“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.”      Psalm 126:5 (NIV)

Let me go ahead and say this writing is not about money. (Insert sigh of relief here)

It is about emotional investments. Those things, events, people, and moments that you pour your whole heart and soul into for an extended amount of time. In many ways these emotional investments are more risky and painful than financial ones.

Think of a time when you gave of yourself so completely that you gave until it hurt with no immediate positive results.

This can easily happen to parents, giving all that you have emotionally and financially to provide your child with opportunities and experiences to set him up for success only to be left feeling unappreciated and useless when the child/teen/young adult goes about making selfish decisions with little regard for you or your teachings. Or how about when a family member makes a poor decision that leaves the entire family devastated, injured, or disappointed. Or when a friend betrays your confidence or takes advantage of you for personal gain with little or no regard for your feelings.

Maybe your moment came when you put all that you had into your job or invested in the development of others, sometimes at the expense of neglecting your own family, only to go unnoticed, unappreciated, and taken for granted. 

If this happened to you, it most likely left you feeling empty, let down, or maybe even feeling like you had been kicked in the gut. 

Have you ever been moved to tears over things like this?

I have.

On more than one occasion, personally and professionally, I have been left tearful and emotionally bankrupt wondering how much more I could do without seeing any positive results. Reflecting on the scripture for today, I realize that I can put it all into perspective. 

When you find yourself giving until it hurts – sowing with tears – you must realize all of your emotional investments contribute to a savings account overflowing with songs of joy. Compare it to good banking practices – we cannot build up a healthy nest egg for retirement or save up to buy that new car/house/outfit/toy without some sacrifice. In the same manner, we will never experience that intense feeling of genuine joy without giving selflessly and making those tearful emotional investments in our family, friends, church and community. 

So if today those tears are flowing as you sow, consider your emotional deposits. Be refreshed, reassured, encouraged, and strengthened knowing that you will reap with songs of joy in return. 

So go ahead and give until it hurts! There is a huge payoff in the end.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6 (NASB)

Just when everyone gets settled into a comfortable summer routine, it seems the fun is over and the big yellow buses hit the road taking students back to school. Whether you have a child in school, work in a school, or just travel a road that passes a school, you are affected when that bell rings to signal that school is back in session.

Students return to school lamenting the passing of lazy summer days and acting as if they don’t remember what they learned just weeks earlier. Faculty and staff return to school and seem surprised at the lack of prep time and rush to get everything just right even though they have done the same start up routine for many years previously. Commuters are late for work that first day the big buses run because they forgot how congested the roadways are during peak travel times.  

I can’t help but see a connection between this back to school shock and my spiritual journey. I don’t know about you but looking back at my life I can easily identify times when I have strayed away or taken a “break” from my spiritual routine/training. Like those students who become lackadaisical over the summer and get out of the habit of studying, I have done that regarding my own personal, Christian growth.

It never fails, the spiritual vacation ends with the wake up call to go back to school so to speak. With some grumbling and complaining, I work to get back in the routine of a life centered on Bible study and prayer. Once I am back in the groove, it all comes naturally and I feel better and function more efficiently when I am focused on the right thing – my life with Christ. 

As we get older, a reminder to return to “the way ‘we’ should go” is important. Just like those students who are returning to their formal training and renewing the desire to learn, as Christians we need to return and renew our commitment to walking in the way of the Lord. 

So if you have taken a vacation from your spiritual journey, take this opportunity to go back to school as a student of God.

Remember those basic teachings and make the commitment to stretch yourself this school year and grow in your faith. The benefit you receive will be immeasurable and you will be surprised at how much you will add to your life through your love of learning and the scriptures.

Train and discipline yourself in prayer and devote time to studying the Bible. Then, even though you “go on vacation,” you will not depart from it. 

When that alarm goes off each morning, remember – Class is in session! 

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”     Romans 8:26 (NASB)

She closed the door and ran the water hoping no one would hear and, yet at the same time, praying someone would care.

