Tag Archives: Christianity

November 25, 2013 · 7:28 AM

Being Available

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Have you ever had a car break down on you? I had one break down on me in high school late at night after I dropped off my girlfriend. It was a cold night and she lived way out in the middle of no where. I was listening to the radio, signing along, when there was a noise from the engine and the car died. I coasted to a stop and began to look for lights. Cell phones were a luxury for the rich back then so calling someone was out. I got out and walked down the road until I came to a house. I went up and knocked on the door. A voice from inside asked what I wanted. When I explained what happened, they said, “We don’t open the door for anyone!”

I went down the road looking for another house. I was freezing cold and starting to jog to get my blood moving. I saw another house. It has the blinking, purple light flashing from a TV in the windows. I knocked and the TV turned off. I told them I knew they were awake and I just needed to make a call. No answer. Down the road I went to the next house. When I knocked, the door immediately opened. They were having a party. I asked for a phone, they let me use it and then drove me back to my car. I’m not sure how many doors I was going to have to knock on that night, but if was going to until I found someone available to help.

Our guest preacher yesterday mentioned in his sermon how God is looking for us to be available to Him. We say we want God to use us, but when He asks, we’re too busy. We have so many things going on in our lives that we’ve failed to be available to God when He wants to use us. He comes and knocks on our door, but it’s too late in the day or we just pretend not to hear it. We want to be used by God, but only when it’s convenient for us. We don’t want it to be in public, at a restaurant, in front of other people or when we’re in the middle of something else. We want to be used only when it’s at our convenience.

Sadly, He passes us by continuing to knock on the doors of hearts until someone is available to help. We wonder why He doesn’t use us very often. We think we are the model Christians, yet every time He knocks, we disregard it because it isn’t convenient. God wants our availability. Either we’re willing to be used by Him whenever He wants or we’re just not really available. What if Moses had been too busy doing his daily tasks to notice the burning bush? What if David had said he was too busy to go to the house to see Samuel? What if Peter was too busy to go to the upper room? You probably wouldn’t know their names. Instead you’d know the names of people who would’ve been available.

How’s your availability to God? Have you told Him you want to be used by Him, but haven’t made yourself available on His schedule? The good news is that you can change that in an instant. You simply have to let Him know that you’re ready when He’s ready, that His plans are more important than your plans and that when He asks, you’ll say, “Yes!” If you aren’t available when He knocks, He will move on to someone who will say yes. There is nothing here more important than what God wants you to do. It may not be convenient or easy to do, but it is the most important thing on your to-do list today. Will you be available when He knocks?

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November 21, 2013 · 7:41 AM

Helping Those In Pain

I’m approached often by people who have friends or family who have been cheated on by their spouse. They want to know what they can do to help them, how they can reach out to them and what they need most. There’s not a simple answer. Everyone reacts differently to the situation, but the pain and emotions are very similar I’ve found. I don’t think I can adequately give you everything you need in a few hundred words, but I’ll tell you what I needed most during that time in my life.

The first thing to understand is that they’re in pain from the betrayal. If they have kids, they will try to be strong for them. I imagine they will find a place to weep once the kids are asleep. They need some kind of outlet for that kind of pain. Without an outlet, pain turns to rage and a bad situation can easily be made worse. Everyone has a different outlet. I had to do things to keep my mind occupied. I painted my house over and over. I cleaned the grout around every tile with a toothbrush. I needed someone to listen who could understand my pain instead of just saying, “I’m sorry” or “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger” or “I never liked them anyway.” They were empty phrases from people who didn’t know what I was experiencing. For this, they need someone to listen without judging.

The next thing you should know is that it is unbelievably embarrassing for them. The hardest thing to do is face family and friends and admit your spouse cheated on you. I didn’t want anyone to know about it in case she came home. I didn’t want her to think she couldn’t come back because everyone knew. I didn’t want others to know because it made me look like a failure as a spouse. I thought that If I had been able to be the spouse they needed, they wouldn’t have cheated on me. I was the first person in the history of my family to go through a divorce and that made it worse. Not only did I feel like a second rate Christian, now I’m the guy in the family who couldn’t keep a wife. For this, they need acceptance without a bunch of questions.

