teaching - Joy in the Journey

I love exploring the woods behind the house with our grandkids. Though we live close to civilization, our unique neighborhood feels like the mountains of North Carolina. All the lots have at least 2 acres with wells and septic tanks. Quite magical.

A few years ago, I took our, then two-year-old grandson, Nicholas to the barn to see our baby chicks. On the way down the hill to the barnyard, as I was holding his hand, he looked up, found my face and said, “Hey Pop.”

This took me a bit by surprise. ‘Hey’ is what we typically say to someone when we initially see them. But Nicholas was acknowledging our continuing togetherness. In a true childlike moment, he was savoring our nearness.

Fast forward a few years to a couple of weeks ago. I was with both Nicholas and his brother Zachary (who is two years old and just now finding his words). We were hanging out at their house while their parents were on a date. While reading a book to Zachary, he looked up, found my face and said, “Hey Pop.”

This was such a pleasant surprise. Like Nicholas, he was acknowledging our nearness, as we enjoyed a book about dinosaurs.

Nearness

A few of us at our church are encouraging each other in practicing the Lord’s nearness throughout the day. We’ve read books like Union with Christ [1] and Practicing His Presence [2]. God indwells His saints by His Holy Spirit. We’ve been raised with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places. [3] The Lord is always closer than breath. Everything exists because of Him. He holds all things together. [4] We’re learning from saints, like Brother Lawrence and Frank Lauchbach, the rhythm of being mindful of the Lord’s near throughout the day, even as we’re engaged in our temporal activities.

I’m learning to find great joy when He comes to mind. Even after long stretches, when the day’s endeavors have occupied my thinking, I celebrate His nearness and refuse to feel shame for not acknowledging His nearness more often.

We’re learning to be ever mindful of His presence, thanking Him, depending on Him, and asking for His guidance at every turn.

Hey Lord

A couple of days after Zachary said, “Hey Pop,” I was at work teaching a class. During a break, heading down the hall for some coffee, I thought, “Hey Lord.”

It took me by surprise, like my grandson’s acknowledgment of our togetherness. It was a simple expression of the Lord’s nearness.

Since then, I’ve frequently thought, “Hey Lord”. Sometimes it stops there. Other times the reminder He’s with me leads to prayers of praise and asking for His help with what I’m doing. “Hey Lord” has become a beautifully simple step in acknowledging the Lord’s nearness and practicing His presence.

Become Like Children

To me, it’s easier to love and appreciate childlikeness as a grandfather. When I’m with my grandkids, I find myself feeling childlike and playful. It takes me back decades to when I was a child and could enjoy the moments of life more fully and took the time to play.

Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3b NASB)

But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14 NASB).

My grandsons are teaching me to pause often and appreciate the relationships the Lord has given me, especially my relationship with Him.

Challenge

Where are you spiritually? Even if you don’t consider yourself a spiritual person, you are on a journey. We will all die one day. No one gets out of here alive. As my old pastor said to us, when he found out he had terminal cancer, “I’m a dying man speaking to dying people.”

As believers, we know that, for us, eternal life has begun. We’re indwelt by the Living God, designed to live through us. Abiding in His nearness, remaining in His love, yielding to His Spirit, is not just a nice way to live, it’s the normal Christian life.

Celebrate God’s nearness right now and throughout the day. Allow Him to live His life through you. Only as we abide in Him are we able to live lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control [5].

Prayer

Hey Lord. Thank You so much for allowing me to learn from my grandson’s childlike hearts. If they are so excited about my nearness, how much more should I be excited about You and Your nearness. You indwell me and empower my every word and need. Please stop me quickly when I go off on my own and don’t wait for You.

I want my life to be lived for You and You alone.

Amen

[1] Union with Christ by Rankin Wilborne, David C Cook publisher 2016

[2] Practicing His Presence by Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach, SeedSowers Publishing

[3] Ephesians 2:6

[4] Colossians 1:17

[5] Galatians 5:22-23

Other posts in our series In the Moments:

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

Exploring Grace and Joy together

Stay Present My Friends

Quiddity. It Could Change Your Life

The Cake Maker’s Blunder

God at Work (No Trespassing)

Hidden with Christ in God

Finding Joy in Love and Relationships

Escaping the Rat Race

When I don’t Feel God’s Loving Kindness

Experiencing Completeness in Christ

Overcoming Pain Through Faith

Recalibrating Our Hearts

The Joy of Waiting

On the Fifth Day God Created Dog

When Things get Really Hard

A No Lose Situation, Even with Cancer

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

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Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.

For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in an old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

(Every cloud has a silver lining – John Milton)

Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

(II Corinthians 1:9)

My boss Frank called at 6:00 am. Slurring his words, he told me he couldn’t teach the computer class our client so desperately needed. He’d been out all night partying. “You’ll have to teach it,” he said.

“But I’ve never taught the class before, Frank,” I strongly protested. Frank mumbled something and hung up.

Placing the phone down, reality swept through my still groggy mind. This was an impossible situation. I was gripped with a wave of panic. I could either crawl back in bed and quit my only source of income, or teach a three day class covering subjects I barely knew.

Though my chances of success were very slim. I had to try and teach it. My wife and four kids were depending on me.

Later, riding the elevator to the class room on the tenth floor, I prayed. “Lord, you have to do this. I’ll do what I can and open my mouth, but please teach this class through me.”

During every break, I crammed to prepare for the next segment. I kept my Bible opened to the Psalms, jotting down prayers for guidance.

Three days later the class was over. By God’s grace, no one knew it was my first time teaching it. And amazingly, the marks were good on the evaluation sheets the 23 students had to fill out. God taught this class through me and He was the only reason it was successful.

Month’s earlier, I prayed for God to help me trust Him more. Looking back, I think this was his answer. The only way I could learn to not rely on me, was to be placed in a situation I couldn’t handle. I learned more about trusting God in those few days than I had in years before.

Paul wrote, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”[1]

“Good” is not just smooth circumstances and good feelings. True “good,” eternal “good” is wrapped up in our nearness and dependence upon God.

Paul was in such dire circumstances in Asia that he despaired even of life.[2] But he saw the “silver lining”.[3] He knew there was a deeper good in his very hard circumstances. “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”[4] The very difficult circumstances kept Paul trusting in the Lord and not in himself.

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;[5]

A most important lesson we all need to learn is that “good” does not always mean easy. What is truly “good” is what draws us closer to God.

Blessings can come in strange packages.

Our ability to find a silver lining (a reason for hope) in each and every situation is directly proportional to our belief that being with God and depending on Him is our ultimate good.

Lord, I’m so sorry for the times I have longed only for smooth, easy circumstances. I’m learning to experience the joy of your presence in all circumstances. Please teach me to long only for you. You are my life.

Challenge: What hard circumstance are you facing? If you haven’t already, surrender it completely to God. Ask him to use it for your good by deepening your awareness and dependence upon Him.

[1] Romans 8:28

[2] 2 Corinthians 1:8

[3] Originally from a John Milton poem referring to light bursting through a cloud, yielding the phrase “every cloud has a silver lining”

[4] 2 Corinthians 1:9

[5] Psalms 73:28

Experiencing God in the moments of our lives

Joy in the Journey

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(In the Moments) Hey Pop