I’m not broken down, She is!

I''m not broke down

I’m driving down a Colorado road sightseeing.  This guy is pulled over, with his hood up, and he’s in the truck talking on his phone.  “Need any help?” I asked.  His exact words… “No, I’m not broken down, SHE is!”(as he points to his phone).

The guy with a strong Boston accent continues. “The only way I can help her is to look under my own hood.  She has a vehicle just like mine, I’ve had this problem before and I know how to help her.  Thanks anyways.”

Well, that just made my day!  To see someone actually stop their own journey to help another.  To see someone look under their own hood so they can help someone else, well, that’s neat (and unusual).

But first, all the questions I ponder as I continue on my journey sightseeing.  What’s someone from Boston doing way out here?  Sightseeing I guess.  What would be wrong with her vehicle that he can fix by looking under his own hood?  A wire? A belt? Oil?  Battery cable?  Who knows?  The point is that the guy knows what’s wrong with her vehicle.  Ah, who is her?  Wife, daughter, friend, girlfriend?  The point is that she is someone that he knows well enough to stop and help because he knows.

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. She knows that he knows, so that’s all she needs to know, ya know.  Cause when you know that you know, then when you don’t know you know to call who you know, ya know?  Whoa………..

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The guy probably had some trouble before.  Now he was willing to help another by sharing his experience (even by looking under his own hood).  Do you remember that bad experience you went through a while back?  Been trying to forget about?  Hoping others have forgotten about it.  Maybe even in your spiritual journey something happened that now by “looking under your own hood” you can help others.  God blesses us with fellow Christians to help and support each other on our journeys.  God forgives and heals what’s under our own hood.  But it’s not just for your sake, it’s for others as well.

God’s a good “mechanic”.  Now we can look after the interests of others as well as our own.  You know??

I’m traveling down a road with friends that I know and a God that I know.  See Ya!!!

What “Wilderness” has God put you in?

 

Where has God put you and where will you go?

Where has God put you and where will you go?

The word wilderness derives from the notion of “wildness”—in other words, that which is not controlled by humans, even the government!. The mere presence or activity of people does not disqualify an area from being “wilderness.” Another definition of wilderness is a place uninhabited by human beings.  But you are in your own little wilderness. Well then ,what are you doing there?  Just passing through?

What I’ve found in the Holy Bible is that there are many instances shown where the wilderness was the setting for a learning moment, a time closer to God, even life changing events.  Jesus Himself had a ministry in “towns and urban settings”.  But a lot of His most important works and decisions were made in the “wilderness” be it a mountain top, or a body of water, the sea, or just the general wilderness itself.

In the old testament the Israelites experienced a lifetime of works and decisions in the wilderness.  They didn’t choose to be in their wilderness.   We can read that the wilderness they were in was filled with danger, heartaches, disappointments, sin, corruption, etc., etc.  BUT,…… at the same time the wilderness provided them a place to grow closer to God, to experience God, to hear from God.

That’s why I say that I am a wilderness preacher.  We are all in some form of wilderness.  Your wilderness may have more concrete and manmade buildings than these Colorado mountains I’m looking at while writing this.  Your wilderness may have lots of people going in and out of it.  Lots more people than what I’m presently seeing.  Well, as far as I can see from this mountain view, there is no one for miles around.  Maybe a hiker, or climber, or trail rider will be passing through.

Maybe your wilderness is filled with people telling you what you can do, what you can’t do.  They are telling you which flag is wrong, which beliefs are wrong.  They will tell you what is politically correct.  They will tell you everything you need to know about your own life.  Groups of people, and even governments are now in the business of “Controlling” people.  But from what I see, the more groups and Governments try to “control” the more it turns to chaos and confusion.  A sense of “wildness” has overtaken our “civilized” world.  Here you are living in this “wildness”, ……. and your own wilderness.

God has put you on this Earth to travel through your very own little bit of wilderness.  It is and will be filled with danger, heartaches, disappointments, sin, etc., etc.  But there are and will be many opportunities to grow closer to God, experience, and hear from Him.

One of my buddies at The Noble Heart campfire gatherings we have (online weekly) reminded me of what our journey truly is.  We think of ourselves as physical beings with occasional spiritual times.  But what we truly are is this.  We are spiritual beings with an occasional physical time.  This temporary physical time is called a “lifetime”.  It’s an opportunity to experience “life”.  We get to experience, pain, suffering, yes, even sin.  But our Lord also gives us a choice to experience His forgiveness, His power, His love.

God gives each of us a soul.  It’s a personal area of wilderness because it cannot be controlled by humans.  What’s so amazing is that God Himself doesn’t want to “control” your heart and soul.  He knows you don’t control “wilderness”. You (and He)live in it.  You don’t “do” wilderness, you “BE” in it.  He wants to love you.  God is in my personal wilderness.  What about yours?

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”  John 1:23

 

 

Living instead of dying

My Indian Flute  From a Storm Damaged Tree, to something "Alive"

My Indian Flute From a Storm Damaged Tree, to something “Alive”

For whatever reason, a powerful storm named Hurricane Katrina came through and heavily damaged my farm and timberland.  One particular tree was uprooted and destroyed.  This tree was such a big part of my life.  Now what?

This tree was once a growing beautiful cedar tree.  It could be seen by all.  Now it’s nothing but shattered pieces of wood.  Too damaged for anything but firewood.  But, but, there is a part of it that seems to be “calling out to me”.  I saw off a piece of the trunk that contains the heart wood.  Now a new journey begins.

This piece of wood is now shaped, and carved, and designed, and …….. created to be something even more special to me.  It’s not a piece of wood anymore.  It is my Native American flute.  I made it.  It now makes beautiful music with a most haunting sound.  From a dead and dying situation, now comes an instrument that brings a soothing sound when played.  This flute comes alive and causes those to hear it to “come alive” as well.

2 Corinthians 5:17  If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Think about it!  Even as a Christian, even as we follow our Lord and Saviour, for whatever reason, powerful storms come into our lives.  Something that is such a big part of our lives is suddenly uprooted and destroyed.  A marriage gets torn apart, your job is suddenly being laid off, the health you’ve enjoyed for years now uprooted and destroyed.  Now what?

When the going gets tough the ……….     I know you just finished the saying.  The tough get going.  Yep, but that’s how us humans think every situation should be handled.  Man up!  Take charge!  Take care of it and move on!   Easier said than done, right.

Could it be that even when the storms bring their damage that God still has a plan and design for you His child?  It is hard to see (and especially understand) that He will still be there.  Just like the flute, He continues to shape, carve, and create you to be His creation.  Why would God continue to do this?  Love.  My flute is special to me because I made it.  You are special to God because He made you.  He loves you plain and simple.

When the going gets tough…….. the tough “come alive” as God shapes, carves, designs, and continues to create you to be something even more special to Him.  He takes that part that contains your Heart!

Thank you God for being there with me and my friends.

(To hear the flute being played, click on the video below)