The Dragonfly

The Dragonfly is known to have 3 life stages. First, Dragonfly eggs are deposited directly onto aquatic plants or dropped into the water. Dragonflies begin life as a nymph living underwater. This nymphal stage can last for as long as four years for some species. Many species overwinter as nymphs in ponds and marshes and emerge in the spring as adults. When the nymph is completely grown and ready to become a dragonfly it will crawl up the stem of a water plant and emerge out of the water. The nymph is now ready to change from an underwater insect into an aerial one! The adult dragonfly emerges from the skin of the nymph. After emerging from skin, the dragonfly body and wings grow rapidly as it pumps fluids into to them. From this point on, the Dragonfly will spend the rest of its life flying in the air.

I spent the afternoon with another chaplain at the hospital. I really appreciated the opportunity to once again observe how these men minister to people who find themselves in some of the most difficult and vulnerable circumstances. I continue to be impressed with how well they listen, how gentle they love and how meaningful their compassion is to all the people they visit.

On this particular day, we spent some time on the pediatric floor. The chaplain had a unique way that he comforted these young patients...origami. One of his favorites creations was the dragonfly and as he would construct this flying insect out of paper, he would educate the patient about the life cycle of a dragonfly and then tell this story:

One day, a water bug was swimming in the water with his friends when he noticed someone was missing. Yet, this was not the first time something like this had happened. Over time, many of the friends they had swam around the pond with suddenly disappeared.

"Where do you think they have gone?", one water bug asked.

"I don't know", came the reply.

"Then we must make a pact", said the first water bug. "If one of us ever finds out, we must come back and tell the others."

"Yes we must", they all agreed.

And then one day, one of the water bugs decided to crawl up a tall plant extending high above the water. And when he reached the top he realized something had changed. He had shed his water bug skin and beautiful wings had emerged. He began to fly high into the air and the feeling was wonderfully more than he had ever imagined...and then he remembered.

"I must go and tell my friends. Now I know and so must they."

Yet as he descended upon the water, he realized he could not go back. He would bounce off the top of the water. Now that he had wings, he could not descend beneath the surface. He watched his friends as flew in the air and realized, "They will join me soon enough. And they will be so glad when they do."

The chaplain would tell this story as he made the insect out of paper. If someone had lost a loved one, he would relate this story to heaven and the promise of God for those who trust Him. If a child was frightened, he would encourage them with the promise that things will get better. It was a wonderful tool that he would use to communicate a most important message in a most gentle way.

Another lesson learned from the chaplains.

When Faith Eclipses Fear

Sometimes there’s nothing left but to believe
Sometimes it’s in an instant
Sometimes we wait for years
But it comes down to the moment when faith eclipses fear
Your wandering is over
The other side is real
You’ve broken through
Your mountain moved
And mercy is revealed
His mercy is revealed

The author of these beautiful words may surprise you. But before I reveal the source, let me comment on these words.
Perhaps most impacting to me is the phrase “when faith eclipses fear”. I like this because it does not deny the reality of fear. Instead, it accepts its reality and says that mountains move when faith eclipses fear – not when fear is eliminated.
This is somewhat comforting for me as a person who regularly deals with this issue of fear. Maybe it’s the fear of failure, the fear of disappointment or the fear of future tragedy. No one thing in particular, just the same concern over things I am personally powerless to control. To me, that is the definition of the outcome of fear:

THE ANXIETY EXPERIENCED BY THE ANTICIPATION OF EVENTS OUTSIDE A PERSON’S OWN ABILITY TO CONTROL.

The antithesis is a good definition of the outcome of faith:

THE PEACE EXPERIENCED BY RELINQUISHING CONTROL AND TRUSTING GOD.

