Life Convergence

Noted profound thinker and pugilist, Mike Tyson, once said, "Everybody has a plan until they get hit." Surprisingly keen from someone who seemingly can't keep any part of his life in order, don't you think? But Tyson is right. Dead right!

As I sat with my old prayer group from college this weekend, I began to think about life, plans and joking around. In school we would laugh and make fun of just about anything. That's not so much the case now. Though our censor buttons are still typically turned to the "off" position when we're together, there are some things that aren't so funny anymore. Since we walked the campus of Abilene Christian University our plans have taken some hits. There have been some truly wonderful moments -- marriages, children, career advancement, goals met. There have also been terribly distressing moments -- divorces and marital strife, beautiful children born with birth defects and infertility, career frustration and jobs deserved and not offered, and goals that may never be met or have been abandoned all together.

In an odd life convergence, when I arrived home from the weekend I had a mass e-mail from Classmates.com asking me to update my profile. I -- like you, I suppose -- receive these pretty frequently and never pay attention, but this time I did. As I was looking at the questionnaire, one question jumped off the page to me: "Where are you in life?"

Classmates has several options listed to answer that question, but most folks in my high school graduating class answered: "About where I thought I'd be?"

I thought, "Are any of us where we thought we'd be?" In some way "yes," but in more ways "no," I would guess. Who could predict the ups and downs, the loves and loads that have befallen us all since high school or college? My prayer group from college couldn't. Living means encountering and embracing the unexpected and recalibrating "where we thought we'd be."

And I think that's a good thing!

As I flip the pages of the New Testament, I see again and again that the people who miss Life with Jesus miss Him because He doesn't fit what they thought He'd be. I've learned that it is the truly spiritual person who sees God in the "terribly distressing moments," knowing that our plans need to take some hits so that we might step into God's plan.

I'm not saying that I've got this all figured out. I want God to sign off on my five-year strategy, trust me. I am saying that the next time I log on to Classmates.com, I want them to have another option listed to answer the question, "Where are you in life."

The option I want: "Right where God wants it to be, and I'm happy with that."

Where I've Been

Faithful readers might be wondering where I've been since the last post. Indeed, it's been a while, but the time away from the keyboard has been well spent. Here what's been going on...

1. Last weekend I was at Men's gathering where Dr. Mark Love, professor and director of Ministry Events at Abilene Christian University, was the speaker. I was blown away with the thinking and writing Mark's been doing concerning penal substitutionary atonement and salvation. It's groundbreaking! I can't wait for his upcoming book this September. I'm clearing out my reading so it can go to the front of the list. In addition, I deeply enjoyed the time driving and talking with Mark. I was struck by how frank, honest, and transparent he is.

2. After the weekend, I spent three days at my mother-in-law's home. It was spring break, so both she and our family were on break. While there, I finished my final revisions for The Voice (at least I think they're final). The Psalms won't be out anytime soon, but check out the site to stay up to date.

I was planning to get more writing and reading done, but Rochelle's car broke down (dead battery), and finding a tow truck in central Texas is pretty tough. Plus, come to find out, our car warranty company has gone bankrupt. I'm sure we'll soon get a letter asking us to be a part of a class action.

3. Next I spent two days with the guys from my college prayer group. What a group! There is something special about having people in your life who know everything about you -- AND I MEAN EVERYTHING -- and love you anyway. I feel sad for people who have no place to go to be completely open. It is truly a blessing.

My good friend, Kraig, was nearly killed in a car accident on the way home. Originally, I was supposed to ride home with him. Glad I didn't!

Adult Resignation

I just recently discovered this little piece. To me it is powerful, captivating, and dead on with where I want to take my life. Enjoy.

"I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult.

I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant.

I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make ripples with rocks.

I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.

I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer's day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care. All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.

I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.

I want to live simple again.

I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth,justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.

So....here's my checkbook and my car-keys, my credit card bills and my 401K statements.

I am officially resigning from adulthood. And if you want to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, cause, 'Tag! You're it.'"

Changing Minds

I discovered the pen of David Roper about 13 years ago while interning for a church in Atlanta. Each day the interns had to read a devotional thought from Roper's book, A Burden Shared: Encouragement for Leaders. Each devotional takes about 2 minutes to read, but the thoughts are powerful, thoughtful, and yes, encouraging.

I frequently return to Roper when in need of a fresh, grounded, incisive voice. Today was one of those days. By divine guidance I landed on Roper's devotional about changing minds. This is a difficult topic for me. It's difficulty because, honestly, when people disagree with me or are resistant to needed changes to engage people with the gospel I secretly think them stupid, ill-informed, disingenuous, unthoughtful, power-hungry or ignorant. Of course, I never tell them that. And down deep I recognize that I'm wrong for thinking and feeling that way, yet, I oftentimes do feel that way.

Roper helps me recalibrate my instincts and behaviors in the face of trying to move individuals and the church forward. First quoting Paul and then expanding the thought, Roper writes...

"The Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will (2 Tim. 2.24-26).

"It's a sin to bully people--to be combative and argumentative. Discussion and debate on the facts is one thing; assault is another. When we resort to coercion we've already lost our moral and rational force. The Puritans were right when they enunciated the principle of consent. Faith can never be foisted on another. Consent must be gained by gentle persuasion and reason rather than mandate. People are best charmed into compliance.

"So we should avoid what Paul calls 'foolish and stupid arguments' and always be 'kind to everyone'--intelligent and relevant in our proclamation and nondefensive in our posture, gently instructing those who oppose, 'in the hope that God will grant them repentance...that they may come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil who has taken them captive to do his will' (2.24-26)

"Those who oppose are not the enemy but victims of the enemy, deceived and captured by him to do his will. They may be delivered, Paul insists, but only if we speak the truth in love.

"Truth alone is never enough. Without love it is mere dogma and it never touches the soul. And without truth, love becomes mere sentimentalism. Only truth delivered with lovingkindness has power to change another's mind. Truth sounds good only when it's spoken with courtesy."

Good thoughts, David.