But as I think about my friends’ families, one word separates my family from many of theirs… forgiveness.  Forgiveness permeated our family.  We all made plenty of mistakes – at times we were rude and mean – but we knew how to forgive.  And once we forgave, the topic never came up again.  It was an unspoken family rule.

Forgiveness is what I cherish about the cross, too.  Except that forgiveness from Jesus is different than forgiveness from my brother.  It’s because of the Jesus’ death on the cross that God receives me just like I am.  But because I grew up in a home that oozed forgiveness, I didn’t always appreciate God’s mercy like I should.  As I age though, that’s changing.  The older I get, the more aware I become of my sin.  It’s like peeling back an onion.  As a young adult, I thought that I’d find near-perfection in the middle of the onion.  What I’m realizing is that the middle of the onion contains rot – issues that self-discipline alone just can’t wipe away.  Issues like pride, self-sufficiency, fear, impatience, etc… And yet God receives me just like I am because of Jesus’ death on the cross.

Yes, forgiveness made our family unique.  It gave my life so much joy as a child.  But God’s forgiveness offers me so much more.  It gives my life meaning, love, and peace forever.  What more can a man ask for?

Watch a man die and you’ll know how he lived.  The first century soldiers who executed criminals knew this all too well.  They crucified the dregs of society and saw evil spew out of these criminals, even as they gasped their last breath.  That’s why Jesus shocked them.  Even as He was dying, the Fruit of the Spirit radiated through him.  That’s why one of the guards watching Jesus said, “Surely this man was the Son of God.”

Watch a man die and you’ll know how he lived.  Randy Jones lived a humble, joy-filled life, oozing God all over people.  Randy was far from perfect, but he was forgiven and grateful for it… even when he took his last breath.

What about you?  As you think about Easter, what are you grateful for?   There’s one word that jumps off the page at me when I think of what I’m grateful for at Easter.  I’ll share it in tomorrow’s blog.  In the meantime, keep blogging your thoughts…

One hot summer afternoon, I told Polly that I wasn’t very excited about heaven.  “I know that sounds unspiritual, Polly, but heaven just doesn’t ‘do much’ for me.” Without hesitation, Polly replied, “Well, that’s normal, Ken.  You haven’t lived long enough.  But that’ll change.  One day, you’ll know more people in heaven than you know on earth.  That’s when heaven becomes your home.  And when that happens, you’ll be ready to go home.”

As I read about these servants in the Bible, I sense that their hearts were set more on heaven, than on this earth.  Maybe it’s because life didn’t offer as many ‘goodies’ as it does today.  Americans live under the ‘illusion of the good life’.  We honestly believe that life on this earth can be really good for us.  But no matter how good life gets, it doesn’t fill that heaven-shaped hole in our heart.

When I hear Esther say, “If I perish, I perish,” I realize that she didn’t live under the ‘illusion of the good life.’  Heaven was her home.  Following God meant more to her than anything else.  And it’s this perspective that gave her boldness, in spite of her fears.

Polly Smith is still alive today.  Her body is failing her.  Most of her friends are gone.  And when God calls, she’s ready to go home.

What about you?  Where’s your home, this earth or heaven?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Also, I want some of you to share how God draws your gaze toward heaven…

This past weekend, Cassidy attended a real camp with our students.  She endured sleepless nights (her friends snore), fresh mildew, board-like beds, early mornings and late nights all at a place called, Camp High Harbor.  Now, from what I hear, her cabin brought the early mornings on themselves.  All the other girls were content with jumping out of bed and heading to breakfast; but evidently, seventh grade girls need an extra hour for makeup.  Cassidy says that’s because they only had one mirror for 14 girls.  A tragedy!

If you’re like me, I dreamed of a Camp Hyatt life.  I not only dreamed about it, I expected it.  But life includes many extended visits to Camp High Harbor, sleepless nights and all.  Of course, when I read Esther 2 & 3, I realize her version of Camp High Harbor was MUCH worse than mine.  Being queen may sound great, but it wasn’t.  King Xerxes drank excessively, ruled ruthlessly, and conquered viciously.  Esther was a beautiful woman, but a stranger in a foreign land.  As queen, she was mainly a glorified sex slave.  And if she ever offended Xerxes, the results were deadly.  She couldn’t even enter Xerxes’ presence without permission.  Not exactly Camp Hyatt.

Through all of this, Esther kept her faith in God and “continued to do what Mordecai told her to do.”  Amazing.  I would have thrown in the towel.  I never liked camp much, anyway.  Too rustic – and I’m allergic to mildew.  And then… top it off by adding a degrading situation like Esther’s???  That would have been the final straw.   But Esther was different.  She determined to become better because of her struggles.

As l listened to Cassidy’s complaints about Camp High Harbor, I realized how this weekend developed her character far more than Camp Winshape.  No offense to Winshape, but it’s too nice.  Character germinates in adversity.

I now understand what James was talking about when he said to find joy in adversity.  It’s not that I’m suppose to love my trips to Camp High Harbor, but God wants me to see the character that develops while I’m there.

What about you?  I’d enjoy hearing about character traits that you developed on trips to Camp High Harbor.

We had a few guys in our class who were wild and fearless. They never played it safe. Instead, they lived in the middle of the gym. They’d jump, duck, twist, and lean until one of the balls finally got ‘em. Occasionally, they’d win; but win or lose, they put it all on the line. They left satisfied, knowing they hadn’t taken the easy road.

The Kingdom of God benefits when we stop playing it safe. When we take seriously verses like Psalm 73:26, “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” ‘God is my portion’ = He’s enough for me. Even if I’m getting pelted by the enemy, God’s enough. His strength makes me bold. I like what Russ said last week: “God doesn’t just make us feel better in our circumstances. He makes us feel bold.”

