The photograph which spoke 1,000 words of Forgiveness

It was a normal Sunday morning in Belfast.

I had missed the early church service because the clocks went forward an hour (well really I slept in but I prefer the other excuse!) and I quickly stumbled into my clothes, brushed my teeth and jumped into the car.

Windows down.

Music blaring.

Sun shining.

Awesome.

Come to think of it, with all this ‘sunshine’ talk, it most definitely wasn’t a normal day in Belfast.

So I arrived at church.

Did the ‘awkward shuffle’ past a couple of earlybirds who had already saved their seats and sat down for church.

We started off with a bit of worship and if I’m honest, it was good, but nothing special.

I wasn’t blown away, or had any massive revelation during it.

Just fine.

Then after worship the minister stood up and he delivered what he described as “bad news.”

The minister announced that because of a phone call he received on Friday night, alerting him of a persons story, he decided he wanted their story to be heard in church on Sunday and therefore would not be preaching that day.

This news was met with a few giggles as he told his congregation to “pull themselves together” and that he hoped they would survive without him.

However there was also intrigue.

There was curiosity.

Who was going to be speaking?

I had no idea.

No one had any idea.

Then all of a sudden, everyone knew.

Nothing was said.

Nothing was spoken.

But everyone knew.

The photograph appeared on the screen.

One of the most iconic photos of all time and the most iconic image from the Vietnam War.

The lady stood up on stage and introduced herself as Kim Phuc.

She then told everyone that that was her picture.

At first I thought, “wow she has amazing photography skills!” and, “how did she get such an action shot?”

However and she continued to speak it dawned on me.

She wasn’t the photography.

She was the little girl in the photo.

The iconic little girl whose emotions of fear, hurt, suffering, pain, distress, helplessness were caught in one picture.

She was that girl.

Now if I’m honest, I had seen the picture before, but knew nothing about it.

I didn’t know the story of the Vietnam War.

And I didn’t know Kim Phuc’s story.

I realised how big a story it was when she told us when she was asked to appear on Oprah (Some of you may of heard of it!) to share her story with the world. She told us she accepted to appear on the show because the lady on the phone who asked her was so nice but she had to ask the lady one question, “Who was Oprah?”

Kim Phuc’s story is epic.

Me writing this blog about it cannot do it justice.

Kim told us that the photo captured the moment when the Americans bombed her village.

The locals had taken refuge in a large building in the village but were then evacuated from the building to run for safety by the guards.

As the people ran the children ran out first.

Then it happened.

An airstrike landed across the road.

Four bombs dropped from the sky.

A huge fireball explosion engulfed the road.

The photo captured Kim running out of the flames.

The clothes burnt off her back.

Her skin burnt to a cinder.

Her face wailing with pain.

She admitted it was a miracle she has lived to tell the tale today.

Kim went on to tell how she spent 14 months in hospital and went through 17 operations to try and repair her body which had been 65% burnt.

However Kim described that it was not the physical hurt that caused so much pain, but the mental pain.

The room was completely silent.

We were hanging on Kim’s every word.

She told us of the difficulty of having trauma and nightmares of the bombings and how it still haunts her to this very day.

She told us of how she has suffered with self-doubt and self worth after showing us her arm, which is covered in the horrendous scars, which are still present to this day all over her body.

Kim had suffered.

Suffered far more than I, and anyone else in that room could relate too.

However she hadn’t done it on her own.

Kim went on to explain how she had come to faith and had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

She explained how he brought an incredible “peace” to her life and he had truly “lifted the burden” of dealing with the war from her heavy heart.

However Kim’s story was not finished.

Can I just add, when church runs over the supposed “finishing time” for the service I am usually frantically looking at my watch and thinking what delicious Sunday Lunch Mum will prepare for us however this day it didn’t even cross my mind to look at the clock. I was completely fixed on Kim.

Kim went on to talk about forgiveness.

The man who ordered the raid on this child’s village in June 1972 was 24-year-old helicopter pilot and operations officer John Plummer. The day after the raid he saw the photo in the military newspaper The Stars and Stripes and was devastated. Twenty-four years later Plummer told an Associated Press reporter, “It just knocked me to my knees. And that was when I knew I could never talk about this.” The guilt over the bombing raid had become a lonely torment. Plummer had turned to alcohol, had many failed marriages, a mess.

In 1996 Plummer heard that Kim would be speaking at a Veterans Day observance in Washington, D.C., not far from his home.

Kim’s spoke that day saying, “If I could talk face-to-face with the pilot who dropped the bombs, I would tell him we cannot change history, but we should try to do good things for the present….” Plummer, in the audience, wrote her a note—”I am that man”—and asked an officer to take it to her. At the end of the speech, he pushed through the crowd to reach her. “She just opened her arms to me,” Plummer recounted. “I fell into her arms sobbing. All I could say was, ‘I’m so sorry. I’m just so sorry.’ “

 

“It’s all right,” Kim responded. “I forgive. I forgive.”

 

She forgave him.

Just like that.

Nothing conditional.

She didn’t cast him away because of the hurt he had caused her.

The physical pain he had caused her.

The emotional torment.

The mental suffering.

She forgave him.

Kim then quoted Luke 6:27-28 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

It was incredible.

To be honest, I’m struggling to even know what to say here because of the incredible forgiveness shown by Kim.

The incredible love she showed.

I just can’t comprehend it.

I really struggle to know how she was able to forgive so easily.

Kim’s final point was that her story was a story for Northern Ireland.

A place divided by pain.

Suffering.

War.

A place lacking in forgiveness.

However the more I thought about it and agreed with Kim the more I realised that her story isn’t just for Northern Ireland, but for each and every one of us.

Like Kim’s incredible act of forgiveness I always struggle to comprehend the incredible forgiveness God showers me with everyday.

No matter how many times I screw up, stumble, drift away from God, if I truly ask for forgiveness, he will gladly forgive me and welcome me with unconditional love and open arms.

Kim’s story is inspired by God’s story for you and me.

God sent his one and only son to die on the cross so that we may gain forgiveness not just from war, not just from fighting, not just from adultery, not just from stealing, not just for murder but for every imaginable sin possible.

By sending Jesus to die on the cross for you and me God showed the ultimate act of forgiveness.

And he showed it to you and me.

He showed the ultimate act of love.

The ultimate act of forgiveness.

And he shows it to us.

If you think Kim’s story of forgiveness is good.

God’s story of forgiveness is perfection.

 

You have Reached your Destination….Lost

Ok I have a confession.

Something I need to admit to.

Something which no man EVER wants to have to say.

Something that once admitted, you feel your manliness hit rock bottom.

I got lost.

There I said it.

I got lost.

I didn’t just get lost this one time and pretend that it wasn’t my fault and blame it on a funny turn in the road or a wrong road sign.

I got lost, a lot!

Last week I headed on a road trip to Scotland for work.

With my van packed and my trusty satellite navigation in hand I set off heading to loads of different houses, farms, forests, lakes, cities, towns, I saw everything.

Unfortunately though I spent more time trying to actually find out where I was and how the heck I had ended up there, instead of arriving successfully at my destination.

It was all too common a site that I rolled down my window and pulled my best “I’m lost can you help?” face to local passers by in a plea for help.

Now you may be thinking, what about your satellite navigation?

Unfortunately, many of times, it got lost too!

Too often I found myself turning down a dead end street with nothing at the end or being directed to make a left turn…….through a hedge…….across a field…….even through a lake……to reach my destination.

Lost.

I have another confession to make.

The blog of confessions.

The popular myth states that people often enjoy having a good old sing song in the shower, belting it out when no one else is listening, imagining they are stood on the stage in front of Simon Cowell, a true pop star.

For me……it’s my car.

There is nothing more I enjoy than driving along when an awesome song on my iPod appears and I can give it stacks since no one is there to plug their ears to save themselves from my tone-deaf attempt at singing.

I like to sing in my car.

And recently when driving to the gym at night I try and put on a worship mix to just reflect on God.

This is something I have always struggled with to do as I usually would opt for more popular music however this is something I thoroughly enjoy and with every play am learning more and more.

Currently my favourite song is Sometimes by Dave Crowder Band (give it a listen below!)

And the reason why I am telling you this and have told you my lost story is because of one lyric in the song.

“It’s Your love that we adore

It’s like a sea without a shore

We’re lost in You, Were lost in You”

Every time I listen to the song I wonder what it is like to be “lost in God.”

To be honest, I have no idea how to define being lost in God, however I believe that it can happen anywhere, at anytime, with anyone, doing anything.

For me, the first week of July 2011 has been the closest I have been to being lost in God or what I believe it would be like.

Let me set the scene.

Muskoka Woods 2011, Friday night, the last day of Staff Week.

Soulhouse.

Soulhouse had been hyped up all week as an incredible time of worship to God, everyone had a soulhouse story, and thanks to that night I now have a soulhouse story as well.

The hanger was set up, the instruments laid out on the stage.

I shuffled along a stood beside a few Northern Irish fellows I had the pleasure of meeting at camp right at the front.

My thinking behind this was standing at the front, closest to the speakers, so no one could hear my awful singing.

As the band started they seem to play every possible worship song I loved to sing.

However during one song it hit me.

Came to my rescue by Hillsong United (also please see below)

The song blew my mind.

It blew my emotions.

The lyrics “In my life be lifted high
In our world be lifted high
In our love be lifted high,” challenged me.

And then it happened.

I burst into tears.

Now you must be thinking, first this chap gets lost all the time, he sings badly in his car and now he cry’s at worship songs!?!?!

What sort of a man is he?!?!

I know I know you don’t have to tell me.

There I was standing, balling my eyes out, in front of 300 young folk, who I hadn’t met and if I had had more than likely forgotten their names and was meant to work with them all summer.

Crying.

Sopping.

I was totally overwhelmed by God.

I believe I was lost in God.

I had had a difficult year.

Hard times studying away at university.

Limited social life.

Failed relationships.

Bitterness and hurt from failed relationships.

Lack of drive.

Lack of purpose.

But most of all, lack of focus on God.

I had slipped.

Strayed.

Forgotten.

I had rejected God and had become arrogant in my thoughts and actions and decisions that I didn’t need God and could do it on my own.

And it was only on the other side of the world, singing a worship song with a bunch of strangers (may I add, awesome strangers who I had the pleasure of working with haha), to realize the awesomeness of God.

So let me get back.

There I was standing, struggling to fight the tears back, but not wanting anyone to notice.

So I kept on trying to sing, belting out the words to praise God when I felt an arm around me.

A guy I met on the bus to camp had noticed me and came over a threw his arm around my shoulder and started to sing with me.

Now I knew the guys name, but that was it, he was from Northern Ireland and had awesome hair but apart from that, I knew nothing about him.

As the song finished he sat me down and prayed for me.

He took the time, saw I was in need, supported me, worked on me, and gave me a moment I will never forget.

As we both prayed we had a weird sense of togetherness, brotherness, brothers in Christ.

It sounds weird but as we prayed we laughed to God about how ridiculous it was that we barely knew each other, but we felt like we had known one another our whole lives.

As we said amen and stood up, we finished the night praising and worship God.

A God I was truly lost in.

When the music finished I confided in one of my leaders who prayed with me and took me under his wing.

God was putting up support barriers for me left right and centre.

I couldn’t escape him.

I turned one direction he was there.

I turned another direction he was there again.

He was waiting for me.

And I was lost in him.

I was lost in his grace.

His amazing love.

His incredible forgiveness.

His unquestionable strength and power.

And his desire to share it all with me.

It blew my mind.

It drove me to tears.

The creator of the universe wanted me.

As I stood and sang through the tears all my failings and faults came back to me as I had realized how I had let God down, failed him, strayed from him.

However God did not punish me, he did not tell me off, he did not mock me…….he put an arm around me.

Literally.

He talked to me through prayer.

Through action.

And through that night God choose me to get lost in him.

I guess what I am trying to say is, getting lost, is ok, but getting lost in God is unforgettable.

Have you ever felt like you are lost in God?

Ever been completely in awe of him?

Ever been so consumed by his awesome love for you?

Have you ever heard a song, or read a verse, or been to an event, or had a conversation, or read a blog, or heard a talk, or looked at creation, or been in a relation, or had an experience………were you believe you were lost in God?

If so I encourage you to remember it.

To treasure it.

To remember what it felt like to be lost in God.

But most of all I challenge you, if you believe you have ever been lost in God or not yet, I challenge you to chase it.

To whole-heartedly submit yourself to the creator of the universe.

Just like God choose me that night at Soulhouse for me to realize his awesomeness, he chooses you to get lost in him if you truly submit yourself to him.

He wants you.

Get lost in God.

It will be the best direction you will ever take.

Proverbs 3:5-7

The Message (MSG)

5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all.

Run to God! Run from evil!

It’s Good to Talk, but it’s Even Better to Listen…

I was in the middle of nowhere.

The Scottish wilderness.

My trusty companion…my sat nav, had lead me to a farm that can only be described as deep in the rural countryside of Scotland.

The scenery was stunning.

Well apart from the wind and rain, which slightly ruined my view over the hills, the scenery was beautiful.

Rolling hills of untouched green grass, stone built walls dividing the farmers fields and not a sign of urban sprawl for miles.

You could just about see the next farm in the distance it was such a remote setting.

I was even expecting William Wallace to run over the hills with an army of passionate kilt wearing Scotsmen any minute!

Doesn’t sound like a normal day at work does it?

Let me explain.

I was away doing a task, which can only be described as ‘a bit of a road trip.’

Newcastle was my first stop.

Then Edinburgh.

Followed by Glasgow.

Next to Carlisle.

And finally home.

In between my base destinations I had to visit a wide range of landowners to complete a few forms.

On my travels I saw the extremes.

I went from the Scottish wilderness in one visit, to the centre of hustling bustling Glasgow.

I went from a remote fishing lake surrounded by a forest in the middle of Scotland to a hill farm right at the top of the mountain.

I went to some houses that were literally falling down around my feet when I arrived, to wealthy estates that could only be described as castles owned by lords and lady’s!

On my travels I didn’t just see a wide range of places, I met a wide range of people.

Some people were quite happy to see me to help me with my task and see me on my travels.

Others were….well slightly less enthused to see me but that’s a different story.

Out of all the visits I had to do one has stuck in mind.

I carried out 65 visits but can remember this one visit as clear as day.

I arrived at this farm in the Scottish wilderness to what can only be described as a falling down house, decapitated outbuildings, broken down cars and weeds and thorns everywhere.

As I looked at the wind and the rain outside I was thinking to myself how the heck had I wound up at this sort of a place in the middle of nowhere!

As the rain came down heavier the thoughts in my head of “just turn around and drive away” or “I bet some crazy guy lives in this house” got stronger and stronger.

However before I chickened out to leave I thought I should give the door a quick knock and if nobody appeared, leg it!

So I jumped out of the van, grabbed my paperwork and walked slowly to the door.

The door was lying slightly ajar so I gave a loud knock on it and shouted in “hello?”

To my surprise an old lady walking with a cane came walking round the corner to meet me in her concrete utility/storage room which was coming down with old machinery, tools and cats.

I took a deep sigh of relief and thought, “no need to be scared anymore, she is just a old lady.”

Now let me just say, each visit takes 5minutes at the most.

The very most.

In and out in a flash.

The less chat and discussion about why I was there and bothering their day the better!

One hour later and I was still standing talking to the old lady.

One hour!

As I introduced who I was and explained why I was there the lady immediately replied with, “I have a complaint for you.”

For the sake of me getting my paperwork completed I thought I better hear her out and try and find out what the source of the problem was.

I will not bore you with the details but the lady started to tell me about all the problems she had been having with the drainage on her farm from the pipeline and the amount of money it had cost her!

I could only sympathise with her but I was really the wrong person to be telling this all too.

I couldn’t help at all.

However this did not stop her.

She moved on to her next topic of politics.

She discussed, well to be honest more like educated me on British politics, Scottish politics, and Scotland’s proposed decision to break away from the UK. She knew it all!

She didn’t stop there! She then moved on to talking about the economy, the crash of all the banks, how the Royal Bank of Scotland are changing the way she collects her pension.

She used words like dividends, credit, direct debit, shares, stocks, bonds, I had no idea and just stood and smiled hoping that she would sign my forms at the end!

She then moved on to the job market, asked, where I was from, whom I worked for, what was I do in Scotland. Told me about every one of her Grandchildren and what they were doing.

I got the full family history!

I was even bracing myself for the baby photos to be whipped out.

At the end of her spiel she finally got back to the main reason of my visit and happily signed my paperwork.

Thank goodness!

As I slowly started to edge my way to the door I was thinking to myself that it had taken way to long to complete that visit and was thinking up my excuse why I was going to be late for next visit.

However the next line stuck with me.

I haven’t stopped thinking about it all week.

It inspired me to write this blog.

As I walked out the door the old lady shouted to me, “thanks for listening to me.”

“Thanks for listening to me.”

All she had wanted was someone to talk to.

Some one to have a conversation with.

Now granted I wasn’t able to contribute much to the conversation talking about Scottish politics and the overall global recession, but I could listen.

I listened to her troubles with her dodgy farm drainage, listened to her complaints about the banks and listened to her triumphs of how proud she was of her grandchildren.

I listened.

She lived by herself.

In the middle of nowhere.

And was crying out for someone to talk to.

Me.

A complete stranger.

A lost Irish man who randomly appeared at her door.

“Thanks for listening to me.”

And it really got me thinking about listening.

Everyone is encouraged to talk.

To speak out.

To be heard.

Hey even the UK’s largest telecoms providers slogan is “it’s good to talk.”

But have you ever been encouraged to listen?

Encouraged to listen because listening is a good thing?

Maybe in school you were ‘told’ to listen to your teacher.

And maybe you were ‘told’ to listen to your parents about doing your chores.

But have you ever been encouraged to listen to God.

Not just encouraged but have you ever even thought about it.

For me personally, I am quick to speak, slow to listen.

I think I have the answer for everything.

For everyone’s problems, concerns, triumphs or trials.

I’m your man to ask because I will speak.

But to be honest.

I don’t really listen.

Like really listen!

I hear what I want to hear, and say what I think I should say.

But my response usually suffers because I haven’t listened.

This is exactly the same as my relationship with God.

When I humble myself to pray I talk ‘at’ God instead of ‘with’ God.

I tell him what he needs to know, keeping my secrets and my real difficulties to myself believing that, ‘I have got them under control.’

I also then hear from God what I want to hear.

For example I will ask God for help on something, but all along I know the answer I want to hear and will go for it instead of maybe what God is telling me to do.

I’m not listening.

And because of this I stumble.

I slip up.

I fail.

Every single day.

Because I don’t listen.

Because I don’t listen to God.

And by listen to God I don’t mean I am expecting to have a chat with God on FB chat about my day or for him to appear in a great dream to solve all my problems.

I mean taking time to be in Gods presence.

To read my bible.

To read it word for word.

Focusing on not what I can get from it, but what God is telling me from it.

To pray to God and to be silent to really listen and focus my mind on Gods will for my decisions and actions each and everyday.

Listening is hard.

However humbling yourself to really listen to God not only focuses your mind on God but it creates a habit of listening for God first, before choosing to speak what you believe should be said.

So I want to challenge you to listen God.

A long with me will you choose to listen to the creator of the universe?

His track record is awesome.

He never gets it wrong.

He never fails.

He has an incredible plan for you.

And he wants to talk to you.

So I challenge you to take a minute to listen to God.

I promise you it will be the best conversation you will have all day!

James 1:22-24

New International Version (NIV)

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

The 20 Minute Challenge

Let me set the scene for you.

It’s a standard Tuesday evening.

Nothing ever happens on a Tuesday evening.

I come home from work.

Kick my shoes off.

Grab a bite to eat.

Throw myself onto the sofa.

Turn on my laptop and start watching a sport documentary on it.

Turn on my PlayStation and try to become the Madden 12 master.

Turn my phone onto loud to make sure I can hear all the messages from friends I think I will receive.

And just sit.

Sit all night multitasking my PlayStation, laptop, phone and fridge.

Playing PlayStation.

Frequently checking my phone for text messages.

Glancing at the background noise of the sports documentary from my laptop.

Tuesday evening.

Standard.

My “After work evening routine.”

Same thing every night.

Without fail.

Sitting on my sofa.

And that is the exact same place I would be if I hadn’t taken the 20 minute challenge.

Let me explain.

It was all a bit of blur.

My phone wasn’t doing me any favours.

No messages.

No whatsapps.

No texts.

No emails.

Nothing.

So I turned to Facebook.

Without fail you can have a conversation with anyone on that.

So I logged on.

And waited for someone to want to talk to me..

And waited.

And waited.

And waited

Waiting for someone to want to have conversation with me.

To tell me the latest gossip, to ask me my opinion on the sports story’s of the day, to ask for advice or guidance on a matter on their life.

Still nothing.

Nobody wanted me.

Just when I was about to sign out and admit defeat a good friend who I had the pleasure of meeting on a summer camp in Canada called Muskoka Woods popped up and asked me “good day bro?”

This was my chance.

I quickly moved the conversation from Facebook to skype so we could have some banter actually face to face even with the ever dodgy Internet connection and began to chat.

Nothing deep.

Nothing too serious.

Just chat.

Just about each other’s day.

Just general…..’stuff.’

By this time my daily “after work routine” was starting to dawn on me that it maybe wasn’t all that productive.

So I casually dropped it into conversation with my friend and asked him to inspire me.

To inspire me to get up off my sofa, to cook a gourmet dinner, to do 1000 press ups, to wash and iron every item of clothing I have.

To do something productive.

I just laid it out there, “inspire me man.”

And these were his words.

Nothing flashy.

Nothing over the top.

Nothing grand.

One simple question.

One question that has led me to write my first blog to you in over 2 months.

“Have you read the bible today?”

Simple as that.

“Have you read the bible today?”

As I quickly tried to blame the poor Internet connection for my delay in response I began to think, “read the bible today?!?!?! I haven’t read it in months!!!”

How was I going to maintain my outward Christian persona of the ever dedicated Christian who studied his bible day and night when deep down inside……I was ashamed to admit it how little thought it had even crossed my mind to read it.

There was no point lying.

No point putting on an act.

No point trying to hide it.

So I admitted it.

Admitted that I hadn’t read my bible for months.

I was ready and waiting for A WHAT!?!?! Reaction.

For shock.

For disappointment.

For hundreds of questions along the lines of “and you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ yet you haven’t read your bible in months?!?!?”

However they didn’t come.

Not one.

However what did come was the 20minute challenge.

A challenge at first I turned my nose up at.

A challenge I brushed off.

However a challenge that has lead me to tell you all about the 20 minute challenge.

Let me tell you.

The 20 minute challenge is a simple challenge for a very simple guy, me.

My friend challenged me to spend 20minutes with God.

He told me to set my alarm on my phone for 20minutes, put it away, block out all outward distractions and spend 20 minutes of time with God.

Easy.

Simple as that.

Well.

Not so easy as it seemed.

When the Skype conversation was over I thought of every stalling technique possible to delaying the 20 minute challenge.

I turned on the TV.

Started replying to text messages on my phone.

I even started to fold clothes and make my bed.

Things were getting desperate.

I then realised how much I hate tidying and I couldn’t stall anymore and decided to step up to the challenge.

I found myself thinking “it’s only 20minutes, easy.”

I set my alarm for 20m, left it in the kitchen.

Jumped onto my bed and closed my eyes.

And began to smile.

Now if someone was to walk past me and look at me they would wonder what the heck I was smiling about but honestly, I was smiling because I knew I was in the presence of God.

After months of not even considering spending a quiet time with God he had me smiling within seconds.

I prayed a very simple prayer asking for God to just take over the next 20minutes and let happen what he wanted to happen and we would go from there and every time I pray that prayer he always responds.

You see, God has a funny way of popping up in just the right moment in my life.

So many times I can think of instances when what I have needed most, God has provided.

God has been there.

Tonight I picked up my Christmas present from my wee sister, a book called “The Air I Breathe” by Louie Giglio and started to read.

Now if any of you know me that is a rather big challenge for me because I am not much of a reader.

Give me the back pages of the news paper to read the latest sport new and I will read it within seconds.

But books.

Especially religious books.

No good.

I opened the book and read the first line.

“Don’t read The Air I Breathe unless you want to re-examine your life to see whom on what you are truly worshipping on a daily basis.”

Wow!!!

Never have I had a book ,which has told me stay away!

This was a challenge.

A challenge to me.

Was I willing to re-examine what did worship on a daily basis?

I had to step up to the mark.

As I nervously but eagerly turned the pages I was constantly challenged.

With each page a new perspective.

But with each page an underlying definition.

“Worship is our response to what we value most.”

I have now sat for 10 minutes thinking how the heck do I explain this but honestly the book does it better than I ever could so give it a read.

“that’s why worship is that thing we all do. Its what we’re all about on any given day. Because worship is about saying this person, this thing, this experience, this whatever is what matters most to me…it’s the thing I put first in my life. That thing might be relationship. A dream. Friends. Status. A name. some kind of pleasure. Whatever name you put on it, this thing or person is what you’ve concluded in your heart is worth most to you. And whatever is worth most to you is – you guessed it – what you worship.”

Big words.

I sat in silence after I read it.

I was honest with myself.

Recently I have not been worshipping God.

Because recently I have been valuing other things over him.

I have been worshipping my job, friends, status, girls, sports, computer, phone, PlayStation, food, car, social life, money, possessions, desires, dreams, wants, needs.

I have been worshipping my own desire to feel wanted or needed.

Simple was that.

To feel wanted.

But deep down I could never find it.

No matter how many hours I put in on Facebook trying to like everyone’s status or how many hours at work I put in trying to please my bosses.

I didn’t feel wanted.

I was worshipping the wrong things.

And I still am worshipping the wrong things.

Until I took the 20 minute challenge.

You see however simple and childish you may think it is, the 20 minute challenge has just gotten me to spend 1 hour with God.

1 hour more than I wouldn’t have spent if my friend didn’t challenge me to read my bible.

It challenged me to finally write a blog.

To get over my writers block of not having a ‘cool’ enough story that everyone would want to read of a funny YouTube video that everyone would comment on.

But the most important thing is the 20 minute challenge reconnected me with God.

Not any old God.

My God.

My God who showed up on a Tuesday evening.

My God who challenged me to think about my priorities in life and what time I was truly spending in worshipping him.

My God who helped me through the 20 minute challenge to realise that I need to be spending more time in God’s incredible glory to truly worship and learn about his incredible love and plan for my life.

And my God who has challenged me to share my 20 minute challenge story with you.

So the question is.

Are you ready to take on the 20 minute challenge?

Set an alarm for 20 minutes.

Get rid of all outward distractions.

And spend 20 minutes with God.

20 minutes.

For the 20 minute challenge.

Are you ready to take on the challenge?

 

Psalm 145:3

Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.

 

Moustaches 12 Months of the year…

It is the one month of the year when you can look as ridiculous as possible…and get away with it.

All you have to do is mutter the immortal words, “It’s for charity.”

For 30 days men take up the challenge.

The challenge to change the world.

The challenge to stand up.

The challenge to be different.

The challenge to make a statement.

The challenge to grow a moustache!

And speaking from personal experience, for some of us, it is a bigger challenge than you might think!

November has had a face lift quite literally.

No longer do we think of autumnal picturesque scenes of golden leaves on the trees.

Now we think of the “handlebar”, the “horseshoe”, the “chevron” and the “Pancho Villa” to name just a few.

We think of Moustaches!

Let me explain where this sudden love for facial hair has come from.

In 2004 a charity called “The Movember Foundation” was set up to help raise awareness for male heath problems. It planned to do this by challenging men or “Mobros,” to grow a moustache for the duration of the month of November, which is renamed MOvember, and through doing this, raise money and awareness for male health problems such as prostate cancer and depression.

However the challenge is not for the faint hearted.

It is for real men.

The Movember website has strict rules which all Mobros must adhere to so no cheating takes place.

The rules of conduct given on the Movember site are:-

1. Once registered at movember.com each mo bro must begin the 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face.

2. For the entire month of Movember each mo bro must grow and groom a moustache.

3. There is to be no joining of the mo to your side burns. (That’s considered a beard.)

4. There is to be no joining of the handlebars to your chin. (That’s considered a goatee.)

Each mo bro must conduct himself like a true country gentleman.

Simple.

Men all over the world have accepted the challenge of becoming a MoBro and attempting to grow a moustache and I myself (Stupidly) along with my male colleagues at work have also accepted the challenge.

I will be honest with you.

You do need a magnifying glass to see my attempt at a moustache.

