The LORD giveth, and the LORD taketh away...

Ever had one of those weeks? When things go so wrong that you don't even know how to react. You could say that the last seven days have been that for my wife and I. We started off last friday with a nice evening; went out for pizza and then to a movie (saw Despicable Me, funny); we were in a good mood, looking forward to the weekend and driving home. The road about 3 miles from home was iced over because of the wind blowing snow across it (as it always is at this spot) so I slowed down to 35 mph. knowing that stopping there was next to impossible...after a couple hundred yards, lights in my rear view mirror keep getting closer, quickly. SLAM!! Our Taurus goes spinning around the road and into the ditch {long story short, the car is totaled, we don't get any money because MI is a no-fault ins. state); both Nicole and I were pretty sore, but at least not hurt badly. In an instant, I don't have a car to drive to work anymore {thankfully my parents let me borrow their 2nd car for a while}...what was a nice evening, a good time for my wife and I together, turns into a rotten night of waiting around in the cold for the cops and a tow truck. In and of itself, that would be enough. God has allowed us to be in financially rough times in the past, we've struggled to find the $ to pay our bills, but we're not as hard up as some; we can deal with this too....
Fast forward five days, I check my e-mail to discover that the Army chaplain recruiter has sent me a new one; nothing unusual here, he's been asking for additional info. for six months...when I open it I learn that the Army doctor who had previously approved my medical waiver (I have some knee pain and used to have migraines), has changed her mind and rejected it instead. The recruiter has told me that this is the end, there isn't anything else he can do {there are a couple of long-shot chances I'm yet pursuing, but they're not likely}; in one moment, my plans to go back to the Seminary to finish my MDiv and for us to have health insurance by this summer (we've been 2 yrs. without, neither of my 2 jobs have it, nor Nicole's adjunct prof. position); not to mention the long-held desire I have had to join the military; poof, gone...
Ok Lord, now what? How can I minister full-time when the hurdles in the way keep getting higher...I've been inches away from a full-time prison chaplain job only to have someone decide they weren't going to retire afterall; poof...I've been working for four years at my church, but we're barely keeping our heads above water. All the growth we would have had was negated by people moving away to find jobs. What now?
At times, it isn't easy being a servant of the Lord (I know, that's a shocker); if it wasn't for the support of family and friends, my church and my wife; I'd be hurting much worse...
to think, Job didn't have any of that, his wife told him to cuse God and die; his friends told him to confess to the sins he knew he hadn't commited; God's answer, "hey Job, I'm God, you let me worry about the future" (ok, that's a real big paraphrase)...
So, God, you're God, I'm letting you worry about the future; please help me to see what I'm supposed to do in the present...

The hero's homecoming

This past week the members of the 1st Squadron, 33 Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) returned home to Fort Campbell after completing their deployment to Afghanistan. Included in that squadron is one of my best friends, Captain (Dr.) Zach DeYoung {the man who was influential in my own decision to join the Army reserves as a chaplain}. Upon their return, the unit was greeted with the pomp and ceremony befitting the honor due those who have served their countries. They were then of course mobbed by family members. After a year apart, husbands and wives held each other once again, children were scooped up and treasured once more. Zach was reunited with his wife Karen and his daughters Isabella (3) and Sophia (1). It would be difficult to picture a more touching family reunion. The virtues of patience, duty, sacrifice, commitment, and love could easily be extolled upon by those looking to inspire others to make virtuous choices of their own. This scene has been, and will be repeated, all over the country as men and women return home from tours of duty. They deserve our thanks.
As I pondered this homecoming, I couldn’t help but imagine for a moment what the homecoming celebration must have been like when Jesus returned in triumph to his own home. He too had been away a long time on a dangerous mission, and he, like too many others, was asked to give his life in service to that mission. Unlike the sacrifices made in defense of freedom, the cause that Jesus was willing to die for was the liberation of the souls of mankind. As noble as those sacrifices are (Jesus honored them with his own words, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13), they can never match the victory over sin and death achieved by Christ at the cross and vindicated three days later at the empty tomb.
When Jesus returned home to his Father, amidst the throngs of angels and men and women whose hope had been in the Lord, the shout of triumph must have put to shame the thousands who will cheer at this year’s Super Bowl. Not only had Jesus lived a sinless life in order to make his sacrifice worthy, he had also passed the test at the moment of trial by proclaiming his allegiance to his duty, “may your will be done” (Matthew 26:42). On that day, when Jesus returned home to the embrace of his heavenly father, he stood victorious over sin and death, a hero whose example inspires us to sacrifice for each other as so many honorable soldiers already have.