The last thing I’ll mention in this post is that through all the pain and embarrassment, there is still a desire for their spouse to get their head on straight and come home. For months, every time I turned on the road to my house, I would look in the driveway and pray her car would be there. Even after all the pain and embarrassment, I thought that if she would just come home, it would be like nothing ever happened and I could get away from the pain. I thought everything would be better if she came to her senses and returned. Without her, it was like trying to walk without one leg. I had grown used to having two legs and if she returned, I could walk again. It may not make sense to you if you haven’t been in those shoes. For this, they need understanding without ridicule.

Above all else, they need prayer. They need someone to hold them up because they don’t have the strength to help themselves in their time of need. They need friends instead of judges. They need support instead of questions. They don’t always want to talk about it so don’t press them on it. When they’re ready, they’ll talk to you about it. Be a listening ear without attacking their spouse. Don’t say phrases like, “I never liked them.” That’s counter productive to someone who, at that moment, thinks that their world will be made right if their spouse returns. Offer to get a babysitter and take them out to eat. Get them out of the environment every now and then that is so rich with memories that remind them of the pain. Be a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. Don’t offer advice unless it’s asked for.

These are a few of the things I needed in my separation. It’s not a complete list and reflects only what I went through and needed. If you’ve been through something similar, write a comment about what you needed so others who have friends or family will know how to be a better help.

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November 19, 2013 · 7:40 AM

Where’s Your Roof?

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One of my favorite things to do in Haiti is to get up before everyone else and meet with God on the roof of the guest house. There’s nothing quite like sitting up there watching the sun rise light up the mountain and spending time alone with God. As the tap taps and moto taxis go honking by with music blaring, there’s a quietness that can be found up there where I can block all of that out and just relax in the presence of God as I enjoy His creation and spend time in His Word. Most people on the team will also find their “roof” somewhere in the house where they can meet God. I love walking around the house seeing Bibles opened, coffee in one hand and a journal in the other.

With expectant hearts and open ears, we wait to hear from God. We hang on His every word to write it down and to share with others. We fill our spiritual tank each morning because we’re about to go give it all out throughout the day. After breakfast we have a team devotion where one person shares what God is showing them. I love to see how excited people get when all of a sudden God’s Word becomes alive to them. Scriptures they had read several times before start making sense to them. Words they had never seen or glazed over become real and applicable. We receive so much while we’re there because we expect so much.

My question is, “How do we duplicate that once we get back?” The first thing I tell those who as is to find their balcony or roof back home. In Matthew 6, Jesus told us to go into our closet when we pray. I don’t think He literally meant to go in there. He was telling us to go so we here private where we can be alone with God. He wanted us to find a place where we can just sit in His presence and expect to hear from Him. He wanted us to find a place in our every day lives where we could have our Bible open, coffee in hand, a journal in front of us and to be excited to be in His presence.

I believe God wants to have daily encounters with each of us. He doesn’t want to just do it when we’re on a mission trip. He wants to meet us in our every day life. If it means we get up an hour before the kids do or stay up an hour after they go to bed, that’s the sacrifice He’s looking for. We somehow expect reward without sacrifice when it comes to our relationship with Him. We expect Him to do everything in the relationship while we receive all the benefits. Your relationship with God is just like any other. It requires time, effort and sacrifice. If you want a healthy relationship with God, find your “roof” somewhere around your house and make time to be alone with Him. You’ll find that excitement you’ve been missing and you’ll hear from Him each day. Your spiritual tank will be full and you’ll be able to give out God’s love all day without worry.

