A Bunch of Wise-Guys

Who do you have to help you with the big questions in life?  Who do you have in your life that you can turn to when you are faced with difficult or confusing situations? 

We are not meant to live this life alone.  We are not created with absolute knowledge, allowing us to know everything we need to know.  To navigate circumstance we need input, perspective, and experience to aid us in our journey through life.  How many times do I make choices with out experience, knowledge, or know-how and just hope that somehow things will work out?  Too many!  If someone has walked that path before me, if someone has learned lessons from the school of life, wouldn’t it make sense to glean from them?

It’s been said, “A wise man learns from his mistakes, a wiser man learns from the mistakes of others.”  I don’t know who originally said it, but I’ve been saying it and trying to live it for the last 20 years. 

Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” (KJV)

In my last 20 years I’ve taken this verse to heart and pulled in a team of 5 men that I trust, respect, and love. They have made themselves available to me when ever I have needed them.  They are a motley bunch in whose ages range from 40 to 79.   They all love Jesus, love their families, love what they do, and have sought to be faithful to the call that God has put on their lives.  

1. One is a part-time teacher at a local college.  Worked 30 years at local shipyard before semi-retirement.  Is single, never-married, and has been walking with Jesus for over 50 years.  Faithfully serves his local church and loves his neighbors in his community. 
2. One is a facilities manager at a church in another state.  He’s over 60, and at 45 he decided God was calling him into ministry.  He picked up and moved his family to Dallas, TX.  He worked full-time as a vending machine operator, served the church, attended/graduated Dallas Theological Seminary, and was able to love and be there for his family through out those grueling time demanding years. 
3. One is my best friend who is a project manager for a large construction outfit in another state. He is a year younger than I am but started a family before I did.  He has always had a heart to serve God and His people.  
4. Another one is my pastor.  He retired from pulpit ministry a few years ago and felt God’s leading to start a non-profit organization to teach and train missionary pastors all through out Asia.  His ministry has now branched into Africa.  At 65 he stepped away from a “sure thing” and stepped out in faith to something that has taken off.  He too has always been someone who put his family first before anything else.  Many in ministry sacrifice their families for “success”, I’m grateful for his example. 
5. The last one is my dad.  The father-son relationship is a unique relationship.  For me, I didn’t always see the sweetness of it.  As a disciplinarian, and me needing a lot of discipline, I didn’t always see eye to eye with my dad.  It’s only after becoming a dad do I see the task more clearly that was before both my parents in raising me and my brothers (we were not an easy group).  My dad has always loved us, sought to put us on trajectories where we had the best chance to succeed, provided for our needs and many times, our wants too.  My dad has loved my mom and been faithful to her for almost 50 years.  He’s been very successful in his career and has helped build solid foundations in countless young men through coaching sports, leading Cub Scout Packs, and Boy Scout Troops.  

When I have something that I need to work through, when I have a decision that seems out of my wheelhouse, when I need experience and wisdom to speak into my life… these men are where I go.  Not all of us talk every week.  Some of us touch base on social media every once and a while.  But I know that when I need some wise counsel, they make themselves available to me.  I have all of their cell phone numbers. 

Who do you have?  Who do you know that you can reach out to?  

These are just 5 men that I have in my life that I’ve always been able to turn to, pray with, and ask some of life’s deeper and more significant questions to.   My wife is a source of wisdom and balance. Within my church family there are many women who have given valuable and cherished insight.  Within my church family there are those that God has used to shape my understanding and focus.  My older brothers are also a good sounding board for me.  As we talk, God has used them in my life to sharpen, humble, and quicken me.   I got real quick running away from them!  Just kidding.  But no, really.  :)

God has not left me alone to figure these things out.  

It’s these 5 men, whom I affectionately term my “wise guys”, that speak into my life.  

You don’t have to do life alone.  Find three, four, or five folks that you love and trust, that you respect their witness in life, that there are elements of their character that you would desire to attain… reach out to them.  Let them know you admire and respect them.  Ask them, extend them the invitation to speak into your life.  Allow them the honor and opportunity to help see you flourish and succeed as you face the challenges and opportunities of life. 

