Taking Tennis Lessons from John McEnroe

If I could take tennis lessons from Rafa Nadal, John McEnroe or Serena Williams I would do it. And if either told me to stand "here," to hit my backhand like "that" or toss the ball "in this way," I would devote myself to doing what they said. What an opportunity!

If I could have lunch with and get business tips from Jim Collins or Herb Kelleher I would not only pay for their lunch. I would also take notes and do my best to implement what they told me. What an opportunity!

If Dave Ramsey or Clark Howard would sit down with me, examine my finances and set me on an optimal financial course, I would do my best to follow the exact plan they outlined.

If I wanted to strengthen my physical body - well, I don't really need improvement here. (And I lie sometimes, too.)

Over the past several weeks I've been re-reading Jesus' "Sermon on the Mountain" found in Matthew 5, 6 and 7. And he says things like "settle matters quickly," "don't take revenge," "love your enemies," "give to the needy," "pray," "fast," "prioritize God with the way you spend your money," "don't judge," and more.

And it leads me to this question for you and for me: If you could take LIFE lessons from the master of life and he said "settle matters quickly like this" or "forgive like that" or "pray here," would you do it? Would you view it as an opportunity of a lifetime? 

Does Jesus know as much about how to live life well as McEnroe does about tennis, Collins about business, and Ramsey about money?  If so, then, what would be appropriate response from you and from me?

105

Research tells us that we now spend almost half our waking hours online—laptops, desktops, TV, I-phones, I-pads, I-pods, and similar technology.  The average adult is awake for 15 hours and 45 minutes every day and over 7 hours of that time is spent using the proliferation of technology.

The average Xbox user is online for 84 hours a month!

Last Sunday, I taught about how all this technology (which is a very good thing used wisely) demands something from our eyes, namely our fixed attention on a screen.

And often, because of this, we miss out on seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and connecting with the things of God.

The author of Hebrews (12:2) writes, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” 

Fixing our eyes on things of God is something that is harder to do while fixing our eyes on a screen.

And so each day this week I challenged, and took the challenge of, consciously taking time to see Jesus by making the following three lists: 1) Five blessings; 2) Five things of beauty; 3) Five people who give us a chance to experience God.

If you take this challenge, at the end of day seven, you’ll have 105 reminders of how God is present, at work and lovingly interested in our well-being.

Here are a few items from my list so far.  

BLESSINGS: Water, fingers, knees, hugs, soap, scrambled eggs, fourteen cents I found in a nearby parking lot, toothpaste, table games, flushing toilets, great jokes, shade.

BEAUTY: My daughter’s eyes, a baseball field just before first pitch, Monet’s “Water Lilies”, the color blue, the music of Rachmaninoff, the lyrics to Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” a perfect golf shot, a new idea, a tree gently swaying in the wind, the beach.

PEOPLE: Emily, manager of nearby Starbucks; Carlos, backgammon genius; Rafa Nadal, tennis great; Craig Kimbrall, Braves closer; JC, a friend of a friend who is a great conversationalist; Shelley, a woman who lives out her faith with both seriousness and joy; Akshay, 8-year old piano student who gets so excited he drools;  Tim Hooper, Terminix account manager; My family; George, a man of God and a friend in the truest sense of the word.

Eating With Firemen

Real firemen. But not Firehouse #4. I didn't bring my camera.

 

I just got back from serving lunch to the men and women of the Roswell Fire department.

Well, actually, I just got back from eating lunch with them.  My friend, Rick, and his team, did the work of preparing, delivering and serving the meal.  Chicken, stuffing, mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes with gravy, macaroni and cheese, dinner rolls and tossed salad.  For dessert, apple pie and raspberry Danishes.  And to drink, an assortment of iced teas and fresh lemonade.

I’m full. We all are.

Four times each year, our church serves lunch at Roswell Firehouse #4.  It is one way we can say “thank you,” for the safety and security they provide our community every day of every week of every month of every year.  And it is always fun to hang out for an hour with firemen who are filled with stories of rescue and sacrifice, and always ready to give our children a tour of the fire trucks.  Today we even got to hear the sirens!

“Thank you” again men and women of Roswell Firehouse #4 for a great lunch and for your faithful service to our community.  

I Said "Good-bye"

I said "goodbye" to Francisco, Brandon, and Diego Tuesday. They are the three boys I had the privilege of tutoring this year at Esther Jackson Elementary, our church's partner school. And I was as proud as ever of them as we reviewed all they had learned this year and talked about what their plans were for this summer.

I've done a lot of things over the last nine months. But devoting an hour each Tuesday to helping these boys read and write will stand among the best things I've done.
 
I figure I made the short trip to Esther Jackson about twenty-five times. On twenty-five days I paused to put my agenda on the back-burner in order to put the future of our humanity on the front burner. For twenty-five of my last 6,000 hours, I invested in the academic and social growth of a struggling student who will never "pay me back." (Doesn't seem like a lot of time does it?....Makes me wonder why so few in our country carve out time for something as invaluable as this.)
 
