29. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

As all of you know, New Orleans and the Louisiana Coast are under threat of another major storm.  Katrina, three years ago to the day, blasted us as a Category 3.  Gustav, making its way to the Gulf, looks as if it will be at least a Cat 3 as well.  As one news story, just aired, demonstrated, many here are still trying to overcome Katrina, and are scared to death.

One woman, just interviewed, and just now getting out of a trailer which she has lived in for 3 years post-Katrina, said, “I don’t know if I can handle another blow.”  Many feel that way.  Unless you live here, or have served here in the aftermath of Katrina, you cannot begin to understand how that storm altered all of our lives here.  Still today, in every coffee shop, health club, workplace, and playground, everyone demarcates their lives around the storm.  Still today, every day, you hear conversations peppered with the phrase, “Since the storm…”.

The point is that all of us here remember, feel, and process Katrina as if it happened yesterday.  Now, a day later, we are facing another “big one”.  As with Katrina, should Gustav hit, many lives will be altered and many will need help.  Pray for all of us in Louisiana that God would bring us tremendous grace.  If you are at relative peace in your life and geographic region, remember, statistically speaking 9 out of 10 Americans live in areas where they are open to disaster (tornado, flood, fire, hurricane, earthquake, etc.).  We are all open to the same realities of life.

God will, no doubt, use His people to do great things in the aftermath of this approaching storm.  And, wherever it hits, stories of grace, mercy, generosity, and healing will play out.  God always works amidst disaster.

Ironically, scheduled months ago, I will be taping a television program this coming week (provided I can get a flight out of town) which will feature my book Soul Storm (soulstormsite.com).  The interview will focus on how God worked amidst Katrina and how He works in the lives of anyone who experiences disaster of any sort.  I will do that interview with a fresh sense of the need we all have for God’s tangible touch amidst life’s tough realities.  Please, pray for me as I attempt to encourage many through the show.  And more critically, pray for God’s grace and goodness to be demonstrated in the lives of many as this storm makes its way to land.

As always, we appreciate you prayers, financial support and your cheer-leading our cause.

Grace amidst the storms,

Bruce Smith

please, consider a financial gift to Optimus at this critical time.  Simply mail to:

Optimus Life

4 whippoorwill

covington, la 70433

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28. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

In light of the fact that tomorrow is the three year “anniversary” of Hurricane Katrina, and in light of the fact that those of us in the New Orleans area are staring the possibility of another major storm in the face, and because we began the week talking about the place of the Church in our society and personal lives, I thought it would be smart to focus a bit more on our need for the Church, especially amidst the storms of life.

That being so, I offer the following portion of Soul Storm (www.soulstormsite.com) which focuses on the healing power of the Church in our lives when we are facing the winds of life.  As you read, please, pray for those of us who are in the New Orleans area and are having to make plans for yet another evacuation.  Remember, also, those (many) who are still healing from Katrina even as this new threat appears.

Grace and Peace in the storm.  Enjoy the read.

The Church: levee and shelter from the storm

National Public Radio’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans included a feature on EMS workers and their reports of the massive increase in suicide rates and psychological trauma. The emergency workers interviewed told of suicide rates in New Orleans doubling in the months following the storm. Though the population of the city has diminished by at least one third and perhaps by as much as fifty percent, the number of suicides and attempted suicides continues to rise. Distress call levels each day now match what would have been weekly totals prior to the storm.

One of the disturbing accounts given during the NPR interview was that of an elderly woman who had been left behind by her family when they evacuated. Intoxicated, depressed, and without hope, this woman went to her kitchen, turned on the gas at the stove, and then sat down in a chair to die. EMS workers told NPR that these kinds of things are happening everyday throughout the city. The darker reality is that even these heroic emergency workers are not immune from the soul-wrenching pain brought by Katrina. Many of them have lost their own homes and yet have to spend long hours helping those around, leaving little time to deal with their own issues. One EMS worker, Paul, told of his battle with depression. Paul shared his grief with listeners telling of his struggle with the overwhelming sadness that blankets his soul. Daily, he sits alone and weeps. Paul went on to share that his mind is so overcome by the emotional stress that he often forgets where he is and why he has ventured to a certain part of town while running errands and tending to his own business.

Where are people to find hope when everything around them is in shambles? Is there any protection from the soul tsunami that threatens to bring more destruction as each day passes? Where does one turn to find help for the challenge of removing the debris inside, which clutters the heart and overwhelms the emotions? The good news is that God has given us a protection system, and He has provided shelter from the storms of life. That shelter and protection is to be found in the Church. By this I do not mean, simply, the four walls of a building. Rather, the Church is the community of faith devoted to God and living daily life out of a passionate and authentic attempt to honor Him and striving to do life His way.

Shelter in the Early Church: Acts 2

Acts 2 offers us an amazing view of what it is like to know, love, and serve God in community. The image offered is one that provides a source of healing and protection for people like Paul and anyone else who has been confronted with life’s cruel realities. The Church, as revealed in the book of Acts, is a testimony to what God can do in the world when people are willing to take Him at His word and live life according to His plan. It is a picture of selflessness, provision, friendship, and support. Those early believers, who had just endured the disaster of seeing their leader crucified, had come to know the hope and new life offered through the Resurrection, and found the promise of a better life. The life of the Church in the book of Acts demonstrates how a relationship with God, lived out in community with others, can lead to a journey that promotes emotional, psychological, and spiritual health. It is a testimony to the Church’s call and ability to be an influence for properly functioning communities. Let’s take a look at the inspiring picture of the Church in community in Acts 2:42-47:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

I don’t know that I can ever read that passage without being moved toward great aspiration and a hunger for that kind of community. Each time I read that text, something happens in me. For me, that is one of the special “moments” captured in scripture that causes the hairs to stand up and gets the goose bumps popping. Don’t we all hunger for that kind of existence? That is what life was meant to be about.

