Touching The Sky

The little boy lay on his back on the grassy hill, looking up at the blue sky. “I want to touch the sky”, he told himself. “One day, I’m going to build a tower that reaches right up to the sky so that I can touch it. Whenever he could he would play with his building blocks, practising his tower, and whenever he could he would lie on his back on the grassy hill and look up at the sky. “One day I’ll touch the sky,” he told himself.

Even as the boy grew older, the dream remained alive. And although he never told anyone his dream specifically, he got plenty of encouragement. ‘Set goals, reach high, keep your dream alive, never give up, you can do anything you put your mind to, persist.’

One morning he woke up, and he knew the time was right. He began building. He’d thought of building his tower, practised building his tower, studied about building his tower, designed his tower, saved up money to build his tower; now he began.

“I want to touch the sky”, he said. “One day I’ll touch the sky.”

At the end of each day’s work, he’d climb to the top of his tower. He’d look up, to see how close he was to touching the sky, and although disappointed that it still seemed so far away, he’d determine to wake the next day and keep building, which he did.

A month passed, a year. Each night he’d stand atop the tower, only to discover there was still a way to go. But he wasn’t going to give up. So he kept building. A year became 2, 5, 10 – he kept on building. Architects would come by to marvel at the design, engineers would come by to marvel at the structure, sightseers were a daily feature, all admiring the tower that kept getting taller and taller and taller.

One night, many years after beginning to build his tower, that little boy who had dreamed of touching the sky, and who had put his whole life into trying to achieve his dream, as he made his nightly ritual of standing atop the tower to gaze at the sunset filled sky and check his progress, that boy, now an old man, slipped, and fell to his death.

As funeral arrangements were being made, the minister asked the family why he had put so much into building his tower. What was the purpose of the tower?

“He wanted to touch the sky”, they replied.

The wise minister mused, “But he touched the sky the moment he began!”

As a little boy, I picked up the concept that God lived in the sky. He was ‘up there’, he was ‘looking down’, I was going to, if I was good, go ‘up to heaven. I heard the song “Spirit in the Sky”– ‘goin’ on up to the spirit in the sky, that’s where I’m gonna go when I die’

God lived in the sky – way up there.

But what is the sky? How can God live somewhere, be somewhere that actually doesn’t exist, that can’t be touched, that can’t be reached, that isn’t a place?

When Jesus was on Earth, He said a lot of things about himself, a lot of things about God, who He called his father, and he spoke about a Holy Spirit.

But most importantly, what he left us with was the firm notion that God wasn’t distant, and in fact God could actually live within people. The Spirit of God could be in us. We could be a part of the Kingdom of God right here, right now. How?

Both by living a life pleasing to God and by confessing that at times we’ve done things that God wouldn’t be happy with, and asking that he forgive us, and asking Him to give us this spirit. And somehow it works. It doesn’t magically turn you into a perfect person, but things start happening to you on the inside that I describe as transforming.

If you’ve been searching for a God ‘out there’ somewhere, can I suggest that maybe you’re as unlikely to find God as the boy in our story was of touching the sky. God’s not in the sky. He is what’s known as omnipresent – that is present everywhere, all around. So in the very act of reaching for God, you’ll find yourself in contact with God the moment you begin.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

Dominoes

Dominoes.

It began as a simple game of matching numbers printed on oblong pieces of ivory, perhaps as early as the 1200s. Until one day someone put the dominoes next to each other on their ends, tipped one over, and watched the chain reaction as each of the dominoes was knocked on to the next until they all lay flat. The challenge then became to do this successfully with ever-increasing numbers of dominoes, then in various patterns and including obstacles and other bits and pieces that could be incorporated into the process.

And so came the now common term ‘The domino effect’, used literally or figuratively, where a small change causes a similar change nearby, which then causes another similar change, and so on in linear sequence.

We can all sometimes feel in life that we are in the midst of a domino effect.  A trial that seems to trigger a string of other trials. Perhaps it is the loss of job that starts the spiral or the death of loved one, maybe an unwanted divorce, or an accident that can trigger an endless decline in health. Something happens to us, and because of that event it seems to trigger off other events that create chaos, or hurt, or despair; sickness or financial difficulties or trouble with the law. We can make one small mistake or tell one small lie, and the domino effect begins and a mountain is created from what began as a mole-hill.

