Worry, it affects us all at various times in our lives. Some experience it more than others, and its impact varies from person to person, but in every case, worry steals from us. It steals our joy, our energy, and our peace. The worst part is worry has no power to make any impact on our future situation. It only changes our present.

The late Corrie ten Boom said, “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength – carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strengths.”

During vacation, there was a sign just outside of my bedroom that read, “Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” At first, I thought it belonged inside the bedroom, to be seen as you began the day, but as the days passed, I realized it was in the perfect spot, serving as a reminder before sleep that whatever worries consumed the day were already lost time, and carrying them to bed was only a prescription for lost rest. God willing, tomorrow would come, and no amount of worry would change the day in any way.

It was a powerful reminder for me each night. I tend to default to more worry than I wish I did. It is an area of growth I continue to pursue in prayer and action. That simple, wooden sign became a reminder for my evening prayers to relinquish tomorrow into the hands of God so that I could enjoy a peaceful rest and embrace a deeper trust in God to be greet me in the morning with all I needed for the day ahead. No matter what awaited me, fretting over it would not prepare me to overcome, it would only weaken my ability to meet the challenges in the strength of my faith.

The Bible repeatedly declares, and illustrates, the call to release our anxiety and place our trust in God. It is too easy to envision the negative possibilities that may arise, but far more powerful to contemplate the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in us, and in our future. God is not surprised by the circumstances in our lives, nor is God fretting over the solutions to possible problems. God is the answer to those problems. If God is not worried, and the Spirit dwells in us, we are more than able to face whatever life brings our way.

Often, during funerals, I quote selected verses from John 14. One of the most powerful points Jesus makes is in the words, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” These are deeply comforting words, but they were not spoken just for time of mourning. The peace of Christ is a promise for every moment in our lives. The very peace that sustained Jesus in the midst of everything he faced, is lovingly given to us so that we are not captive to fear, anxiety, and worry. With his help, we can be anxious for nothing.

God’s track record in our lives is perfect. When we look back at the things that once consumed us with worry, we can see the many times we came through. What we thought would be our undoing, is now a testimony of another victory in Jesus. The journey may not have been easy, but the result is no less affirming. God is faithful.

I would love to tell you that the sign I came to love changed everything, that I no longer worry and live in Christ’s perfect peace. I still have a long way to go, but that nightly inspiration was another reminder, another God-sign, inviting me to remember that when I worry, I am not to be anxious. Instead, I am invited to share my concern with the Savior and trust my future to him.

Today, is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday, but here you are. The possibilities are before you. Yes, the possibility of difficulties exist, but so do the possibilities of blessing. The potential for suffering is present, but so is the potential for joy. Best of all, whatever comes our way, we are not alone, nor are were meant to face it alone. The power of almighty God is with us.

So, let’s embrace this day. Let’s savor all the beauty it has as we allow our souls to be at peace with the very peace of Christ. Our worry will not help us, but God will. Above all, let’s not try to carry two days at once. We need our strength for today, not today and tomorrow. When we find anxiety creeping into our thoughts, we can turn our worry into a prompt for prayer,. As we pray, we can release our worry into the hands of God, and we can receive divine strength for moment we are in. God will guard our hearts, and the peace that passes all understanding will be given to us. It is a holy, and wonderful, trade, and it is ours for the asking.

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As I approached the end of May, I started feeling ill while at our regional conference. Suddenly, I was in the back of an ambulance with possible heart problems. Thankfully, that was not the problem, but I was diagnosed with pneumonia and excessive medication for blood pressure. There were still many tests ahead, but the initial news was good. Those tests would turn out to be a confirmation of good health.

Two weeks after my trip to the emergency room, my wife woke me with a bad cough, feeling like she had bronchitis. We went to the emergency room, where I dropped her off and parked the car. When I came inside, she was already in a room with five people working on her. It turned out she was in a-fib, in serious condition. After some extensive treatment, the situation was fixed, but the lab work revealed problems with her kidneys. This led to a kidney biopsy and other tests. While there was no kidney disease, there was some significant damage. 

We breathed a sigh of relief, only to discover that she had a growth on her tongue. We made what we thought would be a quick trip to the doctor, and many appointments and test later, we discovered that she had stage 3 oral cancer on her tongue. This led to the removal of one-half of her tongue and major reconstruction. We are still in a lengthy recovery process at this time.

It was a wile six months, and we are just beginning to recover from it. The question in the comment raised all those months ago is appropriately relevant. Does God cause bad things to help us grow? My answer, is, “No.” While it is possible that God would allow some things into our lives in order to challenge us, the bad things we experience are not from God! At the same time, I can see numerous ways in which God used our adversities to help us to grow. 