The passage tells us that as the Church goes about its business, the result is awe. I don’t know about you, but I have seen too much in the Church that is far from awe-inspiring; awful is a more apt description. But we have the promise that the Church can function appropriately, and the result will be that those looking in on our activity will be drawn to it. The life of the Church, the unselfishness demonstrated by the early church, gave hope and inspiration to every soul within reach. Those living life around us need to see the life-transforming power of the Church in order to find shelter from the storm and protection from the coming flood waters. The Church is to be a levee for the world. We are called to keep at bay those forces that seek to bring havoc to our communities and to our world.

They had everything in common! This is a big one. One of the major stumbling blocks for non-believers coming to the Church for help is the fact that they see far too much lack of commonality among church-goers. It remains true today that the most segregated hour in American society is the Sunday morning church hour. It ought not be. If we are to ever see a society in which the issues surrounding race are overcome, it must begin with the Church. Government, politics, and all the other initiatives out there have no hope in addressing this one. This can only be pulled off as God brings reconciliation through the Church. All the battles over reparations will never bring a resolution. Reconciliation is the answer. Black, white, Jew, Gentile, and every other stripe will find peace only through the common denominator of knowing, loving and serving God.

In the weeks and months following the devastation on the Gulf Coast, the Church has come alive. Thousands of church volunteers from across the country and the world have rushed into the area to bring food, supplies, and encouragement. While FEMA and our government found the task too huge to handle, it was the Church that showed up quickly, without delay, and provided much-needed help for those in desperate situations. Church workers from far and wide came to build, hand out food, give money, provide medical care, and offer comfort. The surroundings did not matter to them as they ministered. For days, weeks, and months, they came and slept on the floors of churches, in tents, in campers, and on cots. The help continues to pour in as day after day the Church extends its provisions to any who have need. The world needs the Church. The Church, the Bride of Christ, is the hope of the world. As the Church fulfills the role God intended for her, she finds favor, people respond, and communities are transformed. This is God’s process for changing our world. As the people of God walk with authenticity and live life from a compassionate perspective, God adds daily to the ranks of those finding meaning, significance, hope and purpose.

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27. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

The scriptures tell us that the Church is special in the eyes of God.  In fact, so special is the Church in the eyes and heart of God that it is called “The Bride of Christ”.  God is intimately connected to the Church.  In a world where we often see the failures of the Church advertised in spectacular fashion sometimes we can question why we need the Church.

In the book of Acts, chapter 2, we find a description of the Church which all too often is foreign to us in our modern era.  In verses 42 and following we are offered a picture of the Church as it was intended to be.  When the Church functions this way it, she, is the full expression of God’s redemptive love story for this world.

This truth, the tangible expression of God’s love for the world, brought to life in the proper functioning of the Church, is one we need in ever increasing measure.  We are all too aware of the failings of the Church and of Church goers, but I wonder how many of us spend any time reflecting on the beauty of the Church when it is operating as God intended it to operate.

In order to offer us a glimpse of this encouraging reality, I am pasting an excerpt from a Pastor I know well.  This is simply a brief description, a little glimpse, of the impact of one small community of faith in one area of the country.  Take note of the breadth of this faith community’s reach in just the last three years, following Hurricane Katrina.  Then consider that this is but one Church.  If you do the math, and multiply this staggering amount of grace by untold multiples, you begin to see just how thankful we must be for God’s working in the heart of His people and in the life of the local church.  Multiply similar efforts by untold thousands the world over and you begin to see how profound the impact of God’s Church is in the world.  Truly, this is how God makes His love known in a world racked by pain and need.  Here are the numbers from Trinity Church in Covington Louisiana alone:

Statistics

This ministry highlights list was recently put together for St. Tammany Parish officials as we try to secure a permit to build our Disaster Response Building and deal with zoning issues:

a)     We have assisted almost 1000 residents of St. Tammany Parish alone in post Katrina clean up and reconstruction through the Compassion Ministry.

b)     We have assisted another 1500 residents across the Lake and in surrounding Parishes.

c)      We have served approximately 1500 additional residents of the Parish through the Trinity Cares Ministry, a food pantry for those with on going needs.

d)     We have and plan to continue to supply the Parish Social Services and Storm Storehouse with donated goods and supplies that we receive.

e)     We have and plan to continue to support the Elderly Protective Services by helping to meet needs of some of their clients in the community.

f)        We now serve as a voting center for the Parish.

g)     With the approval and assistance of the Parish in resolving these zoning issues, we plan to continue to help residents of St. Tammany.

h)      We have directly invested over $1 million dollars into the local economy through the Compassion Ministry alone.  We estimate at least another $2.5 million has been invested through local purchase of goods and services by the volunteers who have served here

i)        We have facilitated thousands of volunteers coming to the region to help with the outreach efforts who have further invested into the local economy.  They have contributed over 500,000 man-hours of donated labor, valued at over $10,000,000.

We thank God for over 13,000 volunteers from 42 states and 7 countries who have come to New Orleans with compassionate hearts and helpful hands.

Again, this is merely one incomplete glimpse of God at work in one Church, in a very brief window of time!  Is it any wonder that the Church is often called “The hope of the world”?  No government, religion, man-made program, political party, or any other force in the world as we know it can ever match the power of God’s people, living as He has called them to live, to effect the world for good.

Despite all its imperfections, failures, mis-steps, and shortcomings, the Church remains, indeed, the hope of the world.  Are you burned out on “church”?  Perhaps, you should give it another look.  Perhaps, you need to find a faith community where God is actively involved and at work in the lives of His people.  Read the book of Acts and see what the Church can be if you are dissatisfied with what it has been.

Are you looking for a bigger life?  Do you want to pursue an endeavor larger than yourself?  Wanna know that your life matters?  Be the Church.

