northpoint notes

There is a British comedy on PBS by that title. It chronicles the activities in a retirement community where there is apparently little else to do but wait for time to pass and for God to come and take them from this earth. While it is a comedy, it is sad that one would come to the last years of one’s life with nothing to look forward to but the passing of time.

“Waiting on God” is also a phrase I remember from my youth. I often heard pastors and church leaders talk about “waiting on God.” What they meant was that they had been spending significant time in prayer – seeking God’s direction for the church. They had been waiting for God to answer. They may have waited hours or days or months. The amount of time of waiting was immaterial. What mattered was hearing from God.

I admired those men who had the resolve to wait until they were certain they had clear direction from God. I am certain there are those today who “wait on God,” but I fear there are more who make plans and ask God to bless what they have planned than there are who wait long enough to hear from Him.

It is Sunday morning. As usual, I arrive early so that I can have time to “wait on God.” I look forward to these times of quiet – alone – waiting – asking God for His direction for the time of worship; asking His blessing on the people; praying for those I know are hurting or have other needs; asking Him to equip me for the day.

“Waiting on God” is critical to what we do as Christ-followers. This morning, I am waiting.

We mark time in many ways – birthdays mark our age; anniversaries mark the length of a marriage, an engagement, time in business, number of seasons of a TV program.

Holidays mark the anniversaries of special events: Christmas marks the birth of Jesus. Easter marks His resurrection.

December 6, 1941 marks the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. 9/11 has become a reference point in time marking the bombing of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. VJ and VE day mark victories bringing an end to World War II.

In a couple of days we will mark the beginning of a new year. Tuesday will not be significantly different from Monday for most people. We will turn the page of a calendar and perhaps use the event for a reason to entertain friends and stay up late.

It is this turning of the calendar that seems to cause more people to reflect. Many make resolutions – personal promises to do something differently in the new year that will make their lives better.

It is as if by turning a calendar page we can have a new beginning – a redo. We cannot change the past but we hope we can change the future. We all like do-overs – a chance to do better the next time and so we take stock of our lives and determine to work harder, lose weight, be a better husband or wife, a better student, or support some cause, break a habit or kick an addiction.

With resolve and hard work we can make changes. The greatest chance for change comes through a personal walk with Jesus. Then He can show us the most needed changes and can help us make them.

I have been thinking about 2008 and one of the things I am committed to is not waiting until December 31, 2008 to evaluate my life again. I want to regularly ask God to show me those mid-course corrections so that I can grow throughout the year.

It’s Christmas morning – the house is quiet (for now). Everyone is still sleeping. There are just enough lights to illumine any obstacles in my path. As I look at the window the neighborhood is mostly dark, although even as I sit here I can see that one by one lights are beginning to appear in neighbors’ houses.

This is my favorite time of day – it is a time to reflect on the events of yesterday and ponder the plans for the new day. It is a time to pray – to give thanks for God’s presence and blessings and to seek His guidance for the day.

Today is different – today is a day to reflect on the greatest Gift ever given – to pray that others will understand and receive the Gift.

In a little while the house will be filled with activity. There will be little time for reflection or discussion about the significance of the day. We will pause to eat, give thanks and perhaps in prayer express gratitude but the day will be full of other things.

Perhaps today is a mirror of all other days. They are filled with work, play, crises, meetings, school events and TV. There is little time to reflect, pray, give thanks – to build a relationship with the One who came to give us life.

I like this time of day – I like the quiet – I like to be alone with Him. 2000 years ago a young couple – Mary and Joseph had time alone with the Son of God. It didn’t last long. Shepherds came. Sometime later there were the Magi. And then through the years thousands were wanting a glimpse of this teacher/prophet/miracle-worker.

Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. We need time to ponder in our hearts the things of Christ.

I was waiting in line at a department store recently and determined that I was in the wrong line – not because they couldn’t handle my purchase but because this line was moving so slowly I thought I might not pay for my purchase until sometime after the new year had begun. The line was not long (only two people ahead of me)but slow.

I began to realize there really is a lot of waiting for Christmas.