In all this, we ultimately find rest in His mercy. For our Creator knows every detail of our life and how He made us. He understands our weaknesses and our struggles. His mercy will never allow us to experience a moment in time where His power is not sufficient to carry us through. For His power is perfected in our weakness.
But that takes faith! For in most cases, the events that He is able to bear would most assuredly crush us if we tried to carry them on our own. Therefore, He reminds us, “Come unto Me all you are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Our weariness often comes from enduring burdens we were never intended to bear. Our burden of concern over things we are powerless to control can only wear us down. Through faith, we trust in Him, and His load is one that we can carry all day and all night. It is light and gives rest to our soul. I must learn to "trade burdens". I give mine to God, for I cannot carry it on my own. I take His, knowing His mercy and strength will make the load light and give refreshemnt to my soul.
The words of the song (Suddenly) written by Toby Mac give a wonderful picture of what it means to experience the peace of God that passes all understanding. It is a truth I am trying less to understand and more to experience. In the words of a follower of Jesus in the New Testament, “I believe. Help me in my unbelief.”

A Barrier Free City

There is a young cancer patient (mid 20s) who was on my mind in recent weeks. I met her husband during a triathlon event. I have run into them at local restaurants and they seem to have a good support group from their church. Since they were on my mind, I had called a left a message on their home phone to tell them I was praying for them and would continue to do so. She is battling her cancer well, but her illness is terminal and the end is likely in the not too distant future.
Only a couple of days after leaving the message, one of my former hospital employees came into my office to tell me about a benefit for those in our community with disabilities. Apparently, this young cancer patient had been to a Lance Armstrong cancer camp and had returned with a challenge from Lance to make our city "barrier free" allowing people with disabilities to have equal access to any venue they wish to attend. It was an audacious goal, but one this patient was passionate about accomplishing.
This event (planned in less than a month) was organized so that she could make her plea. I was asked to say a few word as a representative of the hospital. To be honest, I was reluctant to do so. On one hand, I wanted to support this patient that God had put on my mind just days before the invitation to speak, but on the other hand, I was selfish and just wanted to stay home and relax.
The pressure to do the right thing won out. I decided to attend the event and to my surprise, it was a huge success. The place was packed with what looked like at least 400 people. I saw physicians, public figures, city council and many others. What I thought was going to be a small venue where I might say a few words turned into a crowded room filled with some amazing people. None more amazing than the people in wheelchairs, those walking with assistive devices, some unable to speak, others working diligently to mumble recognizable words. Uncoordinated, disabled and incredibly courageous. These people were there because they wanted to experience more in life than what our society currently allows. It was an inspiring sight!
I had planned to say only a few words and I wanted to say only that which was most encouraging to this courageous young lady and her husband. I gave a quick personal story about how I met the husband at a triathlon and the things I learned from this little hobby of mine. Namely, I talked about the environment of a triathlon event. The amazing encouragement from spectators and competitors alike. I talked about the importace of finishing well and striving for your personal best.
It was at this point that I told the large crowd that participating in a triathlon pales in comparison to those in the room who battle a disability every day and do so with amazing courage. I talked specifically about the cancer patient I knew and what an inspiration she is to anyone who desires to make a difference, leaving a legacy and finishing the race of life well. I then asked the crowd, in the spirit of the a triathlon, to stand and cheer on this cancer patient along with each of the courageous people in the room who stand strong despite the challenges they face each day.

THE PLACE ERUPTED!

It was a moving experience. Moving, not because of anything I had to say. Moving because the room came alive in the celebration of lives lived well. Lives of people who face difficulties unlike many of us will ever see. Lives that refuse to give up. Lives that desire to make a difference in the world for those who have a disability that they didn't deserve and never would have chosen.
It begs the question: For those of us who have 2 arms and 2 legs, those of us who can walk and talk and experience most everything the world has to offer - Do we live life with the same zeal as those who would give anything to have what we have? Are we as passionate about making a difference in the lives of others?
And from a spiritual perspective, what if you had the answer to cure every disability seen in that room tonight? What if you could share the one thing that could make them whole?
The truth is, you can. Take a room full of well bodied adults today and most of them will have a disease of sin that will create a barrier between them and God. A disability they cannot overcome.
You have a message of good news that could make their spiritual world "barrier free". Are you telling your story with the same passion? Are you celebrating with excitement so that others might finish the race of life well?
You decide.

