Tireless
It was 12:30am (very, very late for me) and I was out walking the dog for a last-time-before-bed potty run. I’d stayed up way too late playing Skyrim (again) and just wanted the dog to finish her “duty” (get it?) so I could go to bed.
In the distance I heard that sound. You’ve heard it too. It’s low but powerful, sporadically sounding in the night.
Soon the far-off horn was replaced by the “clickity clack” of a freight train as it gently (I say gently because, from a distance, it looks like it’s moving gently but it’s still an immovable giant) passed by on the tracks just down the way from home. It was cold out but I stood out there an extra few minutes just to listen to it. Its engine rumbled lowly, sneakily providing enough power to haul the mile-long train of freight cars.
Why did I stand outside, taking in sounds we’ve all heard so many times? Because it reminded me of three things.
My Mom. Who took care of me (and still takes care of me) while Dad was toiling selflessly as a train engineer for 30-some-odd years.
My Dad. Who took care of me (and still takes care of me) by sacrificing any semblance of a normal life and working on the railroad, always on call, ready to leave in a moment’s notice, leaving Mom to deal with… well, me.
And lastly, my Father. The Father. Because Mom and Dad, through their tireless care for me, drew me a perfect picture of Him and His tireless care for me long before I ever understood who He was.
Let the lion loose
I’ve read through Acts 4 a couple times this morning and I’m continually drawn back to Acts 4:13-22.
The fact that they were speechless in v14 and how Luke 21:15 says He will give us a mouth and wisdom which none of our adversaries can withstand but, what’s more, in v20 it says they HAD to talk about Jesus. Amos 3:8 says “The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?”
It makes me consider the hubris of not only the council, but of us. I posted this Spurgeon quote a few days ago on Twitter and Facebook:
“The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.”
The spirit is alive in us. The Lion is inside, roaring to get out. But I think we keep it shackled more often than not. At least, I think I do. I can identify the times when I need to let the Lion loose but I often don’t because I fear what it will do to my reputation (will I look like a Bible thumper?) or a myriad of other things (read: excuses.)
It’s like I’m standing in a gap. On one side is the Lion, and on the other side are people who need to hear the word. The Lion wants out, and God says the spirit will give us the words. But I stand in the gap, arms outstretched to either side, holding the Lion at bay on one side, and keeping my distance from those who need to hear the Word on the other. It’s me who’s in the way of the Word being let loose.
I fear the thought of God saying, “why didn’t you let the Word loose?”
NoShave November and The Light House Mission
I mentioned in my previous NoShave November post that I’d be talking about The Light House Mission in Terre Haute (from here on out referred to as LHM) and how it’s affected me.
First, let me reprint LHM’s mission statement:
Refuge – Food, shelter, and clothing for those in need.
Recovery – Biblically based programs to minister to the whole person; body, mind, and spirit.
Restoration – Equipping people to lead productive and independent lives.
The purpose and mission of the Light House Mission is to aid, assist, and care for homeless individuals by providing shelter, food, clothing, education, and emergency services without regard for race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, or medical condition.
Wendy and I have served dinner on Tuesday evenings at LHM for a couple of years now and we’ll both tell you that it’s a highlight of our week. Because it’s not really about ladling food onto trays. It’s about getting to meet and talk with the residents.
A recurring theme we hear from them is that they’re just there to get back on their feet. We’ve seen our share of residents who’ve done just that. They’ve spent a small stint of time at LHM only to get back on their feet, get a job, get housing, and move out.
We’ve all grown close to some of the residents there and have enjoyed the time we get to spend with them. From Bob the musician to a baby shower for Brittany to serving root beer floats.
Maybe you’d like to get involved with a great cause this holiday season but you’re not sure who or how. Let me make it easy for you. You can donate to LHM and help out with their holiday meal giving. They get several hundred people who flow in for Thanksgiving and need your help in serving a great dinner for them. You can click right here to donate to LHM. $2.05 pays for a single person’s Thanksgiving meal.
Consider giving, or getting involved in a cause close to you. Then, shave your head, or let your hair grow, so people will ask you why you’re so clean shaven, or not shaven at all, and talk about your cause.
Go!
Thanks to Jerry Chapman for the LHM pic!
Lonely road
A couple guys and I are taking the challenges at the end of Radical seriously. The following came from our goal to read through Acts in November, and share a snippet together each day of how the Word spoke to us.
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven" Acts 1:11
I’ve tried to comprehend before what it would be like to be with Jesus for a very intense three years, to see him crucified, come back (and prove to them he’s really back) but to then leave again. Personally, I think I’d feel lost and a little hopeless. Jesus was the driving force of their group and after being part of such a group for what I’m sure felt like a long three years, to physically be with the Christ, you’d probably think that things would be like that for a long time. At least until you died, possibly in His service.
I think God counterbalanced this extreme three years in a beautifully loving way by having two angels appear to the Men and say, "guys, He’s coming back. HE is coming back, and when he does, it’s going to melt your face."
But consider the angel’s timing. Verse 10: http://www.ebible.com/esv/acts/1/10
"While they were standing gazing." Not later that day, or two days later, or a week. Jesus might even have still been in sight and the angels showed up. But if you think about it, the angel’s visit was as much a "now get your butt in gear" move as reassurance. I think if I were one of the Men, I’d probably have stayed there gazing for as long as possible — hours, maybe days — in the hopes I’d see Christ return. Instead, the angels give them a swift kick in the pants and they get back to work choosing Judas’ replacement.
Even if we see Christ walk away from us, before he’s out of sight, we need to put our head down and get right back to the Father’s business. No lollygagging.
Reference: http://biblia.com/bible/jfbcomm/Ac1.11
How has the Word been speaking to you lately?
My NoShave November challenge to you
I’m kind of doing this NoShave November thing, only in reverse.
See, I normally have hair. And I normally have a beard. So letting my beard grow isn’t really a way for me to raise awareness about anything except my lack of a razor.
So, I’m doing the opposite.
I’m going to keep my pate clean and chin hair-free. Most people know me as I look at the top of my blog header. A good friend once asked if I was going for the “Grizzly Adams” look. Therefore, looking like this… so shorn… will prompt questions.
“Shawn, why did you shave your head? And your beard?”
BUT! I already have an answer to that.
“I’m doing NoShave November, only in reverse, because NoShave November is typically used to raise awareness about causes. A cause that’s important to me is The Light House Mission. They’re doing great things for people who have nowhere to go. People who just need a place to help them get back on their feet.”
Now, here’s my challenge to you.
Do something radical to your face. If it’s normally shaven, let it all grow out. If it’s normally unshaven, shave it. Make a big change in the hopes that someone asks you why you did it. Then, tell them about a cause that’s close to your heart.
Write up a blog post about this cause and have a half dozen cards in your pocket with a link to your blog post. When they ask, tell them why you’re looking so dapper (or rough) then hand them a card. Get them involved too.
I’ll have another blog post up later this week that goes into more detail about The Light House Mission, some of our stories from serving there, and how you can help them this holiday season.
What are you waiting for… go fire up the clippers… go!