Crazy on a soap box…

I used to live in Chicago.  I worked downtown and walked by the corner of State and Washington almost everyday.  As I was walking by, almost every evening  a preacher  was standing at the corner with a microphone and speaker addressing everyone walking by.

I never stopped to really listen, but in the hundreds of times I walked by I know I heard him talk about the fires of hell and our need to repent.  Unfortunately the few times I even took notice of him, I thought to myself, “Oh my… he’s crazy!”

As I read a passage about John the Baptist this week, I thought about John’s passion and how many at that time thought he was crazy, and my friend back in Chicago came to mind.  I am starting to think it would be better to be standing next to him and labeled “crazy” than to be swept away by the desires of this world.

Lord, thank you for creating  other souls that are overflowing  with passion for You.  Please open my eyes to their example of love and zeal for You alone and rise up in me a great passion for You and Your Will and please remove my internal and self imposed obstacles so that I too might someday provide a safe harbor for at least four of Your little souls from the rushing river of this world.

The blessing of interruptions…

During the Passion of our Lord, Simon the Cyrene was interrupted.  Simon’s plans and his will were put on hold when he was asked to help carry the cross of our Lord.

Can you imagine how annoyed you would be to be pulled away from your schedule and your plans to help a convicted criminal?  Sorrowfully I admit that I would be very annoyed and maybe even angry.

Simon didn’t know it at first, but this interruption was possibly the greatest blessing of his life, when he was given the honor to help our Lord.

Lord please help me to more graciously accept the interruptions and help me remember Your hidden blessings they carry as I turn away from my will and allow Your Will to be done.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done.  Amen.

Peace

I am reading The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis.  Today I read chapter 3, The Man Who Loves Peace, and I want to share a bit of it with you and a few thoughts I had while reading.

Thomas a Kempis wrote
The good and peace-loving man turns everything into good.  The man who dwells in perfect peace suspects evil of no one.

The man of blind passion even turns good into evil and is quick to believe evil of others. The man who is discontented and disgruntled has a heart filled with suspicion.

I want peace!  How do we teach/learn peace?  Is it being taught?  I am honestly asking and would love your thoughts.

Does finding peace lead one to believe that everything is good?

Or

Are peace and believing everything is good equivalent, meaning that once you believe everything is good then you have also found peace and vice versa once you have found peace then you believe everything is good?

If the latter is correct, then seeing/finding the good in everything should lead us to peace. This seems like a great place to start if you are looking for peace!

I know I am not the first to say this, but I think

  • Believing the glass is half full could help lead us to PEACE
  • Finding the sliver lining in the clouds could help lead us to PEACE
  • Looking for the rainbow through the rain could help lead us to PEACE
  • Finally whoever came up with the slang expression, S’all good, hit the nail on the head and wanted to help lead us to PEACE

Jesus said in John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Let us reclaim the PEACE Jesus has left with us, the PEACE He has given to us.  Let us live with untroubled hearts and let us live fearlessly!

My friends, I wish you peace from the bottom of my heart!  Let us live Our Best Life in Peace!

A finite number of lashes…

I watched The Passion of Christ (2004 American Drama directed by Mel Gibson) on the evening of Easter Sunday.  It was the first time I had seen it and now two months later I still think quite often about the lashing of Christ scene.  While I was watching the movie the lashing scene seemed to go on forever and at one point I actually winced as Jesus received a lash and I thought to myself, that one was mine.  The thought actually surprised me and made me cringe, but the more I have reflected on it the more I think it is true.  I think we are all responsible for at least one lash that He received that day.

The comfort I have found as I continue to think about this scene and the innumerable lashes Jesus received is that the lashing did eventually stop.  Even though the final number of lashes could not be counted by the end of His lashing, we know the final number of lashes was a finite number.  I find comfort in this because to me it means that although there is evil and sin in this world, there is a finite amount.  It does not go on forever and there will come a day when all that is left will be GOOD.  Thank you Jesus for loving us so much.

I believe it and I pray with all of my heart that you do too!  It is Our Best Life!