No matter what you’ve been through, or who you think others think you are, we need you.
Some people don’t know what it’s like to feel included.
It’s difficult for them to have a sense of belonging, seemingly anywhere they go.
I think just about everyone has experienced that at least once or twice in their lives, but for some people it goes far beyond that, to the point where they can’t recall ever really fitting in with the people around them. For those people, encountering a new social setting holds little promise of genuine relationships; it will probably result in another mask or more surface-level conversations that are meant to prevent letting anyone get past the walls they’ve constructed.
If you’re one of those people, you need to hear something that you probably don’t hear often enough: you matter. On top of that, although people may let you down, you are loved, you are valued, and you are cherished by the creator of everything that exists, Jesus Christ.
It’s my hope that you’re able to find real connection and belonging through Christ. I believe that He has a plan for everyone’s life, and that He uses the things that have happened in each person’s life to prepare them for the future roles they’ll play in the bigger picture of Christ’s kingdom. Contributing toward that kingdom may come in the form of reaching others and bringing them into the kingdom, or it could be as a way of helping current believers strengthen their faith so they’re willing to do things they previously couldn’t. In this way, we play a part, but it all serves to glorify Christ.
Even if you don’t see value in yourself, let me assure you that it’s there. Ephesians 2:10 says For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
“God’s masterpiece.” That means that of all the things He created, you are the pinnacle. There is inherent worth in you, even if you or someone else has tried to convince you otherwise. With Christ, you can feel at home, and you can finally feel as though you belong.
You might not struggle with feeling worthless, but you may very well know someone who does. I want to help embolden you to be an encouragement to them. For any number of reasons, these folks have been cast off, underestimated, undervalued, and generally ignored by others. It doesn’t take long to put up walls if you’re living or working in an environment like that. You may not have an earth-shattering conversation with them in a single sit-down, but you can breathe life into them one conversation at a time.
Now consider that any single one of these “underloved” people can have a life-changing impact on someone else. They know things you don’t, they know different people than you, and they’ve lived through things you haven’t. Each one of those variables equals something the Holy Spirit can use to create a new connection in someone else’s life.
You don’t need to be a therapist to talk to someone and make them feel welcome. Just be authentic. Odds are that if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you have faith in Jesus Christ. You can mention that belief as a part of your authenticity, but don’t force it on them. The golden rule we all learned as kids says to treat others the way you want to be treated. The platinum rule says to treat others the way they want to be treated. If you end up being someone who treats them in a way that makes them feel safe and welcome, believe me, they’ll take notice of your faith.
There’s a place for everyone that wants to follow Christ, but there are as many different stories about how that happens as there are Christ-followers. Maybe you can be part of someone’s story about how they became a Christian, and it can all start by paying attention to someone who feels they don’t deserve a second glance.
Lord, I overlook people every day. Sometimes it’s because I’m in a hurry, but sometimes it’s more intentional. Please help me remember that each and every person on (or above) this planet right now is someone You consider valuable, and to treat them that way. I go through life focused on what I’m doing, but help me to see where you want me to look around and focus on someone else. In Your name, Amen.
Let’s pause for a moment to think about what the term “the body of Christ” means. The people of the church across the world constitute “the body of Christ,” but what does that mean?
Think of the average human body. It has two arms, two legs, a brain, a mouth, etc. Each part of the body plays a role. Some of those roles are more visible (a pastor, for example). Others are less prominent, but are still important to glorifying God. Volunteering to clean bathrooms in the name of Christ truly takes a servant’s heart, but isn’t a function that gains a lot of attention. Think of this as a middle toe in the body of Christ.
If you’re a Jesus-follower, you’re a part of the body of Christ, and the Holy Spirit has blessed you with talents that you’re to use for the purpose of glorifying God. For some people, their calling is obvious. If teaching from the Bible comes very naturally to you, it’s probably not terribly difficult to see the direction you should go (the particulars may be a mystery, but the broad strokes aren’t). For others it may not be so clear cut. If you absolutely excel at being a business leader or entrepreneur, it may be confusing to try and see how to glorify God using your God-given talents. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to start a God-focused business. It might mean exactly that, but it could also mean that you should use your talents to run a successful business using God-honoring business practices in order to fill a need that’s not being addressed. Maybe it means that God commissioned you to make a boatload of money that can then be used for His glory. My point is that whatever you are naturally good at should be one of the ways you make an effort to glorify God.
Many of us are glad to see 2020 pass into the history books, but what impact will you make on the year 2021? What is it that you’re here to give, to achieve, for the glory of Christ? Maybe you don’t have something specific in mind, but then again maybe you do. Don’t let the fact that you lack a vision of the final product hold you back from starting the endeavor. About two and a half years ago I started getting a vague picture in my mind. I knew I had a lot of unique experiences, and I knew that I had a knack for writing. I could put them together somehow, but I wasn’t sure what that would look like…a book of some kind? How do I consistently write about my experiences in a way that doesn’t come across as, well, being “me-centric,” but instead honors Christ?
The truth is, this effort is still evolving. Even now I don’t know what the end version will look like. What comes naturally to me is writing about things I’ve observed or done and putting a Godly spin on it. Over and over it comes back to the same thing: I want to encourage people to reach their full potential in Christ, but I need to be flexible about how God actually does that through my efforts. The important thing is that, even if it’s not perfect, I’m pursuing the thing I feel called to do. This is my 150th post, and I still have tons of ideas about future posts. This blog is not wildly successful in terms of a vast readership, but I believe it honors God, and I think many times God wants to see actual obedience before He opens doors to new possibilities or additional responsibilities for His followers. He wants to see you move from “I would” to “I’m doing.” Lots of Christians say “sure, I would do that if I felt God wanted me to,” but I imagine a much smaller percentage say “I think I’m called to do this, and it’s time for me to step out.”
I love it when people make that leap into the unknown, and I want to encourage you to make the jump. Just a word to help buck you up…some of the people that start this process are successful right away. For the vast majority, this is not the case. There will be some struggle, some personal cost, and some frustration when seeing someone else’s quick success. I understand why you may feel that way, but don’t lose sight of the goal and start thinking that lack of quick success translates into a valid excuse for quitting.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
God put you where you are, He gave you talents and resources, and He wants you to follow through when He tells you which direction to go. Sometimes it will be close to home, other times it will require leaving the comfort and familiarity of your surroundings.
To close today’s post, I’d like to provide a quote from the movie “The Ghost and the Darkness.” In a scene where the main character, John, is conflicted about leaving his pregnant wife to embark on an exciting trip to a far-flung place in order to build an important bridge for his job, his wife helps put him at ease about leaving at a terrible time for their family life. In light of today’s post, it’s a quote that applies to us all, and I hope you’ll apply it in your life.
“You build bridges, John. You have to go where the rivers are.”
This world will crumble and it will get darker, and that provides the Body of Christ with more opportunities to shine brighter. May we all be ready and willing to go where we’re called in order to do God’s work in 2021 and beyond!
You might breeze past that question without even giving yourself a firm answer one way or the other. I’m not asking if you believe that parts of it are true; I’m asking if you believe the whole thing is true.
There are lots of different (some may say boring) parts of the Bible. There are some parts, though, that are mind-blowing when you examine them closely. The story of Creation, for example. When Moses wrote Genesis, though, there were a lot of details he glossed over or simply didn’t include. The advantage we have in our time is that we can look back through history and fill in some of the gaps using corroborating sources and our knowledge of science.
We don’t have that same advantage when we look at the other extreme of history’s timeline. The Bible has a lot to say about the times leading up to the end of this world (the “End Times”), but they’re written in such a way that it’s difficult to pinpoint times, places, and the specifics of how particular events might unfold. It’s not clear if there’s one major event that sets things off, or if there’s a straw that breaks the camel’s back, but we know that God eventually says “You know what? Enough is enough.”
There are several books in the Bible that discuss the End Times, but the most prominent is Revelation. It’s a crazy book. It’s full of vivid symbolism, along with sometimes vague information about how God will pull His faithful out of the world, satisfy His extensive wrath against sin, and contend with those that have opposed or rejected Him. There’s some scary stuff in there, and it can make you nauseous to see what’s in store for those that never accept Christ.
One of the interesting things to ponder is how the United States may play a role in the events described in Revelation. Right now I’d say that the United States is one of the most powerful nations on the planet. Twenty years ago our nation stood head and shoulders above everyone else. We’re still at or near the top, but much of our advantage in any given area (technology, military might, etc.) has eroded and China either has, or may soon, overtake us. Here’s the kicker: of the nations described in the Bible’s End Times writings, most of them appear to be Middle Eastern, European, and some nation that’s east of Israel. Translation: by the time we actually arrive in the End Times, the US will fall into the “all others” category.
Here’s where future prophecy meets current reality. How could a nation as powerful as the United States, the only country to put humans on the moon for over 50 years (using computers less powerful than your phone) descend so far into mediocrity as to not even be a footnote in the Bible’s “end of the world” account? Well, I guess the short answer is that a nation can’t expect to be blessed by God if it turns its back on Him.
The U.S. will have to fall very far from its high-water mark. How might that happen? I’ll give an example of A way; I’m not saying it will happen this way, but it can help illustrate things in a way that hits home. Keep in mind that tumultuous times will become a regular occurrence, and that the current craziness we’re living in may one day seem like “the good old days.”
The biggest way to kill America’s superpower status will be to cripple the country as an economic powerhouse. I’m not talking about shutting things down for Coronavirus…that blindsided everybody, so most nations are in the same boat there. I’m talking about tanking our economy in relation to the rest of the world.
Well, what’s the best way to bleed our economy to a point where we’re no longer a world leader? I’m not going to put a label on it, but I’ll describe it to you. Ever since World War II, we’ve tried to develop a global community of sorts; our economy was so powerful that we’d throw money at other nations just to keep them friendly with us. We shouldered the bulk of the costs for the UN and for NATO, and countless smaller international agreements. Over time, other nations began decreasing the levels of funding they committed to those same international efforts, but with a wink and a nod, they understood “that’s okay, the U.S. will pick up the tab.” For some reason, we did, and other nations liked that.
Then came Donald Trump. “Hey, you’re not living up to your commitments, and we’re left holding the check. Ain’t gonna happen anymore.” He embraced the idea that the American President should be an advocate for the citizens of the U.S. before he or she advocates for anyone else.
But he’s abrasive, not easily controlled, and doesn’t care about upsetting the status quo in Washington DC, which unleashed an untold amount of hate. There has been such a backlash against Donald Trump that his political opponents have never had more momentum for swinging back in the other direction as hard as possible. It doesn’t even matter what the policies are; if Trump supported it, the loudest critics want it to go, even if it made good sense. One of Trump’s hallmark policies is “America first,” doing things that will grow the American economy and generate opportunities for the people that live within our borders. It’s not anti-everyone else, it’s just taking care of our own house before looking around and seeing what we can do to help out the neighbors. He takes the view that the American President should do everything in their power to make the lives of Americans better. Those committed to swinging the pendulum back the other direction are willing to place the interests of the global community above American interests.
That brings us to next month, when it looks like Joe Biden (a likable career politician who’s in failing health and has demonstrated signs of mental decline) will be sworn in as President. Mr. Biden is generally moderate, but will be under a great deal of pressure to lean harder to the political left in order to satisfy the extreme wing of his party and undo President Trump’s executive orders and other actions.
Let’s assume for a moment that Mr. Biden (due to a resignation, due to being forced out via the 25th Amendment, or due to impeachment connected to his son’s business dealings), does not serve out his entire first term. In that case the Presidency falls to his Vice President, Kamala Harris (a freshman Senator who, in 2019 was ranked further left than any other sitting Senator based on the bills she supported). Ms. Harris ran in the Democratic primary for her own shot at the presidency, but her views were so extreme that she was not considered “electable.” Support never materialized and she dropped out before the first primary vote was even cast.
Well, even that might not be so bad, except for the fact that the same party already controls the House of Representatives and is within striking distance of taking over the Senate, pending the outcome of the Senatorial elections in Georgia early next month. We’ve had instances in the past where the same party has controlled the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, but we’ve never had the same party control all three during a time when that party avoids condemning those tearing down monuments for the sake of trying to rewrite history, or when that party supports cries of “defund the police.” On top of all that, it seems like Communism…the world’s biggest political source of mediocrity and human suffering, and its gentler cousin Socialism…are gaining popularity in America. Never has the country been so close to endorsing anarchy, legislating hatred for our nation’s ideals, and intentionally taking a knee on America’s economic interests as it is right now.
You may think some of these sound nuts, but let me remind you that crazy things have occurred in the past, and maybe some of them could have been avoided if more people voiced their concerns. If America is to hasten its descent into has-been status, this would be one of the biggest opportunities in its history to hit the gas.
Thinking about our country in terms of a very weak nation (or several smaller nations) may be a difficult thing to do. I’m about to list some things that will probably happen on our way to that point. Keeping in mind the end result of America’s eventual placement in the “all others” category and general alignment with accepted global principles described in the Bible’s End Times writings, here are several other items to be on the lookout for:
Statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. This would create four new Senate seats that would make it nearly impossible for Democrats to lose the Senate, consolidating one-party rule, a very dangerous proposition. Political power in America should be won based on ideas, not based on an inability to lose.
Increasing the number of justices on the Supreme Court in order to negate the court’s current Conservative makeup (“packing” the court)
Declaring non-illnesses or non-medical items as “public health threats.” Declaring things like “gun violence” or “racism” as public health threats essentially creates a back door to impose restrictions on people without actually passing laws or having debate. By making such declarations, officials are empowered to make decrees or take actions they otherwise couldn’t, with no oversight.
The active undermining of Christianity and Judaism. These religions are exclusive in nature and hold as central pillars absolutes that the world rejects. The easiest way to begin stomping out the institutions that hold to these belief systems is to revoke the tax-exempt status of any church/synagogue that unapologetically preaches the ideas laid out in their respective holy books, choking the funding of those entities and reducing the power of their voice over time.
While I would agree that every life is important, it’s also important to understand that movements sometimes masquerade as something else. Seemingly endless throngs of people unhesitatingly threw their support behind the “Black Lives Matter” movement earlier this year, but I wonder how many of those people understand that the BLM activist group has Marxist roots. Now a woman named Cori Bush, a former BLM activist, won a House seat in Missouri. We’re about to have someone in Congress that shares common views with Marxists, and it’s because she was elected to that position.
In Communist nations, the State is all-powerful and takes the place of religion. This would require a massive change if it were to happen in America. There would have to be a sick twist where “the separation of church and state” is circumvented and the State actively takes on the responsibility of providing for the emotional and spiritual needs of citizens that religion normally provides. It calls for worship of the state. A leap of this magnitude would not happen quickly, so watch for movement in this direction over time. As a starting point, look for more government in your life, not less.
I say this half jokingly, but look for this blog post to be censored or removed. Bookmark it and check back every now and then. Set a calendar reminder for a year from now.
In the End Times, the city of Babylon will be rebuilt and will serve as the world capital. Babylon is in present-day Iraq, so keep an eye out for resources starting to gather in that region.
Please don’t misunderstand; I’m writing of a possible bridge scenario between where we are and where we’ll end up. I can’t tell you what will happen tomorrow, let alone what will happen in our government over the next few years. I don’t believe that voting for the Biden/Harris ticket or other Democratic candidates makes anyone a bad person. I believe the Bible is true in its entirety, and since I believe that, I’m looking at where the Bible says we’re going, and seeing how we might get there from here. Globalism would cause a reduction of America’s place in relation to the world’s other nations, and the leadership team that’s shaping up to take office next month is more “pro-globe” than “pro-America.” I don’t believe we’re living in the era described in Revelation just yet, but the scary part is that I’m able to see how the distance between now and then may be closed.
Some may be incensed that I would write these things. I completely respect your right to disagree with me, but I expect that you’d do the same for me without thought of intimidating or silencing me. If you do not respect my right to disagree with you, it’s only evidence to you that the overall attitude I’ve written about is already bearing fruit in your mind.
Speaking in practical terms, no superpower lasts forever. America is no different. I don’t know if it will have a quick fall, if it will take another few hundred years, or if it will zigzag back and forth between rising and falling power. What I know is that God has a plan, and if you are a Christian, regardless of whatever nationality you claim as your citizenship, He has purpose in mind when He thinks of you. He does not hope that you blindly stumble into your purpose. He prompts you. He places something on your heart. You hear something in a song or in a conversation with someone that ignites something within you, something that makes no sense at all intellectually, but it’s something that you can’t shake.
I encourage you to go down that road, because it’s the purpose God has for your life. We’re closer now than ever before to the days described in Revelation, and you live in this time, rather than at any other point in history, for a reason. It’s time to lean in.
Over the past few weeks I’ve touched on how Satan commonly employs the same handful of tactics. I’ve covered how he wants to keep unbelievers unbelieving, and how he wants to water down the effectiveness of those that have become Christ-followers.
So where does that leave us in this epic spiritual struggle for the ages? Well, a historical anecdote might help set the stage:
After World War II, our ally Russia (then the USSR) started to walk down a different path from ours, and our two nations became enemies. It didn’t take long before both sides amassed enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other (and the rest of the world) several times over. In light of this massive weapons buildup, it became crucial that the two countries avoid a direct conflict, because it could very easily escalate into something with terrible consequences for the entire world.
American tanks facing off with Soviet tanks in Berlin
Most of the developed world split into two camps: one that sided with the Soviets and one that sided with the United States. The two sides had radically different ideologies, and both wanted to strengthen their position and gain additional allies. No corner of the world went untouched by this indirect conflict (or “Cold War”).
Both sides knew that war with one another could quickly escalate to global catastrophe. Yet with both sides armed to the teeth, they couldn’t help but rattle sabers at each other in various ways. Both superpowers turned to supporting smaller groups or nations in fights against someone from the other camp. This led to a series of “Proxy Wars.” The Korean War, the space race, the Vietnam War, numerous conflicts in Africa, Asia, and Oceania were all just different chapters of the same story: the US vs. the USSR.
That’s where we are in the spiritual battle right now. The real story has always been God vs. Satan, but the fight plays out across the globe in chapters, fought through Christians and non-Christians.
You and I are “proxies” in a certain sense. We speak on Christ’s behalf when sharing the gospel, and the enemy’s efforts are sometimes manifested, either intentionally or unintentionally, through other people. What’s so easy to do, and I want to caution everyone against this, is to slip into the trap of thinking that the proxy on the other side, the unbeliever, is the enemy. Absolutely not! Satan is the enemy; the proxy is a soul that can potentially be saved, join the Kingdom of God, and do great things for Him! This is so important. Have a look at what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:12
It’s very important to stress that although all people are inherently sinful, relatively few of them are malicious or openly hostile toward Christ and Christians. God can even take violent, hateful people and turn them into powerful assets for His kingdom (read the story of Saul’s conversion to Paul for an example). There’s nobody that God doesn’t love, and no matter how bad you think you’ve been (or how bad the worst person you can think of has been), God is willing to extend salvation to them if they accept Him as their Savior. We don’t know who those people will be, though, so it’s up to Christians (and this is where we often have trouble) to treat everyone as if God’s working on their heart to reveal Himself to them and bring them to salvation. This is where another Bible verse comes in:
Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. – Matthew 10:16
We’re supposed to be out in dangerous territory, spreading the gospel to people that haven’t heard it, and yes, to people that we believe will reject it or react violently to it. Proxies can harm us in multiple ways. We must balance between being on guard against them while showing them love, compassion, and the truth in the hopes that we help win them for Christ.
One of my favorite sayings is that you do not know what’s on the other side of your obedience. At some point you, as a Christian, will likely feel called to do something that makes you uncomfortable, and that’s by design. The Bible is full of stories of people that God stretched in some way to go do things they thought were impossible. God makes no pledge about giving you cushy assignments. He’ll take care of you…maybe not in the way you’d like, but if you follow through with what you’re supposed to do, you might be surprised at how things fall into place for you.
As I close today, I just want to reiterate that other people are not the enemy in our spiritual struggle; they are the prize! You will do nothing on your own to win them for Christ, but you have no idea what Christ will do through you according to His plan. Boldly accept His invitation to play a part in His master plan. You won’t be able to see where the road leads, but part of growing your faith is taking the first few steps without seeing where you’re going.
God didn’t offer to let us be choosy about the people to whom we bring the Gospel. They all need to hear it, and you might be the only chance someone gets to hear it.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been amazed at how quickly the Old Testament Israelites forgot about the role of God in their history. Even the actual people that He led out of slavery in Egypt started complaining about how much better it would have been if they’d stayed slaves, where at least they had variety in their diet rather than the manna that God provided for their daily needs.
A few generations later, the Israelites were back at their whining. “We want a king! We want to be like the other nations around us!” So God gave them kings. Not every king was good, though, and some of them flat out led Israel away from God. Eventually a good king would come along and try to undo the damage that was done, but it would never quite get back to where it had been before. Asherah poles and high places seemed constantly to be put up and torn down.
God got fed up with it. He gave them plenty of warning, but the Israelites ignored it. Then foreign nations overran the country, plundered the nation, and carried them away as captives to a different land. Even then, decades later, some were able to return and begin to rebuild, but the cycle of abandoning God, then crying out to Him for help continued.
I’d read this when I was younger and think “Seriously? How could they forget everything that God did for them?” The only thing I can think of is that the stories of God’s goodness and provision weren’t being passed down from one generation to the next. As a result, the account of just how good God is…got lost.
So it bothers me quite a bit as I’m watching this happen in our own nation. The United States of America does not have a blemish-free past, but I challenge anyone to find a country that does. When I see mobs of angry people forcibly tearing down or defacing statues or monuments, it makes me wonder if the rioters even know enough history to appreciate the whole context of what those monuments represent. People that try to set the record straight, rather than allow misguided notions of historical tidbits rule the day, are said to use “divisive language.” Hmmmm. Well, facts can be that way, I guess.
Removing monuments will not change our past, but it will help remove our memory of it. When we don’t remember the past, we end up making the same mistakes that people who came before us have already made. “No, no, they removed that monument because they were offended by it!” Um, excuse me, I’m offended by their lawlessness and arrogance to think they’re entitled to make the decision to destroy/deface public property on their own, but why is their offense considered more warranted than mine? Are we not equal? Do I also need to participate in criminal activity in order to be heard?
History is important. When you ignore it, bad things will happen (again). Think about those Israelites. “Haven’t they learned anything?” We’re at the same point now! We’ve become them!
If you’re in an authority role (or even if you’re not), I implore you to please use your influence to encourage people to live according to the law. I understand that there are things you don’t like (there are things that I don’t like, either), and we can work on those things, but we have other methods of addressing citizens’ concerns. If people feel that it’s acceptable to break any old law because they dislike it, and we apply that standard to everyone, well that’s going to get pretty ugly, now isn’t it?
Your country has history, and it’s important to remember it. Sure, I’m on board with revamping some things, but history is not included in that column. We can alter or redesign some statues, but there should be a plan in place to come up with another means of commemorating what happened at that particular monument. You know why? Because history is ugly. Life is messy. In the heat of the moment, not everyone makes the right choice. That’s something that will happen in every country, just about every day, from now until there are no people left to make mistakes. Here’s the thing about mistakes though: you’re supposed to learn from them.
So let’s not be the Israelites. We’ve all made mistakes, and there are things we all could have done better. Let’s not make the error of thinking that we can flush a few unpleasant things and it will change what happened in the past. If we do that, we’ll find ourselves making the same old mistakes again for the first time.
Have you ever been so mentally or physically worn out that you can’t even take care of yourself?
Emotionally wrung out, physically depleted, and/or mentally exhausted people have a difficult time performing all but the most basic of functions. If they’re providing care for someone else while in this state, they’re certainly not taking proper care of themselves.
In these situations it can be extraordinarily difficult to have any prayer life to speak of, save for a singular focus. I’ve heard the term “intercessory prayer” for a long time, but only recently heard it described as praying on someone else’s behalf because they are either unable or unwilling to do it themselves.
To look at it another way, you might be the only person with the ability to address a certain issue through prayer.
There’s a special family in Northern Virginia whose little girl, Molly, developed a condition in the womb that resulted in her being born with some of her internal organs on the outside of her body. Now 7 years old, last week Molly went into surgery after months of preparatory procedures aimed at moving those organs inside her body. Initially things looked good, but as time went on, Molly’s heart and lungs had a very difficult time adapting to the increased pressure of having not only the organs moved inside her abdominal cavity, but the added pressure of swelling due to surgery. It’s been a very fluid situation since the process first began over a week ago, and at times it seemed doubtful that this sweet little girl would make it through the night. Molly, her parents, and her medical team at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have been forced to contend with countless complications that cast a heavy fog over the path that would bring her back from the brink.
Imagine sending your little girl back for surgery, and you and your spouse await word from the surgeons to find out how it went. During the surgery, a nurse comes hurrying out of the operating room, only to return a short time later with a cooler containing blood for transfusing, and your daughter’s name is printed on it. Then later they bring in still more blood for her. In the first 18 hours after her initial surgery started, Molly required 40 units of blood. In the days that followed, her medical team had to advocate on her behalf in order to convince the hospital to allow Molly access to its critical reserve of blood products.
Molly in her room (Photo courtesy of “Molly’s Belly Blog”)
In all of this, Molly’s parents are staying with a host family during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Their little girl has undergone half a dozen surgeries since the first one, some of which focused on unexpected areas of her body that were fine before she went under. Molly simply wouldn’t stop bleeding, her blood pressure wouldn’t come up enough, and the clotting and blood pressure medication the team administered robbed her extremities of oxygen.
Her parents, while obviously prayerful for their daughter’s life, are exhausted, separated from their other daughter, and dealing with a situation that changes often. In the week following the initial surgery there’s been much more bad news than good, and if you’re prone to worry, there’s been much to worry about. Molly and her parents are simply unable to pray for everything that needs to be brought to God and still function on a day-to-day basis.
That’s where we come in. As it became evident that the surgery had not worked as planned and that Molly’s life was in a precarious state, people began praying by the hundreds. These people, from around the globe, have covered this family in prayer 24 hours a day.
About a week into the ordeal, Molly turned a corner and began to improve. It’s still not clear what the outcome will be, but at this point there are literally thousands of people praying on behalf of Molly and her family, lifting them up in constant prayer. This little girl, whose life at times seemed to be hanging by a thread, has to date received a whopping 150 units of blood.