The Scarlet Letter

I remember reading the book in high school. I can't say that it made a big impact on me at the time. However, I often consider the underlying theme of this book as I reflect on the church of Jesus Christ today.
As one examines the health of the church, the statistics are not all that encouraging. The rate of divorce, suicide, addictive behaviors...most often the numbers are not all that different than outside the church. Although there are many reasons why this is so, let me suggest just one which I feel is most significant.
If someone comes to faith in Christ and perhaps they have a past of embarrassing sin. Maybe it was pornography or adultery, perhaps they struggled with addictions or depression (which often go together by the way). Now that this person comes to faith, the Spirit of God works in that persons life to reveal truth and shine light on error:

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John 14:26, NASB95)

This is a good thing and its purpose is pure. Because of the compassion and mercy of God, He will gently lead a person to a ever deepening place of relationship with Himself as God and Father. And keep in mind...this is new to the person new in Christ. For before the Spirit of God was in them, they were lost in their sin, under the control of Satan and deceived beyond recognition. They did not accept this same work of the Spirit:

"But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." (1 Corinthians 2:14, NASB95)

So consider what has just happened. A person, new in Christ, having lived in sin apart from God, now sees the corruption of sin in a whole new light - the light of the Holy Spirit. All the emotions that one might expect are evident at this point including guilt, shame, insecurity, doubt. We may be new in Christ, but we are still human, and so these emotions must be experienced. This is where the church often fails!
God created those within the church to be His tools for restoration. He uses His people to guide their brothers and sisters in Christ through difficulties and struggles, to be a protection through trials and temptations. He tells us:

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:23-25, NASB95)

Why "all the more as the day draws near"? Is going to get easier? Absolutely not. The more difficult the circumstances, the more (by God's design) we need each other within the community of faith. Yet all too often I see the opposite. The more ugly the sin, the more of an outcast a person becomes. We are often unwilling to help people walk through the difficulties and temptations they face as believers. Instead, we give them the Scarlet Letter. This is often the "gift" of the church to those who are dealing with difficult situations.
Why are the statistics of dysfunction so prevalent in the church? I suggest it is often because we do not demonstrate an environment of grace, a place for healing, and a willingness to let people "come clean" without fear of judgment. The Spirit will do its work to convict and expose, but will we do our part to be a tool for healing and restoration?
So when that man in the church confesses his struggle with pornography, a sin that has plagued his life for years. Or that woman expresses her guilt and shame from having had an affair and still struggling with the shame but yet the need to be loved. How will we respond? Will we treat them like the lepors of the Bible, cast outside the city until they are healed? Must they live in a community of "sinners" in order to fix their problems before they will be welcomed into the community of "saints"?
Perhaps we should not be so quick to judge. Perhaps we should promote transparency and authenticity with a willingness to allow people to deal with the deep issues in their life, however ugly they may be. Let's not expect people to deal with these issues internally, keeping it to themselves. This may be the very thing that cause so many Christians to implode.
By all means, lets strive for godliness. We shouldn't accept continued sin in this environment of grace (Rom 6:1). But we should destroy or Scarlet Letters and replace them with the robe of Christ's forgiveness, spurring eachother on to love and good deeds, even more as the day draws near.

