From Pastor Dale

Friends are cool. I’ve been teaching about laying down your burdens. A few weeks ago I was giving a friend of mine from church a bad time. He loves to move snow. He is weird. Okay, I got it out. He is strange. Okay, I’m done. He likes to blow snow…. am I clear? I have a sore tow! I am wearing a surgical shoe to help it heal. “I can’t blow snow,” I said. He laughed at me. Can you believe it?

This was a Sunday morning. It was snowing. I got home about 1:30 in the afternoon, guess what? The snow was off my driveway. Thanks Blake.

Later that night I’m walking my daughter Sarah to her car and who drives up? Blake? Ready to move more snow. I sent him home. You think I’m an invalid?

That morning I talked about how when we serve others it takes our mind off of ourselves. It is amazing how random acts of kindness can make a difference, not in the life of others, but ourselves. Try it! You will see.

My wife told me she paid for the lunch of someone else behind her in a drive-up. Frankly, it bugged me. She doesn’t buy me lunch! Okay…. I’ll work on this thing. It feels good to receive. It feels better to give I suspect.

Thanks Blake. I suspect whatever burden you were bearing was lightened that day. BTW…. snow is on the way and I still have a bad foot

This will be short! Why, because I know very little about burdens

Why is it we carry so many burdens with us. They are like baggage that simply weighs us down. Some are of our own making, like sins we have committed or struggle with. Sometimes we take on too much, schedule ourselves too tight, risk too much in our desire to get ahead. Others are not. The loss of a loved one. A chronic illness. Depression. The loss of a job.

We all carry burdens. Starting tomorrow at Atonement we are going to learn what Paul learned about “Laying Down Your Burdens.” It is not easy. They are heavy. That said, it is possible.

The promise in Scripture is profound. Our Lord, Jesus Christ will help us carry our burdens. The power of a faith community is that other brothers and sisters in Christ will too. I’ve seen it nearly every day of my ministry. The burden of our sin and brokenness is that we will carry them. The wonder of how we have been created and redeemed is that we can lay them down. We can let them go.

I learned a long time ago, life is not about me. I learned a long time ago, what others think is less important than what my Lord thinks. I learned a long time ago that this is not my home and that I am here to glorify my Lord, share His word and expand His Kingdom. I learned a long time ago that there is little that a pepperoni pizza can’t cure Just kidding!

These next five weeks at Atonement we are going to be talking about burdens and what we can learn from Paul about laying them down. If you can’t join us, listen on our website atonementfargo.org. I plan to write what we are learning. In the meantime, begin to ask yourself: What are my burdens? Are the self-inflicted? Am I carry a heavy load? What do I need to lay down?

Remember, God is good. Jesus said, “Come to me all your who are weary and heavy laden.”

That might be many of us. Hey, take a load off. Turn your eyes to Jesus. He knows a lot about burdens….yours and mine.

Dale

“A Voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” Matthew 2:18 NIV

I’m working on Sunday’s message. Sunday happens to be Christmas Day. I love Christmas day. In part I love it because a little time off after a very hectic month comes my way. I also love Christmas Day because there is something unique about it. Atonement will gather for worship once all the other 8 services are done, many of them with hundreds of people. Not Christmas Day. Chances are there will only be a couple hundred of us, perhaps at best. Yet there is something very enriching about worshiping on Christmas morning. I thought I would share a few thoughts from my preparation (especially since most of you won’t be there to hear them

I remember reading a story years ago about a pastor who swung into the farm yard of a member of his church one Christmas season. It was a spontaneous visit as he was just passing by and saw his friend walking to the barn. The farmer friend invited his pastor to follow him as he was finishing the milking of cows. The pastor did. The stench from the barn almost stopped him in his tracks. The barn was dimly lit. He watched his friend finish up with the cows and head towards him. Just then he stepped in a fresh, well if you want to call it that, pile of manure.

With a sheepish grin he greeted his farmer friend, who as you can imagine got a good chuckle out of it. Looking at his pastor’s nicely polished dress shoes he motioned to him to follow him out into fresh air where he would help him clean up. The pastor couldn’t wait to do so. A few steps into their departure the farmer turned around suddenly and said, “Pastor, you know that Jesus was born in a place like this, don’t you?”