Give Him a shot,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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25. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

The podcast for Bruce’s radio show “Think Out Loud” is now up!  This past Saturday’s show featured a great line up including Mr. Louisiana Politics, Jeff Crouere, Chad Garrison, and Author Matt Rogers.  The show also included a surprise interview with Rev. Jesse Jackson!!

The show covered local and state politics, the national Presidential race and the Obama/Biden updates, McCain strategy, and Rev. Jackson’s reaction to the Biden pick.

Bruce talked with Matt Rogers, author of When Answer’s Aren’t Enough, about the V Tech tragedy and the role of pain in our lives.

This is a show you have to hear, and features Bruce’s impersonation of one of America’s most colorful political figures.

The link is here for your use:

http://wgso.com/content/view/7532/172/

Just cut and paste the link into your browser, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the show!

optimuslife.org

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22. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

Dear Bruce,

I am a mess of a person.  I have made many bad choices in my life and have lots of pain in my life to show for it.  Because I have lived a life choosing my plan before God’s plan, I am not even sure God still has a plan for me.  Is there a future worth looking forward to for someone like me?  Or do I just have to accept I will live the rest of my life, because of my poor choices, in a state of mediocrity at best?

John

John,

Heartfelt questions, ones which I think all of us can closely identify with.  Let me, from the start, make you keenly aware that the Gospel, the message of Jesus’ teaching, is for people like you, me and the rest.  Biblically speaking, and as a practically observable reality, we have all made poor choices in our lives.  Even some of the heroes of faith we often look to for inspiration have made royally poor choices.  Moses-murderer.  David-murderer and adulterer.  Paul-murderer of Christians.  The list could go on…one liar, thief, trickster, moral failure after another.  That is not to say that some don’t obviously choose to live in a pattern of persistent failure.  Many do, sadly.  The Gospel message and the message of Jesus’ life and teaching, however, are all about bringing mercy and grace to those who have seen themselves bring pain into their lives.

Last week, on my radio show “Think Out Loud” (wgso.com) I addressed this reality as we discussed various scandals in the political arena and in public life in general.  As humans, we are prone to make a mess of things.  Adultery, greed, lust, violence, thievery, falsehood, anger, and so  many more ills infect us.  When we come to a place where we are willing to admit to ourselves, to God, and to others that we are in need of mercy and renewal, that is where the road to healing begins. Paul, who was transformed from a killer of Christians to a hero of the Church is famous for his cries to God to help him deal with the allure of sin which caused him to do all those things he wished not to do.  Too often, Paul commented, he was prone to do the bad he did not want to do, and found himself too often unable to do the good which he longed to do.  We are all in the same place.

The good news, it would appear, is that you have finally come to a place where you recognize that your choices are not merely choices.  You seem to have admitted to yourself and perhaps to God that your missteps have been moral failings, breeches of God’s best for you.  In coming to that place, and in openly acknowledging that you have failed to live up to God’s agenda for you, you can ask for and expect His mercy.  He is about mercy.

My encouragement to you at this point in your life would be to take stock of the condition of your heart, ask God and others for forgiveness and healing where you have failed Him and others, and begin to make a grace-filled, concerted effort to allow God to show you where He desires to lead you for the duration of the journey.  Ask Him for His help where you know you are prone to weakness, and allow Him to use your strengths to further His work in you and others.

In relationships, work, play, and in the fabric of our thought-life, hopes, and dreams, God desires to offer His good and best purposes for us.  Abandon the thirst for putting Him off and open yourself to making His Plan A your Plan A.  So many have brought untold difficulty into their lives as a result of expecting God to bless their agenda.  Your “Plan B” can never match the good God offers in His plans, and He is not about blessing our misguided attempts to live life in a way that contradicts who He is and what He is about.  Though many try, and try hard time after time, our Plan B will never bring us the fulfillment we are looking for.

Take heart.  You will never be good enough to earn your way to God.  You will never climb a moral ladder high enough to please Him.  Its not about that.   Its about a trusting relationship with the lover of your soul.  You have failed and will fail again.  In those times in which you do just that in the future, run back to the compelling, tangible, vivid, artistic, and life-giving demonstration of God’s love which is the cross of Christ.  And, rather than making the cross into something of your own design (like so many in our culture are prone to do, abusing the image of the cross and turning it into a formula for financial success or an impotent bejeweled ornament of comfort and even sexuality for some) fall upon that image of mercy and grace and power.  In the mess of our lives we all find the healing, perspective, and future we hunger for at the foot of the cross, the beautiful cross.

Find yourself in Him,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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19. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

The American’s have swept the Men’s 400m hurdle final!  Now that the spotlight has shifted from the pool to the “Bird’s Nest” and the Track and Field competition, I thought it might be appropriate to change our focus and spend a little time reflecting on our ability, desire, and passion for running the race of life.  To that end, I have attached the following excerpt from my book, Soul Storm (www.soulstormsite.com).  Lace ‘em up, and enjoy the read!

This ain’t no sprint!  Building for the long-term

“This ain’t no sprint, this is a marathon!”  I have heard these words a thousand times since Katrina has come and gone.  In coffee shops, at dinner, in the papers and on television, people are recognizing more and more every day that the effort to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region will not happen quickly.  “Rome was not built in a day, and New Orleans will not be rebuilt in a day”, I heard recently.  City officials, state officials, and the Feds are trumpeting the same message.  It’s going to be a long road back.

No doubt, we are in for a long, hard run in this rebuilding effort.  This is going to take a great deal of time and huge dose of endurance.  I cannot help but think, however, how much of this grief we could have avoided here in New Orleans had the construction crews, engineers, and leadership prepared our levees for the long run.  What seems sure now, and as I have stated earlier, the evidence now shows that the extensive flooding that overcame New Orleans was a result of poor levee construction.  The levees, it seems, were constructed with materials that, over time, broke down leaving weak spots in critical places.  Those weak spots gave way in the worst of times and the results were devastating. 