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November 18, 2013 · 7:51 AM

Your “Little” Is A Lot

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I forgot how hard it was to go back to work and my normal everyday life after a trip to Haiti. It’s hitting me this morning though. As I pull out of my driveway, drive out of my neighborhood and turn onto the freeway, part of me is fighting it. I wonder why can’t every day be full time ministry, why every day can’t be spent on the mission field and why can’t I be doing things with an eternal purpose all the time. It’s an ongoing struggle that I’ve had since April and was renewed with this trip. It’s hard to do things that won’t matter for eternity once your perspective changes. It’s hard to do the things you once did when you see the need others have.

When you meet an entire village of people who are living without electricity, cell phones, Internet or brick and mortar homes you begin to see how truly blessed we are. You also see how wasteful we are. When a bug hits my windshield, I simply pull a button to spray water to clean him off. In Myan, Haiti, a person would have to walk six miles for water that I’m using to wash a bug off my windshield. When I get the same meal two days in a row, I complain. There, they’re lucky to have a meal each day. They’re thankful for the same meal over and over because it’s life and death.

There’s so much to be done there and yet, so much has been done. It’s easy to see a mess that big and think, “I can’t possibly make a difference here.” You can also pretend that it doesn’t exist. After all, ignorance is bliss. If you aren’t aware of it, you don’t have to do anything to help. The only solution I know of is to go in, get your hands dirty, connect with the people so it becomes real names and people, not just stories, and then do what you can to make a difference with what’s in your hand. If you can’t go, help someone who can.

The real question is, “What has God given me that He intends for me to use for Him?” I am and have been wasteful with what He’s given me. We think we have so little because we’re comparing ourselves to the rich in this country. If you look at the other 98% of the world, the “little” you have is more than they will ever have. We use the excuse of “I don’t have much” to keep us from giving or doing things that matter. In reality, we have been blessed more than we will ever know. As Jesus said in Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much is required.” If you can read this, you’ve been given much more than most of the world.

What excuses have you made that have kept you from giving and using what God has given you? Have you falsely compared yourself to the world’s wealthiest people instead of to the majority of the population? What will you do differently going forward? How can God use your “little” to make a big impact in the world of others? It all starts with you recognizing how much you truly have, how wasteful you’ve been with it and opening your eyes to the potential God sees in you. What are you willing to let go of that He can use? The power of letting go rests in your hands.

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November 16, 2013 · 6:42 AM

Saying Goodbye

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Saying goodbye in Haiti is always the hardest part in coming here. I know it’s coming on every trip. When I start to think about it, I start to cry. Fortunately, as you’ve read, we’re usually so busy, I rarely have time to think about it. At each passing day though, it looms and I’m made more aware of it. Day 6 on this trip was that day. It would be the last time we visit Myan and the last time we play with the children in Gonaives. I have to force myself to get in the truck so they can drive me away.

We started the day off in Myan. We wanted to go back and help those who didn’t get into the clinic the day before. Word spread quickly that we had returned. People would dress their absolute best to be seen by the nurse. They would come and patiently wait to get in. We had told them we were leaving at 12:30. When that time came, we had two pregnant ladies and two elderly people in line, plus all the kids who wanted to be around us. I couldn’t leave them sitting there. No one could. We stayed an extra hour in order to help them.

The kids were all running around playing, throwing balls and being kids. I got a couple of the older ones and pulled out my phone. I played a video of a few of them who had sung on my last trip. When that started playing, they yelled out names. Before I knew it, there were twenty kids piled around me wanting to see it. I then asked for an encore. The boys sang again and others joined in stomping feet, banging Toro bottles and lending their voices. I don’t know what they were singing, but it was beautiful. Afterthought song was over, they sang “The is the Day that The Lord Has Made” in their native Creole. I couldn’t help but to be overcome by the situation.

As we loaded up and drove off, I took one last look at the orphanage. The next time I come back, there will be orphans there, the buildings will be completed and generations of families will be changed because people give their time, money and talents. I tried hard not to look at anyone on our team because I knew I’d break down. Instead, I prayed over the future of Myan. I prayed for those who have yet to be born and abandoned that will call this place home. I prayed for those who have a hand in helping to make this dream possible.

