Witness Protection

Did you know that … as followers of Christ … we are in the Witness Protection Program? This occurred to me during a recent conversation about witnessing … telling others about Jesus.

Now, what’s the first thing you think about when you hear ‘Witness Protection Program’? Someone who did, saw, heard something wrong … starting over with a new life … leaving the past and moving forward. Well, Jesus’ Witness Protection Program is no different. Before we became a part of Jesus’ ‘program’ we did, saw and heard lots of things that were wrong. Sin tears our lives a part … and we might not have even realized it. Once we knew Jesus, we put the past where it belongs, and started over with a fresh new life … a life with Jesus. We didn’t have to go hide in a far off city and pretend our old life never happened, but we do have a new life; a new attitude; and a new place to call home. And because of that, our soul is protected.

Now for the witnessing part … that’s part of the plan. We don’t get to have this new life all to ourselves. It’s not for us to keep tucked away and secret. The plan … Jesus’ plan … is to share the Word with everyone, so that they can know Him, too. So that we can all be protected and saved. Paul was an awesome witness for Jesus. He knew that he was in the Witness Protection Program. He knew that all he had to do was spread the Word and Jesus would take care of the rest. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be beaten, sent to jail, criticized and ridiculed. He suffered all of those things, but he knew he was protected. He knew that Jesus was smiling down on him and that his soul was protected. He knew that through all of the trials he faced, he would see some of these people in Heaven and they would say “I’m here because of you!”

That’s not always easy … and at least in this country, we don’t often have the fear of being beaten or jailed for our faith … yet. Many of us … me included … aren’t comfortable – or knowledgeable enough - to walk up to folks saying ‘Hey, let me tell you about my Savior!’ Sometimes I feel like I’m not holding up my end of the bargain because I don’t feel comfortable ‘telling’ people about Jesus. And it doesn’t have anything to do with my faith … I don’t feel comfortable ‘telling’ people about anything. Knowing also that if I were a non-believer and someone shoved scripture in my face – I’d think they were nuts!

But do you know what Jesus told me? That’s ok! He gave us all different gifts. Some folks have the gift of standing in front of people shouting the Word of the Lord from the rooftops. But that’s not me. Some have the gift of preaching, or teaching … and that’s not me, either … at least unless the audience is under the age of 10!

So, does that mean that I can’t – or shouldn’t witness? Absolutely not – God doesn’t let us off the hook that easy! I can write. I can share God’s Word through my writing. My purse has Philippians 4:13 stitched on it for the entire world to see. I wear a cross necklace around my neck and have a coffee cup that says “Prayer changes things.” We say grace at meal time, even when we go out to eat. Maybe you have a fish (or family of fish) on your car. I’ve seen lots of license plates with scripture references on them. Now, just because you have a necklace doesn’t mean you’re a Christian – but THAT is witnessing, too. I can’t tell you how many conversations have gotten started without me opening my mouth. “That’s my favorite Bible verse” or “Where’d you get your necklace” or even just a smile … a connection. Maybe it’s another Christian that notices and starts a conversation … but maybe it’s a non-believer looking for something to believe in that hears that conversation.

Regardless of how we are gifted … witnessing is part of the program. The good news is witnessing doesn’t directly translate to preaching. It is all about sharing. It’s about introducing others to Jesus. I have such a great admiration for those who can stand up anywhere and tell about Jesus. I applaud those who can quote scripture off the cuff and know the history of the Christian faith. Sometimes, though, showing can speak just as loudly as telling. Sometimes people … especially the very skeptical … don’t listen to the speaking, but they may make note of what they see.

So, regardless of your gifts (and yes, you have them) share the Word of God … witness to others. It’s part of the program!

It's not about the war ... it's about the warriors

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

We have set aside this day – this weekend - to honor and remember our country and those who have fought to protect it. As you know, though, freedom doesn’t come free – or even cheap. The freedoms we have today came at quite a cost. The cost of freedom isn’t like buying a house – where you pay for it for a while and eventually it’s yours to keep. It’s more like taxes – where you continually pay for it – and are constantly reminded of it on a regular basis. Sometimes you can negotiate and get the cost down for a while, and sometimes the cost goes up – but you still have to pay it.

This weekend is about picnics and family and a day off for most of us. But it is so much more than that. It’s about those who have lost their lives fighting to protect our country. It’s about those who have come home (or not come home) broken – knowing that a broken body is much easier to fix than a broken mind.

What it’s not about is politics. It’s not about war. It’s not about who or where we have fought ... and continue to fight. Throughout history, there have been those who vigorously support war and those who have just as vigorously opposed it – and that doesn’t matter – because that isn’t what’s important. What is important is that we are here – free to express our opinions, free to disagree, free to worship God and proud to be American – and glad to have Monday off!!

What’s important is that there are many families – many sons, daughters, children, and parents that are affected by this war and all of those that we’ve fought in the past. Regardless of your opinion of the political ramifications – take some time this weekend to remember – to acknowledge and to honor – the sacrifices that have been made by those who have sacrificed their freedoms so that we may have ours, as well as the families that love them. God says to love our neighbor – whether we agree with them or not – to love them.

