1 Year ago

Today, it's been a year since I started blogging. I've had my share of explaning to do. There's somethings I would do and not do differently. However, I have left it all out here in cyber space for you to see. It's been a real honor growing with you. It's been tough at times, but those tough times have sharpened me.
Today, I'm up at my home in Black Mountain, North Carolina working on lining up repairs for my home. Mother's Day night there was a severe wind storm here that caused 3 trees to fall on my home destroying the vast majority of the upstairs.

So, what's the deal, Lord? This was a question I asked at 1am Hawaii time when all my wonderful neighbors in North Carolina started calling me to let me know of the tragedy that had taken place (Hawaii is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in which North Caroline lies). I was not as upset as you might think. Stressed, yes. Upset, not really. Why? That's easy; this home isn't mine, it belongs to the Lord. As I have stated in the past, none of what I have is mine. I am just a steward of what belongs to the Lord. Sure, I can be frustrated at events like these. Likened to when I was school, I didn't like going to school because of the work and energy involved, but it was necessary to make me smarter and, hopefully, wiser. Tests were hard and required a lot of work and study. In the end, school, as hard as it was at times, made me a better and more productive person for society.

The same can be said for trials like the one I am going through now. It can be said for a trial you might be facing now. It may not be easy, but God's plan for your spiritual educataion is perfect. If you ever think your trial is too tough to bear, just spend an hour reading the book of Job in the Bible.

So many times we put God in a box. He has such a desire to bless you, even in those trials. Like a loving parent who may toss a child who doesn't know how to swim right into the pool. Terrified, the child struggles to gasp for air as their arms and legs frantically whale in every direction. The parent watched for signs of drowning, yet roots for the child to swim. Sometimes the distress is aparernet and the parent reaches in, pulls the child out. However, when the child has caught their breath, right back in the child goes. After diligence, the child will begin to tread water as the parent cheers the accomplishment. After a while, the water, once a source of terror, becomes the source of fun. (This is how I learned to swim).

God doesn't want us to drown in our trials. He's rooting for us to master them. don't go half way or make deals with God. Don't box him up in a 90 day campaign where you say "O.K. Lord, I'm committing to this for 90 days, and if I don't see results, it must not be true." That stuff and line of thinking will frustrate your walk with Him for a very long time, because He'll keep tossing you in the pool til you've got it.

Let me give an example of what I mean and I'll be done. I speak on tithes and offerings a lot because I believe it is the number one way to show obedience and faith. So many times, I've been in church services where it will come that time of year, usually in January, when tithes and offerings drop off. People over spend for Christmas, and in order to catch up on their bills, they "cheat" God. Inevidently, the pastor and church administrator see this happening so the pastor puts together a sermon series on "the tithe" or something to that effect. Many times, in the past, I recall campaigns such as "prove the tithe" or "put God first." This year, I had a chance to speak on the tithe in my church, a huge honor. This year, church leadership decided not to put a box around a time period we thought people needed to commit to. Instead, we taught, in a soft manner, the truth...God gives us everything, none of it is ours, and He only asks us to give back 10%. That's quite a deal. We explained that the blessings don't always come financially but in many other ways. The church responded in a way that has been far better than a 30, 60, or 90 day campaign. They keep giving because they like giving and it shows. The church as a business is in the black, even when we've over spent some of the budget. The church, as an entity, is gowing in number by leaps and bounds, and its growing spiritually in its muturity. For the most part, the vast majority has gotten it, and they've seen the fruit begin to bloom. When we keep God out of a box, His blessings are as the stars in the sky, limitless.

So, as I deal with my new "tree house," I am excited about the new things God is teaching me (yesterday was patience with the insurance man). Who knows what today will bring. I still have 3 trees on my house, but God has given me so much more than this small challenge. For one, I have the gift of eternal life.

Pray for my safe travels back to O-Town on Saturday; I look forward to seeing you in church this Sunday.