 It was August. And it was raining. The sky's gray face was crinkled by the layers and layers of clouds -- and my face looked similar. Until. God brought a constellation of facts to mind:
1. Canada was having fires. 2. The Eastern part of the state had to order evacuations because of multiple infernos. 3. I had driven through much of the country -- and much of my route had been caged in with smoke. "The rain helps with the fires, Alisha." God was pressing on my selfishness. Was I that self-absorbed I would be unhappy with a situation that would benefit so many others? Yes...yes, I was. My dissatisfaction was my first thought, and God had to step on my toes to let me see anything else. This is the way we often see discomfort. But the reality is God can and does work through our hardship and suffering for the good of others. His prerogative. But also our gain. (What else could a good God give? Rain...Acts 17:14) If I had gone off the weather, I would have been forced to conclude God must be very pleased with this corner of the globe. The sun warmed the gentle breeze. A few lazy clouds played tag. But as I looked at a display of plastic sex organs outside a museum dedicated to...well...I knew. As with all mankind, God wasn't pleased with many of our activities. The sun wasn't proof of His approval -- but rather of His grace. An undeserved mercy to all. Just as Jesus said (Matthew 5:45). Our good circumstances in life are likewise not proof of righteousness, but proof of God's grace. Our success. Our money. Our career. Our family. Our many blessings don't show how great we are. They show how great He is.  The rock was in the middle of the river. There was no reason for us to hit it...except we weren't looking. This is what Peter was discussing when he said: "Be ALERT. Be on guard. You've got an enemy, and he is looking to destroy you." On the river, this means constantly scanning. We use our experience to pick out hidden rocks, snags, and screeners. All, passengers and guide, are alert to rapids, ejected passengers, and flipped rafts. In life, this means constantly scanning. We use our experience to recognize the patterns of temptations and traps. Are our priorities right? Are we trusting idols? And we keep our eyes open for those who are floundering in need -- maybe we are the ones who are supposed to be throwing that rescue rope.  Wrapped around that rock and being in the back of the raft, I was literally standing in water whirling around my waist. Facing downriver, I braced against the current in the sunken, but still inflated raft. My hand latched onto my youngest brother who, to my eye, was likely to be swept away. My brother, however, latched onto something else: paddles. All tourists had been solemnly warned we would be charged for any lost paddles. So in the middle of the chaos, my brother caught all of the floating blue paddles. There wasn't anything else he could possibly do in this situation -- but he did what he could. Too often we are paralyzed, thinking about all we can't do. I can't change that person. I can't pay the bills. I can't restore health. But God doesn't expect or need us to do what we can't do: He's got that handled. He does ask us to do what we can -- because that is what He created us for. So the next time the boat may be sinking, just catch the floating paddles and let God rescue the ship.   He probably got fired.
The Arkansas River was running high in May -- and I wanted to be out on it. Knowing the water was borderline too high for tourists, I didn't breathe easy until our raft nosed into the stream. As the first boat through, our guide would take us through a string of rapids and then we would slow and ensure the other boats survived the trip. And this worked great until he fixated on the rafts behind us. "Sir! Sir!" My oldest brother was in the prow. Whap! We broadsided a boulder in the middle of the river. The roaring water wrapped us around the rock like a paperclip. The two men in the front of the boat, muscular men in their 20s -- combined 400lbs, anchored us solidly to our rock. Eventually, the other man, a college swimmer, teamed up with a rescue rope (thrown by the boats behind us...that we were supposed to help) and swam for the bank in flood-stage water. We wiggled the raft free and continued down the river. And I continued thinking...isn't this what naturally happens when we are too focused on what's behind us? God uses the past to provide wisdom, insight for the future, and information the present. But if it's the focus, it can cause wrecks rather than prevent them. Ps. You think he got fired?  Unless it is a parody, no one wants to go to a professional T-ball game – or even a T-ball game played by college or high-school students. When we were children, we did childish things, but when we grew up, we matured and put those things behind us. Similarly, when we were children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3) we did whatever we wanted. But when we became children of God, we grew up and are in the process of becoming like Him in speech and conduct, and even in attitude and motivation (1 John 3:2).
