Praising God and Blessing Others in Dual Storms

Recently God took Lorriane on a much needed trip to Alaska. As she continues to live with dual storms of family and work swirling about her. She has been gracious enough to share how God is revealing Himself during this season of her life. I pray that you are blessed by Lorriane's continuing story. May you find God present with you in your life's storms. - Tom Ford

My Story Continues 
God’s Grace is Always Sufficient for Us

It’s been over a month since I last shared on My TIE about my battling duel storms. While God is trying to make me fireproof.  Although these storms continue to get more severe, my prayers for ways to find Jesus have been answered. 

Bad things happen to good people even for those who are ready and wanting to be transformed by God.  

- Instead of healing my mom her health condition continues to deteriorate

- Instead of removing me from my work environment the work environment continues to darken 

However, God has placed me in these dual storms to show me that His grace is sufficient for me.  His timing is always perfect for us.  He places the right people around us at the right time.

Mother’s day has been painful for me since 2010 because of my mom’s dementia. This disease advances year by year.  Now it is worse because I know that I could lose her any time.  A few of my colleagues have lost their mothers earlier this year. Now all of a sudden there is an instant support group at the office.  

Tears have been been easy to come by this year.  But at the same time, there has been much encouragement that has helped me to understand my feelings. God is helping me to discern what He wants through praying for grace and wisdom. He will prepare me for the worst to come despite being in a work environment as dark as mine. I know Jesus is here bringing comfort in the midst of pain.

God’s Plan is bigger than Our Plans

You may recall my story began when I mentioned the last time I gave a testimony at church on how God worked in me and through me in 2008 after returning from a trip to Vancouver visiting a dying sister-in-Christ.  On such an emotional mother’s day week, God sent me back to Vancouver.  This year I went on a trip like none other. I am not talking about the magnificent scenery that I experienced in the beautiful Alaska, but how God clearly revealed to me that “His plan is bigger than our plans.”

In the weeks leading up to the trip, there was no short of conflicting advice and guilty feelings about whether I should cancel the trip after our family emergency.  I have always tried to plan my vacation a year in advance. So when this trip was booked in May 2013, I had no idea about the seriousness of my mom’s condition.  After prayers and encouragement, from my pastor, I decided to turn off my mobile phone for a week and boarded a cruise ship in Vancouver to Alaska.  This was where God showed me that this was all part of His plan.

I choose to travel alone because I enjoy meeting different people.  This was my fourth trip where I embarked on a journey not knowing anyone.  Because I was both physically and emotionally drained from battling my dual storms, I was very skeptical about this trip. Who will I meet? And what would I expect from a different itinerary that I was not normal for me.  

I picked Alaska simply because it was a good deal and that I had points to cover both the flights and the hotel. Now that I look back, God already knew a year ago that I would need this trip at this particular time.

Alaskan cruises normally attract an older clientele. I had already met many wonderful caring people within hours of boarding the ship.  On the second day, God sent a retired couple visiting from the other side of the world while I was walking around the ship.  I ended up spending most of my time with them for the remaining of the trip.  From people I dined with, at the mandatory safety muster drill, to those I shared many hours in the cold watching the ship sailed alongside God’s magnificent creation (the glacier, I was feeling so loved).  There were words of encouragement from those who heard my story, as well as tears and hugs from strangers who just wanted to wish me well.  

Some of these people  had recently lost their beloved family members such as parents, spouses and children.  We could relate to each other because they had experienced similar challenges at work. We even prayed for one another and I was like a daughter to them.  At each of our ports of call, I kept on bumping into them so it was a like a family vacation as I was never alone.  

On mother’s day Sunday, I attended a worship service on the ship.  The sermon message focused on how God would restore us from our brokenness to a state where we will be better and stronger than before.  I was moved in tears as I knew Jesus was right there with me.  An older lady who sat next to me comforted me; and for the rest of the week, she checked on me every time she saw me on the ship to ensure I was enjoying myself.  She referred to herself as my “church friend.” I am glad that she repeatedly told me that I was on this ship for a reason.