• Wait for the clerk at the checkout to finish her converstion with a friend in line.
• Wait f.or UPS, FedX, USPS to deliver packages ordered on-line
• Wait for the light to change for the third time because traffic is congested making it impossible to move through the turn lane.
• Wait for family to arrive for Christmas dinner.
• Wait for the final touches to be put on Christmas dinner before it is served.
• Wait for dessert.
• Wait for time to open presents.
• Wait for life to return to normal after guests are gone, dishes washed and trash put in the dumpster.
• Wait for friends and loved ones to believe the story of Christmas and trust Jesus.

Perhaps it is the season for patience. Waiting is not a bad thing. It is in waiting that we learn to trust. It is in waiting that character is built. It is waiting that we can take the time to reflect on the implications of the Christmas story.

Our grandchildren love Christmas. The anticipation of opening presents is almost more than they can bear. There are frequent trips to the Christmas tree to examine name tags and discover which packages belong to them and find out who has the biggest presents.

When can we open presents? Is that big one for me? Where’s mine? I get to go first.

One by one the presents are unwrapped (it’s a family tradition for one person to open a present while the rest watch – then the next person, etc.). The tradition makes the evening last longer but is sometimes frustrating to little ones who want to tear into everything.

In some cases they have been waiting for a particular gift for weeks or months or even since last Christmas. Waiting now seems like forever. “I can’t wait any more,” is the phrase of the day.

How long would I wait for something really important? Would I wait a day, a week, a month, a year – what about years or decades?

The Jews believed a Messiah would come – He had been promised. Hundreds – thousands of years passed and no Messiah. Millions had waited but went to their graves without ever seeing Him.

Then He came – not as a warrior as some expected but as a lamb. He wasn’t born in a palace but in a stable. Only a few could accept that He was the long awaited Messiah. He wasn’t what they were expecting and many (most) did not believe in Him.

There are still people who have difficulty believing in Him. Perhaps He isn’t what people were expecting. Jesus came as an unchanging gift of grace. We cannot change who He is to fit what I want Him to be. All He asks is that we accept for who He is and whaat He came to do.

As I anticipate Christmas, it is not about the giving and receiving of gifts. It is not even about family gatherings. It is about time alone worshiping the greatest gift ever given.

It is always interesting to me to walk through a mall at this time of year. The season of joy doesn’t seem to be expressed on the faces of people rushing around to find that right Christmas gift.

Christmas in the 21st century is certainly different from that first Christmas. I can’t imagine the wise men rushing around in a panic trying to find the right present for this new king. I’m thinking they had been preparing for this for a long time. They knew what they would bring.

There is another difference – the wise men brought gifts to Jesus. Our focus is on giving to friends, families, co-workers and receiving gifts from them. While we sing carols and read the Christmas story, we are thinking about what we are going to give to people we love and what we are going to receive.

We seldom think about bringing gifts to Jesus – our gifts to Him are perhaps a few carols, time in church for worship and perhaps an act of service.

In all of it we often miss the point – the greatest gift was lying in a manger. We marvel at the gifts of the wise men but the greatest gift did not come from wise men to Jesus but from God to the world.

God was not in a panic when He sent His Son. When the time was right, Jesus came.

It would be nice to think that the reason we give is because He gave and that we are simply following His example but I doubt if many give that a thought. Exchanging gifts has become a part of our culture. People exchange gifts who do not claim any faith in Jesus. I am thankful they do. If a gift will bring a bit of happiness to a loved one, that is a good thing.

The problem with all the stuff (for some there is less than for others) is that the thrill wears off so soon. The new clothes of this Christmas are out of style or too worn or we are tired of them by next Christmas. Some toys lose their appeal by the end of Christmas day.

On the other hand, Jesus brings joy that continues to grow as we learn to know Him better. Whether we have little or plenty, there is an inner peace and joy that circumstances or time do not erase.

I have said in the past that Christmas is about giving – not about receiving and truly it is more blessed to give than to receive. But Christmas really is about enjoying the greatest gift ever given.

We have all experienced them – those times when there is a crisis (large or small) and we desperately want to do something to avoid the crisis or at least lessen its impact.

I have stood at bedsides wishing I could make pain go away or stop the advance of a disease and yet was helpless to do anything but wait, hold a hand, and pray. I have sat in surgery waiting rooms with families waiting and hoping for good news and wishing I could make a difference.

A late night phone call – a child has been injured and will require immediate surgery. The 20 minute drive to the hospital provides time to reflect – what should I say or do that will make a difference?

Waiting with family and still that sense of helplessness. We talk, pray and wait. I can’t make it go away – this feeling of helplessness.