True Evangelism

Lewis Sperry Chafer’s book, True Evangelism, although written almost a century ago, remains surprisingly relevant to our Christian culture today. This seems to be due, in part, to the continuing threats against the work of evangelism from within the church. More specifically, the threat of accepting unnecessary and unbiblical responsibility for the conversion of another man’s soul remains prominent throughout Christianity. Chafer repeatedly counters this emphasis on human effort and reminds us that “no human effort is effectual apart from the power of God”. In fact, the salvation of mankind is a “divine undertaking”.
Although Chafer admits that God can use wrong methods of evangelism, he also warns of the dangers when overemphasis is placed on our role in this divine work of mercy. These dangers include the manipulation of a person’s action without an emphasis on the conversion of the heart. As a result, the public steps often required of evangelists can become a meritous act required of the listener in order that they may secure their own salvation. Even further, when an individual assumes this personal responsibility for their own salvation, their assurance of salvation is never firm because, fundamentally, it depends on a cause-effect relationship with God. In other words, “If I do certain meritous acts, then God will bless me with His mercy and deliverance”. Perhaps the greatest danger of this false assurance is the discredit it brings to the work of the Holy Spirit which is relegated to a subtle and secondary role in the work of salvation and the ongoing protection of the believer in Jesus Christ. Salvation, as Chafer emphasis, is not conditioned upon any human act such as prayer, repentance, reformation, profession or “seeking the Lord”. Instead, salvation is wholly the work of God and is demonstrated by a voluntary turning from all hope based on self merit and trusting God to do a perfect saving work based only on the merit of Christ.
Yet the divine initiative does not absolve us from the privilege of cooperating with the work of the Spirit in another person’s life. Chafer redirects the reader from a position of “pleading with souls” to a responsibility of “pleading for souls”. He emphasizes this important role of prayer in the life of a believer and goes as far as to say that the work of God in salvation is conditioned on the prayers of His people. In fact, Chafer suggests that a lack of Holy Spirit conviction is likely correlated to a lack of prayer in the lives of those who have trusted Jesus. All hindrances to the movement of God in salvation, as Chafer sees them, are due to some failure on the human side. Yet, this perspective seems to contradict his earlier statements where salvation is seen wholly as a work of God. Even further, Chafer admits that God can, in fact, work through wrong methods. Therefore, it seems inconsistent to on the one hand teach the sovereignty of God, yet on the other hand, condition His activity on the human obligation to prayer.
With that being said, the importance of prayer should not be discounted all together. If for no other reason, we should pray as a response of obedience to the example and instruction of Jesus (Mt. 6:5-9, Mark 1:35) as well as the Apostles (Acts 2:42). Even Jesus prayed for the salvation of the soldiers who crucified him when he said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Clearly, we are to humble ourselves and go before the Lord in prayer, recognizing His sovereign control of all things, and seeking to cooperate with His holy work in another person’s life. Perhaps prayer has as much to do with the heart of the one praying as it does for the one for whom he is bringing before God.
This may be more of Chafer’s point as he closes his book with an emphasis on the “cleansing of the priest”. Here he elaborates on the importance of the purity of the believer priest as he approaches God through prayer. More to the point, Chafer teaches that “there is no prevailing power in prayer or effectiveness in ministry so long as the believer’s sin and defilement are not put away”. Therefore, our prayers can be hindered by our disobedience (1 Peter 3:7), and our disobedience can distract us from cooperating with the work of the Spirit in the lives of those who have not trusted Christ. For this reason, we should make every effort to remain in undefiled fellowship with our Father, through the forgiveness made possible by the Son, so that we might cooperate with the work of the Spirit in order to bring about the salvation of mankind.
Chafer’s balance of the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of His people remains as a relevant message for the church today. His book, True Evangelism, is a Biblically base classic that should impact us in such a way that we are humbled by the power and grace of God and encouraged to join Him in His great work of salvation. What a blessing it is to suffer with Christ as a tool in the hands of God.

