Jumping to Conclusions

Last night I got a FaceTime call from our oldest granddaughter, Saraí Evangelina. As soon as her image came on the screen she was crying. "Grandpa, something terrible is happening!" My mind is thinking the worst! "My tooth is really loose and it's about to come out and Mommy's trying to trick me!" Whew! It is the worst thing for a seven year old to lose a tooth and I heard her cry and say that she believed her mommy was trying to take it out before its time. I said, "If Mommy ties a string to your tooth and then to the door, then she is tricking you!" Her eyes showed the horror of that thought. I could hear her mommy laughing behind her, and Grandma says, "Grandpa's going to say a prayer for you so that you can be okay." I start thinking about what to say to God about a 7 year old and a loose tooth when I hear Sarita say, "Oh, something wonderful is happening! My tooth just came out!" Indeed, wonderful. She held it up so that Grandma and I could see it. I had already prayed silently and then we all said, "Thank God, mijita!"

Our mind has the incredible capacity to run at lightening speed to the worst possible scenario which usually ends up with nothing coming true as we expected. And usually we have to say, Thank God! The same is true about jumping to conclusions without having all the facts or having time to think and reflect on what is best for all concerned. In the movie Office Space, a man stuck in what he believed to be a dead-end job kept thinking he would get rich with a game called "Jump to Conclusions" in which a mat had a list of possible conclusions on which one could jump. We know it isn't that simple. Our mind usually takes care of that if we're not careful.

The antidote for fear is faith. The outcome of all life according to the Bible is God wins. And if we're believers of God, we're on the winning team. Paul, who suffered and endured much wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13). We can do the same through Christ.

Initiative

I don't know when I learned the word bored, and still can't remember when I first used it. As a child I always had something to do and always found "toys" in what was around me. I was like most kids, one who could imaginatively use the box of a stove or refrigerator as a big toy. I will never forget coming home from school one day to hear how my new bride had enjoyed a day babysitting a fellow seminarian's daughter. The girl was tiny and not even four, but Nellie said, "She said she was bored!" Bored? asks I. "Yes! Had you ever heard a child say they were bored?" No. I had by then used the word more than I needed, but to hear a child use it at that time astounded me.

In my career I have heard pastors say they are bored. And like hearing it from children, I don't like hearing that. It indicates to me that something is either wrong with the individual or his/her perception of the place where she or he is serving. As I was becoming a superintendent, a mentor who had twice served as DS said he once heard a dear friend and longtime colleague complain to him that the church had never appointed him to a place of opportunity. The mentor was sitting in his office and right across the street was an elementary school. He couldn't resist and said, "Look across the street, what do you see? I see opportunity that you're not taking advantage of!"

Initiative defeats boredom. Boredom, like being in a rut, indicates stagnant vision that has drained creativity and energy from a person. The child, like the pastor, that cannot see joy and fun possibilities in all things, needs our prayers. The person of initiative looks beyond the usual, sees possibilities and turns them into opportunities, and with passion, starts something new. Initiative sees a school and imagines children's ministries starting, with adult tutors and readers deployed to help impact lives, all the while calling attention to the spiritual background from which these new leaders and helpers come.

Initiative is hitting the piñata with eyes open, seeing the candy inside as yours!

Thoughtfulness

Are we born thoughtful, or do we learn it? Are you thoughtful? Do you think at least one step beyond yourself to the needs of others? If you see a person carrying a load that seems like it might fall out and break, do you rush to help? If you're on a crowded bus or train and there's an older person that reminds you of your grandparent do you offer them your seat? If you're five steps ahead of someone and you walk in a building, do you hold the door open for the next person?

If you answered yes to all of the above, you are thoughtful. If you answered yes to two, you're thinking. If you answered yes to one or no to all three, you're clueless and self-centered, but not alone, sadly. You're in the company of the too busy, too hurried, too important group that make up a significant part of our society. But there's help and it's called getting a servant's heart through prayer and the study of the life of Jesus who put others so far in front that He got put on a cross for all people, even the clueless.

Get to thinking beyond yourself.

Setting and Living Personal Goals

The late Zig Ziglar, late in his life realized that the "goodness" of life had settled around his midsection and he realized that he needed to do something about it. This was an interesting development because one of Zig's mantras was "checkup from the neck up."

He posted a picture of a man from a men's health magazine on his bathroom wall near his mirror. He was a muscular, slender man, and I would add, fellas, be sure you explain to your spouse what you're doing; otherwise it can get really awkward really fast! But Zig said to himself every morning, "I want to look like that! That's my goal!" And so, every day, no matter where he was, he ran. And regardless of the weather he would run and run until he reached his goal.

You and I have set goals but boy is it easy to let things like weather or a little comment throw us off track. We won't run in the rain and we sure can't run in the cold. Or we say, if our goal is like Zig's, "Any way, I'm running, this cheeseburger won't hurt me!" And we all know the rest.

Set your goals and stick to them in faith, doing what it takes to reach them. Ask God for help and give God the glory every step of that way.

You can do it!

Proof or You'll Goof

Yesterday I thought was going to be a great day. I can't name all the things that were going just right. I had found the ideal parking spot in front of the hotel where I usually stay. I was assigned to the room I always request. I know most of the front desk staff by name, and I even made friends with the hotel's engineer. I told him about a problem with this particular room of a slow draining tub and when I got home the day before, he had left me a note saying the tub was fixed, and the maid left me a note saying I should have a good day. And overall I did, except that I made Jesus a rabbit.

Yep, not an Easter Bunny, but an itinerant rabbit. Yes, Peter Cottontail is itinerant, hopping down the bunny trail and all that, but what a horror to discover an email from a friend who lovingly said that he knew that I usually wrote my devotions before my first cup of coffee, but had I meant to make Jesus a rabbit? Of course no, but I saw it as I reread the post. Yikes. I responded by saying that's why we had the Easter Bunny. Another sent me a message by Facebook letting me know the same thing. I was thankful that somebody actually reads my postings but felt bad that I had not proofed. I goofed. It's on me. Or as the kids say, "My bad."

Proof or you'll goof.

Preaching and Witnessing

For many in our churches, our sermons are the only connecting point they may have with God for that week. For those outside the church, how we live our lives is the only connecting point they may have with God for that month.

As far as preaching is concerned, we simply should share the story as written as we preach from God's Word. We should share what it means to us today. Leave the doubt and scholarly discussion for the classroom. Share with passion how the story has blessed and/or changed your life; there is power in showing how God connected with your life in the passage being shared. The Reverend Harry Emerson Fosdick, noted pastor and preacher of the mid-20th century once said, "People don't come to church to find out what the Amalekites are up to this week." Indeed, they come to hear hope and purpose for their lives.

Submission

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Lenten Journey Travels Better Knowing Yourself

The Letter from James 4: 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

We all have our limitations. We have times when we think we have all the power or at least, a lot of power. Submission is realizing that we do not have all the power and someone else does. There is no one who has more power than God. Submitting to God's power is to assume the power of God coming upon us and blessing us as we face those most difficult of times. James writes that by submitting to God, we were accepting God's power to help us in resisting the wiles of the devil to the point the devil will flee from us. Doubt, sadness, depression, fear, all the negative things you can think of, gone by the power of God. James also stresses that as we draw closer to God, God draws closer to us.

Our Lenten Journey travels easier knowing that God's power and God's closeness blesses us and helps us. Turn over to God all that is weighing heavily upon you today. May the fear of a new day flee from you. The light of Jesus is upon you and you will be blessed.

PRAYER: Lord, bless my Lenten Journey as I seek and draw near to You. May all that I fear and all that causes me to tremble be gone, in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde