Afraid to Turn the Next
Corner
Lysa
TerKeurst
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the
LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the
stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and
is
not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV)
You know how some people love the thrill of being
surprised? They love surprise parties. They would love to show up at work
one
day and be told they are actually going on a surprise vacation and be
whisked
from their desk to paradise in just a few hours.
They would love to have one of those makeover shows
pop up
at their house with a film crew and be told they're getting a whole new
wardrobe.
Surprises feel thrilling to them. Like the thrill some
people get when a roller coaster ride they thought was over suddenly takes
off
again and starts doing upside down loops. They throw their hands in the air
and
embrace the thrill of the unknown.
They call that fun.
I don't.
I love a good birthday party. But I don't want it to
be
surprised.
I love a good vacation. But I don't want it to be
planned
for me.
I love winning stuff and would freely accept a gift
certificate for a new wardrobe. But I don't want anyone to pick out the
clothes
for me.
I like (not love) a roller coaster. I don't mind when
it
finally crests the lift hill and then careens downward like the bottom just
fell
out of the world. But I don't want it to take unexpected twists and
turns.
This dislike of surprises can usually be managed with
all
the things I mentioned.
My friends know not to throw me a surprise party. No
one
is looking to give me a surprise vacation or new wardrobe. And before
getting on
a roller coaster, I thoroughly check it out and know its patterned
route.
But life is different.
Life twists and turns and throws loops into those
places
we think will be flat and smooth. Because that's what life does. Sometimes
it
all just catches us off guard.
And at the end of the day, I guess that's why I don't
like
to be surprised. I can't stand to get caught off guard. It makes me feel
exposed
and afraid.
But slowly, I'm learning God can bring good out of
feeling
exposed and afraid.
That vulnerable place reminds us we have needs beyond
what
we can manage by ourselves. It reminds us we need God. Desperately.
Completely.
And into that gap between what we can manage on our
own
and what we can't, that's right where faith steps in and has the opportunity
to
find deep roots. Roots that dig down and break up previously unearthed
places
within us.
Our faith doesn't just need to grow big, it needs to
grow
deep. Yes, we need deep faith roots.
I want to have faith like the believer that Jeremiah describes
as,
"... a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream,
and
does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not
anxious
in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit" (Jeremiah
17:8).
Deep roots anchor us when surprises blow like strong,
unruly winds.
Deep roots hold us steady during the storm that didn't
show up on the radar.
Deep roots find nourishment when the surface gets
awfully
dry.
Deep roots allow for growth not previously
possible.
Deep roots yield rich fruit.
So, I'm learning to not be so afraid of what might be
around the next corner. Even if it does catch me off guard. I close my eyes
and
whisper ... "deeper still."
Dear Lord, deep roots of faith–that's what I need to grow
today.
Help me to trust in You above all else. In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Daily Smile:
An
honest man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy
boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow just in front of him. He
did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could
have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the
intersection.
As
she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up
into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her
to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station
where she was searched, finger-printed, and photographed, and then
placed in a holding cell.
After
a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door.
She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer
was waiting with her personal
effects.
He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I
pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off
the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed
the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'What Would Jesus Do?'
bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker, and the
chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed
you had stolen the car!"
In The News:
Coalition Gathers at Capitol Hill to Argue for Military Religious Liberty Amendment
-
(Photo: The Christian Post)
Ron Crews, Ch. (Col.) USAR (Ret.), executive
director for the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, speaks in
favor of a Religious Liberty Amendment to the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) at the House Triangle in Washington, DC on July
9, 2013.
July 10, 2013|5:31 am
WASHINGTON – A coalition of conservative groups,
activists, and Congressmen gathered Tuesday to advocate for an amendment
to defense legislation that would secure religious liberty for military
personnel.
The group held a press conference in favor of a Religious Liberty
Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Those
present at the House Triangle who spoke included Rep. John Fleming
(R-La.), who sponsored the amendment; Ron Crews, Ch. (Col.) USAR (Ret.),
executive director for the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty; and
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, executive vice president of the Family
Research Council.
Tony Perkins, president of the FRC and one of the speakers, told The
Christian Post that his organization's involvement in this effort
stemmed from personal experience. "It goes back to when I was
disinvited to speak at the Andrews Air Force Base because of my
religious beliefs on marriage," said Perkins.
"Then we started getting reports as we spoke out on that, those
incidents of intolerance, we began to get calls from other members of
the military."
Perkins also told CP that he felt the amendment to the NDAA had the
chance to be passed, even with the stated opposition from the White
House.
"I think it has a very good chance," said Perkins, who added that the
censorship of religious expression is "not speculation" and "not
theoretical," but "very real."
Groups supporting the amendment who were present at the conference
included the Center for Security Policy, Judicial Watch, and the Media
Research Center.
FRC passed out a report titled "A Clear and Present Danger: The
Threat to Religious Liberty in the Military," which contained a list of
alleged incidents of religious discrimination largely aimed at
Christians in the United States Armed Forces. These incidents included
the Army removing a cross from a chapel in January, the Air Force
removing "God" from a unit's logo, and the Walter Reed Medical Center
banning Bibles in September 2011.
As the press conference was getting started, an individual passed out
a two-sided handout that was meant to be a rebuttal to the FRC's
"alarmism" on the topic. It drew from two online articles written in
response to the FRC report, one by the Military Association of Atheists
& Freethinkers and another by the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy.
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, executive vice president of FRC,
explained in a statement the purpose of the press conference and its
support for the amendment to the NDAA. "We must do all we can to ensure
that our servicemembers have the right to practice the very freedoms
that they risk their lives to defend," said Boykin.
"We will encourage legislation to protect the religious liberty of
military members, and we will do all we can to inform the American
public about the attacks on religious liberty in the military."
Crews, himself an experienced chaplain and presently a chaplain
endorser, told those at the House Triangle that the amendment will
provide "real clear directions" on religious liberty matters in the
military.
"We believe that those who are wearing the uniform, those who are
putting their lives on the line to protect the religious liberties of
all Americans should not themselves have to give up those religious
liberties that they are willing to die for," said Crews.
While speakers at the conference voiced their support for the NDAA
amendment and spoke of concern about religious freedom in the military,
others were more critical. Simon Brown, communications associate for
the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, recently argued
that religious conservatives are "crying wolf" over the issue of
religious liberty in the military.
In a May entry on Americans United's blog "Wall of Separation," Brown
wrote that the claims of religious discrimination are exaggerated and
based off of bad information. "The military may be looking to curb
aggressive and inappropriate proselytizing, and rightfully so," wrote
Brown.
"But at this moment, there is no evidence to suggest that simply
expressing one's religious beliefs would lead to any sort of
punishment."
If any religious bias exists, argued Dr. James Parco in a position
paper for the secular group the Center for Inquiry, it is in favor of
Fundamentalist Christianity. "In light of increasing religious
fundamentalism within the ranks, coupled with a lack of social and
political will to affect change, the cultural reticence to hold
commanders accountable for inappropriate behavior remains an obstacle,"
wrote Parco.
Rep. Fleming's Religious Liberty Amendment has a companion amendment
being sponsored by Senator Mike Lee of Utah. Both amendments have passed
their respective Armed Services Committees.
Source URL :
http://www.christianpost.com/news/coalition-gathers-at-capitol-hill-to-argue-for-military-religious-liberty-amendment-99699/