The pastor stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at the cows. They were eating out of a manger. Looking more closely, there were other animals; a horse, a slew cats and a dog. Jesus was born in such a place.

We’ve domesticated Christmas. Our mangers scenes only smell of the scented candles burning next to them. The cows don’t stink. They manger and hay is clean. Mary and Joseph look at peace. No one notices that the shepherds who were probably out in the field with their sheep for days had not bathed. It’s picturesque.

That’s not the way it was, my friends. The barn, probably attached to the home of the in-keeper, smelled like a barn. The hay smelled like and felt like hay. Mary and Joseph, two new teenage parents, delivering their own Baby, were probably a bit anxious. Okay, I’ll rephrase that. Mary and Joseph, two teenagers, delivering the Savior of the world, were probably a bit anxious! Got the picture? This was no ordinary baby.

The truth of the matter is from the beginning this Baby brought division. A power struggle between principalities and spirits now began. Herod, who was threatened by this “New Born King” later had male children age two and under in Bethlehem slaughtered. Hence, the verse at the beginning of this blog post. From the beginning, blood was shed. The battle between good and evil took form. I’d like to say Jesus always unites. It’s not true. Often He divides. Oh the pain of those parents who had to watch their sons die.

Of course you can’t have Christmas without the reason for the Christ’s coming to earth. From the beginning of the church the Christ followers understood that Jesus came to die on the cross. It was why He came. In the first message ever given in Acts 2 Peter says, “This Man (Jesus) was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge…” Acts 2:23 NIV

Why did He come to die on the cross. Because He loves you so much. Because of your sin, that is why He came. Someone had to pay the penalty for your sin. Someone had to atone for it. It’s going to either be you or Jesus. I guess you can decide. I pick Jesus! When we confess to him our sin, when we ask for His forgiveness and when we ask him to begin to lead our lives, He gives to us His righteousness and the promise of eternal life. That my friends is what Christmas is all about. God became one of us so that we can live with Him, now and forever.

Oh the pain of those parents who watched their sons slaughtered. Oh the pain of the Father in heaven who knows what it is to watch a Son be slaughtered. How great is the Father’s love that He would give the life of His one and only Son for you and for me. Oh my. Oh my.

Christmas is a wonderful time of year. I love the decorations. I love the music. I love the fellowship and the food (yes it always comes back to food). I love to give gifts. But in the midst of all of these things it is so easy to loose site of what it is we celebrate and remember. We celebrate because it is good news for those who place their faith in Jesus Christ. We also step back and with heavy hearts reflect on the real reason He came. How awesome it is to be so loved.

Hey, I have an idea. What do you think we all drive out in the countryside and see if we can find a barn. A real barn with cows and other animals. Perhaps the owner will let us go in and take a few deep breaths.

Merry Christmas.

My faithful readers will probably know that I am celebrating (if you can say that) my 50th birthday today. Does it seem like a long time? I can remember years ago hearing that someone was 50 and thinking, “Wow, that’s ancient!” Now not so much.

So how much is 50? Is 50 a lot? Depends on what you are considering or comparing it to. Beth and I went on a large vacation this last summer. We drove in a loop to Niagara Falls, Philadelphia, Washington DC and home again. Thousands of miles. 50 was nothing. I could have done it in my sleep, although I wouldn’t recommend it if you are driving.

I think about the pieces of pizza I’ve consumed in my life. Let me give you a hint because I’m not counting. It’s more than 50. Okay, it’s many more than 50.

When I was young $50 seemed like a lot. Now I can’t fill my car on $50. In that case 50 ain’t much.

My daughter turned 21 this fall. 21 is a kid. Starts to make 50 seem like a lot. So, I decided to do what many aging people have done. I went to the Old Testament. They lived long back then. It says that Methuselah lived to be 969 years. That’s long! 50 is nothing.

I had a friend text me today. “Happy Birthday, Dale! May you live to be a hundred and twenty.” I wrote back and said, “I don’t think I would want to.” So, what is 50?

I don’t feel as young as I used to. I carried a box into a staff members office today and asked where to put it. “Just on the floor,” she said. I replied, “I’m old, that’s the hardest place to put it.”

