A Life Worth Living

"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd." – Hebrews 11:1-2 (MSG)

“Focus…and breathe!” This is great advice to a woman in contraction mode labor. It is also great advice for all of us trying to live this life of faith. Find a fixed point. Relax. Take deep breaths. Ride the wave of change… and see the Breath of Life miracle emerge before your very eyes. After it all, the suffering pales in comparison to the joy of watching that new life grow, helping it mature, and re-launching it into the world to make a difference on its way Home.

Two of my later-in-life challenges have been dealing with visual and respiratory thorns in the side. Since I’ve spent my entire life being extremely near-sighted, you can imagine how surprised I was when a couple of years ago I found myself not being able to see things clearly up close anymore. Although this is normal and typical, it was a huge change for me, especially since I’ve had no depth perception and only had vision in one eye my entire life. My vision had begun to reverse. Now I find myself actually seeing things in the distance much clearer than what is right under my nose.

This is how the prophets saw. They saw the future, their true Home, and lined up the points along the way accordingly. They clearly had a handle on what they couldn’t see, despite everything going on all around them.

"Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them." – Hebrews 11:13-16 (MSG)

My other later-in-life challenge has been dealing with seasonal asthma. Breathing can be difficult, especially since I had a back problem as a kid that makes it even harder. During our recent trip to East Asia, taking in the beautiful, enchanting sights from a distance was easy but I was challenged to breathe in air a far cry from the Austin perfection of 300 day sunshine and bright blue skies without a cloud. I didn’t want to breathe deeply, but once I found a rhythm, I relaxed.

When I focus on God and breathe in His plan, I have a new perspective on the things right before me. It completely transforms everything I do. Home… family… children... they are not simply what are right before my eyes. My home is Heaven. My family is the body of believers and future believers. My children are my spiritual descendants.

I am merely one of many. So many sacrificed before me. So many tilled the soil tirelessly. So many generations gave so much. So many planted seeds. So many watered. So many suffered. So many gave so I could experience the fruit I was blessed to personally witness first-hand in East Asia. That’s the kind of team I want to be a part of. But do I live worthy of them?

Weeping for the children…

The Aborted

From Spirit of the Age by Michael Card

Soon all the ones who seemed to die for nothing
Will stand beside the Ancient of Days
With joy we’ll see that Infant from a manger
Come and crush the spirit of the age
We’ll see Him crust the spirit of the age

Ironically when I searched for these lyrics online, I found them, in all places, on the MTV website. Imagine that. Michael Card… and a Christian song about abortion... on MTVs website!

I want to take this one step further and ask myself, “are we spiritually aborting our children?” Have we cut off the lives of those we minister to from their Source? Have we let the world extract and dismember that new life? Are we poisoning and burning away our descendants? Have we forced them to die? Are we good stewards of that fruit of the womb?

The Abandoned

From Justice by Steve Camp

To care for the widow and orphan
Pure religion is this
When you have done it to the least of them
There is justice!

I also ask myself, “are we physically or spiritually abandoning our ancestors and descendants? Do we leave them, not aborted from the Source left to die, but rather abandoned to live, without direction, love, encouragement, power or hope?”

Servants without Scars by Steve Camp

Here we go again
Broken down in the “Promised Land”
Lord what will we do?

Put our trust in man
Put our faith in the flesh again
Took our eyes off of You

We lift our heroes high
They do right in their own eyes
We look to them for the truth

“But God resists the proud”
Knocks us down till our heads are bowed
No one’s Lord but You

We tried to serve You without holiness
And it led to compromise
Now I’m saying

Lord refine our souls
Let the testing of our faith
Produce the purest gold
Purify our hearts
Till this truth we clearly see
We can never be Your servants, servants without scars

We found an easy way
One that’s easy to obey
We turned our back on the truth

That all who take Your name
Must bear the cross and share the shame
The cost of following You

We tried to serve You without sacrifice
But Your love don’t come that cheap
Now I’m saying

We demanded all our rights
In the glare of the T.V. lights
Ah, we’ve reaped what we’ve sown

Oh, but justice cries out to be heard
Till we return to Your holy word
Till we bow at Your throne

Focus on Home. Breathe in His Word.

The Adopted

Recently, Christian musician Steven Curtis Chapman lost his 5 year old adopted daughter in a terrible accident. Even more complicated is the fact that his 17 year old son was driving the vehicle that accidentally struck and killed her.

From his website http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/ and recent article:

The couple was persuaded by their oldest daughter to adopt a girl from China. The experience led the family to adopt two more children and create Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation and ministry to financially assist thousands of couples in adoption.

The Chapmans did missionary work at Chinese orphanages in 2006 and 2007, according to the Web site.

"After our first trip to China, my wife and I knew our lives were changing — our eyes and hearts were opening to how big God really is, and we have wanted to experience more of that," Chapman says on the Web site.

"We've really wondered whether or not we should just go to China and stay there. But I don't think so. I believe God is saying, 'I want you to go, get your heart broken, your eyes opened, and then take this story back to the church in America and around the world.'"

We have been adopted by the King. Why are we living “broken down in the Promised Land”? Do we weep for the physical and spiritual children our ancestors gave everything for? May we really believe God has a better plan and live complimentary to the legacy left before us.

"Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours" – Hebrews 11:39-40