everydaymission

Walking with God...

2011-01-17T12:53:00.014-05:00

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

The 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews is all about faith. It provides many examples of real people, the ancients, whose lives were characterized by faith. One such hero was a man named Enoch.

But who exactly was Enoch?

Enoch's remarkable story is a bit obscure and hard to find. It is located at the very beginning of the Bible in the Old Testament book of Genesis. It is found right smack in the middle of a long and difficult passage about Adam's family tree. The narrative is very repetitive and it's easy to skim through it simply because it is so monotonous. The text is made up of many paragraphs, each dedicated to a male descendant of Adam's son Seth. Each paragraph follows the same exact formula:

"When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether Seth lived 912 years, and then died."

This pattern continues for most of the passage. Each descendant in the genealogy lived a long life, produced a male heir, and then passed away. By the time the reader arrives at the 6th descendant, it seems as if mankind is doomed to be forever caught up in this endless cycle of living, reproducing, and dying.

And then, just when you think it will never end, there's a break in the monotony:

When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died.

When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Enoch walked with God.

This is in sharp contrast to his forefathers before him. Enoch did more than just live, reproduce, and die. He walked with God, and that set him apart. This is why he is cited in Hebrews 11 as a hero of faith.

But what does it mean to walk with God? And why was Enoch commended for it?

This is where the Hebrews passage helps:

By faith, Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Enoch was commended because he not only believed in God's existence, but he also sought after him earnestly. What set Enoch apart from his forefathers was his relentless pursuit of God. He broke the cycle of living, reproducing, and dying that characterized those who came before him. Walking with God it seems is therefore synonymous with seeking after him relentlessly.

Faith: it's more than just believing. It's moving beyond our human tendency to simply live, reproduce, and die, and instead to seek after God with everything that we are.

He has showed you, O man, what is

good.
And what does the Lord require of
you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your
God.

But what about you and me? What does it look like to walk with God, and how does one earnestly seek him?

Jesus said the following:

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

May we, like Enoch, do more than simply live. Instead, may we relentlessly pursue God by denying ourselves and following after him. This is true faith; this is what Enoch was commended for. And without faith it is impossible to please God.

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Above images from:
1. http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:9Wc_xG1YyD9uxM:http://www.turnbacktogod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Seek-God.jpg&t=1
2. http://2fm.rte.ie/blogs/will_leahy_news/mystery-person.jpg
3. http://ivarfjeld.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/jesus-walk.jpg
4. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kmi0aFDW1MI/TB2ZAj21LMI/AAAAAAAABFc/kmnrGJw4zrE/s400/Take+up+your+cross.jpg

The Incarnate Deity

2010-12-26T16:28:00.005-05:00

The "Happy" Holiday

Christmas has come and gone. All the lights, the decorations, the food, the traditions, all for a single 24 hours of celebration of one of the biggest holidays of the year.

As a kid, Christmas was the best day of the year. Every December my brothers and I would start a countdown till Christmas, anticipating the wonderful day when we would wake up and find those boxes wrapped with colorful paper under the tree. Christmas was a magical time when we would set aside all our worries and cares and just spend time together as a family. Everything else was put on hold, forgotten for that single 24 hours. It truly was the best day of the year. Later on, whenever something particularly hard or unpleasant would happen, I would secretly hope that it was really just a bad dream and that I would wake up to the lights, the tree, and the time with family, the presents...

Christmas is a rich holiday. It's referred to as "the happy time", "the wonderful season", and "the most wonderful time of the year." So many songs have been written, so many movies, plays, programs, office parties, ugly sweater parties, etc, etc. So many people in this country, if you ask them about family traditions, will mention something related to December 25th and the weeks and months leading up to it. Gifts, foods, time with family and friends are just a few of the things that make this a great time of year.

What does the Bible say about Christmas, i.e. the day that Jesus Christ was born? Are we doing it justice, or are we blowing it way out of proportion? Have we lost the true meaning of the holiday with all our traditions, decorations, and materialism?

Immanuel - God with us

I was surprised to find that unlike his death and resurrection, there is no command in the Bible to observe and commemorate Christ's birth. There is also surprisingly little detail about the actual events that took place. The beginning chapters of Luke are often cited and Matthew also deals with the topic briefly. But the other two gospels, Mark and John, don't really discuss the birth of Jesus at all. Sure, there are some prophecies in the Old Testament that foretell Jesus' coming, but there are so many more that relate to his life, his death, his resurrection, and his kingdom. It thus seems odd that we place so much emphasis on this topic that is talked about so relatively little in the Bible.

But nevertheless, I believe that the story of Christ's birth is an important one. The coming of the Messiah into the world holds profound truth and meaning. I'd like to explore one of those truths here.

At the end of Matthew's shorter account of the birth of Christ he says the following:

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."

That is one of the most profound truths of the Christmas story. God himself, coming down to earth, to redeem humankind from their sins.

The Word became flesh

The first chapter of John sheds some more light on this profound mystery. Keep in mind that when he says "the Word," he is actually referring to Jesus.

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of Grace and truth.

There are some profound theological concepts in the above passage that are too deep for me to expound on (I'm no theologian after all), but there are two huge aspects of Jesus that are revealed.

First, Jesus (the Word) is referred to as "the One and Only". He is said to be God, and to have created all things. These point to his divinity; he is the God of the universe, the creator and sustainer of all.

Secondly, it says that "the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." This relates back to the Matthew passage. In other words, Jesus, God himself, became human and walked with us.

