Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Seeking and Finding...

(photo from www.myspace.com)
Ok, I don't think I'm alone in this but I'm just going to ask to find out. Have you ever had to look for something? I have. I know, I told you I didn't think I was alone. It may seem to be a very simple question. Of course, we've all had to look for something at one point or another. Car keys have an annoying habit of hiding themselves from us. Pencils, ink pens, that little screw that fell out of the cabinet hinge that you set on the counter so you wouldn't lose it...You get the point.

I keep my sunglasses on top of my head so that I never have to look for them. It absolutely drives Steph nuts but I don't lose my sunglasses. I even heard a story a couple weeks ago about someone who was looking furiously for their cellphone...while they were talking on it.

We've all had to look for something at some point. If I could only get back the time I spent looking, I could take a couple days off and go fishing or something. But that's not the way it works.

What if that which you were looking for were a little bigger than sunglasses, car keys, or even cellphones? I know how frustrated I get over looking for those things, and I can only imagine that looking for something grander, and not finding it, must be even more frustrating. Yet, there is a world full of people looking for that grander something, and I know where it is. Should I tell them? Maybe help them find it?

This morning, I was reading 2 Chronicles 15, and here's what I found: "The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you..." The chronicler must have known that folks were looking for something...grand. Actually, it was Azariah talking to King Asa, but doesn't the same hold true for us? If we seek God, God will be found? I think yes.

Now, here's the catch. When I can't find my carkeys, what do I do? What do you do? I ask Steph..."Honey, have you seen my car keys?" Sometimes she knows where they're at, sometimes she doesn't, but I never know if she can help me find them until I ask.

Sunday I began casting a vision at First Church because I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that there are folks who are seeking but not finding. They may not know where their car keys are, but that's not what they're looking for. They are looking for a place where seeking and finding God is something that happens all the time. They are looking for a place where they know God is, but also a place where they know they can look for God in their own ways.

I have found in 11 years of ministry, that we who already know God want to help others find God, but we just aren't real sure how to help them. When I can't find my sunglasses, on those very rare moments when I forget they're on my head, my wife will come to me and point to them. I think that's what we've been called to do. Not to help someone find their sunglasses, but to go to them and show them that God is closer than they think.

Over the next couple weeks I will be talking a lot about this, about seeking and finding. The seeking can be a lot of fun, or it can be very frustrating for the seeker. Finding, now that's where it's at. I think it's time we spent some time actively pointing the way.

If you're curious and want to be a part of this, let me know. Internet is spotty for me right now, but you can text me 270-748-9619.

Peace
J

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