It's Time to Wake Your Thanker Up!

I was thinking about a message for our sign at the church. With Thanksgiving around the corner I wondered if maybe it was time to remind people to be thankful, but I want to say it in a way that was not… normal.

"It's Time to Wake Your Thanker Up."

The picture of this made me smile. In my mind a see a high school student that has to be ejected out of bed to start the day on Monday morning. With grunts, groans, and pleas for "Five more minutes" the day begins knowing that it may not be until second period that this student will notice where they really are.

Sound familiar?

I wonder, if our thanker is like that? If we start now will our thankful spirit be awake by the week before the eating-football-watching day?

We might start out groggy but we'd be in full stride by Tuesday knowing that Friday marks the beginning of another year of gratitude hibernation.

What if we didn't let our thanker go back to sleep this year?  What if gratitude somehow became the rhythm of the dance of life? What if I spent a year looking deep in my spirit and found a place of genuine thanksgiving that poured out verbally on those I come in contact with?

Idea: Today we wake our thankers up and teach them to see people and situations differently.

Idea: Spend the next month exercising our thankers.

Idea: Don't let them go back to sleep.

Thankful,
Pastor Dave

 

Invisible

Dave: Lord, I had breakfast this morning with a pastor friend. We sat there long enough that I realized if we had been driving in a car the same amount of time we could have hit the state line. It didn't seem that long. I enjoyed our visit. It was fun to share stories about how we're seeing you move and discuss how we could get out of your way so that you could move more freely. I've been thinking about my visits with you. They don't seem to last that long. It's hard to talk when one of us is invisible.

The Master: I've been trying to get you to understand that you've been invisible for a while.  Your mind seems too distracted.

Dave: Um… I was talking about you. I can carry on a conversation with someone on the other side of the table. It's more difficult to have a conversation with someone whose seated at the right hand of the Father.

The Master: Have you ever talked with yourself?

Dave: All the time… usually not out loud.

The Master: How did you sit across the table from you and have that conversation?

Dave: I didn't have too. That's different.

The Master: You have thoughts and dialog in your spirit all the time. I'm asking you to include me in them. Let me be part of the stream of thoughts that run through your mind. Let me speak to you through my Word. Let me walk with you through the halls, run with you in the field, and dance with you when you celebrate. I am only invisible when you don't include me.

Dave: So can I talk with you about my fear of….

The Master: I'd love to have you talk with me about that. Stop being invisible and we could spend a lot of time together.

Dave: OK, here goes. Lord, I know that you have a lot of grace, but I'm afraid that…


Excuse me I'm having a conversation here,
Pastor Dave

Bride

Leah and I have been married for over 31 years. She is my bride.

Now, I could go into a long list of reasons why I love her, respect her, and am attracted to her, but it's not needed and most likely would not be entirely appropriate.

I'm thinking from a different angle. Imagine a really stupid person coming to me to complain about her. They might have their list of things that bug them about my wife and why they are unhappy with her.  That would be a stupid person (I'm sure the word stupid is somehow not p.c. and offensive - but it fits).

I am honest enough to admit that my wife is not flawless, but you can't unjustly criticize her - I chose her. It was a good choice that, given the opportunity, would be made again without hesitation!

If we can imagine why I would stick up for my bride, why would we not assume that Christ would to the same?  He chose her. He gave his life for her. He promised to return for her. He wrote his eternity to include her.

I think we should be careful how we talk about her.

I think we should be sure not to ignore her.

I think we should be part of her and let him prepare us for himself.

Jesus is better at sticking up for his bride than I am mine.  I'd give my life for mine, he already did. I'd get mad if you complained about mine, I wonder if he does too…

Husband and Bride,
Dave

 

I sat in the Flint airport listening to the repeated announcement about not letting someone put anything in your baggage and not smoking. Note - Repeated.

A different voice came on the intercom and said, "Tracy, Paul would like to ask you to homecoming. He would like you to text him with your answer."

As I sat thinking there are ladies that would find that romantic or original, but I'm sure there are many who think the guy's a punk.

The truth is; it matters not one molecule what we think. What matters is what Tracy thought.

Then it hit me. I'll never know! I didn't see a young girl giggle and grab her phone.  I'm never going to know if Paul and Tracy are going to homecoming!

The public announcement forced me into the edge of their private world without letting me know the rest of the story.  I wanted a follow-up announcement. "Security, please remove the crying boy from the ticketing area."  Or, "Congratulations Tracy and Paul!"

I was forced to use my imagination. I laughed at the thought that Tracy's Dad was there seeing his daughter off… then met Paul in the parking lot. Backfire.  Medic! It's not good when I'm left to my imagination.

I decided it's not healthy for me to know part of the story. God's inviting you.  Say yes!

Enjoy the love of God today. He wants to spend time with you.  He wants to know you and he wants you to know him.

That story is in your hands.

Pastor Dave