The Seed of Hope

Twenty-One Days

This past summer the Church of The Highlands, located here in Birmingham, held Twenty-One Days of Prayer, a prayer service that lasted for, you guessed it, twenty-one days!

Being new to Highlands, I’d never even heard of the service, much less attended it. Come to think of it, I’d never been to a prayer service, at any church. Always looking for ways to deepen my relationship with God, I decided to give it a try. I’d often heard of people being referred to as “prayer warriors”, and while I didn’t consider myself to be a prayer warrior, or know that I wanted to be one, I certainly knew how to pray!

Monday through Friday the service was held from 6:00 to 7:00 A.M., and on Saturday it was from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M.. There wasn’t a service on Sunday. I guess that it was expected that you would attend church (and in doing so would pray).

Day One

I rolled out of bed at five o’clock and as quietly as I possibly could (I didn’t want to wake my wife Jackie) showered, got dressed, and brewed a small thermos of coffee to take with me. I pulled out of our driveway at 5:30, allowing 15 minutes for the drive, and another 15 to get settled in at church.

During the drive over, I wondered what the service would be like. I mean, would we just sit around for an hour in prayer? (I do that almost every morning in our kitchen.) I figured that I’d find out soon enough.

I walked in to find a perhaps a hundred people scattered about, as our praise and worship music filled the huge main auditorium (it seats around 2,500 people). I took a seat near the front, as is my custom, and bowed my head in prayer while I waited for the service to begin.

The first of the twenty-one days began with an introduction as to what we should expect during the next three weeks. Each day would begin with a reading and a message from one of the pastors at Highlands. This would be followed by everyone in attendance singing one of our “Sunday songs.” Next would be thirty minutes of individual prayer and reflection. The final fifteen minutes would consist of everyone gathering at the main stage for corporate prayer being led by the “pastor of the day”.

I remember thinking “I can handle this.”

And so the first service began with the reading, the message, and the singing. I was enjoying the experience, but I wasn’t sure that it was worth getting up and out of the house at 5:30 in the morning. Turns out that I was a bit premature in my thinking…

Prayer Resources

When we had finished singing we were told that there were some resources at the front of the stage that we might use in prayer. Figuring that I could use all the help I could get, I decided to check out these resources.

As I approached the stage I saw stacks of cards arranged across the front. As I got closer I realized that they were hundreds of Connection Cards from Sunday’s services. These cards are filled out by visitors attending Highlands for the first time, returning visitors, and members of the church. There are sections for general information, (name, address, age, etc.) education classes offered in the church, ministry opportunities, and prayer requests.

I picked up, I don’t know, maybe 25 or 30 cards and headed back to my seat. As I began to read, I quickly realized that all of the cards in my hand contained prayer requests from the congregation.

Now I have to tell you…I pray for people all the time. I pray for Jackie and our family. I pray for my friends. I pray for our team in our salon. I pray for our church and civic leaders, our country, and our world. I pray for the sick, and those in need. I pray for lost souls.

But this was different. I was holding people’s lives, stranger’s lives, in my hands. Yet strangely enough, I felt as if I knew them. You see, there were names connected with all of these cards…people requesting prayers for themselves, or family members, or friends. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t see their faces; I knew their names. And there was hurt and pain and desperation on all of these cards…sickness…drug abuse…broken relationships…financial problems…death. Many prayed for loved ones to find God.

The small stack of cards in my hand suddenly carried the weight of an automobile. I found myself holding my breath, tears streaming down my face, overwhelmed by the huge wave of emotion that had engulfed me. Five or ten minutes elapsed before I could continue reading.

Looking back on it now, I don’t know if I was moved by the needs of all those people, or by the affirmations of their faith shown in asking other people to act as intercessors on their behalf. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

Either way, the impact of that morning stayed with me for the remainder of that day, and for days to come. And so it went for the next couple of weeks.

Until…

I don’t remember the exact day, but I do know that it was during the last week of the Twenty-One Days. I was walking around in church that morning (I sometimes like to pace when I pray) sifting through the prayer cards, just as I had been doing for the past couple of weeks. I had actually gotten more accustomed to reading them by then. Oh, I still felt the pain, but I wasn’t as overwhelmed as I had been the first few mornings.

But that particular morning I sensed something else…a different kind of urgency…a different kind of pain. This was something close to me, as in physically close. I stopped dead in my tracks and took a look around, hoping to find the source of my uneasy feeling, but not really wanting to. Make sense?

There, on the floor, just a couple of feet away from me, was a young lady on her knees, face buried in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. I could feel her pain. My first instinct was to put a hand on her shoulder to console her. I decided against it because I thought that I might be invading her privacy. I was, after all, a complete stranger. I opted instead to linger for just a moment, asking God to hear her petitions.