I look on with envy at the ‘real men’ in work who can grow handlebars, and even have to groom their moustache because it is so thick.

Real men.

Real heroes.

However our charity work was not well received at the beginning.

Walking around work we were met with many giggles, laughs, sniggers, confused faces, puzzled looks at our new chosen style.

Many all believed it was a joke.

Many believed our electric razors had broken and we looked scruffy, dirty, some even described us as looking like a homeless person.

We were misunderstood.

Fast-forward a couple of weeks after a bit of Movember publicity and we are known as the MoBro’s in the office.

One glance at our upper lip and people know we have chosen to do this for charity.

Now you may need a slightly closer look at my upper lip to see if I’m growing anything at all but once you see my pathetic attempt you realize it is all in aid of Movember.

You see, people look at us and can tell we are a part of Movember and trying to raise awareness for male health problems.

People don’t need to ask, just one look at our moustaches (all with individual varying success) and people can tell we are apart of Movember.

It got me thinking.

When people look at you, what do they see?

I’m not talking about physical appearance.

What do people really see when they see you.

The question is, do they see a follower of Christ?

From the way you carry yourself.

The way you act.

The words you speak.

Your emotions.

Your morals.

Your motives.

Your actions.

When people look at you what do they see?

Do they see Jesus?

As followers of God, we are called to be examples, to be a light, to be “Christ Like” to the world.

However is this always the case?

If this really was the case would we let insignificant things such as popularity, social status, outward appearance, relationships and what we believe to be our identity or really, what we believe our identity in the world should be, get in the way of living a life for God?

As follower of Jesus Christ we are called to be his example to non-believers of him.

This is something I struggle with hugely.

God’s Son, who came to earth from Heaven, to die for us on a cross, to save us from our sin, who lived a perfect, sinless life.

We are called to be an example of him?

How can me, an ordinary guy, who fails every single day to live up the incredible perfect standards of Jesus Christ be a worthy enough example of the incredible love and grace that Jesus Christ has poured over my life to the rest of the world?

Well I will be completely honest with you.

I made this big extravagant point and thought…I don’t have an answer.

I have no idea how I am meant to do this.

I started to panic and thought ok, blog scrapped, back to the drawing board.

But with one last shot I picked up my bible verse book titled “Promises Promises Promises,” and turned to the page titled, “Self-Image” and I was overwhelmed with answers.

You see it is not left completely up to us to be an example of Jesus.

This is were I was going wrong.

Ephesians 1.11 says, “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”

It is in Christ that we find who we are and what we are living for.

It is in Christ we find out how we should be living, how we should be setting an example to the world.

He is our example.

Our Standards.

Our role model.

A Christ Like attitude.

But even more so.

We aren’t striving for perfection by ourselves.

 Philippians 4.13 says “ Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the one who makes me who I am.”

You can do it.

Simple as that.

There has never been a more motivational sentence.

You can make it through ANYTHING! With Jesus Christ.

So when you feel that standing up for God, being different from the crowd, being different from the world is too much for you, remember you can make it through anything in the one who makes you who you are.

The point is best summed up by this amazing analogy I listened to in a podcast in my car driving home from work.

When you step into an expensive jewelers, the diamonds sparkle.

However on request to get a closer look at a diamond, the jeweler will take out the diamond and hold it against a black velvet backdrop to emphasis its sparkle.

It shines.

Just like the diamond, God places us in a black backdrop. A black area were there is pain, suffering, neglect, hurt, sorrow, sadness, disappointment.

The world.

Our world.

Our school, our relationships, our family, our friends.

Our life.

God has placed us in these “black backdrops” to shine just like the diamond, even brighter for him.

To be a shinning example of the incredible grace and Love of Jesus Christ.

So the question is, when people look at you, do they see someone shinning for Jesus Christ?

1 Peter 3.3-4 “What matters is not your outer appearance – the styling of your hair, jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes – but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in.”

 

 

It’s Tebow Time!

1 Thessalonians 5.17

“Pray all the time.”

http://tebowing.com/

It was the craze that swept the world!

And to be honest it was one of the most unique, strangest crazes to sweep the world of all time.

It happened in the middle of roads.

On top of cars.

On balcony edges.

In parks.

In playgrounds.

In work.

In school.

Everybody was doing it.

Everybody was planking.

You may be asking, what or who or where or why or when is planking?!?!?

Well.

Planking was the term given to the new craze of lying down face first, completely motionless, body in a straight line with arms by your side, pretty much as the name suggests, in the shape of a plank.

The aim of the game was the more outrageous a ‘plank’ the better.

Push the limits.

Go big or go home!

The challenge to get the best planking photo took off!

People planked anywhere they could.

The more dangerous and outrageous the better. People planked on police cars, on the edge of a balcony from a tall building, on boats, anywhere they could find were they could lie motionless in the shape of a plank they planked!

At the summer camp I had the pleasure of working at in Canada we even ran our very own ‘planking competition.’

Guests had to take photographs of themselves throughout the day, in a different planking pose and whoever came up with the most creative ‘plank’ would be the winner.

The guests loved it!

The effort and planking skills were legendary!

There were guests planking across canoes out on the lake, on top of cabins, between bunk beds, on top of golf karts, on top of people, even on top of the basketball net!!!

It was a hit!

For whatever reason, the action of lying motionless, face first, facing the ground was hugely popular!

It was a rather surreal sight seeing loads of guests dotted around the camp all well, ‘planking!’

However there is a new craze that is slowly building momentum very similar to planking.

Tebowing.

Let me explain.

One of the most debated and dissected American Footballers is a chap called Tim Tebow.

He was a superstar in college American football. Broke loads of records, led his team the Florida Gators to multiple championships, he was worshiped, so much so they have even built a statue of him outside the team stadium and he is only in his early 20’s.

The fans love him.

He created ‘Tebowmania!”

However.

When it came for the time when Tebow would enter himself into the NFL draft to be selected by a pro team everything changed.

Tebow just didn’t fit in.

Analysts and pundits all admitted their love for Tebow the man, but not Tebow the American football player.

He was unorthodox.

He didn’t do it the way NFL quarterbacks are meant to.

He preferred to move out of the pocket and try and make the big plays with his feet and did not have the preferred talent to stand in the pocket and make all the required throws to his receivers down the field.

He was different.

To bring you up to today, Tebow was drafted in the first round (big shock for a lot of people) to the Denver Broncos.

However he has been seen as a project.

Something to work on.

However due to the Bronco’s struggles in recent times they have been forced to throw Tebow into the deep end a lot sooner than expected.

The fans have been calling for him for ages.

His jersey has consistently been one of the biggest sellers in the whole of the NFL.

Fan groups even bought billboards in Denver and covered them with Tebow to try and get the Broncos coaches attention sooner!

They guy is in a whirlwind.

There is huge pressure on him from his coaches, his teammates and the fans to succeed.

Everyone is looking to him to reproduce his college success on the pitch immediately for the Broncos.

And they don’t want to wait.

They want success now.

They guy is under pressure.

Recently Tebow started his first game for the Broncos against the Miami Dolphins and led them to a comeback victory in overtime to register his first win as a starter for the Broncos.

It wasn’t pretty and he didn’t do it the way most NFL quarterbacks are expected to play but he got the job done.

After the game in the middle of the celebrations, the hype, the media scramble to all get a piece of the much-debated star Tebow had something different in mind.

