Pray? Really?

Have you ever been in a situation where everything was going so wrong that you so preoccupied with what you were doing to fix things, that the idea of prayer never even crossed your mind? It has happened to me many, many times.

Why do you suppose that is?

I think that the way that we respond in difficult times is a clear reflection of what we really believe deep down. Oh, not always, but certainly most of the time. I know that when my relationship with God was kind of iffy I wasn't ever in much of a mood to pray. I would only call out to Him when I was desperate. However, it seems that the deeper my relationship with God, the more likely I am to include Him in every corner of my life. If I am having an ongoing dialogue with Him I am more likely to share everything with Him.

The Bible talks about having just such communication with God. In Paul's first letter to the church in Thessalonica he directs believers to, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus," 1 Thes 5:16-18. So basically the way I see it, Paul is saying enjoy life, be grateful no matter what is happening in your life, and stay in touch with God.

Why should we stay in constant contact with God? Well, look at it this way, if you and I have a relationship where we are in constant contact with each other then isn't it easier for me to come to you for help when I need it? If we have open lines of communication then I know how to share my needs and how to best ask for assistance.

You might say that if God really is who believers say He is, then doesn't He know what I need before I even ask Him? You bet He does! But as a parent even though I know what my children need I like for them to come to me to ask for what they need as it produces a sense of humility in my children and gives both them and me a chance to love on one another.

But don't be fooled, God knows what we will need LONG before we ever ask and often has the answer to our prayers in the works prior to our request.

Here is a good example of just such a time,

Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire, told the following story. "A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. 'Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won't feel so lonely.' That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, 'If God sent that, I'm sure He also sent a doll!' And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child's sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies' group to include both of those specific articles."

Stories like that give me hope. They show me that God is actually in the business of answering prayers. He isn't a genie who brings us whatever we want, but He does meet our needs. We only need to ask.

In the book of Philippians Paul gives clear and simple instructions about the part prayer plays in our lives. He writes, "Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God." (Phil 4:6). If we look at what Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians and now in Philippians, we see that Paul is explaining that followers of Jesus are to pray about everything always. This continual conversation with God about everything is what leads to a stronger and deeper faith. Martin Luther is quoted as saying, "If I should neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith." 

I suppose that makes sense. The more communication that I have with you, the better I get to know you and the more I come to understand your behavior. It is the same way in our relationship with God. The more we communicate, the better we get to know Him and the clearer our understanding is about how He may respond to our prayers.

When asked how much time he spent in prayer, evangelist and orphanage director, George Muller's reply was, "Hours every day. But I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk and when I lie down and when I arise. And the answers are always coming."
Muller lived exactly in that manner. It wasn't just a sermon, he lived it. He believed that God would provide and he lived in that faith. Here's an example;

Things looked bleak for the children of George Muller's orphanage at Ashley Downs in England. It was time for breakfast, and there was no food. A small girl whose father was a close friend of Muller was visiting in the home. Muller took her hand and said, "Come and see what our Father will do." In the dining room, long tables were set with empty plates and empty mugs. Not only was there no food in the kitchen, but there was no money in the home's account. Muller prayed, "Dear Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat." Immediately, they heard a knock at the door. When they opened it, there stood the local baker. "Mr. Muller," he said, "I couldn't sleep last night. Somehow I felt you had no bread for breakfast, so I got up at 2 o'clock and baked fresh bread. Here it is." Muller thanked him and gave praise to God. Soon, a second knock was heard. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. He said he would like to give the children the milk so he could empty the cart and repair it.

The ways in which God answers prayer are as different as there are circumstances. Often it isn't exactly the way that we might have like that prayer to have been answered. But then again, I'm not God.

Let's get in the habit of including Him in every corner of our lives. I think that if prayer is out first thought instead of our last resort, we will be giving God the room He needs to work in and through us. How cool is that?

Blessings,
-Bry

Be The Moon!

Linda Wilson-Allen smiles with a passenger on the San Francisco bus she drives.