It’s easy – and acceptable – to hate war – to hate the situations and to hate the loss of life. It’s much different when you consider the soldier standing on the front line, scared and determined; when you think about his wife at home praying that he’ll be safe – and his children missing their daddy as their mom tries to calm their fears. Memorial Day is not about the wars – it’s about the warriors. Think what you want about war – but love the soldiers.

Over the next few days, as we celebrate with our family, take a moment to pray for those soldiers, to pray for their families. Pray for our leaders –pray that God will guide them to make the right choices for our country and our future. Pray that God has his hand on our nation and that He guides us towards His will – and that we follow that guidance.

Have a wonderful weekend – and be safe!

What would you do...

I have a question for you…

Let’s say that a bunch of people from the community were going to the mountains for a long weekend, and they were going to take a bus. Most of the people you don’t know, but there are a few friends going, and a couple family members going, but you can’t go. Everyone has been anxiously awaiting the trip – a chance to get away, relax in the peace and quiet, and a chance to make some new friends and catch up with some old friends.

Now, you happen to KNOW that this particular bus company isn’t very reliable. On Friday, you find out the bus that they’ve been assigned for their departure on this Sunday afternoon trip. You KNOW it has problems with the brakes – without a doubt, the brakes will not hold up for a round trip through the mountains, and that left unchecked, the bus will crash – sending the bus and its passengers down the mountainside ending in a fiery crash at the bottom. You know that they will experience fear, hopelessness and regret before they hit the bottom.

What do you do??

Tell the passengers they are in danger? They don’t believe you – ‘the bus company wouldn’t let us ride on the bus if it weren’t safe’ ‘You’re just jealous ‘cause you can’t go!’

Confront the bus company? They won’t let you in the front door. You have no tangible proof that the brakes will fail – even though there is no doubt . You show them the maintenance log – they haven’t been touched in years – but that doesn’t mean they’ll crash on Sunday. You point out the worn out hoses – but they’ve held up so far. The dirty brake fluid should make another trip or two. Nothing you can show them proves that the bus will crash.

Do you say ‘I tried, and they didn’t believe me – it’s their choice to get on that bus.’ Do you tell yourself that maybe you’re wrong – maybe they can go down that road and not go over the cliff.

What do you do?? There are friends on that bus – and family members (ones you actually like) – people from the community with children. You know that if they go down that road, you won’t see them again.

What do you do? Pause a minute and think about that … I’ll wait.

Got it?

You found a way to save all of those people from that most definite fiery crash, didn’t you? I think I’d sneak into the bus station and take all the lug nuts off the bus, so that when they came to pick up the passengers, the tires would all fall off and they couldn’t go on the trip!


Ok, now – let’s say that there are a bunch of people from the community – same people – friends, family, parents with children – and they are going down a path of sin, addiction or abuse that will surely lead them to the fiery gates of Hell. You KNOW that without Jesus, they can’t get into Heaven. You KNOW that if they continue on the path they are going, you won’t see them in Heaven. Everyone is happily going about their merry way, living their lives the way they want to. Left unchecked, their sin will certainly lead them down that mountain of fear, hopelessness, regret – and worst of all, eternal separation from God.

Do you talk to them? Maybe, but they don’t believe you. You have no tangible proof that the path they are on will lead them straight over the cliff.

What do you do??

Do you go to the same lengths that you went through to stop the hypothetical bus? Do you beg, plead and not give up? Do you find a way to introduce them to Jesus?

Do you start to lose faith in your own knowledge of Jesus – maybe they’ll be okay.

Or do you say: I don’t have time; enough money; enough space. I told them about Jesus – what more can I do? I tried - it’s their choice to go down that path.

Pause a minute and think about that … I’ll wait.

What do I have to do today ... nothing!

Why is it that we never seem to have enough time to get everything done? Just because God created the entire world in 6 days – and had a day to rest on the 7th, doesn’t mean we have to accomplish everything before the weekend!

But I have so much that I have to get done … or do I? What is it that I ‘have’ to do? There is a saying that says ‘the only things we have to do are pay taxes and die!’ Even that isn’t true. At the risk of being political, how many people are in this country illegally that don’t pay taxes … that work under the table and off the books. You don’t ‘have’ to pay taxes … now, if you don’t, the IRS might pay you a visit – but it’s still a choice. Do we ‘have’ to die? Jesus said we don’t. He said to believe in Him and we will never die but have eternal life!

As I sit here this morning – knowing that I have to take mom to the doctors, have to finish the laundry, have to go to the grocery store and have to be at Morgan’s band concert at 6:30. It’s overwhelming and frustrating – and I think if I actually wrote down everything that I ‘have’ to do – I might just cry!

Really, though … what is it that I ‘have’ to do? Everything on that list is a choice. I choose to take mom to the doctor because I care about her health. I choose to do the laundry because it is important that my family have clean clothes to wear. I choose to be at Morgan’s concert because it is important to her … and she’s quite good at it!

