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On Monday I heard the sad news of the passing of Joan Horner. I lost a friend. The Texas Rangers lost one of their biggest fans. Thousands of women around the world lost a role model and mentor. Andy Horner lost his sweetheart of sixty-four years. She will be missed so much by her loving family and friends.

Perhaps you don’t know who Joan Horner is. Joan and husband Andy started a little direct sales company called Premier Designs Jewelry a quarter century ago. That little venture now generates sales of 350 million dollars a year. But that is not what impressed me about Premier Designs. Lots of companies generate profits and hire people. Andy and Joan wanted to make a difference with their company. They have.

Few companies have had a more concentrated plan to share their financial blessings than Premier Designs. Through the Horner-Premier Foundation the company has supported ministries and missionaries in 45 countries around the world. Locally, to help in the ongoing battle against breast cancer, Premier Designs created its Cure pin in 2004. Since then, the company has donated profits from sale of the Cure pin to fund the fight against breast cancer. In 2007, the company created the Patriotic bracelet and donated all the profits to Operation Homefront, a charitable organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of our troops and the families of fallen soldiers. The impact of this philosophy of giving back has had an amazing and eternal impact.

Every summer thousands of associates travel to annual meetings in Ft.Worth to be motivated, inspired and touched by Joan and Andy. I have had the privilege of writing many of the scripts and skits for the annual rallies. Many in the front office kidded me that it was only because of Joan that I was retained year after year. At least I think they were kidding. I had a real connection with Joan. We both loved baseball and our families and people and Jesus. We tried real hard to keep the correct order. Joan could talk baseball with the best of them. I remember staffers waiting impatiently for us to get going on a script idea while Joan and I discussed the current state of the Texas Ranger’s roster. I am so happy that Joan got to see her beloved Rangers finally make a World Series this fall.

Today I heard a Christmas song from Michael W. Smith. A lyrical phrase struck me in an entirely different way as I remembered the life of Joan Horner. The intent of the lyric is to express that the happiest Christmas is when everyone gets together as family and friends. And that is true. But I listened to this phrase of the song and thought that maybe there is another meaning that my friend Joan is discovering today.

Oh the happiest Christmas,
Is a homecoming Christmas.

Joan Horner is experiencing a homecoming Christmas that we can only imagine. Jesus talked about a homecoming and He was not talking about His upcoming birthday celebration. He talked about the big one. I am scheduled to join in that Homecoming someday and I am happy about that. I am looking forward to it because of a promise that I believe.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”  (John 14, NLT)

I am not anxious to leave this earth but I do look forward to that homecoming someday. Why? It is about relationships. Joan understood that and made it part of her philosophy.

“Our purpose at Premier Designs is to influence peoples lives, not just their pocketbooks, and to build relationships. People are always more important than profits.”

Joan Horner modeled that well. Her life was a life well lived. When you know a life was well lived you feel sadness but no regret that opportunities were lost. A life well lived shows the rest of us what matters. And clearly what matters is not just accomplishment or gain. A life well lived is invested in faith, family and friends. A life well lived values others and changes them. A life well lived serves others and affirms them.

Joan Horner made a very real difference with a life well lived. She was a living example of Paul’s words to Timothy.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness… (2 Timothy 4, NLT) 

All of us receive that crown because of God’s grace. Some do a lot better job than others of demonstrating that grace. Joan was one of those.

Note: You can continue Joan’s legacy of giving by donating to the Horner-Premier Foundation in lieu of flowers. Send your donation to the Horner-Premier Foundation, 1551 Corporate Drive, Irving, TX, 75038.

Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year. I love the music, the memories, the traditions and the chance to annually think about Burl Ives. His memory came back again with the annual airing of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. That show first aired in 1964 and it has been a staple ever since. Ives is the voice of Sam the Snowman who narrates the “enhanced” story of Rudolph.

Rudolph and his elf buddy Hermey don’t fit in with the others. Rudolph looks different than the others. Hermey is not interested in making toys. In an odd plot twist, Herme wants to be a dentist. Not surprisingly, his elf supervisor is upset with the unproductive Hermey. So the two outcasts set off to find their fame and fortune.