What if New Orleans’ levees had been constructed with materials known to have the ability to maintain their integrity for a much longer period of time?  What if the levees were built to withstand a category five hurricane rather than just a category three storm?  Standing amidst the rubble now, the answers to those questions are clear and frustrating.  As is the case with this physical destruction, so it is with our lives.  When we prepare, construct and build a life for the long-term we win.  When we construct our lives and build our decisions upon the short term, the momentary, we fail and destruction ensues.  Further, when our decisions or life’s circumstances have led to our need to rebuild, we must at that point make a conscious decision to design the rebuilding effort for the long haul. 

My goal in the next few pages is to offer a model for building or rebuilding a life, a community, a city, a country for the long-term.  The marathon runner offers us some helpful insights into this endurance challenge.  As any accomplished marathoner is aware, a successful race requires much more than the unbridled enthusiasm and inspiration you feel while at the starting line.  If the long distance runner is going to make it to the end and attain his goal certain abilities have to be nurtured.  I believe the lessons here will be helpful to anyone looking to gain a fresh start.  Though the goal may seem like it is a long way off, with proper training, conditioning, and care, you can make it to the finish line.  Not only that, you can run the race and finish well.  With proper training, nutrition, and care the race can be a rewarding one.  Let’s take a look at our strategy to stay in the race and enjoy the competition.  Here are the key ingredients needed to make it through this marathon we call life.

1. Learn to adapt to any race day conditions.

Strong marathoners prepare themselves to run in any temperature.  Even in overwhelming heat, the good marathoner will be able to adapt and indeed thrive in the race.  As people searching to find our way in the disasters of life, we need to find the resolve that enabled Shadrac and his friends to remain in the furnace waiting for God to show up.  The heat will be turned up at times in our lives.  If we choose to bail out and give up each time a major challenge comes our way, we give up on the call of God to make us what He is calling us to be.  Jeremiah was the “weeping prophet”, but he endured and was God’s great spokesman.  Do not forsake the race of faith when all around you appears to be caving in.  Endure the heat, adapt, and run for your life.  When the wind and waves have made conditions around you less than favorable, take courage, look up, and keep running.  There is a reward at the end.

2. Beat muscle soreness.

The race will take its toll at times.  You can feel beat up.  But as any athlete knows, muscle soreness is a sign you are doing things right and growth is taking place.  Don’t quit when the soreness sets in.  Work through it and allow God to bring about the growth He intends.  It’s part of the process.  There is no better feeling than to know you just gave it your all, played your guts out, left it on the field, and you stand exhausted but exhilarated because of your effort.  Run through the tough spots, keep your stride.  It hurts at times, but remember, joy comes in the morning.  The only way to get rid of the soreness is to keep on keeping on.  Keep building.

3. Learn to train when you hurt.

Press through the workouts even when you feel some hurts.  All great runners and indeed all great athletes “play hurt” from time to time.  Who can forget those nights when Michael Jordan came to the court totally depleted, dehydrated, weak, and yet played his heart out and scored 50 points to lead his team to a big win?  Those kinds of moments inspire those looking on.  You don’t forget them.  When you are pressing hard for the goal there will be moments that hurt—stay with it, keep running, and never, never, never give up.  When you are rebuilding and giving every ounce of energy you have, sometimes you can lose focus and drive that hammer right into your thumb.  The explicatives come and the pain throbs.  But keep hammering away.  A few more nails and you may just have yourself a house. 

4. Massage therapy

All marathon runners have many massages during their training period.  Without this kind of professional care and attention their muscles would not last for the next day of training.  Massage, attention to muscle soreness, is critical for muscle repair and functioning.  None of us, no matter how “spiritual”, can go it alone all the time.  We all need some help occasionally.  At times, even leaders, need to get in front of someone who can offer counseling and help for issues we wrestle with.  There are no Christian Supermen.  Rather than pretend you are something you are not, get help when you need it.  It’s o.k.  God intends for us to minister to one another.  Left unattended, some of our issues, hurts, pains, will scar us for life and will kill the life of God in us.  In the wake of hurricane Katrina everyone in her reach was affected.  Rich, poor, middleclass and everyone of every color, shape, size and age felt Katrina’s wrath.  Too many, however, try to hide behind money, position, accomplishment, a spiritual façade to mask the fear and uncertainty.  None of us can go it alone all the way and all of us need someone else to give us an ear occasionally.  We were created for community and we die when we do not have it.  That’s why few runners run alone.  There is strength in numbers.  Get some care when you need it.  When your arms are heavy from lifting too many rafters, call for some support.

5. Injury recovery strategies

It is not true that “time heals all wounds”.  Some wounds, left alone, only get worse.  Scar tissue can hinder proper function in the body.  Runners pay special attention to hip, back and knee issues.  If a runner leaves an injury to one of these areas alone too long it can indeed take him out of the race.  These are big ones for runners.  A marathoner cannot endure 24 miles with a major problem in one of these critical areas.  As builders we must address the “big” issues in our lives.  Those besetting sins which we hide from others can ultimately sideline us.  Take care of the nasty wounds and get a bandage on them as quickly as you can.  Properly cared for they can heal and gain new strength.  Neglected, they can put you on the disabled list.  And if you are on the disabled list, you cannot be a difference maker, you cannot run.  Bitterness is not the proper response to the events in life you consider unfair.  Surrender to the forces that are battering you is not the way to victory either.  Allow God to bind up your wounds and get you running again. 