 I want to share a story with you about a California woman known as Miss Linda. Miss Linda is not like most other people, she is not looking for attention and yet she has made a difference in the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people over the years. You might say it is how she rolls.

Linda Wilson-Allen, or Miss Linda, is a bus driver with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni). She has been at it for more than 25 years. She originally began her career with Muni when a notice of a job opening came in the mail for her then-husband and since he wasn't at home she decided to apply for a job herself.

Drivers are rotated through Muni to different routes and even driving different vehicles. Miss Linda, however, has had an impact everywhere she has gone. She made such an impact recently that a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle (Sam Whiting) who rides the bus Miss Linda was driving took the time to write a story about her which appeared on the paper's front page.

Miss Linda has a stellar record over the years for being on time and even being able to make up time when she has gotten behind schedule. Her accolades also include awards for being a safe driver. Miss Linda is good at what she does. However, that isn't what has brought her the attention.

Miss Linda takes the time to love on the people who ride her bus. She takes the time to know the names of her regular riders and she will even wait on them if they are running late making up the time later in her route which, as mentioned, she has gotten so good at doing.

At one point at a stop Miss Linda got out of her driver's seat walked out of her bus to help an 80 year-old woman carry her groceries onto the bus. That woman is now on a first name basis with Miss Linda and will sit at the bus stop letting other buses pass her by so that she can make sure to get on Miss Linda's bus. Miss Linda now takes the woman grocery shopping once a month after her shift.

At one point Miss Linda saw a girl, a City College student, sitting in a bus shelter who was trying to get home. It was obvious that she was new in town and was lost. It was close to Thanksgiving and Miss Linda told the girl that she should come to her home and have Thanksgiving with her and her children, which is exactly what she did. The girl eventually finished school and went back home to Georgia. That, however, did not end the friendship. Miss Linda explains that she goes to Atlanta to visit and the girl still comes to visit Miss Linda in San Francisco.

Miss Linda explains that there are two incidents that have motivated her to help others. One was when her mother was on a bus, lost her sense of direction and the bus driver would not help her. The second incident was when one of her twin sons lost his bus pass and the other son tried to share his pass so the two could get home. The driver in that instance put them off the bus and they had to walk several miles to get home. Those two events led Miss Linda to always help the elderly and the young. Her helping everyone else inbetween springs from the person she is.

Regular riders on her route discovered that Miss Linda liked to accessorize her uniforms by wearing scarves so they started to bring them to her as gifts and some have even gone as far as offering Miss Linda the use of their vacation homes. Miss Linda truly has connected with those she serves.

When her shift comes to an end and she leaves the bus to be replaced by another driver, passengers have often applauded her as she rose from her seat to exit. When Miss Linda finished her last shift before transferring to another line she stood in front of the bus and said "That's all. I love you. Take care."

Miss Linda explained that she gets her attitude set at 2:30 each morning when she spends thirty minutes on her knees in prayer. "There is a lot to talk about with the Lord." she says. It is this connection that sets the tone for her day.

Linda Wilson-Allen is an example of how a strong connection to God can impact our lives.  Colossians 4:2 says "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." And Paul writes in Philippians, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Phil. 4:6). It is through a constant dialogue with God that we get a better picture of Him and how we might fit into His plan.

For the longest time I thought prayer was just something you did in church. Then after I found a real desire to know God, I realized that prayer is something that is more like an ongoing conversation. And if that's the case, then how would I ever get to know someone by just talking to them for a few minutes a week? I wouldn't.

It is through a connection with God that we can connect with His power and love. When we can make that connection it becomes second nature to let it flow through us onto those around us. Miss Linda has been able to show so much love to those who cross her path because she understands how much she is loved. You have heard that "hurting people, hurt people?" Well the opposite is also true. "Loved people, love people." The key is to understand that love. Because we are all loved, but not everyone understands that. Those that do are like a fountain of love for those around them, like Miss Linda.