The part of the story that resonates with me these days is when Hermey and Rudolph find their way to the Island of Misfit Toys. All of the toys on this island are castoffs because they are flawed or different. There is a “Charlie in the Box” and a train with square wheels. A boat that sinks in water and a squirt gun that shoots jelly. All of these flawed toys are banished to the Island of Misfit Toys.

That is how I picture so many sad and tired church-goers. They see themselves as misfits. They believe they are flawed and not worth much of anything. They have allowed a perceived idea of what a “good” Christian should look like to cause them to feel like they don’t measure up. The doubts overwhelm them.  Discouraged followers of Christ start thinking thoughts like these…

I don’t have theological training.
I can’t sing well.
I am not a good teacher.
I am afraid to share my faith.
I feel awkward in groups.
I am not a leader.
I don’t have much to offer.

But that is not how the Bible describes a follower of Christ. Every Christian is described as being part of the body of Christ. Scripture makes it clear that every part of the body of Christ is vital to the healthy function of the church.

I was reminded how might look in practice when I attended a Christmas concert featuring Christian artist Michael W.Smith. Michael has more musical talent in one finger than I have in my entire body. And I confess that I entertained a bit of envy in the early part of the concert. I always wanted to be a musician but I never was willing to commit to that whole practice and hard work thing. And that seemed to slow my progress as a musical talent. Right after I moved past my talent deficit envy I happened to notice (really notice) something that happens at every concert and stage event. At the end of a stirring song a stagehand quietly and efficiently moved onto the stage, set up two microphones and left without fanfare.

And it occurred to me that his small role in this gigantic production was enormously important. The next event was Smith reading the Christmas account from Scripture as a musician accompanied his narration. Because of the unnoticed stagehand the transition was seamless and the effect was powerful. No one applauded the stagehand. He might have felt unappreciated. He might have envied the acclaim that Michael W.Smith receives. He might have noticed that the audience applauded the arrival of the first chair violinist and the conductor. He might have wished for the rousing applause reserved for the other vocalists and the instrumental soloists.

But I kept thinking about the stagehand who carefully set the microphones in exactly the right place. I thought about the dozens of unseen technicians that made a magical evening of music happen. Incredibly vital people who did their jobs without a single moment of public adoration. And I think that is what Paul is saying when he talks about how the body of Christ should function. God always sees the stagehand that humbly does his part. God values the technician who makes the music happen without personal recognition. I believe that God would view that stagehand’s seemingly insignificant contribution as being every bit as important as the people in the spotlight when that small role is offered with worship.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he wrote about the distribution of spiritual gifts.

But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”  In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

I realize that I am prone to say it is all about Him and then get upset if no one notices me. So who is it really all about? If my service is for Him I am confident that God takes note. Should it really matter if anyone else does? I am the first to confess that such notice is nice and appreciated. But should it really matter?

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

I am not always glad when another part of the body is honored. How quickly I forget the unmerited gift of grace. If we really comprehended what that meant would we ever question what is in it for me? It is so obvious that I have been given so many gifts of grace whether I gain kudos or not. As I meditate on that today I pray that I will choose to praise God and be content even if He asks me to be the anonymous stagehand that no one ever applauds. My part (and yours) is vital even if it seems no one notices. The truth is that the most important observer does notice. Everyone of us has a purpose that we were created to fulfill. So if you are feeling like a misfit toy this Christmas season you can trust this truth. You are a child of God imputed with His righteousness. You are a saint and you have a new identity rooted in Christ Himself.

God does not create misfits. He creates people in His image with value and great worth. Satan would like you to retreat to your own island of misfits to feel sad and worthless. But God has another gathering place in mind. The Island of Grace. On that island you are not a misfit. You are a beloved child of God. You are a saint. And in this wonderful place there are no misfits. Paul made that abundantly clear with these words of encouragement to the Church in Rome.

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. (Romans 5, NLT)

Buffalo Bill’s wide receiver Steve Johnson settled under a well thrown pass that would be the game winner against heavily favored Pittsburgh. The ball tumbled off the hands of the open receiver. Johnson sat in the endzone with a stunned look on his face. After the game he sent the now infamous Tweet questioning what God was up to.