We made our way to the orphanage in Gonaives. When the gates were opened, the kid who chose each one of us on our other visit came running through the gate to find us. The team grabbed their child or children and began playing. Soon, we headed off to the soccer field. Choosing teams was hilarious with kids running back and forth. I had no idea who was on my team, I only knew our direction. A kid pointed at me and then at the goal. I was nominated to play goalie. I picked up a Nelson, a small child who is HIV positive and is deaf, and kept him on my hip while we played. With every blocked shot, he gave me a fist bump. Every time we scored he made a sign of celebration.

As the sun set, it was clear that it was time to leave. The kids had to go to bed and we had to get back to the guest house. Fortunately, we were able to delay the goodbye until we leave for the States. When we got the guest house, dinner was ready. During dinner, the missionary asked if we’d like to have service at Myan. The team agreed. We quickly finished dinner and headed out there. Even though it was dark and late for this community, several locals showed up for our service. They came and dispersed among us as we stood in a circle on a cloudless night lit only by the moon.

God came down and met us there. As we stood in a circle, we prayed for the locals and then each other. We shared what changes we plan to make when we go back. It was a very intimate setting with a very real God. The locals left one by one as we continued to pray. At the end of the service, there was this quiet presence of God. We rested in that moment and then loaded the truck. The ride back to the guest house was like being in a bubble of peace knowing that God was happy with what we accomplished and who we accomplished it for.

Today, we make the long journey back. We have a four hour ride in the back of the truck sitting on suitcase. We’ll load a plane and fly home. It will be after midnight when we’re finally with our families. For some, their journey will continue until sun up. We can’t wait to get back to our churches and friends so we can share how God met us in Haiti. Our challenge is to continue having Him meet us when we’re back. It’s also to find what He wants us to do for Him over there. God’s desire is that we live daily in His presence and show others who He is by how we live our lives wherever we are.

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November 15, 2013 · 6:43 AM

Free From Excuses

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It’s Free Friday! What are you going to let go of today so that you are free? What’s holding you back from being who God called you to be? Every Friday is an opportunity to get yourself free. This week’s Free Friday is different from others. I’m in Haiti and recounting our trip day by day. There won’t be a giveaway today, but there will be an opportunity to be free.

As we move into the second part of this trip, our spirits are high and we are energized because of the people of Haiti. Our bodies are sore and tired because the work we are doing combined with the heat. Day 5 was a very productive day for our team. We planned this work weeks before our trip. It started with me emailing the team members that I didn’t know or hadn’t seen in a while. I asked what skills they had that they felt God could use on this trip. I wasn’t sure what all we could do with the diversity of the skills, but God knew and placed each person on this team to do what only they could do.

Two of the skills came from a couple. One of them is a nurse and the other can do carpentry. The orphanages and communities where we work here need both badly. When we first arrived at Myan on Monday, we told all the local kids we would have a clinic on Thursday. We asked them to spread the word throughout the community. Just because the orphanage isn’t open, it doesn’t mean we can’t start impacting the community around it now. We explained the process and that was all that was said about it.

When the clinic opened yesterday, it was slow going with only a few people. These ladies brought their children dressed in the best clothes they had and had shoes on their feet. They were so excited to be seeing a medical professional. We treated them, gave them medicine and sent them on. Word really spread after that. Our team treated families from 10:00 to 5:30 without taking a break. We had to turn people away because it was getting dark and we had to get back to the guesthouse. We told them to come back tomorrow so we could help them.

Another team was finishing up staining the beds for the orphanage while another team was putting varnish on the finished ones. They worked until the beds were finished being stained and the varnish ran out. When they finished up, they began to entertain the kids in line. We gave each person a number so they didn’t have to stand there or lose their place to see a nurse. One person, began teaching the kids how to do cartwheels while another introduced baseball to them. Our freshly leveled courtyard made a great baseball field. The children had a stick and an old, beat up tennis ball. Perfect for baseball.