I one heard a message where the preacher said that we as followers of Christ should, "Be the moon, reflect the Son." I realize that this is very simplistic, but I don't think that Jesus ever intended following Him to be hard to grasp. As Jesus showed love to all around Him we should also do the same. So I think today and every day, my goal will be to, like Miss Linda, be the moon!

Blessings!
-Bry

Making ripples

When I was a kid one of the things that my younger brother and I enjoyed doing was tossing rocks into whatever body of water we happened to be near. If we were able to find small flat rocks we would try our hand at skipping them across the surface of the water. But more often than not, we would end up looking for the biggest rock we could find and then launch it as high as possible and into the water. Ker-thunk!

The rock would make a huge splash and send ripples every direction from the site of the splashdown. There was something very satisfying about that to me. (Not quite as satisfying as throwing Hotwheels cars at my brother in a dark basement, but that story is for another time.)

Our lives are kind of like a rock being tossed into the water. The bigger the force behind the rock, the bigger the resulting splash and ripples that are produced. As a Jesus follower I would argue that there is no bigger force behind someone's jumping into life than that of the Creator of the universe.

We can choose to slip rather silently into this life and keep our ripples to a minimum, or we can get a running start, jump, grab our knees to our chest and hit the water making the biggest splash possible! Cannonball!!!!

I think God is all about cannonballs! He created us to be ripple-makers. God poured His unconditional and infinite love into us so that we would share it wherever we go. Second only to His wanting us to love Him, God has commanded us to love our neighbors. Not just love "on" them.

When asked by a Pharisee, which was the greatest commandment, (at the time the Jews had listed more than 600 commandments), Jesus answered, "“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt. 22:37-39).

When followers of Christ obey this command, and love like this, ripples of God's love flow into the world. These ripples will keep going and going and going, long after you have made your splash. The way it works is, you touch a life, then that person touches a life, then that person touches a life, then that person touches a life and so on. Long after we are gone, lives will still be touched because of the splash that we made.

In a 2016 Sunday morning message, Pastor Jon Weece quoted 19th century pastor, Edward Everett Hale who said, "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God I will." It is this kind of compassionate love that Jesus is speaking about when taught about the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The love shown by the Samaritan who stopped to help the man along the side of the road who had been beaten and robbed could be defined as compassion; which is love based in action.

It is this kind of love that will send out big ripples. Being compassionate may often come with a price. And meeting the needs of others can be inconvenient. In Matthew chapter 16 God call us to deny ourselves and take up our cross if we want to follow Jesus (Matt. 16:24). 

For the longest time I wasn't exactly sure what that meant. Now however, I think it fits rather well into the idea of being a ripple-maker. God asks us to stop living for ourselves and to surrender our hearts to the Spirit. In this way we allow God's love to flow through us kind of like a conduit of compassion. 

I take this to mean that after this surrender, it should be second nature for us leverage our time, talents, and resources for the good of others. Unfortunately the Church and many in the pews often miss opportunities to do just that. Many church-goers have gotten into a comfort zone which they'd rather not leave. However that is just what we are called to do get out of our comfort zones. We as followers of Christ are to go where there is sadness and bring the hope of Jesus. We are to go where there is death and bring life because that is what Jesus did for us. By being born a baby and living as a man, Jesus brought a little taste of heaven to earth.

If you are not a follower of Jesus you may say that it is possible to be compassionate without being a Christian. I would agree. It is possible. However, the motivation may be different. I would base my desire to love others in this way by pointing to the example of Jesus, the one who came to save me. While a non-believer may have anyone of a number of reasons rooted in current secular social norms. 

I guess when it comes right down to it, I believe that God created me to show compassion to others in His name. I want to follow the example of Jesus. I don't always get it right. I have, however, decided that I want my life to make the biggest ripples possible. Let's get a running start!

CANNONBALL!!! 

Where is God?