Our faith grew as we watched God bring us through each challenge. Out trust grew as we watched God’s provision helped us face each step. Our community grew as hundreds of people joined in prayer with us for healing and provision. There are countless testimonies we continue to share, and we both know that we are stronger as a result of our journey. I would never ask for it, nor would I wish it on anyone, but we cannot deny the good that came from adversity.

Without listing every blessing, allow me to express it this way. Last year started with a major car accident that totaled our vehicle. The result was a much better and dependable vehicle, which was a tremendous blessing as we faced these challenges. My trip to the ER made me take a hard look at my life, priorities, and lifestyle. Many necessary changes came from this reflection. My wife’s heart issues revealed the kidney problems which would not have been discovered until they became much worse, and without our knowledge of her heart and kidney issues, her cancer surgery could have turned out quite badly. In addition, there are already other people who have found strength and direction through our story.

Did God cause our difficulties? No. Did God use them for good? Absolutely!

When we face adversity, it is important to remember that God really can make all things work together for good. Our adversities can drive us closer to him, and can cause us to look deeply at our lives. God doesn’t cause bad things, but God does make beautiful things out of our brokenness. 

As we begin 2017, may our faith be strong as we trust God to bring us through and to make us stronger in the process.

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This morning, I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping as they enjoyed breakfast in our yard. The air was fresh, the foliage lush, and the flowers much more vibrant. Although it is overcast, the day is quite beautiful.

Looking over the beauty around me, I was drawn to Psalmist’s words, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) Of course, it is easy to rejoice when things are calm and beautiful, but I began pondering if I would have claimed those same words as nature turned violent last night.

If you read some of my older posts, you will see that I am a big fan of thunderstorms, so the easy answer is, yes, I would rejoice because I love a good display of lightning and thunder. As I thought about the broader definition of storms however, I realized that is where a great difficulty lies.

When life is full of obvious blessings and things seem to be going our way, it is easy to rejoice and praise God for our circumstances. When the sudden storms come and turn things upside down, dampen our dreams, and shake us to the core, that is a different story. Fear steps in and tempts us to run from the chaos, toward something that appears safer. If we surrender to that temptation, we may actually be running from the storm, and from our blessing.

Certainly, not every storm is appreciated, and acting foolishly in the storm can be a destructive choice. There is wisdom in knowing how to face a storm, and when it is the appropriate time to retreat. Such decisions are the result of sound decisions, not of fear. When we take the hand of Jesus and the hands of those who love us, we ride out the storms together. We can come through chaos to the gift that is waiting in the other side.

The rich beauty surrounding me this morning is the result of the impact of last night’s storm. The grass, trees, flowers, and plants are drinking up all of the rain that fell and turning into dramatic beauty. The intense downpour turned my yard into an avian smorgasbord. The lightning ionized the air, removing dust and other particles, and making it fresh, clean, and energized. The very shaking of eight hours ago, became a loosing of beauty now.

Few people desire storms in their lives, but many of our storms are not without purpose. Sometimes, the very thing that frightens and intimidates us, is a divine tool for re-creation and new life on our journey. Old things are shaken off so new things can come forth. Dusty places are cleansed, and the air of our spirit is energized and filled with the fresh wind of God’s Spirit.

The beautiful days are indeed, the days The Lord has made, but so are the stormy ones. In all of our days, we can rejoice and be glad, for we are not alone. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, said it best on his deathbed, “The best of all is, God is with us.” In this, and the promise of a new day, we can find hope in the midst of the storm.

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I am currently reading through the Book of Acts during my devotional time. This morning, my focus was on chapter 12, including the story of the Peter’s imprisonment by King Herod. Beginning at verse 6, the story reads, “The night before Herod was going to bring Peter’s case forward, Peter was asleep between two soldiers and bound with two chains, with soldiers guarding the prison entrance. Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared and a light shown in the prison cell. After nudging Peter on his side to awaken him, the Angel raised him up and said, ‘Quick! Get up!’ The chains fell off his wrists.”

There are a number of amazing things in this story: the commitment of Peter to his faith, the level of persecution that commitment incurred, even the dramatic, angelic rescue. What strikes me as achieving first place on the Amazing List is, that on the night before his hearing and facing the possibility of death, Peter, in prison and surrounded by guards, is asleep. In fact, he is sleeping so soundly that the angel must nudge him on his side to wake him.

I am fairly certain, if I was in a similar circumstance, sleep would have eluded me, and the angel would find me calling out to God for help. Yet, Peter, is resting soundly, even in the face of great peril. To me, this is a tremendous testament to his faith, and trust in God. The man who once found himself sinking because he could not believe in the midst of a storm, was now now resting peacefully, in the arms of the one who drew him out of the waves.