Thus we can say from this passage that:

1. Jesus was divine.

2. Jesus was human.

And where his divinity and his humanity intersect we have:

Humility

Philippians 2

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with
God something to be
grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking on the very nature of a
servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a
man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the
highest place
and gave him the name that is
above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under
the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Christ was divine.

Christ was human.

And where his divinity and his humanity intersect we have the perfect example of humility; the perfect demonstration of what it means to love God with heart, soul and mind and to attend to the interests of others above that of ourselves. Christ was obedient to the Father in everything, even unto death.

The Christmas music will soon fade, the lights will dim, the trees will wither. January will come all too soon, and then we will have to wait 12 more long months until December 25th comes again.

As we face the ashes of our human holiday, may we look to Jesus Christ, God himself, who chose to make himself nothing and become obedient even unto death.

And may our attitude be the same.

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Above images from:
http://cdn.babble.com/famecrawler/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/christmas-scene.jpg
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:hWM0S5nd7CLF1M:http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/LuellaMay/Merry%20Christmas/JesusBirth.jpg&t=1
http://www.jesus-explained.org/images/jesus_birth_1.jpg
http://worshippingchristian.org/images/blog/humility.jpg
http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/84425273.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=910C62E22B9F47AA8C4FEA84082378748667996B405B2A0246F30D20F233F923
http://www.free-stories.net/images/jesusfeeds5000story.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__b2gRK_9Pwg/TQ7WkfYiXRI/AAAAAAAAAg0/bUKvdI3srUg/s1600/Dec%2B20%252C%2B2010%2BImmanuel%2BGod%2BWith%2BUs.jpg

Belief... and Unbelief

2010-12-06T18:48:00.003-05:00

I recently read the gospel of Mark.

It came to my attention that Mark, among other things, is a book about faith. It records many events in Jesus life and ministry that teach us lessons about what this thing called faith is all about. The healing of the paralytic that was lowered through the ceiling, the calming of the storm, and the story of the rich young ruler (just to name a few) all present profound truths about what it means to live by faith. They teach us that faith is humble, urgent, sometimes desperate, and that it trusts at all times. Faith is grounded in knowledge of God and of his purposes. It bridges the gaps between knowledge, belief, and action, driving us beyond our unbelief to live a life characterized by the unshakable trust in the God that so loved the world.

There are two faith stories in Mark that stood out to me more than the all the others and spoke to me in a powerful way. Read them carefully.

The Healing of a Boy with an Evil Spirit

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

"What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.

A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by an evil spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied. "How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

...

A Man With Leprosy

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

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"If you are willing..."

Such humility. Such faith. The leper approached the Son of God assuming, knowing, trusting that he could be healed.

"If you can do anything..."

The boy's father, on the other hand, approached Jesus with doubt and unbelief. I don't want to be too hard on the guy, his son had been sick for a long time. Yet in reading through the book, I couldn't help but compare and contrast his lack of faith to the childlike trust and humility of the leper.

In spite of his shortcomings, I think the boy's father got it in the end. He cried out in desperation saying:

"I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!"

The man recognized his lack of faith in Jesus, and realized his need to move beyond it. But I think it's even more telling that he recognized his human frailty and weakness; he realized he was incapable of changing on his own. So he cried out for help. Only then did Jesus respond by granting his request.

"Everything is possible for him who believes."

Maybe like the leper you have this thing called faith figured out. You approach the Father with the childlike humility and faith that withers fig trees, throws mountains, shuts the mouths of lions, and quenches the fury of the flames. But if you're at all like me, your faith, like that of the boy's father, is mixed with unbelief. You know that God is all powerful and all knowing. You know he has your best interest in mind. Yet there is that part of you that thinks your situation is too dire, too difficult for even Jesus to handle.

If your belief is mixed with unbelief, I encourage you to echo the man's desperate cry for help: admit your inability to move beyond unbelief and ask Jesus to help you overcome it.

He is able...

He is willing!

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
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Above images from
http://mssc54.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/faith-sign-2.jpg
http://www.visdapoint.com/images/faithbackground.gif

Living a life of Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T11:22:00.007-05:00

I was going to write a Thanksgiving post. However, I ran across the following article on desiringgod.com that expressed it much better than I ever could. I thought it worth sharing here for you all to read and reflect on.

Here is my reflection:

The only logical response to the blessings of God is complete humility, overflowing thanksgiving, and a life wholly surrendered to his will.

What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts and reflections below.

God is good... all the time.

2010-11-10T18:04:00.001-05:00

It is such a simple phrase, yet it is full of such profound, life altering truth. Caught up in our world focused on successes where comfort is king and safety is queen, we expect and demand that things go our way. We want to be "happy", which generally means a life free of cares and problems; a life where everything we desire is attainable and disappointments are the exception. Yet despite our best wishes and efforts life is not always the smooth ride down the freeway that we hoped it would be. Instead, it is full of bumps, potholes, detours, roadblocks, construction and traffic jams. In a world that does not live up to our expectations, it is therefore easy to question God's goodness.

God's goodness thus becomes dependent on whether or not he gives us what we want. God is good only if I get that job or promotion, if I have food on the table, or if I can afford my next mortgage payment. If my family gets along, if that guy at work gives me the attention I deserve, or if my child is born healthy God is good. Everything else flies in the face of the comfort and safety our culture demands, and is therefore not acceptable.

How often have you heard the following: "I finally got that job I needed, God is good!" or "Aunt Sally was cured from her terrible cancer, God is good!"? Now don't get me wrong; I believe these things to be true. But I also believe the following questions are worth pondering:

Was God not good while you were unemployed?
Would God's goodness be lessened if Aunt Sally would have died or become seriously ill?
Is God's goodness dependent on my circumstances?

