"It" Is Coming

What is this "it"? When is "it" coming? Is there anyway I can avoid "it"? These are all questions that we all ponder at different seasons of our life, but mostly when our lives are turned upside down. 

When the normalcy of our life ceases to exist, we can choose to either fill that vacuum with what God intended, Himself, or we can continue to give everything else a priority over Him. Therefore the "it" can be a doctor's diagnosis, or an accident, the loss of a friendship. 

"It" can be the loss of a job or financial status. A common thread is that "it" is usually something that we either value or depend upon more than our relationship with God. And let's be clear, God allows suffering so that our lives will be saved, not to drive us into despair without hope. He is our hope, He is our King, and He refuses to share His throne with anyone or anything else.

Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Widow and the General

You may remember that I wrote about the prophet Elisha a few weeks ago, telling the story about the widow who was persistent in seeking God's provision in her time of great need. (You can read it here) Today I want to write about an encounter that involved Elisha the prophet and the commanding general of  the armies of Syria.

The widow and the general could not have been more different. The widow was totally destitute after the death of her husband and was facing the loss of her children due to not being able to pay her debts. We never learn her name in the scriptures. Naaman, the general, was in charge of all of the armies of Syria, a mighty man of valor and courage. His resources were almost unlimited, the widow had none. Naaman had direct access to the King of Syria, the widow had no such connections. But what Naaman was about to realize is that he was about to face a situation beyond the reach of all of his power, connections and resources. Naaman had developed leprosy.

It Never Gets Old . . .

Tennessee vs Arkansas | 1989 | National Championship on the line |

It was my first year living in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Invited to watch this game with some friends. Had to endure 3 1/2 quarters of trash talking, fight song singing, and overall unbearable environment. Until, with 1:47 left in the game, Arkansas up by 2 and simply running out the clock, this happened 

CUE: Video. 

Then, suddenly, I was the only one trash talking, fight song singing, and making life difficult for a room full of Hog fans. What a great day! 

P.S. We went on to win the first BSC College Football National Championship beating Florida State in the Championship game.