She felt the moist heat penetrate her skin while the warm, rough fabric absorbed her tears and muffled her sobs. The warm washcloth slid down her face revealing the reflection of her tear-stained cheeks and mangled expression.

The words that had been hurled at her moments earlier echoed in her ears and repeatedly stabbed her heart. It had not been an argument or even a heated exchange. No, it was just a cold, callous expression of youthful independence. This wasn’t the first time. But usually, the remarks weren’t so pointed and personal. 

This time, the words were more personal causing insult and emotional injury. This time, she couldn’t recover and keep her composure. She stood frozen in the pain of the moment and paralyzed by the fear of failure. Failure as a parent.

Later, her sleep was interrupted as she felt the nagging tug of sadness and guilt. What could’ve or should’ve been done differently to prevent this exchange? To soften the heart of her child? Why is it in her relationships with others she feels so accepted yet from her child she feels rejected?

Most of us have experienced something similar and if you haven’t you probably will. Maybe it wasn’t the hurtful comments from a child. Was it the stinging words from a spouse? From someone you trusted? From a parent? All of them are just as damaging.

I have been there myself … more than once. 

I know these moments pass and feelings fade. Disappointment is usually temporary and wounds from words all heal – eventually. But in that moment, you feel like you have been tossed carelessly into a dark pit of despair … lost and lonely.

In those times, I have cried out to God not knowing the right prayer. Not knowing what I need to say or do to make things right. Not knowing how to restore my broken heart.

Miraculously, it is in those moments that the Holy Spirit takes over. Somehow the wordless groans of a grieving soul are transformed by the Holy Spirit into the most beautiful prayer. A prayer that reaches our heavenly Father who will in turn send back the right answer at the right time providing the comfort and guidance that heals the shattered heart. 

When times are tough and you can’t find the right words, when your pain is too great to put into words, when you feel defeated by life, rest assured God hears your wordless cry and knows just what you need – even when you don’t.

“The Lord said, ‘See I have refined you, but not like silver; I have tested you in the furnace of adversity.’”          Isaiah 48:10 (NRSV)

I love to travel. Most of all I love to read about and visit historical places around the United States, especially those important in our colonial past. In my travels, I have visited Williamsburg, Virginia a few times. I love the reenactments and the opportunity to watch the artisans of colonial Williamsburg demonstrating their craft.

On one trip, I remember watching a silversmith as he made jewelry. The intense heat he placed the raw, precious metal into made the metal pliable which allowed the craftsman to mold and shape the silver into whatever he wanted: a ring, a necklace, earrings, etc. The possibilities were plentiful. 

That day, I purchased a simple, silver ring for $5. A hammered silver band. It has smooth silver on the back and the wider front is textured with hammer marks. I wear that ring almost every day and am always surprised at the compliments I receive on this simple, $5 souvenir ring. 

When I read today’s verse, that silver ring is the first thing that came to mind. That simple, inexpensive ring which was molded and made beautiful by a caring craftsman. It was shaped while in extreme heat by applying great pressure. This is comparable to my own life. My simple, non-extravagant life is formed and made beautiful each day by the greatest craftsman of all: God. In the furnace of everyday adversity, I am made more beautiful and useful in His sight.

It is so hard to see the positive results of adversity: the pressures and pains we experience throughout life. But through our struggles, God is refining us for a greater purpose. 

Some days the heat seems hotter than others – truly unbearable – and at other times it is just uncomfortable. Through it all, God is with us. 

So whatever furnace of adversity you find yourself in today know the end result is in our original craftsman’s hands and it will be beautiful!

So I say, bring it on! Turn up the heat – God isn’t finished with me yet!

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”                                                     II Corinthians 4:17-18

Staring down from the balcony, I watched the water ebb and flow: the sand shifting with each new mingling with the water. Most of the time the land form changed ever so slightly with the stirring of the water, but occasionally a large wave or more powerful rush of water caused more of a visual, structural difference. 

