It's not really about me? Part 2

My last post (It's not really about me? Part 1) focused on the fact our valleys - your valley - is not about us, you, but about others who need our experience, lessons, and encouragement to make it through their valleys. While I did admit that our feelings, emotions, and struggles are ours and they are very real, we should be looking for opportunities to share them with others who are now entering their own valley experience and could use the lessons we have learned to help them through their own journey.

I still contend that our valley experience is not for us . . . entirely. Yeah, I still recognize that our struggles and all the dynamics that surround them are real, valid and ours. So . . before we go any further know that I am fully aware and understand what I am saying. Having experienced my own valley this year I know, without any doubt, what it feels like when emotions rise, frustration becomes the order of the day, and doubt of completing the journey begins to takeover. I also know that the lessons God is ever teaching me is not for me alone, but for those who are struggling, even crawling through the valley.

With that said, I would also like to suggest another person your struggles are for: God! Surprised? Maybe not. This answer often slides off our tongues when we can't think of anything else or we are looking for the "Sunday School" answer. Sorry to disappoint you, but it really is for God. When we suffer and struggle God's presence becomes real. Check out Psalms 34:18, Psalms 68:19, and Psalms 46:1. Maybe what we don't realize is that in the midst of the valley is where God gets to do his stuff - love us, strengthen us, carry our burden for us, and a host of other things he is just waiting to do.

Ever watch someone who has a passion for something finally get to do it? You see the smile on their face no matter how difficult things get. There's a glow about them that tells the rest of us how much they enjoy what they are doing. I have seen it on many faces and through their actions. God's like that but multiplied by a bajillion. He can't wait to help you with your struggles. He desires to gut under your burdens. He longs, passionately longs, to come alongside you and help you through the valley. I can't imagine the size of his smile and the love that comes across his face when we turn to him.

So you see, your journey isn't about you. It's about God as well. It's about allowing God to pursue his desire to be there for you. I would like to encourage you today to turn to God and allow him the opportunity to do what he desires to do.

Pursuing the Padre,
Mike

It's not really about me? Part 1

In my last post (click here) I stated that our valley experiences are not really about us. Though we often focus on our needs, feelings, etc. we forget that what we have learned is for someone else. To be honest I don't know that I find much comfort in this concept. When I'm going through MY valley it is sooo difficult to focus on someone else. Isn't it? I don't think I'm the only one, am I? Do you tend to focus on your needs, feelings, wants, desires, emotions, and pain?

But then again, isn't this our nature - the spirit of the world - controlling us? Even Super Saint Paul struggled with his fleshly nature. Now I must recognize and acknowledge that your needs are valid and they are yours to be addressed. I am simply suggesting that we don't dwell on them. Doing so creates within us a self-centered world view. Our world becomes completely about us and our needs. That's not what Christ had in mind. If he had he would have never gone through with a cross-like death. And . . . if he is to be our model then we need to change our world view.

Paul tells young Timothy, a young pastor, to teach others the things he has learned from Paul so they, in turn, can teach still others. Somehow I want to believe some of the things Timothy learned from Paul had to do with some of his valley expereinces. Paul was beaten, whipped, shipwrecked, nearly froze to death, nearly starved to death and a host of other personal calamaties.

So, if you're thinking this valley is for you, I think you're wrong. Yes, you have a valley to journey through, but I don't believe for a moment that you are on this journey solely for your own personal reasons.

Stop for a moment and ask God who you could help with your experience. He may not give you a name right now, but don't be surprised if, over the course of time, you don't cross paths with someone who needs your experience to travel the roads of the valley.

Lookin' for others,
Mike

Comments

Because I have, and will continue, to be spammed on this blog I am forced to use the word verification option on the comments page. I hope to keep this from happening in the future, or at least curtail the occurances.

Thank you for your understanding.

Mike

Is it really about me? Intro

This post will be one in a series that God is teaching me and so I will use this post as an introduction to the series so don't go off on me if I don't fully explainn everything here. I am just setting the tone for future posts.

I'm reading Don Miller's Blue Like Jazz. It's a very interesting read. In it he suggests the idea that behind the problems of the world is the major issue of self-absorption. In other words, he posits the idea that we live life focused on ourselves. I would have to agree, especially when we enter into valley times of our lives.

Think through this with me. When we enter those times in our lives, some pretty deep, for others just a mild slope between two rises, what's our first thought? Isn't it usually focused on what we are going through and how WE are going to deal with it? Isn't our modus operandi to turn inward and begin looking at how this whole valley thing is going to affect us? How will it make me feel? How will I get through it? I. Me. No one else.

Allow me to suggest that valley experiences are not about us alone. How do I know? Glad you asked. Because of my valley experience with Karen's cancer and death I know what it means to look inward. I remember the first week without Karen. Those nights were devestating. I would lie in bed crying out to God to bring Karen back. Even though we didn't even sleep in the same room her last couple of months, much less in the same bed, I wanted her back. I wanted to hold her again. I wanted to see her smile and feel her touch. And I couldn't. . .wouldn't. . .ever again. It was about me. . .my feelings . . .my needs.

What I learned was that while this may have been normal, God was using it to show me some things to be used later. One of those was that God was preparing me to minister to others. Mostly through this blog. He has also allowed me to use email and one-on-one discussions to help others.

Jesus modeled this for us. In his own words he said that he came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ranson for many. When faced with the dilemma of his own valley of life or death, he didn't think of his own life and how he felt, or how it would impact his mental or physical state. He thought of you and me. He knew that his valley would be for others. He knew that on the other side of the valley lie eternity with the Father. But what a valley he would have to go through to get there. . .for you and for me.

I want to encourage you. As you enter, proceed, venture into your own personal valley experience recognize the fact that, yeah, it will impact your personally, but ultimately it may not be about you.

Valley experiencers - awaken, arise, and go forth with the prayers of the saints and comfort that this valley is not for you!

Traveling with you in mind,
Mike

Being Salt in the Valley

Tonight I'm leading our discipleship class. We are going to study Christ's message that we Christians are to be salt. I'm not going to go into the historical and chemical uses or salt, nor am I going into the theological and philosophical meaning of Christians being salt. What I would like to mention is that those of us traveling the valley experience are still expected to affect our world for the Kingdom of God.

Sometimes, I think, we experiencers beleive that we are not any use to anyone else. That's a load! (interpret it how you would like). We are always useful to someone. Maybe it's someone who is going through the same thing and they just need a traveling companion. Maybe it's to someone who is entering the valley and is seeking or needing help navigating the journey. Maybe it's those who haven't traveled your path and you help them understand the experience.

Regardless of who it is, ultimately you are valuable to the Kingdom of God because you have the opoportunity to point to someone else to Christ, the ultimate shepherd.

I remind you, don't get so hung up on the journey that you focus purely on your own needs and forget that you are to affect the world you live in, including the people God places in your life along the way. If you do you will become what Jesus calls "one who loses his saltiness." Let me let you in on a little secret. The word Christ uses for saltiness is the same greek word we get our word for moron.

In other words, if you are not affecting your world for the Kingdom of God as an experiencer or a member of the flock, then you have become a spiritual moron! You have become spiritually useless! Don't let this happen to you.

I want to encourage you to look around you and as you do ask God to show you how you can use your valley experience to affect the world around you. Believe me, you won't be dissappointed and won't be considered a spiritual moron.

Seasoning my world,
Mike

Waiting

Earlier I wrote of movement and its importance in the valley experience. I still believe it's important. Today I want to also include the other side of the coin - Waiting on God.

A friend of mine sent me the following passage from Psalms 37:3-7

Trust in the LORD and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you your heart's desires.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.
Trust him, and he will help you.

He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

Be still in the presence of the LORD,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don't worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.

As I read this passage my eye and mind kept coming back to the first part of verse 7, Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.

It was as though God kept telling me, "WAIT." OK, for those who know me you already know this is THE most difficult issue in my life. I hate waiting. I dislike long lines and slow processes. I never went to Six Flags with Karen because I thought, "How ridiculous! Paying so much to stand in a line and sweat!" When I see something I want, I get it. When there's a task or goal to accomplish, let's get on it. Are you getting the picture yet?

So, when God says to wait patiently for him to act, my innards begin to get knotted up. I also know that Jesus said that if I loved him I will obey his commands. So with that said and my heart slowly submitting to his command, I think it's important to wait on God. So many times I want to speed up the journey to the other side of the valley. How many times have I tried to manipulate or attack the process to make it go faster? Too many. Way too many.

God has a timetable and in that timetable he has things for me to learn. If I'm going to be all he wants me to be at the end of the valley experience I must accept God's timetable. It may not be to my liking. It may not fit my thought process. It may not be the way I would do it. It doesn't matter!! It's about coming out on the other side complete and whole and healthy and excited about the future.

What about you? Trying to rush the experience? Trying to make it on your own? Wanting the process to speed up?

Remember, movement is important. Movement is a part of the process, but it is movement in God's timing.

Waiting and wondering,
Mike

Is your valley really that deep?

My Grandpa Wallace used to say, "We complain because we have no shoes until we turn the corner and meet the man who has no feet." Right now I feel like the man who was complaining about not having any shoes.

By now most, if not all, of you know that Hurricane Katrina has devastated the gulf coast from New Orleans to Mobile and the surrounding areas. Yeah, we're feeling the impact of the storm. Gas is being rationed to $10 a car with lines stretching for forever, restaraunts are closing at 6:00 pm, there's a dusk-to-dawn curfew, people are still without power, some are even without sewage because of the lack of power.

I spent Sunday and Monday nights in our student center. It was constructed to be a storm shelter. So, for the most part it was like camping out. We had electricity both nights, so the A/C was running. Tuesday night I spent the night in my office because I was without power at the house. Yesterday evening I went to the house to take care of my kennel (3 dogs & 2 cats) and the power was still not connected. I became angry. I couldn't beleive that there was power just less than a mile up the road and I didn't have access to it!

How arrogant of me. How self-serving of me. How inconsiderate of me. How insensitive of me.

Who am I to complain about the lack of power when there are people who have lost everything: homes, jobs, cars, possessions, family. . . everything. Sure I wanted some "shoes", but then God reminded me of people who don't have any "feet."

Thank you God for your Spirit who convicts and disciplines. Thank you for providing my needs, but forgive me for being so self-centered. Show me how I can pray for and minister to those who who are without.

How about you? Is your valley REALLY that deep or do you make it that deep? Are you complaining about not having "shoes" when there are people who don't have any "feet?" Thank God for the feet in your life and pray for those who are without.

Please pray that Jesus will be lifted up in the days ahead. Pray for wisdom for our leadership. Pray that would do the miraculous in the Mobile community!

Humbled and Convicted,
Mike