This is when Tebowing was invented.

Tebow did not jump around celebrating, flaunting his first victory in front of the opposition or soaking up the praise from his adoring fans or chest pumping with his teammates or hugging his coaches.

Instead Tebow, knelt down on one knee, bowed his head, and prayed.

In the middle of all the busy surroundings he chose to pray.

To talk to God.

No one knows what he said or what he prayed about.

But he chose in that very moment to pray.

You see what I had failed to mention is what has made Tebow from an ordinary NFL player to a superstar.

Tebow is a Christian.

He has openly talked about his love for the Lord Jesus Christ, his good morals and constant drive to do everything he can to be an example for everyone of the incredible love shown by Jesus Christ in his life.

Tim Tebow is a Christian celebrity.

He has inspired many through his actions, through his words and through his success.

Everyone wants a piece of Tim Tebow.

However in probably the biggest moment of his NFL career to date, his first victory as a starter, leading his team to an unlikely comeback victory, he chose to kneel, bow his head and pray.

It got me thinking.

How do I pray?

How do you pray?

Do you save up all your chat for God at night so when you are bed, when you already have to close your eyes because you are trying to go to sleep, do you try and put together some sort of prayer to God while you are slowly falling asleep?

I do all the time.

Or do you pray at meal times, saying the fastest prayer of all time so you can quickly munch your food before it gets cold?

I do all time too.

Or do you Tebow.

You know.

Drop a knee, bow your head, no matter what is going on around you and pray?

This is something I don’t do.

And I am not talking about the physical actions of literally dropping a knee however I must admit I love the significance of it.

Bowing.

Submitting.

Surrendering.

Giving yourself.

Realising there is something bigger.

A higher power.

An awe inspiring God who you have the chance to come before.

I am talking about the ability, the choice, to pray to God in whatever surroundings, whatever circumstances, whatever moment you find yourself in during the day.

Tebow, took the time in the middle of the celebrations to pray to God. He didn’t wait till he got home and into bed, he didn’t wait to attend a local prayer meeting so he could pray with others who had chosen to pray too.

He prayed right there and then.

He chose to glorify God in front of millions of people watching and make a statement that glorifying God was more important to him than the victory.

You see prayer shouldn’t be a chore.

It shouldn’t be seen as a routine.

It was once described to me as a “mobile phone with unlimited credit.”

A chance to talk to God.

Anytime.

Anywhere.

Anyhow.

No matter what the circumstances.

No matter what the surroundings.

No matter the people.

Prayer is the opportunity to talk to God.

To be honest this is something, which I do struggle with. I struggle to comprehend that the creator of the universe, the God that created you and me and the other 7 billion people on this planet, wants to listen to me.

He wants to hear my prayers.

He actually listens to me.

He listens to me moan, grumble whine, whinge, complain, question, rant.

He wants to hear about my day, about work, about my relationships, my family, choices, my decisions, what’s on my mind.

He wants to hear it all.

And not just me.

He wants to hear your prayers.

Everybody’s prayers!

So let me ask you.

Will you choose, no matter the situation, no matter the people, the surroundings, the circumstances, to pray?

Will you realise that you can’t do it all by yourself?

As the famous U2 song is titled “Sometimes you can’t make it on your own.”

Will you submit to God through prayer in the middle of your busy day and packed schedule your thoughts, feelings, concerns, praises and questions?

Will you make a statement of your faith through prayer?

Will you pray when everyone else around you isn’t?

Are you willing to Tebow for God?

Phillipans 4.6

“Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

I found love in a hopeless place…

John 15.9

 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

Let me set the scene.

It is a typical farming afternoon.

A farmer from Bangor, Northern Ireland, decides to head out on his routine check of his livestock around his farm.

He sets of in his trusty tractor driving across the fields.

However.

As he approaches one of the fields, instead of seeing his usual cows happily munching away on the green green grass of Northern Ireland he is met with a rather different scenario.

There.

In his field.

Is one of the most beautiful, sought after, high profile, celebrities in the world today.

Not only that.

There was a camera crew, make up team, management team, production team, director and security all in his field too.

This farmer had stepped onto the set of the most recent music video starring the world pop sensation, Rihanna.

Rihanna was in his field!!!

And not only that.

The appropriately nicknamed ‘Barbadian Beauty’ was frolicking around his field wearing little clothing which to be honest, for the month of October in Northern Ireland, is a brave feat for anyone.

What a scene to approach.

Every time I have accompanied my Dad to check the livestock on my farm not once have I bumped into Rihanna!

Not once!

However the farmers reaction was not to get his pen and paper ready and to ask for an autograph, nor was it to get his camera charged so he could get his photo taken with the star so he could show all his friends, nor was it to spray on his finest aftershave and to buck up the courage to take the star out on a hot date to see the sights and sounds of Bangor, Northern Ireland.

The complete opposite really.

The farmer did not approve the activities taking place on his farm and ordered Rihanna and her entourage to remove themselves immediately from his farm at once.

He was having none of it.

The story went worldwide.

It was even claimed that the farmer had no idea who Rihanna even was and many critics believed the simple country of Northern Ireland was a laughing stock over the whole fiasco.

To be honest at first I thought it was amazing that such a world superstar had chosen to film her new music video in my home country.

Felt honoured.

Proud.

However it slowly dawned on me.

Rihanna’s new song, video set in Northern Ireland, filmed in Belfast, was called “Found love in a hopeless place….”

Was she referring to Belfast as a hopeless place?

Surely not!

Had she chosen to shoot her new music video here because well….it fitted the song and the title “hopeless place?”

The song got me thinking.

Hopeless place.

What is a hopeless place?

A place where there is no reason to believe, to dream, to hope something might come true.

Like in the middle of a rain stricken desert, completely barren of water, with no hope of any plant to grow.

Or take the middle of a natural disaster such as a tsunami, or an earthquake, were there is no hope for survival.

Or take the world.

The very world you and I live in.

A world that is filled with heartbreak, war, terrorism, pain, suffering, death, bullying, racism, sectarianism, fighting, evil thoughts, pornography, murder, stealing, adultery, eating disorders, starvation, worries, fears, doubts.

Hopeless.

Or take your life.

School, university, work, church, family, friends, relationships.

For a lot of people, one of the above, is a hopeless place.

A place were they experience pain.

Sorrow.

Sadness.

Hurt.

Hopelessness.

It was straight after a routine morning J2 meeting at Muskoka Woods when I learnt one of my biggest lessons in life.

I laid in bed with 3 of my best mates from camp and heard the most simple, yet most mind-blowing words spoken of all time.

We were watching a podcast from the well-known preacher Francis Chan about Love.

Chan challenged us first with the question, do you really believe that God loves you?

Do you?

Do you really believe that God loves you?

Chan went on to say that if we truly believed that God loved us we wouldn’t worry about all the ‘external stuff.’

All the worries that the world throws at us like having to fit, financial security, our health, friendships, relationships, family, appearance, acceptance.

If we truly believed that God loved us we would then understand his incredible love for and we would realise that we do not need anything else to live but the Grace and Love of God.

Chan then went on to ask “what is God’s love for Jesus, his own son like?”

Think about it.

The creator who created love.

His love, for his own son.

Chan described it as a perfect love.

Perfect.

No flaws, no doubts, no trust issues, no insecurities.

