My wife and I are proud owners of a five year old pit bull named Ava. She is a nut. She spent this past winter recovering from surgery to repair an ACL which she probably tore jumping to peek over our 6 foot fence. It's actually quite a site, she can literally get head and shoulders above the fence from standing still. I'm positive she could get over it if she really wanted to but, I'm pretty certain she is content within the safety of the backyard. Don't let the media hype fool you, not all pit bulls are monsters.
So last week sometime she broke a nail (insert joke here), not chipped or cracked, but really broke. The nail basically peeled like a banana around the quick. I didn't notice how bad it was until yesterday because she has such a high tolerance for pain, the way she was tearing around the yard and such would never give anyone the reason to believe something was wrong, especially with something that is as integral a part of running or walking as a foot is.
Seeing the need to have the nail attended to, I took her to the vet. She hates having anyone touch her feet under normal conditions, so the fact that she was injured didn't bode well for the technicians. They took her out back, muzzled her, and it took four of them to accomplish the task at hand. There were probably four or five other patients waiting to be seen, and as Ava's screams and cries filled the waiting area, I imagined the dentist office where the little kid is in hysterics in the chair and all the other kids in the waiting room can hear his blood-curdling cries and they start to panic and cling to their mothers. It was wild.
After what seemed like an hour the tech brought Ava back out. She was fine, bright red bandage and all. Like I had mentioned earlier, I hadn't noticed her nail, because she didn't let on like anything was wrong right away. It wasn't til Monday that I noticed a problem. She was moping around, favoring her paw, just generally being a grump. But believe me when I tell you that all the pain she experienced in that back room was well worth it on the other side. She walked out of that vets office like nothing had ever happened. She was back to her old self again, save the bright red bandage.
And it got me thinking about pain and the rewards it brings. People think about pain as a bad thing, people think about pain as something that is never beneficial, that it's something to avoid at all costs, or...and this is the biggie...if God is truly a God of love why is there pain and suffering in this world.
I think the answer is very simple...the suffering, the trials, the tribulation that we all experience in life serve a purpose. Oh, we might not always see that purpose in the midst of the pain, there is even a chance we may never understand why we experienced something in the first place. It may not necessarily be for our benefit, and that can be a tough sell for some. But like Ava and her broken nail, as the technicians held her down to strip away the broken pieces, which led to more excruciating pain, there was relief on the other side. She was subjected to horrible pain, that she undoubtedly did not understand, that led to a greater good. Like the technicians performing the procedure, God knows the benefits that the current pain will bear in time.
Don't look at trials and struggles, sickness and pain, as punishment or the universe balancing out, or whatever ridiculous new-age garbage is floating around, look at it for what it truly is; an opportunity to allow the Lord to draw you closer to Him. The Lord utilizes the pain to strengthen our faith. We all really only have a couple of options when it comes to pain. We can either shrivel up and die, or we can get closer to the Lord who loves us and gave His life for us. As born-again followers of Christ our thoughts and views on the goings-on of this life should always be with eternity in mind. Like Jesus said through Paul in Romans-"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Just like Ava and the broken nail, even though we may not understand why, rest assured that it will all be worth it.
Thanks for reading.
Love in Christ,
Chris
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
thoughts on my 29th birthday
So upon waking this morning I was faced with the reality that I am 365 days away form being the ripe old age of 30. While I am aware of people in my circle that are dreading or have dreaded the infamous 30-somethings, I realized early on that I really don’t care. The idea of leaving my twenties behind and journeying into my thirties is actually rather exciting and intriguing.
As I considered my birthday, the concept of birth was on my mind in a way that it never has been before, and I’m sure this is due in part to the fact that so many people I know and love are either having babies or have recently had a child. They seem to be everywhere and it has impacted my thought process. Rest assured we are not considering children…we are most happy being Aunt and Uncle.
I am able to look around at my life and see how blessed I am. I have a wonderful, beautiful, godly wife in Kelley, I have a roof…um…floor more accurately, over my head in my humble basement apartment, I am healthy, I’m growing a small business, I have friends and family that love and care about me, and for all that I am truly thankful. The Lord is good.
