I (almost) did it!

Today I did the hardest thing I've ever done since becoming a pencil pushing desk jockey after graduating from college. I took the Physical Agility Test as part of the application process to become a firefighter for the city of Raleigh. I've been kinda training for this test over the last couple of months. I went in today not really believing I would pass. But, I almost did it. The obstacle course did me in. After the second lap, I was spent and had nothing left to give. Insufficient upper body strength left my arms a pair of wet noodles after exiting the tunnel on the second lap.

But I am not ashamed. Despite being disappointed at not passing the test, I know I gave my best and tried my hardest. Even though I was intimidated by all the former football players, younger men and women, and others in much better shape than I, I was greatly encouraged by everyone there. Everyone cheered for everyone else. One guy in particular was going around congratulating everyone. When I came out the tunnel and had to stop, he even offered to go thru the course with me to get me through one last time.

Honestly, I do not think I would have done as well as I did on the rest of the test if not for the feeling of instant community that was present. I met guys who were taking this test for the fifth time! Being a firefighter was a dream they were not ready to give up. And they provided some of the best encouragement. Each one told me to give it another shot in January.

This is what it should be like on a faith journey. It is one of perseverance. It should be one of community. It should be one of a persevering, encouraging community. So many times the faith community is guilty of shooting the wounded in the name of discipleship. Consequences are necessary but so are restoring functions. After the community has handed down the consequences, it should whatever possible to help that person be restored to whatever level he has fallen from. As I left the training center today, the Chief only spoke words of encouragement.

Despite "failing" I feel good. Despite being unemployed STILL, I feel good. On second thought, maybe I did do it.

The Not-So-Harsh Reality of Losing

Scan the television listings and you find 3 basic types of shows on the airwaves nowadays - karaoke gameshows, crime dramas, and reality tv. Several weeks ago while channel surfing in order to forcefully shut down all higher brain functioning for the day, I came across the reality tv show The Biggest Loser. The premise of the show is that between 15 to 20 extremely obese people compete to see who can lose the most weight. They are put into teams, given coaches and physical and dietary training. To make it exciting tv, they have to face challenges each week to make the process a little difficult and to also earn rewards. The show ends with the weigh-in. Each contestant steps on the scales to measure their weight change. The team that loses the lowest percentage of weight has to vote off one of their teammates, true to reality tv gaming.

I've never watched an entire episode of this show. I do, however, try to catch the weigh-in and voting at the end. They always show a picture of the person voted off today, compared to when they first came to the Biggest Loser complex. It's amazing the transformation each person has gone through.

Here's what I like about what little I've seen of the show. Unlike other reality tv game shows, the purpose of the game is to actually help someone out. You still have tempers flaring and interpersonal conflicts, but overall, the atmosphere is generally encouraging. These individuals have been selected because of their need to lose weight and their need for a better support system in order to do so. When it comes time for voting, there are genuine tears, unlike those found on those matchmaking shows. The rationale almost always given by the team as they explain the reason behind their vote is, "This person is strong and can make it happen when he/she gets home." It's like they do not want to put anyone in a situation where he/she won't succeed, despite how it might drag the team down.

Every time I have watched this happen, I have been amazed. I have been convicted. I have turned off the show wishing reality was actually like this, especially in the church. When you are on a faith journey, you want to be surrounded by people like this. Find a place where people can help you along your journey.

When you are on a faith journey, you also want to be that kind of support to others. You have a responsibility to help others on their journey. That's part of what Jesus meant when he said we had to lose our life to gain it. It's also what Paul meant when he said to look out for each other instead of looking out for ourselves. Losing doesn't sound so bad.

Just a thought.

Relationships anyone?

No, this is not an indication that I am now running an online dating service. But it will give you an idea of where this post is heading. It all started last Wednesday night (cue strumming harps and wavy pictures as we enter memory mode) . . .

The family and I went to see the Durham Bulls play Wednesday night. They're the triple-A affiliate of the major league baseball Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Minor league ball games are always great places to take the family because they really cater to families, providing lots of wholesome, family friendly entertainment. The level of play, at least in Durham, is usually pretty good and the park is just the right size so that there are no bad seats in the place. unless you're in the outfield. I don't care how small the park, if you're in the outfield, it's never a good seat. But I digress.