Yet, I feel good. I exercise most every day and I still have my hair! My system seems pretty regular (hey, I’m not forcing you to read this). Not sure about the eyes and hearing though. I have trouble in particular picking up certain frequencies that tend to come from female voices. I have great friends, some even younger than me so they don’t mind hanging out with an old man. I love my job and the people of Atonement. My kids are awesome and I have a wife I’m more in love with than I ever have been. Life ain’t too bad. Sooo, as another friend said, “Do I remember correctly that you have crossed over the hill today?” Where do I get these friends? Maybe?

I want to thank all of you for your well wishes today. There have been many. I want to thank my staff who decorated the office I’m currently sitting in in balloons and black streamers. I would especially like to thank those who shrink-wrapped my computer (I would have had this done hours ago if not). I especially appreciate the “Over the Hill” poster and button. By the way, I have several ladies in the office who will soon be looking for work, if you are hiring.

Frankly, 50 is what it is. It is what you make it to be. I have never been big on birthdays. We are not promised tomorrow. Not everyone gets to 50. I’ve buried many who did not. It is a privilege to get older, one that not everyone gets.

But here’s the deal. I’m going to live forever. I asked, “How much is 50?” It’s nothing in the face of eternity. A blink of an eye. No, not even that. No one knows the number of their days on earth. I would like to spend as much time with all of you as possible, as long as I’m well and my quality of life is good.

In 1 Peter, Peter says, “live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.” 1:17 NIV. In Christ, this is not our home. Our true home is in heaven with our Lord.

So, when Jesus says it is time to come home, I’ll be ready. I just hope it isn’t before my birthday pizza

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 NIV.

Alright, I think I have to get up and move around a little. I stiffening up.

By now you have probably heard that sadly, Atonement lost a member this last weekend. Dr. David Blehm was a personal friend of mine and I will deeply miss him. He was my children’s pediatrician, and an excellent one at that. When kids were around David lit up! He saved and cared for our children and for that I want to thank him.

David was also very blunt and you were always clear where he stood with you. One Sunday I preached about the spiritual realms and demons. After the service he came to me and said, “Pastor, are you blowing smoke up my ass?” I laughed and patted him on the back. Typical David. Then we had a nice conversation about whether or not he believed that the spiritual realm can contribute to healing and if so, can it not also do the opposite? “Pastor,” he said, “you always make me think.” That’s why I’m here!

David and his wife Julie traveled to Namanjivira, Mozambique with our church group a year and a half ago. It was a great experience and it was fun to get to know David better. He had a great, dry sense of humor. Of course he loved the kids and learned a lot. He loved to learn and just soaked up the experience. I will never forget the time with him.

The hardest part of being a pastor is when you get to know people well it can very, very difficult to say good-bye. I love the people God has brought to this church. I don’t know all the things David had been dealing with but I obviously wish I had. He had left his practice in the last year and had, as he said, “been pushing papers.” He missed his practice and the kids. Just a couple of weeks ago I said, “you can always go back. David,” I said,” we didn’t pick you as our children’s pediatrician because you go to church here. We picked you because you are a great pediatrician.”

David, you made a terrible, horrible mistake. A lapse in judgement in the battle with the demons and spiritual realms that you were unsure about. You’ve broke my heart and I will miss you dearly.

Julie, we are praying for you and your family. Your Atonement family loves you and will stand with you in this. May God comfort you and bless you.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 NIV.

Good-bye David. Until we meet again.

It has been a while since I posted on my blog. A good month or more. I’m sure you noticed! Has life ever gotten really busy for you? It did for me. I was deeply involved in something called Impact Red River Valley. It was an evangelistic movement that lasted a good three weeks. I was a bit consumed. I thought about writing, but never got to it.

It has been over for a number of weeks. I’ve been busy, yes, but not consumed like I was. I thought about writing, but just never got to it. Today is the day. I have a pretty clear day and I’m going to do it if it is the last thing I do today. Actually it is the first thing I’m doing once in the office. You know why? Because I’m incredibly disciplined! Well, maybe not. I guess I didn’t discipline myself over these last weeks. Okay, it is first because I’m embarrassed I haven’t written. There! I confessed it. Happy?