In all this pontificating on life and all that it entails, my thought process inevitably lead me to consider the end of life and what happens when life ceases to exist. I have never been one to look at death as something to be feared, or as something to try to reverse, after all it would only be prolonging the inevitable…the death rate is still 1 to 1. I did however, consider how grateful I am that the Lord has provided life after death. Yes, that’s right, there is life after death. Contrary to what some may have you believe, you do have a soul, and it will live on after your earthly shell takes its last breath.
So the big question is what happens to you, to me after we die?
You will be judged…I know, I know people don’t like to hear that nowadays. In this age of relativism where the idea of “what’s good for you is good for you and what’s good for me I good for me” is rampant, the idea of being held accountable for something is almost extinct. Believe me the decisions we make here on earth in life now have ramifications in eternity. There is two ways this judgment works. The first, and best way, is to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ, washed by His blood that was shed for the remission of sins (Matt 26:28), so that Christ looks upon you and says “Well done my good and faithful servant”. That’s how I plan on going. Or there is the alternative…to be judged in your sins and your own righteousness, which the Lord tells us is “like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) only to hear from the Lord “Depart from Me, I never knew you” Heaven or Hell…it’s your choice.
Jesus was clear and He left no room for debate, He said that “"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”-John 14:6. That’s pretty self explanatory…there is only one way to Heaven and He is it. He also tells us that “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."-Acts 4:12. These things Jesus said were not arbitrary statements that were made as directions for one of many possibilities, they were directions for the only possibility for eternal life.
Please do not fall for those that would have you believe that you can earn your way into heaven, or that you could somehow talk your way in…that is simply not the case. The saving grace of Jesus Christ is a gift given freely to all those that are drawn by the spirit to accept that free gift. In the letter to the Ephesians, the Lord through Paul tells us that “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”-Eph 2:8-9 We can’t earn it, period.
One of the awesome things about the Lord is that He loves us just the way we are. He loves us just the way we are…but loves us to much to leave us that way. People get the ill conceived idea that they need to clean up their act before they give their lives to Christ, and that simply isn’t the case. You surrender your life to Christ and He will begin the process of transforming you from the inside out.
The saving grace of Christ is a free gift, and just like a birthday gift, it needs to be accepted by the recipient. There needs to be a decision made…accept or decline, yes or no, for or against. There is no middle road.
So if your still with me, and have considered these things and would like to make a decision for Christ, it really is simple. Ask Christ to take up residency in your heart and forgive your sins. Allow Him to direct your life from this moment forward. All the junk in your past is forgiven and forgotten, don’t keep going back to it or bringing it up, He doesn’t…HE FORGAVE IT ALL ON THE CROSS!
If you made that decision get out and tell someone…tell your coworker, your kids, your spouse, a stranger, tell me…I don’t care just tell someone. Next order of business is to get to know the Lord and who He is, and that process can be started by reading your Bible and talking to the Lord. If you don’t have a bible you can find free bibles and software at either esword.net or blueletterbible.com. Then get into a church that teaches the Word of God, line upon line and verse upon verse. Steer clear from churches or religions that pump you for money, that don’t teach the bible, or suggest that there may be more than one way to Heaven, or those that put themselves between you and Jesus. You don’t need a priest to go between you and God. You go to the Lord directly. “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” 1 Tim 2:5.
As I wrap this up, my prayer for those that have read this that have never taken a stand on one side or the other would seriously take into consideration the things written here, take stock of the state of your soul and act accordingly. If you are one that has fallen away from the faith, please remember that Christ loves you and he is waiting with open arms to welcome you back into the fold, turn from your own devices and come on back.
I guess the way this all ties into the idea of birthdays is this: Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3 that “unless one be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God”. So today, you can make a decision to be “born-again” and have a birthday today too!
Thanks for reading.
Love in Christ
Chris
As I considered my birthday, the concept of birth was on my mind in a way that it never has been before, and I’m sure this is due in part to the fact that so many people I know and love are either having babies or have recently had a child. They seem to be everywhere and it has impacted my thought process. Rest assured we are not considering children…we are most happy being Aunt and Uncle.