As the game was beginning, five women and a toddler came and sat two rows ahead of us. My wife and I waited a few minutes, looking for the men to show up. This was afterall a sporting event. Not that women can't enjoy sports, but usually when given a night out, women don't choose the ball park. No men ever showed up. It became clear it was just these ladies, enjoying a night out, even if they had one kid in tow.

At the end of the second inning, another peculiar thing happened. All five got up together and left. Lest you think I'm being chauvinistic or at least stereotypical in my judgments, my wife was the first to say, "I guess they've had enough." I joked and said maybe they had to go to the bathroom. I guess the same rule applies to the concession stand because within minutes, they returned, each with food and drink.

During the slow parts of the game, I watched the women interact. They appeared to be enjoying the game but they appeared to be enjoying one another's company more. Throughout the game, they would switch seats with one another in order to be able to converse with a different person. Guys don't do that. We stay where we are and just shout over the five people between us when we want to speak to the guy on the end. That works for us, so it's ok. Don't judge us ;-)

It's widely talked about that women are better at relationships than men. I'm not ready to agree 100% with the notion that men stink at relationships. We just do it differently. What these women did illustrate and remind me of though was the importance of healthy relationships, however you maintain them. (Healthy is the key word there) When you are on a faith journey it is important to maintain healthy relationships with other people also on a faith journey. That does not mean to restrict those relationship building times to church, Bible study, or some other "spiritual" thing. Going to a ball game, fishing, playing ball, seeing a movie, scrapbooking, sharing a meal. . . anything that gets you doing life together is important and will have immeasurable benefits.

So, anyone up for some relationships?

I'm Back!

It's good to be home. I spent the last two weeks directing camp for 1st thru 6th graders. Click here to see some of the pics. It was a great two weeks being part of the faith journeys of 331 kids, but like I said, it's good to be home. It's good to get some rest.

Rest is an important part of our faith journeys. God didn't take a day off because he ran out of things to do. He modeled something important for us. If we don't rest, we eventually fall apart. I know a college professor at a Christian college who routinely tells his students to go get some sleep when they come to him with spiritual problems. It's amazing how a lack of rest adversely affects our decision making, even in spiritual matters.

On at least two occasions in my life, a lack of rest became a serious issue. In the fall of 2001 I hit the brick wall of burnout from not managing the many items on my plate in a healthy manner. It took several months for me to recover emotionally and spiritually from that time. Two weeks ago, as the first week of camp begin, I was teetering on the brink of going to a similar place. I had been averaging about 4 hours sleep per night over the last six months. What made this time end differently was the presence of friends who cared about me and were willing to take the reins. I gave them the director's hat and left camp for a day. I checked into a hotel and slept til almost noon the following day.

We underestimate the value of rest in anything we do. God wants us at our best, not our worn out, barely hanging on selves. As you journey, take a look at your struggles. Do you need some rest? Who can take the reins for you so you can? Just a thought.

Remember when . .

Words will always come back to find us. Hopefully we say enough good things in our lives that those things we wish had never said won't find their way back home as often. This morning, I was searching through some old files looking for something to spark a blog entry. I came across an article I put in a church newsletter a couple of years ago. I remember writing that column, hoping to provide some encouragement, cast a little vision, and stir up some positive change for the people in the church. When the year ended, things were worse than when it began.

I've reread that particular article several times in the years since first writing it. Every time my thoughts were, "How could I have been so wrong?" or "I guess that didn't work." As I read that same column this morning, I was filled with hope and satisfaction. Why? Because wonderful things are happening at that church. I keep hearing stories about all the great things occurring there. All the things I had hoped that article would spur are taking place.

I'm not saying I deserve credit for this wonderful change that's taking place. I'm just saying it's nice to see some of it happening. That newsletter article wasn't the only time I referenced some of those ideas. I had a lot of one-on-one conversations with people about those ideas in the months after that. Whether those changes are the fruit of some seed I planted I don't really know. But I'd like to think they are.

This week, look at your faith journey. Think back and remember when someone said something to you, or did something for you and over time it had a positive impact on you. How can you do the same thing for someone else in your life? What can you continually say and do that will positively affect the faith journey of someone else so that one day they will say, "Remember when you said . . . "

I hope that one day, your words come back to find you. And I hope your pleased with what they did while they were gone. Just a thought.