Culturally Irrelevant

When you’re 32 and up to your ears in grown-up stuff, nothing beats Chuck E. Cheese for dinner followed by a backyard campout with a 4 year old. Honestly, as a parent I still have those what-the-heck-were-we-thinking moments, but eating hot, gooey s’mores under millions of stars, playing softball in the dark and listening to your kid talk about his day and philosophize about boogers…completely worth it! And yes, that’s Jack’s sippy cup in my cup holder. Not the cold Killians that would have been there 5 years ago, but I’ll take a sippy cup any day.

After having finished Young’s The Shack, I’m thinking about that bird on the window sill that chooses not to fly. I didn’t have a deep conversation with Jack Friday night, but we had a good time exploring the backyard for crickets, making shadow puppets on the ceiling of the tent and talking about his friends at school.

Driving home from out of state several weeks ago, God showed up in my car. I know that sounds weird…and dangerous, but I promise both hands stayed on the wheel. I was singing along with a song about the Father’s love, and I began to get a very real and overwhelming sense of his love for me, personally. Maybe you’ve experienced this, so you know why I wept. I could see the Father like a burly sea captain at the wheel of a ship. The storm was raging, water crashing over the sides and winds howling fiercely, but there he was, laughing, holding the wheel in his massive hands. Instead of fear there was peace, and a tremendous sense of strength and experience that made the winds and the waves look like they really were: passing, temporary, small. His big, booming voice carried across the deck and washed over me. For a moment I thought, ”How can he possibly be this way when the reality of life is so painful?”

And then I began to see what he sees and feel what he feels: today in the perspective of eternity. Pain that is so temporary, and life that is so lasting and solid. I was overwhelmed by his hope. Hope for me, for the lost, for his bride, for the earth. He sees the end.

I could feel a presence behind me, so I turned my head and, out of the corner of my eye, caught a glimpse of someone who I knew was Jesus. I have to be honest, I turned my head back around and the first words out of my mouth were, “God, I don’t even know him. He’s a mystery. Would you please introduce me to him.” I’ve believed in him since I was 3 years old, and I’ve spent the majority of my life serving and obeying him; but I’m telling you the truth as plain as I saw it that day on I-75. Compared to who he is, my knowledge and experience with Jesus is so small, it’s as if I don’t know him at all. What he has done for me that I’ll never know or realize in this lifetime. What he’s been through, giving up his glory in heaven like he did and becoming a servant…for me, for the undeserving, for the lost! I was speechless, and all I wanted was an introduction.

These days that’s what I’m asking for. It’s pretty much all I want. Just to have an introduction to Jesus. Apart from this man, I don’t have anything. Everything else is unstable. But this man, he’s solid and true.

I have to be honest. I’ve gotten a little glimpse of Jesus out of the corner of my eye and I’m struck. And the more I do life with other people and read what they have to say, the more I realize I’m not alone. I’m just one struck person in a much larger body of people who are completely caught up in Jesus.

Just got back in the office after being in Orlando for a week on business. I think it rained every day, which, I’ve learned, is totally normal for FL. We’d step out of the Orange County Convention Center around 5:15 PM  to huge thunderheads, darkening skies and pretty strong winds. Took this snapshot with my phone. Personally, I love thunderstorms, so this was a great way to end a long day on my feet talking to hundreds of people.

On other fronts, Jack just got his 4 year old shots today…3 to be exact. He didn’t cry or panic. I was really proud of him. At breakfast he said he wasn’t scared because he had power in him, and he also knew he was going to get 3 shots. I said maybe just 1 and Katy said she didn’t know, to which he replied matter of factly, “I’m going to get just 3 shots–just 3″ with 3 fingers held up. I was doubtful, but when the nurse said 3 shots, he wasn’t surprised at all. It was as if God prepared him by letting him know ahead of time. Praise God he’s getting it! It ended up being a positive experience

Give Love, Give Bikes was awesome. I wasn’t able to be there physically, but I heard it rained cats and dogs right up to 11 AM and then just quit. God’s love was tangible. 100 bikes and helmets were given away, along with food and face painting for the kids, and the gospel of Jesus was declared openly to the poor, the homeless and the discouraged. A number of ministries and pastors worked together in the park, displaying the unity of the body and God’s love for the city.  I can’t explain how excited I am to be a part of what’s going on in Pensacola and at the Harbor, even if it is from a distance. Their victories are our victories because it’s all about the Father’s Kingdom and Jesus’ glory, no matter where it’s happening! Joe Miller with Pray for Pensacola also commented on the event here.

I want to wish Josh and Laura Beth a belated Happy Anniversary and a big Happy Birthday to Josh…old man! They’ve been a big encouragement to us and an important part of our lives over the past number of months, and our kids think they’re amazing. In fact, Jack was inspired to create a birthday “cake” for Josh, made from bread, Quaker Oat Squares, cookies, and lots of yummy maple syrup inside. Josh was a good sport and took a bite before passing it along to everyone else :)