God is working in us and through us

This is what I have learned about how God works in and through us. He puts us through challenges that surprisingly blesses us.  His blessings strengthen us through our trust in Him. And then works its way through us to reach out to others.  

I returned from this trip to a worse situation at work and at home. However, I could not stop praising the Lord. He picked the most perfect time and perfect itinerary just for me.  He wanted to let me know that trust is having faith in Him that He will do what He has promised.  He will love us and never forsake us.  

God sent me to Alaska (also referred to by many as God’s country) to make me a stronger person. Also, He wanted to prepare me for what is to come.  I appreciate even more the time I can spend with my mom. I know God will take care of her and all of us in the family for when she eventually passes. I also know that my growing online spiritual support group (of people I met on my trips) will continue to be there for one another.

It is part of God’s plan to place us in situations full of brokenness.  The purpose is for us to see Him and to do His will.  Every time we deviate from our focus on Him, we need to return to the cross (Jesus Himself) to recharge and reset our purpose. 

God will does not take us to a place where the grace of God will not protect us.  All we have to do is to continue to praise Him, even in extreme conditions.  This is where we can find true peace that give us strength to persevere. We need to be in position to experience God’s work and to shine His light wherever we are placed.  God will take us to a place where we can be a blessing to others. 

God said to me through His Word, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV).  

May the grace of the Lord be with you always.

Lorraine Fung

June 1, 2014

Edited by Tom Ford June (2014)

Honor the Greatest Generation by Being a Great Generation

My TIE Value: Be Still and wait for the Lord (Psalm 37:7)

We have witnessed the 70^th Anniversary of the allied invasion that led to the freedom of Europe in World War II. Thousands of soldiers who were killed on June 6, 1944 are laid to rest in the famous cemeteries along the French coastline. Many of these soldiers were under the age of 21. Seeing the elderly WWII veterans makes the loss of years even more real to me.

We have the benefit 70 years later in seeing the enduring result of freedom because of the sacrifices that were made. Tom Brokaw said, “These young soldiers sacrificed without knowing what the result would be.” (June 6, CBC News)

I have taken time this week to reflect on all those who have sacrificed on and off the battlefield. They are rightfully known as “The Greatest Generation.” We all would do well to recall our connections to this generation.

My "Great Bill"

My personal connections to the Greatest Generation are many. But one such person that I believe is representative of this generation is through the life of my grandfather I like to remember as the “Great Bill.”  He was a gentle man when dealing with people but at the same time a tough man in the way he dealt with life’s issues head on. He could “Take the bull by the horns.” While he never stormed a beachhead, he sacrificed his life for the well-being of other people.

    -          Before the war he sacrificed his education to support and raise his younger siblings so that they could complete their education

    -          During the war, he welded ships that were converted for supporting the war effort

    -          After the war, he coached baseball and helped his neighbors with their cars after working long 10+ hour days in a carbon black plant. I am amazed he was doing this in throughout his forties!

Great Bill spent his best years of his life enriching people's lives. Sadly, just a few years after retiring Alzheimer’s began to take hold of his life and after a much of a decade of illness his life on earth ended at 70 years of age.

I only know my Great Bill through the stories preserved by my grandmother, great-uncle, father, and aunt. But sadly, some of these stories are beginning to fade as he has been gone for over 35 years. One day I will connect with Great Bill himself in the presence of God’s glory.

Other Members of the Greatest Generation

Since 1999, I have been connected with the greatest generation from Hong Kong as I have served in Chinese Churches. This generation endured the great hardships. One hardship was worldwide Great Depression where like so many lost any wealth that was previously made.  And a much harder hardship was the during imperial Japanese occupation from 1941-45. Many of the women had their feet bound.  Married couples were separated for up to a decade before finding their lost love. They not only survived but remarkably persevered through the hard processes of recovery. I have learned from these great people that…

-          They never gave up life even through their extreme suffering.