Perfect.

And then it hit us.

Chan read this verse about Jesus teaching about God’s love for us all, which I will never forget.

John 15.9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”

Just like God’s perfect love for his son Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ has that perfect love for you and me.

Let me read you the verse again, John 15.9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”

In this world, in my life, in your life, a hopeless place, Jesus Christ has a perfect love for you and me.

Love, which has no boundaries, which has no limits, which has no end.

A perfect love.

A love which is best described by the song I sang at church tonight, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

In the worst situation.

When you are most alone.

At the darkest depths.

And the end.

In a hopeless place.

Jesus loves you.

Not just any old love, he loves you just as the father loves him, perfect love.

Throughout the bible there are endless examples of love in a hopeless place, take Jesus showing compassion and forgiveness to the adulterous women, take Jesus healing the blind man, healing the ten lepers, healing the paralysed man, but most of all take the cross.

The most wicked, painful, destructive death for any human being to suffer.

A punishment deemed only fit for criminals.

A death with the sole aim of pain.

Jesus hanging on that cross could easily be viewed as a place of pain, suffering, sorrow.

A hopeless place.

However the crucifixion is the most stand out example of love in a hopeless place of all time.

Jesus Christ died on that cross for you and me.

He took all the sin of you, of me, of the whole world onto his shoulders and died a painful worldly death to take that pain away from you and me so that we may be free from the clutches of sin and that we may have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to spend eternity with him Heaven.

Jesus Christ took the most hopeless place, and showed the most incredible, incomparable, inconceivable love.

Through his actions he declares that he wants a personal relationship with you and me and through this incredible love he deserves our lives to be laid down for him to be used to show and witness his incredible love for the rest of the hopeless place that we call the world to see.

Jesus Christ doesn’t just find love in a hopeless place.

Jesus Christ is love in a hopeless place.

“I had to realise it worked out, it just didn’t work out the way I had planned it.”

Matthew 16: 26

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
Just like the plan many people had mapped out for Dan Carter’s life, Tony Dungy’s plan did not turn out the way he thought it would and should either.

Personally I am a huge fan of the ‘I am second’ movement and this is my favourite video for many different reasons.

I have learnt countless lessons from it and think his story of confusion and disappointment about his NFL coaching career is a valuable lesson for when our plans for our lives don’t turn out just how we think they should.

 

It’s all apart of the plan…the only thing is, it’s not my plan…

Proverbs 16 :9
We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.

Great is a word often over used when it comes to describing sport stars, however in this case, it couldn’t be more applicable.

The man is incredible.

I myself am a huge fan.

He is without question the greatest player playing the game today and arguably one of, if not the best, player of all time.

Let me give you a few clues as to who this superstar is.

This man makes kicking conversions, penalties and drop goals look easy as his record of over 1,000 test match points is the second highest of all time and is a total which is continuing to rise fast!

To add to his kicking talents this man has crossed the try line no fewer than 29 times for his country.

O yea.

Hadn’t mentioned that yet.

He plays for the most famous team in world rugby and one of the most famous brands in sport, The New Zealand All Blacks.

Not only that. He plays number 10, fly half (or as the Kiwi’s like to call it, first-five eighths).

He is the most important player for the most talented and famous team in the world.

He is the playmaker.

The general.

He creates the tries.

He navigates his team.

He is a national hero.

He is a All Blacks legend.

He is a model.

The poster boy.

He is Dan Carter.

Dan Carter is the man!

There are honestly too many words to describe him.

He is today’s rugby superstar.

And I myself, have had the huge honour of meeting the man in real life.

Yes, I hear you all gasp with amazement, but I have shaken Dan Carter’s hand.

Let me set the scene.

2 days earlier, in Auckland, NZ, I dragged my family to an Adidas sport shop. As we approached I noticed a massive advertising billboard in the shop window which read “All Blacks signing, Friday!”

I couldn’t believe it. I had the chance to possibily meet some of the most talented rugby players in the world. I had to find out who it could be.

I quickly rushed into the shop and harassed the shop assistant to tell me who could possibly be attending the signing. After all my nagging and begging she finally gave in a told me Dan Carter would be there.

Dan Carter.

The most talented rugby player in the world.

And my favourite player.

O yea!

So.

Fast-forward a couple of days till the signing. I am sitting outside a coffee shop with my mum in Auckland waiting for the signing to begin when all of a sudden I notice him.

Could it really be?

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed two well-built men, having coffee with him.

It was Carter.

He was at the same coffee shop as me!!!

I still remember today what he was wearing, a blue-chequered shirt, jeans and well he looked, well, normal. Just a normal guy having coffee with a few friends out on the street.

Ok maybe he didn’t look completely normal. I quickly instructed my Mum to casually walk past his table to get a closer glimpse of the man himself to see if it was really him and on her return she could not contain herself to tell me what a handsome young man he was. The Dan Carter compliments continued on while we finished our drinks, for the rest of the day, and for the rest of the holiday!

So, we queued up with hundred of excited fans to see the players. Carter accompanied by 3 other All Blacks were ushered out onto a stage to a scene of screaming girls, jaw dropped fans and men who immediately felt quite insignificant standing so close to such man mountains!

I waited in line till it was my turn and slowly stepped forward to meet my hero. He asked me my name and honestly, I was completely starstruck, took me like 3 minutes to answer the guy, but when I quickly remembered it, I blurted it out, collected my signed jersey and wished him all the best for the up coming match.

Unreal.

Will never forget my brief 3 minutes (even though I couldn’t remember my name) with Dan Carter.

If you haven’t heard, the biggest rugby tournament in the world is taking place currently in New Zealand, The Rugby World Cup.

The top teams from around the world compete in a fiercely competitive knock out competition to see really who is the best team in the world.

All the best teams and all the best players are on show, to find out who really is the best.

This is Carter’s time to shine.

The competition is being played in his home country.

The All Blacks are the favourites for the competition.

The whole country is willing the team on to victory.

There is the added pressure of history as the All Blacks have not won the World Cup since 1987.

And there is also the added pressure of trying to boost national morale after the devastating earthquake that hit Christchurch recently.

It is lucky that Dan Carter has big shoulders because he is carrying the pressure of a nation on them.

He is the man to lead to them victory.

And the thing is, he has the talent to do it.

On Saturday night Carter was lining up a routine kick in training.

Place the ball first. Four steps back, three to the left, then run up and slot it through the post.

A motion he has done thousands of times. Hours of practise over and over, the same routine. No problem.

Not this time.

On Carter’s final kick of practise while completing his run up Carter felt a searing pain in his groin and hit the ground in agony.

His World Cup was over.

In an instant it was done.

He was assessed by the top medical doctors to see if there was any possibility he could make a return before the tournament but there was no chance.

The golden boy was out.

New Zealands best player, leader and playmaker was injured and out for the rest of the tournament. They would now have to try and win the tournament without him which many believe will be a far greater task.

The world is denied watching the best player in the world try and win the world cup for his country.

And Carter was denied his moment.

His time.

His name in lights.

His tournament.

His plan, did not go to plan.

It wasn’t meant to happen like this.

The plan was Carter would play a staring role in leading his country to victory in the World Cup. Bringing the prestigious trophy back to a country still recovering from tradgey and to a country desperate for some national pride.

Carter would be the star of the show.