It seems that as long as things go our way, as long as we can hit that cruise control and keep coasting through life the goodness of God can go unquestioned. But inevitably at some point we blow out a tire or run out of gas or run into a ditch; and then our world comes crashing down.

All the time...

I believe that God is good.

All the time.

No matter what happens, no matter what curve balls, fast balls, or softballs life throws at me (even if I get socked in the face with the ball) I know he is good. It's not an easy thing to believe, and I often find myself questioning my faith regarding this matter. But it is essential to my relationship as a disciple to believe this. And when I truly think about it, nothing else really makes sense.

But I do think it's worth asking the following question: if God is good, then why the suffering? Why all the badness and pain?

Romans 8

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

This, to me, is one of the most powerful passages I've come across in the Bible so far. I think it adequately answers the question above in regards to disciples of Christ. The context of the passage is that of suffering; in Romans 8 verse 17, Paul discloses the fact that a major aspect of new life through the Spirit is sharing in Christ's sufferings. This is consistent with other passages such as Mark 8:31 and following, which state that anyone who should follow after Christ must take up his cross daily and be prepared to suffer.

But Paul doesn't stop there. He gives the reason for suffering: that we may share in Christ's glory. He then makes the amazing statement that all things (no matter what life throws at us) work together for good (are of benefit), because we are predestined (it is our purpose in life) to be conformed to the likeness of Christ (to become like Jesus).

Take a moment, think about the weight of those words. It truly is an incredible statement. It literally blew my mind, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Everything, the good, the bad, and even the ugly things in life happen for one purpose: to make us more like Christ.

As if that weren't enough to chew on, Paul continues with the following:

What then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those who God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day
long;
we are considered as sheep to be
slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In other words, ALL things work for good, because we are predestined to be conformed to the likeness of Christ. And nothing, NOTHING, no matter how good or how bad, NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ. That crazy, incomprehensible love that was demonstrated by his life, death, and resurrection; that love will be by your side no matter what life throws at us. And to top it all, Christ himself intercedes for us (i.e. prays for us) at the right hand of the Father.

Again, it is all for good. It is all to make us more like Christ.

Now I'm not trying to say that this makes life's struggles and difficulties suddenly explainable and easy. I've had my share of hard times, and I had to work through them just like everyone else. But I think these verses provide a much needed perspective. Can you imagine what our lives would look like if we truly believed that everything, EVERYTHING works for good?

God is good, ALL THE TIME!

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Above images from:
http://www.thevancouverite.com/pictures/sea-to-sky-slide.jpg
http://rv-roadtrips.thefuntimesguide.com/images/blogs/cruise-control-switch-by-merfam.jpg
http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/hope-1.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Zgmcjd28ZXg/SnwZnI17jQI/AAAAAAAAAMw/DLcrk0nGG0A/s400/crossman4tz.jpg

What I’ve learned from my grandfather

2010-10-30T11:45:00.006-04:00

My grandfather turned 75 this past week.

He doesn’t look or act like it though. He stands erect, looks you in the eye with a big smile on his face and makes you feel like you are the most important person alive at that point. Then he cracks some silly joke that isn’t really that funny, but he laughs so hard at it that you can’t help but laugh with him. He is a story teller, a jokester, a singer, a student of history, a lover of books and learning, a family man, and a true disciple of Christ. His story is one that has inspired me in many ways, and I consider myself fortunate to have such a man as my grandfather.

Born in the 1930s, he grew up in an average home in downtown Philadelphia. God grabbed a hold of his life while in high school; he began attending a church nearby. He met my grandmother, and soon after graduation they got married. He was very active in his local church, was a hard worker, and a good family man.

In his early thirties, with a wife and two kids, a good job at a local bank, and a nice house in downtown Philadelphia he seemed to be well settled into the life of the average middle class worker of the time. Yet God began to tug at his heart, and he felt the calling to become a pastor. He had given his life to the God that loved him so passionately and so desperately and the only logical response was complete submission to his will. His family thought he was crazy, but after much prayer and meditation he was convinced that this was what God wanted of him. He quit his job, sold his house, and moved his family 11 hours away to Winona Lake, Indiana. He attended college, then seminary, and was finally ordained as a pastor in the Grace Brethren Church. He’s never looked back.

He pastored churches in Bethlehem, PA, Fort Worth, TX, and Maitland FL. His life was full of the typical successes, failures, trials, ups and downs of the pastorate. He turned 65, and felt it was time for him to retire. He had lived a full life of ministry, touched many people’s lives; yet he didn’t see retirement as an excuse to hold back, to stop serving the God that he had given his life to. Instead of playing golf, buying an RV, going on cruises, or settling down to a timeshare in Florida he moved back to Winona Lake to volunteer his time at Grace Brethren International Missions. He is now the volunteer coordinator there, helping others like him who desire to volunteer their time at the Mission headquarters. He is also the Pray Now coordinator, collecting prayer requests from around the world to send out in a daily email newsletter help others pray more effectively for the world. He also volunteers as the pastor for seniors at his local church, teaches Sunday school several times per month, and visits the sick in the hospital. For several years he and my grandmother would travel long distances to speak at churches about how to better participate in the Great Commission of making disciples of all nations.

I remember once we were at my one of my brother’s band concerts for Veterans Day. There was this solemn moment when 4 veterans dressed in their uniforms brought in the American flag. We sang the national anthem, and as they turned to leave one of them turned the wrong way! My grandfather leaned over to me and said “Oops!” loud enough for me to hear. It was such a solemn moment, but his comment struck me funny. I’m sure people thought I was incredibly disrespectful, but I laughed out loud for a good 10 minutes after that. I just couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried. It’s probably 9 years later now, and I still laugh out loud whenever I think of it.