-          They never gave up hope even when it seemed like they would never find their spouse.

-          They never gave in to bitterness over the injustices that could never be set right.

As a result they have guided their children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren with encouragement that all of life’s difficulties can be recovered if one does not give up. Even better, the seniors I have known over the years in the Chinese church have faithfully followed Christ as their Good Shepherd.

Sadly we are losing this generation in large numbers every year. At each funeral, I am blessed to hear their stories about their recovery from suffering and discovery of their life in Christ Jesus. We all must do our part in keeping their legacy fresh by recalling their life’s stories.

My TIE. Reflections

As I reflect on the Greatest Generation from all sides of the world, I realized that they lived during these tough times without the assurances that world-wide freedom would be achieved. They chose to respond to life with hope over despair. They chose hope despite what they saw in their world’s cruel realities.

I believe the greatest honor we can give those we know and love from the Greatest Generation is to choose to live with a greater hope over the dismal realities we see in our world. In the aftermath of His glorious resurrection Jesus proclaims that greatest generations are those blessed in believing in His resurrection even without seeing. (John 20:29)

Here are some of my thoughts as I have been reflecting this week on how God’s presence is giving all of us an opportunity to be our Greatest Generation:

-          Be victors as He guides us on the journey of life into His eternal presence (Rev. 21:7)

-          Be courageous as His love chases away life’s fears (I John 18)

-          Be confident that God is present with us even in death’s shadows. (Psalm 23:6)

-          Be effective in bringing out God’s glory through adding to faith in the daily grind (2 Peter 1:3-10)

-          Be reliable to continue to do good in times of suffering (1 Pet. 4:19)

-          Be a living sacrifice that leads people to receive the crown of life (2 Tim. 4:1-8)

-          Be a blessing by proclaiming God’s works to future generations(Psalm 45:17)

Oh yeah a verse that best describes everyone who is included in all of God’s great generations.

Be Still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. (Psalm 37:7)

God's Hyper Attractive Followers

MY TIE Value: Trust in the Lord and Do Good (Psalm 37:3a)

While I had many family members who could catch a good fish, my grandma was the only true fishing champion.  What I remember most about fishing with grandma was her “hyper attractive” worms. Whether the worms were of the small earth worm or the large night crawler varieties, they seemed to have super natural abilities to squirm, hop, and twist more than any other fishing worms I have ever seen.  

 

As I would hold these active worms in my hand, I would imagine magnificent worm stories. One is the classic cartoon where the worm forcibly agrees to go on the hook after have a gun pointed at it. Another was a Worm Olympics where these worms would set world records in such events as the high jump, 100 inch squirm, and shot-put.  And my most common imaginative thoughts were that the bouncy, squirmy worm was teasing the fish to get them to eat the hook while the worm dodged being eaten by the fish.

Then at some point in my elementary years, I learned the secret to grandma’s worms. She mixed coffee grounds into the dirt. These worms were on PEDs (Performance Enhanced Dirt)!

MY TIE Reflection

The Bible has its share of fishing stories. One of the famous stories was about a prophet named Jonah who became the bait. That is not the direction I want to go for this week. Rather, I want to focus on the initial calling of Jesus’s first disciples where He stated, “Come follow me. And I will make you Fishers of Men.” In keeping in the My TIE theme of Psalms 37:3-8, I see a parallel with the words in verse 3, “Trust in the Lord AND do good.” Or as my Bible verse mash up would state, “Trust in the Lord as we follow Jesus AND He will ATTRACT people to Him through His good works that are ATTRACTIVE in our lives.” 

What Kind of Interesting Fish do Hyper Attractive Followers of Christ Attract?

(Matthew 4:23-25)

1. Sick Fish

As news about Jesus spread, the sick people came to Jesus. He responded to them by “Healing them all” (v.24). It did not matter how the people received their brokenness. It only mattered that they came to Jesus for their the healing that only Jesus can give. Just like in Jesus’ day, the broken are still attracted to Jesus.  We are all called to bring relief to the broken so they can come near to God.