We will fail at times.  We will fall at times as well.  But in a multitude of counselors, you will have the best possible opportunity to succeed!  Take heart as well, as you make yourself available for others, your failures will be their successes.  We’re in this together, let’s not go at it alone.

May God richly bless you!

This is Glenn

This is Glenn.

I’ve known Glenn now for about 16 years.

Glenn was a teacher for his professional career.  A really good one at that.  One of those individuals who are underpaid, dismissed by most, but passionate about education and seeing kids succeed at life. He has a wide scope of influence as he relentlessly poured into and shaped young minds (and colleagues too). 

Glenn is finishing his race here on Earth.  He’s heading for the tape, about to cross. 

His love for life, family, and Jesus is real.

He’s walked through some of the most trying times as a parent, loving his children with the upmost of dignity, care, and compassion.  He’s loved his wife, Rita, always seeming to bring a smile to her face or making her laugh.

At this point in reflecting, I can only think of the good times. I know there were times where he wanted to be better.  He wanted to have another opportunity to handle something or a situation in another way.  As we all do.  

But as I’ve walked with him and his family over the last 8 months as he has battled Leptomeningeal Metastatic Melanoma, the grace and courage he has demonstrated is what great men of history have shown while knowing their time was short and coming to an end.  Never cursing God or wallowing in his circumstance, but asking the question of what else might he be able to do with the time he has left. 

As I peruse my Facebook feed, I’m reminded that life is short… it really is a vapor.   Here in the moment and gone the next.  While this may seem like a depressing thought, I find it liberating and focusing.  We’re granted only so much time to experience what we can.  There are things we stress about that are really, in reality, nothing.  

True greatness, sucking the marrow out of life, comes from serving and loving others.  Especially those that can never repay you.  

The encouragement is to be in the moment.  Celebrate those small accomplishments (along with the big ones), victories, engagements, successes, graduations, plays, ventures of faith, births, and even those family reunions.  They are awkward, but… if nothing else, they make for good stories.

When in doubt, love.  Especially when someone doesn’t deserve it or have been unkind.  It's a choice. 

Forgive.  Lack of forgiveness causes bitterness. Bitterness will rob you of life.  I don’t know who said it, but bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for your enemy to die.  Forgive those who have wronged you.  It will set you free. 

Thank you, Glenn, for your life and sharing it with me.  I’m a better man, husband, and dad because of you.  I’ll see you soon.

"His Scent Stayed With Me For Days"

The post for this Thursday is a guest post from a friend of mine, Emily Coates, who has been walking with my family and I for a long time.  Emily, with her family, lives in Tacoma, WA.  Her passion is Jesus and it is shown by the love and the high value she places on everyone that she meets.  She posted this on her Facebook page last month and it is worth sharing.  I've asked her permission and she has graciously allowed me to do so.  

...

His scent stayed with me for days. Even after I had showered, applied hair product numerous times, rubbed scented oil into my skin... I would catch a whiff of it, from nowhere. 

"Hey, how's it going"

"Girl, this sunshine is so bright and I'm thankful, but I am STARVING."

"You're hungry?"

"Hungry isn't even the word."

"Are you allergic to anything? What can I get you?" 

"I'm too poor to be allergic to anything. I'll take anything you can spare." 

I went inside, and got as much as I could see and grab quickly. I made a mental note to keep more ready-made foods with protein available in my quick-grab box. 

He stood outside looking nervous. Like maybe he was aware of how big a risk he was taking to ask for exactly what he needed. Like maybe he was afraid I would change my mind. Like maybe he had been hurt before. 