Certainly, this story encourages me to aspire to a deep trust in God, but it also reminds me that every time I am rescued from the storm, in spite of my weak faith, that very faith becomes stronger and I can walk a little further from the boat the next time.

Too often, I admire people of great faith the way some people admire those who are physically fit. I would love be like that, but I avoid putting in the work to get there. However, just like physical fitness, if I am willing to commit to the effort and make good choices, I can build my faith like my fitness.

These are just a few of the steps I take to strengthen my faith so I can be stronger in the storm:

1. Make a regular, daily commitment to spend time with God. Include time to study the Bible, offer prayers, and listen for the direction of God.

2. Make godly choices. Every day is full of decisions. Make every effort to choose what reflects the heart of God.

3. Follow the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit. If I feel a draw to do something, or not to do something, I make an effort to follow those leadings, as long as they are in line with God. Even if they are not from God, I am training myself to respond to the call of God, and learning to discern his voice at the same time.

4. Let difficulties lead to Jesus. It is easy to run from our problems, but running into the arms of God, will always be the better choice.

5. Stay connected to the community of faith. Through support, as well as, stories of God’s faithfulness, the faith community is a great asset in building personal faith.

There are many other steps to take but, step by step, God will build deep faith in us if we partner in that effort. In time, we too, will be able to experience peaceful sleep in the face of our greatest challenges, and in all things, we will learn to trust in the One who loves and leads us.

What things help to build and strengthen your faith?

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As the news media began reporting the forecast of a severe winter storm near the end of last month, people began to prepare for the worst. In spite of living in an area that sees plenty of snow, ice, and cold, people became increasingly afraid of what would happen. Maybe it was due to the way it was reported, or possibly because of previous experiences, nevertheless, fear was growing.

I went to the store the night the storm was to begin to pick up milk, bread, and a few other things we needed. I was not there to prepare for the storm, but it was clear many people already were. The cereal aisle was very empty as we’re the canned goods. A quick conversation with an employee revealed that the store was slammed with business by people preparing for the worst.

We do that sometimes. We hear a negative report, our emotions take hold, and we begin acting out of fear. We forget our strengths and our trust in God and begin making rash decisions trying to protect ourselves from an unknown future. At times, those decisions are downright foolish. The grocery store cashier told me of numerous people who loaded up on perishable items in preparation for losing the power to keep them. Fear will do that.

The Bible tells us that God, “did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) It is easy to give in to the negative report. It is easy to follow the fearful path of the masses around us, but we are not called to that path. We are a people of faith in the power of Almighty God. It is God who, in the face of intimidating circumstances, gives us a sound mind and the power to act with love and faith.

The Great April Storm that wasn’t is a prophetic image. All too often the negative, fearful report is wrong, and we find we surrendered much our lives afraid of what would not happen. As the people of the Resurrection, we can be prepared, but ultimately, our trust is in God. Together, let’s go forward; laying aside our fears, trusting in God and embracing his vision and power for our lives.

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I already indicated my desire to stay where I was and the church shared their hope that I would remain their pastor. We were comfortable with each other and enjoying ministry together, then God stepped in with another opportunity to follow into something new.

Most of us enjoy being comfortable. We like the familiar and the predictable. There is a sense of peace that comes from knowing what to expect and where we fit in. In short, we don’t like to change, yet change is a given and can be one of God’s exciting blessings.

The church I serve, and the one I will be serving, are both facing a myriad of questions as we enter this transition. Likewise, I have questions of my own. In the past few days, as I began my advance planning, I realized I have little idea what my new worship services look like. I do not know what my weekly schedule will be, nor all of the expectations that will be awaiting me. I have only begun to become acquainted with the community and region and will have a list of questions when I arrive. My friends, my family, and everything I’ve known since I began my ministry will be hours away. My life is going to change.

It would be easy to be intimidated by all of the unknowns, but it is equally possible to be excited and energized by all of the changes. There will be new people to meet and minister with, new treasures to discover, new opportunities to share my gifts and to grow, and new encounters with God. The familiar will give way to the fascinating, and the comfortable to the creative. It will not easy, but it will be good, fun, and life-giving because God is at the center.

Too often we run from the blessing of being with God on the journey, by entrenching ourselves in what we already know and have. When we open our lives to God’s ideas and plans, the possibilities are endless.

Two scriptures have been on my mind though this transition. The first has carried me though from the beginning, “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for good to give to you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) the second, is also a favorite, “Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)

With the truth of these two wonderful promises at work, and placing all of my hope in God, how can the future be anything other than amazing?

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It is interesting that God gets the blame for these events when, in fact, they are more directly acts of nature. It seems easy to lay the responsibility with God as if God said, “Let’s send some damaging storms their way and see what happens.” God ends up looking like the ancient Greek and Roman gods who often found pleasure in playing with and tormenting humanity, and nothing could be further from the truth.