“I praise you 24/7!!! And this how you do me!!! You expect me to learn from this??? How??? I’ll never forget this!! Ever!! Thx tho.”

A couple of things come to mind. One is that Twitter has officially ended the use of complete sentences for an entire generation. Second is that Steve Johnson may have chosen an odd forum to express his frustration but his response is not uncommon for honest believers. It makes sense in our performance based culture that if you commit to praising and proclaiming God that you should get a little something in return. Shouldn’t it go a little better for me than for that other player who frequents bad places and does bad things? Shouldn’t God have my back?

Johnson is not alone in questioning God. Many of the great men and women in the Bible wondered what God was doing at times.

The classic example is long suffering Job. God describes Job as being upright and blameless and a man who feared God and shunned evil. Despite his exemplary behavior God allows tragedy to befall him. His family is killed and his possessions are lost. Job endures great physical suffering. Job wrote an ancient tweet wondering what God was doing.

“Why did I not perish at birth,
   and die as I came from the womb?”

Later he “tweeted” this…

“I have no peace, no quietness;
   I have no rest, but only turmoil.”

And this…

“I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer;
   I stand up, but you merely look at me.”

What honest believer has not felt those emotions? God eventually addresses Job and explains to His servant that He is God and Job is not. I don’t mean to be flippant but that is the essence of God’s dialogue. Job replies with this insight.

“I know that you can do all things;
   no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
   Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
   things too wonderful for me to know.”

Some things are too wonderful for us to know. Some things are simply beyond our understanding. Job chose to trust God and not sin. Job did learn from his tragedy although he probably never understood why so much happened.

I remember my bride making a declaration of trust when she faced an uncertain future with her breast cancer diagnosis. Her words inspired me. “I am not and I will not question God.” Joni did not want to go through what she went through. But she knew that God had been faithful throughout her journey and she believed that would not change. It did not.

We have seen how God has used our trials in our lives and in the lives of others through His grace. I read a thoughtful book called The Perfect Loss. Author Chip Dodd begins the volume with these words.

“Life is tragic; God is faithful.”

He concludes one story with this observation.

I wish the story from that point onward could be idyllic, the way we long to have life, but instead God’s faithfulness so often shows most clearly through tragedy. The same way the beauty, the richness, and the detail of a photograph is taken from the negative.

So much of life is like this pattern—tragedy, then redemption to victory—because we rejected God’s freedom in the beginning, initiating tragedy. Freedom seems like such a wonderful thing, but only if we recognize it as a gift and treat it accordingly. The responsibility of freedom humans have failed miserably. We take the gift and use it over and over and over again to refuse how we are made for relationship with our own hearts, the hearts of others, and the heart of God. Instead of finding full life in how God made us, we use our freedom to refuse relationship if it costs us potential pain of hurt or more hurt; we block with fierceness the very thing that can grant full life—a vulnerable heart before a good God.

I believe that God is good. I believe in the joy that’s coming. I believe in a God who used brokenness and hurt to tear down the protective walls of self to learn how to trust Him and others with my needs. I believe I can live in a realm of grace that allows me to see and love others without the judgment that clouded the eye of my heart for so long. And I believe in the outcome of the journey no matter how tough it can be at times.

Paul wrote this to the church at Corinth.

…As God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4, NLT)

I pray that you hold firm to your trust and surrender to God when “life” happens. I will not dogpile football player Steve Johnson for his honest response to crushing disappointment. God’s response to our good behavior is not always green lights and blue skies. Johnson will learn this tough lesson if he hasn’t already through this little media firestorm. Sometimes that is how life will “do you” and part of the journey is learning that God is faithful even in the tough trials.
 

(This is a reprint from the iPod Devotional that is posted every Monday at theFish.com)

I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving.