And as the troubles and trials mount, we find it hard to believe that there is a God who has everything under control.

One of the Bible writers, James, had this perspective: ‘Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.’

It’s never nice enduring the harsher, difficult times in our lives, but we can usually look back and see how enduring that trial has made us stronger or better people, more faith-filled, tougher.

I read recently of a church who have a policy not to hire staff who haven’t had a personal crisis or endured a significant trial. Knowing the demands of church work and ministry, they feel that if people haven’t undergone some major difficulties in life, they’ll be less-equipped – not strong enough, not able to show empathy.

According to the Bible, God is at work, not to shelter us from every difficulty in life, because that would make us weak, but helping us through our trials to build our character.

An old hymn says it well:

He gives more grace when the burdens grow greater

He sends more strength when the labours increase

To added affliction he adds his mercy

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace

When the dominoes seem to be tumbling in your life, look to God for strength, believing that as God brings you through the other side, you’ll be a stronger person.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

Struggling

The Hawaiian Ironman. The ultimate ironman test.

Swim - 4kms! Bike - 180kms! Run – 42kms! Just to be able to finish gives you bragging rights for the rest of your life!

It began in 1978 with just 15 competitors. Today over 10,000 compete every year.

In the 1982 race, a 24-year old college student called Julie Moss entered this endurance race as part of her research for her senior thesis on exercise physiology.

Julie had never attempted the race before, and to her amazement she was leading the women’s division out of the water, and was still the first woman off the bike, and feeling OK. As the run wore on, her fatigue increased. But she managed to still be in the lead with only a few hundred metres to run. But it was at that point that her body had had enough – there was nothing left in the tank.

 

She wobbled, her normally strong legs refusing to obey her mental commands. Hundreds of people lining the street on the final stretch cheered her on. But she was staggering all over the place. Down she went. She climbed back to her feet, stumbled a few yards, then down again. Unable to jog anymore, Julie Moss tried to walk, but after a few steps it looked like she was drunk – her body just couldn’t go on. Down she went again.

Race assistants lifted her to her feet. Back then, you could receive help to your feet, but not help to move forward. On her feet, she lurched forward, still leading, the finish line a mere 25 metres away. Down again. She was helped to her feet for just one more step, then down. The crowd noise was unbelievable, urging her on.

As she lay in the chute, her nearest competitor Kathleen McCartney ran past her, denying Julie victory. Everyone expected her to now give up. But there was an extraordinary determination inside, her undeterred spirit wouldn't give up and on her hands and knees, she crawled the last few metres, and collapsed on the line. She reached out her arm to cross the finish line – and then she was carried to the medical tent.

The crowd went wild. They’d just witnessed an extraordinary demonstration of determination.

It had been a struggle; her body had screamed at her to stop, it had virtually shut itself down, refused to move, but Julie’s brain over-rid it, propelling a body without any energy left, just enough to finish what she had begun.

It’s funny - when your struggle is physical, the brain can make you achieve extraordinary things. The body itself is an extremely resilient piece of machinery.

Yet when your struggle is emotional, it works the other way – the body goes out in sympathy.

What was it that got Julie Moss over the line? Firstly, she had a goal. She had a purpose. She had begun a race, and she was determined to finish it.

Secondly, she had courage and determination. As things began to get a bit hard, she didn’t give up. Despite the hurt, despite the pain, she didn’t give in. Courageous. Determined.

And thirdly, she had people there to pick her up. She had people encouraging her. She had people supporting her.

Life can be a struggle. I’m sure each of us has been in a situation where we think we can’t go on. We think we can’t go any further. We feel like giving up.

Perhaps you’re in the midst of a struggle right now. An emotional struggle. A financial struggle. A relationship struggle. A spiritual struggle. A struggle with guilt or shame or bitterness or sadness. Struggling.

