Extraordinarily Powerful

Why not trust a God whose resume includes created the world in six days.



Just the other day my daughter and I had an interesting conversation. We were discussing how to describe the flavor of a red water ice that we had just both tasted.  My description was lame and forgettable.  However, Sianna, my eleven year old daughter, simply described it as extraordinarily powerful.  She was exactly right.

That got me thinking about other things in life that are extraordinarily powerful and the color red came to mind.  It so happens to be Sianna’s favorite color. The following are three thoughts in reference to the color red starting with mildly important and ending with extraordinarily powerful.  Here goes. 

1-Mildly important thoughts regarding the color red: 12 things I associate with the color red:

--Ketchup                                                        -China
-Fire extinguishers                                           -Santa’s suit
-EXIT signs                                                     -Stop light
-Stop signs                                                      - Jesus’ blood
-Correcting pen                                               -Valentines’ Day
- Hawaain Punch                                             - Coca Cola        
                    
I didn’t even mention the phrases caught red handed, red alert or seeing red or that the Chinese consider the color lucky. However, I believe the most important thing about the color red is that it signifies you mean business. 

2- Fairly important thoughts regarding the color red:

During the time my family and I were in the process of adopting our youngest daughter, Lia,  I had a ritual.  Every day I carried a red marker in one of my pockets. It was a reminder to pray every time I felt it with my fingers for Lia.  Red to me at the time signified a bold faith and also that Lia was from China. Also, it was a permanent maker and it reminded me that there was  turning back from getting Lia.  Whether we got her not, we had to remain faithful.  

Now, don’t get me wrong it wasn’t a good luck charm.  The red marker was just a reminder that my faith was in God and not in myself.  If Lia was going to be a Swavely it would entirely be up to God.  My family and I were just along for the ride.  And what a ride it was, but that’s another story for another time.

3- Extraordinarily Powerful thought regarding the color red:

Here’s a challenge for you, sometime when you have the time, just read the red words in the four gospels of the Bible (Matthew through John).  If you do you‘ll notice the message: Jesus loves you.  You’ll also notice the red words signify that Jesus means what he says.  Either you are in or out with Him, no in between.
 
On a side note throughout the gospels you will see this reoccurring theme: 

1-He performed miracles. 2- He healed the sick. 3- He cast out demons 4- Then people tried to kill him. Jesus went through temporary hell so we might have the opportunity to live with Him in Heaven permanently.  In the adoption community we commonly refer to this as a forever family.

Now back to the red words.  There was a time in my life where my faith was wavering a bit.  I was far from feeling extraordinarily powerful, but rather the opposite.  I was frustrated and afraid of what lie ahead in my life.  My feelings were the problem.  To make a long story short I was feeling deeply depressed and couldn’t pull out.  For far too long I was looking for a pat on the back from Jesus, when instead what I needed was the truth.  

Thankfully my wife and many other people kept encouraging me and one day I happened upon this passage: Matthew14: 25 – 32 (NLT). Here is my paraphrased version.

The disciples were out fishing one night in the middle of a stormy sea, when they saw what appeared to be a ghost coming at them.  Of course, they were scared out of their minds.  Strange as it may sound, actually it was just Jesus walking on the water toward them. To calm them Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid, take courage I am here.  Then in an attempt to verify himself, Jesus encourages Peter to join Him by saying, “Yes, come.”  So, Peter begins walking toward Jesus on the water, full of confidence.  Then he looks around at the strong waves and wind taking his eyes off Jesus and he begins to sink.  In desperation, Peter cries out to which Jesus immediately grabs him and rescues Him. To which Jesus responds, “You have little faith, why did you doubt.”

Now, you may be wondering why such a passage was so extraordinarily powerful to me. It’s quite simple actually; the black words are laced with fear, while the red words are full of confidence.  Jesus called me out.  Like Peter I could do nothing on my own but worry, but when I trusted Jesus He took care of the uncertainty.  Speaking from experience Jesus is in the business of rescuing souls and then using them in ways no one ever could imagine, but Him of course.
  

May our lives, modeled after Jesus’ red words, be extraordinarily powerful to those who witness it.

Swavel

 

Throw Away Value

Everyone has a reason to be here or God wouldn’t have put you here.

 

 

Often, we learn best from things that seem most unpleasant.  For me, cigarette butts have great throw away value.  Allow me to share a few examples.

Over four years ago I had the honor of cleaning up the church parking lot after my brother-in-law’s funeral.  Truly it was a lesson straight from heaven.  Many people had come to pay their last respects to my thirty eight year old, brother-in- law, Ed, who had just passed away from brain cancer.  Though he put up a valiant fight it was a painfully sad and hard day when we had to say goodbye for now.

As a result the church parking lot was littered with cigarette butts.  Many of the butts I picked up were half smoked, either due to grief or the unpleasant rainy conditions.  However, it seemed an appropriate tribute for a man so many loved and would miss so deeply. If grief were measured by cigarette butts, on a scale of one to ten, it would have been an eleven.

My earliest memories of cigarette smoking come from my childhood. To the best I can recall, my grandfather smoked cigarettes since he was a young man.  He never could kick the habit, even after he had a heart attack that nearly killed him twenty five years prior.  My grandfather was far from a weak man, yet it taught me how powerful an addiction cigarette smoking can have on people.

Throughout the years society has seemingly made it tough on smokers.  To begin with the prices are outrageously higher now.  Gone are the days of fifty cent cigarette packs back in the nineteen seventies.  Now you even have to go outside to smoke whether at work or at leisure.  Gone are the days when my grandfather would smoke in his Plymouth Fury, with the windows up.  Now second hand smoke is all the rage.

Often while driving on the highway I have noticed the litany of discarded cigarette butts strewn on the roadside.  These butts remind me of the mess I see when I look around in life, people hurting other people with what appears great malice.  I once heard that anger is just frustrated love. 

In 1970 the Surgeon General issued this warning to the public on all cigarette packs: Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health. Life should have a similar warning that comes with it: Life may be hazardous to your mental and physical health and most certainly will cause great pain.  Many of us, if not all have felt like those discarded cigarette butts on the highway, yet are incapable of fixing the condition.  Although most of us won’t admit it, from time to time, most of us lose our way.   

This reminds me of a difficult memory from about thirteen years ago.  It was the day after my seven year old daughter, Alisha, had died in a hospital hours away from home.  In an attempt to escape reality I found myself in a convenience store.  For some odd reason the sight of people buying cigarettes, newspapers and other such items triggered a frustration deep inside me.  Quickly I chose to leave the store before I began to scream at someone over something they had no control over. 

 In my befuddled state I just couldn’t understand how everyone else could just continue with life like nothing happened.  In many ways I felt like a cigarette butt that had just been smoked and thrown to the roadside.  No one seemed to care about my plight.  Mind you, it wasn’t their fault, they were just going about their day, like we all do.   How did I know that they had been through a similar heartache?  The truth is I didn’t.  But pain tends to look around for sympathy and when it doesn’t receive it, it lashes out in anger.

This verse from Matthew comes to mind when I consider people who seem to have given up and are difficult to deal with in life.  Jesus said “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” In God’s eyes we are never out of reach; never just cast aside; never a lost cause.  In turn, we should be on the lookout for any opportunity  to extend  mercy to those in desperate need of it.

Each soul is hand crafted by the Almighty and should be treated as such.

Swavel