brennan manning

Give Blood

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

I did my civic duty today and donated blood. I know that you’re always supposed to give 100% at whatever you do, but I thought in this case to hold back a little. Just a tad.

Sure, there’s a time inconvenience. Plus, there’s that super humongous needle they stick in your arm (or at least it seems that way when you’re staring at it up close and personal).

But the payoff is worth way more than whatever costs are involved.

Who knows but one day you may be the one in the emergency room needing a pint of blood? Or it might be your son or your daughter on that operating table.

I don’t normally write blog posts telling you to do stuff, but I really believe that this is one case where your contribution actually makes a tangible difference.

Whenever I give blood, I’m reminded that my own life was saved by blood. The Apostle Peter reminds us of the true cost of our salvation: “You know that a price was paid to redeem you from following the empty ways handed on to you by your ancestors; it was not paid with things that perish (like silver and gold), but with the precious blood of the Anointed, who was like a perfect and unblemished sacrificial lamb (1 Peter 2:18-19).

Blood is life and Jesus, unlike me, did opt to give 100%. He didn’t spare a drop. He looked at you and me and said, “They may not amount to much in the eyes of most people, but in My eyes, they are completely worth the sacrifice.”

Ultimately, we give because He gave. We love because He first loved us. That’s the key to everything.

So give blood. It’s an easy way to pay it forward and live out the gratitude for what others (and God) have done for you over the years.

Who knows? The life you save could very well be your own.

 

Living in View of Eternity

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The guest speaker at Kairos made an astute observation: he said that most of us live like practical Sadducees.

Sadducees were a sect of Jewish religious leaders who denied the resurrection. For them, life ended at the grave.

A lot of us pay lip service to heaven and that sweet by and by, but live as though the here and now is all there is.

The result? We live with a kind of frenetic desperation. We determine our worth by our stuff. We settle in relationships because we think nothing better will come along. We’re always falling victim to FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out.

When Jesus came to give life and give it to the fullest, He did mean here an now, but I believe that life will find its truest and fullest expression in the life to come.

In C. S. Lewis’ book, The Great Divorce, he describes heaven not as a shadowy phantom-land but as place where every blade of grass is so real that it almost hurts to walk on it. A place that’s too much for some because it’s so very real and present.

We are to live in the now, but we should also live under the shadow of eternity, knowing that a whole human life is only a heartbeat in heaven (stolen from a Robin Williams movie).

Because of eternity, failure is not final and death will not have the last word. Defeat is temporary and suffering gives way to joy. Love wins and hope survives.

I still love the imagery of heaven in The Last Battle as the real and true Narnia while the present world is only a shadow and a copy. It’s the real beginning of the story that only gets better with each new chapter, the best story ever written.

 

The Beauty of Scars

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I saw a girl who had scars on her face today outside of Starbucks. What struck me most weren’t the scars themselves but how beautiful she was, not in spite of her scars but because of them. I wonder if she’s ashamed of her scars as most people are or if she sees them in a different way.

Most of us have a scar or two. I have one on my left hand from an automobile accident from several years ago. Some of the most painful scars are the ones no one can see, the ones we bear inside our bodies rather than outside.

Still, from the right perspective, scars are beautiful. Every scar tells a story and reveals a history of God’s ability to rescue and heal. Scars mean that you are still here, that you endured whatever ordeal and came out stronger on the other side. Scars mean that you survived.

Jesus Himself still bears His scars from Calvary. The wounds in His wrists and side are still there, reminding us that scars are not shameful wounds to be kept hidden but tattoo of overcoming.

No one gets through this life unscathed. Well, perhaps if you hide under your bed and play it safe for 80 years you might make it without scars. If you hide your heart away in a lock box and never let it out, you can avoid having it get broken (but you also avoid feeling anything deeply).

Perhaps I should rephrase. No one who really lives goes through life unscathed and unscarred. It’s impossible. People and circumstances will wound you, sometimes deeply, but there is no wound that God cannot heal and no circumstance God cannot work for your good and His glory.

Trust me. Scars are good. Wear them proudly to remind yourself and others that scars mean that you’re still here and not going anywhere anytime soon.

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Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

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I am a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. Admitting that, I also have to confess that I am ecstatic that the Chicago Cubs are back in the World Series for the first time since 1945. That breaks the longest streak not playing in a championship series of any of the teams in any of the four major sports leagues.

I will also confess that when the Cubs went down 2 games to 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, I thought, “Oh well, it was a nice run. Maybe next year.”

But miracles still happen and good things still happen to those who keep waiting expectantly.

That’s my takeaway. Don’t give up and keep believing for your miracle.

Are you single and wanting to get married? Don’t give up.

Are you married and desperately wanting to have children? Don’t give up.

Are you working hard and waiting for that breakthrough in your career? Don’t give up.

Above all, don’t give up on God because He hasn’t given up on you. God’s timing may not line up with yours, but He always comes through at the perfect time.

If God doesn’t give you what you desire, it usually means that He’s got something better in store for you. It also means that He has a much bigger picture in mind than you do that involves a whole lot more than just you.

Above all that is going on in your life, know that God is always good and always does what is best for His children. That’s still true.

It appears that Back to the Future Part II was just a year off in its prognosis of the future. Since this World Series features the aforementioned Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians, neither who have won World Series titles since the 50’s, I hope they will have a completely throwback series with both teams wearing vintage uniforms. That would be really cool (in case any of the powers that be are reading this right now).

So keep believing and go Cubs!

 

 

Randomness Run Amuck on a Thursday

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My cat Lucy got a little exercise. She ran for about 15 seconds straight. While that might not seem like much to most people, consider that she is 16 years old and for her, staying awake is a feat of biblical proportions.

Her three normal modes of existence are 1) getting ready to nap, 2) napping, 3) thinking about waking up from a nap but deciding not to. She really is that old and lazy. I wish I had her life.

In other news, fall has returned. It literally went from summer weather to fall weather in the span of 24 hours. Then again, I still live in Tennessee.

In the world of music, I picked up a couple of CDs by The New Hawaiian Band. It’s Hawaiian music circa 1968 and 1969. Not very exciting or danceable but very good for unwinding at the end of the day and dreaming of the tropics.

My Doctor Who quest has resumed with Series Three. David Tennant is still the Doctor, but Rose is no longer on this plane of existence. Sad. The new girl is good but not quite the same.

I’m still in search of a way to stream the entire history of Doctor Who (or as much as still exists), starting from the very beginning. I even emailed the good folks at BBC America but got a very vague and shadowy response along the lines of “that does not compute. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!” Oh well.

In the best news of all, tomorrow is Friday. That never fails to make me supremely happy. Not as happy as me with a pumpkin spice beverage but way happier than me having to wake up at 5 am.

I think that wraps up everything I know on this October Thursday evening. More randomness to follow whenever I can’t think of anything else to write about.

The end.

 

 

Words to Live By

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“As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you: Live a life that is worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to you. Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love. Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were all called to pursue one hope. There is one Lord Jesus, one living faith, one ceremonial washing through baptism, and one God—the Father over all who is above all, through all, and in all” (Ephesians 4:1-6, The Voice)

Note: In regard to preserving the unity, it doesn’t say, “make an effort if you feel like it” or “try it if the mood strikes you.” It says “make every effort.”

That means “do everything with in your power so far as it depends on you to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created.

It seems lately, American believers (I can’t speak for any other believers) have done a poor job of fighting for unity rather than fighting with each other and tarnishing the name of Jesus in the process.

Regardless of who wins the election, our allegiance will still be first and foremost to Jesus. It will do us no good if we win the political arguments and lose the relationships with those who desperately need to hear the good news of the gospel.

It gets harder and harder to remember that our real battle isn’t against flesh and blood but against the evil spiritual forces behind the scenes. Maybe what you need to do instead of bashing the politician is pray for them.

Don’t lose friendships over differing political views. That degrades democracy and free thinking (and yes, I completely stole that one from a post I saw on Facebook).

Remember most of all that you gain far more by loving someone well than by winning an argument. Jesus showed the best way of all when He laid down His life for His friends (and for His enemies as well). I’d like to see more of that this election season.