6. Proper nutrition

Eating the proper diet is absolutely critical for the long distance runner.  The right mix of fat, carbohydrates and protein are essential to performance.  If a runner eats too much fat or too few carbs leading into race day he will not perform as he should.  Likewise, as people attempting to rebuild, if we do not feed on the Word daily we will falter, wear out, loose momentum.   Sunday is not enough.  We must place ourselves at God’s training table on a daily basis.  Remember, the chief end of man is to know God and enjoy Him forever.  We cannot know Him if we are not spending time learning of Him on a regular basis.  If we do not know Him then we cannot enjoy Him.  If we are not enjoying Him we cannot have the emotional capacity to stay in the race when the challenges of the course come.  Dieting on drive thru philosophy, the fads of the day, will, like sugar, bring a quick high, but ultimately, a huge crash.  Jesus said He was The way, The truth, and The life.  He suggested that no one comes to God apart from Him.  He is the fuel our race was meant to run on.  When tempted to give up on the rebuilding effort, when you find yourself too tired to get up another day, open His word and get the nutrition you need to keep at it.

7. Keep a training log

Runners will often times keep a very accurate journal of performance.  Seconds shaved can make a difference.  Adjustments in technique can save a long distance runner minutes in a race.  Accomplishments and goals pursued and recorded offer ongoing incentive to the runner to keep on track with the training process.  As long-term builders we find great hope when we can look back on what God has done in our lives, the lessons we have learned along the way, how we navigated challenges in the past.  These records of performance give us passion to remain in the race and pursue the finish line.  This is not a sprint.  Keeping that in mind, we must recognize that our memory tends to fade over the long haul.  Keep track of those key moments when you know that God gave you the extra spark you needed to stay in the race.  In the future, when fatigue and discouragement set in, you may need these reminders of God’s care and providence. 

We must pursue rebuilding and life like the finish line is worth pursuing.  Remember, our reward is eternal and the joy set before us is our inspiration.  Run to show the life of God in you.  Pursue the finish with the same enthusiasm with which you started.  In fact, make it your prayer that God would enable you to sprint through the finish line!  Be faithful, finish well, and build it better than before.

Run!

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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18. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

Check out Bruce’s radio show podcast for “Think out Loud”.  The show, which aired on Saturday, features discussions on politics, leadership, and finding God’s grace and renewal amidst failure.

Simply cut and paste the following link into your browser in order to hear the podcast.

http://wgso.com/content/view/7472/172/

optimuslife.org

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15. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

Dear Bruce,

I have been really challenged by many of your writings and the call to embrace a different sort of life.  Like most people, I tend to view life from a day to day perspective and don’t really look at life in terms of doing anything particularly great.  And I certainly don’t look at life in light of eternity on a regular basis.

Trouble is, for me, I get so lost in the routine and trying to stay afloat, that I just cannot see myself actually creating, let alone working toward, a strategic plan focused on a new life.  I am good at business, and am fairly smart, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I am not living up to my potential or “calling” as you put it.

Simply put, I think I am at a point in my life where I do want something different, but I am not sure what it is or how to begin.  I just sort of know that I want something more.  I want to do and be something more.  So, how do I get there from here?

Ed

Ed,

Great letter.  Huge questions.  Real life reality.  Many, I believe, are right where you are.  Just today I ran into a friend who had moved away for some time and has recently come back to town with his wife and kids.  The guy, who has done very well in business for some time, is moving back in order to do “something different”.  The adventure he and his family are just starting is an admirable one, but a very tough one.  They are starting a church!  As he put it, “If I were not called to do this, I am not so sure I would be altering my life like I am in order to get after it.”  As I former church planter myself, I encouraged him with these words, “If you are called to it, you will be miserable not doing it.  If you are not called to it…RUN FOR THE DOORS NOW!”

What is important here is to point out the significance of life altering decisions which determine how we live, who we impact, and how our lives play out.  This guy and his family have no “need”, other than the need to do what they were  meant to do, to be on such a journey.  Business and the good life were plenty entertaining enough.  However, what they have learned, and what we all learn at some point, is that ease, comfort, and passivity can only last so long.  Eventually, we all stand before the proverbial mirror to our souls, and we are confronted with the stark reality that this is not all there is.  There must be more.  It is then that a desire to live a larger life begins to take shape.  Seems like you may be at that point.

So, on to your journey.  The only impulse, one which will last throughout the adventure and all its wonderful dangers, is a sense of being washed away (to keep with the Olympic water sport theme of the week) from something (your current approach to life) and to a new vision (a larger life).  If we are not caught up in the tide of God’s moving, it is doubtful that the swim to a better shore will amount to much.  When God is calling us to Himself and to certain visions for life, He captures us, He washes us away with the splendor of His plan for us.  Ask God for that kind of sense or leading for your life.  When you are so enamored with a life bigger than the one you can pull off on your own, you will feel washed away from the mundane daily sense of “So what?” and you will be swept up in the tidal wave of adventure God is calling you to.  Anything less leaves you open to the possibility of running out of gas midway through the swim and calling for a life preserver as you struggle for your life in the waters of indifference.

In order to help you a bit more I am attaching a section from my book, Soul Storm (www.soulstormsite.com) which addresses this very theme.  Read about the life and music of John Coltrane and allow yourself to be swept away in the drama of God’s divine plan for your life.

Enjoy the read.

Washed Away

John Coltrane was a jazz master.  His accomplishments have reached beyond the realm of jazz and his recordings are studied by musicians of every stripe.  If you have ever taken time to listen to his work you know what it is to be washed away, lost, for a time.  “Train” or “Trane”, as he came to be known, pushed the envelope in the jazz world.  Always looking for a fresh sound, an innovative creation, Coltrane was perhaps, the hinge point for change in the jazz world.  His music registers on a different scale from the many jazz greats that had gone before or have come since.  John Coltrane’s ability with the saxophone is legendary as is his ability to carry listeners beyond what they have known or experienced.  Trane’s greatest achievement as a musician, is the highly regarded A Love Supreme.  Coltrane, himself, knew almost immediately that this was what his entire musical journey was leading up to.  He had come to know also, how far away he was from truly living life with passion, understanding and insight.  Leading up to the creation of this work Coltrane’s story was like too many we have heard about.  Fame, travel, money, the pursuit of pleasure, had all led to a life of addiction and desperation.  As the winds blew over the years the storm within his soul grew in intensity.  Eventually, the addictions, brokenness and strife washed over him and He made a turn, a change.  Out of this change, one of the most important contemporary musical contributions on record was birthed.  A Love Supreme spoke to him immediately, and has arrested hearers every since. 