I was in my last semester of PE in 10th grade. It seems silly now, but I remember thinking, “If I’m ever going to stop playing it safe, it’s got to be now. There won’t be many more chances.” I ventured out into the middle – with the real studs – and got pelted in less than a minute. I left the game with my head held high. I hadn’t played it safe. My team was better off because of my choice. I was better off, too.

I never scurried back to the safety of the wall again.

Even though I get up early, I prefer to work late and sleep late.  Hard to believe, I know.   Take this weekend… I stayed up late Friday night (10:30 pm) and slept in until 9 am Saturday morning.  I love to sleep in and it felt so good!  Lingering in the bed on a low key morning is ‘da bomb!’

Habakkuk had to “linger and wait” for an answer from God. That’s not nearly as fun as lingering in the bed.  And while I don’t like to wait, God’s answers are worth waiting for.  When I rush the process, it doesn’t turn out so well.

I’d love to hear some stories from you.  Tell me about a time that you waited for God’s answer.  Even if the answer was unsatisfying, share your stories.

I wonder if Israel appreciated those 40 years of peace, or if they focused on what they were missing in life? If they’re like me, they leaned toward the second option. 40 years of peace is a huge blessing. Think about it. When is the last time America has had 40 years of uninterrupted peace? It’s been a while… like never! And when we do experience blessings like extended times of peace, we forget about them. We take them for granted.

Today, I’m counting my blessings. It’s a good habit for someone who can fixate on what he’s missing and forget what he has.

What’s God teaching you?

An entire community grieved for Rajaan and the tragic ending to his life.  My heart still aches for his mother.  And when situations like his arise, I think… ‘Why does God allow this stuff?’  But then I remember that “God’s ways are not my ways” (Isaiah 55:8).  In fact, when we try to look at life from God’s perspective, we usually see a very different picture.  For example,  Rajaan became a follower of Jesus through the ministry of an FCA missionary.  (btw… WCC helped sponsor this missionary.)  And even though we grieve when someone dies, for believers death is the beginning, not the end.  Isaiah 57 actually calls death a reward from God, as God spares us from more evil.

Now jump for a moment to today’s story about Gideon – another time when I don’t understand God’s ways.  You tell me.  Do God’s army recruiting techniques make sense to you, turning away able-bodied recruits???  What’s God thinking?

But let’s face it.  God’s like that.  He sees life so differently than me and you.  Our earthly goals and daily worries keep us from understanding why God works the way He does, especially in tragedy.   God can do more with less???  Death is the beginning???  God brings good out of the most awful situations??? Come on… do we really buy that stuff?

My heart aches for Rajaan’s family and friends, as they deal with a tragedy that makes no earthly sense.  But I want to be more like Gideon, trusting God especially when life doesn’t make sense.  Here’s what I’m learning…  God’s ways are not only different than my ways; they’re better.  And when I join Rajaan in heaven, I’ll understand why.

What’s God saying to you through this passage?

Now, fast forward to when I’m 15 years old and learning to drive. One afternoon, I started to pull out into traffic and my mother told me, “Stop, Ken. Don’t go!” But instead of listening, I asked “Why?” and lunged the car forward. Needless to say, my mother was right. We were almost blindsided by a truck. Of course, when we made it through the intersection, I told my mother, “Chill out, mom! Anyway, it’s that guy’s fault, not mine. He was driving too fast.” That’s when my mother told me – using very animated expressions – that I’d better start listening to her and stop blaming others for my mistakes. Truth is… my arrogance almost got us killed.

In Judges 6, there’s two times that people ask God “Why?” In verse 7, the Israelites ask “Why the hardship?” God answers them, “You’re not worshiping Me. You’re worshiping the gods of the Amorites.” And even though the Israelites ask the question, evidently they didn’t like God’s answer because they didn’t change anything. They just lunge into traffic and say, “Chill out, God! There’s nothing I need to change. It must be someone else’s fault.”

We also see another “Why?” in verse 13. Facing the same circumstances, Gideon asks, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” Evidently, Gideon is following close to God and he’s frustrated that he has to endure the same tough times as those rebelling against God. But do you notice God’s answer to Gideon? He says, “Gideon, you are the answer to this problem. I’m sending you to make this world a better place.” (vs. 15, my paraphrase). Interesting… Same problems. Same questions. Different answers.

Right now, our world is experiencing tough consequences from our rebellion against God. And many of us are asking, “Why???” Well, here’s God’s answer: For those of us who are running from God, He says, “I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of (this world).” But to those of us who are following God, He answers, “Go. I am sending you to change this place.”

Same problems. Same questions. Different answers. Which answer is for you?

btw…God’s answers aren’t as animated as my mom’s, but they’re every bit as right.

The only problem with Sunday lunch was the drive.  It was way too long!  Okay… it was only twenty-five minutes, but to an eight year old that’s a very loooong time in the back seat of a car.  And other than cows, there wasn’t much scenery along the way.  But the trip was worth it because the smell of fried chicken filled the air.

Abraham had a VERY long trip in Genesis 22.  The only thing that kept him going was hope.  Sometimes we call it ‘faith.’  But faith is ‘realistic hope,’ facing the reality of bleak circumstances, but holding out hope that God will provide a ram.

Right now, the journey is especially long for some of you.  You may even feel like God is testing you beyond what you can handle, but trust Him.  The destination has a way of making the long, tiring trip worth it.  While the food at my grandmother’s house was amazing, the love there was even more incredible.  Her mashed potatoes were legendary, but her hugs were life-giving.

Anyone have a similar place in your childhood like my grandmother’s?  What’s God teaching you?