You Shouldn't Go Out There

At certain times of the day when there is a high demand for electricity in the Augusta area there is huge rush of water over the Savannah Rapids Spillway. In that rush of water there is one particular spot where the water comes over in mighty torrents. Just there, an especially fast stream of whitewater below the spillway is created that feeds out over the next couple hundred yards into the beautiful Savannah River.

That rush of water- That was what I wanted!

It had been a fruitful but tiring morning as my friend Rich and I had spent the previous four hours honing our paddling skills on the placid waters of Lake Richardson. Our Kayaking Instructor had been patient, but firm as she lended us her tutelage on skills such as Ferrying, Eddying and something called a Wet Exit.

I was going to need that "Wet Exit" skill.

Finally, after a good morning and a quick sandwich we loaded the Kayaks and headed to the river. We put in just below the Spillway and after a bit of Paddling, Eddying and Ferrying in some of the calmer water closer the the shore I looked over at our instructor and declared,

"I want to go out there"

Pointing to the fastest part of the river- the fun part- the part that would give the perfect fix to an adrenaline junkie.

It was calling me-

Beckoning me forth-

Into Irresistable Life!

"You shouldn't go out there" were the last words I heard our Instructor say as I had already begun to paddle toward the torrent of bubbling mayhem.

John 21:7 Then the Disciple whom Jesus Loved said to Peter,"It is the Lord". The moment Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord"....... he jumped into the water (To go to Jesus).

I rush to so many things in my search for Life-

But there is one thing-

One Irresistable, Wonderful Call -

People may say-

You shouldn't go out there, but..........

I hope anytime I see- We see-

It is the Lord-

We will fling ourselves out onto Him-

Even following Him into a torrent of bubbling mayhem-

A wild and dangerous world-

To do battle-

To take ground for His Kingdom.

Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters I will be with you;

And when you pass through the rivers they will not overflow you.

Father God, Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus-

Give us courage today to fling ourselves out on You-

To Trust You with all our Hearts- So that we are able to take ground for Your Kingdom today as we go about the business You set before us-

Loving You by Loving People.

Amen

A Strange Invitation

1990- Shaggy headed and in dire need of becoming presentable- I saw a sign that instantly grabbed my attention- Especially the attention of the miserly part of my brain that has been disproportionately developed through a lifetime of poverty- Or just plain cheapness- Take your pick!

Hair Cuts - $5.00

Yes! Just what the doctor ordered.

As I walked into the shop, I noticed two Barber Chairs-

One Barber-

And to my good fortune-

Only 1 customer whom the old Barber was busily snipping away at.

As I sat to wait my turn, I smiled and greeted the crusty old Barber-

To which he politely nodded with nary a word spoken.

As I sat patiently, I began to take notice of this man's skill and demeanor.

Studying his face a bit-I couldn't help but notice his concentration as he earnestly went about his task-Expressionless and silent-Exposing nothing that might betray any hint of emotion.

One thing I did note however, as he pulled out a straight razor to finish up the back of the neck of his current victim- uh customer- was what appeared to be a light brown stain around the corners of his mouth.

The origin of this anomaly was soon made clear -

As he put the finishing touches on a quite nice haircut-

This elderly "stylist" leaned forward and projected a healthy dose of brown tobacco juice about 3 feet into a nearby trash can.

My newfound Barber then proceeded to go around to the rear of his now vacant chair-

Look directly at me for the first time- Smile broadly-

A tobacco laden, brown toothed smile that will be etched into my memory for time immemorial-

And still without a word spoken-

Pat the back of the chair 3 times as if to say- Your Turn.

Ah- the moment of truth!

Should I cut and run?

Should I accept the invitation into this man's care?

Should I trust this venerable old character with a set of clippers for my head and a straight razor around my neck?

Luke 5:27-28 After this Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow Me" Jesus said to him and Levi got up, left everything and followed Jesus.

Did you get that?

Left everything and followed Jesus-

Everything.

How strange it must have been to Levi-

A man dedicated to a way of life that was the antithesis of all that Jesus represented-

To hear and receive this invitation from Jesus.

Come to think of it- It's pretty strange for all of us.

A little like the smiling old Barber-

Who looks a bit strange to me-

But handles his business great with skill and care-

He invites me to trust him-

Put ego and neck on the line and be amazed at what He can do.

