I’ve spent the last week in bear country. Everywhere you go there are signs giving warnings, telling you what to do and what not to do. Don’t leave food out. Carry bear spray. Travel in groups. Don’t go off the trail. Now these are all things that you are to do before you actually meet a bear. You do everything you can to avoid the encounter. But when you actually meet a bear, the rules change. There’s no more avoidance. For most of us, our proclivity would then be to run. Get out of the way of danger. Flee the scene as fast as you can.
Have you ever began a race that you have already won? When I was in high school, I struggled with insomnia. I couldn’t sleep. I would literally stay up for days thinking and worrying. I went to a doctor, and he suggested I start running. He also suggested I try to get all of my thinking and worrying out of the way when I ran. I remember the first night I ran.
This week on the blog we have our Men's Ministry Director, Wayne Sand, sharing some vision before the men's group launches this weekend. Wayne is not only a leader of men, but also a fierce prayer warrior and a tech-wizard extraordinaire. On a Sunday morning, you'll find him running sound for us or causing good-natured mischief with Pastor Michael.
This has been one of those weeks where every time someone asks how it’s going I respond with varying degrees of busy, tired, exhausted or overwhelmed. To be honest, my tank is low. For all sorts of reasons, working two jobs, preparing to leave the country with a group of teenagers, relational stressors and just simply busyness, I feel the pressure of life.
We are 4 weeks away from Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Jesus’ died on the Cross He didn’t just surrender everything there. All along the way Jesus forfeited His power and ability. Take for example anytime he faced opposition, literally in that moment he could have sent lighting down to strike them, but chose not to.
