectives. I’m thankful for it, despite the roller coaster ride that I’ve been on as of late. If things could get a little crazier yesterday, they did. I was on my way to the doctor’s office yesterday morning for a follow-up checkup for my blood pressure (great timing), when my daughter calls me from her cell phone…”Dad, the basement’s flooded.” I told her, “OK, well I’ll check it when I get home. There’s nothing I can do about it now.” When I hung up the phone, I asked aloud, “God, I don’t think I can take too much more right now.” Needless to say, my blood pressure reading was a little high when I got to the doctor’s office. It’s nothing to get overly concerned about, but I have to go back again in three months for another follow-up.
At any rate, so far today has been fine. I’m relearning to take each day one at a time. This morning, I was reading in Psalms 30, and I was reminded of the joy that comes in the morning.
1 I will exalt you, O LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help
and you healed me.
3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave;
you spared me from going down into the pit.
4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
7 O LORD, when you favored me,
you made my mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What gain is there in my destruction,
in my going down into the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
O LORD, be my help.”
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.