“You can’t see the forest for the trees.”

After praying for the young lady, I resumed my walk around the church with a new set of eyes, with a different perspective. This time my focus was not on the cards in my hand, but on the other people in attendance.

As I scanned the church, I was taken aback by the desperation that I not only saw on many faces, but actually felt in my heart. At that very moment I realized that while many of us were offering prayers for people on the connection cards, a great many others were on their knees for their own petitions. Had they been there all along during the twenty-one days? How could I not have noticed them? How could I not have felt their needs?

My mind flashed back to that very first day…the numbness, the emotion, and the tears. I spent the remainder of that morning, and a good portion of the remaining mornings that week, praying for the needs of those around me.

How do I do it?

I’m frequently asked how I can be so positive and happy all the time…

When I’m having a particularly rough day, or when life seems to be throwing me one curve after another, or when I’m faced with one of those challenging situations that we all face from time to time, I pause.

And I think about the Twenty-One days of Prayer, and the connection cards with the names, and the hurt, the pain, the needs of others. And I think about the young lady on her knees, and the man openly weeping as he offered his petitions to God, and the desperation that I felt in that church. And the faith that I witnessed in that church. I think about the millions of people that are burdened each day and the millions more that don’t know God.

You see, my positive outlook and happiness is born of gratitude. I’m grateful that God has seen fit to bless me with all that He has. I’m grateful for His presence in my life. I’m grateful that He has given me another day. I’m just grateful. Period.

See you next week!

Tunnels

What matters most is not the darkness entering the tunnel, but the promise of light that waits on the other end.

Tunnels and kids…

I remember the anticipation and thrill of riding through tunnels when I was a kid. Looking back, I don’t know which part was the most exciting…driving down into a hole in the ground, or the lights, or trying to be the first one to get a glimpse of the light at the other end. Maybe it was just the idea of riding under buildings, streets, and sometimes, water that made it so exciting! I’d always ask my Dad to drive a little slower so the experience would last a bit longer…he’d always laugh, but he never slowed down…at least, not enough for me.

I can’t remember what I thought of tunnels when I was really young, say as an infant or a toddler, but I can remember what my sons Brian and Christian experienced the first time they entered a tunnel: absolute PANIC! The same thing happened (three years apart) with both of them…toolin’ down the road, lookin’ out the window…enjoying the view…sudden darkness… “Waaaahhhhh!!!”

It’s funny how they both reacted to the darkness of the tunnel in the exact same way. I wonder if I did the same the first time I went into a tunnel.

The sad thing was that because of their age, I couldn’t make them understand that the darkness was only temporary. My assurances that everything was gonna’ be okay were drowned out by their terrified screams. In both instances I sped up as much as I could, pushing onward toward the light at the other end. And in both instances, Brian and Christian stopped crying the moment we exited the tunnel!

Tunnels and adults…

It’s been a long time since I experienced that “We’re gonna go in a tunnel! Slow down and blow the horn Dad!” rush I got when I was a kid (I’m fifty-seven now, so perhaps I should say that it’s been a really long time!). But you know what? I still get that tingling sensation when I drive through a tunnel, especially one that I’ve never been in before. Of course, there’s no element of fear…I know what waits at the other end…better yet; I know that there is the other end…

Have you figured out where I’m going with this?

I want to talk about the “mental tunnels” that we enter as adults. Unlike clearly visible tunnels that lie ahead as we drive in our cars, these mental ones come out of nowhere. There are no signs saying Tunnel ahead. Turn on lights. Drive with caution. No flashing lights. No nothing. You’re cruising through life, enjoying the ride, taking in the view, and BAM…you’re in a tunnel…in the darkness.

Of course there are many kinds of mental tunnels, including, but not limited to, anxiety, anger, indecision, depression, hopelessness, loneliness, and despair. Much like traditional tunnels, they are east to enter. Unlike traditional tunnels, these are quite often very, very hard to get out of.

What now?

What do you do when you find yourself in one of these tunnels?

Ironically, I believe that at times many of us are so blinded by the darkness that envelops us that we can’t even see a speck of a light that’s always there; God’s light.

I feel the need to interject something here…

I’m going to share this based on the assumption that you’re reading this post…visiting this blog…because you’re a Christian…or perhaps you believe in God, but you haven’t accepted Christ in your life yet…or perhaps you’re just curious. In any case, you’re always welcome here. And on the premise that my assumptions are correct, I’ll move on…

I think that there are many “believers” who look upon atheists (those who don’t believe in God) with a sense of disdain, almost as if they were second-class citizens.

I actually pity them. Why? Who does an atheist turn to for comfort, strength, hope, direction, etc? All the things that, in their purest form, only God can provide me for me.

