Weekend Reflection - Where are you?

This weekend we took about 17 youth from our church down to a youth event at the Colonial Life Center.  The event combines Christian vendors, bands (rock, rap, and traditional), and an awesome speaker.  It started on Friday night and continued until noon on Sunday.

The weekend has a number of great purposes, but paramount is the relationship you have with Christ.  On Friday night, the speaker framed the question of the weekend:

Where are you in your relationship with Christ?

This question continues to hit me and cause me to search my life.  Where am I?  

Am I leaving home like the prodigal, sure of myself and sure of wanting my own way.  Am I leaving home like the son, with all my money and inheritance in my hand hell bent (emphasis on hell) on having life my way?

Am I like the son when he was living in the foreign land away from God?  Am I trying to do things my own way?  Am I living in luxury and excess without considering values, upbringing, commandments, God's justice or even common decency?  Am I spending my money with rioting and sinful living?  Am I ignoring God and his will for my life? Am I wasting the inheritance and the vast resources the Father has given to me already?

I even wonder, am I hired out like the prodigal when all the money was gone.  Am I hired out to someone who gives me a job in contrary to God's will?  Am I stooping low to fill my belly?  Perhaps I'm down on my knees looking at pig slop and wondering how did I get here.  Am I feeding swine, or doing something that seems so silly, so undignified and so wrong in regards to the will of God?  Am I finally ready to snap to grid?  

Am I on my way home?  Am I practicing my apology and recognizing my stupidity?  Am I finally recognizing the largeness of God's awesome power?  Am I remembering the goodness of God and his mercy?  Am I ready to come home?  Am I truly hoping to fall on the mercy of God?  Do I finally understand that the cross was for me, for my sin and because of my sacred worth to God?

Then again, maybe I am home now, and the Father has fallen on my neck with hugs and kisses.  Perhaps I am at the feast with the fatted calf, wearing a fine rob, a ring on my finger and celebrating with friends.  Am I at home and is there a party for me, the lost son, going on?  

Or maybe, I am the brother who is out in the field?  Am I angry that someone else has received God's favor? Am I in the house, but not at home?  Am I upset because I have yet to understand how Good God is?  Am I upset because I don't recognize the grace given to others is the same grace I have received every day of my life?

Where am I? 

God knows, I pray that I am the prodigal who has come home; repented and feasting now and forever at your table.  

So, where are you?

Are words necessary....

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

As I crossed the dam a couple of days ago I saw this beautiful skyline.  With something like this, words aren't really necessary, are they?  However, if you need some here are a few that came to my mind:

Awesome

Beautiful

Wonderful

Spectacular

Breath taking

Awe inspiring

Jaw dropping

Fantastic

God's majesty

Truly Psalm 19:1 is right, the heavens and the skies declare the glory of the Lord and his majesty!  Praise God!

Use it...

A couple of days ago I was reminded of a very real and unique power that exists in our lives.

I was at a local office store to get some copies made. I was in a major hurry to complete an errand in the 30 minutes or less of what was formerly called my lunch hour. As I looked around, the store was packed and the employees were flying around. I stepped to the counter and asked for a print out of my work. That is all I said, and I'm sure in hindsight I barely managed a smile.  Anyway, after what seemed like an eternity the manager/clerk returned with a stack of what looked like over180 single sided pages.  Wow!  I asked her if they had been printed double sided, but I knew they weren't. Her response to me was a big and seemingly nasty no!

I had assumed one thing and she the other.  I was offended that she had assumed single sided and she was offended that I assumed they would be double sided.  Based on what I needed, that big pile of pages was a useless pile of paper. I hastily paid and went back to work.

As faith would have it the whole episode stayed on my mind for the next day.  I came back two days later to the same store to ask the manager to reprint the pages in the format I had intended but failed to communicate.  To my surprise and delight the experience was totally different.

The manager was nicer, engaging, more professional and extremely kind. The reprint was done right, fast, and done at no charge. As I left I began to ask myself why the change?  What was the difference?

Today I realized the change was in me. It was my attitude, outlook and expectation that changed. It was the prayer as I entered the store this time that was different. It was realizing that words, tones and attitudes can make the difference. It was not being in a hurry and not having an impatient spirit that was different.  Proverbs 18:10 tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. I realized just how true that is. When I used my words with care, intention, honesty, and God's love the outcome was a blessing.  Galatians tells us about the fruit of the Spirit; love, peace and patience.  Well if we call out to God and submit to the Spirit, that fruit is a blessing for now and eternity.

I learned in this experience that we have a God given power to bless others.  So remember the power in your words and your attitude, and use it in God's way - the good way.