Advocacy

Last night, I heard Peter Bell speak at Antioch Church for our Faith Teams Dinner and Discussion. Peter is an ex-offender who is currently working for the city of Durham. He told us he has been in two state prisons and one federal prison. In his last go round, he spoke of his longing to see change in his life, and he prayed that God would help him make that change. As he was preparing to be released, he was told of an opportunity to join a Faith Team, and he said, “Yes,” to it without even knowing what it was. That one opportunity changed his life. For the first time in his life, he had someone who could be an advocate for him. A group of people, now in relationship with him, were able to stand up and speak on his behalf as he pursued better jobs, cleared his driving record, found safe housing, and re-entered social contact outside of prison.

As he told his story, he kept repeating that his Faith Team never gave him any money. He said they gave him something much better than money…love, support, encouragement, and advocacy. His team of people from all walks of life decided to befriend him and speak up for him whenever he faced problems he couldn’t handle. It was amazing to hear how Peter grew in strength of purpose as each time he came to his Faith Team with a problem, someone in the group had a solution (a personal contact to connect with, an opportunity to give, a recommendation on his behalf). The simplicity of advocacy was astounding to me as God used this one act of kindness over and over in Peter’s life to redeem him.

Last night, I was reflecting on my own previous status as a convicted criminal. The one thing that brought me out of death to life was the advocacy of Jesus. He not only advocated for me on the cross, but every day he speaks to the Father on my behalf. My record is made clean every day I confess to Jesus the problems that are too big for me. He somehow always has a solution to bring me back around.

Pray with me that we would become a community of advocates, like Jesus, for those who are struggling in this world.

Thirst

My experiment in cultivating a “garden of Eden” in my backyard has taken on new challenges this summer as we have been in an extreme drought. Today marks the first official day of mandatory water restrictions that Durham residents must adhere to or be kicked out of North Carolina (ok, that might be an exaggeration, but they will cut off all water to my house if I break the restriction).

All year, I have worked really hard to give the plants their proper nourishment and water they need to grow deep, strong and healthy roots to survive our in our climate. I even have adhered to the voluntary water restrictions that our Governor has requested up until this point. However, on Wednesday as I was leaving my house, the boxwood bushes that we planted in our front yard had changed from green to completely brown. Not a leaf on them was green. They were literally dying of thirst even though I had been watering them. The stress of 100+ degree days without water meant the ground was so parched around the plants that the soil soaked up the moisture before the plant could. My heart sank, as I saw my investment drying up before my very eyes.

My boxwoods made me think about the state of my own soul when it faces stress. When life gets busy, I often find that I can survive for a while going through the motions spiritually, but eventually I wake up to find my soul withered and dry, like I found my boxwoods this week. When life gets busy, that’s when I really need God’s nourishment, yet the temptation I have is to put my spiritual life on the back burner. God can wait, because what I really need to do is get ______ done. After the busyness, I can get back to attending my soul to let God restore me by his quiet waters. Yet, this is always a lie. When I neglect my soul, when I keep it from drinking in God, I am choosing to die of thirst. That parched feeling in my soul during the stress and busyness of life is an indication that I am thirsty, and I need to drink deeply from God’s well.

Pray with me that we will be a community that learns to act on our thirst. Pray that we will be a people who learn to drink deeply from God’s well…especially during the most stressful times of life.

Incarnation: God With Us

My daughter, Claire, is on the move. Last month she found her walking skills, and every day since she has been getting better and better at them. If you remember the alien in Men in Black, then you will have a vivid picture as to how she walks around the house. Like the alien, she is not quite comfortable in her skin yet, but she is totally committed to a more mobile lifestyle. This new stage in her life has caused me to change my parenting style. I have gone from asking, “How are you doing, sweet Claire?” as she stays in the location I have put her to “Where in the world is Claire?”

When the room gets quiet, I know she is up to something elsewhere, so I begin my parental ritual chant, “CLAIRE? Come out come out wherever you are?” I find myself repeating this over and over…not because I am particularly found of these words, but because she typically doesn’t respond to them. Off I go searching the rooms in the house to find where she has gone (and what trouble she might have gotten into!).

When I do find her, she turns to me and gives me a great big smile. Then, in an innocent fashion, she hands me whatever she has been playing with as if to say, “Dad, I just came in here to go get this (substitute anything breakable or harmful to children here) for you.” I reach down, pick her up, and redirect her to more children friendly pursuits.

It dawned on me this week as I was calling for Claire repeatedly one evening that the Lord calls out to me. Often, I treat the Lord as if he is in one room of the house, and if I choose to leave the room I am out of God’s presence. I can go see him if I want, but it is up to me to go to him. The gospels teach something completely different.

In John we read that the “word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” It is Jesus who came looking for us! He desires for us to be in his presence. The action is on God’s part, not mine. Jesus’ pursuit of us, his call for us to come into his presence, is an invitation to me to take part in life. He calls me from my self-destructive ways, and teaches me to live, really live, in his presence.

Celebrate, part 2

This week, my wife pointed out one of my more “unique” traits. I have this most uncanny ability to notice new things. For instance. I notice when my wife gets a haircut. I notice when she is wearing new clothes. I notice when my kids do something new, or reach a new stage of development. I notice when my co-workers take risks in serving others. I notice when many of you take steps of faith. I am even aware of mundane things like new patches on the pavement on the streets that I drive. I find myself keenly aware of my surroundings and changes…yet what I didn’t necessarily know, was that I don’t verbalize the value of these changes.

So, when I notice that my wife gets a haircut, I say to her, “You got a haircut didn’t you?” Then she would reply, “Yes, I did.” And then I would move on to other subjects internally thinking that I have done my job. Internally, I am celebrating these notice statements as victories. I noticed! I pointed out! I am aware of others! I am conquering selfishness! All the while, my wife is left wondering whether I actually like her haircut or not. She is left vulnerable, and in the dark as to how I feel about her and her new haircut. I am finding out this happens all the time with my observations about life. I notice, and then I move on. I fail to tell others why I noticed. Your hair looks good. I like your new shirt. Thanks for cleaning up your toys. Thanks for being an example to me in the way you serve others. You helped me worship today by letting me see the steps of faith you are taking in your life. Thanks for taking care of the pot holes!

My particular illness of noticing without following up that observation with words that express encouragement to the other, has caused me to see all of the opportunities I have missed to celebrate others. As a result, I realize that withholding my praise, or assuming there is praise in making my observation verbal, does not lead to blessing in other people’s lives. It can actually have the opposite affect.

Pray with me that we would be a community that is moved in our observations of God’s work in other people’s lives to express it with words of blessing…liberally and without holding back.