A few years back he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. The doctors didn’t give him much time at all, yet his faith in God was unshaken. He truly believed what it says in James 5:14-15, that the God he had given his life to could heal him. His faith truly did move mountains, and now he’s been cancer free for more than 4 years.

My grandfather has worn many hats over the years: pastor, speaker, father, teacher, and a man of faith. He truly is a living example to me of what it means to live every day “in view of God’s mercy.”

Happy birthday Poppop! Thanks for all the good memories, but most of all for your lasting example of what it means to be a disciple of Christ.

We don't hate you. In fact we love you!

2010-09-08T10:31:00.010-04:00

Christianity is all about love. It is founded upon the amazing, crazy, incomprehensible love demonstrated by Christ during his life, death, and resurrection. It is this love that makes it possible for us, terrible sinners, to know a holy God. It changes us, motivates us, drives us to follow after Him with all that we are. It is that love that I keep referring to when I write about living "In view of God's mercy."

Today I was made aware of a national "burn a Koran" day. A group of people, claiming to be followers of Christ, are going to set fire the Muslim holy book on Sept 11th, 2010. And they are encouraging others to do the same. They say Islam is a dangerous religion, and must be stopped. They say that a radical religion deserves a radical response. For the ABC Nightline article on the story, click here

Christianity and Islam are at odds with each other in many ways, and they have been that way for hundreds of years. There has been a strong history of antagonism from both sides that continues up to this day. Wars have been fought, people have been killed, and radicals have been formed. A lot of mistrust, hatred and resentment has resulted.

But, as a follower of Christ, I can't help but wonder:

How would Jesus respond?

Would the God of the universe, that loves the world so much, endorse or perform an act of so much hatred and prejudice? Would Jesus burn a Koran?

The Samaritans and Jesus...

The Muslim - Christian conflict, in many ways, is comparable to the Jew - Samaritan conflict of Jesus' day. They wouldn't even speak to each other, and often the Jews would travel around Samaria instead of taking the shorter way straight through, just to avoid contact with their hated neighbors. I think we can learn a lot by seeing how Christ, God himself, interacted with Samaritans.

John 4

Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her: "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life."

The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."

"I have no husband," she replied.

Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say that you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you just said is quite true."

"Sir," the woman replied, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in Spirit and in truth."

The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words, many more became believers.

They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said: now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

Luke 9:51-56

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.

Luke 10:25-37

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "and who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Christ's Response

Jesus did not respond to the Samaritan woman like the a normal Jew would have. Instead of ignoring her, he approached her and engaged her in a loving conversation. Even when topics came up with which they definitely disagreed, Jesus did not lash out in judgment or anger. He lovingly corrected her and opened her eyes to the truth. And as a result, she believed.

When the Samaritans rejected Jesus and his disciples by kicking them out of town, James and John were furious. They wanted to call down fire from heaven in judgment. Yet Jesus did not punish the town like his disciples wanted. He rebuked the disciples instead!

As if the above two examples weren't enough, Christ used a hated Samaritan as an example of what it means to follow the second greatest commandment: love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus expanded the application of this command to include all people, even those that we would otherwise want nothing to do with.

Other key passages relating to this topic are

-Luke 6:27-36: Jesus addresses the proper response to those that mistreat or hate us
-Mark 12:28-34: The two greatest commandments; love God, love all people as ourselves
-John 15:9-14: Christ's new command; love all people as he loved us. This is evidence that we are Christ's friends
-1st John 2:3-6: John, one of Jesus' closest friends writes about how love for our neighbors shows that we are true followers of Christ, and that we are to "walk as Jesus did"
-Romans 12:17-21: Paul, one greatest examples of what it means to follow Christ, expands on Christ's words about loving our enemies.

I don't know if those people in Florida know any Muslims personally. But I do; I work with them in the hospitals every single day. They are people just like you and me; like us, they are in dire need of the amazing, crazy, incomprehensible love of Jesus Christ.

Christianity and Islam will always be at odds with each other. They represent fundamentally different approaches to life and salvation. But the true Christian response to this conflict, based on the example of Christ, is not radical hate, but radical love. We are to love others as Christ loved us, and that includes those of other religions.

In view of God's mercy...

To those, like me, that claim to be followers of Christ I say:

Let's follow Christ's teachings. He came to show us a new way; a way of love toward enemies and those different than us.

And to of you that adhere to the Muslim faith I say:

We don't hate you. In fact, in view of God's mercy, we love you! We do disagree very much on a lot of things though. But like my friend, and evangelical pastor, Tim Clothier so aptly said: I would rather sit down with a Muslim with an open Bible and Quran and have an intelligent discussion about faith and Jesus, than to act out of hate and retaliation.

And finally, to those people in Florida (and everyone else that is planning to participate in "burn a Koran day"), I have this to say (in love, of course!):

Maybe instead of burning another religion's holy book, you should take some time to read and study your own.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
All verses cited from The Holy Bible, New International Version, © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

"We don't hate you, in fact we love you!" is from a new T-shirt from Indy Metro Church http//www.indymetro.org

The essential piece...

2010-07-03T11:50:00.007-04:00

I've often heard it said that "money is the root of all evil." It's a phrase often quoted in criticism of the many ills of modern consumer society. While it's easy to fault money, I'm not convinced it's entirely to blame. While greed and the pursuit of wealth have led many individuals to do some evil and nasty things, I would propose that the essence of wrong runs much deeper. The root of all evil, I would argue, is not money but arrogance.

