For the last few days I have been helping a friend roof his house. Each night I come home completely wiped out, sore in every part of my being. I would like to say it is worth it, but the truth is it is way too much like work - way too much.
I'll be honest - I am way too tired to really blog about much tonight. It has me pretty stretched to just stay awake.
Roofing is one of those reminders of how un-powerful we are. Every time I get up there I get my butt kicked. I realize that I am not so big, that I am not the next best thing to sliced bread, and I have some limits to what I can do - limits that I thought didn't exist 20 years ago when I got on a roof. Back then I thought, like every 20 year old, that I was invincible, that I was bullet proof, and that I could do the work of 6 people. Today I feel like I got beaten up by 6 people. Seeing myself clearly is a humbling experience.
Not being superman anymore makes me have to trust God a lot more than I used to - for my health, for my ability to provide for my family, for the courage to hang off an eave 20 feet in the air. Suddenly I find myself not so self sufficient - forced to live in Papa's provision and love.
I am learning that the roof is rough work, and that Papa is far more trustworthy than I have ever known.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Voting for McBama
This will be my first and last post ever talking about politics. I absolutely hate the whole system, but this year it invaded my home too many times. For the last 3 weeks we got at least one call a night from the McCain campaign telling us how bad Obama was. Every call slanderous and negative, not telling me much about McCain, but just ripping on Obama.
I think this past summer I was intending to vote for McCain. And if it wouldn't have been for the calls, I probably still would have. But after so many harassing calls and fliers in the mail, I would have voted for Bill Clinton (heaven forbid) rather than anyone who uses tactics like McCain did. It made me sick.
If any candidate builds a campaign on slander, gossip, and bashing someone else, they will steer my vote to anybody else. What was worse in all this is that there was a toll free number to call at the end of the messages. I called two different ones to have my number removed. When they continued calling I left messages inviting them to talk to me about why they had lost my vote, but obviously no one called.
What happened to the simple concept of integrity? You bad mouth others and it will ALWAYS come back on you. McCain dug his own grave. I voted for Snoopy.
I think this past summer I was intending to vote for McCain. And if it wouldn't have been for the calls, I probably still would have. But after so many harassing calls and fliers in the mail, I would have voted for Bill Clinton (heaven forbid) rather than anyone who uses tactics like McCain did. It made me sick.
If any candidate builds a campaign on slander, gossip, and bashing someone else, they will steer my vote to anybody else. What was worse in all this is that there was a toll free number to call at the end of the messages. I called two different ones to have my number removed. When they continued calling I left messages inviting them to talk to me about why they had lost my vote, but obviously no one called.
What happened to the simple concept of integrity? You bad mouth others and it will ALWAYS come back on you. McCain dug his own grave. I voted for Snoopy.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Returning the Jesus
My bride woke up pretty sick last night. It is always hard to see a loved one not doing well. As I go about my day, it is like half being here. We are together all day, every day, and you'd think we would get tired of each other, but it doesn't happen much. It is still early, and I miss her sitting next to me in the office and typing away on her computer.
As I sit here, I realize she has become for me the body of Christ. Her presence, her encouragement, her listening ear, and her laughter all bring life into my day. In more ways than one she literally is Jesus to me.
It strikes me that ultimately I am missing Jesus in her. And it also strikes me that that is the way it should be in the body of Christ - that we encounter Jesus when we meet, and that we are longing for more of Him when we are apart.
I know that I let the dysfunction of people get in the way of the Jesus in people. I want to be the kind of person that draws the Jesus out of even the most unlovely of folks. I want to call them to their best, not illicit their worst. Maybe I could go even one step farther and actually expect Jesus in them, not like a standard that they should meet, but as a belief in them that is better than their own belief about themselves. And maybe in doing so, I can return the Jesus.
As I sit here, I realize she has become for me the body of Christ. Her presence, her encouragement, her listening ear, and her laughter all bring life into my day. In more ways than one she literally is Jesus to me.
It strikes me that ultimately I am missing Jesus in her. And it also strikes me that that is the way it should be in the body of Christ - that we encounter Jesus when we meet, and that we are longing for more of Him when we are apart.
I know that I let the dysfunction of people get in the way of the Jesus in people. I want to be the kind of person that draws the Jesus out of even the most unlovely of folks. I want to call them to their best, not illicit their worst. Maybe I could go even one step farther and actually expect Jesus in them, not like a standard that they should meet, but as a belief in them that is better than their own belief about themselves. And maybe in doing so, I can return the Jesus.
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