Walking along the shoreline, I watched children creating sand structures that were safely positioned away from the water’s edge only later to watch them be chiseled away by the rising tide, many times to the dismay of the young architects. As I carefully made my way back to where I started after an evening walk, I found it difficult to locate landmarks that were once clearly visible because of the changing landscape at night fall. 

I love the beach. It is never the same close up. The landscape is constantly changing. Yet when I fix my eyes on the distant horizon, it is strangely familiar, predicable, calming – the same. 

The landscape of our lives changes similar to those sand shifts. Most of the time, the changes in our lives happen ever so slowly, gently. Shifting into new forms. Taking on a new shape. It is pleasant, normal. At other times, out of nowhere comes the big wave that washes away part of carefully planned and created sand castle. Sometimes, worse – it washes out the whole thing. Our day … week … year … life becomes unrecognizable. 

Yet if we look past the waves to the horizon we are filled with peace and hope – reminded of what we are striving for in this unpredictable world. 

Got problems? We all do. 

Some problems we see coming as they creep up like the slow rise of the evening tide toward our toes. Others hit us when we least expect it.

Remember no matter how big or small your problems are today, they are only temporary. Fix your heart on what is beyond the horizon, our unseen eternal glory. That, my friend, will never change.

In the sunny South, we are currently experiencing those unpredictable, summertime pop-up showers and thunderstorms. While we welcome the much needed rain, when the 10% chance turns to 100% without notice it often ruins our plans and drowns our spirits. Remember: You can’t control the weather but you can dance in the rain!

“God is our refuge and strength, ever-present help in trouble.”                   Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

Picture this: you – in a small boat. No land in sight. Just clear skies. Beautiful, peaceful water. A nice calm breeze. This scene lasts for awhile – long enough for you to get comfortable and at ease drifting in the sunshine. Then, when you least expect it, the sky suddenly darkens. The wind whips. The once calm water becomes violent. Large waves rock your once steady vessel. (Like a scene from the movie Castaway with you replacing Tom Hanks.)

No one wants to be that far away from shore and safety when the elements suddenly change …

… jeopardizing your stability …

… leaving you tossed, lost, and drifting. 

Just as you have no control over the weather when you are out in your little boat, you don’t have control over the winds of change in your life. When you least expect it, your once steady, calm world of family, friends, and community is violently rocked and you find yourself paddling with all of your might to keep your proverbial boat afloat. 

You are clearly not in control of the situation, but God is; your refuge, your strength, your ever-present help.

Consequently, the goal is to never lose sight of the safety and security of the shoreline:  our heavenly Father. The best part is no matter how far you drift off course you are never out of range to call for assistance or support. God will always hear your call. No matter how far you stray or drift. You are never off His radar.

So how are you feeling today? Is it smooth sailing or are you being tossed about? 

No matter where you are in your journey, be sure to include God in your safety plan. 

Whether you need a safe haven or to be reenergized, He is there for you – in calm and during the storm.

Happy Sailing!

(I hope you are finding time to unplug and unwind a bit this summer. I am finally taking some intentional time to relax and rejuvenate and I highly recommend it!)

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”                   Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

I sat down in the meeting, opened my tablet to take notes, and the dreaded message popped up: Charge battery 10% remaining. Then, later in the day, I grabbed my cell phone to check in with my daughter and there were no signs of life at all, just a blank screen – not even one blinking bar. Nothing. Could it be? Did I forget to charge the phone overnight … again?

You may remember that old battery icon, the Energizer bunny. You know, the one who keeps going, and going, and going … Why can’t everything last like that? An endless supply of energy. Truth be told, even the Energizer bunny must run out eventually, regardless of what the marketing department would have you believe. I have yet to find a battery that does not have to be replaced or recharged.

We even talk about recharging our own mythical, personal batteries. People talk about the need to renew and recharge which sounds good. But, if I can’t even be trusted to remember to charge my cell phone overnight, do you think I can actually take care of recharging myself? 