I am able to look around at my life and see how blessed I am. I have a wonderful, beautiful, godly wife in Kelley, I have a roof…um…floor more accurately, over my head in my humble basement apartment, I am healthy, I’m growing a small business, I have friends and family that love and care about me, and for all that I am truly thankful. The Lord is good.
In all this pontificating on life and all that it entails, my thought process inevitably lead me to consider the end of life and what happens when life ceases to exist. I have never been one to look at death as something to be feared, or as something to try to reverse, after all it would only be prolonging the inevitable…the death rate is still 1 to 1. I did however, consider how grateful I am that the Lord has provided life after death. Yes, that’s right, there is life after death. Contrary to what some may have you believe, you do have a soul, and it will live on after your earthly shell takes its last breath.
So the big question is what happens to you, to me after we die?
You will be judged…I know, I know people don’t like to hear that nowadays. In this age of relativism where the idea of “what’s good for you is good for you and what’s good for me I good for me” is rampant, the idea of being held accountable for something is almost extinct. Believe me the decisions we make here on earth in life now have ramifications in eternity. There is two ways this judgment works. The first, and best way, is to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ, washed by His blood that was shed for the remission of sins (Matt 26:28), so that Christ looks upon you and says “Well done my good and faithful servant”. That’s how I plan on going. Or there is the alternative…to be judged in your sins and your own righteousness, which the Lord tells us is “like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) only to hear from the Lord “Depart from Me, I never knew you” Heaven or Hell…it’s your choice.
Jesus was clear and He left no room for debate, He said that “"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”-John 14:6. That’s pretty self explanatory…there is only one way to Heaven and He is it. He also tells us that “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."-Acts 4:12. These things Jesus said were not arbitrary statements that were made as directions for one of many possibilities, they were directions for the only possibility for eternal life.
Please do not fall for those that would have you believe that you can earn your way into heaven, or that you could somehow talk your way in…that is simply not the case. The saving grace of Jesus Christ is a gift given freely to all those that are drawn by the spirit to accept that free gift. In the letter to the Ephesians, the Lord through Paul tells us that “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”-Eph 2:8-9 We can’t earn it, period.
One of the awesome things about the Lord is that He loves us just the way we are. He loves us just the way we are…but loves us to much to leave us that way. People get the ill conceived idea that they need to clean up their act before they give their lives to Christ, and that simply isn’t the case. You surrender your life to Christ and He will begin the process of transforming you from the inside out.
The saving grace of Christ is a free gift, and just like a birthday gift, it needs to be accepted by the recipient. There needs to be a decision made…accept or decline, yes or no, for or against. There is no middle road.
So if your still with me, and have considered these things and would like to make a decision for Christ, it really is simple. Ask Christ to take up residency in your heart and forgive your sins. Allow Him to direct your life from this moment forward. All the junk in your past is forgiven and forgotten, don’t keep going back to it or bringing it up, He doesn’t…HE FORGAVE IT ALL ON THE CROSS!
If you made that decision get out and tell someone…tell your coworker, your kids, your spouse, a stranger, tell me…I don’t care just tell someone. Next order of business is to get to know the Lord and who He is, and that process can be started by reading your Bible and talking to the Lord. If you don’t have a bible you can find free bibles and software at either esword.net or blueletterbible.com. Then get into a church that teaches the Word of God, line upon line and verse upon verse. Steer clear from churches or religions that pump you for money, that don’t teach the bible, or suggest that there may be more than one way to Heaven, or those that put themselves between you and Jesus. You don’t need a priest to go between you and God. You go to the Lord directly. “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” 1 Tim 2:5.
As I wrap this up, my prayer for those that have read this that have never taken a stand on one side or the other would seriously take into consideration the things written here, take stock of the state of your soul and act accordingly. If you are one that has fallen away from the faith, please remember that Christ loves you and he is waiting with open arms to welcome you back into the fold, turn from your own devices and come on back.
I guess the way this all ties into the idea of birthdays is this: Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3 that “unless one be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God”. So today, you can make a decision to be “born-again” and have a birthday today too!
Thanks for reading.
Love in Christ
Chris
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