Friday, August 30, 2013

Seeing the Best In Others



Recently I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine who lives in Winkler. Curtis is a man with a huge heart for people, a love for his community and one of the friendliest guys I know. In 2008 he was honored as the Citizen of the Year for the city of Winkler.

I would never have guessed that Curtis would ever be the recipient of such an honor. I first got to know Curt in the late ‘70’s when I directed Winkler Bible Camp. Curt was one of our campers. To say that counselors were somewhat apprehensive about having Curtis in their cabin would be an understatement! Curtis was a counselor’s worst nightmare! He was constantly on the go, constantly challenging the status quo. Today we would probably classify such an individual as having a high attention deficit disorder.

Then Curtis joined the Battalion group of Christian Service Brigade program in our church. I was one of the leaders at the time. Well to say the least, we had some challenging times. And going on outings with the boys and having Curtis along stretched our patience and endurance to the limit. I don’t think any of us leaders believed that Curtis would be anything but a positive influence on others.

I moved North with my family in 1985 to pastor a small church in Cranberry Portage and direct Simonhouse Bible Camp and never really gave much thought to Curtis, except to occasionally use him as an example of challenges a counselor might face with a group of campers! Then in 1999 we moved back to Winkler where I assumed the role of associate pastor at Winkler Mennonite Brethren Church. It was then that I was reintroduced to Curtis. The guy was everywhere!! In some respects, nothing had changed! But I saw him at Winkler Bible Camp – helping out with a maintenance project. Then I saw him at Pembina Valley Bible Camp – again helping out on building construction or needed maintenance project. I would go to Salem Personal Care Home – and again there was Curtis taking time with his father-in-law – feeding him at meal times, engaging the older generation in conversation and laughter. Then I would see him at Eden Mental Health Centre – again visiting patients, bringing joy and hope into some very discouraged lives of people. Then there were the children with special needs or from dysfunctional families. Curtis would come by and give them rides on his motorcycle. Everywhere that Curtis was I saw people being cared for, loved for who they were. Everyone I talked to spoke highly of Curtis and his involvement as a volunteer in so many different areas of the community.

In 2008 the community recognized the substantial influence that Curtis has made on the life of people in their city and honored him as Citizen of the Year. When I congratulated Curtis on receiving this honor, he humbly dismissed the accolades and stated that what motivated him was his love for Jesus Christ who gave him a love for people and desire to serve and help others.

Thinking about Curtis reminds me about a biblical story. The Apostle Paul dismissed a young man, John Mark, as being unfit for ministry because earlier he had deserted Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey. Barnabas believed the best of John Mark and wanted to take him along with them. Paul refused and the disagreement was so sharp that it caused them to separate (Acts 13:36-41). Barnabas’ insight and encouragement prompted Mark to become a very helpful leader in the early church. Years later Paul requested Timothy to send Mark to come to Rome where Paul was imprisoned, because he recognized that Mark was helpful to him in his ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11)

It was Mark who would later write the Gospel that bears his name. Had it not been for Barnabas’ encouragement Mark would likely never have risen to leadership and service in the early church and we would not have the gospel that gives us “snapshot” accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Curtis stands out for me as an example that we should always look for the best in people. Accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. Never give up hope – be an encourager to the one whom others dismiss as unruly or least likely to succeed.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

God's Promise for the New Year


Iron Shoes and Strength for the Journey

Each new year marks the beginning of a new journey. What will the road be like? Will our way be rough or smooth? How will we fare? I don’t know what the future holds but I know who holds the future. When I was growing up our church always held a New Year’s Eve service. We would reflect back on the year completed and thank God for His faithful care. We were encouraged to claim a promise from God’s Word that would serve as an encouragement in the year that stretched before us. There was one verse that was a favorite of several of our older church members who were facing some difficult days. As I grow older this verse holds special meaning for me as well. It is a promise of God to His people that He will provide just what we need for the road ahead. Here’s what it says: “Your shoes shall be iron and brass; and as your days, so shall your strength be.” (Deuteronomy 33:25 NKJV)
This verse was a prophecy given by Moses to the tribe of Asher just before his death. God had given this tribe land on the seacoast north of modern-day Haifa extending into what is today southern Lebanon. Asher’s land was fruitful and mountainous. To a people living in hilly terrain God promises “iron shoes/sandals” for the roads they must travel and strength for each day.
We may have some rough roads to travel before this year is done. If the road ahead is rough, we need good footwear and strength for the journey. God provides just what we need for whatever the path may be.
As the poet Annie Johnson Flint expresses so well in her poem What God Has Promised
God has not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
All our lives thro’;
God has not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.
God has not promised
We shall not know
Toil and temptation,
Trouble and woe;
He has not told us
We shall not bear
Many a burden,
Many a care.
But God has promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the laborer,
Light for the way,
Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.
God promises to give us “shoes that will be of iron and brass” to enable us to walk when the road is difficult, steep, and hard to climb. He also promises “as your days so shall your strength be.”
Note that it is “days” not “day.” This means three things. First, God will give strength for each individual day in the year ahead. Second, God will give strength for every kind of day we may face. Some days are filled with joy, light, and happiness; others with sadness, tears, frustration, pain, and heartache. Whatever each day brings, there will be strength enough to meet it. Third, God will give strength to all our days until the end of our days. We will run out of days before we run out of God’s strength.
No matter what you may face in 2013 God’s promise is that of great provision. When you face hard days, He promises strength. Whether we face uncertainty, sickness, disappointment, the death of a loved one God promises to give us strength to face whatever comes with courage and hope. No matter what happens, God’s strength will always equal the days that are ahead.
What does this suggest for us at the start of a new year? It means that God’s strength will be there when we need it—and not before. We will never find a day when God’s strength is lacking. We will have strength as long as our days last. Therefore, we need not look anxiously ahead. Walk in faith trusting Jesus who loves you with an everlasting love. And you will find that the divine reservoir is more than enough to meet your needs.