Life.  It can come at you pretty fast sometimes.  Two weeks ago was one of those weeks.  A week where I saw life in its fullest.  The pictures associated with this blog are all from my week.  I have lived in the Chicago area for 21 years now and had never been inside the “United Center” until last week, and I wound up there twice for two completely different reasons.

The first event I went to was to celebrate my church’s 40^th year anniversary.  I know, not that long compared to most churches, but considering how this church got started with a small group of teenagers who didn’t know a thing about how a church should be ran.  What started out in a movie theater with about 100 people has grown to one building running 20,000 a weekend with five other campuses totaling around 27,000.  We just say, “Only God!”

The second event at the “United Center” was for a Chicago Blackhawks game.  They won.  Two very different events.  One cheering for men, the other cheering for God for all of the lives he has touched and saved through this little group of people who dared to listen to God’s whisper.

The rest of the week was life.  Highs and lows.  A co-worker finds out his 4yr. old grandson has cancer.  A person sitting on the ground begging for money.  Another friend finds a good job.  Trees beautiful with colorful leaves.  Warm days, cool nights. People together talking, eating, working, laughing, crying.

I have one friend who never has anything happen to him.  You ask him how his week went, and he will only say, “It was okay.”  I was talking to a co-worker about this and she suggest he goes through life with his eyes closed.  God gives us life.  He will help you through the lows, and bless you from time to time with some highs, but you have to see it.  Your eyes have to be open.  This is living, this is life.

[ˈpāSHəns]
NOUN
1. the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset:

I had to look up the definition of “patience”, because it became very clear to me yesterday I have so little of it I may not even know what it is.  Now in all fairness, the level of patience I might have tends to be affected by how tired I am.  I also noticed yesterday my freedom to express my lack of patience has a lot to do with where I am, and whom I am with.

Yesterday I hurt a very dear friend of mine.  Afterwards I felt like the biggest jerk on earth asking myself, “What’s wrong with me?”  I didn’t come up with an answer at the time.  Another thing seems to be no matter what you do to make up for your words, and or actions it doesn’t go very far in making the other person feel better.

Last night while sitting in God’s house I became overwhelmed with the amount of “patience” God truly has for me.  I certainly don’t deserve it.  I was humbled.  Then it hit me how God pulls off this kind of patience.  It is with insurmountable amounts of love for me.  So how do I get more patience for others?  I develop more love.  More love for people in general, for strangers, for family, for friends, and definitely for my dear friend.

NOTE:  I was going to write a different blog this week, but I ran out of time in developing it.  Please be patient as I will try my best to have it ready for next week.  Thanks!  I love you too.

I have often sat and wondered how the conversation went between God and his son Jesus when it came to mankind.  I imagine it might have gone something like this:

“Father, you sure you want to make man?”
“Yes son.  I am sure.  Some of them will choose to accept me, love me, worship me, and do their best to live for me even though they have never seen me.  I desire such a people.”
“But you know all of them will disobey your commandments.  Some will hate you, even curse your name, and never accept you.”
“I know.  When they do you know what we will then have to do don’t you?”
“Yes Father.  They will need a perfect sacrifice to die for them.  Otherwise they will never be able to be in your presence for you are Holy.”
“And you know who that sacrifice will have to be?”
“Yes.  Me.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Yes Father.  I would rather not, but there is no other way.”
“Son, I and the Holy Spirit will be there with you all along the way to help you, empower you, and to keep you.”
“Father, go make man.”

Can you imagine?  God knew, and God knows.  It is hard for me to believe that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit did this for me and for you.  In a conversation with my mother this past week she said it so perfectly.  She said, “You’ve got to care to do it.”  Wise words that apply to so much of our lives and also to the God that made us in his own image.  He cares.  That is why He did it.

I love watching movies, and late last night one came on TV I have seen before, but enjoy.  “The Terminal” with Tom Hanks.  In the movie, toward the end of it there is an old janitor who stops a 747 with a mop.  Soon after he is surrounded by police who take aim with their guns he says, “Do you have an appointment?”  A line he had used several times in the movie.  I laughed, but then I started thinking about mankind.