In tragic situations, I frequently hear people ask, “why did God do this?” Such a question is understandable in the midst of crisis, but it betrays an underlying belief that God is directly responsible for the bad things that happen. Yes, there are biblical stories that show some natural disasters as expressions of God’s judgement, but these are very specific instances. Nowhere, do we find every bad experience the result of a direct action from God. I suppose, part of this struggle comes from our understanding of God’s power and direction in our lives, but these attitudes often separate God’s power, direction, and judgement from God’s mercy, grace, and love, and that is a serious flaw.

Yes, bad things happen, but God’s creative power is at work in the darkest of moments bringing illumination. The power of the resurrection can transform our experiences of pain and suffering into something amazing and life-giving. Sometimes, bad things happen. Evil exists in the world, yet the Spirit of God is always at work in and through us to overcome evil and bring forth life from death.

Instead of naming disasters “acts of God,” maybe we should begin to declare unmerited blessings and healing as those holy acts. In moments of grace, forgiveness, and hope, we see the acts of God. With expressions of love, kindness and community, we see the acts of God. In places of sacrifice, service, and salvation, we see the acts of God.

This is the great message of the Gospel, not that God is a punitive, angry deity, but that God is gracious and long-suffering, full of mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. The revelation of God is not to be found in thunderstorms and tornados, but in places of providence and protection, and in the lives of those who bring healing and love. In these places of compassion, we see the tender heart of God acting in love toward humanity.

People may never stop referring to disasters as, “acts of God,” but we have the opportunity to be the body of Christ; the representatives of God, and show the world what God is really like. We can be the hands of action that show compassion. We can be the voice of peace, hope and love. We can offer the ministry of our presence that reflects the truth of God’s presence with us. We can align our heart with the heart of God and, allowing the Spirit to work though us, make our actions, expressions of the real acts of God.

Opportunities are all around us. Where will we begin?

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Occasionally, people would erect standing stones, large stones placed in an upright position that made it clear it was done by human hands. At other times, piles of stones would be made for the same purpose. This way, along with creating places to remember the mighty acts of God, symbols were established that helped encourage the telling of the story to future generations. As people traveled, a child or new member to the community might see these altars and stones and ask, “What happened here?”

For me, one of the most significant parts of these symbols was their redemptive focus. Instead of merely being remembrances of events, they were places to remember God’s activity in the midst of human experience, even in the face of painful circumstances.

Today, many of us will gather in worship and remember. We will remember God’s activity in our lives. We will remember the saving act of Jesus Christ and the acts of so many followers of Christ that made the Good News known throughout the world. We will remember our corporate and personal history with God and give thanks for God’s activity in our story. And, being the tenth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we will remember those images and stories as well.

It is important for us to remember significant days of our journey, even days of great pain, but as we remember, we must keep in mind that we are a people whose trust and hope is in the Lord. We can reflect on the tragic loss that occurred that day, on those who lost their lives, and on those who gave of themselves to respond. We can pause to ponder the brokenness of our world, the horror of violence and the pain of devastating loss. We can do all these things, but as people of faith, we do them as a form of sacred remembrance.

We do not remember to sensationalize the past, nor is our recollection just an expression of patriotism. We certainly do not remember for the sake of anger and hatred. We are a people who do not grieve as the world grieves. We remember so that we, like all those who went before us, can affirm God’s activity in our past and in our present. We look back, so that we can look forward, believing in God’s promises for our future.

This does not mean that we are not filled with deep emotion, or that we deny our feelings. Rather, we own those emotions and feelings and present them to God. We allow our pain to become a passion for change. Where we would be tempted to embrace anger, we choose to take hold of peace. Where we would want to fracture relationships, we seek to build them instead. We choose to look for God in the midst of our story, so that we can tell God’s story in the face of our adversity.

None of us who recall the images and events of that day, will likely forget the fear, pain and emptiness we felt. Hopefully, we will not forget the images of compassion and service we saw that day as well. Hopefully, we will not lose sight of what held us together and Who holds us in the palm of his hand today as he did that day. Then, as those who remember, not just events, but the actions of God and people who demonstrated the heart of God, we can work for a better world. We can choose to be people who demonstrate divine love, compassion and peace.

Today, we remember, but then it is time to go to work and be the people of God and seek God’s will in our day. It is the time to be the city set on a hill that cannot be hid, a beacon of light to a darkened world. It is the time to demonstrate by word and deed that there is another way, a way that leads to life. May our sacred remembrance lead us all to holy actions that future generations may look back and remember what God did to bless the world through us.

Peace be with you, with the world and with us all.

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