Sorry…back to the subject at hand…

So what do you do when you find yourself in a tunnel?

You turn to God (if you’re not already seeking His face). You pray (if you’re not already praying). You ask God to help you (if you haven’t already asked.) You pray some more.

“I’ve already done that, and it hasn’t worked. I don’t know what else to do.” Sound familiar?

Try something else!

Like what? Talk to a friend. Seek the counsel of your Pastor. Talk to another friend.

Well, for some of us, this is easier said than done. Sometimes our ego gets in the way of reaching out for assistance. I believe that many of us would rather try to find our own way out of the darkness, even though we may not have the slightest clue as to what we should do or where we should go. And I’ll go ahead and say it: I think that men have the hardest time swallowing their pride and asking for advice, all the while knowing that someone may just have the solution to the problem. Go figure…

They grope in the darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards. JOB 12:25

I have this theory that I want to run by you…

Quite often when we are enduring a particular hardship in life we tend to think that God is trying to teach us one of life’s lessons…something that we need to learn to be a better person…something that just hasn’t “sunk in”…

Do you think that maybe, just maybe, one of the lessons that He’s trying to teach us is to reach out to others for help? That maybe the way out of the tunnel and out of the darkness is found through a friend? That the light that we so desperately seek, God’s light, may be found in the eyes or in the voice of the person sitting directly across from us? That the real lesson is not about finances, or relationships, or anger, but about surrendering?

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of the darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.               2 CORINTHIANS 4:6 (NIV)

The bottom line…

What we must remember is that God’s light never goes out…He never turns it off. Ever. It doesn’t even have a dimmer switch! It’s always there for us, burning brighter than the sun. I don’t know how we could possibly lose sight of it, or how we could lose sight of Him, but we do.

When you find yourself in one of those tunnels…lost…alone…desperate…don’t expect the light at other end of it to come looking for you! Pray. Seek His face. Pray some more. Seek the face of a friend. Do whatever you have to do to get out. Never settle for the darkness. Never give up.

You see, it’s not just the promise of any light at the end of the tunnel…it is the promise God’s light, and it is unlike any other!

See you next week!

BUGS

A couple of years ago my wife Jackie and I were driving down to Biloxi, Mississippi to catch a Cirque de Soleil show at one of the local casinos. Biloxi is located on the Gulf Coast, and before the arrival of the big hotels and legalized gambling, one of its biggest claims to fame was being slammed by Hurricane Camille in August of 1969. Depending on who’s behind the wheel, the drive can take from four to five hours from Birmingham.

Okay, before I can continue I have to tell you about one of my pet peeves. A pet peeve is a minor annoyance that an individual sees as a major annoyance. Some examples of pet peeves are poor table manners, gum smacking, solicitors, and inconsiderate drivers. Have I struck a nerve yet? Are going down your mental checklist of pet peeves right now, reliving moments and situations, your blood pressure rising as you do?

Well, stop it; this is about my pet peeve, not yours. I just wanted to get you in the mindset of the aggravation that is associated with a pet peeve.

This peeve, this irritant, this annoyance, this aggravating, drives-me-up-a-wall thing that I want to tell you about is:

BUGS ON MY WINDSHIELD!

Go ahead, laugh if you’d like (it’s not that I could stop you anyway!). Look, I don’t even like a dirty windshield, much less one splattered with bug guts. I figure that God gave man the idea to come up with the little built-in windshield “water guns” and windshield wipers so that we can see where we’re going as we drive from destination to destination. You still think that I’m kidding, don’t you? I’m so bad that if I get into someone else’s car, and their windshield is covered with whatever, I’ll simply ask, “Somethin’ wrong with your car? Why don’t you use your window washer?”

Back to the story…

So we’re heading down I-65 South towards Mobile, Alabama, we’re making really good time, and I’m thinking “This has been an easy drive. We’re gonna get there early, so we’ll have some time to unwind and relax.”

Splat.

There’s a bug on my windshield! I quickly reach for the button to activate the “wash-wipe” feature on the car. The water sprays, and the wipers begin to do their job. Whew!

Splat. There’s another one! My wipers haven’t even cleared the remnants of the first one…now there’s two of ‘em!

Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat.

No, I’m not exaggerating…it was that bad and worse!  There was hundreds of ‘em. I kept hittin’ that wash button repeatedly, and, quite simply, my wipers couldn’t keep up with the bugs. Worse still was the fact that I could barely see what was ahead of me.

I started freakin’ out! And I’ll go ahead and admit it…I started cursing like a sailor! This only served to startle Jackie, who had been napping in the passenger seat. She was up like a shot, her spine board-straight, and her hands trying to find purchase on anything that may protect her from the impending doom! “What’s wrong?” she shrieked, terror in her voice.

