Rear-View Mirror

When first learning to drive we are told that every 2-5 seconds we are suppose to check our rear-view mirror. Looking back can actually help prevent accidents. We must be completely aware of our surroundings to move forward safely. As we grow more comfortable driving we look back less. With our eyes focused on what is ahead we gradually become more aware of our surroundings and checking our mirrors happens without thought. Some people however, get paranoid and distracted and keep their eyes on the rear-view mirror and lose sight of what is in front of them. Accidents become inevitable. In life it is important to take to heart the things from our past, and to use those situations to move forward. You can’t get anywhere if your rear-view mirror is larger then your windshield. If you are focusing too much on the past and not on what lies ahead, you will miss the great opportunities that are right in front of you.

Psalm 121:1
“I lift my eyes up to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the Maker of Heaven and Earth”

Scars

Sunday at church I cried. This was probably the fifth time in my life that I cried in a church; three of those times were funerals. So, you can imagine it was a pretty big deal. The pastor shared a message about scars. He reminded us that we all have scars, some exterior and some on our hearts. These scars serve as reminders of pain we’ve had in our lives. It was a beautiful message full of insight. Just as the service was coming to an end he shared a story; this was the part that made me cry. He said that he had heard a story about a little boy in Florida. This boy decided he wanted to go swimming. He ran as fast as he could and dove into a lake near his back yard. An alligator had made its way into this lake. The boy saw the alligator swimming toward him and began swimming as fast as he could back toward the shore. The boy’s father saw what was going on and ran to the edge of the dock. He reached out and grabbed his son’s arms, at that exact same moment the alligator bit down on the boys legs. The boy’s life was in his fathers hands. His dad struggled and fought with the alligator to save his son. A neighbor saw what was going on and grabbed a gun and killed the alligator. The boy’s legs were severely damaged and he was rushed to the hospital. After a few weeks in intensive care, the boy was finally released. Once home a reporter came to interview the boy about what happened. Toward the end of the interview she asked if she could see the scars on the boy’s legs. He lifted up his pant leg and showed his scars. A moment later he asked the reporter if she wanted to see the best scars. He rolled up his sleeves and revealed scars on his arms. The boy proudly declared, “These are from my dad saving me”.
We all hurt. This world is hard and often painful. The message on Sunday was a reminder to me that God is on our side. We may feel like the world is pulling us down and ready to eat us up, but we have a Father who won’t let that happen. He is on the dock clinging to us for dear life. I often complain about how hard my life is. I cry out to God about the pain I feel and don’t understand why he lets me hurt. Sometimes we have to go through the pain to be saved. Scars remind us of the pain we have felt, but they should also serve as a reminder of the pain we have overcome. If you are hurting remember that sometimes the things that hurt the most are also the things that will save us.

Psalm 71: 20-21“Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.”

For more information about the service I mentioned in my blog…Go to http://www.oasisla.org/
You can download the message to your ipod for free. Click on Podcast and you can download any of the services.

Pursuit of Happyness

Will Smith deserved his Oscar nomination for his performance in the Pursuit of Happyness. His emotions were raw, and his tears genuine. The story was that of a fairytale. The life of Chris Gardner, the man Will Smith portrayed in the film, is nothing short of inspiring. However, it was a story his son shared in the film that has stuck with me. While walking with his father in a scene, this is what he said, “There was a man drowning in a lake. He cried out, “Help me God”. Just then a giant ox came along and asked if the man needed help. The man replied, “My God will save me”. The ox then walked away. Again the man exclaimed, “Help me God”. Moments later a second ox approached and asked if the man needed help. The man replied, “My God will save me”. After the ox left the man drown. Once the man got to Heaven he said, “God why didn’t you save me?” God replied, “I sent you two big oxen you dummy!” I think that all too often we miss opportunities and answers to our prayers. We go through life with blinders on. Sometimes we feel like we are drowning. Don’t dismiss your chance of being rescued. Sometimes the answer to our prayers is right in front of us. We just needed to open our eyes.

Psalm 46:1
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Saturday

Tuesday is my blog day. Every Tuesday I have promised to share my stories with you. This week I failed. So, today is my new Tuesday! Just today though…then back to regular Tuesdays. J Some of you may be wondering what happened this week. Life happened. I had writers block. I sat down to write my blog and my mind was flooded with so many different thoughts. None of which had anything to do with my blog. My harsh reality was it was Tuesday and I was going to be homeless on Thursday. One can only handle couch crashing for so long. It has been a year, four states, five jobs, a puppy, and two suitcases, a lot of tears, and even more prayers that have carried me to this point. Countless people have gone out of their way to help me get by. Imagine living a life on prayer. If God doesn’t answer your prayers you won’t survive. I feel like me life this last year has been in many ways a game of chicken with God. He tells me to walk by faith so I do. So many times it has become the day I needed to move out and had no where to go. I would pack and pray. A few weeks ago I felt overwhelmed and honestly scared. My friend Ross had let me stay with him for a month and it was the day I needed to move out. The plans I had made didn’t fall through. I was hours away from being homeless. Literally minutes after I began to pray I receive a call from my dear friend Ramin. He had come to my rescue again and found me a place to stay for a few weeks. I am tired of living out of my suitcase. I am staying with my friends Tacy and Dave right now. This week they were an answer to my prayers. Life is hard and often overwhelming. Sometimes it may feel like we experience more bad days then good. Some of you may even feel like you are living out of your suitcase. I am often reminded that this world is not our home. We will all cry, but we will all celebrate as well. Life is hard yes, but it also can be amazing. Like a storm, this too will pass. Hard times help build character. Don’t be discouraged. There is always a silver lining surrounding the clouds.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”
Romans 5:3

Devotional: How will you know the depths of your character? God allows pain to help his people mature. The key is to turn to God and rely on him for endurance.