Why do I, why does my church, invest in Esther Jackson in this way? It's not for the money. We don't get paid. It's not for the fame. There is none. It's not to convince others of our worldview or religious convictions. It's not so that one day we'll reap some tangible reward.
 
It's simply to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our world. It's because there is no greater investment than the investment of love. It's because investing in the growth of another is investing in what lies at the heart of Jesus himself. 
 
I am thankful for the opportunity I had to tutor this school year.  I'm thankful for many reasons, but partly because as I was saying "goodbye" to Francisco, Brandon and Diego, I realized again how right Jesus is when he says, "It's more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20)" and "the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Matthew 19)."
 
Those two sentences of Jesus summarize my tutoring experience this year.  Each Tuesday as I met with Francisco, Diego and Brandon over some spelling words, some reading books and some lively conversation, I was mega-blessed, and I sensed I was connecting with the heart of what matters to God.

Have you ever thought about investing your time and heart into something like this? 

Rain

I walk to Starbucks more often than I drive now that my church is two blocks away from the grand shrine to coffee, conversations and wi-fi. This morning as I was walking back, (tall, mild coffee with cream and plentiful sugar in hand), it started to rain. But instead of running or jogging back, I decided to just enjoy getting wet. In other words I figured I'd focus on the "walk" part and not the "getting wet" part.

It reminded me of the days growing up when I and others would look forward to rain because we would play in it. It reminded me of the days as an adult when I have played in the rain with my wife, son and daughter.

Rain is energizing, healing and life-bringing for our earth, and a very present help to allergy sufferers. Whether it is a human body, a tree, a frog, or a flower, rain brings refreshment and renewal.

And I was reminded today that I need to be regularly refreshed, by the word of God, by friendships, by forgiveness, by God's Holy Spirit and by His amazing grace.

The Psalmist reminds us that "God causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses (Psalm 135:7)."

There's a famous quote that's been around for a while and I'm not sure who said it first. It goes something like this: "Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."

I like that. I like that because there are two responses to rain: running from it or dancing in it.

And so today, as the rain continues to fall outside my window at the church, I wonder, will you embrace the God of the rain and walk with Him through it, to a place of refreshment, hope and new life?

Being Kind

The biblical prophet Micah famously records three things that the Lord requires of us: to do justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).

I was thinking about that middle quality, kindness, today.

Proverbs 11:17 reminds us that “a man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.”

And Paul urges his friends in Ephesus to simply “be kind to one another” (Eph. 4:32).

Genuine kindness is a wonderful human quality. We live in a world of violence and competitiveness. Violent words and actions. Competitive feelings and dealings. Kindness is hardly the most frequently experienced gesture.

But when we receive a word or act of genuine kindness, we are truly blessed and encouraged, and our spirits are lifted.

Every person on this planet deserves to be treated with kindness. Friend or enemy. Whatever their color, age, nationality, religion or gender. I am reminded of that especially as we enter the final week before Easter, and I reflect on how Jesus treated EVERY PERSON he encountered.

So here is my challenge and yours: Will you be genuinely kind today? Everyday?

The Priority of Peace

In Colossians 3:15, Paul writes, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”

In Philippians 4:7, Paul reminds the church that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

As Jesus was ending his earthly ministry he told his followers, “My peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 4:27).

Peace. It takes great priority in the scriptures. And so I want to remind you today that whatever you do, whether in word or deed, keep the peace of Jesus in your heart. Pray for it. Think about it. Dwell on it. Live in it.

Because the peace of Jesus is the hope for troubled families. It’s the solution for disgruntled citizens. It’s the remedy for rage and revenge. It’s the source of strength in the midst of sorrow.

When Jesus sent his disciples out to share the good news of life with Jesus, he said “Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. (Matthew 10:11-13).”

Jesus, here, is counseling us to resist the temptation to let other people take away our peace. Don’t let what someone else says or does allow us to be consumed with anger, bitterness, spitefulness or vengefulness. Instead prioritize peace. For the peace of God “will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”

Successfulness versus Fruitfulness

I was reading from the writings of Henri Nouwen yesterday and came across a rather remarkable paragraph. It was so good and challenging and right, that I want to share it with you (with a few of my own thoughts interjected, for better or worse). I pray that God would speak to you and into your exact life situation this week as you reflect on Nouwen's words.

"There is a difference between successfulness and fruitfulness. Success comes from strength, control and respectability. A successful person has the energy [and skill] to create something, to keep control over its development, and to make it available in large quantities. Success brings many rewards and often fame.

“Fruits, however, come from weakness and vulnerability [and trials and problems and perseverance--see James chapter 1 in the New Testament]….Community is the fruit born through shared brokenness, and intimacy is the fruit that grows through touching another's wounds. Let's remind one another that what brings us true joy is not successfulness but fruitfulness."