I know the value of “presence” – of having someone walk through the tough times with you. I have lost loved ones and experienced disappointments. Some I have experienced alone. Other times I have been blessed by friends who walked with me.

While I get frustrated with those times of helplessness, I am also reminded that Jesus doesn’t always change our circumstances but He walks with us through them. Sometimes His presence is best felt through the hugs of a friend.

In those times of helplessness, I will offer a hug, a shoulder to cry on and time to sit and listen. Perhaps it will lessen the blow of the crisis.

It is a strange day – a Sunday at home. I left home before 6:00 AM to check the roads to determine if we should cancel church services. It took about 35 minutes to make a normal 20 minute commute. By 6:30 there were three of us conferring about the roads, the weather and whether or not anyone would show up at 10:30 for the worship service.

The snow continued. The wind seemed to increase. Worship team members called to say they were snowed in. A few more phone calls, frequent checks of the internet and radio station for lists of closing and the decision was made to cancel the worship service. I made the contact to the radio station and left the church around 8:30 (wondering if I could get out of the parking lot).

After several attempts, I made it out of the parking lot and out onto the highway. There were places where it seemed visibility was only 100 yards. The trip home was slower than normal and personally uneventful – although I did see a salt truck that had slid into the median.

The end of the trip was a bit of a challenge – trying to plow through an unplowed sub-division and then into an unplowed, relatively steep drive – made it through the sub-division but only half way up the drive.

After an unplanned nap (I sat down and fell asleep) I cleared the driveway – move the car from the middle of the driveway.

Then a late lunch and the rest of the day to rest, read…

In 37 years of ministry, this may be only the first or perhaps 2nd time I have cancelled church services. It felt strange to sit at home on Sunday. But it has been a good day to reflect, talk with Kim and be renewed from a busy schedule.

I am frequently reminded that Jesus took breaks from ministry and invited His followers to join Him. While I missed the community of believers I am thankful for the day of rest.

Friskie (another creative name) was a Boston Terrier – small, black and white, short nose bundle of energy. She was the 2nd dog in my life. I don’t remember how she came to be our dog but she was always in the middle of everything and was terribly distressed if she was not allowed to be with the family.

She followed my sister to a high school basketball game and found a way into the building. They actually had to stop the basketball game because she was running and jumping on the basketball floor with the players. She was having the time of her life – in the middle of the action.

My sister was totally embarrassed and hid behind her friends. She didn’t want anyone to know she had any connection with the dog that was now the center of attention. A neighbor recognized Friskie, caught her and took her home. Dad was able to laugh about it – a few years later.

When I got a new bicycle for my birthday, I would put a leash on Friskie, get on the bike and let her tow me down the street. I was amazed that this tiny little dog could tow me with such ease. I’m sure we looked strange – tiny dog pulling a not so small 10-year old boy on full-size bicyle – going down the street.

Perhaps one of the best things we can bring to a relationship is laughter, energy and a bundle of desire to help our friends get to where they want to go.

I have a love/hate (or at least strong dislike) relationship with dogs (man’s best friend?). There have been several of them in my life through the years.

The first one I remember was Shep, a nearly all-black English Shepherd. (Catch the creative name?) She was the dog of my childhood – she was my best friend or at least the one I spend most of my time with.

She was a special dog. Dad could tell her to go get the cows and she would bolt like she had been shot out of a canon – jump a gate and run full speed toward the back of the farm where the cows were grazing. Within a few minutes she had them rounded up and headed toward the barn for milking.

I never remember having to call her to “come.” She was usually waiting at the door whenever I would go outside. She loved being around people. She loved to play ball. She often initiated playing ball. She find a ball and toss it at my feet. I would tire of throwing the ball before she tired of chasing it and dropping it at my feet. I could through the ball on the barn roof and she would listen for it so she could catch it before it hit the ground.

She was always there – waiting for me.

She pursued me – urging me to play ball even when I didn’t want to.

She always seemed upbeat – eager – ready to work or play.

She was also very protective. She would have been all over anyone who attempted to harm a member of the family.

I don’t want to elevate her too high, but remembering caused me to ask – am I the kind of friend that others would describe as upbeat – eager to work or play; faithful; pursuing others – encouraging them to be engaged even when they don’t feel like it; protective.

I think those are some characteristics of friends