Transition Time

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Transition Time

Good Afternoon! Have you had a busy day? Have you had a busy week? It's hard to believe it's only 4 pm on Monday. Last night as I was riding in the car with my girlfriend we were talking about a nasty habit of mine: using my phone while I drive. I know, this habit is horrible, and don't worry I have taken the most sacred vow possible, a pinky promise, that I am cutting the habit. 

But you don't understand, I am juggling a lot of things right now. I am a seminary student, a resident manager at a university, and I also serve part time as a Middle School Associate at a church. That doesn't even include personal life outside of those three activities! I don't have time to waste by driving back and forth between places. If I don't capitalize on every moment, I don't think I can get everything done....at least this is how I justified my texting/emailing and driving. 

Now this is not a post to complain about being over committed or me griping about time management, hear me out. I love the stage of life that I am in and wouldn't have it any other way. The idea of transition time didn't hit me until this afternoon when I was walking to lunch. I know that a favorite topic for culture to bash is when everyone constantly has their head in their smart phones. This is not the point, because today I failed in transition with my phone still in my pocket. I was so consumed in my own thoughts that I didn't even notice people passing me on the sidewalk. My face was not buried in my phone, rather my mind was far from Samford.

In Exodus 3 we see an incredible story in the bible, Moses at the Burning Bush. (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+3) The key verses that I want to point out here are Exodus 3:3-4. Moses declares that he will turn aside to see the great sight of a bush that is not burning. His decision to turn aside leads him to an encounter with God that would change the rest of his life. So what does a burning bush have to do with us today?

You have a lot going on in your life. Moses did too, in fact in Exodus 3 Moses is having a pretty standard day. He was taking an ordinary walk, and because he was present he could see something extraordinary. I am not telling you to put your phone away, because it bothers me to hear this message preached everywhere you turn, in fact you may be reading this on your phone right now. There is one question that I want to ask you, what is so important that you can't take time to walk? 

There are 24 hours in a day and I thank God that He doesn't put anymore in. It's so incredibly easy to fill up a day with tasks, chores, and activities. Why is it that we can't even allow ourselves a chance to breathe between the tasks? Allow transition time to be exactly that: transition time. How much different would our Bible have been if Moses had his mind elsewhere on his walk that day? 

Have you missed a burning bush because you didn't simply walk?

Thanks for reading and God bless!

-rcrawford

Trust

Trust

Good afternoon all! It's a pleasure to be with you again, and for those of you reading for your first time, thanks for stopping by. I'm really excited for what we have this week, I couldn't wait to get off work to start writing it down, so let's get started!

This week we'll be in Judges 7:1-8 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%207&version=NIV) with one of my favorite judges Gideon. Gideon's story embodies one word to me and that is trust. Prior to this passage Gideon is called upon by God to save the nation of Israel from the Midianites. When selected Gideon asks God for a series of signs to 100% confirm that God is asking for him. I had the pleasure of going through this story in a previous blog post titled Signs if you want to check it out on the side of this page. 

In this week's story though Gideon is preparing for battle and it is shaping up to be a big one. Gideon has 32,000 men at his disposal ready to march in and defeat the enemy...and yet God throws a little twist in there. In verse 2 God tells Gideon he has too many men, it would look like a victory for man not God with that number. So after a small test 22,000 men leave Gideon's army. 

22,000. Now I'm no general but I feel fairly confident that it's much easier to win a battle with more people. This is where Gideon's trust in God is strained. Webster defines trust as belief that someone or something is reliable, good, honest, effective. Gideon must now stand in front of only 10,000 people and inspire them onto victory. If we are to begin trusting God we must first understand that we are not intended for the spotlight. We preach, sing, and say so often that we trust God with everything and yet we want to be the center of our story and success, not God. The Israelites had fallen away from God many times before this incident with Gideon, and God wants to ensure that they will know He saved them leaving them no doubts.

Gideon's lesson in trust does not stop here though, as God tells him in verse 4 that he still has too many men. He sends them to the river to drink and asks that Gideon only keeps those that lap bring the water with their hands to their mouth. Logically it makes sense, keep those who are smart enough to look ahead while getting their water. Any war general would tell you this is AWFUL advice because Gideon's numbers then drop from 10,000 to 300! If I'm Gideon I probably would ask again and say, "So you wanted me to get RID of those that lapped the water not keep them right??" Yet God tells Gideon that these 300 are who He will save the Israelite nation with. 