Have you ever noticed how when we get away from doing something it can be very hard to get back at it? If you love to read but stop, it can be hard to get back into the books. When we are away from exercising, it can be dreadfully painful to go to the gym. When we stop a project we are working on, we have to force ourselves to get going again. When I haven’t eaten pizza in a long time…. no I guess that one doesn’t work.

The same is true in our relationships. When you haven’t connected with a friend for some time it is hard to pick up the phone. When you haven’t romanced and dated your spouse, you get into a rut and it is hard to get out. When you haven’t played with your kids because you are too busy you begin to follow a pattern that is difficult to break. When you haven’t said, “I love you” in a long time the words no longer come easy.

The same is true spiritually. I find that when people haven’t been in a church for a long time it is very, very difficult to get back into the swing of it. Your prayer life has been suffering? It probably will continue to do so until you simply begin to set time aside to pray. Haven’t been reading your Bible? It won’t read itself for you. When is the last time you have spent some quiet time of reflection with God? He’s been there the whole time.

So what things are hard for you to get back to today? What have you gotten away from that truly feeds your soul; that builds relationships; or that grows you physically, emotionally, intellectually or spiritually? Let’s make a commitment to each other! “I’m getting back at it!” Say it! Yes, I’m serious. Say it out loud! Repeat after me…”I’m getting back at it!”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7 NIV.

“Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.” Proverbs 23:23 NIV.

I will write more often. I promise. In fact I’ve got much to tell you about these last weeks. But for now, it is on to the next thing I’ve been putting off. I’m such a looser!

How precious is life? Do you value life? Most of us value our own lives. We care for ourselves, we eat right, exercise and do anything we can to prolong life. Life can be good.

Do you value the lives of others? Are some lives more important or more valuable than others? On the surface we may say no, but in reality we live differently. Let’s say the president of the US was coming to your home. Do you think that he is more important than your next door neighbor who might be coming to your house? I bet you would clean differently.

I visited Churches United for the Homeless in Moorhead, MN last week. It was a good visit. I met a number of people. Kind people. People in need. Lonely people. People needing love and hope. Do you and I value their lives as much as we value our neighbors? Are they as precious and valuable as the president of the US? How do we put a price tag on people? This one is worth a lot more than that one? He is on the clearance rack! She is a designer item!

Can I push you a little further? What about the unborn? Is that life valuable or precious? Do they deserve a chance for life? Or because they are small, still forming (by the way I’m still forming) and still in the womb they really have no value.

Since 1973, when abortion became legal in the US there have been more than 53,000,000 abortions. That’s a lot of kids. A lot of kids! Of what value is their life? I personally believe each and every one of them was a child of priceless value. They got no chance at life? It was taken from them.

Often the debate in society is about when life really begins. It is hard to debate that a fertilized egg is not alive. Is it a child? If not, at what moment is it? If you believe at birth, we can agree to disagree. If there is a stage in the womb when it is actually a human life, I just simply don’t know how you can determine which day that is? I recently held a 17 week old deceased baby. It was a baby.

If you are a person of faith I want you to know that the Bible teaches that life begins before conception, in the heart and mind of a loving God who makes every person unique and precious. Every child is conceived and born in the image of God Himself.

In Jeremiah God’s word comes to Jeremiah and God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” Jeremiah 1:5 NIV

In Psalm 139 we read, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14 NIV.

Life is precious. Very precious. Every life. Every life! Every life!

This week I will be joining with other followers of Jesus Christ around the world in something called 40 Days for Life. Christians around the world will be praying that the need for, the desire for and the easy availability of abortions cease. People will be in front of the abortion clinic in prayer, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 40 days beginning September 28. It will simply be a peaceful prayer vigil. Not a protest, but a prayer vigil. I will be there. I stand for life.

Now, a word to those who have struggled with this post because you have had an abortion, or because you have helped a friend, girl friend, wife or daughter get an abortion. I believe it is sin. I also believe you can be made right with God and find healing. The pain of an abortion will often last with a woman her whole life. The average silence about it is 20 years. There is great anguish and a deep sense of loss. Many women who have had an abortion struggle with depression and self-destructive behavior. I want you to know you can be healed.