2. Dangerous Fish

Included with the sick people where those who were suffering under the tyranny of demons. These evil beings are the foot soldiers of Satan’s army (v.24). They had taken possession of people’s bodies. No doubt the demons were making the possessed people very scary people that could intimidate the populace.

There were also other dangerous fish who sought to destroy the mission of Jesus. One was the religious leaders who were at odds with Jesus. They were trying to preserve their own system and culture that they had developed outside of God’s Holy calling upon their nation. And another dangerous fish was included within the 12 disciples. This person was Judas who would become the famous betrayer of Jesus.

3. Curious Fish

 The final fish that active followers of Jesus will attract are the curious fish. In the New International Version (NIV) translation of the Bible, the word “amazed” is used at least 30 times to describe people’s response to either the Jesus’ works or His teachings. The crowds were amazed about Jesus’ revelation that God’s Kingdom confronted the sins of heart like anger, adultery and revenge is subject to God’s judgement along with their outward sins. Jesus also revealed that in God’s Kingdom that one who is near God’s heart will respond to their persecutors by love, prayer and good or kind works.

These revelations are counter intuitive to the way we process why people are attracted to Jesus. Yet as the story of the Gospel unfolds, Jesus allowed room for all people to discover who He is as the Son of God, the Savior of the world. Whether one was in the crowd of people, the religious, or the disciples; the Gospels allowed each group the opportunity to discover WHO Jesus is.

Becoming “Hyper Attractive” Christians

The ultimate goal for the fish (people) that are attracted to Jesus is to become a “Hyper Attractive” Followers of Jesus who are given a second chance at life. Fish are normally caught for the purposes of consumption for food or entertainment. However, the people who are caught into His nets find themselves moving to life saved from certain destruction. God desires to shape His children in such a way that they can discover their abilities, spiritual gift and passions in such a way that they can be “Hyper Attractive” as a display of God’s glory in places where God remains unknown or misunderstood.

How Can We Be Hyper Attractive in Attracting People to God?

-          For the Broken people, we can bring relief to their suffering AND walk with them on their way in being reconciled to God (1 Cor. 5:18-20).

-          For the  Dangerous People, we can trust that God’s full armor will neutralize their attacks and advance His Kingdom despite their destructive efforts (Eph 6:12-13).

-          For the Curious People, we can create environments where people ask questions about topics or why we choose God’s way for life in such a way that they can discover the power of the Risen Lord (Acts 28:21-22).

We all can better trust that God will bring out His good works to attract the broken, dangerous, and curious through His “Hyper Attractive” children.

Do We Need a Spiritual Descaling?

 My TIE value: Be Still in the Presence of the Lord – Psalm 37:7a

When I started as pastor at Hosanna, the congregation quickly learned that I really enjoy coffee.  They know that I am a discerning coffee drinker. Great beans are best enjoyed black and deserve no cream. A robust espresso bean’s flavor can penetrate through streamed milk. And coffee is not fresh after 12 minutes. Maybe I am a bit quirky but all in good fun. I will never refuse a cup of hot joe no matter the bean.

One of our good leaders finished off the décor in my office with a new Tassimo machine. I have really enjoyed having fresh coffee during study hours, lattes during pastoral meetings, and sharing a cup over conversations. I have enjoyed the Tassimo so much that it became a fixture on our worship’s hospitality table.

 

However recently after worship, a strange red warning light appeared as I was making a cup of coffee. It looked like a three pronged something that I could not figure out the meaning. Was there a problem with the steaming mechanism?   Could there be a blockage in the machine? Was it broken? All I know from my limited mechanic experience that the color “Red” usually served as a warning that something is not right even though the machine continued to make coffee.