Supporting marriage through thick and thin

As the dismal economic news continues to unfold for the local and state economy and friends and loved ones continue to struggle to find adequate work, the strain and toll upon relationships and marriages rises. There are many things that can come between a husband and wife and cause harm to their marriage, few of them are as obvious as the loss of a job. In recent years, often through no fault of their own, men (primarily) have found themselves left without the ability to provide for their families. In the modern world, a family cannot go long without a steady income without risking the loss of the family home. With pressures such as this, is it any wonder that Christian marriages feel the strain of unemployment?
What do the Scriptures offer us in times of trouble such as this? The first thing that comes to mind is that God considers marriage to be sacred. A solemn pact that cannot be disregarded simply because things have become difficult. Genesis 2:24 reminds us that when two individuals join together in marriage, “they will become one flesh”. That fusion of two lives and purposes into one is designed precisely for the rough and difficult times. It’s an easy matter for two people to continue in marriage when times are flush, when nothing is pushing them apart. When a man and a woman truly need each other the most is when life is treating them the worst. Sadly, too many couples pull away from each other at these moments.
When you see a married couple being tested by unemployment (or any other tragedy or even success), pray for them. Offer them a word of encouragement, be willing to listen. Those who support marriages are doing the work of the Lord. God instituted marriage, but we need to be about the business of helping our friends and loved ones keep them intact.

Tis the Season...

The Christmas season officially started this week with the First Sunday of Advent. According to the retailers and some radio stations, the Christmas season was in full swing before Halloween. What is the purpose to celebrating a Christmas season (in addition to the day of Christmas itself)? Do we really need to prepare for more than a month to properly commemorate the birth of Christ? I’m sure that for many people, the weeks leading up to Christmas (or those prior to Easter) are little different than any other. No particular attention is paid to the approaching date beyond making sure that shopping is done and family gathering are planned. On the other hand, there is a potential benefit to setting aside periods of time each year to reflect upon and prepare for the birth and resurrection of Jesus. During most of the year it is far too easy to let ourselves be defined by the daily routine that we all keep. Too easy to follow the rut that we’re in and not seek any disruptions to our patterns. A Christmas approaches, we have the opportunity to examine our routine, to think about how we spend our time each week, and to reevaluate our priorities in the light of all of those twinkling bulbs. As Christmas approaches this year, allow yourself to step back from you life for a minute and try to see it through fresh eyes. The ultimate break in the routine of humanity was the birth of the God-Man in Bethlehem. God, in his mercy, decided to rescue us from the hopeless path that we were on. In memory of that unexpected twist to human history, see if new paths and habits might improve your ability to have a truly Merry Christmas.

How do I get there from here?

I've never been someone who had trouble figuring out where I should be going. To me, moral choices have always seems pretty clear. I don't claim to have always made the right ones, but I haven't been fooled much by the fog that sometimes blinds people to where the line between right and wrong is. The problem that has plagued me the most in my faith walk (and life) has been trying to figure out how to get where I want to go. There have always been roadblocks (an apt metaphor with all of our road construction projects) that have sent me on detours despite my desire to head straight toward the goal. One of those long trips led me to my wife Nicole, another led me to my ministry at First Baptist of Palo. Now it seems that this new path, toward the Army Chaplain Corp (Reserves), will be a long and winding road as well. At times I just want to wake up and start this new ministry, make a difference, realize my calling. I'll still be walking down this road that leads through Grand Rapids Theological Seminary for the next several years. The question remains, how will Nicole and I make it through the journey? One thing is certain, we'll walk this road together, God has made us one, we don't walk alone anymore. Another thing that seems certain is that God has little detours (some scenic perhaps?) planned for me along the way.
I've spent seven years working an alternative education teacher, a rough stretch of road, all the while hoping to get back on the full-time ministry path. God has been able to use me to work with this troubled teens though, and despite my desire to move on, he has a purpose for me here as well. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11
Indeed, the Lord is good, the Lord knows the path I must travel, the Lord will give me the strength to walk the path he has chosen, and the Lord will make me useful along the way.