I think we can learn something from Julie Moss, and we can learn something from the Bible. We each need a goal, a purpose, something that you can fix your eyes on. One of the writers in the Bible, Paul, wrote this:

I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Jesus Christ, is calling us up to heaven.

Christians believe that there is a prize at the end of our time on Earth, and though we don’t follow Jesus just to get the prize, it helps us set our focus. What happens to me today is not nearly as important as what will happen eternally. I just focus my energies on pleasing God by the way I live my life. That’s my goal. That’s my purpose. And it lifts me out of my struggles, all the time.

Back to Julie’s example. She displayed courage, determination. Again the Bible has something to say – It was Jesus who continually said to his disciples – don’t be afraid, have courage, I am with you.

I know in my life that believing that the power of Jesus is with me, I can be courageous.

And determination - Paul again gives a great illustration of determination, using another running analogy, in a different section of the Bible:

‘Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step.’

The eternal prize helps us keep determined.

And like Julie did, having people alongside to support you, to lift you up, is so important. That’s what a church can be for. A group of people, who because they follow the example of Jesus, are there to lift you up, to support you, to encourage you in your struggles.

If you’re struggling, think about your life’s purpose. If you’re struggling, why not try some Divine help? If you’re struggling, do you have people beside you encouraging and supporting you? If you’re struggling, why not try Jesus? He made a promise, He said this – Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

He did, He does, and He will.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

Stretching Horizons

I stood atop the sand dunes.

Wind in my air; a cold wind, cutting through me.

Smell of salt in the air.

Waves rolled in, and crashed onto the shore; each one a different height; each one finding a different end point on the sand.

As I looked out over the water, I saw a straight line. From left to right, from one set of cliffs right across further than my eyes could take in all at once, a straight line.

The end of the earth. The bit where boats drop off if they go too far. The very edge.

Now we know that’s not true – we know the earth is round. But when we look out over the water, our eyes tell us that there is an ending point, a boundary, a bit we can’t go further than. We call it a horizon.

If we’d never been to school, or read books, or watched TV, or talked to other people, we would think that there is no more beyond that line. That’s the edge. The earth is flat. That’s what my eyes tell me. I can’t go further than that line.

But we can.

Most of us, in our lives, when we look at ourselves and what we can and can’t do, we see a horizon. We create for ourselves a horizon. “That’s as far as I can go. That’s as much as I can do. I can’t go any further, any deeper, do any more. I can see my horizon. I can’t go beyond that.”

But you can.

Horizons can be stretched. You know that if you progress towards that horizon, if you take off over the waves and water, that as you get closer to the horizon, it moves further away from you. It’s only an optical boundary, an optical limit. If you can just have the courage or the determination or the energy or the initiative to move off the shore, you’ll discover that the horizon isn’t a real boundary, just an optical one.

The Bible is full of horizon stretchers – little verses and promises and words of God that show us that we can each stretch our horizons, that there is more we can see and do and be if we look beyond the horizon.

Try these – Philippians 4:11 “For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” That’s saying that Jesus Christ can provide us with enough strength to do and accomplish anything He thinks is good for us.

This one, Ephesians 3:20 “By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.” That’s saying that with God’s power, in you, you can do things beyond your horizons.

What are your horizons? Is there something that you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t think you could? Has someone asked you to do something, and you’ve said no out of fear of failure? Do you see yourself as a certain type of person, who can’t amount to any more than you are now? Have you looked at your life, seen a horizon, and stayed on the shore?

Go on, you can do it! Alone? No. With God? Yes. The power of God is amazing, and it’s available. Life can be so pedestrian without it, and such a rush with it. The power of God stretches horizons. The power of God takes you beyond what your eyes can see. The power of God can sweep you across the water and the waves and on to new horizons.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

In My Heart

I just took my pulse.

66 beats per minute.

Then, being a bit of a maths head, I started figuring…

That’s 3,960 beats per hour, and in a day my heart is pumping at least 95,000 times. So in a year, it beats in excess of 34 million times! And for me, at my age, my heart has pumped well over 1 billion times, with hopefully at least another billion to go.

What an amazing, complex, incredible system is the human body!

