A Heart Like His...

Wednesdays are by far our most hectic afternoons & evenings.  From the time school is out at 3 it's a mad dash to get places on time.  Yesterday was no different.  Payne came home from school, got his homework done and we quickly left for gymnastics for Miss Addison.  As per our usual Wednesday ritual, we grabbed 2 Lunchables for the kids on the way out the door.  There's no time to "stop" for food between gymnastics and church.

We went to gymnastics and hurried out as soon as it was done so that I could grab my regular Wednesday-evening-pick-me-up cup of coffee and still arrive at church semi-on time.  When we took the exit for the church, we hit the light red.  Immediately I noticed a homeless man in the shoulder.  His eyes were captivating.  He looked so hopeless and my heart hurt for him.  That's not really normal for me, as I'm typically very skeptical of those who hold the homeless signs on the side of the road.

I immediately started trying to figure out what I could give him.  The only cash I had was the gas money to get us home.  I guess Payne could tell I was looking for something because he asked me what I was doing.  I told him that I was trying to find something to give to the homeless man.  My precious son immediately offered up his Lunchable.  I was certain the light would turn, as we had been sitting there for quite some time, but I rolled down the window.

As we were about to call out to him, the truck behind us flagged him over and gave him some money.  Then we grabbed his attention.  Since it was Payne's idea and Payne's Lunchable, I wanted him to be able to give it to the man.

He politely thanked us.  I said, "God bless you."  I don't really ever know what to say in those situations, so that's what I said.  The eternally red light, continued to stay red as the man walked back to the curb.  I guess once he got back to safety he looked at what it was that Payne had given him.  He looked back at our car, with this huge smile on his face and waved his thanks again.  His eyes showed something that wasn't there before.  They had hope.

I guess that's why it wasn't me that helped him.  It was a child.  Giving up his dinner.  I think that was more impactful than me having an extra $10 to hand him.  I couldn't help but think of the story of the child with the loaves of bread & fish in the Bible.  He just gave up his lunch willingly without hesitation so that Jesus could minister.  I felt like that's what Payne did last night.

I think the thing that impressed me the most with Payne was that after he gave his dinner away, he didn't even ask what he would eat.  He was so selfless in what he did, in his generosity.  I love his heart.  God has placed such a wonderful heart for others in my boy.

I did stop and get him dinner and an extra little treat.  But I'm still not sure who got the biggest treat last night. The homeless man or me?

Give Your Best Today and I'll Better Your Best Tomorrow

Confession: I have control issues.  Not all around, just in certain areas.  But that part doesn't really matter, does it?

One of the biggest areas I feel those "issues" in my life is in my work at the church.  I try to control and plan everything so that nothing is left to chance, but what I really do is just try to do it my way and then see things not work out like I'd like.  See, I struggle sometimes with being "qualified" enough to serve in the ministry.  I know that sounds crazy, especially when you look at that band of misfits Jesus brought together to be His chosen 12.  But I know my shortcomings, I know my past.  And so does Satan.  So he uses it all to make me insecure.  Then I feel like I have to be in control to be "best".

Something that I've come to realize is that, while I think I'm doing my "best", I'm really just doing what I think is the next best idea to move the ministry forward.  The reason I say "best" that was is that I'm not stopping a lot of the time to ask God what His best is.  Lately I've come to recognize that about myself and have tried to approach the challenges/obstacles/every day with God's perspective as best I can.  And I've seen really positive results.  But inside my head, I still wrestle with the control.

While at C3 2011 one of the speakers, Judah Smith, said something that spoke so deeply to my control issues: "Give your best today, and I'll better your best tomorrow."  He said it was something God spoke to him at a time when he was struggling a bit with the how's of his ministry.  The irony is that Judah Smith wasn't speaking to control issues when he delivered his message.  But that's where it hit me.  Square in my control issues.

It actually allowed me to release my "control" over the ministry things (and some other areas as well) and just trust that if I seek God and give my best, He'll always come through and walk me to that next place.  I don't have to know what the next step is.  I don't have to know where to go next.  I don't have to know where my God given vision will take me.  I just have to trust that as long as I give my best, God will continue to better my best.

It's amazing the weight that lifts off of my shoulders at that thought.  I don't have to be in control.  God is.  And as long as I allow that, my best will be better tomorrow than it was today.  Not because it's my best, but because it's God's best.  So, give your best today, and allow God to better your best tomorrow!

Words of Wisdom...but not from me!

Our church staff spent Wednesday through Friday at C3 2011 at Fellowship Church in Grapevine.  To say that this conference was impactful is an understatement.  I'm certain that over the next days & weeks a number of blogs will come from what God did in me while I was there.  The easiest one to start with is the words of wisdom that I received from the dynamic speakers that spoke into my life in those 3 days.  The quotes are more just in the order I wrote them down in, not the level of impact they had.  And some may not make a lot of sense when you see them, but you'll probably see a full blog on those anyway!

"God promises to reward good works.  If you're good, they will find you.  Let the game come to you, in God's time." --Ed Young

"Leaders set people up for success." --Ed Young

"The popularity contest ended the day you surrendered your life to Christ.  Now you play for an audience of ONE!" --Ed & Lisa Young

"When pride walks on the stage, God walks off." --Ed Young

"Don't let what God has called you to do distract you from what God has called you to do." --Brian Houston

"Don't get distracted by disappointments.  God didn't say offences might come, He said they will come." --Brian Houston

"No mature Christian who is seasoned in the Word has a defendable excuse to live life offended!" --Brian Houston

"It is in the secrecy of your sin that the devil has his power." --Dr. Robi

"Use the talents & gifts God has given you in a creative way where God has placed you." --Kong Hee

"God knows how to find "the one" no matter the size of the crowd." --Steven Furtick

"The voice of doubt will come loudest from within.  It is my own insecurities that will sabotage what god wants to do in and through me." --Steven Furtick

"Don't be afraid, just believe." --Steven Furtick

"God doesn't see death, he sees the opportunity for resurrection.  God doesn't see defeat, he sees the opportunity for a monumental comeback." --Steven Furtick

"You don't have to fully understand to completely obey." --Steven Furtick

"There is no person on earth or devil on hell that can keep you from the greatness God has for you." --Joyce Meyer

"How my life turns out is not dependent on what others do to me or don't do for me." --Joyce Meyer

"God has put greatness in every one of us." --Joyce Meyer

"Do all you can do and let God do what you cannot do." --Joyce Meyer

"If you can't do anything else, WIGGLE!" --Joyce Meyer (Ok, maybe you had to be there for that one, but it's profound, I promise!)

"What are my personal affects going to be when my time is up?" --Joyce Meyer

"If you wanna see God show up, move to a place of obscurity because that's where God gets all the glory." --Shannon O'dell

"Your story is about to change." --Shannon O'dell

"God wants to do more for you than what you are currently asking for." --Judah Smith

"What your God has prepared for you exceeds even your wildest dreams." --Judah Smith

"Jesus chose drinks at a party to first manifest his glory and you question if he cares about your struggles and concerns?!" --Judah Smith

"Give your best today and I'll better your best tomorrow." --Judah Smith

"If you empty out everything that is inside of you, you will go to unprecedented places." --Bishop TD Jakes

"I can buy a good preacher, but I can't buy a great leader." --Bishop TD Jakes

"Get off the boat where it's safe and step into the unfamiliar." --Bishop TD Jakes

"If all you get [out of this conference] is what we teach, you've been cheated.  If while I'm speaking in generalizations, God has given you specifics, then you have been filled." --Bishop TD Jakes