A Love Supreme was born over a five day period in 1964.  John Coltrane had been going non-stop that year and had recently seen the birth of his first son.  Taking a few weeks away from his brutal schedule and planning to spend time with wife and child, Coltrane got away from it all.  He took his wife and son to their new home and planned to kick back for awhile.  Then “the work” came calling.  Amidst the joy and expectation of having a newborn son, John Jr., came the birth of another creation.  This new birth would be the crowning achievement of his musical life and would demonstrate a new found desire to leave his old life behind in pursuit of the divine call to a higher life.  His new artistic creation would be a marvelous, poetic, heart stirring jazz tribute to God.  After those five days of seclusion in a separate part of the house John Coltrane came back to earth a different man.  His wife knew something different had taken place.  Ashley Kahn, in the introduction to his book on John Coltrane, titled after Trane’s most famous work, records Alice Coltrane’s remarks,

It was like Moses coming down from the mountain, it was so beautiful.  He walked down and there was that joy, that peace in his face, tranquility.  So I said, ‘Tell me everything, we didn’t see you really for four or five days…’  He said, ‘This is the first time that I have received all of the music for what I want to record, in a suit.  This is the first time I have everything, everything ready.”

This work, written as a tribute to God, became a best seller as soon as it hit the stores.  Its impact still reaches listeners today.  Musicologists, musicians, music lovers can tell of their first encounters with this amazing work.  Ashley Kahn, points to a few of the memorable recollections of first-timers,

The first time I heard A Love Supreme, it really was an assault.  It could’ve been from Mars as far as I was concerned, or another galaxy.  I remember the album cover and name, but the music didn’t fit into the patterns of my brain at that point.  It was like someone trying to tell a monkey about spirituality or computers, you know, it just didn’t compute.  (Carlos Santana)

I was at the top of the Grand Hotel in Chicago [on tour in 1987] listening to A Love Supreme and learning the lesson of a lifetime.  Earlier I had been watching televangelists remake God in their own image: tiny, petty, and greedy.  Religion has become the enemy of God, I was thinking…religion was what happened when God, like Elvis, has left the building.  I knew from my earliest memories that the world was winding in a direction away from love and I too was caught in its drag.  There is so much wickedness in the world but beauty is our consolation prize…the beauty of John Coltrane’s reedy voice, its whispers, its knowingness…Coltrane began to make sense to me.  I left the music on repeat and I stayed awake listening to a man facing God with the gift of his music.” (Bono, Lead Singer U2)

Just as Santana, Bono, and many others have gotten washed away to another place while listening to Coltrane’s work, so we too can be carried away by the Master’s purposes. 

The experience of Coltrane moving on from a life of addiction and despair toward something more birthed a musical achievement that will live on for time to come.  His willingness to hear, listen, and respond to God stirring him, moving him, and offering him a better life provided all of us something of beauty we can appreciate.  Had he chosen to stay where he was, living in what he had previously known, we would be without this great work.  And the same is true of us.  When we are brought to that “moment”, that fork in the road, that turning point, we must pursue the route that God assures us is for an enlarging of the borders of our heart.  Moving on and allowing God to wash away what we formerly knew is critical to our future.  Like Santana, though we may not at first see the patterns in the music, in time we can come to recognize the value of God’s plan.  In the wash cycle of God’s work, we find a life clean, fresh, new, and more desirable.  When the old is gone and the new has come we understand what Coltrane intended in his titling his glorious work A Love Supreme.  It is the Creator’s supreme love that gives our lives direction.  The supreme love of God is where we find a life worth living.  In the stirrings of our lives we ought to look for the hand of God seeking to lead us to a better place.  Washed away in the waters of His unending love we find ourselves carried away to new life.  Displacement of the life we once knew may be the very thing we need. 

Go get ‘em!

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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14. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

Back on the water theme today.  In light of Michael Phelps amazing performances and the unending media coverage there of, I am still pondering the water theme.  The 2008 Olympics is all about the water, and the records being set in it.  Like many, I am pulling for Phelps to win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win (I think that is eight wins).  When he does so, he will have accomplished a seemingly unattainable feat.

The name Mark Spitz has stuck with me and my thoughts of Olympic greatness ever since I was a four year old.  Born in 1968, the ‘72 Olympics sticks with me as my first real and vibrant sports-related “moment”.  Now, decades later, Phelps stands poised to break that record of 7 gold medals, and seven world records, in a single Olympics…a record set in the water.  Wow.

As impressive as all of this is, I would like to take a moment to offer us a little perspective.  No matter how amazing Phelps’ run turns out to be, he will never overcome one record, a water record, which has stood for over 2,000 years.   Like so many other athletes who have come before him, and so many that will follow, Phelps is taking it all in and the media is eating it up.  I for one am loving the ride.  It is thrilling to watch greatness as it is happening.  As a fan and a decent athlete, sports has captured me since I was a small child.  For me, life has always unfolded in its most vibrant hues on the field of play.  I come alive and my spirit soars inside the lines of a court or a field.  The Olympics, for me, has always been a thrill.  I can remember, as a younger guy, literally beginning the four year countdown as soon as the Olympics wrapped up.  I was hungry to see the next great performance on the world stage of competition.

Back to Phelps and his record setting.  As astounding as this run is, and it truly is stunning considering how many races he is swimming in a short period of time, his water run, as I mentioned prior, falls more than a bit short of the greatest water record ever set.  That record, unlike any that had come prior, save the parting of the Red Sea, stands today as the single most majestic “run” ever etched in the annals of Waterdom.  Moreover, this record, never to be matched in any Olympic venue, stands as a watermark for life not merely competition.  This record, a true conquering of the waters, offers us the clarion call to find the life we were meant to live.  This record calls each of us to conquer our fears, doubts, false sense of security, and our hunger for more out of life.