Not only are we not intended from the spotlight in trusting God, often trusting God will pull us out of comfort. My brother and sister-in-love are the best example I have seen of this in my life as of late. Jon and his wife, Marissa, will be planting a church alongside a team in Bloomington, Indiana for the next two years. Church planting is not the easiest thing to do and requires massive amounts of trust in God that He will put the right people in their path as well as the resources for the church to grow and prosper. NOT only will they be doing this, but to get started Jon and Marissa have to get funded. Jon is the man that will fight you to the last second if you try to give him anything for free, and yet here they are...reliant. Reliant on God to begin paving the way for him to become funded so that he and his wife can BEGIN the process of planting the church. Jon stayed in my apartment this last week while meeting with individuals here in town not asking for only support, but talking to people sharing their story as Jon and Marissa are not only reliant on others during this process, but God to provide. 

So where does this leave us today? God would use Gideon and those 300 men to defeat a Midianite army that numbered as many sands on the seashore according to the Bible. Maybe God isn't calling you to raise up an army and defeat a great nation, maybe He's just asking you to trust Him in some small daily decisions? Trust begins as a seed in the small things, and grows into Faith in the big things. 

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope God blesses you in some incredible ways this week. If you'd like to know more about Jon and Marissa's story or how you might be able to join them in their journey feel free to message me!

Core Memories

Core Memories

Greetings all, 

It's been a long time since I last posted here and this blog is a habit that I need to bring back. I've been struggling to think of a starting topic for you all but tonight, at dinner with a dear friend, everything fell into place.

This week's passage is found in Luke 2:41-52. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202&version=NIV<-- That link will take you to the passage if you don't happen to have a Bible on hand. 

If you haven't seen Pixar's newest film Inside Out, I'd suggest going to see it ASAP. Don't worry though, no real spoilers here. The film takes place inside the mind of an 11 year old girl. We see her emotions and how they control her actions. One important part of the film is the introduction of core memories, memories that are so important that they shape different parts of an individual's personality. 

I began to ask myself the question: What would some of my core memories be? What are some things that are so vivid in my life that it shaped who I am today?

This brings us to our passage of the week where we read about a twelve year old Jesus. In our passage he visits Jerusalem for Passover as He had been doing for years. This would not be an ordinary trip though, as eventually His parents would leave him there for 3 days! Some of us have lost children/been the lost child in the grocery store for 5 minutes, I can't imagine being forgotten for 3 days! 

What is interesting though is the interaction when Mary and Joseph return to Jerusalem to find Jesus. They don't find Jesus panicking or worrying, but rather He is listening and asking questions. Now it's easy to pass this story off as Jesus being perfect and knowing all because He is the Son of God, but sometimes I feel we forget to notice that Jesus was also 100% man. He is recognized here for being wise and admired by all who saw Him. This core memory begins that in His father's house He gains wisdom and understanding. 

Do you remember the first time you experienced wisdom? Whether that be from a parent, teacher, or even a preacher? What moment told you how little you actually knew? I like to think that there are two different paths for intelligence to take as it grows. The first is folly: This is when your intelligence is used to place yourself above others as a superior being. We all know that person who seems so intelligent and yet constantly makes terrible decisions. "How can they know so much and yet be so dumb?" The second path is wisdom: This is when your intelligence is used to place yourself in perspective of just how little you actually know. God created an enormous universe and we are just little dots in the grand scheme of it all. So who are we as dots to place ourselves above other dots on the grand scale?

Mary asks Jesus why He would do this to His father and mother? He must have known they would be worried? When Jesus poses a question back to them and they do not understand what He is trying to say. We don't see Jesus explain why He had to be in His father's house though, but rather He is obedient and returns home, growing in wisdom and stature. 

When I read the gospels I often wonder how much turmoil goes on inside Jesus's body as He was both 100% man and 100% God. How much did He actually know from the beginning of the plan for Him? In this core memory Jesus tastes the wisdom of those older than Him, and yet does not place Himself above His parents showing his intelligence over them. It is in this moment that wisdom appears to be brought into Jesus's life.

And that is the beauty of core memories. Certain moments have already had an impact on turning you into the person that you are now, and yet for some moments you didn't even realize that it was happening. Maybe the first time you read a book, or played a sport, or even met a future spouse? I will be starting my 5th year in Residence Life here at Samford University in the fall and as I discussed this with my friend we talked about how the job has shaped us into who we are today. It is crazy to think that almost one-fourth of my life has been spent working at this job! I know that I have had some core memories develop in my time here and I look forward to seeing those traits grow!

So here is the challenge: We all have core memories that turn us into who we are. Jesus used a core memory of being left behind for 3 days to grow in wisdom, how will you use yours?

Thanks for reading, and I pray that God blesses your week in incredible ways!

-rcrawford