Like a Shepherd

A shepherd (or a pastor) is a being who exists to gather the flock.  He is not the charismatic one, or the ultra gifted one.  He has a sensitivity for the lost, the broken, the lonely.  He is not the public speaker or the one at the center of attention- the vision-caster:  he is the wounded healer, the one with his eye toward the person on the fringe.  He sees the potential and longs to see it encouraged and fulfilled.  I keep saying "he" but it is just as likely to be a "she".  She is the person who remembers to pray, to send a note, to ask about what is happening since you last talked.  Walking like a shepherd is a calling.

Let Life Be An Adventure

"Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey." -Mark Batterson

I remember stumbling upon a nugget as I read "Your Money or Your Life" by  Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez some years ago: "Some people in striving to make a living, forget to live.  They are, in truth, making a dying."

Lately, I have developed a desire to travel the world.  My wife and I have become fans of the travel shows introducing us to far away lands and stoked a wanderlust to explore and experience our world, different cultures and abandon our safe little bubble.  This is new.  I have had a below average curiosity for travel, it just seemed so frivolous.  Now I sense an adventure and growth to be had out there.

We are discovering new gifts that we wish to use and they allow us mobility; for myself it is writing, for my wife, it is photography.  For both of us, ministry and serving others is drawing us out as well.

It is one thing to be talking and dreaming about adventures, it is quite another to hop over the back fence with a knapsack and kick off like a vagabond, taking the journey literally.  Time will tell if wanderlust become real travel or just a mild case of tourism.

A Normal Life

Look into her eyes for a moment.  Look for her soul.  Can you see the pain?  Can you imagine her day at school?  Can you hear her asking "Why me, God?"

I feel bad for people who have skin conditions, burn scars, birthmarks, odd body shapes, deformities, etc. Because no matter what the character of the human being we all naturally flinch inwardly, react badly, and feel uncomfortable around them, and make a judgement based on appearances. I don't know if it can be helped, frankly, and I know that they can pick that up (I pick up attitudes and judgements people make about my weight). It makes no difference how many times others say, "Oh beauty is on the inside" -but if we are honest, we must admit that how people respond to us (involuntarily or not) has an impact on our image, value and eventually on our character (as we learn to cope with the rejection). It is something like the saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," which is totally false. No matter how bold a face we put on it, most of us would rather be stoned to death than endure the cumulative effects of unkind words we have suffered in this life.

Let's face it. Unless you are physically standard (not making others uncomfortable) you will be bullied, made to feel ugly, awkward and in general, made to feel unwelcomed. It doesn't matter if the message comes from a the barrage of beautiful people in the media or from the annoying kid who sits behind you on the school bus. No amount of repeating "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" can undo the suffering that one endures mentally and that makes them an easy mark for someone looking to score a laugh at other's expense. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make everyone look "normal" so they could live a less painful life.  I wish I could change that human shallowness that has us treat some people as less worthy because of exterior factors.

I hope someday medical technology will allow and humanity will realize that no one should have to suffer that anguish.