Tag Archives: Relationship

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Isaiah 25

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Divine appointment at the airport bar. "And here on this mountain, God will banish the pall of doom hanging over all peoples, The shadow of doom darkening all nations. Yes, he'll banish death forever." Isaiah 25:7 (MSG)

Flying through Denver International airport last night, I sat and had dinner at the bar of a restaurant on the B Concourse where I could watch the Cubs get pounded by the Mets (being a Cubs fan requires a lot of faith). It was there that I met Joe, who was quite drunk and sitting to my immediate left. I instantly liked Joe. He seemed like a nice enough guy, even in his inebriated state. He was friendly and charismatic. Joe had been at the bar a long time. He'd missed two flights already according to the lengthy description of his day.

Joe talked a lot, and I got to know him quite well as I ate my caesar salad. He made his first million in Iowa. Joe had everything, it would seem. He was healthy and looked much younger than his early fifties (He thought we were the same age, and told me I looked much older than my age. Sometimes drunk people just can't filter things the way they should.). Joe was good looking. He clearly had a ton of money and all that it could buy. There were, however, two things Joe clearly did not have. He did not have a friend (I was it), and he did not have peace. Joe was alone. Joe had "the pall of doom hanging over all peoples." His spirit was tortured. I could see it in his eyes. It was in his posture. I heard it in his slurred words.

I listened to Joe's story. I learned of his many broken relationships. He told me about his inability to perform sexually with his young girlfriend. His life was a total mess. All the money and success were worthless to provide that which he truly needed. He was an empty shell of a man medicating himself from the pain of his soul. I tried to be a good friend and love Joe well in the few minutes that our lives touched.

Today, I'm praying for my friend Joe. I'm grateful for God's amazing grace in my own life, which I do not deserve. I'm thankful that Jesus came to banish death and it's morbid pall. I'm praying that I will be an instrument of God's peace, that where there is despair I can sow hope, and where there is darkness I can shed light.

Even at the bar on Concourse B.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and drh

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Isaiah 17

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The Divine Hours. And why? Because you have forgotten God-Your-Salvation, not remembered your Rock-of-Refuge. Isaiah 17:10a (MSG)
 

Okay, I admit it. I'm a forgetful person. Just ask my wife, whom I drive crazy with my forgetfulness. There are days when I pull out of the driveway only to pull right back in when I suddenly remember something I forgot to take with me. Somedays I'll pull back in the driveway two or three times before I have everything I need.

A few years I was waiting for Wendy at church and happened upon a book called The Divine Hours. It's a prayer guide with prayers to be prayed at four different times of the day each day. I read the introduction of the book about the ancient discipline of praying at different times of the day. I decided to pick up the book, because I thought that it would be a cool thing to try.

Over the past couple of years I've attempted to use The Divine Hours to build a habit of praying regularly throughout each day. I've come to realize how much I forget about God in the whirlwind of my daily activities. I'm pretty good at spending time in the morning reading God's Message and praying. Once the rest of the day starts, however, God easily gets shoved to the back-burner of my mind. More often than not The Divine Hours sits on my desk until the next morning when I, once again, realize that I gave God little thought the previous day and evening.

I don't want to remember God for just a few minutes of my day. I don't want to forget God as I remember all the tasks on my to-do list. I want to be mindful and engaged with God in the midst of and throughout all my daily journey. Today is a fresh start. Good habits are built one-day-at-a-time.

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day 2 Kings 6

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2008 12 31 New Years Eve Dinner Party LR "Not on your life!" said Elisha. "You didn't lift a hand to capture them, and now you're going to kill them? No sir, make a feast for them and send them back to their master."

So he prepared a huge feast for them. After they ate and drank their fill he dismissed them. Then they returned home to their master. The raiding bands of Aram didn't bother Israel anymore.
2 Kings 6:22-23 (MSG)

We like using our dining room. Necessity is a good part of the appeal. Our quaint little house does not have a kitchen big enough for a kitchen table, a bar, or a breakfast nook where many families snarf down their meals on the fly. So, we use the formal dining room a lot. We sit around the "good table." We like setting it nicely for family, friends and guests. You feel in less of a hurry when the meal is an event. You take more time. You eat a second helping. The conversation goes a little deeper.

There is something about the gift of hospitality that can soften the hard hearted. Sharing a good meal together eases tension, fosters conversation and deepens relationship.

Killing the Aramean raiding party would have only served to escalate the violence and tension between Israel and Aram. Elisha's solution was a good one. Treat them like an honored guest. Have a feast. Sit down over choice food and break out the good wine. Talk, laugh, and raise a glass together. You're less likely to kill the person with whom you shared a great meal.