That was the plan.

It wasn’t meant to be like this.

You see, one of the hardest things in life, is when your plan doesn’t match God’s plan.

You have a plan for your life, a direction you think you should be going, goals you should be achieving.

And when you don’t achieve this, it’s hard to understand. To grasp. To get.

Many times I have struggled with this. Many times I find myself asking God “why?”

Because most of the time, my plan, is not God’s plan, and most of the time I am fighting God by trying to follow my plan, instead of his.

One thing I have learnt recently and am trying to put into action is God has a plan for our lives.

It is incredible.

God knows everything you have done, everything you do, and everything you are going to do.

He has it all mapped out.

Story written from beginning to end.

He has a plan for my life.

He has a plan for your life.

And the thing is, his plan is perfect.

God demonstrates it in the Bible.

The whole way through the Bible people have tried to follow their own plan instead of following God’s plan with the ending always being the same, God’s plan was perfect.

Moses didn’t want to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he ran away, he hid from God’s plan.

But God showed him his plan for Moses life and Moses put it into action and successfully lead the Israelites to freedom.

However God’s most incredible plan was the sending of his son Jesus Christ.

God planned to send us a saviour.

A friend.

The Messiah.

He planned that Jesus would die on cross so that you and I would be free from sin.

He planned that Jesus would come to save us and lead us to a personal relationship with God.

He planned that Jesus would be the only way for us to attain eternal life through him, by him, with him, forever.

You see guys. God’s plan is awesome.

No matter how much you think your plan is perfect, your plan is flawless.

If it isn’t God’s plan, then it is nothing.

Because God’s plan is perfect.

God’s plan is flawless.

And God has a plan for you.

Galatians 1:1 

So I greet you with the great words, grace and peace! We know the meaning of those words because Jesus Christ rescued us from this evil world we’re in by offering himself as a sacrifice for our sins. God’splan is that we all experience that rescue. Glory to God forever! Oh, yes!

 

 

 

 

Perfection is attainable, but not for the perfect…

2 Corinthians 12:9
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

 

Ok this is ridiculous.

I can’t do it.

I am trying to write a blog about striving for perfection, about having the highest standards, about always having to be perfect and you know what?

I can’t do it.

I am sitting here trying to write the most fabulous, witty, insightful, deep, thought provoking…………perfect blog.

What I am trying to talk about, I am a victim my very self.

Perfection is everywhere.

Walk into the supermarket and look a the magazine isle and you will see hundreds of pictures of how ‘perfect’ people look.

Go to a fancy restaurant and eat a dish prepared by a chef who thinks it is the perfect combination of ingredients and flavours. Can’t be any better.

What an athlete perform his or her skill because one inch to slow, one inch to far, it’s not perfect.

Watch an artist create a masterpiece. A beautiful blend of strokes and colours to what? Make perfection.

And then watch a student. Watch a student in primary school, high school or university, strive to revise, revise revise, and revise!!! To be perfect on the class test. 99% is good. 100% is perfect.

Go shopping at all the write stores to wear the perfect outfit.

Hang out with all the right people to have the perfect social life.

Go to the cool happening church to have a perfect relationship with God.

Be perfect.

Be perfect.

Be perfect.

Ever tried to be perfect?

I try to do it with every single act I do in my daily routine.

I have to wake up at the perfect time so as to give myself enough time to wear the perfect outfit to work, eat the perfect healthy breakfast to sustain me through the day and not put on weight so I can have the perfect body, brush my teeth so I can have the perfect smile, put gel in my hair so I have the perfect hairstyle and leave the apartment at the perfect time so I reach work at the perfect starting time.

All this before 8.45am.

Am I striving to hard for perfection?

All day through work I strive to complete tasks to perfection, not finishing them until I have completed them perfectly but even sometimes I am afraid to take tasks on in case I can achieve perfection in them.

After work I arrive home to try and cook the perfect dinner (to my very mediocre cooking standards), go to the gym to get the perfect body so I can look like the guy off the front of the Men’s Health magazine cover, come home and read my bible and pray so I can be the perfect Christian, talk to my friends and family so as to be the perfect friend and son and then finally sleep having set my alarm clock at the perfect time to wake up and start this perfect routine all over again.

Perfect.

Everyone is striving for perfection.

By trying to deny this statement you are saying that “no I am perfect, because I would never try and strive for perfection.”

Everybody does it.

Whether in school, at home, in church, with your friends or family, everyone is seeking perfection one way or another.

However what really is perfection?

If you look at the front cover of the magazines in the supermarket is that the perfect way to look?

Not a hair out of place, perfectly straight teeth, no spots, no blemishes, skinny body, ripped six pack.

They look perfect.

Or what about watching tv? You watch the latest talent show which only selects one winner who compared to the rest of the competitors is adjudged by the so called music experts to be….perfect.

What about exam time in school. You have to revise so hard to attain the perfect grades on your latest test so as to give yourself the best opportunity to go to the perfect university to study the perfect course for you so you can get the dream job when you qualify so you can live the perfect lifestyle the rest of your life.

You look at the celebrities chilling in Hollywood, fresh from shooting a multi million dollar movie while relaxing in the sunshine, pockets full of cash, a beautiful partner on their arm, living everyone’s dream lifestyle.

The dream life.

So whose measure of perfection really is this?

Is it yours?

Is it mine?

Is it the medias?

Is it your parents?

Is it Gods?

You see something I struggle to understand and put into practise is my daily routine…..isn’t perfect. No matter how hard I plan, manage my time, it just never is perfect.

Take tonight, I didn’t get to the gym because I had a meeting after work, not a perfect evening.

And what I am striving perfection in, really is my own perception of what perfect is. Maybe I believe that having a ripped six pack, massive biceps and a perfectly white shinny hair is perfection. Or that I can only write or publish a blog for the world to see and scrutinise if it is completely perfect, to my own standards.

But you see. My standards are not perfect.

Far from it.

And neither are yours.

Yes I know it is hard hearing it.

I don’t get it and battle with it everyday.

But really the only perfect standards in this world are the standards of Jesus Christ.

No individual who has walked this earth is perfect…..except from God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.

You see, the whole time I strive for perfection in my own high standards, when really I should be striving for perfection in God’s high standards.

So maybe instead of me trying to always control every little situation, wanting it to turn out perfectly how I think it should, is not aiming for perfection at all.

What I really should be doing is trusting in God to be in control of every little situation believing that whatever the outcome, it is perfect, because it is God’s very own individually tailored full of love plan for my life and how it should pan out.

OK.

You thought that was hard to hear.

Hard to grasp.

Listen to this.

God’s power is perfect.

There is nothing like it.

It is flawless.

Perfection.

And when we are at our weakest.

The lowest.

Even lower again.

The lowest of the lows.

Rock bottom.

That is when God’s power is perfection.

Because guys we do not need anything else.

God’s love, God’s grace for our lives is so perfect, we don’t need anything. We don’t need to aim for what we believe is perfection but what God believes is perfection and what he truly believes is perfection is loving him whole heartedly.

God is perfection.

God’s love is perfection.

And knowing this, understanding this, and acting on this, is perfection for God.

Because when we may not see it.

When we feel at our lowest.

Our most insignificant.

Our most imperfect.

In God’s eyes, we are perfection.

Because we are his.

And he is ours.

And together it is perfection.