The record of which I speak is, of course, that of Jesus (and Peter) walking upon the water.  Yes, they actually walked on the water.  Right on top of it.  Try that Michael Phelps!  In light of the focus on the water theme this week, and in an effort to synchronize my efforts with that of the Games, I offer the reading below on Jesus’ and Peter’s great record.  Do you want to know what it means to soar?  Do you want to experience a quality of life that even exceeds that of Mr. Phelps?  If so, and as the reading suggests, you have got to get out of the boat!  It’s time for you and I to make an attempt to chase that record set some 2,000 years ago.  Let’s take our best shot at walking on water.

If you, like all great athletes and record setters, are looking for “more”, attempting to scale the next feat, take the next hill, or accomplish the next great task, then I believe you will find encouragement for the race in the excerpt below which comes from my book, Soul Storm (www.soulstormsite.com).  As you read, prayerfully consider what it is that God is calling you to do and to be in the race of life.  As was the case for Phelps when he was just a young boy, and as is the case with nearly all great athletes who are successful in individual competition, the journey to greatness begins with the risk of getting after it.  The future cannot be fully known, and the sacrifices are great, but the journey and the destination are worth the risk required for greatness.  Enjoy the read.

The Call to Something More

What if you could walk on water?  Pursuing the “what if” is not easy, but the rewards are worth everything you risk.  We often refer to this hypothetical dream as if it has never happened or we refer to it as if only “one guy” has ever done it.  In reality, Jesus was not the only person to have ever pulled this off.  Earlier in the book we looked at the first part of the account, but now let’s look at Matthew’s version of the rest of the story.

…and in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.  But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid.’  And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’  He said, ‘Come’.  So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.  (Matthew 14:25-29)

What an experience this must have been.  Amidst a major storm, the winds howling, the rain pounding down, and in all likelihood surrounded by waves as tall as Peter stood himself, this man got up his nerve enough to take an enormous risk.  He got out of the boat, and walked on water!  What an absurd notion for anyone in the real world to even suggest something so stupid.  Who did this guy think he was anyway?  And if it were not ridiculous enough already to attempt something so bizarre, this guy wanted to try this in the middle of a violent storm.  What arrogance! 

But was Peter really arrogant, stupid, and over-confident or was he pursuing life as God intended it to be pursued?  We get too few big moments in life.  What if Howard Schultz would have taken “No.” for an answer when he was first refused in his petitions to join the ranks of Starbucks?   What if Gary had never left his home and traveled away from the surroundings that had kept a liver transplant from taking place?  What if the man, crippled with Palsy, had never been carried to Jesus for healing?  What happens if we miss the big moments life brings our way and we don’t venture out in new directions?  Do we settle for less?  We certainly do. 

For those who have never taken a risk on faith in God, they miss the abundant life He offers.  The fear of “giving up” what we know can leave us spiritually crippled in this life, never knowing what it means to live a life of significance.  It has been said that the problem with Christianity is not that it has been tried and found wanting, but rather, it has been found hard and left untried.  Get out of the boat, take a chance on God.  See what He is capable of doing in and with your life.  God can and will instill new visions, bigger dreams, and greater clarity in your life when you trust Him for your purposes.  He may call you to things you never imagined or He may fulfill that desire in you that has yet never been voiced, planned or attempted.  He may use you in leadership to help others rebuild homes, cities, countries and lives.  He may use you to bring a plan into shape that will help numerous people recapture their lives.  Are you willing to take a risk?  Are you willing to dive in?

Peter’s venture toward a massive, God-sized risk was not perfectly executed, but it certainly was filled with drama, excitement and an exhilarating experience of the power of God.  The story continues to unfold as we read,

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’  And when the got into the boat, the wind ceased.  And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’.  (Matthew 14:30-32)

Peter, a man taking an audacious risk, started out in confidence and strength and then got distracted by the storm around him causing him to lose focus and lose sight of his dream to do what had never been done before.  In the midst of the storms of our lives God is calling us to get out of the boat and take a chance on something more.  He always wants to pull us beyond ourselves toward bigger things.  When we are willing to take a risk on His agenda the unthinkable dream can come into shape.  When our eyes focus too much on what life looks like from our vantage point, however, we settle for less and we begin to sink.  We must learn to ask, amidst the winds and waves, what God is calling us to.  As it was for Peter, so it will be with us, there will be moments of fear and distraction.  We will not get it right all of the time.  Storms will continue to rage around us and we will feel vulnerable.  Thankfully, the Creator looks on us with compassion and love and extends His reach to us during those moments.  He does not push us further under the water forcing us to cry “Uncle!”  God does not take joy in our drowning.  Rather, He desires that we walk on the water beside Him with poise, composure, and strength, no matter how big the waves that threaten us.      

What is God calling you to now?  Whether you find yourself at this moment amidst great trouble or if you find yourself on top of the world, God’s call is the same.  It rains on the just and the unjust, and it is also true that the just and the unjust find “success”.  In either place God is calling us to know, love and serve Him.  The void that exists for those who have gotten more than a life’s share of rain is the same void that exists in the heart of the person that has seen a life of plenty.  The call to take a risk on knowing Him remains.  The call to risk your life for knowing the life of Christ is the decision by which we will all be measured.  As Saint Augustine suggested long ago, there exists a void in all of us, a God ordained void that cannot and will not be filled with anything other than Him. We will find no rest until we find our rest in Him.  Building a life God’s way entails a release of all that makes us secure and an embrace of a future lived under the gaze of the One who controls the winds and the waves.  What if you took that chance?  What would your life look like as you stepped out onto those waters?  There’s only one way to find out.  Don’t leave that risk untried. 

Risking it all on Him,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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12. August 2008 by BruceSmith.

