Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Barber Pole

Okay – I have been slacking in writing my journey moments. Life gets busy and the writings can tend be delayed.

This summer I had opportunities to go to a few yard sales. A friend and I have been trying to find some things for our church and one of the best places to find it is at a yard sale!

My first sale I noticed an old barber pole lying on the ground. My first thought was that I knew of a deacon in our church that decorated his garage into a men’s barbershop and wondered if he needed a pole. He would have the men come over for coffee and doughnuts. I am sure it was a fun time for them. I immediately said, almost out loud, “I need to call Mary.” (his wife)

After leaving that sale just a block down the street was another sale. After looking around a moment or two I stumbled upon - none other than Mary! Of course I understood that God brought us together and that our running into each other was not an accident – especially after what I had just seen and commented on!

I told her about the pole and she ran out like a horse out of the shoot hoping to get to it before anyone else.

That next morning at church she shared with me an amazing journey moment. She did go to the house with the barber pole. After visiting with the man a few minutes she asked him if he was a Maxwell – her last name. He said Yes! The story began to unfold. Her husband’s uncle had moved into the area but he did not know where. They had wanted to find the uncle but were unable to. You see the uncle had early stages of Alzheimer and was becoming very forgetful. Rick had asked the uncle a while back about the barber pole but due to the Alzheimer he could not remember where he had put it – or remembered to call the family after the move.

Mary not only found the lost barber pole everyone was looking for but she found out something greater – where Rick’s uncle was now living. Just when you think it’s about a barber pole the Lord reveals to us what the real journey moment was about – bringing a family back together.

Monday, July 6, 2009

The Message

God speaks through all things. He speaks in the whistling of the wind, the roaring of the thunder, through the lighting up of the vast sky; God speaks. When we are about our day doing our every day tasks and suddenly stumble upon something very unusual it is easy to scratch our head and look away - but suppose God is wanting to and trying to say something to us during that moment - through that moment? Will we reach out and grab hold of it? Can we pause in the moment and inhale that message the Lord so desires us to have?

The plagues came at a moment God was trying to reveal himself to Pharaoh. Of course in the end it took Pharaoh losing his firstborn son for him to get the message. Broken, humbled, and humiliated, he called for Moses and ordered him to get his people and get out!


Why? Why would God choose to kill the firstborn?

Exodus 4:22-23 says, "Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, 'let my son go, so he may worship me.' But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son."


It wasn't every day that God used the killing of a firstborn to get someones attention. That sounds pretty harsh but God knows what he is doing and in all things He teaches, reveals, works through, opens our eyes to see, delivers the messages, parts the clouds, commands the sun to rise, opens the doors, makes way the paths, all for the sake of guiding us through our journey.

When you stumble upon an unusual moment - take heed and ask the Lord to reveal to you the message - - because that is what the journey is all about - - - the message.