Father in Heaven, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit- I will trust you today. I will follow you. Move in me Holy Spirit so that I go deeper into Jesus today. Move in me to live a Loving, Courageous, Faithful, Hopeful Life today- Your Life in me.

Amen

Following Dad can be Dangerous!

That phrase has stuck with me for a couple of days now and I have wondered a bit about why I am so apt to feel that following Jesus is dangerous. Is it that I am not sure of the way He is taking me- Maybe I think I see a better way- Is it that I have never been where He is taking me- Is it that I have my own destinations in mind- Maybe it's because I am not certain He can he really get me where I want to go- Maybe it's because it doesn't feel like He's making the path easier- Maybe it's because I have crashed so many times before- Maybe it's because I am looking at where the rest of the Peloton is going. John 21:21-22 "What about him Lord?" Peter asked. Jesus answered," What is his life to you- You must follow Me." John 14:5-6 Lord we don't know where You are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, " I am the way" John 10:4 The Shepherd's sheep follow Him because they know His voice. Matthew 8:18-22 A teacher of the Law said, " I will follow You wherever You go." Jesus answered, "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His Head." Another said, "Let me go bury my father." Jesus answered, "Let the dead bury their own dead- you follow Me." John 11: 16 Thomas said, " Let us also go (follow him to Judea) that we may die with Him." In the end following means giving up control- which is fine as long as I am in agreement with the way He is leading- Ah, but that is not really giving up control is it? The central question in Discipleship (following) comes down to this- Do I believe so strongly in the one I am following that I will go after Him forsaking all others- including my self? That is the rub- I often think I know a better way. Luke 9:23 Jesus said, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." The call is to set my way aside- to commit to Jesus as the Way of Life- Daily- minute by minute staying fixed on Him. Indeed a dangerous thing in this world where happiness is measured in security and bank accounts. Lord Jesus, I do believe- I will follow You- help me overcome my unbelief. Become so real in my life- as my Way of Life- that I only see you. Like You did for Peter, Lord- when he took his eyes off You and began to sink in the waves- Reach down and take hold of me when I begin to drown in my own doubts. Have mercy on me Jesus. Holy Spirit fill me with Your strength to follow My Lord Jesus. Increase my Faith in this dangerous discipleship. Amen

Following

What a great day to ride! Sure it was about 90 degrees and syrupy humid- but we were gliding down the Greenway- A paved path on the river draped with a canopy of lush green trees that provide bountiful shade for anyone wanting to get outside for a bit of exercise- even in the hotter parts of the day. Combine that with coolnes of the air rushing across my face as I pedalled easily along the way-and the icing on the cake- I was sharing the experience my daughter Rebecca.

It was almost perfect!

This particular day I thought it might be a good idea to teach Rebecca a little about drafting. The idea was she would fall in behind me about 6 inches off the back of my wheel. This would make her ride a little easier, as I broke through the wind resistance and she could hide in my slipstream. There are 2 rules for drafting that must be minded if the venture is to be successful for the person following. Stay as close as possible. If contact is lost the benefit of the leader's work is lost. Keep an intense focus on the rear wheel of the person you are following. If you become distracted you can easily run right up on the leader and take a tumble. Looking back now, the focus required may have been too much to ask of a 13 year old. Okay- so you guessed it- something else did catch my beautiful daughter's eye and in just that moment of distraction she ran right up on my rear wheel and down she went- hard. All I know was I heard the terrible sound of crashing metal on pavement and a scream of pain I never want to hear again. A beautiful day together gone terribly wrong.

Unfortunately, that was the beginning of the end of our bike riding together.

Following Dad can be dangerous.

Matthew 4:19 "Come, Follow Me" Jesus said.

Galatians 5:25 " Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit".

I suspect following Jesus is alot like drafting behind the perfect pace setter. He never gets tired. He always knows the perfect pace. He clears the way for me. He stops for a drink at just the right time. He knows the best way to go. All I have to do is follow closely and keep my focus on Him. Lose contact and all of a sudden the way becomes much more difficult. Lose focus and I will go down hard. Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit of the Living God, Father in Heaven- Today I will follow closely- Today I will keep my focus on You. Be powerful in me to do these things- Enable me- rise up in me for all You have in mind for me today. Father help me to learn from my past crashes- to fix my eyes on You To trust You with my way- no matter what distractions might come. Amen