Every person has an appointment coming up with God.  You didn’t make it, you can’t break it, and I promise, you won’t be late.  You will be there on time.  The appointment is a checkup.  God will look over your chart and see how you lived the life He gave you here on earth.  If you lived that life in a way that pleases Him you will enter eternity in heaven.  If not He will pronounce you terminally ill.  You will leave the appointment and enter hell to die every day for eternity.

There is another appointment coming soon.  No one knows when even the one who will be traveling.  You see there is a day and an hour that only God knows, when He will turn to His son Jesus and say something like, “Bring my children home.”  Jesus will then get up and come to earth to gather those who are alive and remain in Him.  Now that’s an appointment you can make and hopefully live a life that will allow you to keep the appointment.  You make that appointment by accepting Jesus as God’s son, and recognizing His death on the cross was to pay for your wrong doing.

Be ready for either appointment.  Accept Jesus and then carry your insurance card with you at all times. So whether you meet Jesus in the air when He comes to get us or you die before then and you have your appointment with God you can show your insurance card and God will say, “Oh.  I see you are covered.”  In other words Jesus’ blood covers your sins, and he has already paid for your appointment in full.

Some would say, “I should be allowed into heaven because I am just as good as the next person.”  God might have a difference of opinion.  Others might say, “There is no God.”  God might have a difference of opinion.  Then some might say, “I know it’s a sin, but God should understand that I have needs.”  God might have a difference of opinion.  Some might even say, “Jesus was just a good teacher, or a messenger for God”, and ignore the fact He died for everyone’s sins.  Now I know for sure God might have a difference of opinion

The only opinion that really matters is God’s.  It’s not like we don’t know what God’s opinions are either.  He has written them down for us.  So in the end when you stand before Him there will be no excuse.  If you want to make sure you and God see eye to eye then learn what God’s opinions are on every aspect of your life, accept them, and then live by them.  Now that’s my opinion.

In being forth coming I have struggled in deciding what to write in this week’s blog.  This past week seemed extra-long, extra hard, and extra emotional.  I have considered being silent this week.  When that thought crossed my mind I started thinking about when God is silent.  Sometimes it’s hard enough to maintain belief in a God that you can’t see, but believing anyway increases your faith.  There are times when something is going on, you pray, but you don’t hear a reply.  Does that mean God didn’t hear you?  Do you feel it is your fault?  Is it because there may be sin in your life?

You should know, or remember that God is not too busy.  He never sleeps, but instead he is always aware of you, and your needs.  So what is going on during these times of silence?  Well perhaps God is answering your request.  Your request may be complex requiring more time for God to direct people into their proper places where your need can be met.  God may be speaking to you, but speaking in a language you are not aware of…like sign language.  Perhaps you have yet to see what God is doing upon your behalf.  When you ask God to move upon your behalf, be patient.  Let God be God and answer your request His way.  You will be glad you did, and you will no doubt say in the end, “Oh!  I see what you did there God.  Good job.  Thank you.”

There I stood in the home office section of Target weeping.  Tears dripping into a waste basket, but those tears were not wasted.  Each one was a good memory, of a smile, of a laugh once shared with a good man I have always thought of as a second father.  I was on the phone with James’ wife learning my friend only had days to live.

I first met James at Public Service Company of Oklahoma when I was 19 years old.  It didn’t take long to realize I had met someone sillier than me.  James, a big man, with a big heart to make others laugh and for God.  He loved to pull pranks on people.  Like the time he got his wife to put icing on a board he had cut the size of a birthday cake.  James; usually smiling, usually laughing, and always there to mentor.  He taught me the one thing college didn’t; how to have fun at work.  At this he was truly a professional.

