Just Running By

Little White Crosses. Along my running route there's a little memorial. It has a little white cross sticking in the grass right in the middle of it. We know what that means. It means someone died here. Then right beside the cross there is a small 5x7 picture of a young man. I've passed this many times, and honestly I hardly even notice it anymore. But the other day, while I was running around the curve that the memorial sits beside, something changed that.
As I came running up on the memorial, I saw a riderless bike propped up on its kickstand. Hunched over on the grass beside the bike was a man. As I ran by, I could sense and see his grief, pain and loss. Having lost one of my brothers tragically, I understand the pain of losing someone you love dearly. As I've watched my parents work through their pain and grief, I'm convinced that losing a son or daughter tragically is one of the most painful and difficult experiences one can ever face.
As I ran by, I wondered who the grieving man was - could he be the deceased's father, brother, friend, or uncle? Could he even be the one responsible for this young man's death? I wondered what his story was. I wanted to stop and talk to him, but that felt like it would have been awkward and maybe even rude. So I just went running by.
As I ran by that memorial again today, I thought about the people I know who are going through difficult, painful, and trying times. They may not have lost someone tragically, but they may be facing difficult situations. Regardless of why they may be in the messes or situations they're in; I don't want to just run by. I want to stop. Sit in the grass with them. Listen to their story. Empathize with them. And hopefully, help them find hope, healing, peace, and strength in the embrace of the Savior.
I don't just want to this because I think it's the nice thing, or the right thing to do. I want to do this because this is what I see the Savior and Redeemer of the world doing when he walked planet earth. He was constantly pausing to touch the broken and bringing them healing. One of my favorite is found in John 5 where Jesus heals the guy who'd been crippled for thirty-eight years. Jesus refused to just go running by. Then later in Acts 3, we read about Peter and John. While walking to the temple to pray, they encountered a cripple man. They pause, reach out to him, and God does something miraculous through them. Because they refused to go running by, the man experienced healing and ends up "running and leaping and praising God."
It may sound idealistic. But it's who I want to be. I'm committed to working on it. Because I've got to make sure that I don't just go running by. Who are you running by?

The Story behind the Story

When was the last time you jumped to a conclusion about someone or some situation before you really knew what was going on?

Be honest. We do this all the time.

Recently, while I was out for an early morning run, I came across something rather unusual. There lying on the side of the road, half covered in mud, was a discarded pregnancy test. Now while running over the past couple of years, I've come across some pretty unusual items; cds, socks, bottles, underwear, and of course dead animals, to name a few. But this was the first time that I had come across a pregnancy test.
Honestly, my first thought was, "I wonder what teenage girl just found out she was pregnant, freaked out, and threw the test out the car window." But in that moment I began to wonder what story that discarded test would tell if it ever could. Was it really tossed away by a frightened teenage girl who'd just found out that she was pregnant? Or could it have been discarded by a soon to be father, who was fearful, apprehensive and uncertain about whether he was ready to be a dad?
Or maybe a mother threw it away because though she'd been holding on to it as a reminder of the fact that she was going to have a baby, now that hope has been devastated by a recent miscarriage. Or maybe it was a frustrated couple, who are on the brink of giving up hope because they just found out once again, that they still are not able to conceive.

While running that bright sunny morning, I became very aware of how quickly and easily we can jump to conclusions about situations or people, before really knowing their stories. Maybe it was a teenage girl who discarded that test, but maybe it wasn't. But I'll never know, because I'll never know the story behind the story. But there are people around us whose stories we can get to know, and should get to know.

Last Sunday we concluded a 4 week series in the Effect entitled "Stories." During it, members of the Effect told their stories. They shared their joys, struggles, triumphs, pains, mistakes, their hopes, dreams and passions. It was powerful stuff! I watched as people connected with each other on a whole new level - sharing, praying, laughing and crying together. Through it we became better acquainted with the stories behind the faces and saw the fingerprints of God all over lives.

You can't always judge a book by it's cover - I want to be committed to judge less, listen more, and always seek to know the story behind the story. There is often something beautiful in the broken.

Solitude

This week was unusually hectic and busy. We're in the midst of some transition as we gear up for the launch of our fall programming. In the midst of all the busyness I was reminded of Dr. Luke's words in Luke 5:16. "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (NIV). Jesus, busy as he was, often pulled away from the crowds of demanding people and lists of things to do and spent time in prayerful silence and purposeful slowing....

I've... got... to... remember... to... continually... practice... the disciplines of slowing, solitude, and silence.

It's in those moments that the dull roar of life ebbs enough so that I can hear the whispers of God more clearly. I'm convinced that if I practice these disciplines that it will help me hear those whispers even when the noise of life is ear-splitting loud.

Do you know what your strengths are?

I'm reading a great book that every leader should check out. This New York Times best seller, written by Tom Rath, is entitled "Strengths Finder." The book focuses on helping individuals identify their strengths and then in turn maximize them. It raises the point that people often focus incredible amounts of energy to become stronger and better in areas of weakness rather than strengthening, maximizing and celebrating the areas in which they are strong. While I do believe that we should continually work to become better and more balanced in all areas of our life, Rath does raise a valid point. I don't recommend ignoring your areas of weakness, in doing so you will probably become one of those rather difficult individuals whom no one desires to be around. But, what if you focused 80% of our time and energy strengthening and maximizing the areas that your strongest in? What kind of an impact could your life have? What kind of impact could my life have?

Along with the book comes an access code to a "strengths finder test," which helps you identify your own strengths. This was quite the telling exercise for me - nothing new, just reaffirming. The test alone may make the book worth it's purchase price.

May you identify your strengths and may you in turn allow God maximize them to build his kingdom.

How to impact a life...

This story rocked my world...reminded me to never minimize the impact one's life can have upon another, that often there is something going on below the surface, that we need to be slower to judge and quicker to love, and that the broken and hurting people we encounter need to be loved and encouraged.

ONE OF THE BEST STORIES I'VE EVER HEARD!

As she stood in front of her 5th grad e class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth.. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard


Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big 'F' at the top of his papers.


At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file , she was in for a surprise.


Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... He is a joy to be around..'


His second grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.'


His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken.'

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.'

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even w orse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, 'Mrs. Thompson, today y ou smelled just like my Mom used to.'

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her 'teacher's pets..'

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life...

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honours. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favourite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came... This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favourite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, 'Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.'

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whisper ed back. She said, 'Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you.'

(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Doctor at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

seek to make a difference in someone's life today...

Leadership nuggets

I'm continually reminded that leadership is both an art and a science....

Evolution

Proving that evolution is true..... Enjoy the hairstyles of yours truly