Here's my definition of arrogance:
"Arrogance is the belief and attitude that I am somehow smarter, wiser, stronger than I really am, which leads me to live my life in my own way. It is seeking first my kingdom, not God's, and sin is the result."

Every wicked, bad, offensive action that we have done boils down to one thing: wanting to please ourselves above God and others. It's a natural, somewhat expected, but deadly aspect of what it means to be human. We live as if the world revolves us, and everything and everyone exists to meet our ends. Arrogance infects our actions, thoughts, and decisions like a deadly virus and manifests itself in an infinite variety of ways.

In view of God's mercy...

I find it interesting that humility, the opposite of arrogance, is not listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. I've puzzled over that for quite some time.

Now I'm no theologian, but maybe humility is just that essential. Maybe it's the underlying theme, the background music if you will, to spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control). After all, the Gospel of Grace demands it; no one can believe in Christ and not be overwhelmed with humility. No one can receive his gift of life without being utterly broken by the incredible, ridiculous unfairness of it all: that in spite of our arrogance and our total disregard for the supreme being of the universe, God reached down to us. Like my good friend Andy once said: "If the God of the universe loved me so much that he sent his son to suffer and die for me, how can I respond but to give him my life?" The only appropriate response is a humble submission to his will.

Therefore to be a Christian, I would argue, is to be humble.

Humility affects every aspect of life. It permeates all of our interactions, encounters, thoughts, and actions. It affects our view of ourselves, those around us, and of God. It causes us to see ourselves as the wretched sinners we really are, but it doesn't stop there. It drives us onward to place our hope and trust in Him, "for in our weakness He is strong." It's hard to be weak or, in other words, it's hard to admit and live like the weak individuals we truly are. We want to be strong, to exhibit an aura of confidence. But deep down inside we know that only God is truly strong, and that to think otherwise is to be arrogant. Humility allows us to admit our insufficiency and to put our confidence where it belongs: in his strength.

Humility is thus the essential piece to a proper view of ourselves in relation to God and others. It causes us to recognize our frailty, look to God, and thus live out the fruit of Spirit in response to his mercy.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."

weShare: The things we do for dreams...

2010-05-02T15:03:00.000-04:00

I don't bank at Fifth Third, but their recent TV ad caught my attention.

click on the image for video

We all have dreams, goals, aspirations for our lives. They can involve anything from getting through school, to owning that certain house or car, getting that dream job, entering that next tax bracket, or whatever. Our dreams are important; they hold a dominant place in our lives. They ultimately provide much of our direction for the everyday actions and decisions, and thus affect how we utilize our resources.

In view of God's mercy...

Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your minds on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

If you are a follower of Christ (meaning you've chosen to believe in him and devote your life to his service) your life is no longer about you. Your dreams, goals, and aspirations, while still important, have been demoted to second place. Your mind is instead to be "set on things above". His goals, His purposes, His dreams are to dominate your actions, decisions, and resources.

Christ's dream...

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest."

He [Jesus] told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up in the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Paul's ambition...

The life of Paul the apostle is one of the most amazing examples of what it looks like to live according to the dreams of God. While he clearly was an imperfect human being like the rest of us, he truly sought to make Christ's goals his own, and to allow them to define his actions, decisions, and how he used his resources.

"I [Paul] have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me -- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."

"Therefore, I [Paul] glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done -- by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It has been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation."

"Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly."

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him..."

The things we do for dreams...

What are your dreams? What sacrifices do you make for your dreams? Or better yet, what dreams do you consider worth sacrificing for? Ultimately, the answers to these questions will determine your actions, decisions, and how you utilize your resources.

I encourage you to watch the following video and to think about it in light of the passages I've included above. Please feel free to comment with any thoughts you may have.

For more information about weShare click here. If you feel like this is something you want to commit to, let me know by leaving a comment. It would be great to journey through this together!

Living "in view of God's mercy" in the deserts of Chad

2010-04-28T18:16:00.014-04:00

A great man passed away this past Sunday. His story is an incredible example of a life lived everyday on mission.

I had the privilege of spending a week with Dadje Samuel when I was in Chad in 2005. He was our guide and cultural expert during a foray to 3 very remote medical dispensaries. His extensive knowledge of the country and culture were invaluable.

Dadje was a large, powerfully built individual (I remember him telling me once that he was a descendant of tribal chief). His imposing figure commanded respect. When he spoke you simply had to listen; his words were powerful and wise. He was a successful businessman, a husband, and father of 10. But it wasn't any of these things that made him the great man that he was.

You see, Dadje loved Jesus more than most anyone I have ever met. You could tell it just by talking to him, and by seeing how he lived his life. His heart and passion were for the least reached peoples of central Africa and the surrounding countries. He dedicate his life to spreading God's love to those regions and to the training of others to do the same. He passed away Sunday while making an exploratory trip into Libya, a country closed to the gospel.

Dadje and his wife, Christine

"Each missionary who has gone to the East ... must have a very close relationship with God because he counts his days as numbered. Those with a half-hearted commitment cannot work in the East."
-Dadje Samuel

A missionary who worked very closely with Dadje in Chad recently wrote the following:

"Dadje lived in pursuit of lost peoples. He was constantly looking for ways to challenge and inspire those around him to take up the great commission. Saved as a child though the ministry of his Sunday school teachers, he dedicated his life to Christ and became a man of great missionary vision. He is responsible for challenging, teaching, discipling, training and sending out scores of Chadian evangelists and missionaries, taking them with him on outreach campaigns, and who continue serving God in very difficult areas, here in Chad and in neighboring countries: Cameroon, Nigeria, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. To our young missionary team he was an invaluable friend and advisor, not only giving us much needed help and direction in cultural matters but also spiritual encouragement as he shared again and again the big picture of what God is doing in this country and those around. As we consider now how to pick up and continue it is difficult to know where to start since there are so many holes left to fill. Only in eternity will we see the full extent and eternal fruit of his labor."