So, really, I don’t ‘have’ to do anything. I have choices to make, and I make them based on the priorities in my life. I ‘have’ to go to work … no I don’t. I’m not at work today … I chose to take mom to the doctor because her health is important. I choose to go to work because it is important for me to provide for my family. There are many out there that don’t make that choice.

When you list all of those ‘to-do’s’ … I have to do this and I have to do that – how do you feel? List a few things … I’ll wait…

Feels pretty overwhelming, huh? Like we’ll never get it all done. Now – take that same list and don’t think of what you ‘have’ to do – tell me what you choose to do – and why. Feel a little different?

Rushing around all day – and then I ‘have’ to go to Morgan’s concert – what a chore – an incredibly overwhelming day. How do you think that comes across to Morgan? Whether I intend to or not – she feels that frustration – that feeling of obligation. If I stop and realize that I made the choice to go to her concert because I love her and she is important to me (did I mention that she’s really good, too!) – that feeling shows, too. How is it that I want her to feel?? I want her to know that I made the choice to be there because she is the most important thing in my life – not that I’m there because of a to-do list or an obligation.

So, what does my day look like now?? I’ve got nothing that I have to do – and it’s gonna be a great day … accomplishing all of the things that are most important to me and my family!

What I learned from my cat...

I've been struggling a lot lately ... Morgan entering those awkward middle school years - rejections, emotions, challenges and frustrations. I've said more than once 'she (and all kids) need to know that someone loves them and has an interest in them other than me (mom and dad). I wanted to write something that speaks to that need that we all have to have a place that is 'safe' - and then I realized, I'd already done that ... I found this message that I wrote last August - in the midst of our construction project...

I realized something recently. As I struggle to add a little breathing space to my house – I realized that – it doesn’t matter. All of this work, money, headaches and frustrations – and it’s not the point. I should have known that! Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I’ve done this – and it’s wonderful (and necessary for everyone to keep their sanity) to have the additional space. It’s important for Morgan to have a place where she and her friends can hang out – and part of the purpose of the addition was to ensure that the best place to hang out is at our house. I wanted to create a space where she and her friends would be comfortable while Grandma and I still had a place to call our own.

All the kids seem to love to hang out at our house – and I love that. I know where Morgan is, what she’s doing, and who she’s with. There are quite a few kids that can walk to our house, and a few that their mom brings them – but I never know when I walk in the den who (or how many) I might find! One night we were cooking hot dogs on the grill – I was outside in the back yard, and I wondered why we needed to open another pack of hot dogs! I walked in the den and found 8 kids watching a movie eating hot dogs. I just had to smile, and gladly opened another pack of hot dogs – I had plenty on hand for any kids that came by – and was glad to have them sitting around – knowing that not only was my daughter safe and accounted for, but so were the other 7 kids that had managed to find their way to my house. That meant there were 8 happy kids not getting into trouble! So from there, I wanted more space for them so that as they got older, Morgan would still feel comfortable entertaining her friends at our house.

But that room doesn’t matter – and I learned that from a cat!

I have 2 cats – both solid white. As we have been doing construction, they have discovered that there are little cubby holes that they can go under the house and pop up into the house from outside – their own little kitty door! One day I came into the kitchen and found an orange cat wandering about. Morgan happened to know the cat – Duffy – and Duffy has a home – so we pet him and sent him on his way. Later, I saw my cat Ella and Duffy outside playing – wrestling and chasing each other through the yard – like best friends. The next day, I found Duffy in the kitchen again – eating Ella’s breakfast – and Ella (little miss piggy) was sitting patiently by watching! I put some more food down for Ella, they ate, went outside to play – and Duffy went home.

Hmmm – I’m seeing a pattern here – friends come over, I feed them, they play happily, and then they go home (usually)!

Certainly Duffy didn’t care about how much space there was for him. He came over because he felt comfortable, safe and loved. So, are Morgan’s friends gonna come over because there’s more space? No – they come over because they feel comfortable, safe and loved. Although it will be a great benefit for them to have this space – and I have a space to retreat to – I think that if we lived in a house half the size that we started with – they would all still be there!

Kids need to know that they are safe, that they are loved, and that they are special. They need to know that from their parents – but parents ‘have to’ say that! When someone else tells them they are special – or better yet, shows them that they are special – it can have a huge positive impact on them. That is why the Children’s Ministry and the Student Ministry are so very important – and the people that invest in these kids are so valuable.

And for those kids that don’t get that from their parents (and we’ve seen that, too) maybe, just maybe, that little piece of love and acceptance that we shared – that small investment of a hot dog and a movie - will stay with them as they grow – and they’ll pull it out of the back of their memory when they need it most.

If these kids can walk away from my house feeling better about themselves only because they feel loved and accepted – imagine what could happen if people walked away from schools feeling loved and accepted; from voting booths; from the welfare line; from church – feeling loved and accepted. We don’t ‘fix’ the world through elections, programs, schools or even churches – we ‘fix’ the world by doing what Jesus did – love and acceptance – one child at a time!

Go out this week and tell a kid they are special … tell your kid, tell their friends, tell a kid at church – and remember we’re all God’s kids!!

Have a great week!

PS: 'But mom, we're just sitting on the bed!!'