When You Are Low on Hope

Got this passage from an e-newsletter sent by Max Lucado. It's a wonderful take for those whose tanks are running on empty. Stay strong, my friend.

When You Are Low on Hope
by Max Lucado

Water. All Noah can see is water. The evening sun sinks into it. The clouds are reflected in it. His boat is surrounded by it. Water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the west. Water.

He sent a raven on a scouting mission; it never returned. He sent a dove. It came back shivering and spent, having found no place to roost. Then, just this morning, he tried again. With a prayer he let it go and watched until the bird was no bigger than a speck on a window.

All day he looked for the dove’s return.

Now the sun is setting, and the sky is darkening, and he has come to look one final time, but all he sees is water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the …

You know the feeling. You have stood where Noah stood. You’ve known your share of floods. Flooded by sorrow at the cemetery, stress at the office, anger at the disability in your body or the inability of your spouse. You’ve seen the floodwater rise, and you’ve likely seen the sun set on your hopes as well. You’ve been on Noah’s boat.

And you’ve needed what Noah needed; you’ve needed some hope. You’re not asking for a helicopter rescue, but the sound of one would be nice. Hope doesn’t promise an instant solution but rather the possibility of an eventual one. Sometimes all we need is a little hope.

That’s all Noah needed. And that’s all Noah received.

Here is how the Bible describes the moment: “When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf!” (Gen. 8:11 NIV).

An olive leaf. Noah would have been happy to have the bird but to have the leaf! This leaf was more than foliage; this was promise. The bird brought more than a piece of a tree; it brought hope. For isn’t that what hope is? Hope is an olive leaf—evidence of dry land after a flood. Proof to the dreamer that dreaming is worth the risk.

Don’t we love the olive leaves of life?
“It appears the cancer may be in remission.”
“I can help you with those finances.”
“We’ll get through this together.”
What’s more, don’t we love the doves that bring them?
Perhaps that’s the reason so many loved Jesus.

To all the Noahs of the world, to all who search the horizon for a fleck of hope, he proclaims, “Yes!” And he comes. He comes as a dove. He comes bearing fruit from a distant land, from our future home. He comes with a leaf of hope.

A Love Worth GivingHave you received yours? Don’t think your ark is too isolated. Don’t think your flood is too wide. Receive his hope, won’t you? Receive it because you need it. Receive it so you can share it.

Love always hopes. “Love … bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:4–7 NKJV, emphasis mine).

From A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Max Lucado

Fearless

Max Lucado's new book, Fearless, is coming out soon. You can read the excellent first chapter here. for free.

Stay fearless.

Thoughts from Traveling Light - Part 2

Over the Easter weekend, we dove into Chapter 2 of Traveling Light (The Middle C of Life). We had to cut it short, because Church Street was absolutely PACKED for both Easter services, so spaces were at a premium. But it was well worth it — what amazing and powerful services! Here were a few highlights from our discussion.

• Lucado makes a nice point to open things up: "Psalm 23 uses 115 words to describe the first 2: "The Lord." Nice. He's saying that from the start of this great Psalm, David is telling us to get the real deal — God himself — not some cheap man-made imitation.

• These man-made gods of our own making are always inferior - the god of convenience, the god of pleasure, the god of money, the god of (fill in the blank). They may distract or entertain for a season, but they never satisfy. Only God fills in that blank.

• The chapter title (The Middle C of Life) is a reference to a musical reference. Middle C is the same note today as it was 2,000 years ago. Sounds the same today as it did when Beehtoven played it. Styles change. Tastes change. The instruments that play the note can change. But Middle C is Middle C. The same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Lucado says that God is our Middle C. The North Star that gives us a guide to chart our personal path. A constant source of love, grace and forgiveness in an everchanging world. Which is something that always sounds sweet to these ears.

Thoughts from Traveling Light - Part 1

I started a study of Traveling Light by Max Lucado this past weekend in my Sunday School class. The book is one of my favorites - a look at how God wants us to release the burdens we were never intended to bear. It uses the ever-popular Psalm 23 as a guide for how to do this. The first class opened up a ton of great discussion and insights, and I thought I'd share some of these points along the way here on the blog. Of course, I'll never capture it all as well as Max, so if you're looking for an inspiring, timely read, pick up a copy today. (Wow, can you tell I work in advertising...)