Our other team finished up two full walls of shelving units for storage and medical supplies for the orphanage. We also build a tabletop desk for the administrator to be able to sit at and do work. The local workers kept coming in to look at what and how we were doing things. By the end of the project, we had turned it over to two men who are on Coreluv staff. It was amazing to watch them pick it up after watching us and to complete the project. The shelves are sturdy and beautiful. We’ll finish them up by placing doors on the medical side.

This trip has reminded me of something that Mike Reizner, the founder of coreluv.org, told me once. He said, “You shouldn’t pray and ask God for permission to go on a missions trip. He’s already commanded us to go into all the world. The real thing you should ask Him is if He is ok with you not going.” It’s time to free yourself of the excuses that keep you from doing what God wants you to do. Free yourself from the things that hold you back from His will for your life, whatever that may be. Don’t let another excuse keep you away from a missions trip. If you’d like to go to Haiti, email missions@coreluv.org to find out how.

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November 14, 2013 · 6:36 AM

On A Dirt Road In Haiti

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As day four dawned in Haiti, the team was very energetic. We got up, had a good breakfast, a great devotional and then packed for the day. We piled up in the back of the truck and headed for Myan. The long dusty road there is full of bumps. All along the way, people smile and give us a thumbs up. It’s clear that Coreluv has built good relationships in the community and the people are excited to see the teams who come down their road. They know that we’re there to help not just the orphans, but the community at large.

When we arrived at the orphanage in Myan, we unpacked and began to prepare for our projects. Kids arrived slowly for some reason. As I went from room to room to check on the teams, I went into one where some ladies were staining the beds the orphans will sleep on. Just inside the door, a three year old boy was sitting on the floor with just a shirt on. He was covered in the white dirt that is everywhere out there. He looked up and you could see he was sad and something was wrong.

One of our team members, who has been on several trips, said, “He told me he didn’t sleep well.” I held his hand, but he would barely look at me or grip my fingers. After sitting with him a few minutes, I moved on to walk the property and see where future projects would be. I checked on the other team who were building shelving in our storage room. They were measuring, cutting and determining what order to do things in with the limited tools and weak generator. Each person was doing their part to make this project a success.

As I walked into the bed staining room, I saw our team member giving this boy water and then some food. He’d ask for more water and she’d give it to him. Then he’d ask for another bite of food. Slowly his demeanor began to change. My heart was touched as I watched her compassion for this little boy. As she gave it to him, Matthew 10:42 came to mind, “And if you give a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” I was blessed to be able to watch that moment take place.

As the teams kept working on their projects, the missionary, a girl on the team and I got in the truck and headed back towards Gonaives. After we got over the part of the mountain the puts Myan in a valley, we pulled over. On a dirt road in Haiti, we used the hot spot feature on his iPhone to connect his iPad. We then used Skype to call Lifestyle Christian School where she attends and were patched into their chapel service. They’re bring a team of students next year and the principal wanted to have the student on this trip to be able to share her experiences.

As we finished speaking to chapel, we all kind of looked at each other and talked about how cool it was to be pulled over on the side of a mountain, on this dirt road, and to be able to do a video feed thousands of miles away to be able to share what we were doing. In a country where many of the technological advances that we enjoy daily have yet to make it, we were able to do that. The concept of video calling hasn’t reached here and would be as foreign to them as a truck of American sitting on the side of their road.

After coming back to town for supplies to get the more powerful generator working, we returned to Myan. The teams had made huge progress. The generator fired up after several minutes of the locals working on it. The saws started buzzing, drills started humming and the work began to move quickly. The 90 degree heat and no air conditioning began to take it’s toll on everyone. One of the guys looked at me and asked what time it was. When I told him it was almost 3:00, his face showed that he thought it was much later. We worked a little bit more when a couple of kids showed up in the middle of the buildings and started throwing a tennis ball.

One guy looked and asked, “Where’s our soccer ball?” I pointed it out and he ran out there with them. It didn’t take long until all of us were out there kicking the ball in a circle. Soon after, it became a free for all running after the person who had the ball. The goal was simply to be the one kicking it. Laughter filled the air in Myan (and dirt!). For an hour we played and loved these kids as the Haitian workers watched us. There was a renewed purpose for the work and our energy levels increased. It was just the boost we needed to get through three more days of work.

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November 11, 2013 · 5:21 AM

Expectations

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I used to have a friend who was an Army Ranger. He was proud of the fact that in any war they were “the first in and last out.” They would go in when there was no back up and then provide back up for those who would come in after them. They were on the front lines. The ones who would go where no one else would when no one else would go. I loved hearing his stories. They fascinated me. I then realized that as Christians we have the same call as Rangers. We are called to be on the front lines in this world. We are the ones who should be the standard bearers leading the way to God.

This week, I’m getting the opportunity to be on the front lines in Haiti. We’ve got a team here who has come with the purpose of defending the orphan according to Isaiah 1:17. Last night, after a very long day of travel, we met on the balcony of the guest house in Port au Prince and discussed what our expectations of this trip were. One by one, each person shared why they came and what they hoped God would do. For some, they were following a dream that God had placed in them since they were children, others had been trying to come and this was the first open door, some had come hoping for direction and others had no expectations and were open to what God wanted to do.

There’s something about sitting around a circle with other believers from all walks of life and sharing what you expect God to do. Each of us have some expectations of God, but we rarely put them into words. We expect God for healing, protection and to be our provider. We expect Him to be there when we call out in prayer or fall down and need help. But what do we expect Him to do today? Where do you expect Him to show up in your 8-5 day and make a difference? Where do you expect Him to use you? Are you giving Him the opportunity to use you to accomplish His expectations?

This is now my second trip to Haiti. I know what to expect from the trip and know there will be unexpected things. I know how a God can move here and at home. My expectations are different this time around because I’ve been here. They’re more focused now. Each time I come back I know that my expectations will continue to be more concentrated and focused. I don’t know what to expect when I get back to the States though. Each time I leave the country for missions, I leave a piece of my heart behind and return with a bigger heart somehow. My life changes every time I follow the Great Commission to go.

It’s out here on the frontline where I feel most at home. It’s where I feel and experience God in a way like no other. It’s where I not only have expectations of God, but He reveals His expectations of me. I wonder how much of His expectations of me I miss in the U.S. because I fail to have expectations of Him. What if I lived my life full of expectation of God in my every day life? How would things change? How much more could God use me? How much more often would He meet me? How much more real would He be in my day to day life? How would my country change? It all starts with a simple daily expectation of God. Take time each day to let God know your expectations of Him and I’m sure He’ll let you know His expectations of you. I promise you it will be life changing.

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November 8, 2013 · 7:46 AM

Free From Self Criticism

It’s Free Friday! What are you going to be free from today? The choice is yours to let it go. To celebrate Free Friday, I’m giving away a free copy of Steven Furtick’s book “Greater”. Keep reading to find out how to enter.

Most of the time, I’m my own worst enemy. Certainly I’m my own worst critic. I see and know all my flaws better than anyone. I do my best to cover them up so no one else sees them, but I know they’re still there. I use them as excuses to keep myself from doing greater things. I allow them to hold me back from who I was created to be. When I look in the mirror, they stare back at me and remind me that I’m a deeply flawed individual and am incapable of doing the things that I’m called to do. This cycle of self doubt perpetuates itself in my mind to the point that it blocks out the call from God.

Moses felt the same way. I always read the early chapters of Exodus and though he was making excuses as to why God couldn’t use him. In reality, I think it was self doubt and self criticism that was rearing it’s ugly head. When God asked him to do something greater, those insecurities and flaws that he saw in his own life reminded him of his inabilities. I don’t think he was trying to make excuses to get out of doing what God called him to, but rather he was telling God, “You’ve go the wrong person. I have so many flaws. How could you possibly use me? Remember how bad I messed up before?”

Whatever our flaws are and no matter how bad our past is, we can’t let the enemy use those to keep us from being and doing something great. Steven Furtick refers to this side of him as his “lesser loser life”. He said in chapter 2 of the book “Greater”, “I find over and over again that my greatest enemy of the greater life God has for me is…me.” Each one of us have this voice in our head that constantly tells us, “You can’t. You’re not enough. God can’t use you.” On and on it goes with all the things that are wrong with you. Relentlessly it attacks your mind to get you to believe that you’re not enough.

Today, it’s time to free yourself of that voice. You are God’s unique creation and were designed by Him to be great and to do greater things. The way I combat that voice is with scripture and by claiming who I am in Christ. When it says I can’t, I tell it, “I can do all things through Christ.” When it says God can’t use me because of my past, I say, “I’ve been forgive, it’s been forgotten and I’ve been redeemed.” When it says that no one will listen, I say, “I’m just the messenger. The message is His. My job is to speak it and His job is to open ears and minds.” I focus on what I can do and not what I can’t. I recognize what is my responsibility and what is God’s. He doesn’t ask me to do what only He can do. He asks me to do what only I can do.

What does that voice say to you that keeps you from being great? It’s time to set yourself free and what better day than Friday! Don’t listen to it. Shut it up and replace it with who God says you are. You are more than enough to do what God asks of you. You can and will do greater things through Christ. Don’t let your flaws become an excuse. Instead let God use them for His glory in a way that only He can do. God doesn’t make mistakes. Your life, your past and your flaws are not mistakes, but rather they are the exact things God needs in your life to accomplish what only you can do. It’s time to free yourself from self criticism and to do greater things.

To win Steven Furtick’s book “Greater”, simply go to my Facebook page and share any of today’s statuses. Everyone who shares a Facebook status by 11:59 PM, November 8th, 2013, will be entered into a drawing to win this life changing book. I’ll draw a name tomorrow, November 9th, and post the winner on my Facebook page.

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November 7, 2013 · 7:52 AM

American Night in Cairo

I’ve been reminded twice this week about what I called “American Night in Cairo”. When I lived in Egypt, there were days were I longed to be back in the States and I would remember everything great about the U.S. On those days, I would put a cassette tape in my jam box that my parents recorded from my favorite station at home and listen to the music, DJ chatter, news, traffic and weather. I’d cook hotdogs that someone brought me, open a can of chili and drink a Dr. Pepper that a friend got from the commissary. After that, I’d put in a VHS tape into the VCR, sit on the couch and what “Friends” and other shows from “Must See TV” with commercials and all. For a moment, it was like I was back in my natural habitat.

The truth was, Egypt was my new home. I fell in love with Arabic, the pyramids, eating who knows what from who knows where, the dust storms, the horns honking, sailing down the Nile and everything else that was special about living there. I was so caught up in looking back to my old life that I almost missed the new one. I longed for days that had passed and my memory amplified how great things were because they weren’t right in front of me. It got to be all I thought about until I really embraced Egypt.

I heard the first part of Romans 6 last night from The Message Bible and it paralleled with those nights in Egypt. It says, “If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace – a new life in a new land!” I find myself, even now, looking back on my old life, the one where I didn’t follow God’s ways, and remembering it with fondness.

I don’t think it’s bad to remember the good times I had, but when I start longing for them again, it distracts from my new life in Christ. I start missing out on what God has for me in this new land. I can’t allow what used to be to dominate my present thoughts and to create a homesickness for what once was. Since we’re born into sin, that lifestyle is “home” to our flesh. Our mind and body want to go back there, but our spirit, who is given to us from God, desires the new land. It creates a battle inside. That battle stunts our growth, stagnates our walk and keeps us from seeing all the blessings of the new life.

It wasn’t until I quit having “American Night in Cairo” that I began to see the beauty of my new home. I had missed out on so much because I was always dreaming of what used to be. What is your “American Night in Cairo” that keeps drawing you back to your old life? God has called you to live a new life in a new land. Don’t spend your time in this new life dreaming of days gone by. Thank God you’re forgiven, listen to the deepest part of your spirit as it calls you to love this new life and follow after it. You live in a country of grace now. You have a new life in a new land, embrace it.

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