Acutely aware of just how precious a resource available blood is, the family found a way to tap in to the desire of everyone that wanted to help the family. After forming “Team Ingram” on a Red Cross app, the family requested that volunteers donate blood in Molly’s name. In just 24 hours, Team Ingram jumped into the top 1% of blood-donation groups, replenishing many times over the amount of blood used in Molly’s treatment so far, and potentially saving many other lives in the process.
Although I’m sure there were numerous “passing prayers” or quick prayers uttered in half a breath for Molly, there have collectively been many hours of deliberate prayer on behalf of her and her family. Some of this was intentional, focused prayer pleading with the Lord for Molly’s life. She’s still here, but still needs persistent prayer. God still listens to the prayers of His people. I don’t know how all this will end, but the targeted prayers focused on specific topics seem to have moved Molly in the right direction. All glory and honor belong to the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Graphic courtesy of “Molly’s Belly Blog”
If you’d like to follow along with Molly’s saga and add your prayer (or blood donation) support to her and her family, please request to join the “Molly’s Belly Blog” or watch this YouTube video of her story…and please keep her full recovery in your prayers, because God listens to His people’s requests.
Please pass this post along to anyone you think will make an appeal to God on behalf of Molly and her family.
It’s difficult to overstate the level of disruption the Coronavirus has brought into our daily lives. A few years from now we’ll likely view this period as a lost six months, year, whatever. For many of us, we’ll probably be able to shake off this experience and view it as no more than a strange blip that we lived through. There are simply some things, however, that will be permanently lost. One of the first that comes to mind is the opportunity to walk with your peers at an in-person graduation ceremony.
Whether we’re talking high school or college, your senior year is special. After all the waiting, you’re now in the class that’s at the top of the heap. After graduation, you’ll probably keep in touch with some of your friends, but it’s never quite going to be the same again. In that sense, graduation ceremonies are bittersweet mixes of celebrations and goodbyes. In my mind the lack of an opportunity to partake in a traditional ceremony robs students of closure both in triumphing over the academic struggles and in parting ways with classmates.
To all the Seniors out there, I’m sorry the virus robbed you of this memorable experience. There’s nothing I can do to restore that for you, but this week’s post is in honor of you, and hopefully you can live vicariously through the experiences shared here. It’s nothing major, but hopefully it’s at least fun to read.
One other major thing that distinguishes your senior year from all others is that, as upperclassmen, you’ve got dibs on pulling pranks. It’s important to understand that pranks are usually pretty pointless in terms of what they achieve, but they can be a thrill to plan and execute. The journey is the destination. Very seldom does a prank result in something that alters the course of history, but history is full of memorable “what was the point of that?” pranks.
As a senior in college, I was super busy my senior year (see this post for more background about how I brought this on myself). Some of my friends and other people from my class took part in some antics around the campus, but I just didn’t have the time to participate. A group of my friends snuck into the cafeteria one evening under the noses of the cafeteria workers and swiped a few stacks of the trays students used during meal times. They then brought them to the gym after hours, where one of the participants had “accidentally” neglected to secure a certain door upon locking up for the night. The next morning a whole bunch of meal trays were discovered floating in the pool, and I’m not sure how the cafeteria supplied trays for breakfast.
To our college’s credit (and to our dismay as student delinquents), they had a fantastic prank clean-up crew. I was on my way to class one winter morning, at least a few days after it had snowed, and as I walked along one of the main routes that included a tunnel through one of the buildings, it was odd to see one of the maintenance staff using a snow blower to remove a huge pile of snow near the tunnel entrance. I didn’t think too much of it until later, when I learned that someone I knew and a group of his buddies had filled up the bed of a pickup truck with snow multiple times, and then proceeded to dump the loads of snow in front of this tunnel. (And I know at least one of you is reading this…it was a great attempt, thanks for filling me in on it later!)
We eventually figured out that the diligence of the “clean-up crew” was the largest barrier to the “epic-ness” of whatever prank we would attempt. How frustrating it was to undertake these endeavors only for them to be covered up or countered by the college staff. We had to come up with something more diabolical. (These days I use my creative powers for good. Mostly. I am a dad of three kids, so there’s still some mischief.)
In our last month of senior year, a group of us decided that in order to have a bigger impact, we had to do something that would overwhelm the ability of the cleanup crew to quickly return things to normal. We decided that to get the largest percentage of the student body to see our handiwork, we would target the campus chapel on one of the nights before a chapel session would be held the next morning.
Coincidentally, all of us had work/study jobs as a way to pick up a little money. One of us had a job as a janitor somewhere on the campus. I don’t remember if it was a little at a time or if it was all at once, but one guy snuck a garbage bag full of toilet paper rolls that would be used to TP the chapel. Considering how precious a commodity toilet paper has been over the past few months, this seems like it could be considered a felony today. It also lends some insight into the truth behind why tuition prices keep going up so much.
I didn’t have an appreciation for how wasteful this was until recently
I was still very busy with things to do, but on this occasion I figured out a way to get stuff done while being a part of this prank. We had recently returned from an eventful club whitewater rafting trip, and I wanted to record many of the details in a journal before I forgot them. (You can read about some of those adventures here and here.) Between classwork, activities, studying for finals, and winding down my final college semester, I didn’t have time to effectively capture those memories. I even recorded more of those trip details while sitting onstage during Baccalaureate and graduation.
For this prank, I was going to be the lookout, with a walkie-talkie, who journaled during the dull parts. This was a unique situation, because although two of us had walkie-talkies (the lookout and one of the TPers), I would be the only one talking. I ended up using different voices to pretend to be a couple of different people on the radio who were playing some kind of game nearby, and we had established certain words ahead of time to indicate how safe it was to participate in the hooliganism. The guy on the other radio would listen to my babblings, keeping an ear out for these code words.
I sat at a spot where I could see most of the entrances to the chapel, and saw the pranksters moving one or two at a time toward the door they’d arranged to enter. A few of them carried garbage bags. They got inside and got to work. I think someone else heard my radio’s transmissions though, because a few people showed up in the area looking like they expected to find someone. A security guard eventually made his rounds, and even stopped to chat with me. I’m sure it was unusual, though probably not the weirdest thing he’s seen, to find a college student writing in a book in the dark. He probably put two and two together the next day, but we didn’t get caught that night. I gave the TPers as much time as I could to do their thing, but little things kept adding up, and I eventually gave the signal to scram.
We all met back up afterwards, and the TPers were very enthusiastic about the feat they’d accomplished. I didn’t get to see the final results of their work, but they told me they’d been running around up in the catwalks and loft, tossing TP through the chandeliers and other hard-to-reach places for all they were worth. “Man, they won’t have it all cleaned up for a week!”
I don’t know if I ever looked forward to a chapel session so much. The next day as I walked into the chapel, there was no sign whatsoever that Team TP had even been there.
Thwarted again.
Class of 2020, pranks may not have been at the top of your to-do list, but you probably didn’t get to do all the things you wanted to do before your last day of in-person class. That’s not the end for you, though. As you move into your next phase of life you’ll have setbacks and you’ll have triumphs, but the most important thing will be for you to keep plugging away, even…no…especially if there’s more “rough” than “smooth.” I believe you can do it, and that this will shape your outlook even after things pick back up again. Good luck, God bless, and best wishes as you make the most of the opportunities you encounter.
I don’t know if you or
I are going to make it through this COVID-19 thing. I bet that we will, though.
How do Christians band together in a time of social distancing and self-quarantines? It’s an interesting question, and it’s going to take some innovative thinking. This is where the world needs your help.
Ordinarily the term
“disruptive” has a negative connotation. “He’s disruptive in class,” etc.
That’s not the only meaning of the word, thankfully. “Disruption” can also mean
an upsetting of established norms in such a way that it forces a new norm. It’s
what happened when motorized vehicles replaced horses. Digital cameras replaced
film cameras. Cell phones took over for landlines. Amazon.com came on the scene
and drove a lot of brick and mortar stores out of business. The people behind
these seismic shifts are known as “disruptors.”
Coronavirus has
certainly upended large portions of our lives and caused us to have to readjust
in major ways. Schools and colleges are all of a sudden shutting their doors
for the rest of the year. Churches are canceling in-person services. Bible studies
and prayer meetings can no longer meet in the traditional sense.
People don’t usually
like change. Well, this time around, a virus is forcing change on us all.
Things are changing so fast that we don’t yet have established “norms” in the
wake of this pandemic. For a lot of folks a major burden of our new reality is
the loneliness and lack of in-person human contact.
We were created to be
social beings. It’s simply how God made us. Some people need social interaction
a lot more than others, but we all need it to some degree. When we’re suddenly
unable to socialize in the ways to which we’re accustomed, it’s a major shock
for a lot of folks. As Christians, we’re often reminded in scripture to meet
together regularly, to “do life” together, and build one another up.
How do we do that when
we can’t meet in person? I’ve watched church on my computer for the past two
Sundays. I heard recently about a church that held a service at a drive-in
movie theater. I think that’s a fantastic idea, but those facilities are not as
common as they once were.
This is where you come
in. I’m challenging you to think like a disruptor. Because this is an actual
problem the world currently faces, I’d really like to encourage you to provide
comments here. Here’s your challenge:
How can people still meet together to build one
another up without physically being closer than six feet?
Technology is a mixed
bag. Now we can have meetings without even being near the other attendees. You
have Zoom, Facetime, and Skype, and those are incredibly valuable tools in some
respects. Connecting two users isn’t difficult, but it gets a little more
complicated if you want to have a dozen people in the same meeting. Also, when
you’re stuck in your home, it’s a poor substitute if you’re facing anxiety or
depression (to be sure, it’s better than nothing!). What other ways can we
leverage technology to decrease isolation? Please post your thoughts!
The phone also works.
I’m talking about actual voice calls. Everyone has phones, but nobody calls
anymore. For some people, chatting on the phone versus sending an email or text
goes a long way.
Then you have in-person
meetings. These days I yell to my neighbors from across the street. It doesn’t
quite have to be that far, but if you want to honor the authorities’ guidelines
of having meetings no larger than 10 people, no closer than six feet together,
is there a way to make that happen feasibly? This might be a ridiculous mental
image, but it’s a thought-prompt; is there a way to have a dozen people sit
close together by building little plexiglass “cells” (imagine a scene from a TV
show or movie where someone is visiting someone else in prison)? What if a
dozen cars came together in a circle in an otherwise empty church parking lot
and everyone on the driver’s side of the car rolled down their windows to have
a discussion? (That circle is probably a little too big and everyone would need
hearing aids and megaphones, but can we make the idea work somehow?)
I don’t know what the
answer is, I’m just trying to get the creative juices going. Right now
Christians (and non-Christians, for that matter) need ways of meeting together
and helping each other up after they fall or get knocked down. A lot has
happened, and a lot of change has been forced on us. How can we implement
change on our own to make this situation a little more bearable, especially for
the people that need to be around other people?