Points from Traveling Light - Week 1
• We all know what a drag it is to be "overpacked." Trying to get through an airport or run a 5k when you're carrying too much gear is zero fun. Yet every day, many of us wake up and take on too much luggage. Luggage we were never meant to carry. As Max puts it "A duffel bag of worry. A suitcase of guilt. A bag of discontent and bitterness." Every morning, God wants us "to check our bags." Some things only He is able to carry.

• For me, a big key to traveling light is monitoring what I feed my brain with every day. I'm a web/pop culture junky, so I really have to work on the stream of negative news/sensationalistic/voueyeristic information that is always just a mouse click away. Garbage in/Garbage out as the saying goes...

• When things are tough, remember it's darkest just before the sun rises. This thought wasn't from the book but arose from our discussion. As people shared the pain they suffered going through divorces/losing jobs/etc. a common thread was how, through God's grace, they were able to emerge from these incredibly difficult experiences as stronger people with deeper faith. Not fun, but a great reminder that God has promised not to put on us more than we are able to bear. All things though Christ who strengthens me...

Just a Moment

As we inch closer to Christmas Day, I was inspired by this passage from Max Lucado that landed in my email box today. I share it with you along with blessings and warmest wishes for you + yours to truly enjoy the Joy of this season.

Merry Christmas!
lance

Just a Moment
by Max Lucado

It all happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment.

As moments go, that one appeared no different than any other. If you could somehow pick it up off the timeline and examine it, it would look exactly like the ones that have passed while you have read these words. It came and it went. It was preceded and succeeded by others just like it. It was one of the countless moments that have marked time since eternity became measurable.

But in reality, that particular moment was like none other. For through that segment of time a spectacular thing occurred. God became a man. While the creatures of earth walked unaware, Divinity arrived. Heaven opened herself and placed her most precious one in a human womb.

The omnipotent, in one instant, made himself breakable. He who had been spirit became pierceable. He who was larger than the universe became an embryo. And he who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young girl.

God as a fetus. Holiness sleeping in a womb. The creator of life being created.

God was given eyebrows, elbows, two kidneys, and a spleen. He stretched against the walls and floated in the amniotic fluids of his mother.

God had come near.

He came, not as a flash of light or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as one whose first cries were heard by a peasant girl and a sleepy carpenter. The hands that first held him were unmanicured, calloused, and dirty.

For thirty-three years he would feel everything you and I have ever felt. He felt weak. He grew weary. He was afraid of failure. He was susceptible to wooing women. He got colds, burped, and had body odor. His feelings got hurt. His feet got tired. And his head ached.

To think of Jesus in such a light is—well, it seems almost irreverent, doesn’t it? It’s not something we like to do; it’s uncomfortable. It is much easier to keep the humanity out of the incarnation. Clean the manure from around the manger. Wipe the sweat out of his eyes. Pretend he never snored or blew his nose or hit his thumb with a hammer.

He’s easier to stomach that way. There is something about keeping him divine that keeps him distant, packaged, predictable.

But don’t do it. For heaven’s sake, don’t. Let him be as human as he intended to be. Let him into the mire and muck of our world. For only if we let him in can he pull us out.

It all happened in a moment. In one moment … a most remarkable moment. The Word became flesh.

There will be another. The world will see another instantaneous transformation. You see, in becoming man, God made it possible for man to see God. When Jesus went home he left the back door open. As a result, “we will all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52)

The first moment of transformation went unnoticed by the world. But you can bet your sweet September that the second one won’t. The next time you use the phrase “just a moment, … ” remember that’s all the time it will take to change this world.

3:16

To me, Max Lucado is kinda like the Christian author equivalent to John Grisham. He's a great storyteller that writes in a way that's very popular with the masses. Nothing wrong with that. I've read most of his books, and always seem to pick up some really useful stuff.

His latest is 3:16 - The numbers of hope. based on probably the most famous book in the Bible. I haven't read the whole thing yet (um, the book, not John 3:16) but did just read the first chapter online, which you'll find here. I'll be picking up the whole book soon. If you've read it, let me know what you think.