These days are so confusing, and weird. We have to look up news articles to find out what news articles we can trust. I am overwhelmed all. of. the. time. I believe so strongly in the innate value each of us has. These days, it feels like the first thing you have to do to be on any team is strip the other of their dignity and worth. I don't want to be on a team. My Facebook feed is so incredibly small these days, and I analyze every single like or comment I make, wondering, "who will see that I liked what, and what will they think of me for that?" There's so much fighting and mistrust. I have watched comment threads turn into deep wounds among families and friends. I cry for people I have never met, as I see their words twisted and used against them by angry mobs on all sides. Jesus, come soon. 

I walked outside with the offerings I had for this man who had given me the gift of telling me exactly what he needed. He gave me the gift of not being frozen. Of not feeling conflicted about my words or deeds. He needed food. I had some. I handed them over, and he embraced me in a genuine hug. He looked me in the eye, said thank you, and kissed my cheek. His scent lingered for hours, a reminder of this perfect moment. I texted my neighbor and said, "did you catch that?? I just had an interaction that made me feel like everything is going to be okay." That feeling was fleeting, but it was so real. 

So for those of you who, like me, feel like you are fumbling through these bizarre and troubling times: keep your head up and your eyes open. Keep your heart guarded, but not closed. Look for opportunities to plant into this world what you wish to see cultivated. Seek justice, and love kindness. It's not naive to hope. 

I Love you.

Prosperity of the City

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”  Jeremiah 29:7.

This has been my favorite verse as of late.  It hits me on many levels of my life. 

1. I’m in “exile”.  This is not my home.  As a believer in Jesus Christ, I’m here temporarily as the ambassador of Christ seeking to represent Him and His kingdom by His grace. Heaven is my home. 
2. God sent me here.  My authority and purpose comes from God alone.  Being fearfully and wonderfully made, there is a purpose that I’m to fulfill and be obedient too. 
3. I’m to seek the welfare/peace of those in the city.   This is a mandate of God to His people.  While this is an Old Testament passage for a specific time and people, there is a real practical parallel when we look at Matthew 28 and the great commission; also the effective playing out of the book of Acts.  
4. I’m to intercede for the people.  The prayer of intercession is a command that is given by God Himself.  That I become integral and integrated into the life of the the community, being able to beseech God on it’s behalf. 
5. That when the city (the people) prospers, so will I.  Everything about this verse is outward focused, save this part.  There is something in us that wants things to go well in our lives.  This is accomplished when we focus on the betterment of others, we too are then better.  This is the paradox of Christianity… when we lose our lives for Christ’s sake, we find them.  When we become servants to the “least of these”, we are among the greats in the Kingdom. 

I find the few verses that come after this verse pretty humorous.  

“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 29:8–9

You have God telling the people, through Jeremiah, don’t listen to your prophets.  The prophets normally spoke for God, they were His mouth piece.  But here He says, “do not listen to them… I did not send them.”   Meaning that there was an ordained time to where He was sending them into exile.  He was purposefully sending them into hardship.  Sending them to a specific place, with a specific purpose, for a specific time. If there was someone with a contrary message... it wasn't from God, even if they said it was!

Now, look again at the list I wrote above.  

I think there is something we need to consider changing if our actions and rhetoric alienate us and distance us from the people we are sent to serve.  It’s easy to serve ourselves and look out for our own interests.  As Christians, we are called to serve something and Someone greater.  Who are we to be serving? Ultimately, Jesus, but played out through those we find around us as we examine where we live, work, and play.  

“Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  Matthew 25:44–45

This isn’t an easy thing to do.  It’s actually really hard to do consistently.  The balance we strike is striving to be holy and righteous in our conduct in and amongst an unrighteous people, who may or may not want anything to do with us.  I strive to serve and fear a holy God and at the same time show grace and mercy to those I come in contact with, because He shows that same extravagant grace to me.  

Studying the gospels, I feel that the more I grasp and see what Jesus has done, I have an example to follow.  Seeing my own need for Jesus, gives me the tenacity to pursue others and the ideas of how I might be apart of sowing shalom in my city.  

May God grant us the grace and strength to pursue “the city”, seeking it’s peace and welfare.  For when it prospers, so will we. 

All Bible verses quoted from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.