I am an addict. That's right, I am addicted to exercise. It may be that I am addicted to the endorphins that my body produces when I run, or swim, or do any of the other activities that I have tried over the years. It may also be that I am addicted to processed sugar in the form of cookies and/or chocolate. And I know that to keep from becoming excessively large I need to exercise if I want to continue to eat cookies.

This time of year I find myself (weather allowing) out running with my dog, Titus, six mornings a week. We don't go very far, we run either 30 or 45 minutes. He gets to do his business and both of us burn off some calories. It is pretty much a win-win for us. We are both hooked.

While running I listen to my iPod. I am a big fan of contemporary Christian music. I like that I can find music that is rock, R&B, and even hip-hop that points me to Jesus. Over the years this kind of music has been an often-used vehicle of communication by the Holy Spirit to get my attention.

Musically I can't carry a tune in a bucket. It just isn't my gift. My singing of praise and worship music is much more along the lines of a "joyful noise" than any ear-pleasing melodic offering. That being said, I am very good at listening. I try to get a good selection of up-tempo music to listen to while we run.

Recently I have come across a rapper by the name of Nate Feuerstein. Nate calls himself NF and from talking with my 21 year-old son, I understand that his music is pretty popular with teens and 20-somethings. I can see why. His songs address topics such as abuse, suicide and drug use. These are all topics that many young people face on a regular basis and NF doesn't sugar-coat his songs.

I am not a young person physically, but I like to think that I am a 25 year-old stuck in a 54 year-old body. So it then makes more sense that this music also speaks to me on some level. I suppose God can use just about anything to speak into our lives if we are listening for it. I do my best to listen.

One of NF's songs is titled "Oh Lord!" It has grabbed my attention on more than one occasion as I run, or more accurately stumble, with my dog around the park. In the song NF basically asks, "Where is God?".  He asks the question from the viewpoint of a non-believer, or doubter. Then he answers the question in a way that smacks the listener "upside the head".

The song really grabbed me in the way it addresses how people only look to God when their world is falling in, and that when things are good they have no need for Him. How true that is. It was sure how it worked in my life.

I was doing just fine on my own. I had a good job, a nice home, and great wife and kids. I didn't need God, or so I thought. Then my world came crashing down and I no longer had my family. A divorce had taken away my reason for living. I went through a bankruptcy. I was on the verge of suicide. Things were pretty dark.

It was in that time that I felt like my only other option was to see if there really was anything to this God that people were talking about. Oh sure, I had been to church when I was a kid, but it was all very formal and religious. There had been no talk of having a relationship with God. I didn't know Him.

I was looking for something else, something different. I was looking for a God I could talk to. I wasn't sure that this kind of God existed. But it took me going through a major trial in my life to spark my desire to find out more about who the real God is.

"Oh Lord!", speaks to this.

At first, when we are in those lowest of low times we want God to fix everything and we want it done yesterday. "Oh Lord, do You see us down here?"  NF asks "We look in the sky, 'Why ain't You listening?' The truth is, God hears us. In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus is teaching on how to pray. He says that we shouldn't be like those who make a big production of prayer and we also need to understand that repeating the same words over and over again isn't the way to go either. Then Jesus says, "Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!" (Matt. 6:8). 

NF then seems to ask what many young people are thinking. "If God's really real, then where is He?" To which he talks about how man only prays when things are going wrong. This is SO true. Even many who claim to be followers of Christ will only go to Him in prayer during times of trouble. I don't know who said it but I remember hearing a sermon preached where the question was asked, "What if you only hand the things that you thanked God for?" In other words, I need to be grateful for all I have and all my blessings all the time.

NF explains that it works both ways. If we turn our backs on God, how would we ever have the relationship needed to receive His blessings? The song makes great points, but the one that keeps jumping out at me is the lyric that says, "It's hard to answer prayers when nobody's praying to you." God desires to have a relationship with His children. As a parent I may know what my kids need before they ever know themselves, but I wait to hear it from them because I want to have a relationship with them where they know how much they are loved.