I learned that the machine needed have maintenance called “descaling.” This meant that there was a need to remove deposits left by the water. I wondered why I needed to do this since I only used bottled water. But knowing that my machine needed to be descaled, I bought the proper formula and followed the procedures to descale the Tassimo machine. It took an hour to run through the program. Though it was not at a “gross” level, I was amazed the deposits that did come out of the machine.

Even more amazing was my first cup of coffee after the descaling on a Monday morning. My cup of dark roast was smooth and robust. This coffee reminded me of the days that we would draw fresh river water from the Colorado Rockies for our morning coffee and hot coco.

While I was in full coffee meditation another thought came to me. How could a coffee lover like me not realize that I was not drinking coffee tasting this good for such a lengthy period of time?

My TIE Moment

James 1:21 states, “So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.” (New Living Translation - NLT)

For all of us who have come to the cross, Jesus has purified and cleansed us from all of our sins through His death, burial, and resurrection. We hopefully value God’s saving grace that we say “NO!” to sin and “YES!” to living as a His holy people.  Even staying away from the big naughties, and embracing His Word in how we live life does not totally keep small sin deposits from building up in our lives over a period of time.

Sin deposits come into our lives through:

-          Being favorable towards the people we like. While showing discrimination towards those outside our trusted circle.

-          Being departmental by only recognizing God when we are in church, then selecting how much He has access and authority throughout the other places we go in our week.

-          Being accommodating to people through our silence about our living faith and even participating in addictive sinful lifestyles in attempt to be a “cool witness” for Jesus.

-          Being judgmental about people’s shortcomings and sins without giving a moment’s thought that God’s transformation can come upon them in a single moment of time.

But perhaps the sneakiest way that sin deposits build up in our lives is through the neglect of being alone with God for a time of “Spiritual Descaling.”  We live in a world that is sinfully selfish. The attitudes, language, and values of this world do deposit in our lives as we interact with people. We also worship in churches that are comprised with sinful people who in varying degrees struggle in being righteous. At times we all are hypocrites who put on the face of the victorious Christian to cover our defeats caused by sin’s brokenness. 

As slight as these sin deposits can be, they do accumulate over time that causes the purity of God’s work in our hearts not to be as fresh for giving life as it could be. Therefore, James exhorts that we all need to “Get rid of all filth and sin” no matter how slight it might be. Jesus even responded to Peter’s eagerness to receive complete bathing over just having his feet washed by saying, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet.” (Jn. 13:10a  NLT)

When do we take time to spiritual descale?

For some descaling might occur around the seasons of Advent, Lent, or the start of a New Year. For others it might be when our lifestyle choices have gone out of bounds as a follower of Jesus. Unfortunately, I have had too many conversations with Christians who never take time to be still in God’s presence long enough to get rid of their sin deposits that have built up over the years.

Why should we go through spiritual descaling if we have not committed major sins? The one Scripture that comes to my mind is from Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” (NIV)

If a cup of coffee taste fresher after a descaling, then how much fresher will God’s vision for our lives taste through spiritually descaled Christians? 

Praising the Lord in the Storms by Lorraine

I am blessed so much to have another blog by Lorraine. God is not only transforming her life but also the lives around her. Enjoy hearing about God's work in her unfolding story.

Making Me Fireproof: Praising the Lord and Blessing Others in Extreme Conditions

My Story Continues – Praising the Lord in the Storms

 

     You may recall from the March 28, 2014 My TIE posting that my transformation began when I lost a job that I had loved in 2011 and God placed me in my current position in an extremely dark work environment that is filled with brokenness and sadness. I am so glad I did not wait until God has delivered me out of this storm to start writing my testimony, as these storms seem to keep coming. 

     Since the introduction of my story, I have been hit with a more severe storm.  I was told by the doctor at a hospital emergency a few weeks ago that my mom has a serious health condition. Given her advanced dementia, the family made a tough decision to not proceed with surgery.  Although mom is now at home and has forgotten all about it (a blessing of being demented), this means I could be losing her any time between now and up to a few years at the most. With many family members yet to give their lives to Christ, this news has turned an emergency situation into a crisis that is filled with emotions and panic. At the same time, we also have another family member admitted into the intensive care unit for another serious health condition, on top of a few other unforeseen situations. Needless to say, our lives have been turned upside down.