When it is left up to me, I only voluntarily take ‘down time’ when I am at the point of extreme illness or exhaustion. Otherwise, I am convinced the world cannot go on without me. So I keep pushing myself. 

I ignore all of the personal signs: 10% remaining (I snapped at my spouse for no apparent reason), 5% remaining (I withdrew from my friends, too busy to touch base with them), 2% remaining (I impose unrealistic expectations on those around me and get upset when they don’t live up to the expectation), 0% remaining, blank screen (nothing left except that empty feeling – call it regret or disappointment).

What good are we to others when we let this happen? What kind of life is this for me or you? Miserable. 

When we live half charged, running on empty, we begin to trudge through each day merely checking off the items on our “to do” lists, running from one obligation to the next only to miss the joy which surrounds us each day.

So where is this miracle battery? The one we can use to keep us going, and going, and going? 

Actually, it is no battery at all. It is Jesus Christ. He will renew us each day and keep us full to overflowing.

Include Him as you begin each day and you will have exactly what you need to keep going, all day – every day.

No batteries required!

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

I am by no means an expert on Nascar or any other type of racing; however, I have watched and read enough to know about the pace car. Typically, the pace car is the lead car for the first lap of a race to set the pace. Then, the pace car comes out when there is an accident or other safety issue. When the pace car comes out, the other cars are not allowed to pass it. They are required to slow down and use caution. Some drivers take the opportunity for a much needed pit stop during this brief respite from the fast pace of the race. The pace car gives those involved in an accident time to clear the raceway and regroup while reminding the other drivers to take it slow for a bit.

Just like the fast pace of a Nascar race, our lives are fast and furious most of the time. We race around with little or no time to rest – or we don’t take the time to rest. I know I am often guilty of living life too fast. As if life will pass me by if I take a little time for myself or my family. Always wanting to be the one to cross the finish line first – to win. Yet, no one can keep up that pace without a break, a pit stop of sorts. We all need time to relax, rejuvenate, and reenergize. Sometimes we need a reminder to do this – a pace car to slow us down.

In the race of our lives we can be the ones who experience a collision, accident, or some other misfortune that forces us to slow down and regroup. Other times, we see what happens in the lives of others and it reminds us to be more appreciative of what we have and where we are in our life. Then in turn, we take a break and reevaluate what we are doing – and how fast we are living. 

God gives us that reminder. He slows us down – much like the pace car.

All you need to do is let the scriptures be your pace car – your reminder to slow down, proceed with caution, or take that much needed pit stop. When you study and become familiar with a variety of scriptures, they will come to mind just when you need them the most. Gentle reminders of how to live our lives. When to speed up and when to slow down. 

There are several scriptures you can use as reminders to rest and to not grow weary. Here are a few (just in case you need that reminder right now):

• Exodus 33:14 – The Lord replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
• Psalm 62:1 – Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him.
• Psalm 62:5 – Yes, my soul, finds rest in God; my hope comes from Him.
• Mark 6:31 – Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
• Hebrews 4:10 – For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His.
• Jeremiah 31:25 – I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.

Now as you prepare to speed off and start your day, take time to reflect on these scriptures and reevaluate where you are in this race called life. 

It can be a long and grueling race – Pace Yourself!

“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.’”                                    Mark 10:42-44 (NIV)

Long before I gained a position of leadership, I was fortunate to be exposed to and work with a variety of people who I consider great leaders. They were successful in good times and bad. People were eager to be on their teams and follow their visions.

As I matured and began to seek positions of leadership within the church and in the work place, I tried to emulate the mannerisms of those successful leaders I had observed over the years. I learned rather quickly that I could not be what they had been. I could not be those people – a replica of someone I admired. I had to grow into my own person and become comfortable with myself in all the roles I play in my life. 