"As a soldier of the Lord, Dadje finished his days in battle, attempting to explore yet another country 'closed' to the gospel. There were problems on the trip to Libya and they didn't cross the border. The vehicle broke down in the middle of the desert in northern Chad; they had no water, and his health deteriorated... Dadjé's wife, Christine, was at his side during his last two days in the hospital in N'Djamena. She is 45 or 46 years old and he was 47. Together they have 10 children (the youngest is about 8 years old) and 8 grandchildren."

"The funeral is to be held on Friday. Please continue to pray for comfort, strength, protection and peace for the family especially. Pray for wisdom for the many decisions that need to be made, direction that needs to be given... Pray for the encouragement and comfort also of the many evangelists and missionaries to whom Dadje was a close spiritual mentor and friend. Above all we pray that God will be glorified through this situation, not our enemy and that Dadje's life lived for Him will continue to bring Him praise even now."

Dadje, Christine, and family

A memorial fund has been established by GBIM to help with the immediate needs of the family and the funeral. Funds will also go to continue Dadje’s vision of evangelism and church planting. If you feel like you would like to contribute, click here

weShare: This thing called "Money"...

2010-04-25T17:22:00.024-04:00

Med school graduation is less than 2 weeks away. This means that 12 days from today I will be walking across that platform and receiving my degree. It's been a long road (I've been a student for going on 20 years now, yikes!) and in some ways it doesn't quite seem real yet.

With graduation comes "real life", whatever that is supposed to look like. I guess it involves a job and with said job comes something I haven't had to deal with very much up until now, mostly because I've had it in very limited quantities:

MONEY...

"We can tell our values by looking at our checkbook stubs." ~Gloria Steinem (or I guess today we could say "by our credit card statements...")

"Economy is half the battle of life; it is not so hard to earn money as to spend it well." ~C. H. Spurgeon

But how to manage this thing called money in a way that reflects a life of purpose? That, my friends, is the million dollar question...

In view of God's mercy...

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

If I had to write or chose a mission statement for my life, it would be the above paragraph. For me, it summarizes what it means to live a life constantly on mission. Everything seems to boil down to the process outlined in those few sentences.

How should the truths outlined in the above paragraph guide how I manage my money? In attempting to answer this, I'm left with the following questions:

1. What's the appropriate way to manage my money , "in view of God's mercy"?

2. What are the patterns of this world that I am currently conformed to? How does the world view money, and how has that shaped my view of it?

3. How does my mind need to be transformed? What does the gospel have to say about finances?

4. What is God's will for my money?

A friend of mine, Dave Lewis, recently approached me about weShare.

weShare is a new and creative way to raise money for missionaries. In the current economy many of them are finding their funding cut short, their support levels waning, and are thus unable to perform their ministries. weShare is the challenge to commit during the month of May to do without the daily extras. By extras, I mean things that are currently a part of your life that you could do without. For example:

Go without that daily specialty coffee (as good and energizing as it may be),

Instead of buying lunch everyday, pack one from home

or maybe even bike to work.

I think you get the idea. The goal is to save a minimum of $3 a day (or $90 for the month). This money will then be used to help missionaries continue their work of spreading God's love around the world.

I was interested from the start. After some thought and prayer I have decided to take the challenge. With graduation just around the corner and a job starting in July, I hope to take advantage of this unique time in my life to discover how the gospel should affect my attitude towards money and finances. Giving up the extras to support God's work seems to be a good starting point to work through what it would look like to live everyday on mission with regards to money.

So stay tuned! I'm excited to explore what the gospel has to say about money, and try and figure out how it applies to "real life".

For more information about weShare click here. If you feel like this is something you want to commit to, let me know by leaving a comment. It would be great to journey through this together!

The Driving Force...

2010-04-01T16:23:00.007-04:00

It's been far too long since I've posted anything to this blog, and it hasn't been for lack of material. A lot has happened in these past few months, some bad but mostly good. Here are some brief highlights of what's been going on since my last post:

1) I had the amazing privilege to spend a month in Central African Republic on a medical missions trip this past January. I really learned a lot about what it means to show God's love through medicine to the people of Central Africa. It was definitely one of the most life changing experiences yet. Click here to read more about my experiences.

2) I got accepted into a phenomenal residency program here at Indiana University. I will be spending the next 4 years of my life learning to become both a pediatrician and an internist. I will definitely have my work cut out for me.

3) I have one short month left of medical school (one month!) before I finally walk across that stage, receive my hood my diploma, and my MD degree. I still have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. It's been a long road.

Yet through everything that has happened in the last few months (the travel, the busy days and nights in the hospitals, the constant reading and studying, etc) the same burning questions have continued to echo again and again through my mind. Like a broken record, these thoughts have perseverated themselves over and over again until I am sick of listening to their continuous repetition. They go something like this:

"Dan, of all the things you did today, did any of them truly matter?"

or like this...

"If you truly lived every every day, every hour, every minute, every second, every moment on mission... how would your life be different? What would you have done differently today? What would you not have done?"

