Back in the middle 1960s I was part of an Explorer Post (a branch of the Boy Scouts for older boys). We made a summer trip to Region 7 Canoe Base in the backwoods of Wisconsin. We were doing a 50-mile canoe trip through the wilderness and had to carry all our provisions for the week with us. At one camp where we overnighted, we were camped at the top of a hill overlooking a pretty good sized fresh-water lake. The lake was pristine and refreshing because we had just struggled through about three miles of shallow marsh loaded with blood suckers. Everything was black by the time we got to the lake.
After cleaning up, we made camp. Believe it or not, there was an outhouse seat (yes, just a wooden box with a hole) sitting on the side of the open hill overlooking the lake. Of course, there were no other people on that remote lake, so we had privacy without having privacy. But I felt a little insecure sitting there.
Did you know it is normal to feel insecure while you know you are secure? That’s called walking by faith. My circumstances may be scarey, but faith tells me my position is in Christ and its going to be alright. How secure are you?
Tags: adventure, faith, security
Two years ago I was officiating at a wedding in another church. We had gone through our wedding plans twice at the rehearsal so everyone knew exactly what to expect and what the sequence was. The groom was a quiet, laid back guy but the bride was bubbling with excitement. She just couldn’t wait to get the show on the road. She was the eager beaver at each stage of the ceremony, racing with her vows, leading with the unity candle.
While I was leading them through the ceremony, I was smiling inside at her vivacious personality. So, when we got to the part when I should say, “Now you may kiss the bride…”, I stopped and just silently stood there. They were staring at each other expectantly, like a dog with a treat on its nose, for a couple of long seconds. Everyone began to lean forward a bit trying to help me say it. Finally, they both looked at me, and then I said, “Now…you may kiss the bride”. The kiss commenced, everyone chuckled, and the wedding was history.
What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever seen at a wedding?
Tags: humor, patience, wedding
In his book The Fisherman and His Friends, Louis Albert Banks tells about a man who was spending a summer near the shores of Lake Superior. One day he came upon an old pine that had been blown down by a recent storm. Knowing something about trees, he was intrigued by that huge evergreen lying on the ground. He examined it closely and figured it was at least 250 years old. What impressed him most, however, was what he discovered when he stripped away the bark. It was evident to him that on the day the tree fell it was still growing.
That’s the way it should be in the life of a believer. The years pass and our physical strength declines. The outward man perishes, but the inner man should keep on developing – mentally, emotionally, and above all, spiritually – until the day we depart.
How have you been growing this week?
Tags: growth, life
Remember Peter Pan? Remember his song?
I won’t grow up,
Not a penny will I pinch,
I will never grow a mustache,
or a fraction of an inch,
for growing up is awfuller
than all the awful things that ever were,
I will never grow up, never grow up,
never grow up, not me!
Peter led his young disciples in that song. With great gusto they proclaimed that they wanted to stay children forever. They could not imagine anything as bad as becoming adult.
The Peter Pan Syndrome has crept into the church. There are believers that want to treat Jesus like Santa Claus and only want to tell Him what they want, never the other way around. These Christians never want to grow up. An essential ingredient of Christianity is an insatiable desire to grow in maturity.
How’re ya doin’?
Tags: growth, maturity, Peter Pan
Have you ever seen a Bonsai tree? Done correctly, they have all the appearances of a fully grown tree, but only a fraction of the size. They are kept miniature in size by regular pruning of the roots and branches, and by being potted in very small pots to limit root development. Because of their artificially stunted growth, they would die in one day without water. It is amazing to look at these trees, but they’re not much good for anything else. They’ll never give shade, be a resting place for birds, or provide fruit or nuts, for they have become sterile.
Some Christians are like that. Because they’ve become entangled in the cares of this world, they have allowed their spiritual growth to be stunted and become Bonsai Christians. Although they look good on Sunday, they serve no spiritual purpose and can never bear fruit.
How have you seen yourself grow lately??
Tags: bonsai, growth, roots