The Dream Factory

"At the basis of Jesus Christ's kingdom is the unaffected loveliness of the commonplace." - Oswald Chambers

"At the basis of Jesus Christ's kingdom is the unaffected loveliness of the commonplace." - Oswald Chambers

The View - Just Seek

Popular television shows aside, we are all looking for a view, viewpoint, or overview that begets perspective on lives that are otherwise, quite confusing.

What do we do? What do we think? How do we filter in  the essential and out the extraneous?

If everything matters, does nothing truly matter? If nothing matters, why bother?

Well, everything does matter and some things matter more in the moment and the secret is to discern the moment and to be in it.

Then, other moments will gather around the appropriate poles like magnetic dust and form a picture. And wherever you are, the view will be clear.

Jesus said, "Seek and ye shall find."

Your task is to find the moments to abandon all tasks and seek.

Just seek. Seekers find. Non-seekers stumble. Grace often intervenes and surprises them - probably because there is something inside all of us that is always seeking. But folks with their eyes and hearts open stand a better chance than the rest of grasping the view at the right moment.

S - Some seek secretly -- and that is OK. Deuteronomy 29;29 says that "the scecret things belong to the Lord, our God. but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."  Psalm 44.:;21 says that God knows the secrets of the heart. Jesus instructs us to pray in secret. it is there that we can be totally open, honest, and free. No one judges us there and God has no reason to judge us when we are seeking Him.

E - Embrace the essential eagerness of expectancy. Live on tiptoes.In I Corinthians 12:31, Paul admonished his friends to eagerly seek the greater gifts, but to go beyond even that and seek love. It is love that we seek most earnestly and desperately. It is the source of love for which our hearts long. Embrace that eagerness because it is essential to who you are. In other words, that eagerness to love and be loved is the essence of who you are as a child of God.

E - Entertain everyone and everything without expectations. As you take in ideas, thoughts, people, and events, don't hold anything too tightly and do not be bound by what you expect them to "say" to you. God has surpises for you in life as you seek. Seek in and through whatever comes your way, but without predjudice. Like the psalmist in Psalm 27;4, desire most to seek and gaze. Keep your gaze loose. You will not grow weary or lack good things according to Psalm 34:10.

K - Knock. That is part of the "seek and find' promise. Along with it comes asking. If something seems resistant to giving up its hidden knowldge, persist, wait, tap on the door, ask questions, and keep probing. Sometimes you are closer to the unfolding of a mystery than you can imagine, but you grow impatient and move on. If you must move on, keep one eyeball on the prize. You have more than two seeking eyes. You have as many as you need. And you have knuckles enough to nag the nobs off of any closed door. Keep seeking.

What is the view from your vantage? It is the advantage of being wherever you are, acknowledging your presence in that place and moment, and availing yourself of the opportunity to seek - then and there in the here and now.

Don't fret over what you do not, as yet, understand. Let some sunshine in and enjoy the view.

 

 

 

Goodbye Mikey, Big Dreamer!

Micahel Lenhof was my friend and an inspiration to me in many ways. When I received a call yesterday from his mother that he had passed away, I was not shocked. For the last three and a half years, Mike has been languishing.

Mikey was founder of Road to Success Ministries. It was his dream. Even though it never fully developed as he envisioned it, the fact that he had the vision was an inspiration.

I first met Mikey when I arrived in Fresno to pastor what was then called, "Baptist Temple Church." He was meeting with our youth pastor - so wide he took about two seats and so short his feet didn't reach the ground. (Later, he lost a considerable amount of weight.) He was exercising his gifts of selling - specifically in the area of church and school fund-raising.

later, I recruited him for a network marketing company with which I was affiliated. He saw the potential immediately and immersed himself in the program. He didn't miss a meeting and introduced me to many, many people - usually folks he believed he could help with this great plan.

He recruited me for a few things as well and tried to recruit me for more. He was a frequent traveking partner and even showed up for two national conventions of our business.

His physical limitations and learning disabilities made it difficult for him to make much money, but he kept trying.

Mike had a vision to help people with disabilities like himself become independent, self-reliant, and productive in society. I will look for ways to continue that vision.

He was a purpose-driven person who was devoted to Jesus Christ and deeply desired to follow God's call in a ministry to people with disabilities. Mike was also an entrepreneur who had years of experience in sales. When folks told him he was unemployable, he ignored it. He worked as long as he could and always had a plan. he could do sales ... so he did it.

His Social Security was never in danger. he never made enough money ... but he kept plugging away ... and dreaming.

He wasn't always easy to work with. He could get frustrated and that was not always a pretty sight. But he never, ever, ever gave up ... not on an idea and not on people. He had a big heart of love and a capacity to believe in a bright and abundant future.

Even from his bed in a nursing home, he told me to reach in his drawer and pull out a "plan' he had developed that would make us rich and support his ministry.

His last phone call to me went something like this, "Tommy, we've got to get this thing going."

There are only a few people on earth who call me "Tommy."

He usually ran out of steam on the phone after about 45 seconds, but he never ran out of dream.

One of the happiest times in his life was going on a mission trip with Clovis Hills Community Church.

He tried marriage. It just didn't work out. But he gave it a shot. And no one, NO ONE, could deny Mikey a shot at something he wanted to take a shot at.

He was that kind of guy!

People loved Mike because he inspired them and truly cared about them. He started the ministry with a big vision, drive, and passion to help others. He was a winner with a winner's attitude and an overcomer who knew that the source of his strength was God.

I wasn't shocked that he died, but I am sad. I am very happy for Mikey. He has been miserable and now he is doing quite well! Nevertheless, I am sad to see the chapter close, sad for a family that loved him very much, sad for a dream that seems to have died ...

Or has it?

Perhaps it is just waiting for someone to take it up.

Sitting Here

We sit ... and wait for something to move us.

But nothing does.

We wait some more.

Nothing.

Then it occurs to us that maybe, just maybe, we have to move ourselves.

Then, in moving, we figure out what we are doing and where we are going.

It is really hard to move anything with the brakes on.

It is time to get up and get going.

"The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!" Proverbs 19:20

The Perils of Experience

If an email has the word "Mr" in the "from" box, I always assume it is related to the "Nigerian" spam-scam. The same is true if the opening line is "Dear Beloved in Christ."

Why?

Experience.

Experience can be a great sorting tool. It can be a great wisdom enhancer. It can also be a deadly "limiter."

We have to strike a balance between trusting the lessons learned from experience and being blinded by them.

What if someone really does use the term "Mr" for reasons of their own? What if a person really does consider me to be "beloved in Christ" and chooses to address me that way with sincerity and grace?

90% of the time, my hunches are correct ... but I must be cautious not to miss something importance in the quest for efficiency an safety.

Wisdom is one of the great biblical values, but it is also one of the first great temptations. As I sometimes feel smug about those few areas where I feel wise, I am reminded of our common experience with Miss Eve:

Genesis 3:6 - "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

It was just a little voice I heard in the back of my head as I was "sorting" and deleteing my email this morning.

"Not so smug, Tom. Your experience does not encompass the entire universe of possibilities!"