“It’s bugs!” I shouted, my eyes never leaving the windshield, my fingers frantically hitting that button.

“WHAT?”  Jackie questioned.

“Look at the windshield! Look at all the bugs! What the hell is going on?”

When I thought that things couldn’t get any worse, they did…the reservoir that holds the fluid to clean the windows ran dry! Now, the wipers are wiping, but there’s nothing to wipe, except for the bugs. I’m really starting to panic; I couldn’t see! Oh crap!

Thank goodness, it was about that same time that we made it through the “swarm.” I pulled off onto the shoulder of the freeway, parked the car, and got out to clean the windshield and assess the situation. There were cars parked everywhere, their drivers stepping out to do exactly what I was doing! Not wanting to sit there all day, I retrieved a bottle of water and a handful of napkins from the car, cleaned the windshield as best I could, and continued on to Biloxi.

(Upon our return to Birmingham I learned that we had run into a swarm of  “love bugs”, which are members of the family of marchflies. The lovebug is common to Central America and the southeastern United States, especially the Gulf Coast.)

Bugs

I believe that we all get bugs on our windshield from time to time; distractions that cloud our vision, cause us to veer from our destination, and stand in the way of us becoming what we are supposed to be. Perhaps, most importantly, they take our vision off of God. These bugs may vary in type and nuisance “level”, as is how much they aggravate us. Independently, they may not pose much of a problem…collectively, they can change the course of our lives.

I’m talking the “big bugs” that face many of us today, such as unemployment, health care costs, and dwindling retirement accounts.  

I’m talking about the “little bugs”; things in life that we just have to overlook, like rush hour traffic, inconsiderate drivers, and those aggravating solicitors that call our homes after we’ve put in a hard day at work.

And I’m talking about the bugs that fall in the middle…bugs that have a way of sneaking up on us…that have a way of impacting our lives more than we may realize. Like the conversation that you’ve been putting off having with your friend that hurt your feelings…or that “situation” at work…or that escalating credit card bill…or those hideous numbers on your scale when you check your weight…or the life-lesson that you really need to share with your child…or that talk that you need to have with your boss…or the fact that you haven’t been to church in a while.

If you have a “laundry list” of things that you need to do and situations that need to be addressed, you’re probably having a hard time living for today, much less planning for tomorrow; and you’re probably not very happy with your life. And as you’ve probably figured out by now, life doesn’t come with a washer button and wipers! These bugs won’t magically disappear.

I made a list.

A few years ago I sat down to make my first “bug list.” My list contained everything that I’d like to get done that day, everything that I needed to get done that day, and all those things that I’d been putting off that should have been done the day before! 

Here’s where it gets interesting…I put the one thing that I dreaded doing the most at the top of my list! I figured that if I could find the guts to do the hardest one, the rest would be a snap. I was gonna attack my list that next day, and I wasn’t gonna do anything else until I’d taken care of that first bug (a confrontation with someone that I’d been putting off for a long, long, time).

Life came to a screeching halt!

Two days came and went, and my list remained unchanged…and I have to tell you that with each passing hour that bug became bigger and bigger. Whereas before I could “forget” about the bug for brief periods of time, I found myself totally consumed by the thoughts of my inability to overcome my fear; which only served to make matters worse. One bug, one mental obstacle, became a barrier that I couldn’t go over, under, or around.

I awoke on the morning of the third day, tormented by my own conscience! Miserable in my own self-made “prison”, I turned once again to my list...staring at the paper in my now-trembling hands…looking at that thing (it had taken on an identity) that I couldn’t wish away. Closing my eyes, desperately needing some relief, needing a solution…

Dear God, I need some help with this. Would you give me the courage to overcome my fear and stand up for myself? This thing is eating me from the inside out…I know it’s something that I need to do…it’s something that I have to do…I just cannot bring myself to do it. Please, please help me.

I picked up the phone, dialed the number, and held my breath waiting for an answer on the other end, all the while hoping that there wouldn’t be one. There was. I exhaled and began talking…

Fast forward…

four years later, and I’m still talking! Oh, I still have a list of things that I avoid doing from time to time…you know, more of those bugs on my windshield. And I still have to ask God to give me that shot of courage to get them done. Funny…He always does.

Look, life is full of bugs that cover our windshields. Why don’t you stand back and take a long look at yours…are you having a hard time finding your way because there’s just too much stuff in the way? Can’t really see where you’re going?

Make your own bug list. If you ask God to help you with it, I have a feeling that He’ll do exactly that. It’s amazing how much easier life is when you can see where you’re going…especially if He is your destination!

See you next week!