It's easy to drown these thoughts with the busyness of my schedule and with the empty distractions that I use to fill my free time. I can go for days ignoring them, content with just getting through my shift, checking off the boxes for my daily schedule, living for 5 o'clock. But that voice is still ever present and whenever I just stop for a few minutes and quiet my mind it always seems to come screaming back to life. It haunts me with its persistent questioning. It causes me to wonder how I can possibly go through life like this, killing each moment with my inertia.

I'm missing something...

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

There is no better way, in my opinion, to summarize what it means to live a life constantly on mission than the above paragraph. A life of significance involves continual sacrifice and submission to bring about continual transformation and renewal and thus live a life of significance; a life in tune with the will of God.

I'm no theologian (far from it), so take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt. I think it's interesting that the passage does not begin like this: "Brothers, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God..." Instead, it begins by urging the reader to submission, "in view of God's mercy". In other words, before submission, before transformation, before renewal, before the knowledge of God's will, we must first stop and meditate on God's mercy. It is is the driving force behind the rest.

God's mercy:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The mercy of Holy God towards us as terrible, despicable sinners is something that continually struggle to understand. Jesus Christ suffered the punishment for my rebellion against a perfect, all powerful God, the punishment that was meant for us. If the God of the universe would love me that much that he would do that much to restore me to him, how can I respond but to give him my life? How can I respond but to love him in return and live life as he wants me to? This mercy, this crazy and incomprehensible love, is the driving force that can overcome my inertia and push me beyond my inactivity to live every day on mission; every moment for His purpose.

My days are very busy. And things will only get busier once residency starts. It will only get harder and harder to set aside time to reflect upon the great love that God has shown to me through the sacrifice of his son. But as I approach this new phase of my life, I can think of nothing more vital, nothing more essential than to reflect on God's mercy so I can then submit, be transformed, and thus live every day on mission.

A life well lived...

2009-07-30T19:34:00.003-04:00

Have you ever thought about what really matters in life? No, seriously. I mean REALLY sat down and thought about it? I don't know about you, but I know that as I get older things seem to only get busier and busier. I barely have time to stop and really think anymore. Until tragedy hits that is...

About a week and a half ago, one of my college friends passed away from complications of a bone marrow transplant. He had been battling with leukemia for about a year and a half and had had a rough go of it with the chemo and all. We were all hoping and praying that he would pull through, but he didn't. Two weeks ago Saturday he passed away.

His memorial service was this past Monday. Family and friends gathered together to share memories, tell stories, and to celebrate his short life. And as it turns out there was much to be celebrated. You see, he was one of those people that wasn't satisfied with simply letting life pass him by. He was a hunter, a fisherman, a rock climber, a hiker, a reader, a writer, a musician, a teacher, a student, a husband, and so much more. He took risks, tried new things, sought to continually challenge himself in so many ways. But the recurring theme of the night was none of these things. It became evident as person after person shared their stories that what truly set this young man apart was his love for those around him, his desire to invest in the lives of others and to make them better.

We all have been blessed with a variety of talents. We all have our unique interests, goals, and pursuits that dominate our work and leisure time. But have you ever stopped and asked yourself if what we spend so much time pursuing actually matters in the end? At the end of it all, when all is said and done and we take our last breath, will anything we're doing right now really matter at all? All those hours, days, months, even years spent seeking after our petty desires and interests, will they really count for anything?

I doubt that 10, 20, 50 years from now people will be talking about that big buck that my friend tagged this past winter. I doubt anyone will remember the biggest bass he caught, or how far he hiked during his many backpacking trips. But I bet they will remember the love he showed to those around him, his selfless acts of mercy, his kindness, and his caring attitude towards others. But even if no one remembers a single good thing he did, I'm convinced that the lives that he touched during his short time on this earth were changed for the better. He wasn't perfect by any means, he had his flaws like the rest of us. But he lived his life intentionally for others, and thus left behind a legacy of love that will live on far beyond his short time here on earth, maybe even into eternity.

So what about you? Are you living life for what really matters? Or do your own interests, hobbies, and goals dominate your days at the expense of those around you? Are you living your life for what really matters most?

Too busy to care

2009-07-09T19:18:00.007-04:00

"Hi, my name is Matt. I don't think I've met you yet."

I looked up from my computer where I was hard at work. It was the first day of my new rotation, and I was busy looking up lab values and vital signs for morning rounds. I had been so engrossed in my task that I hadn't even noticed someone had just sat down beside me. Judging by the cleanliness of his short white coat, I concluded that he must be a new 3rd year med student. He smiled at me with his hand outstretched, waiting.

"Hi, I'm Dan. Nice to meet you."

We shook hands. I turned back to my computer, eager to continue my data hunting. I only had a half hour before morning rounds, and I hadn't yet seen any of my 4 very sick patients.

But he wasn't finished yet: "I'm on my medicine rotation this month. First rotation of the 3rd year. Man, it's great to be in the hospital for a change! It's been really busy though." He smiled at me again.

I nodded, trying to be polite. I wasn't sure exactly what to say. I quickly resorted to the first question that entered my mind; the one that all med students quickly tire of hearing.

"So, do you know what you want to do yet?"

Quickly I realized the silliness of the question. (The guy was on his first rotation after all). But it didn't seem to phase him.

"No, not yet." he replied. "I think I'd like to do family medicine, but I'm not sure. We'll see as the year goes on. What do you want to do? You probably have a better idea now that you are a 4th year."

It was the natural follow up question to the one I had just asked. "Med-peds." I quickly answered. I was surprised to see that he actually looked interested.

"Oh, med-peds. That's really cool." His eyes got really big, as if with amazement. He smiled again, like he really meant what he said. He seemed somehow sincere.