My lovely bride Joni loves pottery so one of my “sacrificial” ways to love her is to accompany her to pottery shops. Guys refer to that as “hitting behind the runner” or “taking the charge”. On a visit to scenic Waco eldest son Matt and daughter-in-love Holly took us to a working craft village called Homestead Heritage. If you visit Central Texas this hidden treasure is worth a trip for the restaurant alone. It is a delightful array of shops that features a working gristmill, cloth weaving and spinning wheels, a real forge and a pottery shed. I was fascinated by the open work area of the pottery shop. There were several artisans making vases and pots right before my eyes. Behind me were shelves of the finished products -colorful and beautiful and functional.

I watched a potter take a nondescript lump of clay and skillfully make an unique and beautiful creation. The verse from Isaiah came to mind.

O Lord, you are our Father.
      We are the clay, and you are the potter.
      We all are formed by your hand.  (Isaish 64:8, NIV)

Suddenly that verse came to life. But the complexity of the potter’s work and her skills made the metaphor really connect for the first time. The forming of the raw material into unique forms is just the beginning of the process. That is how it is with us as unique creations of our Father. He forms us by His hand. Like the pottery in that shop, everyone of us is an original. Sometimes we feel like the nondescript lump that the potter drops on the wheel. But the potter knows there is beauty in that lump of clay just waiting to be developed. Our process is also complex and it has just begun when we first submit to shaping by the Potter’s Hands.

The potter must make sure that no dirt or impurities are in the clay as he forms the pot. If he finds those impurities he carefully removes them before finishing the shaping. These bad materials will make the pot weak and not useful for it’s intended purpose. God desires to do the same with us. Impurities (sin) weaken us and keep us from our intended purpose.

The potter must also make sure that air bubbles don’t remain in the clay. Air bubbles can cause the pot to crack when the heat is applied in the kiln. I thought of those air bubbles as pockets of resistance in my life. When I must control my destiny and I won’t trust God. I can appear to be molded to God’s direction. But I have “bubbles” of pride and anger and control. These bubbles of self can cause me to crack under fire.

The metaphors that Scripture uses are so powerful when we take the time to understand context and culture. I realized that the pot on the potter’s wheel is beautiful but essentially useless when it is initially formed. At this point the piece is called greenware and it is extremely brittle and easily breakable. Two things need to happen to make the pot strong and usable. The clay must go through the fire of the kiln to be strengthened and it must be glazed. An article on pottery at Wikipedia had an interesting parallel to the spiritual metaphor.

Pottery is made by forming a clay body into objects of a required shape and heating them to high temperatures in a kiln to induce reactions that lead to permanent changes, including increasing their strength and hardening and setting their shape.

Trials by fire can have that same effect on us as followers of Jesus. Trials can make us stronger and set our shape as His followers. Or the fire of life’s trials can cause us to crack and make us useless for His plan.

I realized that I am just beginning to really understand that process in my life. I would be content to stay in my greenware state, brittle and not useful for service. But God knows that it is in the fire that we are strengthened and made useful. It is in the heat of trials that the true beauty of our creative process is revealed. And every instance of significant growth in my life has been in the fire of adversity.

There are a couple of  huge differences between the earthly potter and God as the Potter. When the earthly potter finds a bad piece of clay he will often just discard it. Our Heavenly Potter patiently works with us even when we seem unshapeable and worthless. If careless handling or air bubbles cause an unfired pot to break the pieces are discarded. Only our Heavenly Father can take the shards of brokenness and make a pot more beautiful and useful than before.

The words of James made more sense in the context of the Potter’s process.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (James 1:2–3, NIV)

There is no joy in the trial but there is joy in the knowledge of how God uses such events in our lives. If you are in the trial or facing a trial be comforted that God desires for you to emerge strengthened and beautiful and useful. One potter said that the greatest thing about making pots is that each lump of clay has near-infinite potential. The lump of clay that is me and the lump of clay that is you has infinite potential because we have an infinite God that is patient and good. I pray that we will allow Him to shape us in His image. I pray that we will confess the impurity of sin and ask Him to remove it. I pray that we will burst the bubbles of self that control us. I pray that we will trust the Heavenly Potter as we enter the fire. And most of all I pray that we will not fear the process that God uses to make us beautiful and useful creations. Yield to the Potter and see how beautiful the result can be.