You see there are no past sins that God cannot forgive. He died on the cross for you and through the shedding of His blood your sins are forgiven. Speak to Him. Ask for forgiveness and help. Hear His voice, “You are my precious child too, I love you. I forgive you. Trust me.”

Your life is as precious as mine, and as precious as anyone else. God loves you more than you can know. And God can bring healing even to the most broken of hearts.

The other day I got to spend an hour or so with one of my God daughters. It was the anniversary of her baptism. She is one. It is great, by the way, to have kids in your life with whom you can spend time and them give them back to mom and dad. We played. I prayed. May she know you, Lord Jesus. She is so precious. Thank you for this moment. And thank you for life.

I was telling a friend of mine this morning that I was moving furniture last night. You should see our basement. Actually, no you shouldn’t. You can hardly walk through it. Why, because we are carpeting the two bedrooms downstairs. The kids are gone and it’s time to make a few changes. In fact we watched a little bit of t.v. last night. We had a path to the t.v. just wide enough to allow us to see it. The room is full.

Our son Andrew’s room was plastered with trophies and awards from his swimming days. One wall was covered. I considered it his shrine. He had to come home to see it one more time before it was all taken down and put into tubs. They are down and the room is painted, and today it has new carpet.

I can’t tell you how many times I said last night, “why do we have so much stuff? Where did it come from? What’s in all these tubs?” It is unbelievable!

So, I told my friend how interesting it is that we spend the first two-thirds to three-quarters of our life accumulating things and the rest of our life trying to give things away. It’s true! Just try and go to my mom’s place and get out of there without taking something with you. It won’t happen.

Of course a lot of the stuff belongs to our kids. “When they get a place they’ll get it and they can decide what to do with it,” Beth said. I remembered our parents did the same. We got our first house and they came with trailers. It bugged me. Therefore it is probably worth keeping until then. Payback!

One of the most important decisions we can make in life is which things are a necessity and which are a luxury. It can be a very difficult thing to ponder. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe we should only have necessities. Nice things are great, but I often ask how much is enough? How much money, how many things? Our stuff can so easily begin to control us. It becomes our idol. Our God. Think about it. Have you thought more about money and things today, or about God? Gotcha.

That’s probably why Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:25-26 NIV.

Jesus taught us that when we pray we should say, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Not tomorrow’s, just today’s.

It is good for us to evaluate such things now and then. Sometimes simpler is better. Sometimes going without is good for us. It builds faith and trust and character.

Well, Beth came home at noon with new tubs. Hmmmm. Guess we’ll store more. You know what, the guys who invented tubs and those little slidy things that help you move furniture were geniuses. They probably are very wealthy. I suspect they have a lot of stuff with some of it in tubs. I hope they read this

Ever have one of those physical things that you will never forget? I did last week. I was in my weekly prayer gathering on Tuesday. It meets at church from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. My tongue started to feel funny. That’s weird. Am I getting a sore? I went to the bathroom afterwards and I noticed that one side of my tongue was two to three times its normal size. Hmmm?

I went home and it got larger. Okay, I’ll tell Beth, my wife. I hate telling her. She’ll think I should do something about it. I told her and she said we should do something about it. Figures. She said let’s go to the doctor. Let me tell you something about men in case you aren’t one. We hate doctors. It has to be bad before we go to the doctor. Seriously bad. They do things to us that we don’t like having done. Remember, we have prostrates. So I said, “Okay.” She knew at that moment I was concerned.

It kept getting more and more swollen. He called it something, I don’t remember what. It’s a fancy word for “swollen tongue.” I would just use “swollen tongue,” but that’s just me. They gave me a shot. It did nothing. It’s about 7:00 p.m. now and he mentions the hospital and that it could be fatal if it goes into my throat. Now he has my attention. By this time my tongue completely fills my mouth and I’m not able to speak intelligibly (yes, some say that is normal).

Finally he decides to treat it aggressively and gives me two more shots, Benadryl and a steroid, and let’s me go home with strict instructions on what to do if it gets worse. At about 9:00 it went down as fast as it went up. What a relief. What caused it? He was certain it was a medication I was on for blood pressure. I was on it for two years.