James was one of the first to support my decision to leave a good career and move to Massachusetts to become a youth minister.  Our friendship had grown strong.  The first Christmas after I had moved he sent a card signed and dated.  The following year I signed it, dated it and sent it back to him.  This became a tradition until I lost the card two years ago.  That same card had crisscrossed America for 30 years.  At last count it had traveled over 23,000 miles.  Now I wasn’t losing a card, but a friend.

What started out as a sunny day emotionally, turned cloudy.  I will miss him and for always cherish his silly antics.  Heaven must be in need of more laughter, because here comes James.

Almost three years ago I was reassigned to a different manager.  At first I thought no big deal.  Same work to do, with the same people, but now I have a different boss, but it was only a matter of weeks before my happy meter went from 95 to -105!  When I had my first face to face meeting with her she actually said, “I’ve heard about you.  You like to give 120%.  I’m going to bring you down from that.”  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

During the next few weeks, which turned into months she questioned everything I did, or tried to do.  Nothing was ever right or good enough.  The pressure would start the very moment she walked through the door.  There was one day I came so close to standing up and telling her, “I QUIT!”  If I had done so I would have been throwing away 18 years of work.  There were many days in the mornings the very thought of going to work would bring tears to my eyes.  I begin crying out to God to do something.  Anything, I didn’t care, I just wanted out from under the stress, and the oppression.

I thought of many ways God could answer my prayer, but I knew from experience that His ways are higher than ours (ISA 55:9).  I tried to transfer out of my department to no avail.  Then I finally begin to realize God might just have a plan.  Well, years have gone by since this ordeal started, and just this past week I heard these words come out of my boss’ mouth, “Mark, you bring real value to our team.  When you see something that needs to be done, you take care of it.”  It was all I could do to hold back my emotions.

By consistently trusting God, which wasn’t easy, and knowing I had placed this in His hands, the end of the ordeal has been realized.  I have made it through the storm and have safely reached the other side.  The outcome?  I have learned to trust in God in a greater way.  I have learned that standing up for ones rights does not always achieve the desired results.  But
perhaps the greatest achievement is this; my boss now respects me, and maybe now I have earned the right to be heard.  I now have a platform to stand on when I share Jesus with her.  God can now cross this one off His to-do-list.  Thank you Father.

1.  Touching Lives

The other day I sent a “Thank you” note to one of my co-workers who likes to celebrate people and their lives / achievements.  She also is the first one to head a campaign to gather items for the less fortunate.  In my thank you I mentioned I appreciated her heart.  Then I took a risk.  I also said, I celebrate who God has made you to be.  Why was this risky?  Well, from her own mouth I get the very strong indication that she is not living for God.  Yet she expresses love for others more than some Disciples of Christ that I know.  She wrote back that the note “warmed her heart.”  Was a seed planted?  Was the door to Jesus cracked opened?  I hope so.  Take time to touch lives.

2. The Cost

I just opened a bag of snacks.  My new crave, “Snyder’s” flavored pretzel pieces.  Something a lot of writers do.  We tell ourselves it helps keep the creativity flowing.  After I opened the bag I looked at the price.  I said to myself, I paid 3.69 for this small bag?  WOW!  Although they are really good.  Then it made me think, do we consider the cost before everything we do and say?  I hope so.  Everything we do and say affects something, or someone else.  Is it worth it?  Will the cost to fix it be more if it is wrong?  Can it even be fixed?  Maybe not, but when we turn it over to Jesus it can always be forgiven.  Count the cost.  (I had to get a drink because, “These pretzels are making me thirsty!” Jerry Seinfeld)

3. Tired of Religion?

This is Labor Day weekend 2015.  Are you tired?  Are you resting?  Are you tired of rubbing against the daily grind?  Tired of fighting an uphill battle?  What about fighting “religious rules”?  You will never get it perfect.  You will never be able to satisfy a list of “Do and Don’ts” to get into heaven.  That is why Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 (MSG) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.”  Jesus is saying, just get to know me.  Have a relationship with me.  Doing so does not tire you out.  It is not a struggle.  It’s not a “religion” or being “religious”, but having a personal “relationship” with Jesus.