What an amazing muscle the heart is!

But we most often use the term ‘heart’ in a much broader sense.

We talk about a ‘change of heart’ or ‘a broken heart’ or a ‘kind-hearted’ person in a similar way.

Of course we’re not talking about the muscle with its ventricles and atriums and arteries pumping blood around our bodies when we use these terms, rather about our core being, the inner person. In some senses it’s about the ‘storeroom of emotions’. It’s about passion and decision making and feelings. When we talk about the heart this way, it’s not the mechanical part of the body, but the unseen, the things that make us who we are and make us behave the way we behave.

Jesus had many interesting things to say about people’s hearts – things like “A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say.” And “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be”. And again “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart”

When I visit the supermarket, I can select products that have a Heart Foundation tick on them which tells me that these things are good for my body, and for the health of my heart.

The message from Jesus is that the other type of ‘heart’, our inner being – well, that’s even more important to keep healthy.

How do we do that? Jesus said simply to follow him. To follow his teachings. To follow his example. And to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbour as yourself. The Apostle Paul advised one of his churches to ‘fix your thoughts on what is true and honourable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise’.

What are doing to keep your heart healthy?

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men

Couldn’t put Humpty together again

Why did Humpty, with his state of fragility, get up on the wall in the first place?

Maybe it was curiosity – he wanted to know what things were like on the other side of the wall?

Maybe all his mates were up on the wall, and he wanted to be part of the group?

Maybe Humpty was bored and looking for a thrill?

Maybe Humpty wanted to die?

Sadly, this little centuries old children’s rhyme describes many lives in the communities around us.

A curiosity with drugs, wondering what it’s like to feel high or euphoric or invincible, leads to destruction.

Wanting to fit in with the crowd, the old peer pressure, can lead to us making decisions and exhibiting behaviours that produce dire consequences.

Or people living without meaning or purpose engage in risky behaviour because they just want some excitement.

Then there are many who just give up on life, either through depression or sadness or feeling like the world would be better off without them.

Like the king’s horses and men, often our attempts to help them put their life back together again, when done in our own strength, is fruitless, useless. The eggshell of their lives is so badly broken apart that it seems impossible.

But there is one who can repair and restore the most damaged, broken person.

The one who came to give us life, in all its fullness, to give us hope, to give our lives purpose and meaning.

The Healer.

The Restorer.

Jesus.

And we are the King’s men, and women (rather than horses!). We are called to patrol the walls, to talk people down, and to apply this balm of Divine Love to the damaged and the broken.

Don’t give up on anyone. There is no one that Jesus cannot put back together again.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington

Tear It Down, Build It Up

I love seeing footage of when a large building is demolished. The explosives are strategically placed, and after a 10-1 countdown, someone presses the button and CRASH, down it all comes in a matter of seconds, and all that is left of a once tall, wide, strong structure is a pile of rubble.

Usually once the rubble is cleared, a new building will begin to be constructed in its place. This can take quite a lot of time, as new foundations are prepared, then the building process gets underway. The construction of the new structure can take months, even years.

Seconds to be destroyed, months and years to rebuild.

It’s the same with personal relationships.

In a matter of seconds, words are spoken or actions undertaken that may tear down and reduce to rubble what was once a strong, deep relationship.

In the Bible, in a letter called Romans, the author urges the readers to “do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible” (Romans 12:18)

Reconciling broken relationships can take much time and effort, and often a scar or a sore point remains. It’s worth remembering how quickly the relationship can be broken in the first place, and acting always in accordance with the great value of that relationship, taking care with our words and actions, doing our part to live in peace.

The Bible also tells us that God wants to be in relationship with us, but that the words and actions of ours that contradict God’s nature have caused the relationship to be broken. But because God is a God of love, he sent His Son Jesus on a mission to reconcile us with Him, through forgiveness of our wrong actions and harmful words.

Accepting that through the death and resurrection of Jesus we have forgiveness, for free, restores us into relationship with God.

And that doesn’t take months or years to be rebuilt, it just takes a matter of seconds. It’s just a prayer away.

@lane_colin
www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington