A TALE OF TWO SEAS

      First a quick geography lesson. The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are separated by about 65 miles. They both share a similar climate and they are both fed by the Jordan River. It is here the similarities stop though. The Sea of Galilee is full of life; fishing has been a major industry on it for centuries. It is also one of the main water sources for the surrounding areas. The Dead Sea is, well, dead. It does not support life beyond some very hardy brine shrimp and some plants. It is the saltiest body of water on the planet. How can two lakes fed by the same source of water be so vastly different? Why does one teem with life while the other one is almost literally dead?

      I recently heard our pastor use this quote in one of her sermons. “The Gospel comes to us on the way to someone else.” (After some hunting, I found it attributed to Erwin McManus.) I think too often we as Christians think we are the end of the line for the Gospel. We hear the Word of God and apply it to our life where we think it needs to be applied and then we are done with it. We pat ourselves on the back for recognizing our shortcomings and doing something about it and getting back on the path God has laid out for us. We miss the point when we do this. Yes, we should apply the Word of God to our lives every day, but that shouldn’t be where it stops. We are charged with passing the Gospel on to others, it isn’t supposed to stop with us.

      So why the geography lesson first? You see, the difference between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea isn’t what goes into them, they are both fed by the same Jordan River. The difference is what goes out. The Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee at its northern end and then continues out at the southern end. The Dead Sea, however, has no outflow and that is what causes the difference. With no outflow the water stagnates and evaporates and becomes the salty water incapable of sustaining life. The same water supplies the two lakes, yet one teems with life and the other one is dead simply because the water doesn’t flow out of it. If we don’t let the Gospel continue on its way through us to others it will stagnate in us and we will find ourselves a spiritual Dead Sea, fed by a life-giving river but dead because we did nothing with it and let it evaporate. As Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)

Broken Pieces

     They didn't think about the consequences, what 10 year old boy does? All they thought was how cool the bottles sounded as the bat smashed them and how the colors sparkled as the pieces flew. After the bottle collection, they moved on to the pottery. It wasn't until the old man walked up behind them that the thought of consequences crossed their mind, but by then it was too late. There was no escape.

     The old man didn't shout, in fact he looked completely unfazed. All he did was pick up 3 brooms. He handed each of the boys one and started sweeping with the third one. After watching him sweep silently for a minute the boys joined him. The shards were swept into a pile and then added to a bin the boys hadn't noticed before. The bin was full of broken glass and pottery, evidently they weren't the first to make sport of his bottle collection.

    When the sweeping was done the boys looked questioningly at the old man, he just motioned them to 2 stools beside a worn work table. The man grabbed an old canvas bag and drug the bin of broken glass to the table. He then started laying the pieces out on the table. At first it seemed to be at random, but before long a pattern became visible. Then it wasn't just a pattern but a picture and before long it was an entire scene. It was only then that the boys really looked around the shed. On the walls were the most magnificent tile mosaics they had ever seen, all made from the shards of broken bottles and pottery. When placed in the hands of a master artist, what appeared to be trash became an amazing work of art.

    God works in much the same way. After we make a mess of the things in our life, God calmly sweeps up the pieces and creates a masterpiece. When I look at the mistakes and missteps that I have taken in my life, I am amazed that God has been able to do anything with me. But then I look at where I am now and I see the individual shards from past experiences that have now been carefully placed to create the person that I am today. God can take the mess that you have made with your life and mold you into a masterpiece. What is just trash in your hands can become a work of art in the hands of The Master.

This song is by Shelly E. Johnson and is called Mosaic of Grace. I recommend checking out more of her stuff, she is talented.

A Sure Foundation

     I have mixed a lot of concrete in my life. Between mission trips and a job installing fence, I have mixed tons of concrete. I used to be able to identify brands by their taste; none of them taste good but Central American concrete tastes worse than that produced in the United States. There are 3 basic ingredients in concrete; cement, water, and gravel. The gravel, actually it is officially called  aggregate, is vital to the strength on concrete. If you mix only cement and water you end up with a crumbly mortar that isn't really good for much of anything. It is only with the addition of aggregate that concrete gains its strength. The cement gets all of the glory, it is the part that everyone sees, but it is the aggregate that provides all of the strength.

    My Uncle Carl was much like that aggregate. He wasn't the one to be in the spotlight. He played trombone providing the foundational bass notes while the trumpet players stood in the spotlight playing the melody. He sang bass not lead. He helped lead missions committees to help send people to spread the Gospel but never went himself. He lead small groups and taught Sunday School to help disciple the people that would go on to be leaders in the church. All of the things behind the scenes that needed doing but go largely unsung, those were the things Carl was drawn to. He wasn't in the limelight, he wasn't the one leading the band, but without him things wouldn't have gotten done. Without the work of people like my Uncle Carl, a lot of ministries would crumble just like concrete mixed without aggregate.

     Yes, we need the cement, we need the smooth and shiny finish on top that everyone sees. But we also need the aggregate, the gravel that goes unseen but provides all of the strength. I guess the biggest thing that inspired me to write this in memory of my uncle, is how much I identify with that kind of spirit. I am not a fan of the spotlight, I would much rather be the one providing the foundation that allows others to shine. I have always admired Carl for his ability to help others achieve their best and to get satisfaction from that instead of having to be the one out front. The grace and humility that he lived his life with provides a great example for me to look to as I live my life out in front of my students.

    Matthew 7:24-27

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”