But I fear some churches are content to have adult T-ball teams. They are too afraid to tell the outfielders to stop chasing the butterflies or to instruct the third baseman on how to throw the ball properly. Meanwhile, the one six-year-old who has learned how catch and throw and run is getting angry and starting to cry. Only to have those around him say, "It’s just a game." Or in this pseudo-Christian language, “You’re not being loving.” T-ball is indeed just a game. (Some baseball purists are completely anti-T-ball anyway because it builds bad habits.) But the Christian life is not a game with rules that can be challenged and changed. Christianity is the description of the framework of creation. It is reality that can be either be accepted or denied. But it cannot be presented like game. To do so is truly to mock Christ and His sacrifice and to denounce His authority and His kingdom. The team I saw wasn’t, but I went to college in a baseball town and I know they exist: competitive 6-year-old baseball teams. (They said they weren’t...but if you have to try out for a team...it’s competitive in my book.) These kids are miniatures of their middle school and high school counterparts. Attitudes included. They aren’t learning the game – they are perfecting it. I fear some churches are like this (or give off the air that they are). You better not go there until you know the Bible front to back. And sit somewhere in the corner until you know the “rules” of when to stand and sit and speak and serve. These churches can make even full-fledged “baseball players” uncomfortable. Because they have forgotten the point of T-ball, like church, isn’t to do everything perfectly, but to learn how the basics and grow as baseball players (i.e. Christ’s disciples).  I have no doubt that my skill in life looks to God much like a 6-year-old trying to play T-ball. The short snippet of baseball hilarity that I got to witness was a humbling reminder of my own weakness and room for growth. But it was also a loving picture of God as Shepherd. God is firmly and consistently instructing His children in the way we should go – similar to the coach I saw. But God is also kind in correcting our mistakes. He isn’t pulling His hair out on the sidelines, yelling, or biting back a sarcastic comment. Instead, Christ our Shepherd calmly points out the inevitable consequences of our actions – some from His own hand and some natural. He comforts us when those consequences come to pass and encourages us to avoid them in the future. Our Creator knows our weaknesses (Psalm 103:14) and is patient with our foolishness. He is willing to wait for the best time to teach us certain things and is always focused on our good – not the “W” at this current moment. Our Coach is far better than we deserve – and better than we can imagine.  It was adorable. 6-year-olds playing T-ball. Some were playing in the dirt. Some were sitting down. Two were picking on each other. A few were paying attention to the game...but the skills were lacking to do much more than run around and look cute in their uniforms. One poor kid actually could play and looked the most frustrated of all of them...except maybe the coach. I wonder if this is something of what God sees when He looks at humans (even Christians) living their lives. Lots of people are distracted by incidental and inconsequential things. Some people are hurting each other on purpose. Others think they know “how to life”. But they really just run around chasing a ball and occasionally knocking into each other. Then, once in a while, someone does know “how to life” – and in trying to make everyone else understand, comes off as a royal jerk. Yes. I wonder what God sees when He looks at me “playing” my life?  Many things in life sparkle – like my newly painted parking spot. But just because something is blingy doesn’t mean it deserves our focus. But day-to-day, these things often receive our energy and attention because “the bling” appeals to our desires (especially the bad ones). We naturally focus on what catches our eye...or captures our heart...or intrigues our mind. It is foreign to us to think to do otherwise, unless we are Christ’s. But when we belong to Jesus, we have the option to avoid being sucked in by the bling. So next time, let us step back, pull our eyes off of what has caught our attention, and focus on God. As we set aside our own desires, we are then able to ask God and allow His priorities to reorder our own.  |
The AuthorCome with me as we grow in fellowship with each other and our Savior to whom belongs the Amazing Escape from sin and death and the Amazing Journey into glorious life. Archives
August 2026
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