 

Take Great Joy

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“Take great joy in the Eternal! His gifts are coming, and they are all your heart desires!” (Psalm 37:4, VOICE)

That says it all. What ever the deepest longing of your heart is, it will be found in God.

It isn’t money or fame or power, but what we hope they will give that ultimately fulfills that deep desire of the soul.

What we really crave is security, acceptance, validation, unconditional love . . . I could go on and on and I’m sure you could add a few of your own.

All of these originate from and find their ultimate place in the Eternal.

So take great joy. Let your heart rest tonight knowing that you are in the best of hands.

Your Abba won’t cease watching over and caring for you.

Let that thought carry you off to sleep.

That Faith Chapter

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“All these I have mentioned died in faith without receiving the full promises, although they saw the fulfillment as though from a distance. These people accepted and confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on this earth because people who speak like this make it plain that they are still seeking a homeland. If this was only a bit of nostalgia for a time and place they left behind, then certainly they might have turned around and returned. But such saints as these look forward to a far better place, a heavenly country. So God is not ashamed to be called their God because He has prepared a heavenly city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16, The Voice).

I thought about the next blog post as I drove down Concord Road on my way home. I had the windows rolled down, inviting the balmy and breezy night air in as Ray Charles bemoaned in the background. That really has nothing much to do with what follows, but I thought it might enhance my cool hipster factor a bit.

Here goes.

God is not ashamed of you. That’s the takeaway from tonight’s Kairos.

In Hebrews 11, there’s a long list of heroes of the faith. By faith, they conquered their circumstances and clung to faith in God in the midst of overwhelming odds.

Just about every one of them also had a major blunder or two on their resumes. We’re talking about adultery, drunkenness, lying, and the like.

Yet they’re heroes.

The longer I live, the more convinced I am that the real heroes are the ones who persevere and keep putting one foot in front of the other, no matter what. They readily acknowledge their weaknesses and grab hold of God with everything they’ve got.

God is never ashamed of anyone who reaches out to Him in faith. God will never despise anyone who calls out to Him in the midst of a great despair.

It’s not about great deeds of heroism but small acts of kindness and faithfulness over a lifetime that leave a legacy. It’s the determination to keep going in spite of repeated failures and mistakes.

Ultimately, it’s much more about God keeping His promises to us than it is about us keeping our promises to Him.

God is not ashamed of you. The end.

 

Choose Your Own Adventure

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I used to love a series of books called Choose Your Own Adventure. In these books, you  went from completely passive reader to active participant in your own story. Well, sort of. You’d come to a decision on page 13. You come to a hallway with a creepy door at the end of it. If you proceed down the hall and enter the creepy room, turn to page 26. If you decide to be a weenie and stay at the end of the hall, turn to page 14.

Whenever I’m at Goodwill or any other used bookstore, I always look for any of the books in this series. So far, no luck.

Life is like that.

So many of us see the days in a week as merely exercises in existence, something to get through until the weekend arrives. Then we look back at our lives and wonder why they seem for the most part to be empty and vacuous.

What if you viewed each day of your life as a brand new adventure? Not in the sense of zoning out of reality and living in a fantasy world, but seeing the challenges and obstacles as opportunities to grow and learn.

Each day you get to choose to be a passive observer or an active participant in your own life. You can mark time until 5 pm, or you can see even the most menial of tasks as holy and sacred as unto the Lord and see everything as an spiritual act of worship (see Romans 12:1-2). That’s the choice you get each morning.

So what will you do with this great and amazing gift called life? If life is the grand play and you may contribute a verse (as Walt Whitman and Robin Williams put it), what will your verse be?

“I’m going to live my life inspired
Look for the holy in the common place
Open the windows and feel all that’s honest and real until I’m truly amazed
I’m going to feel all my emotions
I’m going to look you in the eyes
I’m going to listen and hear until it’s finally clear and it changes our lives

There are so many ways to hide
There are so many ways not to feel
There are so many ways to deny what is real

And I just showed up for my own life
And I’m standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright” (Sara Groves).