“How does my idea
help?” Well, you’re reading this, aren’t you? I don’t normally have a huge readership, but you’re not the only
one that reads this. Your idea, even if it’s incomplete, can spark an idea for
someone else. Let’s say you have no ideas. That’s okay, you can still help
crack the code on this problem. Will you pass this entry on, either by
forwarding it to someone or sharing it on your social media?
You
are a string, but we are a rope. We WILL get through this…maybe
in part by using your ideas.
Upon graduation from
college and unsure of a career path to pursue, I moved back in with Mom and
Dad. I worked construction during that time, and since I had low overhead, I
was able to make tons of progress paying off my college loans. Free of any
major responsibilities and feeling adventurous at this point, I decided to
start making headway on my lofty goal of visiting every continent.
My folks had taken me
to Europe previously, so I could cross that one off the list. I knew that at
some point in the future I was more likely to have additional responsibilities
(and might have to pay for additional tickets if I were to go traveling), so I determined
it would be good to look at the continents that were the most difficult to get
to. I really wanted to visit Antarctica, but I figured it would probably be
best to get some general travel experience before venturing anywhere near the
South Pole. Deciding that it would be nice to go to an English-speaking
country, I settled on Australia.
I found an adventure
company that did tours all over the world, and they had a few Australian trips coming
up. On the agenda for this particular trip was whitewater rafting, hiking and
mountain biking in a rainforest, a few days on the Great Barrier Reef, and
ocean kayaking out to, then spending a few nights camping on, an island off the
Australian coast. I got signed up for a November trip.
While trees are losing
leaves and the weather’s getting chilly in North America in November, it’s
springtime in the southern hemisphere. Add to that the fact that the area where
most of this trip took place was closer to the equator than Jamaica is, and it
looked like I was going to have a tan at Thanksgiving.
That figure is for a direct flight; it doesn’t count connecting flights!
The trip ended up being
a lot of fun, and I had some neat experiences. I’ll cover a few of them in the
next couple of posts, but for now it’s important to remember that even if you
ride in a plane to the other side of the world almost 10,000 miles away, God’s
still the same God He was before you left.
Whether you’re having a
“Jonah” moment and are trying to run away, or are homesick, afraid, and want to
see something familiar, God’s
still God no matter where you go.
7Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,”
12Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.
Last week I posted about how we’re in a war. It can be difficult to see the best way to gird up and fight back, though. How can we be part of God’s plan to overcome the world? Well, I’ll tell you.
When it first came out, I really enjoyed the movie
“The Bourne Identity.” For those of you that haven’t seen it, it’s about an
American that gets recovered while floating unconscious off the coast of France;
he has no memory of who he is, how he ended up in the water, or why he has a pair
of gunshot wounds in his back.
As the story unfolds we try to solve the mystery
alongside him, but what’s very interesting is that even though he can’t
remember who he is, certain skills come very naturally to him. He speaks at
least three different languages, he ties complicated knots without knowing why
he knows how to do it. He excels at hand-to-hand fighting, combat driving, and
use of various weapons. He’s got serious skills, but doesn’t have a clue about
the purpose behind applying them.
Obviously he fits into a larger story, but when we
meet him, he’s just a guy with skills trying to figure out his place in the
world. He’s a highly skilled, but uncertain fellow without a purpose.
Does that sound like you?
We all come pre-loaded with different talents,
skills, and gifts. Some have obvious application (leadership or teaching, for
example), while others seem like little more than amusing party tricks. We can
use them for our own benefit in some cases, but it’s important to remember that
we were given specific skills for a specific reason.
What’s the definition of a gift? An excerpt from the
video below says that it’s “the thing you do the absolute best with the least
amount of effort.” It’s something that comes naturally to you; something you
can do without even trying. It doesn’t have to be something spiritual or
church-y. Running focus groups; skateboarding; comforting hurting people;
competing in triathlons; interior decorating; creating various forms of art;
plumbing. It doesn’t have to make sense to you, but by pursuing your gift or
using your talent right now, God will position you in a place He wants you to
be at just the right time in the future. Many people turn or run from their
gift because it’s something they don’t want to be gifted in, and they pursue
something that “makes more sense” but doesn’t fit who they are. If that’s you, I
urge you to stop chasing something you’re not meant to be and embrace the tools
you already possess. You have them for a reason.
Our mystery American from the movie eventually
discovers what he is, and having that context makes him more comfortable in his
own skin; learning more about the background of his skills gives him purpose
and structure to help him apply his skills. Christians have the same thing. After you’ve accepted Christ as
your Savior, your purpose is no longer to find God, it is to glorify Him. You want
to know how to be a part of that? Do what you were made to do: use your
God-given talents to live your life in honor of Him.
Think of a tool that goes unused: a hammer that
doesn’t strike; scissors that don’t cut. These are tools with unmet potential.
It’s not up to the tools to be used in the right way or envision the details of
what they’re used for; that’s the craftsman’s job. As “Christian tools,” we don’t
need to be overwhelmed by trying to discover what the plan is; we only need to
place ourselves in the hands of the Master and be used the way He sees best.
I’m including a link to a motivational YouTube video. It’s a little lengthy (about half an hour), but since it’s audio only, you don’t need to watch it as it plays. It’s a good listen while folding laundry, working in the garage, cooking dinner, working out, or driving. It can give you a better idea about how to honor God by employing your gift(s).
Know someone that would like to read this? Pass it along to them! New content posted every Thursday.