Same Kind of Different as Me

Having read this wonderful book in recent weeks, I couldn't help but recall this story in my own experience today. Taking the advice of one of my seminary professors, I asked our hospital chaplain if I could join him as he visited patients in the hospital. I felt like it would be a great learning experience as well as an important step in my continuing effort to merge my work and my ministry in the workplace. Here is my experience:
As we approached the door to this hospital room, I first observed the signs posted on the closed door of the room. Some were the typical signs one might see in the hospital such as "Fall Precautions" and "Vital Signs"; however, one sign posted over the door knob was a well written sign requesting that the door be kept closed after entering the room followed by the patients name indicating it was his request.
As we knocked and entered the room, we were greeted by pleasant black man lying in his bed. The room was very warm and when we inquired, the gentleman explained that he is cold natured and liked to keep the room warm. A thin sheet covered the mid section of his body and he was wearing the always attractive hospital gown. The TV was on, the window shades were open and newspaper was stacked on his bedside table. His legs, both abnormally large for his otherwise thin frame, were exposed displaying thick compression hose apparently used to control abnormal swelling in his legs.
The chaplain and I greeted the patient and exchanged the normal pleasantries. When asked why he was in the hospital, the gentleman explained his battle with congestive heart failure in recent years. The chaplain asked how it made him feel to struggle with CHF and the patient responded by describing how this disease made him feel much older than he really is. At the young age of 50, his symptoms often inhibit him from normal activity.
The conversation continued as we talked about his job as a yellow cab driver here in town and how much he enjoyed taking people places. The conversation took an unexpected turn, however, when the chaplain asked if the gentleman had in family nearby.
The man's head sank into his chest and he lifted his hand to cover his eyes. Not a word. And then he began to cry.
With gentle compassion, the chaplain invited the man to explain the hurt he was feeling. What followed was a sad, and yet typical story. His parents had recently died - his mom within the past 2 years and the dad as recent as the last few months. Not only was he moved by the loss of his parents, but also by the guilt of not treating them as he should have when they were alive. He talked about the kindness and care of his mom. She couldn't read or write, but she always cared for him and his 6 siblings. He said she was God's angel. She did drink some, but that was mostly because his dad did too and it was just what they did. His dad did the best he could, he was a good man, but his mom was always there for him.
As I listened to this man express his sorrow, I thought of things he might have done to deserve such guilt for not treating his parents as well as he wanted to. Did he ignore their needs? Did he steal from them or mislead them in any way? What could have caused his guilt? It was not as I expected.
He went on to explain how his mom had a stroke and since he was the oldest of the children and the only one without a family (except for his brother who was in prison), he would need to care for his mom. His dad simply couldn't manage the task. Whether caused by the stroke or some other means, this gentleman's mom was as he explained "not in her right mind". She would eat toilet paper in such amounts that doctors would have to "flush out her system" to keep it from blocking all movement. Not only that, she was quite confused and would eat her own excrement. "I don't know why she did that", he explained. "That's wasn't like my momma to do things like that."
And then he would pause to cry. "I wasn't always kind to my mom...She always took care of me...I wish I could do it all over again and I would do it differently."
There was much more to this experience as we learned about the loneliness and isolation of this man's life. But we were also able to see his desire to help others and to do a kind deed if he would be given the opportunity. His guilt was not as I expected. Perhaps there was more, but what he told us today would indicate not that he neglected his family, but he just wished he could have done more. I thought that what he did do was more than most.
Like the book "Same Kind of Different as Me", I felt like I encountered a man who lived in a different world than myself with experiences that I will likely never see. And although I wanted to express my sincere love and concern for this hurting man, I felt like what I had to say would somehow get lost in the deep cavern that separated our worlds. And yet, as we held hands and ended our time in prayer, he eyes once again raised to meet ours. He said he was glad we came by to visit. He was really needing to talk to someone and it felt good.
I am certain that the same conversation would not have occurred if I entered the room as an administrator, or even a clinician. This man knew we were there to care for him and he was hungry for that love. We could have avoided the emotion with shallow conversation, but the intentional questions and painful silence led this man to say what was heavy on his heart.
What difference would it make if we approached people more often with an open agenda: I am here to care for you. What if we avoided the superficial conversation and instead invited people to tell us how they feel? What if we listened, even in the moments of painful silence? What if we saw no barrier of culture or experience and trusted that all humanity has a common desire to be loved? What if we were more diligent to share the good news of a love that forgives and embraces, strengthens and renews, even to the deepest part of our soul? What if we were willing to go there more often? What if...

You've Got Power!

This is for all leaders, husbands and people of influence: You have POWER!
And of the power you possess, none is more dominant than your power to disappoint. Without a word or even a deliberate action, you can bring devastating disappointment. Expectations from others are high. Your next "right move" is more obvious to others that it is to yourself. And yet, you must live in the reality that to not make that expected move will be assumed to be deliberate on your part. A deliberate effort to hurt or ignore or discourage.
Now, there seems to be no way to avoid missing the invisible mark set by others. Your power to disappoint will be wielded without your ability to control it. Thus, you must learn to love, encourage and support others to such a degree that your inevitable disappointment will not overshadow the predominance of your love.
You can't avoid disappointment, but love can cover a multitude of sins.