Job 38-39
For you close followers, you realize my blog’s description has changed . . . .
This reflects an observation made by my wife last night. Before going to bed, she leaned over to get a better view of what I was working on and noticed I had posted a new blog AND updated the look of my page. She quickly responded, “No, we’re not.”
I was lost. “We’re not all, what?” I responded. “Well, for starters, I’m not your husband; I’m your wife. I’m not a son; I’m a daughter . . . .” I got the message – clearly.
It’s funny how naturally egocentric we all are. We live our lives with our own focus, with our own perspective . . . usually it’s all about us.
Perspective.
How often do we limit God by our own perspective? I know I often do.
How often are we limited by our own perspectives? I know I often am.
How often does God limit us because of our limited perspective? I think often.
As Larry the Cucumber sings, “God is bigger than the boogie man!” God is limitlessly bigger than any situation, experience, task, consequence, or trial we could possibly EVER imagine – let alone personally experience. Why not live as Jesus Himself invites, Matt 11:28-30.
Really - He’s got this!
In today’s passage, read carefully, Job is consumed by his “situation.” In His response, God speaks of constellations, events, places, occurrences, nature, and phenomena that Job could not possibly have seen, experienced, known, or learned? I mean, God knew the world was a sphere long before we did! The church even put scientists to death for promoting such a heretical thought . . . of course “we” know the world isn’t round - HA! Of course the earth is the center of the universe! Of course the sun orbits the earth!
Life IS all about us, right? We ARE the center of all existence, right?!?
We don’t know better nor more than God, nor ever will on any issue – great or small! Errr, sorry. . . . Not even close.
C. S. Lewis writes, "Man is not the centre. God does not exist for the sake of man. Man does not exist for his own sake."
What’s the appropriate Christian perspective? To see others as Jesus sees them.
Give us your eyes, of Lord! Above all things, let us love as God loves us; let us give as God gave to us; let us see the others as God sees them.
Now, that will change your perspective!
I challenge you to pray for God to allow you to see others as He does.
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment!
Mike
Friday, February 3, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Listening for God
I Samuel 3
Monday, 02 January 2012, was a day that changed my life forever and for which I am eternally thankful!!
One month ago today, I was called into my classroom for a meeting with the school’s Board of Directors by the school’s Board of Directors – the day before 2nd semester classes were to begin. This had happened often over the past 8 months, as we lead the school through a restructuring process and our failing attempts of trying to “save” it and I had absolutely no sense of what was coming. We sat, all but one member present, and the president (who has only been on the Board 7-8 months and served in his current capacity for only 4-5 months) began speaking. Immediately interrupted by the vice-president, “We should pray, shouldn’t we,” “Well, yes I was getting to that . . .” the president sharply and irately retorted. He prayed, looked up, and started again, “We’ve decided it’s time for us to part ways. We’ve created a ‘Termination Agreement,’ for you to sign, but are offering you an opportunity to resign . . . . .”
As the president continued his speech, I looked around at the assembled group. The president and one other beamed with pride, joy, and happiness at the action currently taking place. One couldn’t look anywhere but straight down at the floor, all color drained from his face; he nervously, ashamedly, and apologetically twirled his cap between his legs. The fourth turned her head every time I looked in her direction and the school's Headmaster sat in complete shock and disbelief, with the appearance of holding back the tears. I’ll let you decide how to interpret the one absence – that of the immediate past, long-serving president. Based on everyone's appearance, I know how I interpret her strategic absence.
I resigned. I signed their agreement, amended to state my unconscious decision, and began cleaning out my room. The most humorous fact about this is that for my previous years’ of employment at this school I had kept all my teaching “stuff” in storage. Because of the extreme insecurity I felt under the previous administration’s regime, I had refused to go through all the hassle of setting a permanent classroom, until being names principal. I had brought my things out of storage and set-up my room at the beginning of this past year – ironic, huh!?!?
Without going into specific details, I had begun seeing, sensing, and coming to an understanding that God was finished with me at this location or, at the very least, an irreconcilable conflict/contradiction was emerging between the vision God had given me for the school and its future and what the other members of the leadership had. In November, I had begun praying about my future at the school, beyond this current school year.
The previous 8 months had been intermittently slightly rocky (nothing I considered “major,” based on my over 20 years experience in education!) to say the least: uncertainty, leadership upheaval, dramatic unexpected changes, & disagreements, personal struggles, defeats, & humiliation, school and personal financial struggles, and times when I hadn’t acted in the BEST manner I know Christ would have me. In short, I had been struggling with my purpose and the school’s future long before that Monday morning.
God has a way of drastically and unexpectedly guiding us, doesn’t He?
I have come to accept the Board’s action that Monday as God’s answer to the prayers I had started praying in November. I am blessed - not too many people have the opportunity to experience such direct communication with God! I am truly thankful, though. I’m the type that requires the flashing neon signs, the thumps on the head, an aching nose from the door He just slammed on my face. . . . .
How often do we ignore and/or refuse to see or acknowledge the answers to our prayers? I say often. We either blind ourselves to His response, because it doesn’t fit our expectation. Look for God in all things; if you’ve asked for guidance, leadership, answers, directions, etc., pay especially close attention to the daily events (great and small) of your life!
God speaks . . . . . . He is not the issue/problem.
We must be listening for Him!
How has God spoken to you lately?