     God won’t give us more than we can handle.  When this most recent family crisis hit me in the middle of the night with no warnings of any kind, my first reaction was that God must think I am strong enough to handle the “double-trouble”– the storm from work during the day and during the week that shows no sign of calming, and one from home that is consuming my energy for the rest of the time in a 24-hour day and 7-day week.  One day I did ask myself, “what have I done wrong to deserve this?” The answer is of course, I have done nothing wrong; in fact I am just letting God stretch me and transform me.  As the storms get more severe each time, I know there is only one way to pray, not for miracles to happen, but for ways to find Jesus.

     Praising the Lord in the storms is not easy and I am exhausted and drained.  This has been going on for almost three years now and the storms just keep coming.  There were times when I just wanted to give up. I had even thought of stop writing my story altogether.  Thankfully I did not do that as I know God is using my story to bless others.  Continuing to share my painful journey with God is one way He is strengthening me.

     I remember a message delivered by a pastor from a church in a neighbourhood of Toronto that houses socially and ethnically diverse people groups. The vision of this church is that members will be God’s mercy and live out His Gospel where they live, work and be members of the community they serve.  This message has kept me going: expressing the fruit of the spirit during hard times make the fruit taste sweeter:

v  Patience is about long suffering, it is a quality to allow people to endure;

v  Disciple means carrying the cross daily, by committing to God during hard times and put Him first;

v  Showing joy during hardship is not normal, but through Jesus Christ we will gain the strength we need to endure;

v  We must always remain in Jesus Christ, this is when the fruit will remain sweet during hard times, and the purpose is to expand the Kingdom of God.

     Praising God is our way to victory: God is moved by our faith and not by our problems.  A few years ago I came across this phrase on a candle: “Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace within the storm.”  This candle is now a permanent décor in my living room.  Many people say there may be an underlying blessing for the hardship God put us through, but I would argue that the reason behind why God put us through hardship is because He wanted to bless us so that we have no choice but to rely on Him to get through it, thus bringing us closer to Him.  

     A year ago when my colleague was sharing a devotion piece with me, I came across a spiritual power tool known as sacrificial praise.  It means a discipline of praying when you don’t feel like it. This greatly honors God because He already knows that we don’t feel like it so when we do it, it honors Him more. I guess this relates to my ability to sense and abide with our Father when I praise during hardship. I learned that the more I praise, the closer I am to Him and the more strength I am able to get to continue to endure.

     When we see how God truly work through us during difficult times, it is truly rewarding and we become hungrier for more of Him – something I hope to share in future segments of my story.  I have noticed in my weekly spiritual journal in the past year that I have turned from pleading for help to praising God. People who read my journal may think I had an awesome week but in fact, it was the opposite. I guess this is when God turns a trial into triumph and a victim into a victory.  Here are a few things I have learned to-date throughout my journey with God:

1.            Outcomes of our faith do not always mean things will get better. 

2.            God is using the situation to grow us; He is transforming us every time we surrender to Him.

3.            *God does not always remove us from the fire, but to make us fireproof.  There is a difference between a “delivering faith” and a “sustaining faith”:

•     Delivering faith will keep us out of adversity – this is victory; while

•     Sustaining faith is where God takes us through the storm – this is greater victory.

     Bad things do not happen to good people, they happen for good people, those who are ready and wanting to be transformed. Only trusting God will push us to our limits.  I know until God opens the next door for me, I just need to praise Him in the hallway.  Blessed people are those who can rejoice and be glad daily.  Blessed people worship Jesus daily, even in extreme conditions.

     I would like to end this part of my story with the same Bible verse, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” James 1:12 (NIV).  May God bless you today and always.

Lorraine

April 27, 2014

*Taken from a Joel Osteen sermon on being “Fireproof.”

