She's a Looney-Toon

Remember those wacky, wild, half-witted Looney Tunes characters? We laughed at their shenanigans. They gave us plenty of comedy relief. We often think the same thing about overzealous Christians. They are the ones who stand on a street corner waving some kind of "Jesus" sign and yelling “Do you love Jesus?” They are the ones who call attending church, small groups and Bible studies as a fun night out!

I saw a man joyfully dancing down the street and waving a sign that said, "TRUST GOD" on it. The first impression of those passing by was probably "That guy's a 'looney-tune’!" But, he inspired me. I gave him a big thumbs up as I passed him. I recognized his joy. Maybe he was deliriously happy because of an answered prayer and he wanted everyone to experience his joy, too! On the other hand, maybe he was acting in faith, simply trusting God for something that seemed almost impossible in the natural. Either way, he had the "goods" on trusting.

My own daughter can be seen as a Looney Tune because her eyes are always open for someone to encourage and bring hope to their life. Her line is usually “Is there something I can pray with you about?” And, most people are quick to say "yes". On our recent trip to Tulsa, I had to hold her at bey because we were on a time crunch for an appointment, so she kept her head down when we stopped at a service station. Seriously, I want to be more like her – bold, unafraid and unashamed of what people think, and letting my little light shine.

What causes some folks to live with such unabandoned devotion to God? I'd like to suggest that they are the ones who once were lost and now they’re found; they were on their death bed and now they’re healed and whole; they were once lonely, but now they are secure in knowing how loved and cared for by God they are; they were once an alcoholic or drug addict and now they’re free; they were once homeless and now they have a home, a job, and a family and friends.

Think about what a "looney-tune" Noah must have been to those who watched him building the ark when it had never rained before. And, here we are living in this 21st Century and many of us have become bold and fanatical in our faith and devotion to God, so much so that we wear "Victory in Jesus" t-shirts or other slogans that reference God and other branded items that makes others refer to “those Looney-Tune people”. We’re those people who are radical enough to defend the unborn; who love our Country, and those who believe nothing is impossible with God. We're those Looney Tunes who attend church regularly, read our Bibles, and share God’s good news wherever we go.

But most importantly we enjoy being referred to as Looney Tunes. We've trusted God in the storms of life and we came through it all. Actually, maybe it’s the people who don’t trust in God that are the real "Looney Tunes". Maybe people who never take a risk, never face their fears, and those who don't know how to dance in the storms are the real "LooneyTunes".

Honestly, there are days that I am so profoundly overjoyed at the answers to prayer, the blessings that come my way, and sheer delight in my relationship with God -- that I could be that guy in my desire for others to see that TRUSTING GOD truly pays off! Yes, there are prayers that don't get answered the way we'd like them to. Often we get a "No" or a "Not yet" answer, and, even so, we learn that total TRUST with complete certainty that He will work it ALL for our good, just becomes our way of life. So when others point to us as Looney Tunes – let’s own up to it. After all, we're in good company with Jesus. No feedback necessary. No need to be concerned. God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good. Now from Looney Tunes' Porky Pig: "Th-Th-The, Th-Th-The, Th-Th... That's all, folks!"

Tis' So Sweet To Trust in Jesus

How sweet it's been to spend the week with my precious mother-in-law. This trip to Tulsa gave us the opportunity to share and visit about so many things. I was able to query her about her early years of love and marriage and life -- something I should have asked about long ago. FYI -- loving means eye-to-eye contact and REALLY being interested in what matters to someone else. We've had some sweet conversations about the challenges she faced over the years and the victories that she won in the process.

I feel like I've been incubated here in this home where there is such a sense of peace, comfort and rest. In fact, it is in this home that my Sweetheart would come to pay Mom a visit. The only problem was....he'd get here and spend a few minutes in conversation with Mom, but in just a few short minutes, you'd find him in one of her recliners.....sound asleep. That's what peace can do for us.

Mom, at age 94, has well established routines -- I've witnessed them and you'd be highly advised not to mess with those routines. It's clockwork -- from getting up every morning at a specific time, going through the morning rituals of getting her aching body moving by stretching and bending, opening all her blinds and curtains, then drinking her instant coffee and eating her yogurt sprinkled with cheerios and a piece of toast. If I stopped there, you'd think "what a monotonous existence", but you'd have to know Mom and her desire to be a witness of God's love to see that she's no slacker.

She believes that God still wants to use her. She's still here on planet earth, so she's not done. Daily, people call her to pray for them, and she does. She also has a daily habit of making telephone calls to people to just encourage them with an I love you and I'm praying for you. No big deal to some, but in the light of eternity, she's laying up treasures. And, we know that every breath she breathes, she moves steps closer to those treasures in heaven. Once I heard a well-known televangelist speak about those who pray for him, and he said, "I know those little grandmothers who pray for me will be at the front of the line in heaven AND will receive the greatest rewards."

I was the recipient of those prayers many times over, but none were sweeter than last night when I needed a Mama's touch and Mama's encouragement. Yes, I am a warrior, but sometimes the warrior is a child and there's nothing like hearing a veteran warrior's words of "Tis' so sweet to trust in Jesus. Just to take Him at His word. Just to rest upon His promise. Just to know 'Thus says the Lord'. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him. How I've proved Him o'er and o'er. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus. Oh for grace, to know Him more."

In any given day, you could walk into Mom's home, and more times than not, you'd find her at her kitchen table -- reading her Bible, praying or visiting on the phone with a soul who needs her words of encouragement. She knows she's on assignment and being God's spokesperson is her greatest heart's desire. If you're really on queue, you might also be able to draw a promise from her "Bread of Life" promise box that's filled with single verses from the Bible. That 70-year-old box was a wedding gift to her and Dad, and those words proved so true in the many years of life together. No doubt -- those scriptures will point you in the way you should go, too!

I pray that one day you'll meet up with a saint like Mom -- but if not, maybe you and I can be that saint to others in our world!

Let's Be Salt Shakers

Let's be SALT SHAKERS!! "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." - Colossians 4:6 So this scripture says.....when sharing our faith with others, it's like seasoning with salt. If someone sprinkles a little salt on food and makes it taste good, we really appreciate it. But if someone hands us a spoon of salt and says, "Eat up," it's really hard to swallow, difficult to digest, and most certainly not good for the heart.

So, what does the world think when we season our conversation with too much talk about church and God, and we never talk about things we might have in common with them? They just don't get us, and we just don't relate to them. But what if we talked a little about sports, and a little about the weather, and a little about our family, and their family, and a little about the every day concerns that we all have......and, then when the right opportunity comes, we occasionally sprinkle in a word about God's goodness, and how He answered a prayer or a special blessing we received and that He was the giver of the gift, or we mention an insight we gained from a sermon we heard? Or better yet, what if we went out of our way to share God's love with them in a tangible way, like taking them for dinner? Their curiosity just may be aroused, and, then, just maybe the flavor of OUR salt may cause a thirst for what we have? We can be the salt they need for zest and flavor in their life. Let's be salt shakers! We just might be the difference maker in what they need....when they need it most.