Thoughts On the Outward-Focused Life

I had a blast speaking last Saturday at the graduation ceremony of Spring Arbor University located an hour west of Detroit. The whole thing went very well. I spoke for 14.5 minutes about several things I should have learned in college but had to figure out on my own later (“A lot of the best stuff happens on the second, third or beyond iteration – I’ve purchased the White Album by the Beatles 5 times now – LP twice, cassette, CD and now iTunes.)

Though it went well i had a problem. Janie wasn’t able to be with me (her dad has been sick with severe heart problems so she has been in Southern Calif. for the past week) and since one of her jobs is to sit on the front row and watch my time I was at a loss. I had to innovate. In one hand I had my iPad with my speaking notes and in my other I held my iphone with the countdown app open. A couple of people asked if all of that was a portable TelePrompTer!

We live in a rocky, thorn-infested world.

Some wouldn’t know about that because they have worn shoes since the moment they could stand. Since birth we have been well cared for spiritually. They’ve not known life without shoes. Therefore it is difficult to relate to the huge percentage of those who go without adequate foot ware (in the Pacific Northwest U.S. that’s perhaps 91% of the population). Shoe wearers tend to spend all their time hanging around others who are like them.

Many of the well shod have grown to become shoe experts. Their favorite activity in life is to compare and contrast various shoes and shoe stores. They are shoe aficionados! Imelda Marcos, with her 2,700 pair of shoes, seems reasonable – perhaps even a hero even.

Others feel called to reach out to those without shoes – who aren’t aware of how differently life could go with a custom pair of shoes.

Shoes are transformational! There’s nothing wrong with owning multiple pair of foot ware. There’s a lot wrong with a smug attitude with those who feel there is no need for concern with the lost suffering feet of those without proper shoes.

When was the last time you got around the Shoeless? Ask God to give you his heart for them…and he will!

“A man’s Self is the sum total of all that he can call his own.” – Wm. James

In 30 years of preaching I’ve never given a message focused on Mother’s Day but feel led to do that this year. I’m cobbling together a simple talk looking at the vital importance of living out an honoring relationship with our mothers or mother figures – by developing a three-step strategy. Have a listen after this Sunday at NorthsideNewberg.org. Pastors – it’s not too late to late to do something for moms yourselves!

I’ve been an intermittent blogger, as many of you know, mainly because I’ve not known where blogging fit in in the scheme of my writing overall. I have a plan for so hopefully you’ll hear from me more frequently!

A few years ago in Conspiracy of Kindness, I made the statement, “We must earn the right to be heard.” I’ve heard that line a few times since then but I wonder if people understand what I meant.

Here’s my take: We serve those around us diligently, persistently over the long haul with no expectation of a return on our efforts. We let go of a mentality that says, “I give so you’d better sit down, listen up and listen good, buddy.”

Instead of depending on our ability to pull off verbal gymnastics, we relax, we serve and we unleash the Holy Spirit upon them to do what only the “Hound of Heaven” can do – to draw them to himself. As we continue to serve in diligence and in the kind of love only God can provide, it’s just a matter of time until there will be plenty of conversing – plenty of opportunity to talk. But then that conversing will come in response to the work of the Spirit.

What he does will last.
What he does will bear fruit.
What he does will open doors!