I have also worked in a business where it was dog eat dog to get ahead, a world where finding success meant stepping on others to move past them up the ladder. I have worked for people and in organizations where the leader ruled over the workers and made decisions just to flex their authoritarian muscles as a way to prove power over others. Some people will tell you the secret of success is gaining position, money, or status regardless of the sacrifice or the cost to those around you. You may be told to look out for yourself first, always. If you believe that now, one day you will wake up (probably all alone) and realize that those people were wrong.

After reading the passage in Mark of Jesus talking with the disciples, I realized there is a common thread in all of the great, successful leaders I have worked with and those I have read about: They all put others first.

When you stop focusing on your own advancement and promotion, you will start to experience greatness. This is difficult in our society which often promotes self first, others last. But it is true. 

Start focusing on others. Put their needs and wants before your own and then you will find success in your own life.

Rising above and being successful has little to do with ordering others around and everything to do with what you invest in those around you. This applies at home as well as the work place.

Success is not found in a title, the size of your office, or the size of your wallet. It is your reward for living as Jesus taught you to live. 

So, now you know. The true secret of success is another S word: Selflessness.

So stop stepping on others to climb the ladder of success and instead build a staircase for others. Follow Christ’s example – set out to serve, giving your life and yourself for others.

What can you change today to be great, to start living like Jesus? What can you do to start serving others and “become a slave to all?”

Choose just one thing. Maybe for you that one thing can be listening to others instead of talking about yourself or standing in the back while others stand in the spotlight or taking action to physically serve by doing a task for someone else unexpectedly. You choose – just one thing.

Start with one thing to make a change that will lead to a successful life focused on service instead of self.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”      Mark 10:45

“In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”   Proverbs 3:6 (NASB)

There is a popular poem by Robert Frost about a man who comes upon a fork in the road and must choose which path to take, “The Road Less Traveled.” You are probably familiar with it. The man chose his path. What a lucky guy. He got to choose. 

 Many of us aren’t so lucky. Sometimes a choice is made for us and we are left on a path that wasn’t on our original map.

I don’t know about you but when that happens to me, I can become upset, even bitter. I question why. I feel like the detour is an inconvenience. This feeling comes with small diversions like when a family matter arises and changes your weekend or vacation plans and then it also occurs on a larger scale when your life journey goes in a totally different direction due to a death of a loved one, a divorce, a job loss or change, or even an unexpected pregnancy (think of Mary and Joseph!).

This forced change is hard.

I can hear the voice of that nice lady on my navigation system saying, “rerouting.” I always hate when she says that! Rerouting??? How do I get back to the original route or to a more pleasant one? How did I get here? Rerouting … she makes it sound so easy. 

I have found myself, more than once in my life, being forced into a sudden change of paths. Each time thinking to myself: My choice of a path would have been straighter, better, smoother, and quicker. This new road I find myself on is crooked, longer, rougher, and slow going. 

Instead of quickly adapting to and coming to terms with the fact that there are some things I cannot control, I continue to look for the emergency stop button or a pause feature on my life so I can regroup and regain control – only to wake up down the road realizing life is not about control. It is not about always getting my way.

Life is not about getting your way. It is about finding your way.

If this hasn’t happened to you already, chances are it will.  You will be walking along the path you have chosen, enjoying the scenery, and then suddenly you are on a new road to a different destination – or so you think. 

We all need to realize we may end up on a different road, but the destination hasn’t changed.

Our purpose in life, our destination, remains the same. We are called to walk in His way. To serve your Lord and love your neighbor as yourself. 

That path that we think is so crooked and disjointed, so inconvenient, will be made straight for us. The Bible tells us that. All we have to do is acknowledge Him. Remember that He is in control.

Our responsibility along the path is to trust in God. To continue on in faith – even when it feels like you have been pushed into a maze and you panic because you can’t find your way out. You need to pray, regain your focus and press on until you find the light at the end of the dark tunnel. It is there. He is there.

God is right there walking with us when we make a pathway choice and when that choice is made for us. 

Remember this promise:

“I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Life’s journey is full of twists and turns. Detours and diversions. Stay focused on your destination – eternity with Christ – and your path will be made straight.