A friend of mine reminded me today that it is an important body part in my line of work. Yes indeed. People come to hear me talk. The mumbling garble of that night simply wouldn’t work on a Sunday morning.

It reminded me of how much I take for granted. Now I don’t want to overstate this. I was and am just fine. But wow, things can sure change fast. We so often don’t think much about such things until they change. Life is fragile. Thank God for this day. You’re not promised a tomorrow. Just today, and then possibly another today.

It also made me think of the importance of being able to speak. I’m not just talking as a pastor. It goes for all of us. Our tongue allows us to say “I love you” to our beloved. I’m able to speak to my kids and ask how they are. I can visit with my friends and most importantly taste pizza (you knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?). And of course, I can tell people about Jesus. What if I couldn’t do that any more? If you follow Jesus, you are supposed to use your tongue for the same purpose.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:10-15 NIV.

Okay, I’m going to be more intentional about the use of my tongue and the words I speak (and the pizza I eat). By the way, I learned one more thing. I learned why athletes take steroids. You should have seen my workout on that Thursday. I could have gone for hours! But they’re out of my system now. Back to my old self. But boy can I talk now!

It’s a question that is asked often. Who’s in charge here? Husbands and wives ask it. I’m the head of the household. That doesn’t mean I’m in charge! You ask it in the market place. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to get an answer to your question because no one is in charge. We ask it in government. Sometimes we’re thrilled with who is in charge. Sometimes not. Finally, we ask it in life. Who’s in charge here?

Truth is, I most often think I am, especially when I’m on cruise control. I make decisions every day. In my role as Sr. Pastor of Atonement I know that I am, in the end, the person who is in charge. Personally I like to do things my own way, in my own time. I want what is best for me and my own. And somehow I suspect you are a lot like me.

Last week, along with millions of people, I watch the developments of Hurricane Irene. I felt for the people of Virginia. An earthquake and a hurricane in the same week. Incredible. Do you ever remember seeing that? As the storm moved up the coast I watched how it affected so many people. I can’t tell you how many times I heard Fargoans say, “I’ll take a blizzard any day.” Me too!!! Now I’m watching the aftermath. Floods in Vermont. The earth just sliding away. Who’s in charge here?

I often wonder why God allows such things to happen. Do you? Lives are lost. Property is damaged. People’s lives are broken. While I write this thousands of people in Minot, ND, where I once lived, are trying to clean up after a devastating flood. We’ve had teams up there assisting with clean-up. They say the devastation is hard to believe and nearly impossible to describe. Who’s in charge here?

Perhaps the reason God does allow such things is because it reveals something about His own character. John Eldridge has written a book titled Wild At Heart. I highly recommend it. One of John’s premises is just that. Perhaps we have a God who is wild at heart. A God who loves adventure. Maybe we can learn something about God in such so called “acts of nature.”

One of the cool things about living on the prairie is that you can see a storm coming from miles and miles away. I’ve come to see the building of black clouds moving over me as a sign of God’s power. It reveals that we have a big God. Think about it. What control do you have over such a storm? In fact what do we do when they come? We go and hide in the basement. Now who’s in charge here?

As we watch the news we cannot help but know that ultimately, as hard as we try, we are not in charge. In fact, life can seem out of control. Maybe that’s how your life feels right now. If so, know that there is one who is in control. He may not do things like you and I would do things, but “His ways are not our ways” the scripture says. And maybe, just maybe, He allows hurricanes and blizzards and earthquakes to occasionally reminds us that as hard as we might try, we are not in charge.

So, let me give you a heads up. Don’t try so hard to be in charge of your own life. Give it over to the one who has created life and is Lord over nature. Ask Him to be in charge and to guide your life, your home, your vocation, your eternity.

Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39 NIV. Here’s the thing. It is kind of nice to know that I don’t have to be in charge. I will do my best, and trust in my God who ultimately is the one in charge. Even if all falls apart or my days end today, I know that this is not my home and that there is something that cannot be taken away from me.

Do me a favor. Go get your Bible and read Psalm 46. Thank God that He is in charge and then for a few moments…..be silent.