Have you ever considered how fundamental the basic elements of wind and water are to life as we know it?  Have you ever thought about how much time we spend in and around water?  As humans, we seem to be drawn to water.  We consume designer water, bottle after bottle, we join health and country clubs where we can socialize with others around water (swimming pools, whirlpools, etc.), we watch our kids fill up little plastic balloons and throw the stuff at each other at parties during the summer, we go to water “parks”, aquariums, lakes, rivers, and we love to go to the beach and play next to and in the shark infested waters!  And, hopefully, most of us bathe in water regularly.

Water.  It can affect us in a number of ways.  At times, like yesterday, as I watched my two daughters stand, sing, and laugh outside during a downpour, the waters of life can offer us a respite, a refreshing.  At other times, the waters of life flood us with grief both physically and emotionally.  Water, and the other “elements” of life have a profound role in our lives.  It would do us well then, I think, to consider the One from whom the waters ultimately flow.  For any sense of understanding and hope as to the impact of the “elements” in our lives we must consider the One who holds them all in His hands.  Amidst the painful waters of death, loss, sadness, and sin, we must give thanks to the One who offers life, blessing, joy, and forgiveness.  In the torrential downpour of difficulty we face, we must turn to Him for safety and shelter.  Amidst the blissful soothing showers of life, and as we bask in the beauty of His rainbow of promise we, again, must thank the One who brings the blessing.

The writing below, an excerpt from my book Soul Storm (www.soulstormsite.com), is a brief glimpse of this One who brings, allows, controls, and ultimately gathers all the waters of our lives.  He brings the rushing waters of change, and from Him flows the river of cleansing for our guilt and shame.  He even bottles all of our tears, we are told in scripture.  In the midst of all the elements God is at work.  Consider Him.

God of Wind and Water

Wind and water are, of course, elements without which we cannot live.  The two are capable of refreshing and sustaining us and are essential to life on our planet.  Agencies, governments, and all kinds of groups are devoted to the critical task of making sure that the quality of our air and water are maintained.  Technology, money, and many resources are dedicated to the management of these most basic of elements.  Water treatment plants, bottled water, flavored water, spring water, well water, water testing, water parks, watering holes, water sports; there are references to importance of water all around us.  The same is true of wind.  Windmills, whirlwinds, the “windy city”, winds of change, passing wind (excuse me); wind is everywhere.  Water provides hydration for our bodies, nourishment for plants, a habitat for sea creatures, and is the backbone of the farming industry.  Wind provides for our needs in similar ways that affect our use of power, the way we travel, the development of plant growth, and the balance of our environment. 

Meteorologists study the trends and movement of our planet’s winds and waters, and have learned much about the way our world is affected by these elements.  All of us tune in regularly to hear the latest forecast for our area from the weather “experts”.  Though the experts are regularly proved wrong we have come to place a great deal of confidence in them.  Those of us that live in areas regularly affected by hurricanes have come to invest an extraordinary dependence on the experts during the six months of the year we have come to know as “hurricane season”.  Some of us border on Weather Channel addiction. 

Weather is all around us, and the wind and water of our world determine so much in terms of how we live from day to day.  The changes brought by the winds and waters of our world can and do affect our coming and going.  Farmers know the importance of the right balance of wind and water and just how important this balance is to economic survival.  Sailing enthusiasts know how the winds and waters can determine a great outing or day of misery on the boat.  Skiers are keenly aware of just how miserable it can be to get caught ten thousand feet up with the winds howling and the snow blowing.  Skiing in blizzard conditions is not much fun, I can attest to that.  Wind driven snow can turn a vacation into what literally feels like a cold day in hell.  Residents in areas prone to mudslides can tell of the destruction that comes from an over abundance of rain.  The wind and the rain to, indeed, bring significant changes to our climate and our lives.

With so much forecasting of the wind and the rain on the Weather Channel, CNN, and our local news stations we can easily deceive ourselves into thinking that in our modern, technological and “advanced” age, we can manage the affect of these elements upon our lives.  However, what Katrina, the recent wildfires in California, the mudslides in Central America, and the recent earthquake in Asia have demonstrated, the winds, waters, and forces of our world can bring enormous, life-altering change.  This far into the “advancement” of our world, we are still susceptible to the winds of change. 

We would do well to remember the origin of the winds and the waters.  Rather than speaking of “Mother Nature” as do many of the meteorologists, we should consider what the scriptures say of Father God and His direct and personal involvement in the direction of the laws of nature.  From the beginning we see the significance of these most crucial of elements in God’s plan,

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  …And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let us separate the waters from waters.”  And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse.  …And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” (Genesis 1:1-2,6-7,9)

Early on, from the very beginning actually, water was instrumental in the plan of God.  When the world was “without form” the waters were used to bring form to our world.  Could it be that God still uses the waters and the winds to bring form to our lives?  Could it be that God brings seasons of change into our world and into our lives to birth forth newness of vision, growth, and purpose?  Just as God did with Noah, He still uses the waters to bring forth new beginnings when His plan has gone awry.  Likewise, just as it was with Noah, though everyone around may doubt the sanity of those who embrace the coming storm and even question the reality of it’s existence, God still calls His people to see, embrace and prepare for the rising waters to come.  While God promised never to send a flood that would drown the entire world again, He certainly uses the waters and the winds to bring climate changes in our lives in order that His objectives and dreams for us might be accomplished.  The scriptures and history are replete with examples of God doing just this.  For those that find shelter in Him amidst the wind and the floods, good comes from the storm.  Even in being uprooted, relocated, and displaced, the purposes of God are not thwarted.  In fact, God’s best may be unfolding even as we find ourselves blown away from our present moorings and having been moved away by the winds.  Though we as people are habitually resistant to major change, in allowing God to change our view, we will find He has lifted us to new places, places He has designed for our good.  Remember, He has told us, “I have plans for you!”

Grace and Peace,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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