If I took care of my kids in such a way that they never even realized their needs how would they ever understand the job of a parent? What model would they have to follow? God is the same way, He wants us to come to Him in all situations both good and bad. That way we better understand how loved we are by the one who created us. The author of Hebrews says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 ESV).

NF shows us that it just as easy as calling out to Him "Oh Lord, oh Lord, do You see us down here?" Call out to Him in good times and bad. He is there. He is listening. And He will bless you.

Blessings,
-Bry

"Oh Lord"
NF
(Click the link at the bottom to hear the song)

When I die, put my ashes in the trash bag
I don't care where they go
Don't waste your money on my gravestone
I'm more concerned about my soul
Everybody's gon' die
Don't everybody live though
Sometimes I look up to the sky
And wonder do You see us down here?

Oh Lord, oh Lord, do You see us down here?
Oh Lord, oh Lord

Listen, yeah everybody wants change
Don't nobody wanna change though
Don't nobody wanna pray
Till they got something to pray for
Now everybody's gon' die
But don't everybody live though
Sometimes I look up to the sky
And wonder do you see us down here?

Oh Lord, oh Lord, do You see us down here?
Oh Lord, oh Lord

It's easy to blame God but harder to fix things
We look in the sky like, "Why ain't You listening?"
Watching the news in our living rooms on the big screens
And talking 'bout "If God's really real, then where is He?"
You see the same God that you saying might not even exist
Becomes real to us, but only when we dying in bed
When ya healthy it's like, we don't really care for Him then
Leave me alone God, I'll call you when I need you again
Which is funny, everyone will sleep in the pews
Then blame God for our problems like He sleeping on you
We turn our backs on Him, what do you expect Him to do?
It's hard to answer prayers when nobody's praying to you
I look around at this world we walk on
It's a smack in the face, don't ever tell me there's no God
And if there isn't then what are we here for?
And what are y'all doing down there? I don't know Lord

Oh Lord, oh Lord, do You see us down here?
Oh Lord, oh Lord

Do You see us down here? Oh Lord
Can You see us down here? Oh Lord
Oh Lord, oh Lord
Can You see us? Can't You see us?

(Songwriters: Nate Feuerstein / Arthur David Garcia

Oh Lord lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group)

 Click here to go to the song

Be an answer to prayer!

Have you ever felt in your heart that you were being led to do something? During my time as a church youth leader I would explain to my kids that when that happens it is God speaking to you. God will tug at our hearts when we encounter things that He would like us to impact. This kind of thing has happened to me on more than one occasion.

It happened again.

I was on my way home listening to an NPR year-end round up of 2016's big news stories. The reporter had covered the 1000 year flooding in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area back in August and he was talking with the same woman some four months after the initial event. The woman's name is Lindy Eisenberg and she is a member of Christ's Community Church in Denham Springs, LA. As I listened to her talk about how the church was continuing to serve not only the families in their church who were flooded, but anyone who comes to them for help, I was moved.

It was a Holy Spirit thing.

Here is a quote from that NPR interview in December:

SHAPIRO (reporter): First, tell us about what your church is doing these days. Are you still helping people recover?

EISENBERG: Oh, absolutely. We have just within our church alone 117 families who had flooded. And these days, we are doing everything from going in their houses and still helping them. Some people are still demolishing. We're helping rebuild. And we're also even driving as far as Gulfport, Miss., Orange Beach, Fla., to pick up donations of furniture. Or, for example, today my husband's driving to Lafayette, La., to pick up some dog food.

Then a little later in the interview there was this...

SHAPIRO (reporter): When I met you in August, you had been running for days, and there was clearly a lot of adrenaline. Now that some of that has worn off, does it ever just feel overwhelming - the amount that has to be done?