"Yeah." I said, not knowing what to say next (and still thinking about not being prepared for morning rounds, now twenty five minutes away). "I'm pretty excited about it." Awkward silence.

His eyes moved from me to my pile of papers and then to the lab values on the computer screen.

"Well, I see you're busy. And I have stuff I've got to do too. But Dan, it was great to meet you. I'll see you around." Once again he extended his hand. I felt guilty all of a sudden, so I quickly grasped his hand and shook it very firmly. As if that would make up for my rudeness somehow.

"Yeah, it was good to meet you too. See ya around!"

He got up and left. I sat there for a minute watching him as he walked away, thinking about what had just transpired. It didn't really make sense. Here was a 3rd year med student, probably just as busy (if not busier) than I was. There was no good reason for him to do what he did. We weren't on the same team, we worked in different parts of the hospital, we weren't even in the same med school class. Yet for some reason he took the time to talk to me just because "he hadn't met me yet." It completely caught me off guard. I couldn't help but wonder why anyone would do such a thing. I wanted to talk to him again, maybe get to know him a little bit better. I wanted to figure out why he was so friendly. He didn't have to be, and his schedule certainly didn't encourage it. But most of all, it made me think about all the similar situations that I had passed up simply because I had been too busy. I had been so focused on my work that I had lost sight of the bigger picture.

I don't know about you, but one of my biggest desires in life is to be successful. I work hard every day to learn what is necessary to be good at what I do. I want to be efficient and productive, a valued asset to my profession. It's a huge part of my life right now.

I don't believe there is anything wrong with any of that. There's nothing bad about wanting to be good at what you do. The problem comes when the drive to succeed dominates your life to the extent that other more important things suffer.

Matt's selfless act of kindness didn't have anything to do with him being a good 3rd year medical student. In fact, I'm sure he could have spent that time seeing his patients, looking up their labs, or even reading up on one of their many diseases. Instead he took five minutes to strike up a conversation with a stranger, for no better reason than to show he cared. It left a lasting impression on me, and provided me with a very tangible example of what it means to live a life of significance. He showed me that it's in the relationships we form, and in little ways we show we care, that we can truly make a positive impact and make everyday meaningful.

But I was just too busy to care.

So how about you? Are you also too busy to care?

"Bloom where you are planted..."

2009-06-28T19:29:00.014-04:00

Four years ago, in May of 2005, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Chad. Premed students, medical students, nurses and doctors, we all embarked on this trip with the purpose of providing medical care to those that needed it most. It was an incredible experience that changed my life forever. It confirmed my desire to pursue medicine as a career, and someday return to serve in this needy part of the world. Global health has became my passion, and practicing medicine overseas my life goal. It's something I've been working towards and striving for ever since.

As a medical student, my days are filled with going to class or working in the hospital or clinic that I've been assigned to for the month. It's a lot of hard work, but it's important to invest that time and energy to acquire the knowledge and skills that I will need someday to become a good physician. I look forward to that day, when I will finally be able to board that plane once again and finally live out my life's aspirations.

I'm going to make an assumption here that I'm not alone in this. Maybe you haven't traveled to some remote part of the world, and maybe medicine isn't your calling. But I'm sure you have some idea, goal, or aspiration, some profound desire to perform something of great and lasting significance. And I’m sure you’re working very hard to achieve that goal, whether it involves higher education, job experience, or working your way up the corporate ladder. The danger, however, comes when those big goals for the future become the sole focus at the expense of our daily opportunities. As a medical student, I struggle with this a lot. It's so easy to look to the vast opportunities in the future, at the expense of the many I have right here and now in the present. It's so easy to view these days, weeks, months, years simply as a preparatory stage for when I graduate, and "life really starts".

I’m realizing more and more that I’m here right now for a purpose; to make a difference here where I’m at, with the patients and medical professionals I come in contact every single day. I'm starting to think that our lives should not be lived in anticipation of some future date, once we have that job, promotion, or position of influence. Our lives should instead be about making every moment of everyday count no matter what situation we may find ourselves in.

So what about you? Are living for the future at the expense of the present? What would your life look like if you decided everyday to seek out opportunities and make a difference?

2009-06-12T16:47:00.000-04:00

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mohandas Ghandi

The above quote has special significance for me. It happens to be class motto chosen for my high school graduation. It seems like yesterday all 390 of us marched into the school gym in our caps and gowns to the tune of "Pomp and Circumstance". It was a night full of speeches and awards, a night to feel good about all we had achieved and to be excited about the future. As we walked across the stage and then tossed our caps into the air we vowed to make a difference. We were at the top of the world; the future felt so full of hope and promise. To make every day count was our battle cry.

Seven years have passed since that exciting night, and while 4 years of a liberal arts undergrad and 3 years of medical school have provided ample opportunity to learn as if I were to live forever, I can't say that I've mastered the first portion of our senior class motto. To live as if I were to die tomorrow... what would my life look like if I actually lived like that?

It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day routine. Days and days go by and the monotony continues. We do what we need to get through the day not really thinking about the fact that this day could be our last. But the fact of the matter is none of us are guaranteed that we will live a single second.

Frederick Buechner once wrote: "Intellectually we all know that we will die, but we do not really know it in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us. We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live as though our lives would go on forever."

Does the thought that you may not live to see another day terrify you? Or does it inspire you to make every moment count, to live as if every moment, every encounter, every conversation could be the last one ever? I'm not entirely sure what that looks like, and I can't say I've mastered it yet, but I'd like to take the challenge. To live a life of significance; to fulfill the first part of my class motto; to live today as if I were to die tomorrow.