God's Glory is for Real!

My Tie Values: Trust and Dwell

Easter weekend of 2014 was really awesome for me. Besides a weekend of enjoying our Good Friday service, fasting and praying, watching the sunrise, worshipping, and celebrating, I had the experience seeing “Heaven is for Real” movie after our Good Friday service.

At first, I felt a bit disappointed in going to the movie alone. However, this was quickly erased as I entered a packed theater where single seats were the only seats to be had. The seat that God reserved for me was in between a couple who told me they came to the movie to watch the stupid Christians react and a Christian family with young children. 

As the movie started, I was interested in three conversations. The couple on my right were really having a great time being cynical about the pastor and the congregation. They saw hypocrisy of how the characters in the movie portrayed themselves one way at home and work while being another way at church. This couple would have renamed the movie “Hypocrisy is for Real.”

     Despite the warning “PG: Not recommended for young children,” the Christian family on my left saw this movie as a way to deepen their family conversation about faith and life. They had two children below the age of 10. Each child had their questions like.

• “Why did the pastor’s family get mad?”
• “How did that boy see Heaven?”
• “Why did people in the church not believe him?”

     It was a joy to hear the parents’ converse with their young children about faith, death, and the struggles of life in a way that their children understood. I wished more families would take time to live more genuinely together. This family would have renamed the movie, “Life is for Real.”

     Then the conversation of the movie changed the way everyone was watching this story unfold when the doctors had realized that the young Colton’s appendix had ruptured for at least a day. Everyone watching knows that this can be a serious condition that can be fatal. Who hasn’t had the fear of a ruptured appendix happening to them at some point? The movie did justice to the story to highlight regardless of one’s view about the possible experiences in heaven that a miracle had taken place in the lives of the pastor’s family, church, and young Colton that transformed their lives forever. 

     It was amazing to see a story that brought together the messiness of life with the glory of heaven without making heaven as an escape from life’s hardships.

Then I had a My TIE Moment

     What about the conversation that was taking place in my heart? I must admit that it is hard to watch a movie that shows some of the unpleasant realities of the pastor’s occupation. I felt like disappearing each time the:

• Financial realities were portrayed
• Family arguments about children, relationships, and faith emerged during hardship
• Ministry job insecurity when key church members are not happy with their pastor.
• Struggle in being transparent with the church and community about struggles, and experiences when God is at work. Especially when it conflicts with the image of how people see the pastor.

     I like to be genuine to my congregation by not maintaining the unrealistic false pastoral images. Yet, I found myself in this story as one trying to tell Pastor Burpo, “Don’t tell them that or you will regret it!” Silly as it seems, I began to realize that I was talking to myself. Unfortunately, I do at times protect myself from the scorn of others by not fully trusting in the power of God’s Word in all of life’s circumstances.

     As Christians we need to understand that people need to hear about how:

• Sin complicates all of our lives.
• The Good News that God can restore the brokenness that happens to us as well as the brokenness we cause in the world.
• The blessed life in God is not described in the comforts of prosperity but also in the discomforts that birth His glory.
• We are all saved from God’s eternal judgment because of our sins.

     Through the story about Pastor Burpo’s family, I realized that God’s glory is all around us on the verge of breaking through. Sadly, we all fall short of living for God’s glory because we often allow our own preferences and comfort get in the way.

     Since Good Friday, I have taken refuge in these words from Psalm 37:3, “Trust in the Lord and Do Good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”

     On Easter Sunday I revealed to my congregation how the power of Christ and His church have enabled me to overcome hate that was in my heart because of what others have done to me.

     In all reality, all of us often choose to protect ourselves from future pain by secretly hating others in our hearts. We surround ourselves with people and communities who make us feel comfortable while we shut out all others that remind us of our pain. It is time to let Christ resurrect us from our own tombs so that we may reach people who we consider too uncomfortable for our reach.

     By the way, I would rename the movie “God’s Glory is for Real.”