Thanks for visiting & come again?
Mike
P.S.:
Please forgive this humble request, but please register with your email and become a follower of this blog.
Monday, 02 January 2012, was a day that changed my life forever and for which I am eternally thankful!!
One month ago today, I was called into my classroom for a meeting with the school’s Board of Directors by the school’s Board of Directors – the day before 2nd semester classes were to begin. This had happened often over the past 8 months, as we lead the school through a restructuring process and our failing attempts of trying to “save” it and I had absolutely no sense of what was coming. We sat, all but one member present, and the president (who has only been on the Board 7-8 months and served in his current capacity for only 4-5 months) began speaking. Immediately interrupted by the vice-president, “We should pray, shouldn’t we,” “Well, yes I was getting to that . . .” the president sharply and irately retorted. He prayed, looked up, and started again, “We’ve decided it’s time for us to part ways. We’ve created a ‘Termination Agreement,’ for you to sign, but are offering you an opportunity to resign . . . . .”
As the president continued his speech, I looked around at the assembled group. The president and one other beamed with pride, joy, and happiness at the action currently taking place. One couldn’t look anywhere but straight down at the floor, all color drained from his face; he nervously, ashamedly, and apologetically twirled his cap between his legs. The fourth turned her head every time I looked in her direction and the school's Headmaster sat in complete shock and disbelief, with the appearance of holding back the tears. I’ll let you decide how to interpret the one absence – that of the immediate past, long-serving president. Based on everyone's appearance, I know how I interpret her strategic absence.
I resigned. I signed their agreement, amended to state my unconscious decision, and began cleaning out my room. The most humorous fact about this is that for my previous years’ of employment at this school I had kept all my teaching “stuff” in storage. Because of the extreme insecurity I felt under the previous administration’s regime, I had refused to go through all the hassle of setting a permanent classroom, until being names principal. I had brought my things out of storage and set-up my room at the beginning of this past year – ironic, huh!?!?
Without going into specific details, I had begun seeing, sensing, and coming to an understanding that God was finished with me at this location or, at the very least, an irreconcilable conflict/contradiction was emerging between the vision God had given me for the school and its future and what the other members of the leadership had. In November, I had begun praying about my future at the school, beyond this current school year.
The previous 8 months had been intermittently slightly rocky (nothing I considered “major,” based on my over 20 years experience in education!) to say the least: uncertainty, leadership upheaval, dramatic unexpected changes, & disagreements, personal struggles, defeats, & humiliation, school and personal financial struggles, and times when I hadn’t acted in the BEST manner I know Christ would have me. In short, I had been struggling with my purpose and the school’s future long before that Monday morning.
God has a way of drastically and unexpectedly guiding us, doesn’t He?
I have come to accept the Board’s action that Monday as God’s answer to the prayers I had started praying in November. I am blessed - not too many people have the opportunity to experience such direct communication with God! I am truly thankful, though. I’m the type that requires the flashing neon signs, the thumps on the head, an aching nose from the door He just slammed on my face. . . . .
How often do we ignore and/or refuse to see or acknowledge the answers to our prayers? I say often. We either blind ourselves to His response, because it doesn’t fit our expectation. Look for God in all things; if you’ve asked for guidance, leadership, answers, directions, etc., pay especially close attention to the daily events (great and small) of your life!
God speaks . . . . . . He is not the issue/problem.
We must be listening for Him!
How has God spoken to you lately?
Thanks for visiting & come again?
Mike
P.S.:
Please forgive this humble request, but please register with your email and become a follower of this blog.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
A Fresh Call
I will be addressing my journey of the past month, of unexpectedly becoming unemployed, and of God’s work in “my calling” over the coming days, as I begin this new chapter. However, I’ve always wanted to write, but never taken the opportunity.
That’s right, I said it! “T-A-K-E-N” the opportunity.
As blogger, writer, and published author, Shauna Neiquist writes, “As artists, it’s our job to live inspired, and if we depend on the feeling of inspiration, we will never create great work. Inspiration is a responsibility, not a feeling. When we treat it as ephemeral or magical, we relinquish our responsibility in the matter. No great art ever comes from being irresponsible, or from an accident. It comes from sitting down, over and over, to work.”
What greater inspiration exists apart from the Creator of all things? Is it not our duty, our obligation to create, to inspire, to live as Christ for the world?!?
I’m taking the opportunity.
In the coming days and weeks, I’m going to share my experiences, insights, lessons learned; I might even begin to share my story – the whole dirty, beautiful, sordid, miraculous story!
I hope you visit often!
That’s right, I said it! “T-A-K-E-N” the opportunity.
As blogger, writer, and published author, Shauna Neiquist writes, “As artists, it’s our job to live inspired, and if we depend on the feeling of inspiration, we will never create great work. Inspiration is a responsibility, not a feeling. When we treat it as ephemeral or magical, we relinquish our responsibility in the matter. No great art ever comes from being irresponsible, or from an accident. It comes from sitting down, over and over, to work.”
What greater inspiration exists apart from the Creator of all things? Is it not our duty, our obligation to create, to inspire, to live as Christ for the world?!?
I’m taking the opportunity.
In the coming days and weeks, I’m going to share my experiences, insights, lessons learned; I might even begin to share my story – the whole dirty, beautiful, sordid, miraculous story!
I hope you visit often!
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