A Lesson from Parenting

When we dropped off our first-born, Briana, at Dallas Baptist University a few weeks ago, I was admonished NOT to cry until AFTER we had left the campus. Somehow I was able to comply.

Then the phone calls and texts started. In the following couple of weeks, Briana called and/or texted me at least once every day, needing to answers to questions or solutions to minor issues related to adjusting to life away from home. Wow! How great it was to hear that sweet, strong voice that no longer comes home at night! Every time I saw her name on caller i.d., I couldn't help but smile and think, "Alright!"

Eventually, of course, it dawned on me--that must be just a glimpse of how our Heavenly Father feels when we call His name. I didn't care how minor or simple the reason for Briana's call, I was just glad to hear her voice! It's the same for God when we call on Him, especially, I imagine, if it has been a while since He has heard from us.

Ask, seek, knock Jesus encouraged us, for "if you, then, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:7-11)....refresh...rekindle!

Time Flies...

From "conehead" to gorgeous woman in a mere 18 years!

Happy Birthday Briana! Welcome to Adulthood!

Next Pitch! A Life Lesson from Baseball

Standing 6’3", my friend’s son, a freshman, looked even taller on the pitching mound. He finished his warm-up tosses and toed the rubber to face his first batter. On the first pitch, the batter hit a dinky, little pop-up right back to him. One pitch, one out.

The second batter lifted the next pitch into foul territory just in front of the dugout where it was routinely caught by the first baseman. Two pitches. Two outs. A great start to the outing.

Then, as can happen so quickly in baseball (and life), the wheels came springing off! A soft, bloop single here, an error on a routine infield grounder there, a batter hit-by-pitch, a dropped pop-up to the same teammate that let the earlier grounder get loose, a bang-bang play at third after a run-down in which the runner was clearly out but called "safe" by Blue (the umpire), and...well...you get the picture. A full order of batters (uh, that’d be nine) and a handful of runs later, what started out too good to be true ended up almost too ugly to watch.

Except for the beauty of one thing—a kid’s emotionless calm in the midst of the storm. Not one time did my friend’s son ever express any disgust or frustration over things that were clearly disgusting and frustrating. Certainly, he must have felt it on the inside, but he never let it show. Not a shake or drop of the head, not a negative word or look to a teammate, not even a firing of the ball into his own glove to release the tension. Just a quiet calm as he stepped back onto the bump (mound) to make the next pitch. Then, the next one. And the next one.

The next pitch...that’s really what it’s about...the next pitch. It doesn’t matter what failure (or success) we’ve experienced on the previous play. It’s all about the next pitch. Sometimes things go smoothly, other times they don’t. Often, many things happen that are completely out of our control, things that disgust and frustrate. But, it’s all about the next pitch. Then, the next one. And then, and only then, the next one.

So, let’s think that in our minds today...next pitch....next pitch...next pitch.

Therefore if any person is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have ceased, and behold, all things are constantly new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Super-Sized God

The New Year coupled with tough economic times has given voice to a common mantra—downsize! Lose weight. Cut back. Save more. Eliminate debt. Reduce your fossil fuel emissions. Shrink your carbon footprint. Then, there is the lone voice at the fast-food drive-through (not that I drive through drive-throughs, but I hear....), “Sir, would you like that super-sized?”

I say a hearty, “Uh, Yeah!”

Hang with me here—I’m not talking about an order of fries but about our concept of God.

When it comes to thinking about the Almighty, far too many people think of God like men wear their pants. You’ve seen ‘em—men just will NOT give into the truth. They insist on trying to fit into the same size pants they wore years (or even decades) ago (in the South we’d say, “the way they yoostacould.”) To make these pants fit, they just wear ‘em a little lower, then a little bit lower still, and sometimes, even, a lot lower. The other day I saw a “gentleman” wearing his pants so low in the front his rodeo belt buckle was completely parallel to the ground. It looked like his gut was being carried along on a dinner plate.

And to make God “fit” their comfort zone, that’s what many people do—they just bring Him a little lower, then a little bit lower, and sometimes even a whole lot lower. They wear their “god” like men do pants, fabricating him into some mere adornment that’s “cute” or “cool” or “just right.” Yet, He is the God of the entire universe!

In dedicating the temple it took 180,000 workers seven years to build, Solomon exclaimed, “O Lord God, there is none like Thee in heaven above or on earth beneath....Behold, heaven, even the highest heaven, cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:22, 27)

I realize times are tough and New Year’s resolutions bid better discipline, so go ahead. Do what you must. But, when it comes to how we think about God, I have a suggestion—let’s go up a size! Frankly, sir, I don’t really care how you wear your pants (as long as you wear ‘em), but I do hope to persuade you to order B-I-G when it comes to your God. It’s one thing to get out-whataburgered, but to get out-faithed? Not me! I’m going up a size this year. I’m believing my God to be super-sized!