EISENBERG: Oh, daily, daily. It's - and that hasn't - depending on the day, that really hasn't worn off because every day there's something. There's something we're working on. When you have that many people, when you have almost 90 percent of our community who are affected, there is rarely a day where we are not leaving our nine-to-fives and going to somebody's house to help with a sink or to help with - you just never know what you're going to be working with. So it is overwhelming, but we've seen miracle after miracle of just knowing that God's going to continue to provide our needs. And so it's not so much a worry as just a - OK, let's be patient.

Lindy's response still brings me to the verge of tears. I mean here is someone in the midst of recovering from a disaster and she is still hanging on to God's promises. I later learned that she isn't the only one in the Christ's Community Church who believes this way.

I went to their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Christs-Community-Church-of-Denham-Springs-354684367968753/?fref=ts) where I was introduced to Shannon Easley. Shannon is the pastor's wife and she was/and is a strong witness for what God is doing in and through Christ's Community Church in Southeast Louisiana.

She tells of how the church turned their sanctuary into a place for people who had been flooded out to sleep as well as provide space for their pets. She talked about, how much like Jesus did in Matthew chapter 14, they were able to use a very small amount of food to feed a large group of people and still have food leftover. She then explained how a need for medical care was met when a doctor and his family who were on their way to Disney World were stranded by flooding, came to their doorstep, and were able to treat the ill evacuees.

As a stumbling follower of the King I think that this church gets it. They get what it means to live out the Gospel. The really do love their neighbors and put the needs of others ahead of their own. When the Holy Spirit is present and living in and through believers this must be what it looks like. I was, and continue to be inspired by what God is doing in and through Christ's Community Church in Denham Springs, Louisiana.

With God showing up in that way, who wouldn't want to be a part of something like that? But what can we do?

Well, first and foremost I think that we can do nothing more important than to pray for what God is doing in the midst of the trials that our brothers and sisters are going through. So I ask you... please join me in praying for this church, and the people of Denham Springs that God would continue to show up in an amazing way and bring His healing.

Then I started a crowdfunding webpage where every penny raised will go to Christ's Community Church to help those who continue to struggle. People are living in tents, their gutted homes or in some cases crowded into the homes of friends and family while working on their homes. Shannon Easley told me in a text that they had gotten their hands on three trailers of used furniture and it was all gone in 10 minutes. There is a great need for beds, bedding, chests of drawers, and furniture of all kinds. So I figured that instead of sending furniture we could send money that could be best put to use by those who know the needs.

Here it is, a chance to be the answer to someone's prayers. I can't think of something that I would rather be. How about you?

Here is the link to the donation site. www.youcaring.com/christscommunitychurch-728099
Please share it on your Facebook pages and via email with anyone and everyone you might know. Even donations of $5 dollars can have a huge impact when we put the money to use in God's Kingdom.

Who's in? I am.

Blessings,
Bry

Happy New Year! Happy New Blog!

Welcome to my newest attempt at blogging, The Stumbling Follower! After being encouraged by several of my friends I have decided to give this thing another shot. I am admittedly a bit rusty so please bear with me.

I have written blogs in the past that dealt mostly with photography and/or my kids. This blog won't be that. In this blog I will do my best to share hope, inspiration and encouragement from the viewpoint of a Christ follower who may have a misstep from time to time along the way.

I am also very interested in being a part of the "missio dei", the mission of God. God has a plan for each of us. I will be exploring what that looks like in my life and sharing it in my posts.

I am not a theologian, or even a pastor. I do love Jesus though, and I hope to explore what that looks like through this unpolished effort. I am firm believer that being a follower of Jesus does produce evidence of an active faith. The way that I see it, we Christians should be easily identified by the way that we live. If you can't tell I am a Christian, I am doing it wrong.

I would also tell you that I most certainly am NOT an expert or highly educated Christian. The one thing that I do know is that there is a lot that I do not know. It seems like the more I know, the more I know how little I really know.

So how about if we explore this stuff together and see where God leads us?

I hope to post weekly on Sunday evenings, so buckle up and let's get this ride started!

Blessings,
Bry