My wife and I were talking yesterday about Lent after part one of my toast to death.  She asked a common question:

So, what are you giving up for Lent?

I’ve been asked that question for as long as I’ve known about Lent.  But, I don’t think that I’ve thought about it in such a way as I have this particular season.  As I said yesterday, things just don’t need to be given up.

Things in us need to die.

I long thought of Lent in the past as a progress report of sorts for the first quarter of the year, charting out one’s progress of their New Year’s resolutions.   You know, sort of a “how are you doing so far?” kind of deal.  Are you still working out a month later?  Are you eating better?  Sure, it led to Easter, which provided more clarity.  But, I think I heard more about what people were sacrificing than of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

But, the season of Lent is about death, and ultimately new life.  You see, we cannot raise things from the dead.  Only God can.  But, as long as we just put off certain behaviors and tendencies we can revive them at a later date.  These things need to die, and that can only happen if we ourselves die to them.  And, when we do that it hurts.  The layers go deep, and when they’re peeled away it’s devastating.  It kills us.  But, God raises dead things.  With the same power that raised Jesus on the third day, we are raised again into a new life with him.  Sure, it’s not free from temptation or trials.

But, a free life it is.

This post is inspired by Donald Miller’s book-
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life
You should read it, pronto.

So, what’s your story? This is something that’s asked of us quite often.  And I dare say that the answer is always pretty shallow.  “Oh you know, white middle-class family, parents divorced, didn’t party in college, yada yada yada…”  But we all know that the real story goes so much deeper.  Perhaps we feel it’s not safe to tell it.

Everyone wants to say that they have lived a good story.  I know I sure do.  But, if it’s just left up to me to write a good story, then it’s sure to be mediocre at best.  I would omit all of the very things that give life to my story.  That sets my story apart from yours, and yours from mine.  Sure, we’d have points of intersection, but the route is almost always different.

My character would not want to change.  As a matter of fact most characters, in their very nature, are that way.  Change tends to only happen when a person is forced.  My grandfather, who had smoked two cartons of cigarrettes a week for thirty-plus years quit cold-turkey, only after one lung was removed.  I’ve focused more on my relationship with my wife, after leading worship at a funeral for a guy my exact age, and married for the same amount of time.

So, remember the events– good, bad and in-between.  They are a part of your story.  These have come for a reason.    Remember that joy costs pain.  I don’t really appreciate that it’s that way, but I believe it to be true.  Our stories are uniquely part of the much larger story of God, and they have meaning and purpose when He is allowed to write a good story.  And in trusting Him to pen it out, we have to take a look at those things that tend to bring about change, no matter how good (or bad) they are.

I want to write a better story….guess I better start living it.

What would you need to respond with if you were asked the question —-

So, what’s your story?

A few weeks ago at work, I had the pleasure of being the first person for a woman to tell that she had accepted Christ as her Savior.  She shared that she was unsure of so much, yet knew that everything was going to be different.

Tears ran down her face, as she explained that she was embarrassed because she didn’t know where to go when the speaker asked everyone to turn to Colossians.  I encouraged her to get connected to a Christ-centered community of believers where she could be real, as she was asking me about what kind of church she should attend.  At the end of our conversation, she said….

I just got chills.

I was immediately envious of her, because I remember feeling the exact same way when I met Jesus.

And I missed that.  The feeling of coming alive.  Why in the world have I forgotten?

Ironically, it was her new-found faith that reminded me of mine.  In that very moment God used a person ransomed to awake a person complacent.  I was reminded that I was only breathing by the grace of God, and I need to stop taking that for granted.

So, what about you?

Do you remember? Do you remember the last time you were overwhelmed at the thought of what Jesus did for you?  Have you ever stopped to think about where you have come from and what you have become?

For me, it’s overwhelming to think that I would be in full-time ministry.  This is not what I had planned to do, nor wanted to do.  Now, almost two years later, I look back at all the random people/events that came into my life that were used to push me in that direction.

What about you?  What do you see when looking back (even if just for a brief period of time) that reminds you of something other than yourself?  Where have you seen God in your life?

From what I gather so far in the early existence of this blog, there are several Christians who read it, as well as some who may be new to their faith.  Feel free to share with each other to encourage and challenge.  You know, that whole iron sharpening iron kind of thing.

Ready?  Go.

Ahem.  Ahem.  Is this mic on?

Madame Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, First Lady of the United States, and you blog readers:

I’ve come here today not only to address the distinguished men and women in this great chamber, but to speak frankly and directly to the men and women who sent me to this place.  And hear this: the state of the union is….

struggling.

I’ve been very busy as of late.  Be it personally or professionally, things seem to be popping up all over the place.  It has all caught me by surprise.

You see, I’m usually not a busy person.

Typically, if I have not had a shower on Saturday before noon, then it’s a good weekend.  I’m not lazy by any means, but I do enjoy peace, quiet and no agenda.  Well, that’s all changed.  There are some things happening that I’m pretty excited about.  I’m currently brainstorming with some folks (ODW & others) about using music to raise awareness/support for human trafficking, as well as extreme poverty.

There are some other potential ministry opportunities in the works, which have the potential of making a big difference.  On the other hand, there are other life/work stressors that are at a near-record high rate.  The combination of the two are teaming up to try their best to kill me.  Currently, I like their chances.

I think the worst part about being so busy is that I find little time to notice anything or anyone around me.  My wonderful wife is usually a casualty of this problem.  I have two standing resolutions every year:  (1) to try to better love my wife as Christ loves the Church and (2) what is(perhaps) our best resolution.  Stress and busyness cause me to miserably fail at both of these.  Struggling to find balance is beginning to take its toll.  I’m usually a very organized person, but lately I’ve felt things falling to the wayside.

That’s all for today.  A lot of irons in the fire.  Praying for clarity…that God would show me what’s important and what’s not.

How about you?  What’s your state of the union?  How can I pray for you?

Oh, and p.s.- the economy’s pretty bad, too.

image:  Brooks Kraft / Corbis for Time

Have any of you ever heard/said, “it just wasn’t in the cards”?

Of course, the “cards” being mentioned are circumstances in our lives. We try to work with the ones dealt to us, or the ones that we dealt ourselves. We eventually come to accept these cards as being a situation or circumstance that we are meant to be in.

I know that I’ve said it a time or two.  Or, how about “this is just the hand I’ve been dealt”? 

Spiritually, I think that we see our hand working against us more often than not.  But oh how quickly we forget who is dealing!  God is in control, and whether we’ve been deal with tough circumstances of life or consequences of our bad decisions, God will work them together.

One question I try to ask myself when I feel my circumstances have no potential for change is, “What am I grateful for?”  Most often I come up with a few things, and ultimately end with a prayer that can, on some days, be as sarcastic as it can be serious, and that’s “God, thank you for at least waking me up today.”

That gets me thinking…What about that statement, “thank you for where you have me”? Is that it?  Just being grateful for the cards that were dealt?  Or, can we choose to fold and ask for a new hand?

Either way, what are we to do with them? 

Are we just happy and thankful where we are, or are we to look deeper and see what God has in the deck?  I want to remember first and foremost that I’ve been given life and grace upon grace.

Besides…anything else is really a bonus.